House of Pop: Mid-Century Modern & the Music Video

Turned to MTV Classic’s “House of Pop” today to find the video for Wilson Phillips’ 1990 hit, “Release Me.” This track once again highlighted the group’s pleasant harmonies, while the video showcased the legendary Stahl House in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. The home was designed by the architect, Pierre Koenig in 1959, and continues to be an icon of the mid-century-modern aesthetic (floor-to-ceiling glass; clean structural lines; orb lighting, to name a few features).

Fallen So Hard for Kelly Clarkson’s “Love So Soft”

It was love at first listen, upon hearing Kelly Clarkson’s “Love So Soft” from her upcoming, Meaning of Life. With Clarkson, it’s about that voice: soulful; controlled, yet able to open up vocally without resorting to four minutes of shouting as singing; always reliable; simply remarkable. Some are singers, but Clarkson belongs in the category of impressive vocalist.

It’s reflected in “Love So Soft,” a ’60s R & B-inspired track that blends a (bass) sax with an already bass-tastic beat in the chorus. Clarkson delivers raspy, attitude-filled vocals, transitioning into different melody lines from verse to refrain to chorus to bridge, seemingly four songs in one that connect beautifully. The video weaves in ‘60s elements, in the form of cars, fashion (headscarf and sunglasses) and midcentury-modern architecture (the “cliff house” with rose-blossom exterior; clean-line decor; copper chandelier). "Love So Soft” is so good.