AMY

When flying across the world, you've got a lot of time on your hands. Luckily Delta Airlines had a wide selection of movies to watch. One I chose was AMY. I was never a huge fan of Amy Winehouse, mainly because I thought she was kind of scary, but I suppose I simply didn't take the time to listen to any of her music besides her hit, "Rehab." AMY details the stardom and downfall of Ms. Winehouse and the reality of someone with addiction. Its a true testament that fame, money, and doing what you love for a living can still fall victim to this terrible condition of substance abuse. At one point in the documentary, it appeared everything was falling into place. She was clean and Back to Black had much success with five Grammy awards in 2008. However, I was alarmed when a good friend of hers explained while back stage on that perceived magical night, Amy said it would have been so much better if she had drugs and was high during that moment. I think winning five Grammys would be the ultimate high, how could she possibly be thinking about drugs? But that's the harsh reality of how she viewed life.

And while her main weakness was substance abuse, Amy had many underlying demons too. At a young age she dealt with abandonment by her father, bulimia, and anxiety. In my opinion, Amy's story illustrates how real mental illness is. I'm not a doctor, but I would assume the dominos started falling down a long time before her substance abuse started since her mental state hadn't been dealt with or acknowledged as a problem. Sometimes people with the darkest history create the most moving and beautiful things because they have felt and experienced more than most. Its a very special gift to be able to write exactly how you feel and for others to interpret it with the same feelings in mind. Amy Winehouse's jazz and soul filled songs were catchy with edgy vocals. And her talent was unique, unlike any sound we've heard in modern time. The legacy of Amy Winehouse will live on even though her career was so short. Check out Frank or Back to Black to be taken back to an earlier point in time. Photo Credit 

Like Sunday, Like Rain

Sometimes we meet people in the most random of situations, creating unique and lasting connections that start out completely unexpected but later reveal themselves to be much more. That flame could burn for a lifetime, even if your time together is only a chapter in your book.

Like Sunday, Like Rain is about a mutual respect and understanding found in an unlikely place. Eleanor Logan, played by my beloved Gossip Girl Leighton Meester, forms a bond with a 12 year-old boy with whom she was hired to nanny. Reggie is a prodigy and wise beyond his years. While lost in her own journey of life, they share bits of each other to better understand and cope with their own realities. The pair nurture their bond with their love of music.
This independent film tells a pure, lighthearted story but still had me in tears for the beauty of its subtleness. I'm a sucker for piano and string instruments, so the fact Reggie composed and played his own score was fascinatingly touching. Leighton was stunning as always, but in a more simple way than what I was used to seeing her in with Blair Waldorf's character. I think a good takeaway I got from this movie is that we meet different people all the time and everyone has something in them that's special. You never know when you might meet someone that makes you look at life differently. Everyone's journey is their own.
I'd been wanting to see other work of Leighton's and was ecstatic when I saw it was released to Netflix. I would highly recommend viewing at your streaming convenience. I don't want to blow the ending, but I hope it touches you too.

Purpose

Since I listened to Made in the A.M. until my ears bled, I started listening to Justin Bieber's Purpose. The Biebs really disgusted me there for a while with his immature and reckless behavior, but I think he is really trying to turn things around for himself and I applaud him for that. I'm all about personal growth and being the best you, so you can then add to other people's lives too. I once read, "You can't pour from an empty cup. Work on yourself first." Those words could not be more true.
Anyway... Purpose. JB's comeback started with Jack U's "Where Are U Now?" Skrillex and Diplo were genius on this track and Justin's feature made it that much better. Super electronic. "What Do You Mean?" came next and I absolutely loved it. Slower, but smooth and makes you want to get up and dance. My favorite track by far on this album is "Sorry." I don't think anyone can really argue with that. Extremely catchy and fun to groove to. 

Its completely evident Justin did some real reflection and soul searching when writing and recording this album. With songs like, "Love Yourself" (co-written by Ed Sheeran), "Life Is Worth Living", and "Purpose," he slowed it down with simple beats, but powerful lyrics. You can feel his emotion and honesty. I've added these to my meditation playlist before I practice yoga at home.  
One thing I really like about Purpose is the simple sounds and melodies, but Justin's voice makes them all that more sweet. "The Feeling" verses start slow and then take off in the chorus with the help from Halsey. Another example is "Children." The bridge/chorus is electronic and upbeat, but almost solely instrumental. 
Other notable tracks are: "Company", "No Pressure" featuring Big Sean, and "No Sense" featuring Travis Scott. All have grown on me as I continued to listen the album through. From the live performances I've seen on YouTube, Bieber sounds fantastic live. If you're planning on buying tickets to see his Purpose tour, you better grab them quickly because it appears most venues are selling out! And if you purchase tickets, you get a free digital download of Purpose. Pretty sweet deal.

I must confess, I may now be a Belieber. 

Made in the A.M.

My mind is completely blown by all the amazing music released lately. You all know my guilty pleasure and are probably tired of the One Direction posts, but I just think they are so wonderful. As Liam tweeted, "I love how music is always there for you when you need it most x." I really needed new music to jam out to in my car and occupy my ears at work.  Challenge accepted - 1D.
One Direction's fifth album, Made in the A.M. released yesterday and my eardrums were filled with catchy beats all day long. I'd be lying if I said I didn't still have the album on repeat. 
I pre-ordered on iTunes as soon as it was available, as any loyal fan would and loved receiving new song notifications leading up to the release. My Mom and I were lucky enough to watch 1D perform "Drag Me Down" live at their concert at Soldier Field in Chicago back in August. It was the perfect single to set the mood for great things to come. I got a Police vibe and knew this album would be a completely different animal than their previous works.

Then came "Infinity", which left me wanting to gaze up at the stars, light a few candles, and meditate. lol. Speaking of amazing, the guys then released their latest single "Perfect" with a wonderful monochrome music video to match. Chic, yet... perfect. I absolutely love the song and ended up downloading their EP with a stripped version and Matoma remix. I would highly suggest checking them out for anyone that likes acoustic songs or electronic club hits.
As for the rest of Made in the A.M.:
"Hey Angel" I think 1D picked the perfect track to roll out their album with this one. It was like the sky opened up and heaven was revealed. haha. Anyone hear a bit of U2 or better yet, Robbie Williams' "Millennium?" I do!
"End of the Day"  So many different transitions and collisions in this song. 
"If I Could Fly" The piano in this track reminds me of something Elton John would play. Beautiful ballad, but I think they should have called it "For your Eyes Only." What do you think?
"Long Way Down" Not my favorite song, but I really like the meaning. 
"Never Enough" Being Niall's favorite song on the album, I was dying to hear this one. He was entirely correct in saying that its a sound the band has never dabbled in before. Fabulous track.
"Olivia" This reminds me of the Beatles. The melodies are cheerful, like you're just strolling down the street to get a cup of tea. Harry's voice graced us with his presence through time travel because I could see him living the rockstar life in the 70s. He has that sound to him. And who is Olivia anyway? Gosh, wouldn't you LOVE to be her? lol.
"What a Feeling" The guys described the creation of this track with inspiration from Fleetwood Mac and I completely agreed. I hear "Dreams." But call me crazy, I hear a little Bee Gees too!
"Love You, Goodbye" Great writing. Great vocals. All the feels. 
"I Want to Write You a Song" Very simple, but heartfelt and lovely. This one is a more mature "Little Things".
"History" This is clearly an open letter to the fans. With five albums along with four years of touring, the guys have been through a lot with their fans. Thank you.
"Temporary Fix" Edgy with a whole lot of grit. Pop-rock at its best. Harry's voice is different than what we normally hear in his verse and I love it. Sounds like they rubbed a little dirt on this track with some attitude.
"Walking in the Wind" Harry was absolutely right by saying this song was influenced by Paul Simon's Graceland. Playful melodies and rich, comforting lyrics. This song is in the same realm as "Olivia." No surprise that Harry had a hand in the writing for both.
"Wolves" Such a proper catchy tune. As soon as the song starts, I feel the energy it brings. I didn't know at first, but it was actually co-written by one of my favorite Voice contestants, Will Champlin. Flex those writing muscles, lad! Not to toot my own horn, but I was pretty pleased when I got these Twitter notifications last night:

To say I'm having a difficult time choosing my favorite favourite song would be a complete and utter understatement. But, I think my favourite song on the album is between "A.M.", "Wolves", and "Never Enough." There is just something about how Harry delivers his chorus in "A.M." So edgy and raw with cool collisions leading to the outro. There is no doubt about it that 1D has matured as a group. From Four to Made in the A.M., I can feel a drastic change in their sound that will definitely appeal to a much larger audience. Not only can they sing and entertain, they can write! Almost every song had at least one member of the group with a hand in the writing process.    So many sounds. So many feels. I think they have transformed from a pop boy band to a 70s-80s inspired rock group. I hear the Beatles, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, a little Rolling Stones, and even Queen throughout the entire album. As soon as I listened through, I texted both of my parents because I felt like its an album they would thoroughly enjoy too. One Direction put their own personal stamp on influences from the past.
Aside from the music, how excellent of a job has their PR/marketing team done promoting this album? They have truly thought of everything. The pictures next to the hashtags on Twitter, album covers with each member on them, taking over iTunes cover stories, etc. Almost all of yesterday 1D's promo photos were on iTunes and then all of the sudden they were intermingled with Justin Bieber's Purpose. Which, I'm very excited to listen to that album, but I want the guys to make history with their fifth #1 on Billboard. And as I said, I think true fans are going to buy each album cover as well as what they already purchased on pre-order. Genius! That's potentially five albums purchased. I think the race to #1 will be tight, but I hope the Directioners pulled this one out for our four favourite lads from across the pond. 

Will this be the end for 1D? I'm not sure, but I really hope not. This album has been such a success so far that I think they would do their fans a disservice by not releasing more music and performing for fans new and old. If you didn't think they were talented before, Made in the A.M. should confirm the obvious... One Direction is one of the most talented bands of all time.  

H

Putting together a costume for Halloween is one of my favorite things to do. Whoever or whatever I plan to dress up as, I like to do it right. Much like how I like to do most things, go big or go home. This Halloween I tossed a couple ideas back and forth, which I won't reveal since I might use them in the future. But, just last week I landed upon Mr. Styles. Harry Styles, that is. He's 1/4 of One Direction and I find him absolutely intriguing. I pretty much wear a lot of what he wears anyway, I just needed a noisy shirt, tattoos, and brown hair.  Sally Beauty supply had a temporary spray for $4.99, so I had the brown hair down. I was really able to get some body using Bumble and Bumble's styling lotion. This is a product I use daily, but I used a little bit more than usual to get luscious locks like Mr. Styles. I've read that One Direction's stylist, Lou uses it on the guys hair too. Double points for authenticity! The shirt is actually from a set of pajamas at Forever 21. lol. Perfect for Harry though. He loves himself a good polka dot print. And finally, the tattoos. Harry has quite a few, over 40 actually so they were a must. You can't be H without his tattoos. Luckily, popstartats.com came through for me on this one. They were super easy to apply and their customer service was awesome!

I researched where each tattoo went, so you will find that my placement is pretty spot on! As I said before, you gotta do these things the right way!

Allow me to introduce you to, Mr. Styles.

Here is a better view of the tattoos.

Anyway, I thought I would share how I put together my Harryween costume this year. See what I did there? Until next time, you know because me and the band are taking a break starting in March! ;)

All the love. H

Empire State of Mind

via   The best television shows usually have the perfect and best music. Like most of my other favorite shows, Gossip Girl was presented like a magazine. Popular fashion and entertainment trends intertwined through the storyline.   

via Music has always been a great love of mine and the element can make or break a moment. Please enjoy the soundtrack I've put together on Spotify and hopefully, it will take you back to some of the scenes from the show. Unfortunately, Spotify has removed the ability to embed playlists and songs so you will have to click here to listen if the work-around HTML code I've put together won't work on your computer. I have also linked two of my favorite scenes that were perfectly executed with a little help of a song.

  DISCLAIMER: DO NOT WATCH IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY WATCHED OR PLAN TO WATCH GG IN THE FUTURE   And of course, they are obviously Chair scenes!  

I hope you enjoyed. NYC is getting so close, I can taste it. One week from today! :)

Different Directions

I'm not going to lie, I think I'm still in a little shock that Zayn Malik is no longer a part of One Direction. I listen to their songs and wonder how they will replace his amazing and unique voice, especially his solos that make each song even more brilliant. How about those high notes?!? I'm not sure any of the other guys can reach them. Apparently, Harry jokingly tried in "Diana" and completely failed. lol. They all have different sounds to their singing, so I'm interested in how that will work for the current tour and years to come when they perform the older songs. 

via My question for Zayn is: "Whats next?" How do you go from being in a band that has reached and continues to reach such success and say I'm done with it? That was his reasoning behind leaving the band, but I don't think he realized that the cameras aren't going away. He is famous and will be for a long time. People will be interested in his life for the duration. Ultimately, it was his decision and I respect that. I'm just not sure what kind of normalcy he is expecting though. 
On Saturday, I read an article that Zayn is actually writing and recording his own solo album. Um... am I missing something here? I thought he wanted to be a "normal 22-year-old." He said that being in the band didn't "feel real" to him anymore. Obviously from what we know, the guys responded in the most professional and respectful way possible, but I'm sure they are very hurt. Heck, Harry once said that he wanted to do this for 10 more years! He is also a born performer and probably will for as long as he can.
Although I am still a little heartbroken, it sounds like the remaining four are going to continue making hits and touring the world. To all my fellow Directioners, its going to be okay! I think the band doesn't want their ride to end. I've already heard talks of writing and recording for their next album. My fear originally was that they would slowing come crumbling down upon Zayn's departure, but I think that we haven't seen the last of One Direction.

Heartstrings

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And finally, we've made it to Friday and the weekend. I feel all out of sorts since we had a snow day on Tuesday and then a two-hour delay on Wednesday. While I had the day off on Tuesday, I did some writing, reading, online shopping browsing, and listened to some new and semi-new music to me.
My favorite Gossip Girl, Leighton Meester released her first album entitled Heartstrings in October 2014. I think she is wonderful, so I had to take a listen. At first I wasn't expecting the style of music she was singing and playing, but it has totally grown on me and I've come to love her soothing sound. I must say, I'm blown away by her vocal talent. I knew she could be the perfect upper-east-sider and sing pop beats as heard in Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad", but I had no idea the extent of her talent. 

Sit down one morning, with a cup of tea or coffee and let Leighton pick at your Heartstrings by playing her album through. Her voice is just as pretty as she is.

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Leighton is just so talented. She has a movie being limited released called Like Sunday, Like Rain on March 6, 2015. I'm not exactly sure how it will be released or where, but I'm looking into it. 

FOUR

On November 17, 2014, One Direction's FOUR was released to the world and you could say that I'm a new fan of the world wide phenomenon known as 1D. I was sitting home one night bored and looking for something entertaining to watch, so I got on my AppleTv and clicked the Vevo app. This particular app consists of a bunch of official music videos and highlights of popular music around the world. I clicked the "Pop" playlist to see what random songs would play. And by the way, I love seeing music videos to put a visual on what the artist or band had in mind for the song. Well, there I was fast forwarding through the weird videos (really... Who has seen the video with the little girl in a nude jumpsuit? Get out of here!), jamming to Taylor's "Shake It Off", and then... all these One Direction music videos kept playing. I found myself rewinding and rewinding again. Wait... "These songs are good." No... "These songs are great." They can sing!

I guess I always envisioned them as just another "boy band" with synchronized dancing and matching outfits, which I'm totally not for replicating times of the past. Now knowing One Direction's story, how down to earth they seem, and how talented they actually are... I completed misjudged them. So obviously as I became more intrigued, I started watching more Vevo videos on YouTube because I like to get to know artists and listen to more of their music on live shows. It's also one thing to read about them, but it's another to see an interview and see how they react. Let me tell you, their British and Irish accents don't hurt either.

Its amazing to me how they respond to questions about their insane fans and the fame that comes along with it. They could have let it get to them by becoming angry or arrogant within the past four years, but I think they truly are the same as when they each auditioned seperately for The X Factor in the UK. I mean, other than maturing into adults like the rest of us do when we age. I believe the group has stayed absolutely true to their fans because they can take a step back and realize that they are why One Direction has everything it has. It's extremely refreshing how humble and appreciative they are without acting or sounding fake and forced. 

I will say it once and I will say it again and again, you can never really believe what the tabloids say and what the media writes about all the time. I honestly feel bad for Harry Styles (and the rest of the group, like I would any celebrity faced with negativity from the media) at times because they depict him as some sort of habitual womanizer. Really, I just think he wants to be a good person and a talented artist. It must get extremely frustrating having rumors made about you across the world. Styles once said in an interview that he hates the word "famous" because it takes away the substance that a person actually has. He wondered what was wrong with saying he was nice or funny guy? 

Ed Sheeran (also a British singer) said in a radio interview once that he didn't know why this story about Harry Styles didn't make the news: "he once bought $2K-3K worth of Domino's pizzas in L.A. and started giving them out to homeless people." Sheeran couldn't understand why those kind of stories weren't in the media because Styles does stuff like it all the time. You've got me, Ed? 

So now that I have defended my fandom of 1D, let's get into their new album FOUR. Why is it entitled FOUR, you ask? It's their forth album in four years of being a band. Pretty impressive. I think this album is much more mature than their previous, but not too deviant from their last, Midnight Memories. Still pop genre driven, but easily translated to a larger, more vast audience than their original teenie-bopper fans. I mean, they have me listening now. I look at them as a band rather than a "boy band", which has a lot to do with their sound and the fact that each member has written multiple songs on the album. They are growing up and so should their music. I believe the fact that they have been writing more and more of their own songs has added a much needed element to their sound and vision as a band.

My favorite tracks are 18 (written by Ed Sheeran), Night Changes, Steal My Girl, Fireproof, and Where Do Broken Hearts Go. However, the rest of the album is very good too. The more I listen to it, the more I can't come up with my favorite track. Have a listen for yourself:

And if that album wasn't enough for you, check out some of their other songs: "Story of My Life", "Little Things", "Beat Song Ever", "You and I", etc. I now like them so much that my mom and I got tickets to see 1D at Soldier Field in August. Should be the BEST TIME EVER for my birthday!

Ups & Downs

The new year has been good to me so far and that includes a new Cojack album, entitled Ups & Downs. If you enjoy hip-hop and rap, I encourage you to check out his new album. Ups & Downs is compiled of catchy beats, relevant rhymes, and a strong message to its audience.  Cojack converts feelings into words, while reinventing classic beats. We go through life with our own ups and downs. Everyone feels them no matter how big or small they seem. Cojack comes from the south side of Chicago and touches on the reality of love and loss with his latest tracks. You don't find many rappers like Cojack these days that rhyme about real issues, rather than repeating themselves just to make a track. And all while having a good time, like any of us, going through this journey called life.

Cojack wraps up everything in a big red bow with, Ups & Downs. I love being delivered the complete package and this present was received. Maybe it is my public relations background, but I love a great, well written message. Especially when someone tells you what they are going to tell you, tells you, and then tells you what they already told you. And that my friends, is called a great speaker. A great speaker, and in this case a great rapper, is someone that can relate to their audience, who speaks to that audience in many different ways, and makes what they are saying timeless too.Mission accomplished with Ups & Downs.

Check out his album by clicking here. You can download it for free now!
Some of my favorite tracks that you need to check out are:
2. Live It Up
3. American Dream
7. Show Love
14. Shades of Grey

I think Corey aka Cojack put it perfectly…"This is the sound of Ups & Downs."

Light the Fuse

Keith Urban is one of my favorite artists of all time. Not only can he sing, but he can shred on the guitar. I made my way back to Time Warner Music Pavilion and had a blast at the Light the Fuse Tour. So much fun. Just when I thought Keith was going to wrap it up, he kept playing and playing.

Dustin Lynch.

Little Big Town.

The man of the hour. Keith Urban.

With Little Big Town for You Gonna Fly.

His new single, Little Bit of Everything. I loved it!

This was my 5th Keith Urban concert and enjoyed every second of it. Every concert reminds me how great of an artist he is. 

Light the Fuse!