‘L’Amour Toujours’ N°691 – 2010s Music Videos

1 . Coldplay – Charlie Brown

Coldplay’s “Charlie Brown” from their 2011 album *Mylo Xyloto* operates like a fervent anthem for misfits and dreamers alike.

Despite not cracking the Swiss Singles Chart, it solidified its place in Coldplay’s live repertoire and landed at No. 9 on the Swiss Airplay chart.

The track’s frenetic energy is amplified by lyrics that thrum with a sense of rebellion and liberation—the kind of sentiments that resonate with neon-soaked nights and youthful abandon.

Lines like “We’ll run wild, we’ll be glowing in the dark” are less poetic sophistication and more a rallying cry for those who live for the thrill of the night.

Written collectively by the band, “Charlie Brown” is carried by Chris Martin’s soaring vocals and a driving instrumental arrangement heavily tinged with pop and rock sensibilities.

If paradise is where misfits gather, then the song feels like its national anthem, though that description also cheapens the sheer bombast of its live execution.

The Xylobands—a visual gimmick for live shows—elevate each performance into a fever dream of lights and music, which is clever, albeit somewhat calculated.

Directed by Mat Whitecross, the video aligns neatly with the song’s themes—youthful rebellion, romance under glowing cityscapes, and an escape from the mundane—yet the intentional chaos veers strikingly close to teenage dramatics.

Whether performed at stadiums drenched in choreographed light or as part of Coldplay’s 2012 Paralympics set, the song draws its power from the crowd, thriving on shared euphoria more than raw musical innovation.

Though not their most groundbreaking work, “Charlie Brown” encapsulates the essence of *Mylo Xyloto*—a fluorescent, heady cocktail of freedom and nostalgia purpose-built to wash over festival-sized audiences.

Featured on the 2011 album “Mylo Xyloto“.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

2 . London Grammar – Rooting For You

“Rooting For You” by London Grammar emerges as a delicate juxtaposition of intimacy and grandeur, opening with a stark a cappella segment that places Hannah Reid’s voice at the forefront, stripped bare of embellishment.

Released on January 1, 2017, as the lead single from their sophomore album, “Truth Is a Beautiful Thing,” the track unfurls with a dreamlike cadence, blending minimalism with cinematic lushness courtesy of production from Paul Epworth and MyRiot.

The accompanying Bison-directed video mirrors this raw aesthetic, opting for restrained, almost theatrical visuals that complement the song’s emotional meditation on connection and support.

Chart-wise, its performance is modest, peaking at 58 in the UK, with similar mid-tier positions across Ireland, Wallonia, and France, yet it quietly strikes a chord with listeners drawn to its haunting delivery.

The track’s live renditions, particularly a BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge session and festival sets, introduce an orchestral weight that recontextualizes its ethereal tone, adding layers to its reflective core.

While not a blockbuster single, its impact is amplified by London Grammar’s broader narrative—a trio that walks the line between stadium-ready soundscapes and introspective ponderings, carving out their space in the dream-pop expanse.

The band, defined by a reserved charisma, continues to attract a global audience, remaining grounded in their aesthetic while amassing over a billion streams and affirming their resonance with fans seeking art that unfurls in whispers rather than shouts.

Featured on the 2017 album “Truth Is a Beautiful Thing”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

3 . Olly Murs – Years & Years

Olly Murs’ “Years & Years” exists in two oddly parallel realities, each tied to a different album in his career and a timeline that feels slightly warped by nostalgia and reinvention.

First, there’s the 2016 iteration, nestled within the heartbreak-heavy *24 Hrs*. Packed with the emotional residue of a public breakup, the track benefits from Steve Mac’s slick pop production and the album’s thematic coherence. Yet it peaked with little fanfare at position 83 on the UK Singles Chart, a placement about as remarkable as the song’s title’s half-hearted echo of the band Years & Years. Live performances added some spark, particularly on *The Graham Norton Show*, but the track, much like its music video, remains one of the more forgettable pieces in Murs’ otherwise sturdy repertoire.

Fast-forward to 2022, and another “Years & Years” emerges, this time under his comeback album *Marry Me*. It’s a strange twist—the track shares no real DNA with its older sibling apart from the name, and here it presents a more buoyant, radio-friendly veneer. Co-written by an army of seasoned writers like Patrick Jordan-Patrikios and Adam Watts, the 2022 track slots neatly into an album that buzzes with post-hiatus energy. Whether it’s playing the role of filler or a stealthily charming deep cut is debatable, but its YouTube lyric video gained decent attention, buoyed by the album’s overall success as it soared to the top of the UK Albums Chart.

In the end, “Years & Years” feels like a gag where the punchline’s muddled. Is it a phoenix rising from chart obscurity or an inside joke for die-hard fans who bother to compare both tracks? Either way, it walks the tightrope between passable pop and curious trivia, lost in the shadow of a far more memorable discography.

Featured on the 2016 album “24 Hrs”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

4 . Noah Cyrus – Make Me [Cry] (w/ Labrinth)

Noah Cyrus takes a bold first step into the spotlight with “Make Me [Cry],” an intimate collaboration with Labrinth that wears its pain on its sleeve.

Released on November 15, 2016, the track captures the raw unraveling of a love that thrives on dysfunction—a theme as old as time, but Cyrus and Labrinth find ways to twist the knife anew.

The production leans heavily on Labrinth’s Midas touch, blending minimalist beats and soaring vocal layers into a stormy alt-pop ballad that aches with tension.

The lyrics are direct yet poignant, honing in on the cyclical torment of clinging to someone who tears you apart.

If the song felt emotionally dense, the Sophie Muller-directed video took it further, splitting the screen between Cyrus and Labrinth as they navigate parallel routines of toxicity in their respective apartments, connected yet devastatingly alone.

The song charted respectably, peaking at #46 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and finding solid ground in other regions, from Sweden to Australia.

Commercial success aside, the track’s emotional edge and Cyrus’s youthful vulnerability resonated, snagging Platinum certifications in both the US and Australia.

While Labrinth’s seasoned input adds depth, it’s clear Cyrus, just 16 years old at the time, brought her own gut-punch of sincerity to the mix—an introduction to an artist eager to pour her heart out, even if her voice occasionally wavered under the weight.

Featured on the 2016 album “NC-17”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

5 . Lawson – Learn To Love Again

“Learn to Love Again” by Lawson walks the line between heartfelt anthem and polished pop-rock staple, cementing its roots firmly in the early 2010s music scene.

The track emerges from the band’s debut studio album, *Chapman Square*, released in October 2012, with an official single release following in February 2013. Its glossy production, driven by sweeping guitars and an anthemic chorus, points to contributions from Jon Green and Steve Kipner, whose resumé includes collaborations with pop heavies like Christina Aguilera. Despite lacking some of the raw edge that defines the genre’s best, the song compensates with an emotional pull that’s hard to ignore.

Its performance peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number 11 in Scotland, numbers solid enough for a young band staking its claim in a competitive space. The accompanying music video, complete with dramatic visuals of raging fires and earnest band performances, toes the line between theatricality and relatability, though whether it rises above cliché is debatable.

Live renditions, like the acoustic set featuring Ryan Fletcher, pare down some of the bombast. This stripped version showcases the band’s underlying musicianship but shifts the focus to Fletcher’s vocals, sidestepping the more polished sheen of the studio edition. The song’s infectious hooks made it a live-show crowd favorite, with festival performances adding extra weight to its appeal.

Thematically, “Learn to Love Again” toys with ideas of vulnerability and reconnecting, concepts that resonate even if delivered through somewhat predictable lyrical tropes. There’s a certain nostalgia at play here—a wistful yearning for renewal masked by booming instrumentals. Lawson’s strength lies in their ability to channel universal feelings through commercially palatable arrangements, though it risks bordering on formulaic territory.

In the broader pop-rock canvas, the track may not reinvent the wheel, but it spins it with enough spirit to keep listeners engaged. Whether or not it withstands the test of time is another matter, but for its moment, “Learn to Love Again” finds its place as a likable if somewhat safe offering from a band carving its identity.

Featured on the 2013 album “Chapman Square”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

6 . Matrix & Futurebound – Control (w/ Max Marshall)

“Control” by Matrix & Futurebound featuring Max Marshall exemplifies the polished energy of mainstream drum and bass with a laser focus on accessibility.

Released late in 2013, this track bridged niche club dynamics to a broader pop audience, gliding into the UK Singles Chart top 10 by early 2014.

Its production opts for sleek, high-tempo beats interspersed with melodic flourishes that align effortlessly with Marshall’s vocals, her tone as crisp as it is radio-ready.

The song manages a delicate balancing act, delivering enough rhythmic complexity to appease the genre’s purists while offering the kind of memorability pop enthusiasts cling to.

The accompanying music video leans into a futuristic aesthetic, visually reinforcing the track’s forward-leaning ethos, though it stops shy of breaking new creative ground.

Certified Gold in the UK, its commercial triumph speaks to the duo’s knack for crafting market-savvy drum and bass that borders on formulaic but never feels cynical.

What “Control” lacks in underground grit, it compensates for with an innate understanding of what makes a night out—or a Top 40 playlist—tick.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

7 . Cheryl – 3 Words

Released in 2009, “3 Words” marks Cheryl Cole’s departure from her Girls Aloud pop collective into solo territory, making it an emblem of transition rather than reinvention.

The title track, featuring will.i.am, marries electro-pop austerity with balladic depth, a coupling that’s more intriguing than outright thrilling.

Will.i.am’s imprint is unmistakable, threading modern production with faint echoes of ’90s R&B—think smoky atmospheres rather than high-gloss sparkle.

The song’s sparse arrangement amplifies its emotional subtext, though its minimalism teeters dangerously close to inertia at times.

Critically, “3 Words” garnered a mixed reception, its Metacritic score of 62/100 reflecting mild approval rather than critical acclaim, a middling debut in the context of 2009’s pop landscape.

Commercially, it landed at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart, its Silver certification hinting at steady popularity but falling short of blockbuster status.

Lyrically, the track wrestles with themes of connection and miscommunication, a metaphor-heavy ode to the intangible aspects of relationships.

The accompanying video, a slick, futuristic affair, complements the track’s moody elegance while underscoring Cheryl’s attempt to cultivate an identity distinct from her girl group origins.

There’s a push-and-pull in “3 Words,” a track that wants to feel intimate yet polished, emotive yet restrained—a balancing act that both defines and limits its appeal.

For all its ambition, the song is less a mic-drop statement and more a tentative first step—a moment of artistic hesitation where one might have hoped for boldness.

Featured on the 2009 album “3 Words”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

8 . Cher Lloyd – Want U Back

Cher Lloyd’s “Want U Back,” released in 2012 as part of her debut album “Sticks + Stones,” is a gleefully petty anthem about wanting what you can’t have—or more precisely, what you’ve already lost.

The song’s narrative swims in regret and jealousy, with Lloyd openly regretting her past decisions and lamenting the ex who’s moved on to greener pastures, perhaps a bit too quickly for her liking.

Musically, it sits squarely in the dance-pop genre, with hints of retro bubblegum and synthpop that shimmer underneath its bratty, earworm hook.

Signature elements like Lloyd’s cheeky grunts punctuate the melody, perfectly complementing the playful yet piercing delivery of lyrics steeped in sass and a self-absorbed streak that feels both authentic and performative.

The track achieved considerable chart success globally, most notably cracking the Top 10 in the U.S., a testament to Lloyd’s crossover appeal despite her relatively modest positioning in the UK charts.

Visually, the accompanying music video brims with a deliberately kitschy retro aesthetic, transporting viewers to the neon-lit setting of Cadillac Jack Cafe in Burbank—equal parts nostalgic Americana and tongue-in-cheek satire.

It tells a story as cartoonishly dramatized as the song itself, with Lloyd disrupting her ex’s new romance in ways that can hardly be called subtle.

Compared to her “X Factor” origins, the song veers into a space that feels simultaneously polished and unpolished, towing the line between pop’s calculated catchiness and a raw individuality reminiscent of mid-’80s Madonna.

While some might dismiss it as lightweight or overly sugary, the song’s unapologetically brash tone gives it an air of relatability—if not in sentiment, then in its sheer commitment to dramatics.

For better or worse, “Want U Back” encapsulates the kind of pop that’s impossible to ignore: bold, irresistibly catchy, and unashamedly petty.

Featured on the 2012 album “Sticks + Stones”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

9 . Taio Cruz – Break Your Heart (w/ Ludacris)

Taio Cruz’s “Break Your Heart” is a glossy, unapologetic anthem of fleeting romance, anchored in the swagger of its electropop DNA.

Ludacris’ addition on the U.S. remix injects a confident Southern hip-hop flair, seamlessly bridging the transatlantic soundscape between Cruz’s polished vocal hooks and rap punchlines tailor-made for Billboard embrace.

Originally slated for Cheryl Cole, the track is reimagined as a pulsating confession of emotional collateral damage, framed by Fraser T Smith’s sharp, chart-engineered production.

The striking Auto-Tuned vocals feel detached yet purposeful, underscoring the track’s recurring theme: heartbreak as collateral for carefree indulgence.

Its music video, with sun-soaked Mallorca visuals and nightclub chaos, encapsulates both excess and the bittersweet inevitability of fleeting relationships, while Ludacris’ intercut Atlanta segments slightly disrupt its cohesion but amp up its stateside appeal.

Chart stats speak louder than critiques—catapulting from an initial U.S. Hot 100 position of 53 to number one—it set a record that reflects both its commercial prowess and Cruz’s knack for crafting hooks that refuse to be ignored.

Yet beneath the shimmering surface lies a contradiction: a song about heartbreak that feels designed to keep its listeners dancing, numb to the emotional wreckage it narrates.

It’s ridiculously polished, slightly soulless, but undeniably effective—an emblem of dance-pop circa 2009, where the glitter often outweighed the grit.

Featured on the 2009 album “Rokstarr”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

10 . Justin Bieber – One Less Lonely Girl

“One Less Lonely Girl” arrives as a midtempo pop-R&B number that feels tailor-made for middle school dances and wistful daydreams about puppy love.

The track, a product of the late 2000s obsession with clean-cut teenage heartthrobs, is as calculated as it is effective, pulling at heartstrings with lyrics revolving around the idea of alleviating loneliness through young, idealized romance.

Justin Bieber, still in his floppy-haired, squeaky-clean phase, delivers each line with a sincerity that’s almost too polished, bordering on a Disney Channel character breaking into song for plot development.

Commercially, the song hits its marks, landing comfortably within the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and even cracking the Top 10 in Canada, a sign of Bieber’s early momentum as a fixture in North American pop culture.

The accompanying music video leans hard into its wholesome appeal, showing Bieber orchestrating an elaborate scavenger hunt to win over a love interest, roses and all, making it feel less like a music video and more like a Hallmark Channel special condensed into three minutes and forty-nine seconds.

Despite its contrived sweetness, the video cleverly nurtures Bieber’s growing rapport with fans, even featuring a dog tag gifted by one of them, which functions as both fan service and personal branding.

Interestingly, the song was chosen as the second single over a more rebellious-sounding track titled “I Love High School,” a move that firmly positioned Bieber as the patron saint of tween sentimentality instead of a 2009 James Dean wannabe.

What gives the song a bit of intrigue is its laundry list of writers and producers—a small battalion, including Ezekiel Lewis, Balewa Muhammad, Sean Hamilton, and others—suggesting calculated pop craftsmanship over spontaneous youthful exuberance.

Critics were quick to point out its resemblance to the works of Beyoncé and Chris Brown, though any such comparisons feel more like faint whispers than undeniable echoes, given Bieber’s distinct lane of polished adolescent charm.

While it doesn’t exactly revolutionize the genre, “One Less Lonely Girl” served its purpose as a gateway anthem for Bieber’s eventual arena tours, where fans would scream as girls were pulled onstage to live the song’s narrative in real-time, their tears blending seamlessly with the dry ice fog.

The song itself rests comfortably in the catalog of early 2010s pop, a time capsule of a moment when teenage idols were burdened with the noble task of solving loneliness one overly sentimental lyric at a time.

Featured on the 2009 album “My World”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Twitter

11 . N-Dubz – I Need You

Released in November 2009, N-Dubz’s *”I Need You”* stands as a polished mix of hip-house flair and urban grit, combining glossy club beats with sharp lyricism.

The track’s production, helmed by Dappy and Fazer, leans heavily on pulsating synthesizers and blaring sirens that demand attention, a sonic cacophony as infectious as it is relentless.

This isn’t a track that tiptoes; instead, it barges through with a swagger, intertwining its frenetic energy with stories of obsession and inevitable letdowns.

From a thematic perspective, the song lays bare the temporal highs and disillusioning lows of modern infatuations, layered with references plucked unapologetically from urban British culture.

Peaking at number five on the UK Singles Chart, it holds the distinction of being the group’s most commercially successful track, surpassing previous hits like *”Papa Can You Hear Me?”*

Its ascent wasn’t accidental—a heavily pushed promotional blitz, five weeks of BBC Radio 1 rotation, and a high-energy music video featuring urban chases crafted an appealing package that appealed equally to teens craving escapism and clubgoers needing their fix of R&B-styled house.

Critics, for the most part, were charmed, labeling it a “fun-packed” anthem, though detractors might argue that its relentless hook flirts with overkill.

In context, it’s a track that rarely lets you breathe, thriving on its ability to straddle pop accessibility while bolstering the group’s standing in the UK hip-hop firmament.

Featured on the 2009 album “Against All Odds”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

12 . Shakira – Can’t Remember To Forget You (w/ Rihanna)

Released in January 2014, “Can’t Remember to Forget You” presents Shakira and Rihanna as a magnetic duo, blending their global appeal with a song that occupies a strange corner of pop experimentation.

Rooted in a moderately fast tempo and framed in B minor, the track fuses reggae, rock, and a sprinkling of new wave pop, supported by ska-influenced guitars and jaunty horns that lean into era-specific nostalgia.

It’s the kind of sonic cocktail that signals its intentions clearly: toe the line between edgy and universally palatable.

Thematically, it circles the age-old pop obsession with toxic romance—an irresistible but destructive connection dramatized in both the lyrics and the music video, a sultry, lingerie-heavy spectacle that’s heavy on atmosphere but arguably light on substance.

The collaboration turned heads, though perhaps more for the pairing of marquee names than for its adventurousness as a composition.

Commercially, it performed solidly, but not overwhelmingly, cracking the top 15 in the U.S. charts and securing a top-ten presence in a smattering of European markets, with Spain wholeheartedly embracing it as a chart-topping anthem.

RCA’s knack for engineered virality was again on display, bolstered by a Joseph Kahn-directed video that seemed tailor-made to prod social media chatter and rack up YouTube clicks, en route to a billion-view milestone.

Yet beneath the high-gloss production and the breathless headlines about on-screen “chemistry,” the song is surprisingly safe—its edges sanded down, its potential rebellious energy muted.

Interestingly, live performances were conspicuously absent, squandering an opportunity to crystallize this pop moment into something larger than itself.

For all its polish and charisma, the collaboration stumbles into a recurring Shakira conundrum: the balancing act of being a global pop phenom with all the cross-cultural expectations that entails, while still striving to retain a sense of artistic individuality.

Featured on the 2014 album “Shakira”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site