David Naylor

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Apple Music Premieres Eminem "Phenomenal" Music Film

You knew Eminem's history with both Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre meant he would show up in the Apple Music launch, but did you expect his contribution to be a music video that casts him as an ass-kicking Neo-style action-adventure star? Or, for John Malkovich to have a cameo as a mysterious purveyor of noodles and wisdom?  The nearly 8-minute big-budget opus starts in a hospital and ends with a helicopter leap to a rendezvous with Dr Dre — plus, instead of the usual Beats product placements, we get an integrated storyline with an Apple Watch.

update: as of October 1, 2015, the video is now up on YouTube and VEVO...

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Rita Ora "Poison" (Cameron Duddy, dir.)

Stardom as an instant glamour model can be a bitch. Or maybe, it's just the photographers who discover and explout these beautiful people who are truly the bitches. Such is the situation in this tale of Rita Ora going from a street savvy headturner to a glossy pin-up girl under the watchful eye of a creepy Warholian predator type who peels her away from her man.

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Pharrell Williams f/ Daft Punk "Gust Of Wind" (Edgar Wright, dir.)

Welcome to Fall Fest, as hosted by Pharrell Williams, Daft Punk and film director Edgar Wright. Despite the intergallactic leanings of all involved, things are kept fairly natural as they pay homage to the breeziest element. That's not to say they entirely stay earthbound: We have a troupe of ribbon dancers who could have blown in from the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon remake and the (forgive the pun, please) very rocking Daft Punk cameo takes flight as well.

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Michael Jackson x Justin Timberlake "Love Never Felt So Good" (Rich Lee, co-dir.)

In a way, there's likely more Michael Jackson in this video than on this posthumous "contemporized" version of a previously unreleased song. Justin Timberlake easily steps into the main role here, keeping a smile on his face and replicating some iconic moves — needs. more. moonwalk. — on some sets that also shout out various MJ video classics, like the "Bad" turnstiles and the "Beat It" pool hall. For good measure, we also get archived shots of the main man in NTSC action, plus lots of fans to dance and smile along to the groove.

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Usher "Good Kisser" (Christopher Sims, dir.)

There's so much magnetism here that the opening visual gambit pales in comparison to all that follows with Usher flexing, stripping, dancing, drumming and nailing an uncanny combination of vintage Al Green (circa shirtless Greatest Hits) and Michael Jackson footwork.

And to guarantee some cross-appeal, there's a parade of beautiful women with just as much a fixation on lips and tongues as you'd expect for a song about, er, kissing.