Twenty-year-old, Christian artist, Riley Clemmons has teamed up with Country artist, Lauren Alainato release a new edition of “Over and Over.” The new collab comes after the “Broken Prayers” singer has released a home video for the single.
“Over and Over” has the makings of becoming a cross over song. To a Christian listener, the lyrics are apparent she’s talking to God about choosing her over and over, no matter how many times she messes up. Clemmons sings:
Staring at a Mountain Thought I had already Climbed The Weight of my Mistakes Hold me down like I’m Paralyzed How many Times Have I asked for Grace Standing in the same Broken Place I’ve given You Every good Reason To Walk Away
But somehow You Choose me Over and Over Again Over and Over Again You keep Running to me No matter where I am
“Over and Over” can also be applied to various situations. A parent, a partner, a friend. Alaina is the perfect fit, as she is also very vocal about her faith being a big part of her life.
In a previous interview with News Release Today, Clemmons spoke about the meaning behind the song.
This particular songwriting session was super special to me. I was talking with my label about writing this song. We discussed who I’d like to meet with to co-write it. I picked three of my favorite songwriters. I normally start a session talking about what’s going on in my life at that moment, taking that and finding a title and lyrics, based on that situation. For this song, I had been at church the day before. The pastor preached about what it means to recommit yourself to God every day. In a personal way, for me, that’s waking up every day and making the decision to choose God, over and over again. More so that I’m in awe of the fact that somehow I’ve been chosen to be a child of the God of the universe every single day, over and over again. Really, this song came from a place of just being in awe of God’s grace that doesn’t ask for anything back.
Take a listen to the collaboration below!
About Riley Clemmons:
Riley Clemmons is a 20-year-old pop singer/songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. Raised on southern gospel music and classic rock, Riley began singing at a young age. She was discovered by her manager Mitchell Solarek at age 13 and began attending writing sessions shortly after. At 16, Riley was signed to Capitol CMG and sky-rocketed onto the scene with her 2017 debut hit single “Broken Prayers,” which has amassed over 30M global streams since its release. Riley followed up the song with her self-titled debut album in August 2018, which debuted at No. 13 on the US Heatseekers Albums chart. In June 2019, she released her single “Fighting For Me,” which was one of only two female songs to reach Top 5 on the National Christian Audience radio chart in 2019, establishing Riley as a radio mainstay. Riley was then nominated for “New Artist of the Year” at the 2019 Dove Awards and named a feature performer. She also hosted the award shows’ official pre-telecast. An accomplished composer, performer, and recording artist, Riley is inspired by numerous genres, from classic artists such as Fleetwood Mac and Barbara Streisand to 2000s female pop vocalists Ariana Grande and Katy Perry. Her latest single “Over and Over” is out on all streaming platforms now.
Taylor Swift just released the music video for “You Need To Calm Down” and after waking up after 7am and getting a nice calm sleep, let’s dive into the video!
First things first, if you have not yet seen the video…. why haven’t you? Here’s your chance! Watch below then join us again to discuss!
Swift teased earlier there would be lots of stars in the video plus more! So who is who in the video and why are some stars involved? If you haven’t yet read our article on the song, go ahead and check that out!
The scene opens with Swift in her trailer bed and shows a sign that says “I am a rich man” which Swift probably painted herself. She is quite the artist after all! Some people speculate that it could be an upcoming song title, but we are more inclined to believe that it is a nod to Cher’s quote about not needing a man when her mother tells her she needs to settle down and marry a rich man, to which Cher replies, “I am a rich man.” Cher also has a trans son, Chaz so her inclusion of a Cher quote seems to fit the theme of the video well. Cher also posted a photo of the painting to which Swift replied she cannot calm down about. So we are now convinced this was the meaning behind the painting.
When you have a song about being calm and the video has a Cher quote in it and she posts it so henceforth you are not able to be calm anymore 😆 https://t.co/YGG0LyY4Kw
Some might be confused by her inclusion of this quote as Swift has been in a relationship for the past 2.5 years with actor Joe Alwyn. However, we tend to think it was included because Swift got so much hate for her relationships over the years, which included her using men for song material and not being able to be alone. Cher goes on to express that she loves men, she thinks they are great, but that she doesn’t need a man. That is an important point to make because our partners should compliment us and make us better, but we should also be confident in who we are and be able to stand on our own two feet. So, although we may not need them in our life, we still want them. This seems like a nod to the haters that Swift doesn’t actually need to be in a relationship, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be in one.
A possible song title “Pink Champagne”
Swift also has new merch that’s out now and it is all throughout the music video, from the phone Swift uses in the beginning with the album title Lover, which could also be a title track, to the sunnies she wears and the shirts that many of the guest actors are wearing!
Swift’s trailer then begins to burn. The exact meaning is left up to interpretation, our best guess is that even when there is all this negativity around her, she is now unphased and is then seen lounging in her pool as her “former world” burns around her. She then goes out, gets her hair dyed to the colors of the Bi flag and joins her LGBTQ friends, fighting along side them for equal rights, instead of staying in her safe cotton candy land where everyone is taking shots. It’s her turn to speak up.
We do want to stress that although this song is fighting for the LGBTQ community, it also includes other aspects of haters, people being too loud and needing to calm down about things (such as pitting women against each other and spewing hate online). Swift shared about writing the song on a Spotify panel saying:
I wrote this song about the energy that some people put into spreading negativity. With all the trolling, cancel culture, telling people how to live their lives of pitting women against each other… you’re being too loud. This is a song where I’m just saying ‘You Need To Calm Down.” Go outside. It’s the summer.
Most of the guests who appear in the video identify with the LGBTQ community. There are a few who do not, which made us wonder why they were chosen to be involved. Sure, Swift is good pals with Ryan Reynolds, but in a video and song promoting LGBTQ, there had to be a deeper meaning. That lead to some investigating and although Reynolds himself does not identify within the LGBTQ community, he is still a strong advocate and supporter of the community, even going so far as to help create the first superhero movie where the superhero, aka Deadpool, appears pansexual.
In an article with Vanity Fair, the Deadpool comic co-creator, Fabian Nicieza, has been asked about the character’s sexuality and says all are accurate, because the character is constantly in flux. “He can be gay one minute, hetero the next, etc. ALL ARE VALID.”
Reynolds has also voiced his support for years for same sex marriage. He appears in the “You Need To Calm Down” video as a painter, he also paints in a teaser trailer for Deadpool 3. Reynolds is constantly promoting his movie in the strangest places, even showing up on stage in heels with Celine Dion! In the video, he is not just painting something random, he is painting The Stonewall Inn, where Swift just gave a surprise performance at Jesse Tyler Ferguson‘s show, commemorating it’s 50th anniversary.
The numbers 5 and 0 also appear in the video. The Stonewall Inn is a landmark and birthplace of the Gay Rights Movement. Also to those wondering about the dice that appear in the video. Some speculate they also lead up to the number 50. We’ve seen other numbers, but it depends on how you count the dice based on how they are angled.
Ferguson also appears in the video with his real-life husband, Justin Mikita. In the video they are getting married and the one officiating the wedding is none other than Ciara. Although she has a strong LGBTQ fanbase, we had to do a little more digging to see why she was included in the video as well. What we found was mind blowing. Did you know that Ciara was planning on getting married in North Carolina but moved her wedding location after they passed the House Bill 2, which bans transgender people from using the restroom of the gender they identify with? So now here she is officiating a gay wedding! Talk about a full circle moment!
One of the most iconic moments of the video is when the alumni of RuPauls’ Drag Race stand on stage for the “Pop Queen Pageant,” each representing a lady in current pop music. Tatiaana was portraying Ariana Grande, while Trinity “The Tuck” Taylor was Lady Gaga, Delta Work was Adele, Trinity K Bonet was Cardi B, Jade Jolie was Taylor Swift (and even sung along to the song as if she was truly Swift herself), Riley Knoxx was Beyonce, Adore Delano played Katy Perry, (who later made a real life cameo) and Akeria C Davenport played Nicki Minaj.
Cardi B. quoted tweeted this moment, adding “Sooo cute.”
The cool thing about this moment is while all these ladies are on stage, one of the best lines from the song is sung and reminds everyone that these ladies aren’t out here trying to fight each other or be pitted against one another. There’s not just one winner or as in a pageant, one crown to be won amongst them, but every single one of them has their own crown. They do not need to fight each other for it, they all shine.
And we see you over there on the Internet Comparing all the girls who are killing it, But we figured you out. We all know now. We all got crowns. You need to calm down
There are some other noticeable cameos in the video, such as YouTube star Hannah Hart, who is a lesbian chef and a big Swift fan! Laverne Cox, who is the first openly trans person to be nominated for a Prime-time Emmy and back in 2015 presented Swift with a BMA Award!
One of Swift’s BFFs, whom also happened to executive produce the video, Todrick Hall, also appeared in her “Look What You Made Me Do” video. One of Hall’s friends, Chester Lockhart, also appeared in the video and is also a singer and actor. Pop artist, Hayley Kiyoko, who Swift brought out during the Rep Tour to perform and Swift also made a surprise appearance at one of her shows! Adam Rippon,who is the first openly gay American athlete (Olympic Figure Skater) to medal at the Winter Olympics and is also an avid Swift fan!
Adam Lambert and Ellen DeGeneres also appear in the video in which Lambert is giving Ellen a tattoo that reads “Cruel Summer.” A possible upcoming song title? Or nod to the song itself by Bananarama.
Lambert revealed he ran into Swift while filming for The Ellen Show and she asked if he would like to be in her video with Ellen. Swift also revealed on her appearance on The Ellen Show that she had left a “clue” during their interview, and in fact she did! Ellen had the tattoo during their sit down!
Billy Porter of the show Pose also appears serving some looks!
Then of course the moment that has been widely spoken about, Katy Perry shows up wearing her Met Gala after-party costume of a cheeseburger. Apparently Swift had already reached out to her about being in the video and going public with their reconnected friendship after having “beef” for several years. Perry posted a picture saying this meal was “beef-free.” Pun intended!
Todrick Hall spoke to Access about this moment and said that he thought it was a great idea to invite Perry because Swift has always spoken through her music. He went on to say that they were so genuine on set, laughing and having a good time. He also thought it was important to show that you can have beef with someone and then get over it and move on and become friends with people that you were once enemeies with.
“Well, we have been on really good terms for awhile, like, she sent this beautiful note and an olive branch to me the opening night of the Reputation Stadium Tour awhile ago. And from then on, we’ve been on good terms and we hadn’t seen each other, though. So the first time we saw each other was at this party and when we saw each other, it was just very clear to both of us that everything was different. That we had grown up. That we had grown past allowing ourselves to sort of be pitted against each other. It just was really, really clear that we remembered how much we had in common. So both of us have been in a really good place for awhile, but we didn’t – I don’t know if either of us knew if we were gonna talk about it publicly. So when I thought of this concept for the video and I wrote the treatment, I thought of this idea, and I thought, you know, I’m just gonna ask her if she’d be interested in this, but I would be totally fine if she’d rather keep it private and keep it between us. But I sent it to her and, you know, she was like, I would love for us to be a symbol of redemption and forgiveness! And I felt the same way about it… [About the text she sent to Katy] Basically, it was like a long synopsis of the entire video. And I didn’t think of the burger and fries costume until she wore the burger–she wore that Jeremy burger to the Met Gala after party, and I was like ‘that is amazing’. It felt very punk-rock to me, like her wearing that, like that’s really, really cool and funny. I kept thinking, you know, we are gonna have this moment in the video and if it’s too on the nose, if it’s too us wearing normal clothes and hugging, it won’t really fit into this video because this video is very wacky and very surreal and fun and playful. So I was like, can we do a burger and fries as like a metaphor for two people who belong together? And people who are like a a perfect pair? And she thought it was really funny! So we did it. And I think that the metaphor of us being like, you know, searching for someone you have something in common with and seeing them having it be originally represented is funny.”
Some other iconic moments? When the protestors decide they are in fact being too loud, calm down and stop protesting. Swift also used a real life sign with an incorrect spelling, just like an actual sign that was used in protest.
The words “Love Letter Only” also appear in the video, which may hint at a possible upcoming song as well.
There were so many things in the video, we could be here all day! Have a question about the video? Let us know
After the announcement of Taylor Swift’s 7th studio album being called Lover, she dropped a new single called “You Need to Calm Down” and to be honest, we are not calm!
The song is an instant anthem for a lot of people as it calls out people for being ignorant and uses lines like
“You just need to take several seats and then try to restore the peace,” And control your urges to scream about all the people you hate”
“You Need To Calm Down” spreads a mesage without being too preachy and also allows others to feel accepted.
The bridge comes in strong and shuts down people who try to pit woman against each other, there’s enough limelight to go around!
And we see you over there on the internet Comparing all the girls who are killing it But we figured you out We all know now we all got crowns You need to calm down
Beats 1 posted a video where Swift talks about the inspiration for the song saying:
I’ve observed a lot of different people in our society who just put so much energy and effort into negativity and it just made me feel like… you just need to calm down, you’re stressing yourself out. This seems more like it’s about you than what you’re going off about… just… calm down.
The lyrics address many different topics, such as people taking cheap shots on twitter vs in real life, how people get so worked up about others being gay. She even highlighted the E and A in words to stand for the Equality Act.
and she changed the spelling of glad to GLAAD, which is a LGBQT acceptance and advocate organization.
Listen to “You Need to Calm Down” and let us know what you think!
NEW DATES ADDED FOR THE BELLES ON NICKELODEON’S JOJO SIWA’S D.R.E.A.M. TOUR First Country Mother-Daughter Duo Since The Judds Opening All Dates For One Of StubHub’s Top U.S. Summer Tours Tickets For New Dates Including Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena On Sale This Friday (6/14)
Country duo The Belles will join Nickelodeon’s JoJo Siwa’s D.R.E.A.M. Tour for additional dates following the 71 previously announced shows. Tickets go on sale this Friday (6/14).The now 82-show run kicked off May 17 in Phoenix, AZ and has been named one of StubHub’s Top U.S. Summer Tours alongside The Rolling Stones, Queen, Ariana Grande and more. The Belles share, “Touring with JoJo has been a D.R.E.A.M. come true! The energy and positivity she creates at each show is infectious. We feel so honored to be the opening act of such an incredible tour!”
Making history as the first Country mother-daughter duo since The Judds, Kelli and her mom Jaymie were offered the opportunity of a lifetime to join their close family friend and fellow Omaha native JoJo Siwa on her massive debut tour. Known around Nashville for their “simplistic, yet elegant” (Hollywood Life) “unique harmony blend,” (Taste of Country) The Belles are hard at work in the studio in Music City between tour dates on new music to share before they make their big Bridgestone Arena debut on September 24.
The Belles released their debut EP in 2018 in the midst of tour dates with Brett Eldredge, Old Dominion, Dan + Shay and more. The self-titled project was produced by Mickey Jack Cones (Thomas Rhett, Runaway June, Lionel Richie) and includes their most recent single “Didn’t Break Mine.”
ADDITIONAL D.R.E.A.M. TOUR DATES ON SALE THIS FRIDAY (6/14): August 29 – Rosemont Theatre – Chicago, IL September 18 – HEB Center at Cedar Park – Cedar Park, TX September 20 – BOK Center – Tulsa, OK September 21 – Sprint Center – Kansas City, MO September 22 – Chaifetz Arena – St. Louis, MO September 24 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN September 26 – Infinite Energy Arena – Duluth, GA September 27 – Bon Secours Wellness Arena – Greenville, SC September 29 – John Paul Jones Arena – Charlottesville, VA October 1 – Webster Bank Arena – Bridgeport, CT October 2 – Dunkin Donuts Center – Providence, RI
ABOUT THE BELLES: Born in Nebraska and raised in Country, Kelli and her mother, Jaymie are having the time of their lives as the duo The Belles, making history as the first mother-daughter duo to rise to stardom since The Judds. Having already charmed audiences across the nation opening for the likes of Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Old Dominion and more, 16-year-old superstar Siwa, a dear family friend from Omaha, afforded them the opportunity of a lifetime to join her out on the road for the 82-show tour which kicked off on May 17 in Phoenix, AZ and wraps October 2 in Providence, RI. When it comes to lead vocals, Jaymie lets Kelli take the spotlight. She says, “I like to think of myself as the setting and Kelli as the diamond.” Kelli, a recent college graduate, has relocated to Nashville to continue her reign as a fixture in the Nashville songwriting community while her supportive mother stays behind in Omaha. The Belles released their debut-self titled EP in 2018, enlisting award-winning producer Mickey Jack Cones (Thomas Rhett, Runaway June, Lionel Richie) for his expertise on the project. In between tour dates, The Belles in the studio working on their next project slated to release this Summer.
UPCOMING D.R.E.A.M. TOUR DATES: June 11 – KeyBank State Theatre – Cleveland, OH June 12 – Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric – Baltimore, MD June 13 – State Theatre New Jersey – New Brunswick, NJ June 15 – The Bushnell – Hartford, CT June 16 – Lowell Memorial Auditorium – Lowell, MA June 18 – Beacon Theatre – New York City, NY June 20 – Ovens Auditorium – Charlotte, NC June 21 – Tennessee Performing Arts Center – Nashville, TN June 22 – Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center – Atlanta, GA June 25 – The Theatre at Grand Prairie – Grand Prairie, TX June 26 – Bass Concert Hall – Austin, TX July 10 – Amway Center – Orlando, FL July 12 – BB&T Center – Sunrise, FL July 13 – St. Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL July 14 – Volvo Car Stadium – Charleston, SC July 16 – Greensboro Coliseum – Greensboro, NC July 18 – Virginia Credit Union LIVE! At Richmond Raceway July 19 – Wolf Trap – Vienna, VA July 20 – The Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, CT July 21 – Forest Hills Stadium – Queens, NY July 23 – Agganis Arena – Boston, MA July 24 – Prudential Center – Newark, NJ July 26 – NYCB LIVE, Home of The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum – Long Island, NY July 27 – TD Pavilion at the Mann – Philadelphia, PA July 28 – Artpark – Lewiston, NY July 30 – Petersen Events Center – Pittsburgh, PA July 31 – Schottenstein Center – Columbus, OH August 2 – Coca-Cola Coliseum – Toronto, ON August 3 – Masonic Temple Theatre – Detroit, MI August 4 – BMO Harris Pavilion – Milwaukee, WI August 6 – Baxter Arena – Omaha, NE August 8 – 1STBANK Center – Broomfield, CO August 10 – Mandalay Bay Events Center – Las Vegas, NV August 11 – Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA August 13 – Honda Center – Anaheim, CA August 14 – Oracle Arena – Oakland, CA August 15 – Reno Events Center – Reno, NV August 17 – Theater of the Clouds – Portland, OR August 18 – Marymoor Park – Redmond, WA August 20 – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sport Centre – Vancouver, BC August 24 – Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, NE August 25 – US Cellular Center – Cedar Rapids, IA August 27 – Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, MI August 28 – Fraze Pavilion – Kettering, OH August 29 – Rosemont Theatre – Chicago, IL August 31 – Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza – Wilkes-Barre, PA September 1 – M&T Bank Grandstand (Delaware State Fair) – Harrington, DE September 4 – Huntington Center – Toledo, OH September 6 – Bankers Life Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, IN September 7 – KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, KY September 8 – Legacy Arena at the BJCC – Birmingham, AL September 10 – FedExForum – Memphis, TN September 11 – UNO Lakefront Arena – New Orleans, LA September 13 – Smart Financial Centre – Sugar Land, TX September 14 – AT&T Center – San Antonio, TX September 15 – Bert Ogden Arena – Edinburg, TX September 17 – The Theatre at Grand Prairie – Grand Prairie, TX September 18 – HEB Center At Cedar Park – Cedar Park, TX September 20 – BOK Center – Tulsa, OK September 21 – Sprint Center – Kansas City, MO September 22 – Chaifetz Arena – St. Louis, MO September 24 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN September 26 – Infinite Energy Arena – Duluth, GA September 27 – Bon Secours Wellness Arena – Greenville, SC September 29 – John Paul Jones Arena – Charlottesville, VA October 1 – Webster Bank Arena – Bridgeport, CT October 2 – Dunkin Donuts Center – Providence, RI
The song may be called “Beautiful Tragedy” but for Josh Taerk it’s been a beautiful ride. “Beautiful Tragedy” is climbing the charts, the song is already #39 on the Mediabase Top 40 Pop Activator Chart and #41 on the BDS/Billboard Top 40 indicator chart. Taerk has “a really great feeling the song is going to keep climbing” and so do we! Variety Beat had the chance to catch up with him and see what he’s been up to since out last interview!
How has Taerk handled the new success?
“It’s been awesome and surreal at the same time…The fact that the song has connected with so many people, that it’s climbing up the Top 40 charts means the world to me!”
“Beautiful Tragedy” is all over YouTube in it’s clever music video that bring the words to life. A new video always brings along with it a new translation of a song, the lyric video for “Beautiful Tragedy” is a whole new “reality”. It’s a modern beautiful tragedy, one in which Taerk says;
“I came up with the idea while I was sitting at my computer thinking about my love/hate relationship with technology”.
Instead of traditional graphics, lyrics type across the screen on Facebook, Pop-up ads, Google and more! This was all brought to life with the help of Josh Lockhart. The two met through a friend in Nashville and immediately started brainstorming ways to put the lyrics on a computer screen with flawless transitions and a few hidden jokes for us to find.
“I loved Lockharts idea to write ‘I’m feeling tragic’ on our Google search engine…Putting all those little bits of my and Lockhart’s humor into this concept was hilarious. The other part I had a lot of fun doing was the Will Ferrell-esque cowbell and tambourine parts in the bridge. That was so much fun to record!!”
That last bit was filmed live in a park near Tarek’s parents’ house in Toronto and plays back in the video on a computer screen. You’re never taken out of the laptop experience and we have to hand it to Taerk and Lockhart for their ingenious platforms and seamless transitions. We hope to see more from these two soon and so does Taerk, who had a lot of fun working with him on it and could definitely see them working together again.
Image courtesy: Josh Taerk
If you want to catch a stripped-down live version of the song, Josh Taerk posted his time at D’Angelico Sessions in Colorado. We asked how this beautiful rendition came about and he said,
“I’ve become pretty close with the team of people behind the brand. We’ve done a couple of impromptu jam nights/shows together, and they were very cool about us doing some acoustic videos in the store (hint, more to come)!”
We don’t know about the rest of you but the last part of that statement has us super excited!
What’s next for Josh Taerk?
“I love being on the road and sharing my songs live with my fans! I’m actually about to head out for some Canadian tour dates this month and then we’re heading back to Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana in April…I’m always writing new songs, and love throwing new ones into our live shows.”
Watch the video here:
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