Taylor Swift Music Video Release: "Sparks Fly"

Taylor Swift has spent the last few weeks covering singles by popular artists. She most recently honored TLC and Pink in Philadelphia.

 

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Lady Gaga in Drag as Jo Calderone: The Return!

Gaga, is that you? Oh yes!

The singer has resurrected her androgynous alter ego, Jo Calderone, for the cover of her new "You and I" single. Would you have even guessed that's her?

We have to say, Jo is looking even less like her than the previous Lady Gaga drag photos he appeared in. You can see it's her face, but wow. Check it out:

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Review: Beyoncé's ''4''

I haven't done a music review in a while so I thought it was only appropriate that I review an album that I'm really enjoying at the moment. Beyoncé released her fourth album 4 on June 28th, worldwide and I couldn't be more in love with it.

B has gone into a completely different direction for her new album, its not like I Am...Sasha Fierce at all, almost all of the songs are love songs whether about being broken hearted or being deeply in love with your man..Beyoncé knows how to speak to a woman's heart!

The cover for 4 is of a hot as hell Beyoncé posing almost naked and looking like the hottest chick in the world, no crazy graphics just B looking amazing against her own name with the 4 on her left...probably her best cover, yet. 

1) 1+1
The first track on 4 is 1+1, which, simply put is a very touching love song. B could've named it a lot of other things seeing as she only mentions the title once on the song but its only appropriate to give this song a unique name rather than something generic. I fell in love with this song from the second I saw B perform it on American Idol and I was sure it was going to be an epic song for her, it is! One of the lyrics go ''I don't know much about guns but I know, I've been shot by you'' is sang with so much passion and depth that you can really hear the love in B's voice, its an outstanding song!

2) I Care

As I said in the beginning of this post, the majority of the album is about love..and its many forms! I Care is a beautiful song about a relationship in which the man seems to not care at all for the woman etc, its beautifully sung as always and B's emotion once again shines through. It starts of very slowly with ''I told you how you hurt me baby but you don't care, now I'm crying and deserted baby, but you don't care'' and then moves into more up tempo while remaining on the same level of emotion and general theme of the song. I love this song because its such a common feeling women everywhere have and B isn't afraid to put it out there, I Care for you B!

3) I Miss You

I Miss You is arguably one of my favourite songs on this album, she's changed the tempo from being heartbroken to missing her lover. I primarily love this song because once again Beyoncé channels so much emotion with her voice that its difficult to not get teary eyed with this song, its so slow yet powerful because the words speak so simply yet strongly. One of my favourite lyrics is '' It hurts my pride to tell you how I feel but I need to, why is that'' because its once again such a common feeling and to hear someone say it out loud can be heart wrenching. I absolutely love this song, its so heartbreaking that its hard not to!

4) Best Thing I Never Had

Now this song is already well known so it won't come as a surprise to those who haven't heard the album yet. Best Thing I Never Had is about a previous relationship in which you're glad finished before it got complicated, its definitely an anthem for women everywhere! A favourite lyric of mine is the opening ''What goes around, comes back around, my baby'', she sings it so smugly that I can't help but smile when she sings that part, I love this song and cannot wait for the music video!!

5) Party ft André 3000
B collaborated with André 3000 & Kanye West on Party even though he's not credited in the title. I would say Party is the weakest song on the album and not because its a bad song, its not, its actually a nice, chilled out song with a catchy chorus. It simply isn't to the standard of the other songs in my opinion, with that said my favourite part if the chorus in which B sings ''Cuz we like to party, ey, ey,e y''...very catchy!

6) Rather Die Young

Rather Die Young starts out slow and movies into a 70's vibe, its all about B preaching that she'd rather die young than live her life without her man. I would put this in the same league as Party, its good but its not the best on the album, there are other songs which are much better! I would happily have traded Rather Die Young and Party for two songs on the Deluxe edition of the album!

7) Start Over
I love this song because its B back to her best! Its about B realising her relationship has gone as far as it can and starting over! I would say its a lot like the beginning of the album, which is why I like it and like I've said a thousand times before, Beyoncé really goes for it as far as vocals go in this song, the emotion and lyrics are beautiful! ''Lets start over, we can't let our good love die''...

8) Love on Top

With Love on Top, B moved into a 70's vibe once again. It's a love song (obv) with a slight up tempo sound and lots of harmonies, it actually reminds me of a lot of Solange Knowles' material...Beyoncé even sounds like her sister on this track its quite strange! Its a great song, perfect for dedicating to somebody (lol) and moves slightly away from the previous ballads, '' Honey, honey, I can see the stars all the way from here..''

9) Countdown

Ahh I've been waiting for this song!! I absolutely adore Countdown, its the most up tempo song after Run the World (Girls) and of course its about L O V E! I pretty much love this song because of the spontaneity of the lyrics, its up tempo yet something you would dedicate to your lover. B counts from 10 to 1 all the things that go on between her and her man! I adore the beginning because its just B ad libbing with a very 90's vibe, my favourite part is ''Still love he talks, still love the way I sing...my girls can't tell me nothing I'm gone in the brain''...I LOVE this song, its one my absolute favourites!

10) End of Time

Before I review End of Time, let me just say, it has the sickest beat in the beginning...completely unexpected going by the title of the song! The drums are sick, damn I can't get it outta my head! End of Time is as expected, a love song yet a lot more harmonious than its preceders! One of my favourite parts is ''I'll be your baby, promise not to let you go, love you like crazy'' it has that special B touch...she's loud and proud! If anything, listen to the beginning..its amazing!

11) I Was Here

I Was Here is in my opinion, the most powerful song on the whole album. I instantly fell in love with it from the first listen and I was hungry for more, its such a beautiful ballad that I struggled to get it outta my head from the first listen! It was written by the amazing Dianne Warren who has written some of the most touching ballads ever, its very haunting and genuinely makes you think about life unlike most songs out there. I love this song from beginning to end so its difficult to chose a favourite part although I'm going with this '' I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here, I did, I've done..'' I could go on about this song all day to be honest, I think it's Beyoncé's best ballad yet, its so beautiful and inspiring! I was here...

12) Run the World (Girls)

I'm sure everyone has heard this song by now, I for one, adore this song and I'm aware that a lot of others don't but I don't care. I think its typical Beyoncé, feminist message, loud beats and crazy lyrics with an amazing music video! I'm in love with the sample of Pon de Floor and the Tofu Tofu dancing at the beginning of the video...Beyoncé looks as beautiful as ever, she gets hotter by the year seriously! Back to the song, I love it because its pretty much the only song on the album you can really dance to, its up tempo and great, ''Who run the world, GIRLS!!'', what more could you ask for?!

Take a look at the vid for yourself, and speaking of fashion, how amazing does she look in that yellow Emilio Pucci cut out dress, its heaven!!:

You didn't think we were finished did you? B also has a deluxe edition of 4, with a different cover this time (It's also the one I bought) and with 3 other songs, so naturally, we gotta review those too! Btw, I prefer the original cover but this is great too, that purple really pops!

1) Lay Up Under Me

Lay Up Under Me isn't the most stand-out track but its still catchy and appropriate as a deluxe edition track, its got the same vibe as Love On Top in my opinion, very harmonious with a 70's edge. Its definitely a great song and deserving to end up being on the album overall.

2) Schoolin' Life

Now this is better than the previous song! It's catchy, energetic and the chorus is fantastic! Its all about living life to the fullest with many examples from Ms B, I love the message in the song and the beat is pretty sick too! My favourite part is ''And I'm crazy, all day, all night. Who needs a degree when you're Schoolin  life''...amazing. 

3) Dance for You 

This is definitely the best song on the deluxe edition and probably the most explicit too! Dance for You is all about dancing & seducing your man, its very sexy Beyoncé with such sensual lyrics. I think its the most sexual song on the album overall, its very romantic & sexy but also pretty emotional because its all about loving your partner to the fullest and while I love the entire song this part ''Wanna show you how much I really care about your heart, Wanna show you how much I hate being apart'' is beautiful and touches my heart a lot. I love this song, its definitely in my top 5 for the entire album!

Overall, I think Beyoncé's album is the best of the year so far after Adele's 21. I'm in love with Britney's Femme Fatale and Gaga's Born this Way but 4 touches the heart & soul, its so much more deep and a record only an established artist could come out with. I think its the best album of Beyoncé's career so far, she's incredibly inspiring and vulnerable on this record, she's grown as a person and it shows. I love this and I recommend it hugely, 10/10 for sure! <3! 

Rihanna: Man Down

My lady Rihanna has just released the video to her new single Man Down, it was shot in Jamaica and obviously has a very Caribbean theme to it which I love!
The main point of the story is that RiRi is having a great day and then she goes to a club where this guy is all up on her and she's not really feeling it so she tells him to back off...leading to him following her out and being completely inappropriate, I'm not 100% over what supposedly goes wrong but its serious enough for her to wanna shoot him the next day, which she does! All the while RiRi is looking very sexy throughout the video with a huge mane of very long red hair...she looks fantastic and somewhat scary sometimes!

Music Obsession: Bruno Mars 'Grenade'

I've been replaying this beautiful, stunning, AMAZING song for a few days now and I still can't get enough! Bruno looks like the sexiest guy alive in this video..damn! And that voice of his melts my heart especially when it sings heartbreaking lyrics like these....


Bruno Mars ' Grenade':

Current Obsession: Like U Like

I just had to post it, I've been listening to this damn song for 2 days non-stop. I wasn't keen at first but I'm officially obsessed with it. Enjoy

Aggro Santos ft Kimberley Walsh - Like U Like

Loud: Rihanna

One of my favourite albums this year has definitely been Rihanna's 'Loud'. It's a short and sweet album with only 11 songs on it but I must say they are all fantastic and extremely catchy although there is one song I'm not too crazy about.

And can I just say, the album's cover is absolutely stunning..by far my favourite of Rihanna's. The red hair and lips play off each other beautifully. 

Song Ratings:

1) S&M: Two words describes S&M and they are 'dirty & playful' the first because of the fact that she sings 'Sex in the air I don't care I love the smell of it' and the latter because ' Sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me..' now, I love Rihanna and I'm all for women being sexy and mouthy on their songs so this song is perfect for me, I would go as far as saying it's one of the best. And it's also set to be the third single so I can't wait for the video! 5/5

2) What's My Name? ft Drake: This song is just genius, that's all I can say! I mean it has an amazing chorus and Drake (who I love!), what more could you ask for? I like the video for it a lot and every time she sings 'Hey boy I really wanna see if you can go down town with a girl like me' I just want to get up and dance!! I think it's my favourite song on the album but I can't say for sure because I'm in love with all of them...it's so hard! 5/5!  

3) Cheers (Drink To That): Another fantastic addition to Loud, it's fun, catchy and would make a successful single. Avril Lavigne's sample on the song is brilliant and Rihanna's voice is perfect for the song, she brings out her Caribbean roots a little which adds even more flavour. A definite stand out track. 4/5

4) Fading: I absolutely adore this song, it's playful but also slightly serious at the same time. She's singing it in a fun way but the lyrics are basically about getting out of a relationship where you don't feel appreciated or loved. Very very nice song and I think it would make a great single! 5/5

5) Only Girl (In The World): The lead single from Loud and it certainly deserved the huge success it received . It's a complete contrast to the previous Rated R which was full of darkness and without a glimpse of happiness. The video for the song is my favourite of Rihanna's so far..it's absolutely beautiful, all the colours, the flower theme is genius and Rihanna's hair (lol) was made for a video like that, I think the video is so great it deserves some kind of award! The song is fantastic and extremely catchy, it'll have you singing in 'Want you to make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world' in full voice in no time! 5/5

6) California King Bed: I admit at first I was like 'What on earth is she singing about a damn California King Bed?' but once you hear the song in full you understand what she's singing about. It's actually a really gentle and nice change to the other up beat songs on Loud, you hear Rihanna just sing and she makes you believe in the song which is what a signer should be able to do. A lovely song about a relationship falling apart and the two people just simply growing apart. 4/5 

7) Man Down: Another one of my favourites, it took me a few listens to really appreciate it but Rihanna's strong Caribbean accent and the amazing beat make it a track you don't wanna miss out on listening. The lyrics on the other hand are quite serious and out there...she is singing about having shot her ex boyfriend because of his infidelities but she shows that she's sorry LOL and I honestly can't help but sing a long everytime I hear it. Despite the meaning of the song it is extremely catchy ladies..and gentlemen! 5/5

8) Raining Men ft Nicki Minaj: This song definitely takes a few listens before you can call it your favourite or just simply a good song. I wasn't too sure of it in the beginning and I was a little dissapointed because it features one of my favourite artists Nicki Minaj but after a while I could definitely call it a nice song and I sure as hell sing a long to it now it just took a while. It's not the best but it's also not the worst, it's worth a listen at least. 3.5/5

9) Complicated: For me this is probably the song in which Rihanna gets to really show off her voice, I was pleasantly surprised to hear her sing so powerfully, props to her! It's a fantastic song that plenty of people can relate to, it's about a relationship of course and how the guy is ridiculously complicated but..that's normal right? Lol. It's a song for everyone and very memorable! I think most people would enjoy it. 5/5

10) Skin: I couldn't wait to review this song because I'm in love with it, it's just incredible..I can't even describe it! It starts of very slowly, it's a calm song but with a lot of sexiness. She's singing about just being in her skin and whatnot but just around the middle the calm beginning just blends beautifully with a slightly more up tempo finish. A real stand out and probably my favourite on the album! 5/5! 

11) Love The Way You Lie (Part II) ft Eminem: Now...I love the original Love The Way You Lie and I expected to love this version too, unfortunately I'm not too keen on it. I don't know if it's Rihanna's first verse or that the lyrics differ from the original but I don't think Part II should've been made if I'm honest. It's one of those songs that you can't make a Part II to because it's so hard to top. Don't get me wrong it's not terrible but it's not fantastic either, the weakest song on the album for me. 3/5

A fantastic album overall and probably the best of Rihanna's best of her career so far, she's become quite the song maestro and it definitely shows. She has the ability to make beautiful songs and even better albums. She's just become a fantastic artist! 

More album/music posts to come! 

x

Music of the Moment: Pink Friday by Nicki Minaj

Music is something I couldn't possibly live without and I'm going to promise to regularly blog about it, whether it's old albums or new songs etc..it'll be here.

One particular album I love right now is Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday. Yes, I'm a rap fan and yes Nicki is hardcore with her lyrics but, that's why I love her!
She's a breath of fresh air and my music obsession at the moment!

Her album is definitely not for the faint hearted, some of the things she says are pretty filthy but for me, it's not a problem, I can handle swearing cuz I swear a lot myself (although, I'm on my best behaviour here). A few of the songs suprisingly are about love/lust and there are moments where Nicki seems vulnerable and like any other young woman, Save Me is a good example!

I don't have time to do a full review right now because it's almost 3am and I have to be up at around 7:30 (shitttttt!) so maybe another time!

But, check Nicki's album out for sure!