If you watched the 2013 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, you were treated to the debut live performance of Taylor Swift’s newest single “22″. Unlike her other hit singles, it had yet to be featured live on TV for the masses. It was done in a very unique way and demanded not only a full stage, but also the use of the “backstage” areas and going through the crowd.
While I won’t go into detail about everything in the performance, I will say Taylor was one of the best performances of the night. She literally had so much going on that you shouldn’t have even thought about being bored. She was also the only performer there to use the two wings off of the main stage for dancers and screens. Who said Taylor Swift couldn’t host stadium shows? She certainly was able to feel the MGM Grands performance area to the brim.
She started in the backstage area, rode on a bike on some guys back from the entrance to the arena to the stage. Then in the middle she had some breakdown with the Jabbawockeez dancers, and then to end it all, she showers the crowd with red balloons. The balloon move was truly a way of Taylor saying this is my stage, bitches.
Now watch the performance below and tell me what you think in the comments. After that go buy the single, or better yet, the whole Red album if you haven’t already.
A week ago today I sat in the arena waiting for Taylor Swift to come out and perform. Before her show they play music with music I assume Taylor picks or what would be on her iPod if we could see it. This song came on and for some reason I was instantly entranced. I couldn’t figure out what the song was, but I knew the version I was hearing was actually a cover. Unfortunately, my Shazam app was not working to do all of the audience noise. The show started and I moved on with life and forgot about it.
A few days later it popped in my head, so in thirty minutes of searching, I knew it was a Coldplay song, which I should have known. I also was led to a cover by Sara Bareilles which I didn’t care for and knew it wasn’t the song I was looking for. Finally with some luck I came across Chelsea Lankes’ version. I knew once it started I had found it. Digging up deep I saw Chelsea Lankes is from Nashville, so I knew I had the right song I wanted. I assume Lankes is a friend of Taylor or someone from Nashville that Taylor really adores and wanted the world to hear her music.
“Yellow” by Coldplay will be 14-years-old in June, so why do I care about a cover of the song from a new comer? Because I really enjoy the way the cover is arranged and the way Chelsea Lankes voice goes with the music. The music is this synthy electronic vibe that seems so modern. It’s not hard, its soft, and then Chelsea Lankes voice just flows with it so perfectly. It really can put you in a trance if you’re not careful.
While I haven’t listened to the rest of Chelsea Lankes’ EP Ringing Bell, I can say I hope it sounds more like this. I look forward to listening to the EP in the near future. You can definitely except a review of it right here.
Listen to “Yellow” down below and tell me what you think of the cover in the comment section.Chelsea’s contacts are below the video.
Earlier today Mariah Carey finally debuted the much talk about first single off of her new album due out later this year. While I do highly dislike Mariah on the sinking ship known as American Idol, I did like her music that came out in the 2008-2009 time frame. I can’t tell you any of the songs she has ever sung before 2008 except for her Christmas album which I adore.
The song “#Beautiful” is a very beautiful sounding song, but the sound is a bit different from something else you’d hear on the radio today. That is very smart of someone who is trying to make a comeback after being away for four to five years. The stylization of the single’s name is also very smart, cause assuming people will include the hash tag, this song is going to trend. It was also very smart of Mariah to get a feature artist like Miguel who is new, but growing in popularity. It also helps that he can really sing and his voice just fits this song.
Going back to how the tracks sounds, it sounds very old school R&B, sorta like Justin Timberlake’s album that just came out in March. If this is where music is going, I will say I didn’t see it coming and am very surprised. Alabama Shakes may have a place on top-40 radio yet. It’s not a bad sound, just kinda odd with today’s electronic sound that is so popular.
I feel like “#Beautiful” isn’t going to be one of those huge songs that this diva is known for. It doesn’t showcase her very large vocal range that we all know she has. This song also should be more “Miguel feat. Mariah Carey” since Mariah apparently chose to sing less on her own song. Personally I feel like it makes Mariah look desperate in trying to have a hit with this song. It was like Miguel is the new hot thing, so he’s gonna sing the whole song and Mariah is just gonna sing a very small portion. I’m not a fan of when featured artists sing more than the actual artists.
Overall I think this song will be a hit cause of its sound, Mariah’s name, and for Miguel’s very hard work. I think it will be good for Mariah to have a hit and to get out of the lowest point of her career… American Idol. You can take a listen to the song down below. Tell me your thoughts on Mariah’s new song “#Beautiful” in the comment section.
April 18, 2013 Phillip Phillips, last years American Idol winner, put on a concert at Eastern Kentucky University(EKU) in Richmond, KY. The concert was great and I’ll vlog about it at a later date. The opening band was an unknown to me band called Churchill. During the encore Phillip Phillips and Churchill performed a cover of “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley. It was really unique and awesome. Enjoy!
I first heard this song myself on EDM related stations back in January. Then I saw it again in February when I watched the music video which is hilarious(you will see it below). It has gotten more and more popular since the beginning of the year. Like Krewella’s “Alive”, I could see “I Could Be The One” entering the mainstream Top 40 radio here in North America.
It is a song that just has that catchy sound that most mainstream EDM songs tend to have. It is a song that I have had on repeat all night cause I knew I wanted to finally write about it. It peaked at number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs, as well as the UK Singles and UK Dance charts.
I interrupt the songs lyrics being about a couple who has broken up and the singer has realized that she is still in love with her ex. She is telling the one she loves that she is the one that can make them happy and feel good again. I could also see it being about two people who are friends, but the singer has developed feelings for the other and told the other person about her feelings. The reason why either of these works is the part in the lyrics that say, “It used to be so easy, can’t you see?”. People who were together obviously have an easier time being around people. Also, a friendship is easier before someone develops feelings for the other. I kinda lean towards the friends scenario, because saying, “I could be the one…” and giving reasons why, seems like they’ve never been together.
Honestly, the lyrics don’t matter too much because this is an EDM song. It is about a good beat and vibe, which this song has as well. It’s catchy and I like to run to it, so it has what it takes to be a great EDM song that you have on your mind constantly. The song is considered progressive house in case you’re wondering. It seems most progressive house songs are great songs to listen to while running or exercising in general.
The music video as I said at the beginning is hilarious. The ending is a surprise, but that’s kinda what sends home the main message of the song. The message is don’t sit back and let life pass you by because you think you aren’t good enough or don’t deserve it, because life passes by quickly, and once you decide to live, it very well could be too late. I think this is a lesson a lot of people including myself need to learn and live.
I would love if you guys would take a listen and watch the music video down below. It is a great song, and I feel so strongly about it, I need to share it and my thoughts about it to the world. Let me know how you like this Avicii and Nicky Romero collaboration in the comments section.
Porter Robinson is quickly becoming one of my favourite DJ’s and I look forward to the stuff that he releases. This song was released back in the spring, but like Zedd’s “Spectrum”, I hadn’t really given “Language” a deep listen, I just danced to it without a care in the world.
The song is a great song to dance to and it builds and builds. Eventually the song gets to the top and comes back down with a sound that sounds like what magic must sound like. Some light vocal work is added towards the end of the song, but it does nothing to overshadow Porter Robinson’s talent with sound. I think the biggest problem with this song is it is too short and I think it should’ve been longer. That also could just be because I love the way it sounds and just want it to continue a minute or two longer.
Take a listen and tell me you don’t have this song on repeat. Also, let me know what you think about “Language” and Porter Robinson down below in the comment section.
Zedd has been making a name for himself since he decided to dive into the world of electronic dance music(EDM). His popularity has only grown as his remixes of Skrillex, Lady Gaga, and The Black Eyed Peas have become massively popular. Now he is ready to give us his own music and he surely hasn’t disappointed. Released June 1, 2012, as his first single for his first album, Clarity, “Spectrum” has climbed and set at the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
I feel like while this song as been out, I just now this fall have fallen in love with it. The music is produced in such a way that it gives you goose bumps. It really honestly, just sound cool. The song is musically beautiful and spectacular. The beat keeps the song going without even a small place to stop. You are gonna want to dance, trust me. The vocals are done by Matthew Koma. I will be honest and tell you that I thought it was a woman singing it the first few times I heard it despite it saying it featured someone named Matthew. Either this guys voice is really high-pitched or a computer has helped make it be higher pitched. Either way ti doesn’t matte, because the sound and tone work with the song so well.
The song seems to be about a couple who people think shouldn’t be together, but they are going to stay together regardless. I think that is a story that can stand the test of time…Romeo and Juliet, anyone?
How could someone not dance to this song that seems to put a smile on everyone’s face? Some try to critique the song when I find that there is nothing to be critiqued. I will not be doing that. I am here to say that this song, the viral sensation of the fall, is fun. It’s just that. It has made Psy a household name and brought K-Pop into the light to millions of people. Can the hugely popular in South Korea singer can keep is popularity in America? That is to be seen. It doesn’t matter it is a song that for the duration connects and brings the world together.
The song as also become the most watched music video in the world on You Tube where as of writing, it has obtained 889,107,485 views. That is amazing and crazy! I tip my no-existent hat to Psy.
Fresh off the heels of her 2011 release of ”Lights”, that just became popular this year here in the states, is this amazing song, “Anything Could Happen”. The song showcases Ellie Goulding’s powerful and amazing vocals that just aren’t showcased during “Lights”. Personally, I feel like this song is one of Ellie Goulding’s best and she seems more mature in this song compared to lights. It is still yet to be seen whether or not this single will be able to reach the success of “Lights”. I don’t hold faith in the American audience to embrace the song for what it is truly worth.
This song like most of Ellie’s songs has a story to be told and that story is told in the best way Ellie knows how, in lyrics. The song is about a couple who go through something horrible and meet up on the other side after death. The music video shows it that way. A couple who die in a car wreck are reunited on the other side in death. Only Ellie Goulding could make such a dark and gloomy song seem upbeat and beautiful.
So, what do you think of Ellie’s new song? Love it? Hate it? Let me know in the comment section below.
Calvin Harris is quickly becoming one of my favourite DJ’s in the realm of EDM, though I think his true home might just be in pop. He is able to put together his music that he has produced with the right sound of voice. You might have first heard him on Rihanna’s track “We Found Love”. The tracks that are his with featured artist that you may know are “Bounce” feat. Kelis and the summer hit “Feel So Close” where Harris himself sings the vocals.
“Sweet Nothing” has that sound that I love and the pairing of Harris’ music and Florence Welch’s vocals, of Florence and The Machine, are pure awesomeness. Welch’s voice sings like a heavenly angel on a track that seem to be about a bad relationship that neither one seems to be trying to get out of. Can “Sweet Nothing” obtain the popularity of “Feel So Close” and the Ne-Yo sung “Let’s Go”? Time will tell, but the track as so far only obtained a #82 on the Billboard Hot 100, but hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
Let me know below in the comment section what you think of this track, Calvin Harris, or Florence Welch.
