I love this song, it’s Gorgeous! I think Taylor Swift perfectly
describes what it’s like to have a crush and not being able to act normal
around them. I think this song is adorable. I look forward to the video clip.
Sara Bareilles – Gravity
I’ve been listening to song constantly. I think it’s about
being in a relationship that you want to break free from and the other person
not believing in you.
Pretty and Young by Austin Mahone
I was watching the Dolce and Gabbana Fall/Winter Mens
Collection 2017/18 runway show and Austin Mahone was featured in the fashion
show. He was singing his song Pretty and Young and Except for Us while the
models walked. I really enjoyed his songs although it was a pretty awkward
performance. He was clearly lip syncing but not very well. Despite that, I
still liked his songs.
Unchained Melody – Righteous Brothers- Cover by Susan Boyle
I love Susan Boyle’s cover, her voice is so emotive and
gentle.
Landon Pigg - Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop
I found out about Landon Pigg after listening to a fellow
blogger’s playlist. It’s a lovely mellow love song.
I don’t keep up with new music anymore but I sometimes
stumble across new songs through Youtube auto-play. One song that has been on
my replay list is We Don’t Talk Anymore – Charlie Puth featuring Selena Gomez.
I love duets and I love the laid back vibe of this song. It’s about a couple
who have broken up but still miss each other. I’m a fan of Selena and I
particularly like the live version of this song.
I listen to a few other Charlie Puth songs and I like One
Call Away. My students sometimes sing it too.
Taeyeon is an Kpop singer from the group Girls
Generation. I recently stumbled upon her song Starlight featuring DEAN after
watching a video about Korea. The song is about being in love and how they are
each other’s “starlight”. Starlight has
been on my repeat list ever since. I love the cruisey, dreamlike vibe of the
video clip which I believe is filmed somewhere in California and the music is a
fun chill out song.
After listening to Starlight, I went to listen to other
the songs by Taeyeon. I also like I featuring Verbal Jint which set in a gorgeous
location but this time in New Zealand. The song is about escaping drudgery and
going after your dreams.
Thirdly, I love her song Rain where Taeyeon sings about
how every time it rains she misses her loved one. I love the symbolism in the
video clip when the room starts to slowly flood.
I’ve definitely become a fan of Taeyeon. I look forward
to listening to her other songs.
Dawin is a Youtube star whose debut song Dessert reached over
a hundred million views. He has since signed with GMA network. Silento is a
singer famous for his song Watch Me (Whip/ Nae Nae) which features a dance that
has become viral.
The love interest in the song is Rosanna Pansino, a fellow Youtuber with a popular baking channel.
I’m a teacher and I dedicate this next song to my grade 4/5/6
class. (I teach in Outback, Australia in
a small class which I have a multi-level
class. )My little girls love the song Dessert by Dawin featuring Silento. I’ve only heard snippets of this song until
one of the girls won a class reward which was to play music in class. They have
been singing this song all the time. After viewing the song I can see why they
like it. It has a cute video clip and it’s easy to sing. It would be just the
kind of song I would have liked at their age.
I realized while I was writing my Spice Girls post from two
week ago that I wasn’t done with the Spice Girls yet. So here’s Entertainment
Monday: Spice Girl part 2!
So after the Spice Girls disbanded I still kept an interest
in the girls’ solo projects. Here are my favourite solo spice girl songs.
Mel B (Scary Spice) I want you back featuring Missy Elliot
I remember when this song came out in 1998. I thought the
song was so dope and I still think that could hold up in 2016. The video clip
has a Matrix type theme where Mel B and Missy are in a computerized world and
it’s all green inside. The leading man in the video clip became Mel B’s first
husband too and she was pregnant at the time of filming although you can’t see
it.
Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) What took you so long
I thought this song was so cute and I like how it has a
country music vibe.
Mel C (Sporty Spice) Never be the same again
featuring Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes
Mel C was my favourite Spice Girl. I like many of her solo
songs. Never be the same again is a song about moving out of the
friend zone and into a relationship. I
love the futuristic house that the video clip is set in. Sadly Lisa died in a
car accident a few years later.
Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) Out of your Mind by the True
Steppers featuring Victoria Beckham and Dane Bowers
Another song with a futuristic video clip but this time with
dance music. I really loved this song and I use to play it on repeat all the
time.
Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) Look at Me
This was her first single after she left the Spice Girls. I
love it because it’s loud and brashy which announces her way as a solo artist.
I loved the Spice Girls when I was younger. They were one of
my first forays into fangirling. The late 90s was a fun time to be a pre-teen.
It was time filled with colour and youthful energy. It was a time of bubble gum
pop and boybands and girlbands. Fashion wise, we were moving away from the
grunge era of slip dresses with combat boots to bright mini-skirts and platform
shoes thanks to movies like Clueless.
My family didn’t have a lot of money while I was growing up.
I didn’t even own a Spice Girl CD but I did read all the magazine articles,
watch the t.v interviews and all their video clips. My favourite Spice Girls were
Sporty Spice and Baby Spice mainly because I thought they dressed the nicest. I
loved Sporty Spice because she was a tom boy and so was I.
My favourite thing about the Spice Girls was their GIRL
POWER! I found that empowering as a young girl. I wasn’t sad when The Spice Girls
split up as by then I had out grown them. I remember when there were two girls
in my class who were so glum; they refused to play P.E because the Spice Girls
broke up. I thought that was funny. It’s a pity the Spice Girls don’t get along
now because that means no reunion tour. If I could go back in time I would see
them in concert.
Here are my favourite songs
Wannabe
The Spice Girls debut song was catchy and the video clip was cheeky. It was no surprise that it became such a success.
Say you'll be there
This was their second single. I love all the kicks and punches and dancing in this video clip.
I also love the cover by MØ
Viva Forever
I knew it was the end for the band when this song showed up and there were rumours that they were disbanding.
I was first introduced to Alina Baraz & Galimatias’
music from reading an article on Buzzfeed on summer music. I really enjoyed
listening to the song Fantasy which was featured in the article.
Alina Baraz and Galimatias are two individual artists that
have collaborated to produce the album Urban Flora. Alina Baraz is a 21 year
old singer from America; she is known for her sultry breathy voice and Galimatias
(Matias Saabye Køedt) is from Denmark and specializes in electronica and dance
music. The result of the collaboration is not energetic trance but easy listening
house music. Most of the songs seem to be about attraction and seduction but
tasteful.
There seems to be hardly any pictures of Alina Baraz or
Galimatias which I have read is a deliberate move on their part. I believe it
is so that their music is the main focus for now. I do hope that they continue
to collaborate with each other and I look forward to hearing more from them.
Fantasy
I instantly liked this song when I heard Alina sing the
first line. I have since had it on repeat for many times. This song reminds me
of bright summer days and travelling. In the song Fantasy, Alina sings about
how love can be like taking a vacation to the seaside on a tropical island.
Show Me
A song about seduction and attraction. Galimatias also sings
in this song with his voice alternating into auto tune. The track is modern and
unusual.
Pretty Thoughts
This song is my latest favourite from them. I think it is the
most upbeat of their songs.
In 2011, my parents attended the wedding of Wayne and
Gillian. My parents knew one of their parents and that’s how they were invited.
One of their party favours was a CD of all their favourite songs. My parents
gave it to me and I wasn’t interested in it at all. I didn’t really look at it
until a week ago when we were clearing away some junk.
So I decided to listen it and I was delighted by the music.
The playlist features 15 songs. The song list is a diverse selection including
Australian pub rock, independent artists and mainstream songs.
I have been a fan of Mariah Carey since I was a little girl.
I wanted to share some of my favourite Mariah Carey songs.
Heartbreaker feat. Jay Z
I was in six grade when this song first came out. I thought
it was the perfect summer song. The song features Mariah in two roles in the
video clip. She plays a woman who is being cheated on by her boyfriend and she
also plays the other woman. The fight she has with herself is my favourite part
of the video clip.
The style of jeans that she wore in the video became very
popular with the teen crowd. In the video clip, Mariah wears jeans that have
the waist band removed with only the button and zipper remaining. The jeans are
frayed at the top. I wonder how many girls ruined their jeans for that look. It
goes to show that you should not follow a fad wholeheartedly.
Fantasy remix feat. ODB
I believe the remix featuring ODB made the song cooler. I
love how he starts the song because it sets the mood. The song but not the
remix was featured in Rush Hour which is one of my favourite movies.
Up Out of my face feat. Nicki Minaj
This was released in 2010 when Mariah and Nicki got along.
They didn’t get along with each other when they were judges on American Idol in
2013.
Big Bang is a Kpop boyband consisting of members G-Dragon,
T.O.P, Taeyang and Seungri. The band has been together since 2006 and are one
of the first groups to become internationally famous. The band members have
also branched out to release individual albums, collaborated with other artists
as well as working in pairs which are called sub units in kpop and have acted
in film and television.
I’m not that familiar with their music but I have watched
some of their music videos. I love their dancing and I think they perform very
well live. Taeyang is my favourite Big Bang member as I think he’s a good
singer and dancer.
Big Bang has recently debut their comeback song after a
three year hiatus. They plan to release a new album in September. What I love
about Kpop comebacks is that it is always exciting to see the new direction of
the band. A comeback includes a new look which often means dramatic new haircuts
and daring fashion choices. The music direction is always new and different to
their previous style. If the previous album was dark then the next album might
be more fun.
I really liked their first song called Loser which has
intense lyrics and a depressing theme. The song is about feeling worthless and
wrestling with inner demons. The first lines in the song are about comparing
themselves to rubbish. In the music
video all the members are tormented from problems like infidelity, loss of faith
and isolation. For the more conservative viewer, I must warn you that there is
a scantily clad woman in the video. However, the racy elements in the video may
seem tame by western standards. I find
it to be very sexy for a Kpop video as most sexy kpop videos don’t have people
so undressed and usually it is coyly suggestive.
Another new song from Big Bang is Bae Bae which I think is quite a pleasant song but it has
an utterly bizarre video clip which I love. It is a good example of the extravagance
and daring of kpop.
A mash up is when two songs are fused together to make one
song. I love going on YouTube and looking for covers and mash ups of my
favourite songs. One of my favourite
songs off Taylor Swift’s 1989 album is Style. Style is about timeless love and
remembering the good times and the bad times. The relationship may not be the
healthiest but they still love each other. There are rumors that the song was
inspired by Taylor Swift’s ex-boyfriend Harry Styles.
The first mash up that I discovered was Louisa Wendorff and
Devin Dawson. They combined Style with another Taylor Swift song called Blank
Space. Louisa and Devin’s mash up is an acoustic version of the two songs.
The second mash up I found was Love Me Like your Style which
is an mix of Style and Ellie Goulding’s song Love Me Like You Do.
A lot of people have experienced the fun, fear, embarrassment and sheer entertainment of karaoke night out with family and/or friends. The first time I ever sang karaoke I was full of anxiety. I was fearful of following someone who was really impressive and talented. I can generally keep a tune, but I knew I wasn't winning American Idol anytime soon. Once I took the plunge though I had a great time, not only performing myself but hearing my friends sing and even listening to complete strangers. There was one time where a girl I did not know needed someone to sing the duet Summer Lovin' from the musical Grease with her. I begrudgingly agreed to sing with her, because even though I did not care for the song I knew the tune well enough to be able to follow the bouncing ball and sing along. It actually turned out pretty well, especially given my initial misgivings.
After the first time I sang karaoke there was really only one other time that I felt nervous. Half the time I had indulged in enough liquid courage (booze) that I could care less how I sounded. When my best friend Henda was getting married he held his bachelor party down in Orlando Florida. There was a bar at Universal Studios where you could sing karaoke in front of a live band. Henda and I agreed to put our names in for Swing, Swing by the All American Rejects. THANKFULLY the bar closed before our names were called because I could swear that 95 % of the people who did get to sing their songs were professionals with how great they sounded. Either that, or the live band does wonders for the average performer. My nerves were up that night and I had only one drink to calm them so I would have been shaking up on that stage for sure. The bar and audience for the performers was also about 10 times as large as our little local bars.
Swing, Swing by the All American Rejects (a Jon Bear and Henda favorite)
Boot Scootin Boogie by Brooks and Dunn (one of the staples of my great friend Bobby V. a Texas native and Country Music Fan)
Tempted by Squeeze (a song that Jon Bear has close to perfected)
Forever in Blue Jeans by Neil Diamond (a tune my friend Matt often liked to sing and usually a crowd pleaser as most Neil Diamond songs seem to be)
Good by Better Than Ezra (one of my favorite bands and an underrated song of theirs I love to sing)
Gin and Juice by Snoop Doggy Dogg (Henda as a California native was a big W.C. Rap fan and loved to sing Snoop Dog songs)
* WARNING some lyrics may offend certain listeners
There are several other songs I could share as well, but those were a few of the classics that we would sing. Of course this isn't nearly as hilarious as hearing us try and sing these songs could be, but just writing about karaoke night brings back some great memories. Hopefully one day we can get the group back together and possible wreck havoc at a karaoke bar near you! >.<
Ooh Ooh is Eric Nam’s third single and was released last
year. It’s a feel good, upbeat song that is perfect for dancing. The song is
about falling in love and being so happy about finding someone to love. The video clip is cute and Eric Nam looks
adorable in it.
Eric also sings in English which gives him a greater
international reach.
No, I did not misspell Entertainment Monday's title this week. With it being the heart of Winter here now in the greater North East Region of the United States I figured I might share some "Snow Tunes" with just a few songs about or songs that mention snow which I like.
I have never been someone who really takes advantage of Winter in the North East as I do not ski, skate, snow shoe or partake in any outdoor Winter activities per se. I do love the look of snow, and I think a snowy day is quiet and beautiful. I even enjoy shoveling for the most part as long as I am not in a rush or late for something. I do not enjoy driving in the snow, but who does? Except for those crazy and fool hearty drivers who believe their four wheel drive vehicles will successfully navigate them across any road condition. Yes, I'm taking to you truck driver who was riding up on the tail end of my vehicle this morning as I drove my little slip sliding car the 25 mile drive in to work.
I think that a lot of people in the North East are grumpy about snow because it makes them slow down and they risk accidents on the roadways. Plus it's just downright cold. I try to enjoy it though for what it is, much as I like to enjoy a good rain storm in the Summer Time now and then.
So without further ado here are the Snow Tunes I wish to share:
Valley Winter Song by Fountains of Wayne:
Yes, the group who is famous for the song "Stacey's Mom" actually has some really good music. I love Valley Winter Song, because I live very close to New England (generally considered Massachusetts and Vermont and New Hampshire and Maine) on the boarder of New York and Vermont. The song also mentions New York City. So I feel close to home when I listen to Valley Winter Song, even when I'm far away.
Winter Snow by Audrey Assad and Chris Tomlin
While it is a Christmas Song: Winter Snow, written by Chris Tomlin and sung by Audrey Assad (Tomlin plays piano and does back up vocals) is a song that I associate with the Winter and of course with Christ. I can listen to it all Winter long. I love the message and metaphor of Christ's arrival as a Winter Snowfall. It also happens to be one of my favorite Christian songs of all time.
Winter, Fire and Snow by Orla Fallon
Winter, Fire and Snow is a Celtic Song, sung here by Orla Fallon. It's a nice little tune about a mother who is waiting for her son to return home. I am never sure if the information I read on line is entirely true or not, but I've found the songs authorship credited to Brendan Graham and Macdara Woods on the interweb, so hopefully they were the original writers.
Snow (Hey Oh) by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
There are times when I think some of the Red Hot Chili Peppers songs can sound a lot like one another and it bugs me a little. Not sure why I added that, but it's more of an editorial note than anything, because on the whole I love a lot of the Red Hot Chili Peppers music, including Snow (Hey Oh)! A quality band and a quality song for those long dark Winter afternoons and evenings!
So while they are all rather different stylistically, those are some of the songs I think of and like to listen to in Winter time, hopefully you will enjoy them too! =)
When I was in high school, my friends and I did ridiculous
things when we had a crush on someone. We had code names for all our crushes,
wrote endless notes to each other about them, stalked them around school and had
long conversations analysing our interactions with our crushes. It was just so silly and stupid but I can laugh about it.
Hi Suhyun is the newest kpop duo whose latest single I’m Different
is racing up the Asian music charts. Hi Suhyun comprises of eighteen year old
Lee Hi and fifteen year old Suhyun.
The video clip of I’m Different features the girls as school
girls obsessing over their crushes much like how my friends and I did in high
school. There is also a guest rapper in the song named Bobby who is from a yet to debut kpop boyband Ikon. What is different about the
music is that it’s a bit of a jazz pop number rather than the bubblegum pop or RnB
music that is common in Kpop.
Here is a lyric video from a fan in English subtitles.
Chris Hadfield’s rendition of David Bowie’s song, Space
Oddity was the coolest thing I have seen in a long time. Space Oddity is a song
that David Bowie wrote in 1969 and is about a fictional astronaut called Major
Tom. 1969 was the year of the moon
landing and the space race between Russia and America inspired a lot of artists
during that time.
In 2013, Chris Hadfield was an astronaut working on the
International Space Station. He recorded a cover of Space Oddity while in space
which lead him to become a YouTube sensation and reawakening the interest in
space travel.
The music clip shows real footage of the International Space
Station and Earth. It is beautiful to look at and a reminder of the fragility
of life.
I’m a newly graduated elementary school teacher and I can
see how I can use this music clip as an introduction to learning about space.
Space is always on the science curriculum no matter how many times the
government changes the curriculum. I hope to spark curiosity in my students as
curiosity helps the learning process.
The Shins have been one of my favorite bands for much of the past decade. For several years I thought that they were from Australia, because they had a song by that name, but one day not all that long ago Carlyn pointed out to me that they were from New Mexico and not in fact from Australia. I like New Mexico too though so the new knowledge about the band did not dissuade me from enjoying their music.
James Mercer is the sole original member of the Indie Rock/Pop Band the Shins. When Mercer wanted to take the band in a new direction he reconvened the band with all new members save for himself. Mercer remains the bands front man functioning as the song writer, lead vocalist and guitarist. The Shins first came together in the mid 1990s and had a small but loyal following until they were propelled into the public spotlight by their hit song New Slang, off their studio album Oh Inverted World in 2001. New Slang was used in the movie Garden State which helped it's (the songs and the bands) popularity to explode. I have never seen the movie, even though it has come well recommended from a few friends, but having heard New Slang on the radio I was immediately taken by it's somber and melodramatic lyrics.
While I liked New Slang I did not pay much attention to the Shins until they came out with their third album Wincing the Night Away in 2007. That is when I really became a fan. I had heard the song Sleeping Lessons on a television advertisement for a running shoe. When I searched on the internet to find out more about the song I saw that it was performed by the Shins. Already having been familiar with New Slang I figured I should purchase an album, now that I knew I enjoyed two of their songs. I now own Oh, Inverted World (2001), Chutes Too Narrow (2003) and Wincing the Night Away (2007) their first three albums. They have one other album Port of Morrow (2012) which I have heard some songs off of and also enjoy even though I do not own the album.
The Shins have also released a single for the movie I Wish I Were Here in 2014.
What really interested me about James Mercer though is when I found out that he was a member of a duo with Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) from Gnarles Barkley. Their collaboration is called Broken Bells. Broken Bells debut album was released in 2010 but I had only heard one of the bands songs and never made the connection between Broken Bells and James Mercer. It was when their second album After the Disco came out this past February, 2014 and I heard the single Holding on to Life that I researched Broken Bells and discovered Mercer was part of the duo of a new band I loved to listen to.
I feel as if back in the 1960s and 1970s several artists collaborated with each other and made some great music as members of a variety of bands. I'm sure that collaborations probably happen frequently today still but there are not too many artists I can think of whom have been members of two bands that I consider among my favorites. I hope that both the Shins and Broken Bells will continue to produce new music and that I will continue to enjoy Mercer's writing and singing.
I love Paloma Faith’s song Only Love Can Hurt Like This. The
song went to number one in the Australian charts and the top ten in the UK. I
think some of its success was due to it being featured in a promo for Winners
& Losers which is an Australian soap opera. It was how I was acquainted
with the song and I wasn’t surprised that it came to number one in the charts.
Besides the tv promotion, I think the song is popular
because it is relatable. The song is about realizing how much you love someone
until it’s too late and missing that person.
I think Paloma sung so passionately; she captures the anguish and regret
that can come from loving someone.
"Only Love Can Hurt Like This"
I'd tell myself you don't mean a thing,
But what we got, got no hold on me
But when you're not there I just crumble
I tell myself I don't care that much,
But I feel like I die 'til I feel your touch,
The song was written by Diane Warren, who has
also written songs for many famous musicians. One of my favourite songs she has
written was Aerosmith’s ‘Don’t want to miss a thing’. I think she always writes
beautiful well written songs.
Say I wouldn't care if you walked away,
But every time you're there I'm begging you to stay,
When you come close I just tremble
And every time, every time you go,
It's like a knife that cuts right through my soul
JustOnly love, only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this,
Must have been a deadly kiss,
Only love can hurt like this,
Only love can hurt like this
Paloma’s sultry voice and the simple horns and drums
accompaniment gives off a 60s vibe. If I had not known, I would have thought
that it was a genuine song from that era.
Just wanted to warn you that it contains some passionate kissing scenes for those that are uncomfortable with that.
Broods is a brother/sister music group from New Zealand. Georgia Nott is the lead singer and her older brother Caleb Nott does instrumentals and back up singing. I think they have a nice sound. I like Georgia's voice, but mostly I like the group for their lyrics as much as their sound.
I think it's interesting that they come from a family of musicians and have other siblings and yet have achieved success as a duo separate from their other family members. So often it seems when you hear about a successful music family the entire family is somehow involved with the music or linked to fame in some way. Especially when all are musically inclined, as Georgia and Caleb's siblings are. I most often think of the Jackson 5 and Nelson (even though sister Tracey who was an actress was not part of that band) and Hansen when I think of family bands that have attained fame for their musical exploits. As far as the Jacksons and Nelsons were concerned, several other family members were famous either prior to or after those bands achieved fame.
I have heard Georgia in an interview on a radio station before and she seems very down to earth and easy going. It's hard to really "know" anyone from small snippets of an interview, but I got the impression that early fame has not gotten to her or her brothers heads. Hopefully they'll be able to enjoy continued success and keep that same down to earth and humble nature.
One of Broods first songs to get radio play here on Alternative radio in the United States is Bridges
Another of their songs which I enjoy listening to very much is Mother and Father. I have a soft spot for songs that are about family, and Mother and Father relates nicely to the difficulties many of us face when we leave the safety and comfort of our family and try to make a life away from them.
As Broods is still a very new group it will be interesting to follow their path. Will they have sustained success? Will their spotlight be brief? I certainly believe Caleb and Georgia possess the talent to have a long successful career with a devoted following. I have not yet heard a song where Caleb's vocals are featured, and I think it would be cool if they choose to do that at some point. I always like when bands push the envelope a little on their "sound" and try new things. Those experiments sometimes alienate loyal fans, but I think that mostly happens when a band has already been around a long time and wants to explore a new sound. Broods is still new enough to dabble in that without hurting their burgeoning fan base I think? Even though I suppose when a group is just beginning to have success they might want to stick with what they know works for a bit before changing things up.
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