Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Check out the review I wrote on the Top 2 Performances From Wednesday & Thursday Night’s X Factor for Newsforshoppers.com
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Favorite Performance from X Factor Episode 2
13 year old Carly Rose Sonenclar, stunned the judges and X factor audience with a flawless performance of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good." From the first note she sang I could not believe that voice was coming out of that little girl. Rightly so, she received a standing ovation and could very well be the next X Factor champ.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
My Review on the opening Episode of X Factor Season 2
The highly anticipated second season of the X Factor finally
arrived last night at 8pm on Fox. Overall, the two-hour premiere led to a
crushing disappointment. The first ten minutes of the show focused unnecessarily
on contestants immersed in discussion with one another about their vocal
talents and past experiences. It all felt staged. I honestly felt like I was
watching some ridiculously staged reality show like MTV’s The Hills, where the director explains exactly what needs to be
said in every scene.
One of the biggest missing pieces was the lack of a host. The show desperately needed a Ryan or Carson Daly to directing the backstage interviews before contestants hit the big stage.
Unfortunately, the editing of the show was what contributed to the disappointment. There was too much focus on backstage gossip than showing the talent and the judges’ feedback.Personally, I have been looking forward to the start of the second season of X Factor ever since Simon announced the inclusion of new judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato. Although I have to admit that I never really been the biggest fan of either of the two pop stars, I was still eager to see their judging skills put to the test. However, it was really hard to get a full grasp of their judging styles.
A montage of clips revealed Britney to be 100% candid in her opinions, even if it meant crushing a contestant's dream. From the little that was shown, I did appreciate her honesty. Nevertheless, she was portrayed as overly uptight and seemed to lack a sense of compassion and congeniality. Even though I could tell those qualities are embedded within her, she was always trying to keep her composure, as opposed to just letting the tears flow. For example, when the contestant Don Phillips, whom she had recorded with in 1999, failed to impress, she was very direct, yet cold in her rejection. I guess I expected her to go up there and just give the poor guy a hug, especially since she knew him from the past. I really wanted her to be a bit more personable.
On the flip side, Demi was able to connect instantly with former bullied contestant Jillian Jensen, whom she ended up giving a long embrace, while giving her amazingly heart-warming, inspiring, and all-around positive feedback on her emotional performance.
Overall, I have to say that I just wished that they had piled up more full-length auditions followed by longer responses by the judges. Sadly, the editing showed the majority of the auditions and judges comments in minor snippets. I was just hoping that in the season opening we would already view a bunch of undeniable super star talent that would move me to tears and give me goosies. But, there really weren’t any that did it for me on the first episode, except for that last performance by Jillian Jensen.
Despite my obvious disappointment, I still have hope that this show will ultimately be a hit in finding a superstar. Ultimately, what I love about all these singing competitions is the process of going through the search in finding true gems, anticipating their performances each and every week and rooting for them till the very end.
One of the biggest missing pieces was the lack of a host. The show desperately needed a Ryan or Carson Daly to directing the backstage interviews before contestants hit the big stage.
Unfortunately, the editing of the show was what contributed to the disappointment. There was too much focus on backstage gossip than showing the talent and the judges’ feedback.Personally, I have been looking forward to the start of the second season of X Factor ever since Simon announced the inclusion of new judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato. Although I have to admit that I never really been the biggest fan of either of the two pop stars, I was still eager to see their judging skills put to the test. However, it was really hard to get a full grasp of their judging styles.
A montage of clips revealed Britney to be 100% candid in her opinions, even if it meant crushing a contestant's dream. From the little that was shown, I did appreciate her honesty. Nevertheless, she was portrayed as overly uptight and seemed to lack a sense of compassion and congeniality. Even though I could tell those qualities are embedded within her, she was always trying to keep her composure, as opposed to just letting the tears flow. For example, when the contestant Don Phillips, whom she had recorded with in 1999, failed to impress, she was very direct, yet cold in her rejection. I guess I expected her to go up there and just give the poor guy a hug, especially since she knew him from the past. I really wanted her to be a bit more personable.
On the flip side, Demi was able to connect instantly with former bullied contestant Jillian Jensen, whom she ended up giving a long embrace, while giving her amazingly heart-warming, inspiring, and all-around positive feedback on her emotional performance.
Overall, I have to say that I just wished that they had piled up more full-length auditions followed by longer responses by the judges. Sadly, the editing showed the majority of the auditions and judges comments in minor snippets. I was just hoping that in the season opening we would already view a bunch of undeniable super star talent that would move me to tears and give me goosies. But, there really weren’t any that did it for me on the first episode, except for that last performance by Jillian Jensen.
Despite my obvious disappointment, I still have hope that this show will ultimately be a hit in finding a superstar. Ultimately, what I love about all these singing competitions is the process of going through the search in finding true gems, anticipating their performances each and every week and rooting for them till the very end.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Summer Outfit Look of the Day
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| Peter Pan Neckline Pink Dress |
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| White Set Stone Cuff |
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| Beige 160 mm Daffodile Leather Pump |
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Check out: Ryan Hemsowrth's remix of Frank Ocean's "Thinkin about you"
This is a great remix to Frank Ocean's "Thinkin About You" because it emphasizes and further adds to the classical instrumentation utilized within the song. I personally loathe remixes that completely change up songs to the point where the song's original beauty is ultimately destroyed. However, this remix succeeds in brilliantly embellishing soothing and fun rhythms and beats. Take a listen and Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
My Review on Frank Ocean's debut album: "channel ORANGE"
I am beyond impressed by Frank Ocean’s debut studio album Channel ORANGE. I was immediately drawn to Ocean’s incredibly strong vocals with his hit singles “Novacane,” “Swim Good,” and of course his features on Jay and Ye’s Watch the Throne. Channel ORANGE, in my humble opinion, will go down as an album that will expand and further develop a new direction of R&B, due to its deep lyrical content, superb vocals, and uniquely diverse instrumentation. I encourage you all to go out and buy a copy if you haven’t already. I promise you will not regret. Below is a list of my favorite songs off the album.
Favorite Songs
1) Thinking about you: This is by far my favorite song off this album, primarily due to Ocean’s stellar vocal and emotionally impactful lyrics. I love this song from start to finish. The introduction of a group of violins playing with great vibrato perfectly lead into the tranquilizing and earthy beats sampled. Ocean’s falsetto in the chorus of this song is beyond perfection. Robin Thicke, Usher and Justin Timberlake’s falsetto attempts are amateurish compared to Ocean’s. Another great part about this song is its ability to capture a scenario we can all relate to. Ocean sings of someone who, when he thinks about, his “eyes don’t shed tears, but boy, they pour.” He ponders whether or not the person he is thinking about reciprocates thoughts of him. Frank basically admits to thinking about spending the rest of his life with this loved one, but again is clueless as to whether or not it is a mutual feeling. Nevertheless, this bittersweet story has to sound familiar to a plethora of us, which makes it that much more beautiful.
2) Sweet Life: This song has a great mixture of brass, string, and percussion instruments. It is a song with a combination of incredibly soothing and uplifting vocals sprinkled with lovely tropically inspired sounds. It paints a vividly intricate picture of an affluent character who lives in “ domesticated paradise,” where palm trees and pools decorate the hometown of Ladera Heights. The character Ocean sings about is basically living a “sweet life” since birth, being catered to with landscapers, housekeepers, and even has the luxury of owning a beach. Ocean paints such an incredibly enticing and surrealistic picture of a sweet life that seems unattainable, but highly desirable.
3) Super Rich Kids ft. Earl Sweatshirt : This is one of the songs that really caught my attention because of the repetitive piano chord played throughout the entirety of the song. For some reason the chords played sounds to me like a possible inspiration by the one and only Elton John. Again, both the vocals and story line of this track are impeccable. His theme seems to be the idea that money does not buy happiness, but rather causes nothing but “loose ends” “fake friends” and “white liars who cover up their problems with "white lines" (a cocaine reference of course). He further emphasizes in the bridge portion of the song that all he really desires in life is to search for a real love. The featuring of Earl Sweatshirt from the hip-hop collective Odd Future, further contributes to making this song quite catchy.
4) Pyramids:
I have to admit that I was very hesitant to listen to this song in its entirety, as it is a 10:00 song. However, after giving it a chance, it turned out to be one of my ultimate favorite songs on the album. The first half of the song is a more upbeat tempo, with of course an Egyptian sounding feel, intermixed with airy and spacey type sounds. The second half slows down in tempo and has more of a jazzy and soul infused sound. It’s all around a song with great depth as Ocean tells a tale of Cleopatra, the “jewel of Africa,” who looses her preciousness when she abandons her soul mate. This song is simply put, a masterpiece. Ocean’s incredible vocal range is perfectly showcased. His lyrical content is mind-blowing. The drastic changes in tempo and instrumentation, do not sound sloppy, but rather flows smoothly throughout the entirety of this lengthy song.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Check out B.O.B.'s music video for his song "Both of Us" ft. Taylor Swift off his newly released Strange Clouds album
I'm a huge fan of B.O.B primarily because I truly believe he serves as one of the pioneers in transforming the direction of rap music. This song is an ideal example of this transformation as his deep lyrics shines brightly. As opposed to rapping about money, sex, drugs, or alcohol,he raps about what really matters in life. He specifically pinpoints his disgust of the shallowness and materialism prevalent in society now a days, which instantly brought back flashbacks to Kanye West's "All Falls Down," where he states: "We'll buy a lot of clothes when we don't really need em Things we buy to cover up what's inside." Similarly, B.o.B states: "And sometimes I wonder, why we care so much about the way we look, And the way we talk and the way we act and the clothes we bought. How much that cost? Does it even really matter?" What makes this song even more brilliant is intermixing a pop/country feel to the song by featuring Taylor Swift. Although I have to admit that I am not the biggest Taylor Swift fan, I do feel like she is a perfect addition to this song. It is definitely a genius move by B.O.B. to create a song that intermixes both rap and country as it helps in creating a softer edge and a specific rawness to the song. With that being said, check it out and Enjoy :)
Monday, June 25, 2012
Favorite Duet Performance thus far in the competition: J Rome & Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles performing Whitney Houston's " I Will Always Love You"
This is by far the best performance on ABC's "Duets" show thus far. For those of you who do not know, "Duets" is a singing competition where vocal superstars Kelly Clarkson, Robin Thicke, John Legend, and Jennifer Nettles search and ultimately chose two amateur singers to duet with, as they perform in front of a live studio audience. Nevertheless, as I've been following the show pretty regularly, my bet is on J. Rome (one of Jennifer Nettle's duet partners) to win the entire competition. Last week's performance confirmed my prediction as they chose to sing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." It's always a risk to sing a Whitney song as no one can ever compare to her impeccable powerhouse vocals. However, both J.Rome and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles sounded absolutely flawless. Their performance was magical. They both sang in perfect harmony with one another, hitting every high note imaginable. It was evident they were sing from their hearts as they deeply felt every lyric and invoked the profoundly deep emotions attached to one of the greatest love songs ever.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Favorite Bracelet of the Day
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| Esmeralda Brass Agate Bracelet | http://www.lulus.com/products/esmeralda-brass-agate-bracelet/51741.html |
Favorite Dress of the Day
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| Postcard from Paris Coral Pink Striped Dress | http://www.lulus.com/products/postcard-from-paris-coral-pink-striped-dress/52127.html |
Favorite Shoe of the Day
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| Silver Crochet Women's Classic Toms | http://www.toms.com/silver-crochet-women-s-classics?utm_medium=gan&utm_source=affiliate |
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Two Favorite Songs off John Mayer's newly released album: Born and Raised
"Shadow days" is one of my favorite songs off John Mayer's "Born and Raised" not only because it is undeniably a pretty catchy song, but also because the rawness of the lyrics. His first opening line "Did you know you could be wrong, and swear you're right" is something we can all relate to. The beauty within this song is that despite enduring tough times, he has learned from his mistakes and has let go of his "shadow days." It's refreshing to see that despite all his wrongs, he realizes that he still sees himself as a "good man with a good heart."
Another one of my favorites, "Something like Olivia" is incredibly catchy in Mayer's masterful guitar playing skills and his lyrics depicting a deep infatuation with a girl named Olivia, who is unfortunately taken. Thus, since she is taken, he has decided that he must find "something like Olivia." The typical John Mayer shines through his man-eating lyrics, when he first innocently declares of making sure he would never steal her from her current lover, but suddenly takes it back when stating: "but Olivia herself rolled up my door, I'd have to say I'd let her in." Nevertheless, this is a great song to add to your playlist when you're planning your next road trip or just driving to work! Check it out and Enjoy!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Favorite Dress of the Day
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| BB Dakota By Jack Portland Red Dress | http://www.lulus.com/products/bb-dakota-by-jack-portland-red-dress/49375.html |
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Check out Childish Gambino's "We Ain't Them"
I have to admit, I have never been a huge follower of Childish Gambino. However, when I stumbled upon this song, I became hooked. Donald Glover paints a deeply touching story of his life that is bound to move and inspire all those who take a listen. Check it out and Enjoy!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
My favorite song off Carrie Underwood's newly released album titled Blown Away
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I’m a huge Carrie Underwood fan. I love how every single one of
her songs paint a beautifully intricate story. Blown Away off her newly
released album displays a haunting story with incredibly strong vocals that
pierce right through the heart. Check it out and enjoy.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Favorite Bracelet of the Day
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| White Leaf Bracelet Chunky Chain Cuff with Amber Stone | http://www.sereneorder.com/womens-c2/accessories-c181/bracelet-chunky-chain-cuff-with-amber-stone-in-gold-p46324 |
Favorite Dress of the Day
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| Pulling Strings Dress in Blue | http://www.tobi.com/product/45119-nameless-pulling-strings-dress?color_id=57875 |
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Unique Purse of the Day
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| Antoinette Blue & Mint Purse | http://www.lulus.com/products/antoinette-blue-and-mint-purse/50387.html |
Favorite Shoe of the Day
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| Bamboo Pompey 12 Black Pleated Cuff Platform Wedge | http://www.lulus.com/products/bamboo-pompey-12-black-pleated-cuff-platform-wedges/50459.html |
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