Artists I Have Been Loving This Year

Hello and welcome to yet another blogpost. Today I thought I would share with you some artists that I have been loving this year in some sort of massive "Artist Showcase" post to make up for the lack of them recently. This post includes well-known artists as well as some you may not have heard of before so with ought further ado, let's get into the post!

Sam Smith
We start off today's post with music's latest 'comeback kid'! If you have read my blog for a while you will know that I am a big Sam Smith fan so I was overjoyed when he made his comeback to music at the beginning of this month. "Too Good At Goodbyes" is a literal masterpiece and I cannot stop singing along to it; I cannot wait for his next album which shall hopefully be released by the end of this year. If you have never heard Sam Smith before, you seriously need to get checked out as I think it is impossible to not fall in love with him!

Sampha

Next we have an artist that I really haven't mentioned enough but I cannot get enough of him. Sampha is such a unique and incredible artist that is truly underrated! I saw him at Lovebox earlier this year and every track was just touching and electric, especially "(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano" which I think is one of my favourite songs of this year. Luckily, people are finally starting to realise Sampha's talent as he recently won the "Mercury Prize" award for his album "Process" over artists including Ed Sheeran & Stormzy. You need to check him out!

Lorde

Lorde finally returned to the music scene this year with "Melodrama" and I can tell you now she did not disappoint as in my opinion, this album is even better! Lorde is one of the most unique artists in the industry and she really kept to her roots with her second release, releasing some tunes like "Homemade Dynamite" and "Perfect Places". I can tell you now that I cannot wait to see her live on Saturday (there will be a review coming in a few weeks) alongside Khalid, who I sadly couldn't mention in this post, as I know they will both be incredible so if you have never listened to Lorde before, I'd recommend you do so.

Demi Lovato

This next artist is one that I have adored for many years now and my love for her still continues to grow! Demi Lovato, whether its her acting or her singing, is a genius and her voice easily one of the best in today's modern music industry; I don't think I have ever seen the ex-Disney star perform a song badly as she always belts them out to the best of her ability. Demi's sixth album "Tell Me You Love Me" comes out today and I have already fallen in love with it and it's incredible tracklist dressing personal but relatable issues. If you have never listened to Demi Lovato before, you're certainly missing out!

Sonny

The next person on this list is probably the most unknown out of everyone here but if you have read my blog over this past year, you're probably sick of me mentioning him and how brilliant he is! Sonny is a 19 year old from Newcastle who released his debut EP in May this year; I can tell you now, every track is unbelievable (especially "Princess" which is definitely one of my favourite songs of 2017). I can actually not praise this guy enough so can you please support him by listening to his music and following his social media, he is so worth it!

Sarah Close

Last but not least we have someone who has been dominating my blog since it began, Sarah Close! I have been following Sarah's YouTube channel since she has had about 3000 subscribers and I am so happy that she is finally starting to get a taste of success, releasing music and going on tour (which I am so incredibly excited for). Not only her covers but her originals are one-of-a-kind and truly underrated so I hope you all get behind her as she is possibly my favourite artist at the moment and throughout this year I have not stopped listening to her!

Song Of The Week :
About two weeks ago, Sarah Close released another single and it was amazing (of course); the song is called "Only You" and its obviously our "Song Of The Week". The song may be a little different for Sarah as it has features of EDM in it but she makes it work as her voice suits it perfectly. IF it can turn me, someone who is not an EDM lover, into someone that can't stop listening to it, its worth a listen!

So I hoped you enjoyed this post letting you in on some of my favourite artists at the moment. Next week I shall be uploading a review of my time at Sarah Close's debut tour which I am so bloody excited for so get excited with me!

My Vinyl Collection Pt.2

Hello and welcome to yet another blogpost. Way back in January I uploaded a post dedicated to some of my favourite vinyls and it received great responses; my vinyl collection has accumulated massively since then so I thought why not bring it back! Today I shall be sharing with you five of my favourite vinyls (new and old) so I hope you enjoy!

Moana : The Songs
If you have been reading my blog for a while you'll know that I am a massive fan of the film "Moana" (in fact, it's probably one of my favourite Disney films) so you could probably understand my excitement when I found out they were releasing a vinyl of the movie's soundtrack. The whole record is incredible and not only features songs within the movie but covers of the tracks including Alessia Cara's "How Far I'll Go" which I absolutely love. This is a vinyl I would definitely recommend and here's a taster of "Moana" down below; I hope you like it as much as I do!

Michael Jackson - Thriller

One vinyl that narrowly missed being featured in my last post was Michael Jackson's "Thriller" so I thought I had to mention it today! Not only is this album the greatest-selling album of all time, every song is a masterpiece. I think I have to say that Michael Jackson is one of my favourite artists and this album is really some of his finest work. In GCSE Art at the moment, my chosen theme is "The Like Of Michael Jackson", showing just how much I love the late king of pop. Anyways, I'd probably have to say that "Billie Jean" is my favourite track (although "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" does come close) so here it is below... 

Little Mix - Glory Days

I think it's pretty clear that I'm a Little Mix fan by how much I talk about them on this blog so I was ecstatic when I found out the girls were releasing "Glory Days" on vinyl in honour of "World record Store Day" earlier this year. Obviously I brought it and it is so lovely to finally be able to hear Little Mix on a vinyl as I have honestly waited so long for it. The album is incredible (it was ranked third-best last year on this blog, behind only Frank Ocean and Beyonce) and every song is one that I can either sing or dance a long to. I am seeing the girls live in November and I'm honestly so excited to finally hear this album live, please listen to part of it down below.

Rag'N'Bone Man - Human

One artist that I am a big fan of but have never mentioned on this blog before is Rag'N'Bone Man. His soulful voice is incredible and I am so happy that he has brought Soul music into the mainstream industry. This album, from start to finish, is utterly beautiful and there are so many tracks that I have fallen in absolute love with. With this in mind, I'd have to say "Bitter End" is my favourite, although I also love "As You Are" and the classic "Human". In November, just after Little Mix, I am seeing him live in not only my hometown but his as well so I bet it'll be a memorable concert. Here is "Bitter End" down below, I hope you love it as much as I do!

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

Last but certainly not least, we have Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" which is my absolute favourite album of all time. The album is so honest and covers so many personal problems that I think anyone can relate to; each song flows together so well! Alongside Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye is one of my favourite artists of all time and also like Michael Jackson, one of my GCSE Art final pieces was a 'pop art-inspired' acrylic painting of Gaye. This vinyl is the best you will ever listen to and if you have somehow never listened to this album before, what are you doing with yourself?! You must listen to the title track of this phenomenal album below...

Song Of The Week :

This week's "Song Of The Week" is my favourite in a long long time! The musical magician Sam Smith is back and his new track "Too Good At Goodbyes" is one of his best. The song has what, in my opinion, are the best vocals of this entire year and I cannot be happier that Sam Smith has stuck to his roots and not changed his style. If you somehow haven't, listen to this unbelievable song! (P.S. if you're wondering why I am only mentioning this song now, I write my blog posts in two weeks in advance so I am technically writing this as soon as I can!)                     So I hope you enjoyed this post showing you some more of my vinyls. Next week I shall be showing you a post full of artists that I have been loving this year, get excited!

7 Musicals That You Should Watch

Hello and welcome to another blogpost. Recently, I have been watching a lot of musicals so I thought why not do a post dedicated to them! This post should be similar to my "7 Disney Movies You Should Watch" post so I hope you enjoy and lets get on with it...

Grease
We're starting today's post with an absolute classic that I bet you all will know. "Grease" is so iconic and I just love it; the characters, the songs, the singing, I love it all! There are numerous songs from the show that are constantly stuck in my head ("Freddy My Love", "Summer Nights", "The One That I Want" to name a few) and overall the show creates such an electric and happy atmosphere that no other show can really replicate. If you haven't seen this before, what are you doing with your life?

Kinky Boots
I didn't really know much about this next show until I saw it about a month ago but since seeing it, I cannot recommend it enough! The show is about Charlie Price, a guy who takes over his fathers shoe company which has become rather unsuccessful; he then unites with a drag queen named Lola to 're-invent the shoe'. "Kinky Boots" features some amazing song (one of which has even been my "Song Of The Week") so if you go to see a show in London or New York, "Kinky Boots" is a great one to go and see. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

Sister Act
Next up we have one of my favourite films and a great musical! I genuinely think this may be the most underrated musical of all time as it has so many great factors : hilarious scenes, catchy and vocally-demanding songs, it has it all! The plot is so unique and no show really compares to it. In January, I saw the musical on it's UK tour in my hometown of Brighton and it is clear to say it was phenomenal as Alexandra Burke (former X Factor winner) portrayed Deloris (the main character) perfectly. I would definitely try and grab tickets to the tour if it comes to your city.

Dreamgirls
As we reach the halfway point of this post we have my favourite film of all time and my second favourite musical of all time. If you ask me, "Dreamgirls" is literal perfection! I love the sixties theming, I love the music and I especially love the actors casted in both the film and musical who include people such as Jennifer Hudson, Amber Riley and even Beyonce. People who have been reading my blog for a while will know that the songs have been mentioned a bundle of times and "Listen" is even my favourite ever Beyonce song. You need to see this show before it's run ends in the UK!

Rent
Next we have the musical that I have most recently discovered. I was suggested "Rent" by a couple of friends so I thought I'd watch it on Netflix and it was honestly the best film I had seen in a long time! The musical is so emotional and it has song's that are constantly stuck in my head, one of which is going to be this week's "Song Of The Week". I love all of the characters and they're stories so much, especially Angel, my favourite so basically, go and watch it as soon as you possibly can as I can guarantee you'll be overly emotionally invested in it.

Hairspray
Penultimately we have a show that i'd expect you have all at least heard of. Both the musical and the film of "Hairspray" are incredible and they put a comedy twist on one of the hardest issues in the world : segregation. My school are actually doing a (colour-blind casting) production of the show next year which I have auditioned for as Seaweed which I am very excited for but anyways, every song is one that you can sing along to so I would suggest "Hairspray" to anyone I possibly I can, including all of you so go and watch it as soon as possible; you won't regret it!

Motown : The Musical
Most of you will know that my favourite music is such created by Motown so it's pretty understandable that "Motown : The Musical" is ending this post and is my favourite musical of all! The show tells the story of the Motown record label and all of it's highs and lows ; it features songs from beloved Motown artists ("I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" and "ABC" to name a few). Even if you do not really listen to Motown music, still go and see the show as the storyline is so gripping and will have you on the edge of your seat. Trust me, you don't want to miss this one.

Song Of The Week :
As today's post is all about musicals, I thought why not have a musical song as today's "Song Of The Week"! "Take Me Or Leave Me" is a song from "Rent" and ever since I watched it, I have not been able to get enough of it, the song features great vocals throughout and is unbelievably catchy. The song is featured right at the top of my "Musicals + Disney" playlist on Spotify which you can listen to here. Enjoy!

So I hoped you enjoyed today's post. Next week I shall be showing you part 2 of "My Vinyl Collection" as I have got tons of vinyls since my last post; get excited!

Album Review : Fifth Harmony by Fifth Harmony

Hello and welcome to another blogpost. Today I shall be uploading another "Album Review" this time focusing on Fifth Harmony's latest release. If you have read my blog for a while you'll know that  I have liked Fifth Harmony for a while now, seeing them live in October last year. Anyways, without further ado, lets get on with today's post.

Track 1 = Down (feat. Gucci Mane)

We kick off this review with Fifth Harmony's first and their only (so far) single from the album. If I am being honest, I feel like the song is just trying to replicate "Work From Home" and the massive success they had on it, making the track feel unoriginal; I also don't feel like Gucci Mane's verse really fits with the rest of the song. It may be a negative start to the review but this is probably my least favourite on the record.

Track 2 = He Like That

From my least favourite to my most favourite, "He Like That" does not follow "Down" with replicating other songs as it sound unlike anything else. The song is so catchy and I cannot get enough of it; it just always wants to make you sing and dance along. The continuous beat is so infectious and each of the girls show off their great voices and harmonies. This is a song I think you should all listen to as soon as possible!

Track 3 = Sauced Up

When a song starts with a capella harmonies, you know it is going to be a good one. "Sauced Up" for some reason reminds me of 2000's R&B and I am certainly not complaining. Some of the vocals may not be the best in the world but I personally think they make up for it with the catchiness of this song. In addition to this, the song makes you want to get up and dance just like "He Like That" before it.

Track 4 = Make You Mad

This next track seems to take more of a techno/edm route compared to the others but it supplies a nice change to other tracks. The song isn't my favourite but I feel like that is only because it doesn't feature any great vocals that I know Fifth Harmony are capable of. I am also don't listen to that much edm so that could possibly contribute. I don't really have that much against it though.

Track 5 = Deliver

Unlike "Make You Mad", "Deliver" shows some vocals that I have been waiting for in the verses. Sure, the hook may not be 'vocally challenging' but it does make you pumped and it does get you ready to dance. What I love most about this song though is the piano featured in the bridge and middle 8 of the song as the piano creates a tranquil sound before leading into the chaotic chorus; this is a contrast that makes me very pleased.

Track 6 = Lonely Night

The sixth track on the album is another one of my favourites as the chorus contains great vocals and great falsetto, something which you rarely hear from Fifth Harmony. I am also a big fan of the attitude in bridge which flows into the passive aggression of the chorus. The more that I listen to this song, the more I just fall in love with it and its summery vibes. To be honest, there isn't much that I don't like about it.

Track 7 = Don't Say You Love Me

After the upbeat songs before it, it is nice to slow down the tempo a bit for "Don't Say You Love Me". I absolutely love the tranquil feeling felt throughout the entirety of this song, even after the beat-drop after the choruses. The vocals of this track are also possibly the best on the whole album as they show a variety of unison and harmonies, including a lovely four-part harmony towards the end. This song is another favourite of mine.

Track 8 = Angel

"Angel" is another track that I heard before the album's release and after the disappointment of "Down", I was so glad to hear a song that I can enjoy listening to. The song has a very catchy beat all the way through the song and it shows some noticeably great vocals. The chorus is incredibly catchy as well, making this a song that is very easy to jam too. The song is a brilliant one and one that I would suggest to everyone.

Track 9 = Messy

Similar to "Don't Say You Love Me", "Messy" is chilled back but very catchy, meaning that I love it. Something else that I noticed was that the song references to Shaggy's infamous hit "It Wasn't Me" in the bridge with the phrase "crying on the bedroom floor", referencing to "banging on the bathroom floor". The vocals may not be the best but they are certainly good ones that are respectable in today's industry.

Track 10 = Bridges

Finally we have "Bridges", a track which reminds me of the old Fifth Harmony and their "Reflection" album. The song features some lovely and meaningful lyrics throughout and doesn't follow the same trends as their recent singles. The song also gives each of the four girls to showcase their vocals which are all amazing! The song is all about equality and it is a great note to end the album on.

Overall, Fifth Harmony's third album is amazing but I would not say it is their best (my personal favourite is "Reflection"). However, scattered throughout the record, there are some true gems and songs that will certainly be in my Spotify playlist. With this in mind, lets take a look at the album rankings below...

1. Calvin Harris - Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1

2. Kehlani - SweetSexySavage

3. Bruno Mars - 24k Magic

4. Sonny - Hopeless Romance EP

5. Sarah Close - Caught Up EP

6. Harry Styles - Harry Styles

7. John Legend - Love & Darkness

8. Fifth Harmony - Fifth Harmony

9. Childish Gambino - Awaken My Love

10. Ed Sheeran - Divide

Song Of The Week :

This week's "Song Of The Week" is one that you may have heard on the radio recently but I can not get enough of it! Cardi B's "Bodak Yellow" is so catchy and it just makes me want to rap along every time that I listen. It's quite weird because I usually don't listen to rap but this song is definitely one of my favourites at the moment; I may even go as far to say that Cardi B is my favourite female rapper at the moment, even above Nicki Minaj! You need to give this song a listen as I bet you'll love it.                         So I hoped you enjoyed another "Album Review". Next week I shall be uploading a post dedicated to "7 Musicals That You Should Watch" so get excited!

Year One : The Best Of

Hello and welcome to another blogpost. I cannot believe it but this week this little blog of mine is a year old! Throughout this past year, this blog has helped me massively in terms of not only expressing my love for music (and photography) but by expressing myself as well. To honour this memorable occasion, I have decided to show the best of my my blog throughout it. This will include my favourite post of each month as well as a few extra things so get ready for this long-old post!

August :
We begin todays post with the first ever review I did and what a review it was! In August, I released "Beyonce's Formation World Tour ~ 2/7/16", a review of when I saw Beyonce live in the month before. The concert was absolutely phenomenal and it was so nice to create a post reminding me of how amazing the gig was. She sang all of my favourite songs in such an iconic venue and i felt blessed to be able to witness it as I expect anyone would be. The post is also the third most viewed post on my blog so I am very thankful for that.

September :
Next we move onto September and my favourite post for that month was "7 Songs You Should Listen To Pt.2" (I would've mentioned the first edition but how could I not mention my Beyonce review?!). My "7 Songs" series was one of my favourite series on this blog which went on until February but I decided to terminate it in order to allow a wider range of posts and I replaced it with "Song Of The Week" which I love just as much. Once a fortnight I would show 7 songs that I think you should all listen to and I featured some incredible songs which I still love today!

October :
During October, I began my "Artist Showcase" series (which is still going on today) and I think I can say it is my favourite series on this blog. I began this series with Luna Rae, a duo whose harmonies I adore still, sadly they have stopped releasing music as frequently, making me focus on other musicians but the love for them is certainly still here. You should still really check Luna Rae out as they're amazing!

Song Of The Week :
After a lot of thought, I have decided to give my favourite "Song Of The Week" to Sarah Close with "Caught Up". I have not been able to get this song out of my head for so long and I cannot wait to see Sarah live at the end of this month to finally witness this live! As you know, I organise my Spotify playlists and this song is still near the top as I love it so much and so should you! Please give it a listen whenever you possibly can.

November :
Back to the months now and in November, I released a post called "Upcoming Adventures" which was quite different to any other post I have done (which is probably why it 'stood out' to me). I love looking back on it now and seeing that most of the things have now been completed and realising how fun all of them were. I hope to bring back the post in the next few months as I thoroughly enjoyed writing as do I enjoy looking back at it.

December :
Back in December, I released "In Remembrance..." to the world which was the first post where I expressed how I was feeling and what had been going on in my life. I honestly felt so humbled to get such lovely responses and I felt so much better to know that I could write such personal stuff and not get negative feedback. Although I have released other posts regarding the same topic, this one will always hold a special place in my heart.

January :
As we went into 2017, I uploaded a post called "My Vinyl Collection" where I simply showed you guys some of the vinyls I collected and the reason why it was my favourite of that month was because I love vinyls, I love listening to them and I love talking about them. It actually makes me laugh now because back in January, my collection was so much smaller; it must've tripled since then! Expect another one soon though as I have a lot of vinyls to tell you all about.

Concert :
There was only one concert that could've been number one and that was the Beyonce one that was featured way back in August. I'd be surprised if you didn't know that Beyonce is my favourite artist ever and every time I see her live I literally cry. All of her concerts are so memorable, especially this one which was at Wembley Stadium, my favourite venue of all! If you ever get the chance to see Queen Bey in her element, you need to as I can promise you it will be the best gig you will ever see, this one was the best I have ever been to and trust me, I have been to a lot!

February :
One of the most viewed series on this blog is the "Album Review" so I thought it wouldn't be right if I didn't mention one in here. In February, I released my review of Kehlani's "SweetSexySavage" and it received great praise from not only myself but all of you, making it one of my most viewed posts. For a long while, the album was my favourite of the year until Calvin Harris released "Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1" and I am so glad that all of you guys saw an interest in it as well. I love doing my "Album Review" series so expect some more in the (very near) future.

March :
Although I have seen other artists that I prefer live, Us The Duo's concert will always stick out to me as the venue was so unique and intimate which is why my review is my favourite post of March. Us The Duo are such a unique duo that I would recommend to anyone as they have great voices and such chemistry (I mean, they are husband and wife). The review rekindles my love for the gig and how much I loved it which is why it'll always be one of my favourites.

April :
Pentatonix are one of my favourite bands so I was honestly overjoyed when I got to write an "Artist Showcase" about them; you must've been pleased as well as it is my most viewed "Artist Showcase" post! I literally cannot comprehend how they five-piece (now four-piece) can do so much with their voices and their covers and originals are still being played on repeat. If you still do not know who these awesome guys are, check them out as they are truly one-of-a-kind.

Artist (in "Artist Showcase") :
This was so hard to choose as there were so many incredible artists featured in "Artist Showcase" but after a lot of debating, I have chosen MNEK as my favourite artist. If you have read my blog for this past year, you will know how I cannot get enough of this guy who is, in my opinion, a modern musical genius! He has featured in several of my "7 Songs" posts (including the very first one) and the "Artist Showcase" really showed off what MNEK is capable of so I would certainly recommend reading it if you haven't already.

May :
Back in May I started my first ever mini-series where I counted down "My Favourite Beyonce Songs" from 50; the final post is actually the second-most viewed post on thing blog! I really enjoyed uploading all five parts and I hope to do another one next year and make it an annual thing. I will possibly doing "My Favourite Little Mix Songs" or "My Favourite Motown Songs" as they are so fun to create but let me know if you have any other ideas of what I could do!

June :
What other June post could I choose than my most viewed post! "1 Year On..." was the most personal post that I have ever done and I literally cried when I got such lovely responses from it. Like I said before whilst talking about "In Remembrance...", I feel so humbled when I can pour out my emotions and not feel judged or criticised for doing so; the reason for that is the lovely little community that I have created on this blog! I am so thankful for you all reading my posts.

July :
To conclude, my favourite post of July was my review of Lovebox Festival as it reminds me of the time I got to see Frank Ocean live, one of my favourite artists whom I never thought I would be lucky enough to see as he rarely does shows. Frank did not disappoint and his voice was so admirable and incredible, I shall never forget it (especially with this blog reminding me of it). It was the best concert I have been to excluding Beyonce so I am so happy that I got to share it with you guys!

Song Of The Week :
Even though today's post has been overly long, I cannot leave out my "Song Of The Week" and this week it is "Young, Dumb & Broke" by Khalid. Khalid's voice is so smooth and I cannot help but love him and the whole of his "American Teen" album, including this amazing song. I cannot wait until the end of this month as I get to see him live when he supports Lorde at the Brighton Centre (I'm nearly as excited for him as I am for Lorde)! You need to give Khalid a listen as his music is so brilliant and relaxing.

So I hope you enjoyed today's massive post. Next week I shall be uploading an album review of Fifth Harmony's self-titled album so get ready for that!