How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.
The subjects du jour are : The Overtones, Fun., Taylor Swift, Cover Drive, Mumford & Sons, Professor Green, Lawson, Post Malone, Dermot Kennedy, Bring Me The Horizon, The Killers, Paloma Faith
They are the performers of twelve “live” music videos that ranked in various charts, this week (41/52) BUT … in the Tens 2010s.
1. On what television show did The Overtones perform “Loving the Sound” live as part of a medley?
- A The X Factor
- B Red or Black?
- C Top of the Pops
2. Which track was the lead single from Fun.’s album “Some Nights”?
- A We Are Young
- B Some Nights
- C Carry On
3. What distinctive musical element is used in Taylor Swift’s “Red” alongside country influences?
- A Accordion solos
- B Electronic vocal processing
- C Steel drum rhythms
4. Which British grime rapper features on Cover Drive’s track from their album Bajan Style?
- A Stormzy
- B Wiley
- C Dappy
5. “Ditmas,” a song by Mumford & Sons, is associated with which Brooklyn neighborhood?
- A Bushwick
- B Greenpoint
- C Ditmas Park
6. Which energy drink brand featured Professor Green’s “Avalon” in an advertisement?
- A Monster
- B Red Bull
- C Relentless
7. In what music video setting does the band Lawson appear for their song “Taking Over Me”?
- A Tropical beach
- B Desert town
- C Mountain retreat
8. “Pretend” by Post Malone features a direct musical influence from which band?
- A The Strokes
- B Weezer
- C Green Day
9. Which sensory element is notably present in the lyrics of Dermot Kennedy’s song from “Doves & Ravens”?
- A Warm summer breeze
- B Scent of wildflowers
- C Smell of rain and streetlight
10. What orchestral instruments accompany the track “Avalanche” during its live debut at the Royal Albert Hall?
- A Trumpets and violas
- B Violins and cellos
- C French horns and bassoons
11. Which setting is depicted in the music video for The Killers’ “Runaways”?
- A Beach cliffs and ocean view
- B Starry sky and Las Vegas scenes
- C Forest and mountain trails
12. How was Paloma Faith’s cover of “Never Tear Us Apart” famously used?”
- A In a holiday movie
- B At a royal wedding
- C In a John Lewis ad
For TWELVE more ‘We Are Live’ – 2010s Music Videos – week 41/52 – click here
Tracklist
1 . The Overtones – Loving The Sound |
‘Feel like you never notice me’
|
| Produced by Future Cut and co-written with Phil Thornalley and Jon Green, “Loving The Sound” by The Overtones is, according to the band’s singer Darren Everest, about “picking yourself up and moving on” and comes with an upbeat soul vibe. |
 |
Featured on the 2012 album “Higher”. |
2 . Fun. – We Are Young (w/ Janelle Monáe) |
‘Give me a second I, I need to get my story straight’
|
| Alongside a catchy, piano-driven melody, “We Are Young” delivered powerfully by Nate Ruess and fun., embraces a theatrical glam-rock sound. The Marc Klasfeld-directed music video features Janelle Monáe in tuxedo providing a calm amidst a lively bar-brawl. |
|
|
Featured on the 2012 album “Some Nights”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
3 . Taylor Swift – Red |
| Taylor Swift’s pop song “Red” uses color symbolism to navigate heartbreak emotions. Blue reflects loss, dark grey solitude, and red the intensity of an unhealthy love and the struggle to change one’s mind amidst the free fall that follows a breakup. |
|
|
Featured on the 2012 album “Red”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
4 . Cover Drive – Explode (w/ Dappy) |
‘I won’t look into your eyes till they roll back’
|
| Barbados-born band Cover Drive’s “Explode” comes with island-flavored dance tempo, enhanced by London rapper Dappy’s collaboration. The music video, directed by Marcus Lundin, depicts a “Battle of the Bands” scene where the initially unimpressed audience and judges are won over as Dappy joins lead singer Amanda Reifer on stage. |
|
|
Featured on the 2012 album “Bajan Style”. |
5 . Mumford & Sons – Ditmas |
| Crafted in Brooklyn’s artist-friendly Ditmas Park, Mumford & Sons’ song for “Ditmas” carries an electric yet melodious tune. Directed by Alex Southam and shot in Kiev, Ukraine countryside, the music video follows a Ukrainian Cossack’s bond with his horse amidst cuts of the band’s live performance. |
|
|
Featured on the 2015 album “Wilder Mind”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
6 . Professor Green – Avalon (w/ Sierra Kusterbeck) |
| British rapper Professor Green’s “Avalon” features vocals from singer-songwriter Sierra Kusterbeck. Shot at The Chapel in Camberwell South London by Ross Cairns, the music video places Professor Green and his band in an impressive space lit by Aaron Reid. |
|
|
Featured on the 2011 album “At Your Inconvenience”. |
7 . Lawson – Taking Over Me |
‘And I tell her that it’s gonna be alright’
|
| Conceived in a jamming session with producer John Shanks, “Taking Over Me” by Lawson reflects the exhilaration of early relationship stages. The music video showcases them performing in a desert town, each paired with an on-screen girlfriend, with scenes of kissing and dancing. |
|
|
Featured on the 2012 album “Chapman Square”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
8 . Post Malone – Better Now |
‘But I can’t get this shit outta my head’
|
| Built on a beat-centric style with a catchy, repetitive chorus, Post Malone’s pop song “Better Now” reflects on an ex-relationship, expressing lingering attachment despite the breakup. The black-and-white video, directed by Adam Degross, blends tour footage showcasing live performances and intimate off-stage moments. |
|
|
Featured on the 2015 album “Beerbongs & Bentleys”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
9 . Dermot Kennedy – All My Friends |
‘But when she feels it taking hold’
|
| Dermot Kennedy’s “All My Friends” accompanying music video, directed by Brendan Canty, is shot at a homecoming performance at the Electric Picnic in Ireland. It encapsulates the youthful thrill of a first festival experience through magical highs, disappointments, and redemptions among friends. |
|
|
Featured on the 2019 album “Dermot Kennedy”. Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site |
10 . Bring Me The Horizon – Avalanche |
| Bring Me The Horizon describe their track “Avalanche” as a U2-esque stadium anthem. Directed by Tom Sykes, the music video showcases the band’s energetic tour life, particularly a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall, exhibiting the electric stage atmosphere, characterized by a dynamic light wall and an exhilarating crowd. |
|
|
Featured on the 2015 album “That’s the Spirit”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
11 . The Killers – Runaways |
| Embodying the band’s signature synthpop and Springsteen-inspired chorus, “Runaways” by The Killers begins with a calm intro transitioning into a vigorous gallop unfolding a restless young romance. The music video, directed by Warren Fu, visually transitions from a celestial tranquility to an expressive performance amid a vivid Las Vegas backdrop. |
|
|
Featured on the 2012 album “Battle Born”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
12 . Paloma Faith – Never Tear Us Apart |
‘I, I was standing You were there’
|
| British singer Paloma Faith covers “Never Tear Us Apart,” the 1987 love song by INXS, penned by Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss, for a John Lewis advertising campaign. Directed by Saul and Si Allen, the accompanying music video sees Faith performing the song to a room draped in red and empty, apart from a lone male. |
|
|
Featured on the 2012 album “Fall to Grace”. Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site |
And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:
1. The Overtones graced the show “Red or Black?” by performing “Loving the Sound” live. A true medley moment.
2. “We Are Young,” featuring Janelle Monáe, was Fun.’s lead single that skyrocketed to fame, even appearing at Super Bowl XLVI.
3. Besides country vibes, “Red” by Taylor Swift adds a twist with electronic vocal processing, making emotions multi-colored.
4. Cover Drive’s track is accented by Dappy, proving that grime can smoothly sail over a Bajan Style beat.
5. Mumford & Sons nod to Ditmas Park, a Brooklyn neighborhood, yet the lyrics keep silent about it.
6. Avalon by Professor Green got a stretch courtesy of Relentless Energy Drink, urging listeners to keep up the endurance.
7. Lawson ventured into a sun-drenched desert town in “Taking Over Me,” serving desert pop with a mirage of love interests.
8. Weezer’s influence subtly weaves through Post Malone’s “Pretend,” merging vibes across emotional landscapes.
9. Dermot Kennedy captures moments, conjuring the “smell of rain and streetlight” to evoke longing and connection.
10. “Avalanche” by Bring Me the Horizon enlisted violins and cellos for its debut with the Parallax Orchestra — a symphonic surge.
11. The Killers present a celestial spectacle with scenes from a starry sky and vibrant Las Vegas in “Runaways” video.
12. Paloma Faith’s rendition of “Never Tear Us Apart” took center stage in a John Lewis advertisement, reaching hearths everywhere.
For THE FULL ‘ARE WE LIVE?’ COLLECTION click here
NB . You may wonder what are these “Quotes” attached to certain photos above. Well! For a specific song, we take a still from the video on one side and select a lyric from the song on the other. We then merge the two. Et voilà!
Live Quotes • Feel like you never notice me (The Overtones) • Give me a second I, I need to get my story straight (Fun.) • I won’t look into your eyes till they roll back (Cover Drive) • And I tell her that it’s gonna be alright (Lawson) • But I can’t get this shit outta my head (Post Malone) • But when she feels it taking hold (Dermot Kennedy) • I, I was standing You were there (Paloma Faith)
Music-wise : Melodic Rap, Modern Rock, Modern Rock, Pop, Melodic Metalcore, Grime
