7 Songs You Should Listen To Pt.7

Hello and welcome to another instalment of what I personally think is the best series in this blog. Before I start, I thought I would just say sorry for the lateness of this post as I have had quite a bit of school work to catch up on. Anyways, today I will be sharing seven more songs that I have been loving in the hope that you will too so if you happen to like these as much as I do, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Childish Gambino - Redbone
To start off I thought I would share an artist that was featured in the very first episode of this series. Childish Gambino's new album comes out next Friday (there will be a review on it) and the song "Redbone" was a little sneak-peak into what the record will be like. If you ask me, the song is amazing because it is just extremely tranquil. Whenever I do any artwork (at school or at home), this song is a saviour as it just puts you in such a relaxed state of mind which I think makes you focus a lot more! If you haven't yet, listen to the song and hopefully you'll be as excited for his album as I am.

Little Mix - Power
Next up we have the four girls that are tearing up the music industry at the moment! Little Mix's latest offering "Glory Days" has just debuted at number one, officially making them the most successful British girlband since the Spice Girls and they have just sold-out a massive UK arena tour (which I am going to). The song "Power" from the album is ironically so empowering and it really proves that each of the four girls can really sing. With an infectious beat accompanying it, this song is almost perfect and I can imagine it being a big hit if Little Mix decide to release it as a single in the future. Please check out the song below as I would be surprised if you did not like it.

John Legend Ft. Chance The Rapper - Penthouse Floor

When John Legend released his album for pre-order, this track came along with it and honestly, from this song and "Love Me Now" which was featured in a post before, his next album could be as good as his first album "Get Lifted" which is one of my favourite albums of all time. A lot like "Redbone", this song is very relaxing and tranquil which I think are great factors of a track. The song is also one that makes you want to singalong, something that I also love about a song. If the rest of his upcoming album is as good as this, we could be in for a massive treat (I would probably love it whatever the songs are like though)!

Bruno Mars - Chunky

As mentioned in my previous post, the next song in this post is Bruno Mars' "Chunky". The reason why I love this song so much is because it just simply makes you want to get up and dance, in fact, this is a reoccurring thing throughout the album. In my opinion, "Chunky" is a little cheeky and very honest which is always a necessity in music nowadays. I bet if I ever saw the song live, it would be like a party, showing so much charisma and positive energy. If you haven't already, give the song a listen below as you will one-hundered percent not regret it!

Thirdstory Ft. Pusha T - G Train

I had been recommended Thirdstory and their YouTube videos by multiple people before but I always forgot to check them out until one day when Spotify added this exact song to my "Discover Weekly" playlist and now I must say, I am in love with the three boys. This song seems very honest and heartfelt and when it's accompanied by several insane harmonies, it becomes pretty heard to fault the song. I also think that Pusha T's rap verse works well with the song as it adds that extra dynamic to a song that was already unbelievable. Please check out this track whenever you can, it's amazing!

Alicia Keys - Pawn It All

I personally think that Alicia Keys' latest album "Here" is one of the best released this year as it is so independent and pleasing to your ears. In particular, "Pawn It All" is my favourite track on the record as not only is it extremely catchy, its different to anything else in today's music industry. The song, and the whole album in fact, is extremely raw and you can really sense the emotion put into it. I am overjoyed that Alicia Keys has made a comeback in music as she used to be (and still is) one of my favourite artists as she just always does what she feels is right, not altering what others think. Please have a listen down below as I feel it is helping bringing the 'roots' of R&B music back!

James Arthur - Sober

Lastly we have James Arthur who I now regard as 'the comeback king' after getting dropped from his record label due to mental health issues a couple of years ago. James just keeps getting stronger and stronger as an artist and his album "Back From The Edge" has now established itself as one of my favourites. "Sober" is actually an undeniably great song as it is honest and it showcases all of the amazing and unique vocals that James Arthur is capable of. Out of all of the songs on this post, this one has to be my favourite as everytime I listen to it, I cant help but sing along to it. This is really worth a listen if you ask me...

So I hoped you enjoyed this "7 Songs You Should Listen To" post, expect more of these every fortnight as the are such fun to create and evolve into what I want.

Album Review : 24k Magic by Bruno Mars

Hello and welcome to today's post which is a little different to my normal material on this blog. In this post I am going to be reviewing Bruno Mars' new album called 24k Magic with (some of) the songs attached. Let me know if you enjoy as I will try and do this on many more anticipated albums.

Track 1 = 24k Magic
The lead single of the album of the same name, "24k Magic" has already has commercial success prior to the album's release date, notching up over 137 million views online as well as charting at number three in the UK chart. I am a big fan of this song as it just makes you want to get up and dance. Also, the song is rather unique as it features a bit of rapping which I am not used to hearing when listening to Bruno Mars (this is quite an ongoing theme throughout the album) but I definitely like it as it is fresh and different to his past two albums. Have a listen to the track below...

Track 2 = Chunky

"Chunky" is probably one of my favourite songs from the album as it, just like the first song, makes you want to dance which I love. The difference with this song is that it focuses on Bruno's voice which is then accompanied by an extremely infectious beat. Another subtle feature that I love is how you can distinguish the backing singers' vocals in the whole song as it makes it feel like some sort of old Motown song! Expect this song in my next "7 Songs You should Listen To' post as it is certainly one of my favourites (for that reason I am also not attaching the audio to this post).

Track 3 = Perm

The song "Perm" is a good one because it is a little cheeky and shows a lot of personality. This song is also like "24k Magic" in the sense that it focuses on rap but it is still clearly different to the track. One reason why I think this song is great is because it just simply makes you want to party and dance with the funky beat and tune. If you listen to the song which is attached below you will completely understand what i mean.

Track 4 = That's What I Like
Alongside "Chunky", I have to say that this track is one of my favourites on the album. I like this song because it is has a slower tempo when in comparison with the last three songs but the song is very relaxing. Whenever I'm doing homework, this song is one of the ones I have to play as it just makes me feel tranquil and therefore focus on it. The singers vocals on this song are also incredible and I can imagine if this song was performed live, it would be absolutely amazing!

Track 5 = Versace On The Floor
You may have heard this song in my previous "7 Songs You Should Listen To" post and I still love this song just as much. The track just makes me want to sing-along and it has actually now become one of my shower songs that I am always singing. This song is just so emotional and heartfelt which you can really sense when listening. Also, out of all of the album's tracklist, Bruno's vocals are definitely the best in this song as he has great falsetto as well as melisma and vibrato. Have a listen down below if you haven't already...

Track 6 = Straight Up & Down

Just like "That's What I Like", "Straight Up & Down" is very tranquil and would definitely make me focus. The lyrics are quite quirky which is a nice factor and the instrumental weirdly reminds me of Billy Ocean's "When The Going Get's Tough (The Tough Get's Going)". Similarly to some other songs on the record, the backing singer's vocals are unbelievable which I think is incredible throughout the album. This song is a good one and you should really listen to it.

Track 7 = Calling All My Lovelies

If I had to chose one, I would probably have to say this is my least favourite song on the album. There is nothing bad about it at all but i just think it lacks something unique which every other song has. On the other hand, the song's chorus is quite catchy with phenomenal falsetto but other than that, not much really excites me about this track. Please do give it a listen though as you may differ to me.

Track 8 = Finesse

Yet another song that I love from the album is "Finesse". The reason that I love this song is because you can really tell that it focuses on Bruno's solo vocals rather than those of his backing singers (which are still included in the song). This also means that his vocals are great throughout the track which has an extremely catchy chorus, something which is always needed in a song. The only bad thing about this song is the fact that i cannot attach it to this post due to copyright; make sure you check it out though!

Track 9 = Too Good To Say Goodbye

Last but not least, we have "Too Good To Say Goodbye" which is lovely because it is simply Bruno Mars and his piano accompanied by a subtle beat. Out of all of the songs on the album, this song really showcases what vocals the Hawaiian singer is capable of. You may say this song is one of the low-tempo songs on the record but that certainly does not mean it is one of the worst (I would have to say it is one of my favourites). For me the song reminds me heavily of the Motown era and it almost feels like I already know the backing track. You honestly need to listen to this song as I know you will love it.

Overall I think the album is incredible and actually one of the best released so far this year. The reason why I love it is that it constantly reminds me of Motown which if you didn't know is my favourite style of music. I would strongly recommend you buy this album as you will not regret, I preordered the album on vinyl and I am utterly in love with it. 

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this post as i certainly did. Let me know if you want more album reviews like this as it was great fun to create.

Artist Showcase : Sarah Close

Hello and welcome to the second post of my "Artist Showcase" series on this blog. Today I thought I would cover someone that I have loved for an extremely long time and i hope you will to; her name is Sarah Close!

Sarah Close (born in the Isle Of Wight) is a YouTuber who uploads two covers to her channel every week and her delicate powerful voice is literally captivating! I started to watch her about three/four years ago back when she only had around 3000 subscribers and to think nowadays she has around 650000, her popularity has risen rapidly. I have to say she is by far my favourite YouTuber as her videos always make my day and put me in a happy mood, something which not just any video can do! Sarah specialises in putting her own twist on either current chart songs or throwback songs of hers and no matter what the style of music, her voice makes the song beautiful.

If you've read some of my previous posts, you'll know that I recently talked about Lady Gaga's "Million Reasons" and how emotional the song is. The reason why I fell in love with that song is by hearing Sarah Close's cover of it which is actually incredible, making it probably one of my favourites of hers. When I first heard the cover, I found it exceptional how she put so much thought, care and sorrow into a ballad that wasn't even her own. Also, throughout the song, Sarah hits some incredible notes whilst showcasing what in my eyes are some of the best vocals around nowadays. Since hearing her cover of the song, I have fallen in love with the original which I have added to my playlist and cannot stop listening to. Please listen to the cover below to understand what I mean when I emphasise how captivating it is!

Another favourite of her covers has to be her cover of Tove Lo's "Talking Body". The reason why I love this cover so much is because her vocals are on another level in this song, making me wanna (try and) sing along as well as the song is already a super catchy one. Also, the song seems completely different when Sarah covers it which is quite peculiar as she is singing the exact same lyrics to the exact same chords but it works and it makes it feel like an original. Just like "Million Reasons", the cover made me add "Talking Body" to my playlist and for a while, it was certainly one of my top songs. For some reason, Sarah Close seems to have this effect on me where whatever she covers turns to gold and I immediately love it, I'm defiantly not complaining though! Have a listen down below and see if you think the same as me...

Even though she may have 650000 subscribers on YouTube, Sarah definitely deserves more as she is such an amazing and beautiful artist. Whenever you can, please make sure to subscribe or even just watch her videos (I promise you their highly contagious). Sarah has such a unique and underrated voice that really needs to be appreciated more, please do whatever you can do!

I hope you enjoyed this showcase on one of my favourite people Sarah Close. I've got a lot more of these posts planned for the future so if you enjoy them, get excited!

Upcoming Adventures

In todays post i thought i would do something fairly different and inform you all on some upcoming adventures in my life. These are all things that i am either excited or nervous for but i hope you enjoy them all.

Firstly, in February next year, i am going on an adventure to Disneyland Paris with my mum. I am over the moon that i am going as it has been a childhood dream of mine. I just love how theres such an element of fantasy and surprise in the two parks. I am also a huge thrill-seeker and the park has an immense amount of rides to attract me. I cannot wait to take photos as well as the atmosphere is incredible and like no there place (an exciting blogpost is to come as well, only a couple of months).

Next we have something that i am both excited and nervous for! Just like Disneyland, in February next year, i am performing in "The Magic Of The Musicals" in my school. The production is based around the evolution of musicals through time and features performances from musicals such as Les Miserable and Bugsy Malone. As well as performing in many group performances, i have managed to get two solos in the production. Firstly, i have a short solo in the song "Alexander Hamilton" from the musical "Hamilton". Out of the two, this is probably the one i am most nervous about as my verse transitions from singing to rapping which is a little out of my comfort zone. Secondly, i am singing the song "I Want It All" by Queen from the musical "We Will Rock You". I am feeling much more comfortable about this song as it suits my voice a lot more, although i am over the moon that i have the chance to do two solos in the production. I am currently doing rehearsals after school and even though I'm a little nervous (I've never done anything line this before), the excitement overrules that.

Penultimately we have something that will pretty much decide my future which obviously means i am very nervous about it. In about eighteen months i will be doing my GCSE's and i am quite unsettled about it. I feel fairly confident in subjects that (i think) I'm best at like Maths and Music but i am quite nervous about subjects like English and Italian as i find it a lot harder to revise! I actually recently switched from History to Geography as it was too hard and way too much writing for me; i feel like it was a good decision though as i think overall i am better at Geography as it is more academic and practical, something that i am better at. If i ever miss anymore blogposts in the future, the reason will most probably be regarding this as my education is most important to me. If you have any revision hints or tips, please fill me in via the comments below...

Lastly, we have my favourite and the excuse for what all of my money is spent on, concerts! I have a whopping seven concerts coming up and i cannot wait to attend them and report about it on here! My first upcoming concert is Jess Glynne which i am super excited for as it is only in two weeks. A week after that i have the Jingle Bell Ball which you know i love as i wrote a blogpost about last year's bash not so long ago. At this years event theres people such as Years & Years, James Arthur, Martin Garrix and my personal favourite, Shawn Mendes! After that my next concerts are not until march where it just so happens that i have two in the space of a week. The first is Us The Duo which are an amazing duo who do covers on YouTube all the time (you should check them out) and then afterwards i am going to the X Factor Live Tour which i have been to for nine years straight! Then in June i have Shawn Mendes which i know will be incredible. Later that month, although i don't particularly like him, i am seeing Robbie Williams with my mum at the London Stadium. It is one of the first concerts at the stadium so it will be a fun and new experience. Finally, last but not least i have my fave four girls Little Mix with their "Glory Days Tour" which i cannot wait for as what I've heard of their album so far is amazing!

So i hoped you enjoyed this post regarding what exciting events i have coming up. These are all gonna be amazing and they should probably all be reported on my blog. Once i have a few more things to do, expect more like this as it was a fun post to write.

7 Songs You Should Listen To Pt.6

In todays post i am suggesting even more songs that you should listen to. In the past two weeks i have been loving these songs so i hope you do too! Also, i have decided to attach the music (whenever i can) to these posts as it would make it a lot easier. I hope you enjoy!

Stevie Wonder & Ariana Grande - Faith

As you probably already know, i am a massive fan of both Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande so when i found out that they were releasing a song for the upcoming movie "Sing", i was overjoyed! The two voices are quite different but they compliment each other perfectly in this song. The song is also really catchy and 'feel-good' which is another reason why i love it. If you have the time, give this a listen down below as the song is quite gospel which i love as a genre as it, in my opinion, really showcases the artists vocals, something which it especially does in this song.

Bruno Mars - Versace On The Floor

If you read my second-to-last post, you will know that Bruno Mars is one of the few people that i really want to see live (that i haven't seen before) and this song just solidifies that opinion incredibly. The song "Versace On The Floor" is mind-blowing and is 100 percent the best in this post. I just love the song as it is so heartfelt and also quite cheeky in a subtle way! The song is also written and produced entirely by Bruno Mars which i find amazing as only a short amount of people have the capable skills to do so. If you have been living under a rock and have never listened to Bruno Mars before, please do so, just make sure you listen to this song down below first!

Alessia Cara - How Far I'll Go

Next we've got another song from an upcoming movie, this time its from the Disney film "Moana" and its by one of my favourite artists at the moment, Alessia Cara! You may already know that i have loved Alessia Cara and her 'husky' voice since she released her first single and this song definitely does not disappoint. The song is very laid-back compared to her other songs but it also very catchy which is important within a song. I cannot wait for this film to come out as i am a big Disney fan but also to hear this song within it! The song is honestly great and i recommend you listen to it below.

Lady Gaga - Million Reasons

This next song is by an artist who I'm not particularly a fan of but i fell in love with the song after hearing a YouTuber called Sarah Close cover it (a blogpost regarding her will be up next week). I have now added the song to my playlist and it happens to be one of my favourites. You can tell that the song is rather emotional and honest by just hearing the first few lines but i really pulls you in and you feel almost connected to the song! Im going to attach the Sarah Close version that i fell in love with below in the hope that you do to and after that, please go and check out the original.

James Arthur - I Am

Ever since he was on X Factor, i have always liked James Arthur as he was never afraid to be truthful in his music and after what seemed to be a downward spiral, he brought it back with his latest album "Back From The Edge" which actually debuted at number one. My favourite track from the album has to be "I Am" as it is so aggressive and powerful. The song is almost captivating and i have to say, after "Versace On The Floor", this has to be my favourite song on this chart. I am also very excited as i got tickets to this years Jingle Bell Ball which James is performing at, fingers crossed he sings this song; go listen to it below.

Drake - Fake Love

Since the release of his album "Views", my love for Drake has grown rapidly as every song on that album is incredible, not needing me to skip any songs! After his immense success, i was so happy to find out that Drake was immediately returning to the music scene with this song as it is one of his best in my opinion. The song just makes you want to dance and sing along which is amazing considering its from a rap artist. In the space of about two weeks, i know nearly all of the words to this song and i expect it will be one of my favourites for a very long time. I personally think, at this present time, Drake is the best rapper! Sadly, this song cannot be attached to the post but i promise it is worth using your spare time to check it out.

Little Mix - F.U.

Little Mix are perhaps one of my favourite artists at the moment as they show such versatility in their music. The song "F.U." (a subtle swearing reference the girls are hiding from their young audience) is from their upcoming album "Glory Days" and it is phenomenal. The song sounds incredibly different to their other material as it is very jazzy, a new direction which i like for the girls! I have to admit, at first, i thought it couldn't be them as it sounds so different and i guess you would have the same reaction too. The song is very catchy and i love singing along to it! I also cannot wait to hear it live next year when i see the four girls on tour which i know will be amazing! Anyways, please go and listen to this song down below (it is sadly pitched higher due to YouTube's copyright) as i know you won't regret it.

So i hoped you enjoyed these seven songs as much as i do. As I've said before, this is one of my favourite posts to write so expect more in the future :)

Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball ~ 06/12/15

For today's post I'm gonna have a little throwback to last year when i went to Jingle Bell Ball in London. The reason for this is because this week, the lineup announcements for this year's bash are happening and knowing me, i will most likely be going again this year. These concerts organised by Capital FM are always amazing so i hope you enjoy this post!

When we got to the O2, we immediately fell in love with the electric atmosphere that is always there, with everyone just living in the moment and just being excited for the gig. As soon as we got in there though, we saw that there was a competition to go backstage and being the concert lover that i am, i had to enter it. A couple of hours past and we were entering the arena when my sister got a phone call; it turned out we won the backstage pass! This was incredible for me as i had been to so many concerts but never seen behind the scenes.

When we started our tour, i was in my element! I got to see the production, the radio stations and my personal favourite, the dressing rooms! It was so surreal walking past so many rooms with famous celebrities inside. As you know, i love Little Mix so to walk past their dressing room, with them all inside, was overwhelming for me. Whilst on the tour, i also got to meet Roman Kemp, a radio presenter who was honestly one of the nicest people i have ever met. I must've spent 10-15 minutes chatting to him about the concert and what music i like. He is such a nice person and I'm so grateful i got to spend some time with him!

After the backstage tour (which was unbelievable) it was time to head back into the arena before the concert started. The opening act was none other than Little Mix and their six-song set was amazing. The four girls are always great live and i will happily see them whenever; they did not disappoint! Little mix always do incredible dance sequences alongside great vocals. I also managed to get some really good photos, something which is really hard when there is multiple people, including this one to your left...

As the concert progressed, more and more acts came on stage. These acts included Ellie Goulding, Calvin Harris, The Vamps and Nick Jonas, who is pictured to your right. Although none of these acts were bad, they weren't exactly phenomenal and i probably wouldn't see them in their own show. If i had to choose one of these as my favourite though, it would have to be Ellie Goulding as she did sing all of the hits whilst getting the crowd excited, being a top performer! My favourite song of hers had to be "Starry Eyed" as it reminded me of how in love i was with the song when it came out about five years ago!

After all of the acts i mentioned performed, it meant there was only one person left. That person was none other than every teenage girl's favourite, Justin Bieber. Even though i do not particularly like him that much, i have to say he put on a good show, debuting loads of new music. My favourite song had to be "Love Yourself" as i just find that song tranquil, also i managed to capture the photo to your left which is my favourite photo that i have ever taken. I love it because it shows him loving what he does whilst his fans do the exact same!

So i hope you enjoyed this little throwback blogpost. The concert was great and i can't wait to hopefully go to the next one next month which there will definitely be a review on this blog for!

The People I Want To See Live

Before i start this post, i just thought i would apologise for not uploading on Monday. As you might have guessed, i was very busy at school with homework and simply couldn't fit it in; my education is my main priority and will sadly always come before this blog. Anyways, this post is on five artists (which i haven't seen live before) that i want to see live. In my opinion, all of these artists are incredible and hopefully one day i will have the honour of attending one of their gigs.

Selena Gomez

I have been a fan of Selena Gomez since she was on "Wizards Of Waverly Place" and i have grown up either watching or listening to her. In my opinion, her latest offering "Revival" is amazing and it has completely renovated her as an artist as well as other peoples views of her! The album is less pop than her others and has gone down an alternative route which i think suits Selena perfectly. I was actually meant to be seeing Selena Gomez in concert TODAY but sadly a couple of months ago it was cancelled due to the singers struggle with Lupus and depression. Anyhow, i would still love to see her in the future as i think she would put on a great show and i know i would be singing along to all of the songs!

Alessia Cara

This next artist is fairly new but as you know from my previous posts, i have loved Alessia Cara for a long time! From her first single "Here" i was addicted to her music and i think that her album "Know It All" is one of the best albums released so far this year. If you haven't already, listen to her music as it is phenomenal! The reason why i would want to see Alessia Cara live is because she is so unique and different compared to every artist out there at the moment and i feel like her show would be extremely different and one that i would never forget. Also, every single song that is on her album i love so i definitely wouldn't be needing to learn the lyrics beforehand which i do for some other concerts.

Bruno Mars

Ever since his first album (Doo-Wops and Hooligans) came out which must have been about five years ago, i have loved Bruno Mars! I just think he is such a great performer with an amazing voice and you can always see that he loves what he does. In particular, i love his first album and also his new songs like "24k Magic" and "Versace On The Floor"; i cannot wait for the release of his next album and 'hopefully' a tour! If Bruno Mars gets a tour out soon, i will definitely be attending as i know he will put on one of the best shows i will ever see, performing all of his new album (which i bet i'll love) whilst also sampling some old favourites from his previous two albums!

Demi Lovato
Like Selena Gomez, i have grown up either listening to or watching Demi Lovato and i cannot emphasise enough how good her voice is! A lot of people presume that she isn't a good singer just because she was on Disney Channel but all of her latest album "Confident" is incredible. My favourite on the album is "Stone Cold" as it really showcases her vocal range and it would be unbelievable live! The only reason why i have never seen Demi on tour before is the fact that she never tours in the UK, if she did i would probably go to every local show! If Demi Lovato ever brings out UK tour dates, i will 100% be going.

Frank Ocean
Last but certainly not least, i would probably cry if i ever saw Frank Ocean live! Both of this albums are some of my favourites of all time and i literally know the words to every single song. Personally, I just find Frank Ocean's voice so soothing and relaxing and a concert of his would be so special and unique. Sadly, Frank is very mysterious and it is a massive rarity for him to do a show, especially in the UK. If Frank Ocean ever released some tour dates, (after probably crying with happiness) i would have to buy the tickets, no matter what the price was! His concert would be one of the best i have ever been to, nearly even equalling Beyonce, as his show would be electrifying yet tranquil, like no other show!

So i hope you enjoyed this post regarding some of the artists that i haven't seen in concert and why i would like to see them. There are plenty of other artists i would like to see live so let me know if you would like a sequel to this post.