Rika’s video for “The Others” is just the kind of music video I wanted to be watching on a snowy day like today. The clip features plastic palm trees and sand which are used to emulate an island scene, best of all there is not a scarf or woollen jumper in sight. Instead, there’s a video game console and a vivid imagination at work.
I am astonished to learn the singer is only just, sweet seventeen, as an emerging pop artist, she exudes confidence which is way beyond her years. The youngster sings with conviction and has the pop vibe nailed, with her youthful, charismatic style. In fact, I can’t detect that the newcomer is looking to any of the recent dominant female acts like Lorde, Lana, or Dua as a source of inspiration. It seems to me Rika is content rocking her own, groove, and quite frankly I’m overjoyed this is the case. Although it’s easy to become caught up in the catchy infectious melodies, we must not fail to overlook the powerful, narratives on love, life and meaning in the world which form the basis of the themes and lyrics of her songs.
“The Others” is co-written by the former X Factor contestant Karen Harding, who we last heard about popping up as the vocalist on “Good For Me” a collaboration with electronic legend Giorgio Moroder. However, the track is neither, influenced by garage or disco (areas we are most familiar seeing Karen working in) this song is as pop as it gets. The song features an upbeat message to “that special someone”- as they’re “nothing like the others”. The link between the song and fun quirky video is that we see an animated version of the singer searching for love and getting closer to finding it as she crosses each level within the game and, ends with the singer finally meeting her perfect guy.The Luke O’Sullivan directed video clip is probably the best use of imitation palm trees in a pop video since Baltimora’s “Tarzan Boy”, the original tropical banger.
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