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31 October 2011

Best of Music 2011: Best Male Pop Vocal 






Bruno Mars - It Will Rain (Song Link)
Bruno Mars's latest single, "It Will Rain," expands on the darker insecurities first seen in the singer's Hot 100 chart-topper "Grenade". The song starts out with a menacing, dissonant crescendo, but resolves in a light simple piano riff that the pop crooner uses frequently. For fans of Mars pitch-perfect vocals and his knack for warbling about women troubles, the man once again delivers.

David Cook - The Last Goodbye (
Video Link)
This track, co-written by David Cook and Ryan Tedder, suits the former's vocal range much better than "Light On" did. David Cook's vocal gift is that his voice gives life to lyrics that makes them believable and easy to relate to, and that quality comes across as Cook sings "cause we were everything that's right at the wrong time." The power and impact that he conveys is a quality that a singer with a crystal-clear voice can deliver.




Ed Sheeran - The A Team (Video Link)
Ed Sheeran's intelligent lyrics and delicate vocals set him apart from the group of singer-songwriters-with-guitars. The true story of a homeless drug addict who will "go mad for a couple grams" and whose face is "crumbling like pastries", Sheeran's frank honesty and lump-in-the-throat-like emotion are weighted by a folky melody and off-kilter acoustics.

James Morisson - I Won't Let You Go (
Video Link)
'I Won't Let You Go' opens to a Coldplay-esque piano riff as he promises to stick with his lass through thick and thin. "Take a little time to hold yourself/ Take a little time to feel around," he insists in his unmistakable gruff tones, before the lilting guitars and gentle piano riff shift gear for the swaying, '60s slow-dance chorus.



Will Young - Jealousy (Video Link)
"I take it all back/ All that I said/ It comes out too fast/ So I just couldn't help the way that I felt," Will Young admits apologetically in the track opening. "It feels like jealousy/ And it feels like I can't breathe," he confesses over a sad-pop disco beat and rousing piano chords helmed by electro-pop connoisseur Richard X. The tale of lusting for an otherwise engaged man, things steadily crescendo by the final chorus with a stirring, growly vocal as he laments: "I'm tired of waiting/ I'm tired of thinking".

Labels:


Best of Music 2011: Best Dance Recording 




Beyonce - Run The World (Girls) [Video Link]

Earthy beats, hypnotising hooks and militant drums pound relentlessly as Queen B declares it's "Girls who run this mutha" with woman-friendly conviction. This uber-trendy Major Lazer 'Pon De Floor' sample - a staple on the underground scene since 2009 - culminates in an aggressive, head-spinning and ferocious club stomper.

Britney Spears - Till The World Ends
[Video Link]
The hawkish sirens and swizzling bassline production that opens ''Til The World Ends' unquestionably has Dr. Luke written all over it. "Watch me move/ When I lose, I lose it hard," she asserts in seductive verses built around a ludicrously catchy chorus-chant. By the middle of the song, we're too busy "dancing until the world ends", and this track certainly is the Britney comeback we have all been awaiting.

Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor
[Video Link]
J Lo was on the verge of an irreversible decline in stardom, but things took a turn when she joined the Idol panel. On this number built around a 'Lambada' sample, she recruited RedOne and Pitbull to come up with a Latin-tinged electrohouse party tune. Definitely not the most profound of lyrics, but how can you not remember 'Brazil, Morocco, London to Ibiza, straight to LA, New York, Vegas to Africa!'

Lady Gaga - Judas
[Video Link]
Proclaiming her love for a man who betrayed one of the world's most iconic religious figures was undoubtedly risky. "When he comes to me I am ready/ I'll wash his feet with my hair if he needs," she sing-speaks over a RedOne-helmed, 'Bad Romance'-style sledge hammering beat with a thumping bassline. What follows is a chorus so blasphemously camp that it's worthy of Eurovision, though it's definitely worth the effort.

LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem (feat. Lauren Bennett)
[Video Link]
From the shufflin' dance moves, to the hip-thrustings, to even the huge-framed spectacles and the Afro hair, LMFAO have made huge waves in 2011. The catchy vocal hook and the club-ready climax undeniably made this dance track ubiquitous in the summer of 2011.

Rihanna - We Found Love [Video Link]
This is a club-ready number that, courtesy of Scottish DJ/producer/singer Calvin Harris, also remains a classy affair. The lyrics probably has an underlying message for her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, in the line 'We found love in a hopeless place', which she admits wistfully over shimmering synths, before Harris cuts loose on the lyric-less, exhilarating chorus.

Labels:


X Factor 2011 UK - Live Shows Results #4 

CALL-OUT ORDER
If I was Alexandra Burke, I would've killed myself.

RIDICULOUS RESULTS
Sophie Habibis - Birdy's 'Shelter'
Misha B - King Of Leon's 'Use Somebody'


Nicole Scherzinger - Try With Me
Cher Lloyd - With Ur Love
Verdict - Elimination between Sophie and Misha

Labels:


30 October 2011

X Factor 2011: Halloween Live Show 

Misha B - 'Tainted Love' by Soft Cell
Ok, this is my favourite outfit and hairdo of hers. Loved the trick-or-treat rap in the middle. Seriously, this woman better win it. Damn incredible, don't understand why Alexandra Burke was the only judge giving a standing ovation. Just like how Barlow described it, this was out of the stratosphere. A

Kitty Brucknell - 'Sweet Dreams' by The Eurythmics
The theatrics at the start were amazing. Despite so many things going on, she was able to hold her ground, and her vocals this time were at its peak. Damn bloody incredible. A


Janet Devlin - 'Every Breath You Take' by Police
OOH, this was really interesting, because for once, she wasn't endearing, but she looked like she was in it to win it, and she succeeded in making in very haunting! She looked the part, she sounded the part... but somehow I felt something was missing? The bridge sounded very weird because it was so repetitive. A-

Marcus Collins - 'Superstition' by Stevie Wonder
He looks like he just kena boxed in the face. I preferred last week's 'Are You Gonna Go My Way?' more, though this was a high-energy performance too. The staging and his get-up was very Halloween, though, I must say! A-


Little Mix - 'E.T' by Katy Perry
SOUNDS LIKE CORNFLAKES LA THEIR NEW NAME. They really had to step it up with the performance after having such a horrendous name, and they did. B+

Johnny Robinson - 'That Ole Devil Called Love'
This person is just impressing me week after week. It's always interesting to know what he is going to perform, and he is always full of fun. Great! B+


Craig Colton - 'Set Fire To The Rain' by Adele
I bet he was waiting to perform Adele FOR A LONG TIME. Adele is queen already, no one can outdo her, so you probably shouldn't perform her songs for a singing competition, unless you're Jade Richards. Ok, I shall be fair, he was vocally good. B+

Sophie Habibis - 'Bang Bang' by Nancy Sinatra
Where are the fans in the intro video? Ooh, I like this Bang Bang song! And I genuinely think this was her best performance, and I don't care if this is her 4th straight dreary song because I do not expect to see her singing 'Last Friday Night' any time soon. LOVE IT when she just spouted out her feelings when Walsh slammed her. B+


The Risk - 'Thriller' by Michael Jackson
With Ashley deciding to leave the Risk, the remaining 3 members decided to rope in Ashford Campbell from eliminated boyband Nu Vibe. The harmonies were good, and they were comfortable in it - a great comeback considering their shuffle took place only 2days ago. B

Frankie Cocozza - 'Should I Stay or Should I Go?' by The Clash
It's great to see him go crazy and wild - he's so in character. He should go now though. The look on Burke's face when he performed was priceless, and she summed it up so well. B

Labels:


29 October 2011

ANTM All-Stars: Kathy Griffin 




Alexandria: How could this garner her a fourth callout? Since this was a modeling shot inspired by a reality show that is supposed to elevate the subject matter, shouldn't Alexandria not drag the modeling down to the show's level?

Laura: I really didn't like this episode, because of the artificiality and the blatantness that they had to pose as Snooki and NeNe. Laura looks so unflattering in this.



Shannon: This is Shannon's version of "edgy." Which is why, from now on, if Jay wants to get anything more than sweet and sleep-inducing out of Shannon, he might need to up the ante and ask her to look "satanic."



Bianca: Put aside her terrible attitude on the show, this is a nice photo of Bianca. The pose is sexy, and her face has never looked softer. It's just that the elements don't match up -- the slinky, sexy lady cuddling up to the old, burly biker who's completely ignoring her.

Dominique: This photo of Dominique standing up on a motorcycle works because Dominique is naturally beautiful enough to make that a slightly compelling subject.

Kayla: Normally, it's a great thing to be gorgeous and elegant that you couldn't look like Snooki if you tried. It is ironic that Kayla became the first model on the show EVER to be eliminated for not looking "hot mess" enough.




Angelea: Thanks to that rather atrocious wig, Angelea has never looked more androgynous, but I like almost everything else about this shot. Especially her angles, which show off her cheekbones, and the way she's looking off to the distance -- it's sort of wistful, which is not something I'd ever associate with Nene, but it's nice all the same.

Lisa: There must be a method to Lisa's madness, because the end result was a shot that is quiet, composed and sexy, without being dull. It's still caricature, but it's subtle.

Allison: Allison barely escaped the bottom three for this shot, and I am completely flabbergasted as to why. Sure, she doesn't look anything like Snooki -- but maybe don't ask an ethereal tall, lean, pale white girl with blonde hair to look like a crazy short, curvy orange girl with black hair if you want an exact likeness. Instead, Allison's photo comes the closest to what I, if I were Tyra, would want to achieve with this photo shoot: A photo that captures that "reality star" speed, glitz, excess and artificiality, but shining through is this beautiful, graceful model who can't help but be the opposite. She's part of the scene, yet completely out of place at the same time. At least that's what I get from this shot, and that's what makes it infinitely more interesting to me than any of the rest.


Call-Out Order: Lisa, Angelea, Laura, Alexandria, Dominique, Allison, Shannon

DOUBLE ELIMINATION: Kayla and Bianca

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28 October 2011

Project Runway 9 - Season Finale (Part II) 




Anya Ayoung-Chee's Collection


She received the pimp final spot for Fashion Week. She gives it her all in the Caribbean flowy dresses department, and they certainly are very tasteful. It was not the best when it came to variety, but she has been doing remarkably well this season, design-wise and personality-wise.




Joshua McKinley's Collection


I did not like those neon green shorts and skirt. It is great that he has so many ideas, and over the weeks, he has learnt how to edit the bad ones away, but like Nina said, he is still over-the-top at times.




Kimberly Goldson's Collection


Her collection was presented first. A very strong colour palette of pink and cobalt blue dominance. She definitely did some editing on her pieces from the previous runway, and I liked the use of the accessories and the big earrings. The judges didn't find her collection very cohesive though.




Viktor Luna's Collection


He presented so much creativity with his prints and construction. This came off as very commercial pieces that would garner much success. I like how they're so edgy, yet are able to be complemented with the delicate prints.


4th: Kimberly Goldson

3rd: Viktor Luna (shocking!)

2nd: Joshua McKinley

WINNER: Anya Ayoung-Chee

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