Israel Cruz - Party Up artwork & video

Here it is. The re-invention of Israel Cruz. As I mentioned in a previous post, the 28-year-old is firmly established as one of Australia's most successful R&B/hip-hop artists but has undergone a radical makeover on his latest single "Party Up". I liked Israel's old stuff - particularly the original, non-Scarlett Belle ruined "Freak Tonight" - but this is a massive improvement. Talking a leaf out of Jason Derulo's urban dance handbook, "Party Up" is loud and proud club banger with killer beats and a huge, sing-a-long chorus. It's an amazing song and I can really see it blowing up on the charts. In fact, Ministry of Sound is so confident that they've pushed the track forward a couple of weeks. It goes to radio on Monday and hits iTunes July 8. The video is a bit rough and doesn't quite reflect Israel's polished new sound and image but it's "Thriller" by Australian standards. I like the bright colours and was genuinely impressed by his dance moves. They will come in handy as his career progresses. Check out the clip and let me know if you're on board for the second coming Israel Cruz.

Israel Cruz - Party Up preview

Here's the first look at Israel Cruz's hot new single "Party Up". Some of you might remember songs like "Wake Up With You" and "Freak Tonight" (which Scarlett Belle infamously destroyed last year) but the talented singer has swapped his trademark hip hop beats for a more radio friendly urban dance sound. Think Taio Cruz meets Jason DeRulo - but with more of an edge. I love "Party Up" and think it's an absolute smash but you can't actually hear a lot of the song in the preview. It finally comes in at around 4:10 minutes, so stick with it. The video itself looks like a lot of fun. I've seen an early edit and it turned out really well. For starters, I had no idea Israel could dance! Stay tuned for the finished product very soon.