today the UK woke up to the news that the conservatives are back in power and forming a coalition with the DUP - northern ireland's answer to UKIP. the blow was softened slightly by the fact that 72% of young people voted as opposed to just 43% in 2015, and also this news story.
but we're not here to talk politics - for decades pop music has been an antidote to such testing times, and today is no different, so without further ado i present a bumper edition of my favourite songs from the last week - and all the other ones before.
1. lorde
i think almost every post i've made in the last few months has included lorde, as the release date for her second album melodrama draws ever closer. a few days ago she blessed us with a new song perfect places which she explained in detail here, and i've had it on repeat non-stop. there's a quality to lorde's sound that i've never seen in anyone else, that careful blend of agony and ecstasy, or as she put it in this time interview, "like crying and dancing in equal parts". her latest release sober - a more low-key affair - didn't thrill me as much, but i'm hoping it will grow on me in the coming weeks.
2. halsey
the new jersey native released her second album hopeless fountain kingdom last week, and though i'm disappointed overall - she seems to have fallen foul to over-production from pop heavyweights like sia and cashmere cat, meaning i'm still unsure what her signature sound is - the heartbreaking ballad sorry and her newest single strangers are my stand-out tracks. critics also seem spellbound by the soft 80s synths and breathy vocals provided by fifth harmony's openly bisexual lauren jauregui (i knew there was a reason why she was my favourite).(they also gave an excellent performance of it on the today show.) love songs sung by and about women are still few and far between in the mainstream pop arena, and i couldn't help myself tearing up when i first heard the line she doesn't kiss me on the mouth anymore / cause it's more intimate than she thinks we should get. unlike the queer-baiting i kissed a girl, or the shrouded-in-metaphor cool for the summer, strangers is bold, brash and unflinchingly honest, and i'm pretty sure it's halsey's peak.
3. katy perry
speaking of katy perry, i couldn't help but include swish swish and bon appetit in this post, simply because my best friend and i had them on repeat while getting ready to go out last week, and they remind me of a good time. however, i fully support the idea that she's been making questionable decisions lately, and is struggling to stay relevant after the monumental success of teenage dream, also her peak. a catchy hook and guest verse from (the inimitable) nicki minaj just won't be enough to save her as she seems to have strayed too far away from the "purposeful pop" she promised her next album witness would contain.
4. GIRLI
the london-based artist has been making waves in the music world for a while, and i was a huge fan of her song it was my party last night, an ode to teenage life and house parties. her latest offering, the super summery feel OK features guest vocals from lethal bizzle; an unlikely pairing that apparently came about after his producer diztortion played her track in the studio by accident and he decided to contribute. the accompanying video is awash with neon hues of pink and blue, and it's a feel good summer anthem that i'll be playing well into the autumn.
5. jakil
again, i've discussed the edinburgh indie pop outfit on this blog before, but their latest single fool without u has been stuck in my brain for weeks now. featuring the 80s sound that has quickly become one of their signatures, the tracks talks escaping the Big City when things all feel too much, and a girl who apparently looks ridiculously good in high heels.
6. carly rae jepsen
the queen of everything made her return to pop a few weeks ago with the super summery cut to the feeling. an E•MO•TION off-cut, the song features on the soundtrack for the french animated flick leap!, released last year. it features the typical euphoric sound of tracks like run away with me, i really like you, and of course, call me maybe, and will tide me over until the release of her next album; hopefully the rumours about it being "disco inspired" are still true.
7. hurts
the manchester-born electronic duo are still working on their next album, but after listening to - and loving - their newest single beautiful ones, i stumbled across lights on youtube, a disco-lite number that i just can't seem to get enough of. also excellent is nothing will be bigger than us, an anthemic party-ready track from 2015's surrender.
8. steps
getting ready for my last night Proper Night Out at uni last month, i finally got around to listening to the latest offering from steps, titled tears on the dancefloor. i expected it to be the usual bland pop churned out year after year by bands who were popular in the 90s and early 2000s looking to make a quick buck, but i should have given steps a bit more credit. after the sensational scared of the dark, they followed it up with an entire album of cheesy, party-ready pop, with not a single Sad Piano Ballad in sight. picking a highlight of this album is near on impossible, as every song went into my party playlist on spotify, so if you love pop music as much as i do, you won't be disappointed.
9. calvin harris
my current pick for Song Of The Summer is still a toss up between drake's passionfruit and heatstroke, by calvin harris, who's been churning out hits left right and centre the last few years. this one is something special though, perhaps due in part to guest vocals from ariana grande. either way, this song is Pure Summer, i.e. the feeling you get at approximately 5pm on a friday in early may - when it gets properly warm and you can walk to work/school/uni in just a t-shirt - when everyone starts leaving work. living next to a main road in my uni house, i was privy to such a sight every week as it became congested with cars queuing to presumably get out of town, and many of them were blasting both passionfruit and heatstroke. both evoke fond memories of nights out during my time away, and heatstroke first came to my attention when we were all crammed into a taxi on our way home from Tha Club one night, and i'm wondering if a similar situation may occur later tonight when i meet some of my friends in manchester who have travelled Up North for parklife festival this weekend; a place i tend to avoid as 99% of people from my year at school will be there.
10. sunstroke project
as a lover of eurovision, i was super disppointed with this year's show, especially the acoustic track that lead portugal to victory. my winner was definitely sweden - who did come fourth - as i was spellbound by the excellent electro-pop and on point choreography of i can't go on, performed by robin bengtsson. however, a majorly underrated entry was moldova. hey mamma by sunstroke project grabbed my attention straight away with its catchy sax refrain, and i'll be blasting it while i get ready later on.
this week's playlist is here.
Friday 9 June 2017
Tuesday 6 June 2017
i can't lose this feeling: carly rae, corbyn, and overcoming tragedy
once again i find myself leaving huge gaps in between posts on this blog, though i can't use the excuse of being busy with uni any more. today i was supposed to be in london for graduate fashion week, which my uni is a part of; those who volunteer for a three hour shift get their final project displayed (side note: my entire magazine can be viewed on my newly updated portfolio that we had to create for our final project, and i'm still cringing at the fact i submitted it with the word "portfolio" spelt wrong). i had no intention of volunteering as i knew that i wanted to be moved out of my uni house and back in manchester as soon as we handed in our work in may, but my tutor waved the sign-up sheet in my face on the day of the hand in so immediately i felt pressured to sign up for a shift.
long story short; i couldn't afford the train fare and decided that it wasn't worth travelling all that way for a few hours, only to make my way back home again that same day. so i put my phone on "do not disturb" all day today and prayed i wouldn't get any angry phone calls from either my tutor or the other girls from my course who were doing the same shift as me. luckily i haven't heard anything, and i'm sure they were all far too busy with what was going on down at the truman brewery to care about me, and if there is a Higher Power, i thank them for not making this a mandatory part of our course.
given how slowly time is passing, it's hard to believe i've not even been back at home a month yet, but i've been frantically applying for jobs since i returned, as well as continuing to write (for free) for guestlist (my interview i did with jakil (!!) can be found here). i also applied for universal credit at my dad's recommendation; a new benefit to replace job seekers that is paid monthly and can still be claimed once you start work. i had a(n unplanned) phone interview yesterday for a copy writing job, so i'm keeping my fingers crossed for that while still remembering that if it doesn't work out, there will be other opportunities, and i need to stop putting pressure on myself to find a Proper Job when i only finished uni a matter of weeks ago. (another side note: now that i have so much free time, i've been revisiting the CBT therapy i started in my first year of uni thanks to this website full of free worksheets and am determined to Think Positively from now on, rather than letting negative thoughts ruin my life. it feels somewhat unnatural right now but i'm hoping in a few weeks/months/years i might actually start to believe that Things Will Be Okay.) most people in my situation would be making plans to "take a year out" and travel, but it's really not a priority of mine right now; i'd rather save up enough to travel and stay in nice places in a few years' time.
last week i went to york to finally visit my best friend after nearly six months of not seeing each other and had one of the best nights i've had in a while. we ended up at a tiny bar with two of his house mates (and her new girlfriend) and as soon as we walked in, wham! began playing, so i knew i was in for a good time. it was the first time in what feels like forever that i could properly Be Myself, and our walk home was accompanied by a selection of Gay Jams like these, as well as my excellent runway walk; still on point at 4am after A Lot of cocktails. we also stopped to pose with a window full of signs that said "vote labour", looking like a shitty indie band from the 80s in the process (shame my eyes are closed).
the songs we listened to will feature in a new music friday post later this week, but in the meantime i still wanted to post something and update the few people who read this blog about what's been going on. of course, everyone around the world is still in shock following the attacks in manchester and london; just yesterday i went into town and found myself holding back tears looking at the sheer number of flowers at st anne's square, left as a tribute to those who lost their lives. i was also devastated to hear that one of my favourite people martyn hett was killed during the attack; re-watching videos of him and his friends just before the concert and seeing him tweet about how excited he was takes on a whole new meaning after the events of that night.
attacks like these have been happening for the last few years and all are equally devastating, but to see this happen just a stone's throw away from home, at a venue i've been to so many times over the last few years has really hit me hard. sunday's concert led by the incredible ariana grande was an emotional watch, but reaffirmed my belief that pop music brings people together and serves as a safe space for those who may not have one in their day to day life, as reflected in this excellent noisey article. i recently got tickets to see new order in july as part of the manchester international festival - which i'm volunteering at, providing an amazing job opportunity doesn't appear in the meantime - and refuse to live in fear of attending gigs and going into the city, as that's what the people who commit these atrocities want us to do. sunday's event has hopefully shown to those who wouldn't ordinarily bump dangerous woman while getting ready on a friday night that pop music can unite people from all walks of life, and fans of any genre, in the face of tragedy.
music-wise, i wasn't sure what to include in this post - i have a few ideas i want to save for later on in the week - so for now i'll just include what i've listened to today. i've been thinking about how this blog got started, and reading this post reminded me of run away with me, arguably my favourite ever song (second only to this) and the writing of my first ever post. (side note #3: i can't believe this will be my third year of writing this blog!!), which led me to a full on E•MO•TION binge - why the hell was love again only included on the japanese edition? WHY? - and the discovery of some excellent articles about carly rae, including this one about the "queer potential" of her music, and this one which provides a theory about the true meaning of boy problems. finally there is this, which is one of the best things i've ever read and i know anything i write in the future won't ever come close. i won't spoil it, but this extract pretty much sums up my feelings about everything ever:
"i feel sort of a reverse recognition when i listen to carly rae. i have never been good at valuing infatuation or falling helplessly to my needs, but i would like to be. love is steady even when it’s enveloping; it’s an endpoint that’s always felt un-mysterious and immediate to me. the great, stupid, fascinating mystery is that vectored positioning — that ambient hunger, that sense of possibility, the deliberately thoughtless worship of love before it complicates or decays. wouldn’t it be wonderful to stay there, hovering at the unreal beginning, under a spell of violent self-enchantment? tearing your eyes out and replacing them with stars?"
re-reading that post also led me to watch music and lyrics again with my mother a few days ago. the film is pretty terrible - save for hugh's wonderfully witty one liners - but my love for the soundtrack hasn't wavered since i first watched the film back in 2009 in a music lesson with a supply teacher. of course i would never publicly admit to loving it back then, but my friends and i adored it and still found ourselves singing the stupidly catchy lyrics months later.
forget the heart-wrenching opening of epic war drama saving private ryan - another film we were made to watch in an english lesson for reasons still unknown to me (side note #4 (i am sorry): i found an old english paper the other day and had no idea why i'd kept it until i saw my grade at the top and the fact my year eleven english teacher had circled it with her pink pen and written "kissing paper"; in a class where people didn't know what a verb was, i was a proverbial genius/undoubtedly her favourite, and the feeling was mutual; i still miss her to this day) - as the most emotionally charged film opening i have ever seen is the music video for pop! goes my heart in music and lyrics. the song is all my 80s dreams, and i vow to learn the dance routine so i can embarrass my friends by performing it the next time i go out. i've had the song on repeat whilst writing this, and i don't plan on stopping once i've finished.
finally, i fell into a noisey rabbit hole and spent most of the day reading their latest articles, as well as one i found which chronicles the best opening theme songs to british TV shows over the last twenty years, and the big brother theme song is still a work of art. when i was younger we had a compilation CD that seemed to be sponsored by pepsi - a steal on amazon at only £2.37 - and for some reason the theme song to this show was included. i remember playing it endlessly back then and it hasn't aged a day.
this brings my stupidly long post to a convenient close, as the new series of big brother started last night, so i must go and catch up with tonight's episode, much to the dismay of my mother who only watches the (arguably better) celebrity version, but i will return with a new music post this friday.
p.s. if you're in the UK, don't forget to vote (labour) on thursday !!!!
long story short; i couldn't afford the train fare and decided that it wasn't worth travelling all that way for a few hours, only to make my way back home again that same day. so i put my phone on "do not disturb" all day today and prayed i wouldn't get any angry phone calls from either my tutor or the other girls from my course who were doing the same shift as me. luckily i haven't heard anything, and i'm sure they were all far too busy with what was going on down at the truman brewery to care about me, and if there is a Higher Power, i thank them for not making this a mandatory part of our course.
given how slowly time is passing, it's hard to believe i've not even been back at home a month yet, but i've been frantically applying for jobs since i returned, as well as continuing to write (for free) for guestlist (my interview i did with jakil (!!) can be found here). i also applied for universal credit at my dad's recommendation; a new benefit to replace job seekers that is paid monthly and can still be claimed once you start work. i had a(n unplanned) phone interview yesterday for a copy writing job, so i'm keeping my fingers crossed for that while still remembering that if it doesn't work out, there will be other opportunities, and i need to stop putting pressure on myself to find a Proper Job when i only finished uni a matter of weeks ago. (another side note: now that i have so much free time, i've been revisiting the CBT therapy i started in my first year of uni thanks to this website full of free worksheets and am determined to Think Positively from now on, rather than letting negative thoughts ruin my life. it feels somewhat unnatural right now but i'm hoping in a few weeks/months/years i might actually start to believe that Things Will Be Okay.) most people in my situation would be making plans to "take a year out" and travel, but it's really not a priority of mine right now; i'd rather save up enough to travel and stay in nice places in a few years' time.
last week i went to york to finally visit my best friend after nearly six months of not seeing each other and had one of the best nights i've had in a while. we ended up at a tiny bar with two of his house mates (and her new girlfriend) and as soon as we walked in, wham! began playing, so i knew i was in for a good time. it was the first time in what feels like forever that i could properly Be Myself, and our walk home was accompanied by a selection of Gay Jams like these, as well as my excellent runway walk; still on point at 4am after A Lot of cocktails. we also stopped to pose with a window full of signs that said "vote labour", looking like a shitty indie band from the 80s in the process (shame my eyes are closed).
the songs we listened to will feature in a new music friday post later this week, but in the meantime i still wanted to post something and update the few people who read this blog about what's been going on. of course, everyone around the world is still in shock following the attacks in manchester and london; just yesterday i went into town and found myself holding back tears looking at the sheer number of flowers at st anne's square, left as a tribute to those who lost their lives. i was also devastated to hear that one of my favourite people martyn hett was killed during the attack; re-watching videos of him and his friends just before the concert and seeing him tweet about how excited he was takes on a whole new meaning after the events of that night.
attacks like these have been happening for the last few years and all are equally devastating, but to see this happen just a stone's throw away from home, at a venue i've been to so many times over the last few years has really hit me hard. sunday's concert led by the incredible ariana grande was an emotional watch, but reaffirmed my belief that pop music brings people together and serves as a safe space for those who may not have one in their day to day life, as reflected in this excellent noisey article. i recently got tickets to see new order in july as part of the manchester international festival - which i'm volunteering at, providing an amazing job opportunity doesn't appear in the meantime - and refuse to live in fear of attending gigs and going into the city, as that's what the people who commit these atrocities want us to do. sunday's event has hopefully shown to those who wouldn't ordinarily bump dangerous woman while getting ready on a friday night that pop music can unite people from all walks of life, and fans of any genre, in the face of tragedy.
music-wise, i wasn't sure what to include in this post - i have a few ideas i want to save for later on in the week - so for now i'll just include what i've listened to today. i've been thinking about how this blog got started, and reading this post reminded me of run away with me, arguably my favourite ever song (second only to this) and the writing of my first ever post. (side note #3: i can't believe this will be my third year of writing this blog!!), which led me to a full on E•MO•TION binge - why the hell was love again only included on the japanese edition? WHY? - and the discovery of some excellent articles about carly rae, including this one about the "queer potential" of her music, and this one which provides a theory about the true meaning of boy problems. finally there is this, which is one of the best things i've ever read and i know anything i write in the future won't ever come close. i won't spoil it, but this extract pretty much sums up my feelings about everything ever:
"i feel sort of a reverse recognition when i listen to carly rae. i have never been good at valuing infatuation or falling helplessly to my needs, but i would like to be. love is steady even when it’s enveloping; it’s an endpoint that’s always felt un-mysterious and immediate to me. the great, stupid, fascinating mystery is that vectored positioning — that ambient hunger, that sense of possibility, the deliberately thoughtless worship of love before it complicates or decays. wouldn’t it be wonderful to stay there, hovering at the unreal beginning, under a spell of violent self-enchantment? tearing your eyes out and replacing them with stars?"
re-reading that post also led me to watch music and lyrics again with my mother a few days ago. the film is pretty terrible - save for hugh's wonderfully witty one liners - but my love for the soundtrack hasn't wavered since i first watched the film back in 2009 in a music lesson with a supply teacher. of course i would never publicly admit to loving it back then, but my friends and i adored it and still found ourselves singing the stupidly catchy lyrics months later.
forget the heart-wrenching opening of epic war drama saving private ryan - another film we were made to watch in an english lesson for reasons still unknown to me (side note #4 (i am sorry): i found an old english paper the other day and had no idea why i'd kept it until i saw my grade at the top and the fact my year eleven english teacher had circled it with her pink pen and written "kissing paper"; in a class where people didn't know what a verb was, i was a proverbial genius/undoubtedly her favourite, and the feeling was mutual; i still miss her to this day) - as the most emotionally charged film opening i have ever seen is the music video for pop! goes my heart in music and lyrics. the song is all my 80s dreams, and i vow to learn the dance routine so i can embarrass my friends by performing it the next time i go out. i've had the song on repeat whilst writing this, and i don't plan on stopping once i've finished.
finally, i fell into a noisey rabbit hole and spent most of the day reading their latest articles, as well as one i found which chronicles the best opening theme songs to british TV shows over the last twenty years, and the big brother theme song is still a work of art. when i was younger we had a compilation CD that seemed to be sponsored by pepsi - a steal on amazon at only £2.37 - and for some reason the theme song to this show was included. i remember playing it endlessly back then and it hasn't aged a day.
this brings my stupidly long post to a convenient close, as the new series of big brother started last night, so i must go and catch up with tonight's episode, much to the dismay of my mother who only watches the (arguably better) celebrity version, but i will return with a new music post this friday.
p.s. if you're in the UK, don't forget to vote (labour) on thursday !!!!
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