song reviews
Social Media targeted at influencers and trending topics in the music universe.
Worst Holiday Songs
The songs that you can't avoid if you try. I should start by saying Christmas is not my favorite holiday. So, there may be the appearance of a bias here. Even so, I posit that any song contingent on a holiday will be a difficult listen. I believe Halloween is the best time of the year, but that doesn’t mean I want to listen to The Monster Mash by Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers. Actually, that song should be the lead single off an album called 'If I Could Erase This from Existence.'
By Jeffery Paul7 years ago in Beat
Aaliyah Says Tink Is the One in A "Million"
Tink has rekindled the spirit of R&B in 2017 when her first debut song “Treat Me Like Somebody,” was released. It brought us back to the 90's, a time when SWV was on constantly replaying on the radio. Her new song “Million,” is reminiscent of the late R&B mogul Aaliyah’s “One in a MIllion.” It’s catchy and sentimental lyrics definitely pierces the soul. It’s refreshing to hear a young artist sing about love especially since it’s not a profitable entity in today’s music industry.
By Latasha Edwards7 years ago in Beat
'All My Troubles'
I'm not perfect, but I don't really think being perfect makes for very good songs anyway. I always get my best inspiration when I'm feeling some sort of way, especially if I'm angry, sad, or frustrated with a situation, with myself, or another person. And in the case of this song it was all of the above. I wrote this song in probably ten minutes; and if you ask any other songwriter that's usually the time frame of either genius or disaster, but I'll let you be the judge of that. The day this song poured out of me like warm molten lava from a volcano, it was extremely cathartic. I sat down on my cloud bed (yes, that's right, my bed feels like a cloud) with my guitar, pen, and my journal, and I wasn't really upset in that moment, but I had been thinking about myself and my past, and how I'd gotten to where I was at that moment. And then it hit me. I'm human, I make mistakes, and I'm not perfect; And that includes my relationships, and my stupid choices with questionable characters. I often question my own character, and I'm definitely not an angel. But, that doesn't mean I deserve or anyone else deserves to be treated less than, because of their mistakes. And that's where the lines, "If I turn myself inside out; Bare my soul for all to judge me now; You would see, I'm far from an angel baby; I make promises I can't keep; I want to make love instead of breathing." come from. I was never afraid to jump, but always afraid once I was in the water... of the unknown consequences looming in the darkness. I've always associated love with sex. That's how I thought you were supposed to receive love. And when I wanted to feel love, that's what I sought out in my relationships. It wasn't about finding a 'soul mate' although I craved that so desperately (and I still crave that type of dreamy connection). I convinced myself that's what it was; but it was never about love for the other person. But, also for me I think it was more of wanting to feel wanted. To feel accepted, and to feel enough. And that was definitely my first mistake growing up. And where I firmly believe 'all my troubles began... at 15 at a homecoming with a boy I thought I loved. Let's call him Toby. I met Toby the summer before my Sophomore year of High School through a friend when I worked at a skating rink in my home town. She was dating one of his friends and Toby was tagging along one night. Afterwards we went to this old lot that had a bunch of sand dunes and goofed off for a while and talked. I was very green to dating, never even kissed a boy and I was just super excited to have someone interested in what I had to say. Someone who was completely different from me in every way. I was really into punk rock and emo and wore a lot of black then (I still wear black and listen to emo haha) and went to an Arts High School (for creative writing). He was really preppy and was on the baseball team at his Private School. We went on a few dates after that, normal things like bowling with a group and the movies. A couple months later he asked me to his homecoming, and that's when I met his first girlfriend, who wasn't yet over him. And she was a cheerleader. His school was really small so everyone knew everyone, and I was the odd one out in more ways then one. I wasn't into sports, I didn't listen to rap, and I hated heels. I was so uncomfortable. He had been pressuring me to give it up to him for a while; we had been together 6 months; he also told me that he only did it with virgins, and my insecure, naïve little head didn't see anything wrong with that. But, despite everything, I thought he loved me, and I thought he was worth the beginning of a long and crazy journey of discovering my own worth. We ended things a couple months after that because his ex kept texting me mean and awful things from his phone (like she was going to tell my father that I had sex) and I just couldn't handle it anymore. I kind of became a little depressed and withdrawn after that. I wrote a lot of sad poems and stories and let my grades slip. But, I ended up meeting a really nice boy who started working at the rink, and (again using a boy to validate my happiness) I thought I was 'whole' again. The lines, "I want to feel even if it's pain," I think are my favorite out of the whole song, because it's so true. When you're hurting you want nothing more then to numb yourself in any way possible. But, I think actually owning up to those feelings, staring them in the face and saying, "I'm not afraid of you," and letting yourself really feel it, and consume it, and understand it completely; that's when you start to heal. "I've got my scars no ones ever seen; Yeah, I'm real good, I'm real good at hiding my shame; I'll be the first to smile, and say everything's okay; Then I'll leave you before you can walk away" — I'm always the first to say goodbye, the first to push people away, and the first to run away when things get hard. For the first time ever in my life, I've been in a relationship longer than 4-6 months. I really have no idea what I've done differently with this one other than not ending it when I really should have. I can tell that this one (we'll call him Nick) really does care for me, but he has some scars too, and not just metaphorically; he almost lost his life in a motorcycle accident a few years ago, and maybe I just feel compassion for him. More than I've ever felt before. It hasn't been easy, though. Nick has had some trouble with the law, and I have no idea why that didn't scare me away, either. Maybe because I'm in my 30s now, and he's 26 and makes me feel young. Or maybe it's because I'm in my 30s now and I'm afraid of being alone. We're always haunted by our mistakes, the ghosts of our tribulations constantly floating in the back of our minds, and our hearts. But, in the end they're what shape you, make you grow, and learn, and able to conquer the next misadventure, loss, or struggle. You are strong, you are loved, you are worthy, and you are enough.
By Alex Marie7 years ago in Beat
The Best Music Videos of 2017
When contemplating the best music videos of 2017, there are a lot of factors to consider: Genre, message, visual content, etc. Instead of narrowing the choices down to one particular theme or genre, this list dips into multiple. From hip hop to metal videos, what follows is a sampling of some of the best music videos across the board.
By Taylor Markarian7 years ago in Beat
Top 10 BTS Songs You Have to Hear
As someone that has followed BTS heavily since debut in June 2013, I understand how overwhelming it can be for those that want to get into BTS but don't know where to start. That's why I'm here to kick off this "Get to know BTS!" Series with my all time must-hear BTS songs.
By Airess Kim7 years ago in Beat
The Songs From 'The Letter' Are Pretty Damn Good!
I'm not gonna lie: this game has broken my heart, disturbed my sleep and emotionally wrecked me. At the same time, it made me fall in love with their characters and make me feel like part of the Luxbourne gang. I've started playing the game last month, and since then, I've already written several pieces of fanfiction and a few articles about the game already. I briefly mentioned in a review that I loved the music in the game. A lot of video game music always struck a chord with me because it's made specifically for that game; it's more personal and easy to relate to.
By Chloe Gilholy7 years ago in Beat
Analysis of Kendrick Lamar's "DNA"
Kendrick Lamar’s song and music video, “DNA”, is intriguing, powerful, and incredibly unique. He started his rap career under the stage name, “K-Dot” in 2004 at the ripe age of 16. He eventually gained a major following and popularity in the year 2010 when he retailed his albums “Overly Dedicated” and “Section.80”. He has had more than a couple top charts and his fame continues to grow today. His most recent and arguably most controversial album, “DAMN”, was released earlier in 2017. He has several tracks confronting the issues that the African American race faces in the world we live in today including police brutality and discrimination in general. The track, “DNA”, is one of them. Kendrick Lamar uses his following to spread the message that African Americans must stay loyal to each other in order to survive in this world we live in. Through the examination of the lyrics in the song during the interrogation and the two main characters, the interrogator and Kendrick Lamar, it will become obvious that “DNA” is not only powerful, but it is simply terrific.
By Katrina Ceceri7 years ago in Beat
Why You MUST Listen to this Ed Sheeran Song
The brilliance of Ed Sheeran in creating his latest album, Divide, makes us mortals remember the sheer happiness of love, the flashbacks of our break-ups, and in one occasion, makes us want to drink sangria (listen to "Barcelona").
By Cyd Macapagal7 years ago in Beat
Sustaining
Hi there! I'm Yannick. I am a singer who happens to be a survivor. In 2015, I released an EDM single titled "Sustaining" from my upcoming album The Chronicles of the Priestess. Look for this album by fall of 2018. I guarantee that it will bless your life.
By Merlin Mystique7 years ago in Beat