‘L’Amour Toujours’ N°657 – 2010s Music Videos

1 . Emilia Mitiku – You’re Not Right For Me

“You’re Not Right for Me,” a 2013 single from Swedish pop and soul artist Emilia Mitiku, sidesteps any claim to mainstream dominance, eschewing chart recognition across countries like the UK, Germany, and Australia.

It exists instead as a quieter entry in Mitiku’s discography, detached from the commercial triumphs of her breakout 1998 hit, “Big Big World.”

While this song is absent from her album “I Belong to You,” released the same year, its standalone nature doesn’t make it an outlier so much as a fragment in her evolving artistic identity.

Mitiku’s decision to transition from her earlier stage name Emilia to Emilia Mitiku—a nod to her father’s Ethiopian heritage—signals a desire for deeper authenticity, though this particular track rests more on delivery than introspection.

Within her body of work, which stretches back to her 1996 discovery by Lars Anderson, “You’re Not Right for Me” feels more like a wistful shrug than a plea or proclamation of incompatibility.

The absence of key collaborators or documented accolades surrounding this release leaves its impact untethered, and while the Melodifestivalen participant has shown adaptability in joining ventures like 2021’s Super Fëmmes, that spirit is noticeably muted here.

For listeners who know Mitiku only through her chart-topping past, this song offers neither the gravity of her early success nor the nuanced reinvention often associated with a seasoned artist in mid-career recalibration.

Featured on the 2011 album “I Belong to You”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

2 . Fergie – L.A.Love [La La] (w/ YG)

“L.A. Love (La La)” is less a love letter to Los Angeles and more a jet-setting Instagram caption, with Fergie geographically name-dropping cities as if rattling off souvenirs from an airport gift shop.

Produced by DJ Mustard, the track leans on his signature minimalist, bass-heavy beats, offering a skeletal foundation that showcases its rhythmic ambitions but borders on repetitive monotony.

Fergie, co-writing with the likes of Shomari Wilson and the Thomas brothers, Royce and Theron, brings her recognizable swagger, though the vocal delivery often feels like it’s vying for a hook that never quite materializes, trapping it between playful anthem and forgettable chant.

YG’s addition provides some contrast, his verse cutting through the glossy production with a bit of grit, yet his presence feels more like an obligatory regional cosign than a necessary complement.

The Rich Lee-directed video is a chaotic swirl of visuals, where Fergie parades on a Day of the Dead-inspired party bus alongside celebrity cameos like Hilary Swank and Blake Griffin, a tableau that tries to solidify its cool factor but can feel more style than substance.

Chart-wise, the song carved out respectable territory, peaking at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the UK Hip Hop/R&B Chart, its rhythmic persistence finding favor internationally and earning Platinum certification in the U.S.

Still, the song’s true legacy might rest more in its cross-promotional ubiquity, soundtracking everything from Chrysler commercials to reality TV, than in any profound artistic statement.

Compared to Fergie’s earlier solo efforts, “L.A. Love (La La)” plays like a reintroduction after an eight-year hiatus, but its reliance on trendy production and catchy repetition speaks more to the era it was released in than to Fergie’s own distinct voice.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

3 . Gabrielle Aplin – Please Don’t Say You Love Me

“Please Don’t Say You Love Me,” a standout track from Gabrielle Aplin’s 2013 debut album, “English Rain,” offers a wistful meditation on the emotional complexity of relationships.

The album climbed to an impressive number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, a testament to Aplin’s ability to capture an audience familiar with her previous independent efforts.

This song steps away from grandiose declarations, grounding itself instead in the hesitation and quiet vulnerability that often underpins human connection.

Aplin’s emotive vocal delivery feels as though it teeters just on the edge of confession, mirroring the song’s thematic indecision.

Structurally, “Please Don’t Say You Love Me” employs straightforward acoustics that evoke an unfussy intimacy, although the arrangement does feel slightly over-reliant on well-tread folk-pop conventions.

Set against the broader success of her “English Rain” album, the track serves as a quieter, more introverted offering alongside its more polished siblings, benefiting from its unpretentious sincerity even as it risks appearing somewhat subdued in comparison to stronger singles like her earlier “The Power of Love” cover.

The song underscores Aplin’s preference for relatable storytelling, but it stops short of presenting anything revolutionary for the folk-pop genre she inhabits.

Paired with the cultural momentum she had gained from her chart achievements and her John Lewis advertisement success, “Please Don’t Say You Love Me” occupies a comfortable yet mildly unadventurous place in her discography.

It feels less a daring leap than a carefully calculated pivot, aimed at solidifying her earnest, down-to-earth appeal without straying far from the formula that brought her initial attention.

Featured on the 2013 album “English Rain”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

4 . David Guetta – What I Did For Love (w/ Emeli Sandé)

“What I Did for Love,” perched as the third single on David Guetta’s 2014 album *Listen*, attempts to straddle the line between emotive balladry and the producer’s penchant for radio-ready EDM. Featuring Emeli Sandé’s vocals, the song enjoys a certain melodic heft courtesy of her commanding performance, which is arguably its strongest asset.

Written by a team that includes Giorgio Tuinfort and Jason Evigan, the track offers predictability, not innovation. The lyrics tread familiar ground of romantic sacrifice with lines that feel sculpted for broad appeal rather than originality. While Sandé’s voice imbues the words with conviction, the song’s narrative lacks nuance, reading like a polished script for mass consumption.

The single peaked at number 6 on the UK Official Singles Chart, clinging to relevance for 22 weeks, a testament to Guetta’s knack for blending mainstream hooks with cultural ubiquity. Yet, the production feels more like an exercise in formula over inspiration, with its layered synths never escaping their functional purpose.

Its live performance on *The X Factor UK* in November 2014 underscored its play for mass appeal, while its inclusion in an episode of *EastEnders* the following February reinforced its role as a backdrop to emotional crescendos rather than a standout musical statement. Remixes by the likes of Vinai and Morten inject energy into the track, though they rarely alleviate its core limitations.

Guetta, a pioneer of electronic dance templates, delivers a track that echoes his previous hits without expanding their boundaries, while Sandé’s presence adds an emotive veneer that just barely redeems its creative inertia.

Featured on the 2014 album “Listen”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

5 . Zedd – Stay The Night (w/ Hayley Williams)

“Stay the Night” pairs Zedd’s precision-driven EDM production with Hayley Williams’ raw, emotive voice, resulting in a collision of genres that feels calculated yet compelling.

Coming from the deluxe edition of “Clarity,” the song was unleashed in 2013, when the crossover of dance and pop was nearing the peak of its commercial dominance. Zedd crafts a slick, bass-heavy soundscape punctuated by shimmering synth lines, while Williams’ vocal performance punches through with a conviction more suited to a Paramore track than a club banger. It’s a juxtaposition that works, even if it feels slightly on-the-nose, like a handshake negotiated in a boardroom rather than stumbled upon in a jam session.

The song’s achievements are hard to ignore. Dominating *Billboard*’s Hot Dance Club Songs and Dance/Mix Show Airplay charts in December of that same year, it cements the track’s ability to bridge audiences. Reaching #2 on the UK Singles chart and landing in the top twenty in fifteen countries, this was no small feat, and its multiplatinum certifications in the United States, Australia, and Brazil underscore its global resonance.

Yet, for all its success, the track can feel clinical at times, as if engineered for the exact purpose of climbing charts. Zedd’s production is undeniably skilled, but it leans heavily on formulaic EDM tropes without pushing the boundaries of the genre. Williams’ impassioned delivery carries the emotional load, but her own individuality is somewhat sacrificed to fit the song’s glossy, crowded-in spirit.

Remixes by the likes of DJ Snake and Tiësto add some variety, but they also highlight the track’s deeper challenge: a core idea that is catchy yet faintly disposable. “Stay the Night” may have dominated its moment, but it’s the kind of dominance that feels fleeting, a snapshot of 2013’s pop-EDM zeitgeist rather than a song destined for timeless rotation.

Featured on the 2013 album “Clarity”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

6 . P!nk – Just Give Me A Reason (w/ Nate Ruess)

“Just Give Me a Reason” pairs the abrasive vulnerability of P!nk with Nate Ruess’s quirky, almost theatrical delivery to craft a pop ballad that’s both calculated and earnest.

Opening with a reserved piano melody, the track initially leans into minimalism but gradually layers drum machines and bass, creating a texture that feels intimate without ever surrendering to true rawness. Jeff Bhasker, credited with production, threads this sonic evolution effectively, but the arrangement rarely strays beyond the predictable boundaries of mid-2010s pop balladry.

The lyrical narrative, a tug-of-war between recrimination and reconciliation, avoids profound insight but succeeds through its conversational structure. P!nk’s performance carries the emotional weight, her voice raw yet polished, especially during the pleading choruses. Nate Ruess’s entry in the second verse, however, feels overly nasal—his theatrical tendencies mildly undercut the song’s otherwise sincere tone.

The song’s commercial success is undeniable, topping charts in 21 countries and marking P!nk’s fourth number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. Such success underscores its mass appeal, boosted by a Grammy nomination and a live performance at the 2014 Grammy Awards, complete with trapeze—a visual spectacle emblematic of P!nk’s penchant for blending drama with pop accessibility.

Yet, the song’s real triumph lies in its imperfections. It strives for authenticity while draped in sleek, radio-friendly production. That tension, unremarkable as it may sometimes feel, is perhaps why it remains so enduringly palatable, even in its safe conventionality.

Featured on the 2012 album “The Truth About Love”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

7 . Chase & Status – Time (w/ Delilah)

“Time,” the fourth single from Chase & Status’s 2011 album “No More Idols,” situates itself within the duo’s knack for blending emotive narratives with electronic precision.

Produced by Saul Milton and Will Kennard, the track features Delilah’s airy and plaintive vocals, a delicate counterweight to the slick, pounding production. Her delivery lends the song a sense of vulnerability, anchoring its appeal in human fragility amid the electronic sheen. Clocking in at 4:20, its duration feels neatly structured, never overstaying its welcome but perhaps adhering too tightly to conventionality.

The accompanying music video elevates the track into a commentary on domestic turmoil, focusing on a family’s discord through the eyes of an eldest daughter. Its juxtaposition of superficial familial cheer against buried violence is stark and unnervingly effective. Ending with a nod to Refuge, a charity combating domestic abuse, the video underscores the social responsibility often absent in the electronic genre’s usual visual fare.

Chartwise, “Time” peaked at an impressive number 21 on the UK Official Singles Chart, remaining there for 20 weeks, and climbed higher on the Official Dance Singles Chart, landing at number 6 for a remarkable 43-week stretch. For a duo who debuted with “Love’s Theme” in 2005, these numbers reflect consistent audience engagement without suggesting groundbreaking dominance.

Chase & Status’s collaborations with artists like Plan B and Kano indicate their ability to adapt to diverse creative energies, though “Time,” while polished, veers toward predictability. Still, its alignment with the broader framework of “No More Idols” solidifies its utility as a work of mood and message.

Featured on the 2011 album “No More Idols”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

8 . Taylor Swift – Style

“Style,” a standout from Taylor Swift’s 2014 album “1989,” finds the artist and her co-writers Max Martin, Shellback, and Ali Payami crafting a shimmering tribute to the cyclical nature of an ill-fated romance.

Reportedly sparked by an instrumental birthed by Payami and Niklas Ljungfelt, the song feels precision-built for maximalist pop indulgence, with its sleek rhythms and polished yet moody undertones. The James Dean allusions in the lyrics (“You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye”) lean heavily on American iconography, blending nostalgia with a distinctly modern sheen.

Lyrically, the track navigates themes of inevitable attraction and betrayal without veering into melodrama, a tonal balance that many contemporary pop songs often fail to strike. While speculation ties the song to Swift’s past relationship with Harry Styles, she sidesteps any outright confessions, letting broad relatability drive its narrative instead.

Commercially, “Style” cemented its status by peaking at six on the Billboard Hot 100 and dominating a trio of radio-friendly Billboard charts, albeit with a surprisingly modest peak at 21 in the UK, challenging its presumed universality.

Performance-wise, its inclusion in the blockbuster “Eras Tour” speaks to its longevity, while off-stage whispers of a Harry Styles collaboration for the re-recorded “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” underline just how much the song remains embedded in Swift’s public mythology. Hints of on-and-off turbulence pair well with its sonic gloss, though some may find its adherence to formulaic pop tropes less enduring than its titular sense of fashion.

Featured on the 2014 album “1989“.1989+vinyl+album&tag=radiovideomus-20′ target=’_blank’ rel=’noopener’>

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

9 . The Chainsmokers – Who Do You Love (w/ 5 Seconds of Summer)

“Who Do You Love,” released in 2019, situates itself at the intersections of The Chainsmokers’ carefully layered EDM sound and 5 Seconds of Summer’s polished pop-rock stylings.

The collaboration pits the American duo of Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall against the Australian band’s lineup of Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin, and Michael Clifford, juxtaposing programmed beats with live instrumentation to narrate the unraveling threads of trust in a strained relationship.

Thematically, it probes the emotional fallout of a partner caught between honesty and betrayal, a premise that feels overstated yet universal enough to resonate on repeat listens.

The lyric video, available on YouTube, emphasizes the song’s straightforward storytelling, while the live Vevo performance introduces a playful “battle of the bands” visual, an overt nod to the cult classic “Scott Pilgrim.”

Soundwise, the track merges tightly produced EDM flourishes with a flurry of guitar-work, though the tonal contrast occasionally teeters between synergy and strain, creating a friction that reflects the very tension it aims to articulate.

Performed as part of their joint World War Joy arena tour in fall 2019, with Lennon Stella as an opening act, the song exemplifies the era’s predilection for cross-genre partnerships, though it lacks the enduring hook of The Chainsmokers’ chart-topping “Closer” or the creative pivot seen in 5 Seconds of Summer’s “Youngblood” era.

By aiming to fuse their respective strengths, the track intermittently feels like a tug-of-war between identity and compromise, a fitting metaphor for its lyrical underpinnings but a less consistent success in execution.

Featured on the 2019 album “World War Joy”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

10 . Sam Smith – Like I Can

“Like I Can,” the fifth single from Sam Smith’s debut album “In the Lonely Hour,” operates within the gravitational pull of soulful power pop, buoyed by a sleek production team including Steve Fitzmaurice, Jimmy Napes, and Mojam.

Co-written by Smith and Matt Prime, the track navigates the key of G♯ minor at a measured 100 bpm, an almost paradoxical tempo for its emphatic declaration of romantic exclusivity. Floating between F4 to D6, Smith’s agile vocal performance seizes both the intimacy and the urgency embedded in the song’s lyrical core. Yet, the irony lies in how the track’s structure, though polished, never quite strays from well-trodden pop ballad terrain—a calculated contradiction underscoring its accessibility.

“Like I Can” found a warm reception upon release, peaking at number 9 on the UK Singles Chart, making it Smith’s fifth foray into the UK Top 10. While its position at 99 in the United States might suggest limits to its cross-Atlantic appeal, the track’s virality on TikTok years later—appearing in over 2.4 million videos as of 2021—hints at a late-blooming resonance within digital subcultures. Globally, its modest impact in Australia (20) and New Zealand (19) cements its place as a mid-tier pop contender in Smith’s discography.

The music video—shot in austere black and white—features the singer amidst the camaraderie of a stag party. While the visual aesthetic sharpens its emotional potency, the concept itself feels more decorative than deeply interpretive, leaning into conventional tropes of nostalgia and bonding. Performances on culturally significant platforms like *The X Factor* inject a momentary urgency into its narrative arch but fall short of rendering the track unforgettable.

While “Like I Can” lacks the exploratory ambition of its album peers, its straightforward delivery showcases Smith’s vocal confidence. Aitana’s 2024 collaboration for the track’s Spanish revival, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of “In the Lonely Hour,” breathes new life into its formula, even if its long-term endurance depends more on Smith’s broader legacy than this specific offering.

Featured on the 2014 album “In the Lonely Hour”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

11 . Mariah Carey – You’re Mine [Eternal]

“You’re Mine (Eternal)” leans into the quintessential Mariah Carey toolkit—ethereal delivery, R&B melodicism, and, of course, that whistle register—to weave a song that feels more like a mood than a statement.

The track, co-produced by Carey and Rodney Jerkins, situates itself in the key of D major with a measured tempo of 75 beats per minute. The hypnotic piano loop lays a smooth yet repetitive groundwork, over which Carey recounts a love that lingers like smoke in a still room. Lyrically, the song trades in broad strokes of longing and reminiscence, avoiding the visceral specificity that might have elevated its emotional pull.

If the original version settles into pensive melancholy, the Trey Songz-assisted remix injects a modern counterweight, though his contributions feel more like garnish than a proper duet. His verses complement but never challenge Carey’s vocal dominance, leaving the core of the track unchanged.

Chart-wise, the song’s modest performance on the Billboard Hot 100 (peaking at #88) underscores its understated nature, though its surge to #1 on the Dance Club Songs chart reveals its flexibility in remix culture. Internationally, its mild traction in Hungary, Spain, and the UK R&B Chart mirrors the uneven reception domestically.

As a part of *Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse*, the song fits snugly but unremarkably into a career that spans seismic pop highs. While Carey’s breathy vocal delivery and the climactic whistle register are reliably impressive, “You’re Mine (Eternal)” ultimately feels less eternal and more ephemeral—a fine entry in her catalog but far from its crown jewel.

Featured on the 2014 album “Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

12 . Maverick Sabre – No One

“No One,” released in 2011 as the third single from Maverick Sabre’s debut album “Lonely Are The Brave,” offers a dense patchwork of soul, hip-hop, and emotional rawness, though its commercial performance—peaking only at number fifty on the UK Singles Chart—suggests it occupies a more niche space within his discography.

The track forms part of an ambitious lead-up to an album that would eventually chart impressively, debuting at number two in both the UK and Scotland and number three in Ireland.

Yet, for all the grandeur surrounding “Lonely Are The Brave,” this song seems to lack the magnetic pull of its predecessors, “Let Me Go” and “I Need,” both of which stormed into the top twenty.

There are no flashy collaborations or overt gimmicks here; instead, Maverick Sabre leans solely on the intensity of his voice and songwriting, which, while gripping, might feel overly insular for listeners seeking immediate hooks or broader appeal.

The cultural tapestry Sabre weaves—blending elements reminiscent of traditional Irish music with the grit of contemporary urban genres—remains intact, but the emotional highs sometimes feel muted compared to his better-charting efforts.

If “Lonely Are The Brave” serves as a showcase of an artist poised between worlds, “No One” marks a moment where Sabre chooses introspection over spectacle.

For fans of his craft, the song may serve as a quiet testament to his lyrical sincerity, yet its resonance struggles to reach the same heights achieved by other tracks within his repertoire.

Featured on the 2015 album “Lonely Are the Brave”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram