Hello and welcome to another blogpost. Today i will be reviewing my time at Bruno Mars' concert earlier this month which was probably one of the best concerts I have ever been to (excluding Beyonce of course). One slight problem for this post was at this concert I decided to not take as many photos in order to enjoy the concert more which means some of the photos in this post may not be mine. With that being said, lets carry on with the post!
Just like many other concerts that I have reviewed on this blog, the event was at The O2 which you all know I love. The venue has such an amazing atmosphere and no matter where you sit (even near the very top which was where I was sat), if you're listening to good music, you can't possibly not enjoy a gig there! The stage was also unlike any other that I had seen before, transforming throughout Bruno's electrifying set meaning I simply cannot show you some photos, even if they weren't taken by me.
Next up, we have the support act : Anderson Paak. For the first time in what seems like forever, I actually knew who the support act was and I enjoyed his music (as you would've been able to tell if you have been reading since my "7 Songs You Should Listen To" series that he was featured him); if I am being honest, he certainly did not disappoint! He got the crowd jumping along and he performed some of my personal favourite's of his such as "Put Me Thru" and "Come Down". Here are some pictures to show just how great the performer was.
After taking in the beautiful stage and enjoying Anderson Paak's rapping, it was time for the main event which I was so thoroughly excited for as I had actually never seen Bruno Mars before. The second he came on stage, I was immediately filled with happiness! Bruno and his band were such incredible entertainers throughout the whole show, getting everyone dancing and singing along whilst they were on stage. I don't think anyone in the entire arena was not having fun which was the exact reason why I put my camera away, to take in all of this unbelievable atmosphere. However, I did manage to take one photo which I thought was worthy of my blog (to your right).
Bruno Mars sang the perfect ratio of new and old songs on his tour, performing the majority of his "24k Magic" album (which is the second most-viewed post on my blog by the way) as well as several old favourites such as "Grenade" and "Runaway Baby". My favourite of his performances though has to be "Marry You" as not only is it one of my favourite songs of his, this song, if I had to choose one out of all of the songs, was the one that really got everyone dancing along. The track is also such a happy one so when Bruno performed it, everyone's moods were suddenly lifted!
Overall, the concert was so incredible that I was left speechless! If you had to ask me to rank all of the concerts that I have been to in the past, I would probably rank this one in the top five as everything about it was just extraordinary. If you are ever lucky enough to get the chance to see Bruno Mars or attend a concert at The O2, you should definitely do so as everything about both of them is so unique and individual.
Song Of The Week :
This week's "Song Of The Week" is one that I have only listened to a few times as it came out yesterday but I fell in love with the track as soon as I heard it; that song is "Young And Menace" by Fall Out Boy. Although I do not listen to a lot of other artists like Fall Out Boy, I have been a fan of them for quite a while now and I love how this song is so diverse in comparison to their other material, and in fact, anything I have ever heard before! This track is so moody yet energetic and I really feel you guys need to listen to it as soon as possible.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this post regarding my time seeing Bruno Mars live. Next week I will be doing a rather different post about my GCSE's and how i'm going to conquer them in the hope that it will help one of you guys.
Hello and welcome to a post similar to my "Album Review" posts, yet today I will be reviewing two EP's in one big blogpost for you all. First of all, I will being reviewing Sonny's debut release "Hopeless Romance" which came out about a month ago. A soon as I heard Sonny, I fell in love with him and his soulful voice as if I was an artist, I think I would release music just like his! Anyways, lets start with the review.
Track 1 = Princess
"Princess" was the first song that Sonny ever released and as soon as I heard it, I knew I had to mention it on this blog (featuring it as one of my "Songs Of The Week"). I just love how smooth his vocals are throughout the entire track; the lyrics are also ones that will get stuck in your head for days. Whenever I listen, this song always manages to put me in a good mood and I honestly cannot praise it enough! This utterly incredible track could even be my favourite of 2017!
Track 2 = Wage A War
Another track that I cannot praise enough is "Wage A War"! This song shows off the insane vocals that the artist can convey and is yet again undeniably catchy. This song may be a little slower but it still manages to get me listening and singing to it on repeat and some of the high notes that are reached are notes that any male singer would desire! In addition to "Princess", "Wage A War" is a song that I have been loving this year and a song that I hope you will love too.
Track 3 = Two To Tango
The third song on this extended-play is a lot more upbeat than the others but once again, I absolutely love it. What makes this song unique is the fusion of rock and soul music which I have never really heard before. Also, if you didn't know, Sonny plays the guitar and in this track, it is honestly incredible and rather distinctive. I love this song and I bet as soon as you hear it, you will too!
Track 4 = Since We've Begun
The penultimate song on the EP is certainly the most 'stripped-back' song on the EP but I can promise you it is still very catchy! Out of all of the songs, "Since We've Begun" is definitely the song that shows the vocals that Sonny is capable of, reaching some crazy high notes and featuring some soothing ad-libs. After three fairly upbeat songs, its lovely to have a slower song to 'chill out' to which I feel only adds to how great it is. You need to give this a listen!
Track 5 = Jodie
Lastly, "Jodie" is yet another great track. If I had to pick one, this would probably be my least favourite though, not because its bad, just because I love the other four songs so much. Anyways, the track is so soulful which contributes to why I love it so much and also, it features some great falsetto which I don't feel you get to hear in any other song on the extended-play. After listening to all of the other songs, still give this song a listen as it is definitely a great song!
Overall, I cannot praise this EP enough as it is so soulful, so catchy and utterly amazing! Its not often that you come across a (fairly unknown) artist that you love so much and aspire to be like; Sonny is that person for me. Even though I may not have been able to attach the songs for this EP (which I will be able to do for Sarah Close's "Caught Up EP"), you can trust me when I say it is one of the best EP's I have listened to for a long time so please check it out whenever you can!
Anyways, next up is Sarah Close who I have been subscribed to on YouTube since she had 3000 subscribers. She now has over 750,000 subscribers and she has just released her "Caught Up EP" which is the first ever original music that she has released. Lets proceed with the review...
Track 1 = Call Me Out
Just like Sonny's "Princess", I fell in love with "Call Me Out" as soon as I heard it so I had to mention it as my "Song Of The Week" a few weeks ago. The chorus is so catchy and every time I listen to it, I can't not sing or hum along to it. My favourite section of the song has to be either the bridge or the middle 8 though as it features some absolutely unbelievable notes that I wish i'd be able to hit. "Call Me Out" is a song that I thoroughly recommend you listen to as it is bound to get you singing and dancing along; it's lyrics are so infectious that I have been singing them on repeat for weeks.
Track 2 = Caught Up
The next track on the EP is my favourite of the four as, even though it might not be the most vocally ambitious song, it is so catchy and I cannot stop singing along! The song bizarrely reminds me of Lily Allen as I feel like Sarah's vocals are similar to her's in this track. In addition, I also love how Sarah has converted a pretty serious situation into what seems like a fun one buy making her lyrics so funny and relatable. "Caught Up" is yet another song that I feel could be my favourite song of 2017 so please give it the respect it deserves and listen to it below...
Track 3 = Perfect After All
This next song is different to any other song that I have ever heard in my entire life! Sarah has purposely used loads of autotune to create a sound unlike any other and even though it may be only just over a minute long, you cannot deny that this is an innovative song. I know this is the type of song that will have mixed opinions but personally, I like the song as it is so different! Listen to the song below and tell me what you think about it.
Track 4 = Maestro
The last song on the EP is one that I feel really tells a story. When Sarah was asked about the song, she said she simply wrote it looking at random people but loved it so much she had to put it on the EP! Once again, I love how different this song is to anything else I've heard before as even though it's chorus may have been replaced, it still manages to be extremely catchy. You really need to give this song a listen as it features some great vocals and is just so different to anything else I have heard!
Overall, what I love most about the EP is the fact that it has so much variety between four songs and is different to anything else I've heard. Also, the four songs may sound completely different but I love all of them so much! Sarah has really outdone herself with this EP as it compliments her voice and her personality. My musical taste is so varied as both Sarah's and Sonny's EP's are so incredible and I cannot stop singing along to either of them. With that being said, let's look at where they rank in comparison to all of the other albums that I have reviewed...
1. Kehlani - SweetSexySavage
2. Bruno Mars - 24k Magic
3. Sonny - Hopeless Romantic EP
4. Sarah Close - Caught Up EP
5. Ed Sheeran - Divide
6. John Legend - Love & Darkness
7. Childish Gambino - Awaken My Love
Song Of The Week :
This week's "Song Of The Week" is a song that I cannot stop singing along to; that song is "Lions And Tigers And Bears" by Amber Riley. The song is from Todrick Hall's "Straight Outta Oz" album and Amber's vocals are literally flawless! I have been a massive fan of her's for a long time so as soon as I heard that she would release new music, I already knew that I would fall in love with it. The track has such a strong message embedded within its lyrics which I feel like everyone can relate to so overall, I just think that this is an unbelievable track. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this fairly long post reviewing two EP's that I have not been able to stop listening to recently. Next week I will be reviewing my time at Bruno Mars' "24k Magic World Tour" which I hope you all are excited for!
Hello and welcome to yet another blogpost. Today I am going to be talking about some of the most unique concerts that I have ever been to; this can be due to the venue, the arrangement or etc. Lets get on with it!
Us The Duo's "Just Love" Tour @ Bush Hall
To start off this blogpost, I thought I would mention the most recent concert that I went to and the most recent review on my blog; there were many reasons as to why it was so unique! Firstly, the venue was absolutely beautiful with massive glass chandeliers scattered across the ceilings and love decor encrusted into all of the walls but what was also unique, was the show in general. Us The Duo are such a unique band and they didn't feature any backing tracks throughout the entirety of their set, making incredible songs out of just their voices and their instruments. The couple are a duo which I would recommend everyone should consider seeing live.
Capital FM's Summertime Ball @ Wembley Stadium
Summertime Ball is a concert that I been to several times (and I plan to go to again this year) and one of the reasons for that is because it is so unique. Its not often that there is a concert where you can see (approximately) 20 massive artists all on one stage, in one day and in one of the most iconic venues of all time. Sure, it may be a little pricey, costing around £60 - £85, but if you ask me, it is certainly worth it! Last year's ball included artists such as Ariana Grande, Little Mix and Craig David which you would pay at least £40 to go and see on their own, for double that price you can see them and a load more artists! This is yet another concert that I think everybody should experience.
Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball @ The O2
The Jingle Bell Ball is basically a smaller version of Summertime Ball which Capital FM created yet again. One of the only differences between the two is the fact that the event is spread over two days, letting guests decide what day the would like to go to. I have been to Jingle Bell Ball for the past free years and it is honestly such a lovely show with around 9 acts on each night, singing your favourite song. Just like Summertime Ball, the event is quite pricey but it is certainly worth it. If I had to pick one, I'd say attend the Summertime Ball but Jingle Bell Ball is a concert that is truly unique and a concert that I think you all should attend.
Ella Eyre's "Feline" Tour @ Roundhouse
The penultimate gig of this post is yet another concert that was so unique because of its venue. Roundhouse was originally a railway engine shed before WWII (which was when it closed down) and in 2004 it was redeveloped into an incredible venue. When a venue as unique as this is accompanied by a voice as unique as Ella Eyre's, it created such an incredible atmosphere that I will never forget! If you even get the chance, I would highly suggest you see Ella Eyre live and/or attend a concert at the roundhouse.
Beyonce's "Formation" World Tour @ Wembley Stadium
Last but not least we have what was possibly the best concert I have ever been to see! Prior to the gig, I had seen Beyonce twice but both of those times were at The O2 meaning that this concert (Beyonce's first at Wembley Stadium) would be next-level and I was definitely not disappointed! No one else I know can manage to have two giant rotating screens, a conveyor belt and a swimming pool on stage and make it work so well. In addition to this, you cannot deny that Beyonce's vocals are unbelievably unique and amazing so this was 100% the most unique concert that I have attended! Even though her ticket prices may be £100+, I can guarantee you that a Beyonce concert will be one that you will never forget.
Song Of The Week :
This week's "Song Of The Week" is one that I was really not expecting to love but I literally cannot stop listening to; that song is "Sign Of The Times" by none other than Harry Styles! In my opinion, the track sounds very Bowie-esque and Harry Styles' vocals are actually great. I have not been able to stop singing the song and its catchy hook over this past week so if you can, please give this song a listen and see whether you're as shocked as I was!
So I hoped you enjoyed this 'unique' post to my blog. Next week I will be doing "EP Reviews" reviewing two EP's by two artists that I love (Sarah Close and Sonny) so I hop you are as excited as I am.
Hello and welcome to this month's "Artist Showcase". Today I am going to be showcasing one of my favourite bands who are so diverse when in comparison to all other bands; their name is Pentatonix.
Scott, Mitch, Avi, Kevin & Kirtsie all make up Pentatonix, an extremely good acapella group who rose to fame through YouTube after appearing on the American TV show "The Sing-Off". They currently sit on nearly 13 million subscribers and have since gone on to release several albums and EP's featuring covers as well as originals which are just as good! I have been a big fan of theirs for many years now so I thought it was about time that I shared my love for them with you all on this post.
What originally made me fall in love with the five-piece was their "Evolution" videos. These include "The Evolution Of Beyonce", "The Evolution Of Miley Cyrus" and my personal favourite, "The Evolution Of Music". These videos were on another level compared to anything I had ever seen before and I cannot believe how on earth they created all of them. "The Evolution Of Music" was a mashup of all of the hit songs through time, starting in the 11th century and venturing all the way through to what was then present time (2012). Everything flowed so well in the song, including when one song transitioned into another; I just think it was so clever and something you guys need to see!
Alongside all of their "Evolution" covers on YouTube, Pentatonix also also did covers that weren't mashups. These were all unique in their own way but there were certainly a few that stood out. These include "No" by Meghan Trainor (which was featured in my last blogpost), "Problem" by Ariana Grande and finally, "Cheerleader" by OMI which is what I'll be talking about in today's post. The reason why I am such a big fan of their "Cheerleader" cover is because at the time, "Cheerleader" was one of the 'hottest' songs around which meant Pentatonix had to do quite something to top it; they did do that something! The song and acapella instrumental are so incredibly catchy that when the original song died down, this version didn't and I still love it to this day!
Even though they are mainly loved for their covers, the five-piece's original songs are also brilliant. In 2015, the band released their debut, self-titled album which featured the first ever originals that they released. My favourite of these originals is their song titled "Sing" as its lyrics are so honest and true yet so catchy. I also love how all of the band's are so significantly different in this video with Mitch showing his falsetto, Scott showing a rocky side to himself, Kirstie providing some incredible harmonies, Avi providing what is an amazing instrumental and Kevin showing everyone that he can rap (my personal favourite out of the five). This is an undeniably great song considering the only instrument it features are vocals, you should check it out!
Pentatonix may be popular in the YouTube world and they may have won one or two GRAMMY's but I honestly think that hardly anyone knows about" them. I want Pentatonix to become a household name as what they are doing right now is nothing like we have ever seen before in the music world. If you enjoy their music, spread the word by telling everyone you know about them as all five of them really deserve it!
Song Of The Week : This week's "Song Of The Week" is by an artist who has already been featured in my "Song Of The Week" segment, his name is Sonny and the song is the brilliant "Wage A War". If you've been reading my blog recently, you will know that I previously mentioned his song "Princess" and I must say, I have nearly fallen in love with this song as much as I did with the older single. Anyways, the song is taken from Sonny's "Hopeless Romance EP" (which I will be reviewing in about a fortnight) and I love how raw and soulful the track is. Whenever you have time, listen to this song as I know you won't regret it!
So I hope you enjoyed this instalment of my "Artist Showcase". Next week I will show you some of the most unique concerts I have been to so I hope you enjoy it!
Just like many other concerts that I have reviewed on this blog, the event was at The O2 which you all know I love. The venue has such an amazing atmosphere and no matter where you sit (even near the very top which was where I was sat), if you're listening to good music, you can't possibly not enjoy a gig there! The stage was also unlike any other that I had seen before, transforming throughout Bruno's electrifying set meaning I simply cannot show you some photos, even if they weren't taken by me.
Next up, we have the support act : Anderson Paak. For the first time in what seems like forever, I actually knew who the support act was and I enjoyed his music (as you would've been able to tell if you have been reading since my "7 Songs You Should Listen To" series that he was featured him); if I am being honest, he certainly did not disappoint! He got the crowd jumping along and he performed some of my personal favourite's of his such as "Put Me Thru" and "Come Down". Here are some pictures to show just how great the performer was.
After taking in the beautiful stage and enjoying Anderson Paak's rapping, it was time for the main event which I was so thoroughly excited for as I had actually never seen Bruno Mars before. The second he came on stage, I was immediately filled with happiness! Bruno and his band were such incredible entertainers throughout the whole show, getting everyone dancing and singing along whilst they were on stage. I don't think anyone in the entire arena was not having fun which was the exact reason why I put my camera away, to take in all of this unbelievable atmosphere. However, I did manage to take one photo which I thought was worthy of my blog (to your right).
Bruno Mars sang the perfect ratio of new and old songs on his tour, performing the majority of his "24k Magic" album (which is the second most-viewed post on my blog by the way) as well as several old favourites such as "Grenade" and "Runaway Baby". My favourite of his performances though has to be "Marry You" as not only is it one of my favourite songs of his, this song, if I had to choose one out of all of the songs, was the one that really got everyone dancing along. The track is also such a happy one so when Bruno performed it, everyone's moods were suddenly lifted!
This week's "Song Of The Week" is one that I have only listened to a few times as it came out yesterday but I fell in love with the track as soon as I heard it; that song is "Young And Menace" by Fall Out Boy. Although I do not listen to a lot of other artists like Fall Out Boy, I have been a fan of them for quite a while now and I love how this song is so diverse in comparison to their other material, and in fact, anything I have ever heard before! This track is so moody yet energetic and I really feel you guys need to listen to it as soon as possible.
