Eve 6, Really!? First New Single in Eight Years: “Victoria”

I love Eve 6. “Think Twice” may have been their last hit in 2003, but they really went out on top… And now, in 2012, they’re suddenly back with a new single, “Victoria.” Seriously, when I heard that they had a new single, I was shocked. So how is “Victoria?” It’s not bad. The rock charts these days are pretty pathetic, honestly, so I can see this doing pretty well even if it’s not quite up to par with their past hits. It’s their style. It’s a decent song. Is it a big winner? I’d say wait and see what the rest of the album has in store. We need some good rock hits. I just never expected Eve 6 to be bringing them after almost 10 years out of the limelight… we’ll see…

Carly Rae, Call Me, Maybe?

Carly Rae Jepsen, Canadian Songstress

I have nothing against the artist known as Gotye. But seriously, how did that song stay at #1 for EIGHT WEEKS!? I honestly never really got why that song was so popular. Is it bad? No, it’s okay. I just don’t understand why people loved it so much. I honestly find it incredibly dull. And don’t get me started with “We Are Young.” I’m thrilled for Jack Antonoff (of Steel Train fame) in that he probably never has to again work a day in his life from being part of Fun, but still… that song got old FAST!

Well, thank God we have this little country (albeit not really that little) to the north of America known as Canada. We have now been invaded by a sweet little girl named Carly. Actually, despite her extremely youthful appearance, she’s 26. Yeah, seriously; look it up.

Don’t worry, guys, she’s legal…

She’s adorable. She’s talented. But “Call Me Maybe” is perhaps one of the most candy-coated songs I’ve heard in a long time. I haven’t gotten around to listen to any of her other work yet, but I think she’s capable of better than this. Even if she isn’t, it’s still a lot more upbeat than the droll of the last two #1 and #2 “mega” hits.

Here’s the kicker. Who do we have to thank for this little angel descending from heaven and into our lives? Justin Bieber.

*cries hysterically*

I give this song maybe another week.

Then I’m betting a lot of people are going to be “Wide Awake.” (Shameless plug, wholly intended.)

But thank you, Carly Rae Jepsen. You at least give us something really pretty to look at, and something sweet to listen to for a change. Even if this song is downright awful…

Katy Perry is Wide Awake

And now we close one of the greatest chapters of pop music success in recent memory, the ride that was “Teenage Dream.”

I flat out love “Wide Awake” and I must say that I enjoy it more than any other song on the radio right now, with the exception of “Part of Me.”  I like Maroon 5’s “Payphone” (I like the explicit version better, by the way, minus Wiz Khalifa) and Sia’s “Wild Ones” (minus Flo Rida). But seriously, I’ve never been a huge fan of either “We are Young” or “Somebody That I Used to Know.” So it’s not hard to say I just have been pretty meh about pop music these past few months.

“Part of Me” just didn’t really do as well as I expected it to. It just didn’t. It’s my favorite of all of Katy’s songs, but it just didn’t work out as a #1 hit. It just didn’t last. I sort of expect Carly Rae’s sudden success to be a flash in the pan… no offense to her but “Call Me Maybe” is just one of those silly songs that last for the better part of a summer on the charts then disapeear from memory. Well, actually, come to think of it, there was a song called “I Kissed a Girl” back in 2008…

Let’s face it. “Teenage Dream” has been such a monumental success, and I don’t think anyone, ANYONE, ever saw it becoming the phenomenon that it did. I’ve always been a huge fan of the album and think that there’s actually MORE hit potential still on it. I mean you can only ride an album so long (and Katy’s ridden this one for over 2 years now) but I think anyone who doubted her really doesn’t have any excuse to anymore. She’s here to stay, for good.

Katy navigates the labyrinth… oh, the symbolism!

“Wide Awake” really is the perfect song to end this chapter on, and I have to give Katy a lot of credit. The music video is beautiful. I know people weren’t thrilled with the whole Goth look, but in the video it really works. I especially love how she has a younger version of herself in it (not as blonde as she herself was, though) and how that younger counterpart actually gets her out of the “labyrinth” in the end. You can’t help but laugh at Katy punching the prince’s lights out, either. I don’t really blame her for still being bitter, but I think many of us knew that Brand was no prince in shining armor…

I really can’t wait for the movie, even if I don’t get to see it in 3D (I medically really shouldn’t try to, but it’s Katy for God’s sake.) Whatever you may think of the girl, you have to admit that she has worked extremely hard to get here and she knows that this pop music scene is going to be her playground for a long time. What can I say. She is a dream 😀

My Take on Katy Perry’s New Music Video, “Part of Me”

This is the Part of Me That You’re Never Gonna Ever Take Away From Me! NO!

Katy will KICK YOUR ASS!

OK, I’m a shameless fan of this song. I love “Part of Me” more than I love any of Katy’s songs, and that’s really saying something. Yes, she is not the greatest singer to ever grace the pop music scene, but she’s certainly one of the more electric personalities we’ve had in the past decade (Madre Monster not withstanding). So now, Katy Perry makes a long-form commercial for the Marines…

Soldier Katy 😀

Actually, I don’t see it that way at all. In the video, Katy’s character has a boyfriend who was clearly a cheating bastard. She didn’t just become distraught and go to the Marines. A lot of people don’t want to give Katy the credit – if you actually watch the video, she is clearly making a point: women can be tough, too. She hacks off all her hair (it was a wig, really, mind you) and tapes down her chest (this is actually a major point) and goes off to boot camp where she bonds with her fellow recruits and really seems to have the makings of a soldier.

Part of Me is NOT really about her failed marriage to Russell Brand. It’s about something a lot bigger: women are too often regarded as sex symbols, objectified for their feminine beauty and wiles. Katy has been blessed with incredible looks and a beautiful body and it’s not a stretch to say a lot of guys just drool over her for her more superficial aspects and don’t really look at her as a person. Well, as we have seen from Katy before, she likes to have a message in her songs, and it’s really obvious here: Women are people, too, and have hopes and dreams and aren’t just toys to be played with. The extreme of joining the Marines makes her point I think as directly as she can.

I’m impressed that she went to this length to drive a point home and she really plays the part well. Is it propaganda? Was she paid by the Marines to make it? I don’t get that impression, but I can see how people would jump to that conclusion. Katy is all for the empowerment of young women to not let abusive or unfaithful partners keep them down, or let anyone keep you from being who you really are. Yes, you could parallel this song to the fact that Russell Brand never really condoned her partying or really supported her career. That’s a fair reading, but I think what Katy conveys here in this video is perhaps one of the most powerful statements made in a music video for quite sometime, and I have to hand it to her: it’s another great video, and perhaps her very best.

The work that she put into this is impressive and I don’t think you’ll get too many pop stars to do what she had to do to make this work!

Katy's marvelous blue coiffure

And now, she can get back to being Katy Perry 🙂

Happy Birthday, Stefani Germanotta!

Happy birthday, Stefi! Wow, you’re 26 already. Can’t believe you’ve grown up so fast!

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Stefi!

Oh, and happy birthday to that Lady Gaga character, too… XD

(Thanks to andPOP for this gorgeous photograph!)

Decade of Different Concert – Artist Profile: Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga, obviously, needs no introduction. Mother Monster is riding high on the fame right now, and she’s never been as popular as she is right now. She’s made a lot of new fans with her latest record, “Born This Way” and with her collaborations with such legendary artists as Sting and Tony Bennett.

She’s performed “Stand By Me” with Sting before, but her duet with Tony Bennett of the remake of Sinatra’s “The Lady is a Tramp” is particularly notable. We all know about the relationship between Bennett and Amy Winehouse, and what a great musical pair they made. It seems to be the opinion of some people that Gaga was taking advantage of Amy’s death by stealing the spotlight with that performance. I don’t see it that way at all. If anything, Lady proved that she is far more talented that many of her detractors seem to give her credit for, and she did a hell of a job with that song. I could envision that record being played back in the ’40s, although Gaga’s attire probably would met with a little curiosity (understatement of forever.)

But what I really want to discuss here is the fact that as famous as she’s become, with all of her crazy outfits and impromptu cameos and outrageous acts, she’s really the same New York girl she’s always been. She does what she does because she loves it. She can take all of her talents in music, dance, and drama and roll them up altogether into something wonderful (at least her fans think so, most people seem to just think she’s insane, but love her anyway). Above all, she works to use her fame for positive things. She’s always been looking out for the underdog, praising and glorifying the underdogs, as she herself was one just a few short years ago. This is a concert about Difference. Look at what a difference was made with her in just 4 short years. (Yahoo has a great profile of how she looked just a few years ago, and she was so cute!) It’s not like we’ve never seen a star rise like this before, but the difference here is, this Lady is going to be around for a long, long time.

What makes Gaga so unique is her raw talent and her ability to constantly reinvent herself (that is, the character of Lady Gaga). Yes, Madonna reinvented herself all the time, but she tended to follow trends, rather than be a trend-setter (perhaps not earlier in her career, but certainly later.) What Lady Gaga does is trend setting, but ignoring popular trends almost entirely. If anything, she pokes fun and parodies pop culture, rather than abide by it. But, what made me a fan in particular was not her outrageous costumes or dramatic live shows or her often very “exotic” dancing, but when it all comes down to just her and a piano. You truly realize what a true performer and musician she is, and how dedicated she is. In those moments, you see little Stefani showing through her Lady Gaga facade, sometimes with tears in her eyes, truly overwhelmed by all the love people show her. It’s when she shares a story, when she connects with her audience that she really shines. They are always her most emotional, most intimate, and most beautiful performances. Those are what make her so different. I can’t remember any star that could go from being so outrageous, to simple and wonderful.

Of all the performances there will be on Saturday night/Sunday morning, Gaga’s is obviously the most anticipated, because you just never know what she’ll do next.

Decade of Difference Concert – Artist Profile: The Edge & Bono

These two are no doubt among the greatest rock n’ roll legends of all time. Not only are they famous rock stars, though, but they’re both known for performing at many charity concerts, so this is just another in a long line for them. It’s sort of like, if there’s a charity concert, you can bet on at least Bono being there. Having the Edge there as well is always a bonus.

But why is it just the Edge & Bono, and not U2 the band?

Decade of Difference Concert – Artist Profile: Usher

We all know Usher. He was a big star in the early 2000’s, with a whole bunch of hits. His “Confessions” in 2004, especially the title track parts one & two are no doubt among his most famous tracks. After Confessions, we didn’t hear much of him on the radio as he pursued many other things, and then about a year ago, “OMG” was released, and once again he’s headlining.

He’s always been pretty talented, and while he’s not one of my personal favorite artists, he’s a welcome addition to this lineup. It’ll be cool to hear some of his older hits; it’s sort of nostalgic for me.

Decade of Difference Concert – Artist Profile: Kenny Chesney

As someone who had plenty of country music in the house growing up (my favorite musical group growing up was the legendary Alabama), I’m very familiar with Kenny Chesney. As country music has continued its rapid decline in relevancy, becoming more tired country-pop than actual country-western, there are a few artists that have still enjoyed plenty of mainstream success: the most obvious being Taylor Swift. But acts like Sugarland, The Band Perry, and Lady Antebellum have enjoyed plenty of mainstream pop success while still being fairly loyal to their country roots.

There are of course other acts who have been around for many years now, including Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, and Alan Jackson, who continue to enjoy great success, as well as the Zac Brown Band (probably the best musical group in country music today). However, you can’t forget Kenny Chesney. He was a huge star almost immediately, and while he hasn’t had as many hits in recent years, he still gets plenty of radio play, and his concerts are always well attended.

The last song I can remember by him was “The Boys of Fall,” which I believe was released this past year. It was decent enough. But as I’ve said before, I don’t really pay much attention to the goings-on in country music, since I can barely say many of the genre’s artists are true to their roots anymore. But he’s still a very good, relevant artist, and he’s a good inclusion to the Clinton Concert. He’s the country representative, Usher’s the hip-hop representative, The Edge & Bono are the rock n’ roll Representative, and Lady Gaga is… well, Gaga!

So I must say it’s a bit nostalgic to watch Kenny Chesney perform again. As long as he plays “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem,” I’ll be satisfied.

The Clinton Concert

I’m pretty stoked for this Saturday night, as it is the night of the Clinton Foundation’s Decade of Difference Concert. It’s a shame that the concert doesn’t start until 10pm eastern time, but I think it will be well worth it. Kenny Chesney and Usher are pretty good, but it’s The Edge, Bono, and of course, Gaga, that I’m looking forward to.

Honestly I haven’t paid much attention to Chesney or Usher in recent years. The only thing I know of Usher is “OMG” which was very popular a few months ago. I do, however, definitely recommend tuning into Yahoo! on Saturday night.