I have an immense amount of love for Taylor Swift at the minute. "We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together" has to be one of my favourite songs of the whole year, and defo one of my favourite Taylor songs ever. But I'm totally obsessed with her new song, "I Knew You Were Trouble", at the minute and the video for the single, taken from her hugely successful "Red" album, dropped today.
The video seems to show Taylor embracing her inner rock chick and I think it's a pretty good look for her. Her new music is a lot more experimental and definitely not as influenced by country music as her previous releases have been. The video shows Taylor getting down and dirty with a guy, getting into a fight and rocking some cool pink dip-dye hair.
Check the video out and see what you think of Taylor's new sound and new image!
When I was Christmas shopping in Merry Hill yesterday, I paid a visit to their River Island store as my local store is pretty bad in comparison to bigger city stores. Normally I walk around, spend about five minutes looking at what River Island has to offer and then walk out, completely underwhelmed by what they have to offer. Yesterday was a different story entirely.
I found so many things in there that I wanted and I could have easily spent about £100 if I had that kind of money to spend so freely. Sadly, I don't, so I'll just have to settle for oggling until payday. I'm also hoping that the stuff I want goes into the sale after Christmas; that would be fab!
The first item on my want list is this cool, khaki with leather-look sleeved jacket. It's taken a classic, vintage style jacket and reinvented it with the on-trend leather sleeves. Beautiful, but perhaps slightly overpriced.
RI leather sleeved khaki jacket, £65
My
second item to accompany the above jacket is a t-shirt emblazoned with the
Queen of my world, Rihanna. I think it would look perfect perhaps a tad
oversized and could be worn underneath a shirt, over a pair of jeans and maybe
tucked into a pair of shorts in the summer. I'm not usually a fan of tee's that
plaster musicians all over them, but this RiRi tee is a must!
RI Rihanna tee, £20
The final item from River Island that I need in my life is this pair of blue skinny jeans. As soon as I saw these jeans in store I fell in love with them. I love, love, LOVE them. I think it's the colour I love the most; I don't own a pair of skinny jeans this colour, which I think is why I love them so much. I also have so many other items of clothing I could wear with them; I have a burgundy jumper and a pair of studded brown biker boots that would go perfectly with them! I also think they're insanely cheap for River Island, only costing £25!
RI Limited Edition skinny jeans, £25
So they're the items I have my heart set on from River Island, but there's so many other's that I could have added to this list. I may drop some very subtle hints to my family on ideas for Christmas presents.
I seriously suck at keeping my blog updated; my last post was almost a month ago, when I was contemplating dying my hair dark. So, here's a brief update:
I'm now dark! I went for the plunge and darkened my hair for winter and the end result was a lovely browny/reddy colour. I decided to warm the dark with a hint of red as dark brown can be quite harsh on my skin. I have super fair skin and look pale at the best of times; if I dyed my hair a dark brown I would look waaaay too drawn out for my own liking, so I opted for a brown with a subtle hint of red. I love it! Although I've almost had my hair dyed for a month now and it's in desperate need of touch up. But this time I'm planning for the end result to be more brown than red, so I look forward to seeing how that turns out! Below is a photo of my hair colour that I uploaded to Instagram once I'd had it dyed.
My new hair!
Other than my new hair, nothing else has changed much. I've been working all the hours God sends at work, super, super busy! I've also made a huge dent in my Christmas shopping and have bought more than I originally thought! Woop! I'm about to start wrapping my presents so that I don't leave it until the last minute like I normally do every year. I'm actually enjoying the festive cheer this year, which is quite strange as last year Christmas was the last thing on my mind in the midst of University deadlines, a new job and lack of dollar to contend with! Funny how much things can change in a year :)
Here's a picture of my Christmas tree that has been decorated grand by my Mother.
My Christmas Tree!
I hope everyone else is embracing the madness of Christmas! It's only 20 days until it's finally here!
Now that winter is well and truly upon us, everything starts to change; days seem shorter, nights seem longer, clothing becomes significantly thicker and we say "bye-bye" to our summer purchases until next year.
Winter is never a good time for anyone, whether it's the cold that we hate or the fact that it means Christmas will soon be upon us. But we have to just get on with it, so change is inevitable. One thing I do love about winter is my change in style - I LOVE wearing thick, oversized jumpers with new boots and skinny jeans. I also love layering. Love, love, LOVE it! But this year I'm embracing a different change; a change in colour.
No, not a wardrobe colour change but a hair colour change. I have bright blonde hair and when freshly bleached is almost white, but white blonde is a colour I have always seemed so close to achieving yet so far. I recently had a crazy idea to tone my hair silver, drawing inspiration from P!nk and her ever-changing locks, but then somebody that I work with dyed their hair silver and that kind of put me off. Not because they did it before me(even though that may contribute slightly, ha!)but because the colour had been toned that much that it was verging on purple/bluey/silver, which I really didn't rate very much and I hate nothing more than when I dye my hair and the colour result is a disaster. I also hate putting my hair through the damage process it will endure to correct it.
So, for this reason, I want to go back brunette. I have been dark many times before but a very long time ago. I think the last time I had any trace of dark colour in my hair was late 2010. Trust me, I am slightly worried that I'll regret it as it's such a drastic change, but I always say that change is a good thing. I don't look at it as a change, more a re-invention. That said, I'm quite excited to see how I'll look with dark hair again. One thing I do remember about being brunette is that it used to make me look really pale, but I think that will be perfect for this winter season. I can also dress in really warm colours to compliment my dark hair, rather than having to dress to cater my icy hair colour at the minute.
So yes, I'm going back dark. Not sure how long it will last, I'll probably begin lightening it after Christmas knowing me, but I'm embracing this new re-invention! I'll post again once I've gone through with it, along with pictures!
It's just a quick post as I'm trying my hardest to post more often as I know I suck slightly at this! But I like to think that this post will be fairly short and sweet.
Payday is almost here - hurrah! Which means that I'm slowly compiling a list of all the things I want to buy once the day is finally here; eight days (almost seven) and counting!
I'm having an inner debate with my conscience over whether or not to open a Topshop/Topman card. I know some people are dead against store cards, but they are a useful thing to have, especially if shopping is one of your vices in life. So yeah, I want a Topshop/Topman card, hence why I find myself browsing both sites quite a lot lately. But when I was adding to my ever-growing list of things I want once I get paid, I came across this amazing skeleton tee-shirt.
I've been toying with the idea of getting one of these tee's for a while. I have no idea why I think it's so good as I'm sure many people would disagree with me but I really like it. I really like the rolled back sleeves as I don't really like tee's that have sleeves that make the tee look like a box. It's a pet peeve of mine. I think this top would look great with black skinnies, black ankle boots and lots of gold jewellery; I have a gold chain that would go perfect with it.
So basically I've convinced myself to buy it once I get paid! Now payday really needs to hurry up!
I love nothing more than a good movie, and I especially love nothing more than when I see the trailer for a movie that instantly grabs my attention and curiosity.
Over the weekend I saw Paranormal Activity 4 at the cinema; yes, the film petrified me. I think I get some kind of sick thrill from having the wits scared out of me. But when I saw it, the trailer for "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" was shown and I actually can't wait for the movie to be released in January 2013.
In a nutshell, the movie follows on from the the Brother's Grimm tale of Hansel and Gretel who were kidnapped by a witch fifteen years previous and, fast forward fifteen years, Hansel and Gretel are now vengeful witch hunters, intent on ridding the world of witches.
Hansel and Gretel are portrayed by Jeremy Renner (The Avengers, The Bourne Legacy) and Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia, Quantam of Solace) respectively, and, judging from the footage featured in the trailer, it seems that the casting was a perfect choice. Renner is super familiar with action flicks; the last two movies he featured in have been hugely successful action movies, but Arterton hasn't really had much experience with action movies, but she seems to have settled into the role effortlessly. I'm excited for this movie!
Below is the trailer for the movie; check it out and see what you think!
I have no trouble in admitting that I LOVE Little Mix, and have done since they triumphed on The X Factor last year!
Having released their second, original, recording, "Wings", in the summer, Little Mix are back with their third single, "DNA". Personally, I prefer this song a lot more than their previous effort; it has a bit of an urban feel and has a great bass-line and I also think it's good for bands to experiment with different sounds and styles as an artist should never become predictable.
The music video for the track was released yesterday and it's miles away from what is expected of Little Mix! The styling for the video is very vamp-like and the girls are dressed in lots of black with very heavy make-up. I'm guessing Sin City was the inspiration for the video, but it totally works! The result is brilliant! I predict another number one single for the girls with this track.
Halloween is my favourite season of the whole year! I look forward to it more than Christmas, birthdays, Easter, etc. I absolutely love it and have done for as long as I can remember. Although it doesn't hold any sentimental value to me like a birthday does, or even Christmas, there is something about it that I love!
What I really love is walking into stores, such as Tesco or Asda, and seeing the amazing displays of Halloween stock that they feature and seeing all the different costumes, decorations and sweets that they have to offer! In my house I am the instigator of anything Halloween related and am always pushing for some extravagant Halloween party, like you see in American movies.
Movies is something else that I love about Halloween. There is only one film that I need to watch on Halloween and that is the CLASSIC "Hocus Pocus". It's most definitely one of the best Halloween films ever made and Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker (pre-Sex and the City) and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson Sister's are perhaps among the best witches ever!
I guess I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy dressing up for the occasion, wouldn't I? Just like every other 21 year old out there who enjoys a good time, Halloween also signals the one time in the year where adults can dress up in all manner of horrors, go out, get off their face, and laugh about it the following morning. Also, to quote Mean Girls:
"In the regular world, Halloween is when children dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it"
So yes, I'm extremely excited about Halloween this year! I have my outfit sorted and have my plans arranged, now I just need the day to arrive. Also, payday falls on Halloween this year; a double cause for celebration!
How does everyone else feel about Halloween? Cause for celebration or cause for concern?
Something that I think sets Radio 1 apart from all other radio stations in the UK is the variety of musical genres that the station caters for; throughout the different shows that the station produces and airs, an eclectic mix of music is covered. But one feature that I love at Radio 1 is the Live Lounge segment that features on Fearne Cotton's show. The Live Lounge allows music artists to perform a cover version of another artist's song and put their own spin on the track and, I have to say, there have been some BRILLIANT covers.
In April I posted Jessie J's cover of 'We Found Love' by Rihanna which I have to say was simply amazing. In August, Rita Ora featured in the Live Lounge and performed an acoustic version of her hit "How We Do" and then performed a cover of One Direction's - "What Makes You Beautiful". When she announced live on air her intention to cover One Direction, I was filled with dread. Although 1D are good at what they do, their music is so generic and simple, but perhaps that's why they've had such huge success I really didn't know how Rita could make this cover her own, but she did.
I have to say, this cover is perhaps one of my favourite live lounge covers EVER. Rita has such a gravelly tone to her voice which works perfect for the stripped back cover. It really is genius. She also brings a bit of a reggae vibe into the mix when she performs on the drums with her band member. It's brilliant!
Below is the full version of the cover; watch and be amazed!
After what seems like four very, VERY long years, the announcement that the UK have been waiting for has finally happened; GIRLS ALOUD ARE BACK! They made the announcement by posting a countdown on their official website, counting down to ten days time which will mark exactly ten years to the day that Girls Aloud first performed on Popstars: The Rivals.
The countdown featured on the GA website yesterday (09/10/12)
I am SO excited about this! Girls Aloud are definitely one of the biggest girlbands in the UK, obviously after the Spice Girls! Apparently, they are set to perform their new single, which is rumoured to be this years Children in Need single, on the BBC ratings juggernaut Strictly Come Dancing, which member Kimberly Walsh is currently a contestant on. Even if it the rumours aren't true, the single is sure to be a number one hit for the band!
It's also rumoured that the band will announce their plans for a reunion tour in the New Year, which I will most definitely be getting tickets for, as well as announcing plans to release a new album! These next nine days are going to be unbelievably long, but I really cannot wait!
Girls Aloud fresh from supporting Coldplay at Wembley Stadium in September 2009
When it comes to describing or defining
my style, this is something I would struggle to successfully do. I guess the
word I would use to describe my style is eclectic; it changes so often and I'm
very rarely channelling the same style for a consecutive period of
time. It really does just depend on how I feel on that day.
The reason that my style is so eclectic is because I take inspiration from a
range of places. I don't only take inspiration from people, such as celebrities
of fashion icons, but I take inspiration from different prints, the seasons and
different trends. But I don't like to be predictable with what I wear and I
would like to think that I dress the trends to suit me, rather than me dressing
to suit the trends.
I won't lie, the majority of people who I take inspiration from for my
style choices are females. Females are so much more daring when it comes to
fashion and I admire the fact that they test the boundaries of fashion, which
is exactly what fashion should allow. Fashion means that individuals can
interpret the current trends in their own, unique way.
Over the summer months I found myself falling in love with Rita Ora and
Jessie J's styling. Rita Ora has a real urban feel to the way she dresses and
is always seen in LOTS of gold jewellery, which always seem
to accentuate whatever she is wearing. Jessie's style is craaazy and
there is no way I would have any chance of attempting to mimic anything she
wears. But one thing she wears better than anyone is shorts. I saw her at
Wireless Festival in the summer and she was rocking a pair of distressed
Levi's, white tank top and a camo jacket. I would describe her street style as
pretty effortless for her, but it's most definitely effort for anyone else who
is hoping to clone her style for themselves.
My most recent style crush is Demi Lovato, and I'm sure many people would agree
that this is a bit of strange style crush for a guy to occupy, but oh well. I
have been hooked on The X Factor USA and I'm actually more interested in what
Demi is wearing rather than who is singing and if they're any good. The way
that Demi dresses is so fresh for someone her age and it totally portrays her
personality, as well as her professional image. This is something that young
singers and performers very rarely accomplish and too often we see them
dressing ten years older than what they are. Demi's style is very edgy and she
has the ability to grunge up the most girly and feminine of products, as seen
below.
Demi Lovato looking high street chic at the X Factor USA auditions, 2012
I love everything
about this outfit; I love how she took a very floral and feminine dress but
dressed it down with the leather gilet and added a bit of edge to the outfit
with the spiked necklace. A perfect outfit for Autumn/Winter! Also, the fact
that she has layered this outfit makes it wearable even in the depths of
winter; to make the outfit fully appropriate, it could be teamed with a pair of
thick black tights and a nice
pair of biker boots.
The
edge factor is something that I am gradually incorporating more and more into
my outfits. Working in fashion retail means I need to be ahead of the trends
before they hit the high street and by taking inspiration from someone such as
Demi, I'm slowly doing that and am loving experimenting with different styles!
So yes, Demi Lovato is my A/W12 style crush! Which makes me quite
excited to see what outfits I can create, whilst drawing inspiration from Demi
and her cute, edgy style!
I've come to the realisation that although I do find blogging fairly time-consuming, and at times I really have no motivation whatsoever to post, I do actually enjoy it when I blog on items that interest me, such as music, fashion and television. However, I've decided that I need to take my blog to a more professional level.
After browsing through various blogs, I've realised that my blog is nowhere near as professional as it could, or should, be. In terms of presentation my blog is pretty generic. I use a basic theme and customise the colours to suit me, but it doesn't reflect my interests or personality which is something a viral medium should do. I also want my posts to constitute a variety of different forms, such as a magazine article, for example. Rather than my post being a constant ramble, I want the layout to be formatted differently, but in order to do this I need photo editing software, preferably Adobe Fireworks as I have the most experience with this software. I would also LOVE to start 'vlogging' by connecting my YouTube account to my blog. The one problem I have though is I hate watching myself talk, as do most people. But I'm hoping to overcome this obstacle so that my blog operates on a multi-channel platform. In order for this to be successful, I would also need to familiarise myself with video editing software, so that's a challenge in itself.
So basically, I want to completely revamp my blog, and my list of things to do are:
Change my entire blog theme, including colour scheme, layout and general presentation. Make more personal and reflective.
Purchase photo editing software in order to format my blog posts more professionally.
Start vlogging.
Overcome the fear of the sound of my own voice.
Post more regularly.
Take more pride in my blog.
Keep checking back to gradually see these changes take place!
"We should pop more champagne this year, than we did last year"
There is no doubt that Tulisa has been the breakout star of N-Dubz and this has been helped massively by her exposure as a judge on The X Factor. Naturally, her solo music career isn't doing too badly either off the back of her X Factor success and her new single "Live it Up" featuring American rapper Tyga will only continue her mainstream chart success.
I first heard "Live it Up" at Wireless Festival, London in July and I instantly fell in love with it and it sounded AMAAAAZING blasting out of the speakers in Hyde Park! I've always thought Tulisa has a pretty decent voice, although there are many people that would disagree with me. I love the bashment vibe of the song and it's quite an interesting direction for Tulisa to take her music in, I think, but it totally works for her. I much prefer it to her previous single, "Young". Although it would sound amazing in Ibiza, it was pretty generic and quite predictable for Tulisa to release it as her debut solo single, but it still acheived number one on the UK single charts, which is no mean feat. But I definitely think Tulisa should continue to experiment with her sound and I'm hoping her album will be an eclectic mix of music to cater for all music lovers.
The video for this track is perfect. Tulisa looks incredible, although I have to say I'm really not a fan of her with blonde hair. She looks cheap and her brunette locks definitely added some much needed sassiness to her image. The blonde hair takes her back to the early days of N-Dubz, except she has a stylist now. I think she should definitely bring the brunette back!
I'm guessing that for anyone who follows Miley on Twitter, they will already be familiar with the teen star's latest image overhaul. In fact, I suspect anyone who reads newspapers or is a celebrity gossip junkie will know that she has indeed chopped her locks off in favour of a short buzz-cut. I won't lie, I love it!
I'm guessing the former teen star's new look has not gone down well with the majority of the world with many news sources suspecting some form of 'breakdown' on Miley's part; so the girl is clearly a little crazed to cut her hair? It has nothing to do with the fact she wanted a changed, right? This assumption riles me.
I hate when people are defined by something as aesthetic as their hair. I also hate when people (i.e. THE PRESS!) then start to fabricate reasons behind such drastic changes. I think one factor that media outlets forget when conjuring their tripe is the fact that Miley is YOUNG. There is no way she was going to stick with the same hair style for the rest of her life. I actually admire her for doing something so bold whilst in the glare of the public eye.
The reason I get so riled up is because I was defined by my hair for many years. When I was REALLY, REALLY young and at secondary school, I had hideous short, spiky hair which I then proceeded to grow as I was a tad tired of people constantly praising my ugly hair faux pas. So I grew it, then cut it, then dyed it a variety of colours from brown with blonde, to red, back to brown and then, finally, and currently, to blonde. I've also had my hair cut into a range of lengths but I'm currently working a shaved buzzcut, very similar to Miley's, which then graduates into lengthy fringe at the front.
Hair can be inventive and I get a bit annoyed by people who conform to the norm, such as long, flowing locks on a girl or a short crew cut on a guy. Switch it up, experiment and have fun; hair does grow back after all! In the meantime, sceptics need to move on and accept that a change in hair style does not mean a change in mental state. Hell, if that was the case, I would've been admitted to a psychiatric ward a looong time ago!
Ever since Little Mix were formed on The X Factor in 2011, there was something different about them; they possessed qualities that previous girl-bands on the show didn't and ultimately lead to them being crowned The X Factor winner and being crowned the most successful girl-band EVER in the history of the show.
Now the girls are back with their first single since winning the show and the result is "Wings" - an infectious pop song with soulful vocals and a hypnotic melody.
Little Mix's single, "Wings"
The track really is a slice of pop perfection and is guaranteed to be a huge success when it's released later this month. I hope that the track is a roaring success as I am a huge fan of Little Mix and what they represent. It's refreshing to see a successful girl-band thriving in the music industry and they're great role models for young girls; they exemplify hard work and dedication, breaking the stereotype that girls must look a certain way in the music industry to be successful.
I predict a long and healthy career for these girls. Move over, The Saturdays, Little Mix are here to stay.
So
last week saw the UK embroiled in a heatwave and the weather was heavenly.
Seeing as I'm not going on holiday this year, not yet anyway, I fully basked in
the glory of the sun and the weather was long overdue! But, true to British
form, the cold, miserable weather is now well and truly back and I have had to
swap my shorts for jeans. Boo!
With the Olympics now in full swing and random outbursts of sunshine, it is slowly starting to feel like summer and nothing compliments summer as well as a summer soundtrack! The song that makes me feel most summery is a song called "Brokenhearted" by American duo Karmin.
I first heard this catchy pop track on Capital FM about a month ago and I instantly loved it. It's such an uplifting song and makes you want to dance and it was the PERFECT song for me and my friend to dance around in the summer sunshine to last week!
The song was released last Sunday and debuted at a respectable number 6 in the UK singles chart which is a pretty big achievement given that the song was not promoted at all throughout the UK - no television performances, no press interviews, nothing. One thing us British do is embrace the catchy pop tracks churned out by the Americans. I mean we kept Carly Rae Jepsen at number one with "Call Me Maybe" for four weeks and the song is still riding high in the charts months after its release.
A few other songs that I'm loving at the minute are Wiley featuring Ms D, "Heatwave". I look forward to this song coming on in a club one night when I'm out and I can imagine this song being a huuuuge hit in Ibiza and the like! I'm also loving Far East Movement featuring Cover Drive, "Turn Up the Love". I really love Cover Drive. Their reggae-influenced tracks are so anthemic. I'd love to see them live.
I am also bracing myself for the release of Rita Ora's debut album, "O.R.A", which is released on 27th August.
I have a feeling that this album will be the soundtrack to my summer, autumn and winter! I can't wait for when she tours as I will be there!
So, fresh off the press, it's been confirmed that Rihanna is
launching a clothing range and has chosen to collaborate with high street
chain, and one of my favourite outlets, River Island!
I'm so excited for this collaboration! It's going to be interesting to see the tone and style of the range, given that RiRi is famed for her more raunchy outfits. But a clothing range has been a long time coming, especially given the fact that Rihanna is very much involved in the fashion industry at the moment - her Sky Living TV show, Styled to Rock, is due to premiere in August. And now it's official: she's venturing into the designing aspect and has chosen the UK as the country to debut her collection to.
After a month or so away from the blogosphere I'm back with plenty to post!
To start with I have a video from X Factor 2011 alumni, Miss Misha B. Last year on The X Factor, Misha was a stand-out act and consistently delivered stellar performances and seemed like a dead cert to clinch the title of X Factor Winner 2011. But it just wasn't meant to be as she was eliminated in the semi-final.
Almost a year later, Misha B is back with her debut solo single, 'Home Run'. It's an infectious club track, with heavy beats and a great bass-line. It showcases what Misha does best. She is so current and relevant and is exactly what the UK music industry needs. The UK doesn't have a home-grown urban Queen, and Misha B is most definitely on her way to gaining that title for herself.
The track is released at midnight on Sunday, 15th July and below is the music video for the track. Enjoy!
Following
Kelly Rowland's departure from The X Factor judging panel, the question on
everybody's lips was "who is going to replace her?" With bosses
unable to secure a permanent fourth judge before the auditions began, various
guest judges filled the vacant chair on the judging panel. It was believed that
the various guest judges were all in line to be signed up as a permanent judge,
depending on how well their 'trial' went. And after weeks of suspense and
deliberation, it was revealed today that Nicole Scherzinger was the chosen one.
Scherzinger has been named as the fourth & final judge for The X Factor UK
I have to say, Nicole was the obvious choice. She has guest judged on The X Factor in the past and has always been popular with UK audiences. She's a lot more endearing than Kelly Rowland. Rowland was way too feisty and clashed with the judges too often last series. Also, Nicole has the experience having been a judge on The X Factor USA last year, replacing Cheryl Cole on the panel after being unceremoniously sacked. I think it was always obvious that Simon Cowell would choose Nicole; he's obviously a huge fan of hers, even after dismissing her from The X Factor USA at the end of the series and replacing her with Britney Spears.
That said, I personally think that Simon should have chosen somebody else. Somebody outside of The X Factor fold. I am a huge Nicole fan; I loved her in The Pussycat Dolls and loved her when she went solo, but I think change is a good thing and Nicole is far too familiar. But then again, who else was there to choose from? There is no way on this earth that Cheryl would make a return to the panel, as amazing as that would be. I would have loved for Rita Ora to join the panel but she lacks experience, I think; she doesn't have the credentials to become a mentor at this early stage in her career.
However, I have no doubt that Nicole will be fabulous. She's ridiculously talented and the UK love her. Her career in the UK, by the end of this year, will be huge.
Now let the countdown begin for The X Factor to return to our screens.
I
will be the first to admit that Usher and Coldplay are not two music artists
that I've been a huge fan of over the years. Okay, I know more Usher songs than
Coldplay songs, but still, neither have really taken residence on my iPod or
Spotify playlists. Until now.
I still wouldn't say that I'm a fan of their music, but I guess you could say I 'appreciate' their music more; I think Usher has a profound effect on females, for obvious reasons, and I think the reason I'm not really a huge Coldplay fan is because they're a band - I very, very rarely enjoy music by bands, especially alternative bands like Coldplay. But this week, both of their recent musical offerings are perhaps two of my favourite songs.
Usher's new track, "Scream", is such a club track. I can imagine it coming on in a crowded club and just dancing like crazy to it, as you do. But I do have extreme love for this song at the minute. I saw him performing online at the Capital FM Summertime Ball last weekend and he was, surprisingly, really good. His energy was great and his vocals and live performance weren't too shabby, either. I remember some of Usher's earlier tracks, such as Caught Up, Burn and, one of my favourites, Yeah! So he definitely has achieved longevity. And, it would appear that, he hasn't lost his effect on the ladies, as is demonstrated by him taking his shirt off at the Summertime Ball to reveal his famous six pack. The screams say it all. But yeah, I love "Scream".
Coldplay are one band that I seriously never, EVER thought that I would find myself embracing and actually enjoying one of their songs. To me, personally, I feel that the majority of their songs all sound and seem the same. I guess I would say they're a tad repetitive, but that's just my opinion and I know that there are probably a million or more people out there who would oppose my opinion. But I have to say I really like "Princess of China" featuring none other than Miss Robyn Rihanna Fenty AKA Barbadian Goddess, Rihanna.
I have to say
that Rihanna collaborating with Coldplay is such a weird collaboration; they're
from completely different genres of music, but it works so well on
"Princess of China". Maybe I'm completely warped and only like the
song because of Rihanna featuring but, whatever the reason is behind my
liking, I don't care. I love the sound of the track, it sounds quite oriental
which is a nice nod to the title of the track. I also love the music video.
Rihanna looks HOT! Which is no surpise, really. And the chemistry between her
and Chris Martin is extremely convincing. So yeah, perhaps I'm converting into
a Coldplay fan. Only time will tell, but I sincerely doubt it.
Check out the "Princess of China" video below. Super
creative and brilliantly filmed and constructed.
I,
like the rest of the world, have become enchanted with E.L James' 'Fifty
Shades' trilogy. For those of you have been living underneath a rock for the
last few months and have no clue what the trilogy is about, I'll give a
nutshell summary.
The 'Fifty Shades' trilogy
The
books explore the relationship between the illusive, mysterious and gorgeous
billionaire, Christian Grey, and recent college graduate, Anastasia Steele.
Christian is a sadist, Ana is a virgin; cue a genuinely messed up relationship,
dominated by feelings, emotions and BDSM relations.
Tulisa with her copy of 'Fifty Shades'
In the press I'd seen many celebrities reading this book, or rather was
informed of many celebrities reading this book, such as Tulisa and Holly
Willoughby. But it wasn't until a friend recommended the series to me that I
truly showed a keen interest in the series and purchased the first two books to
see what all the fuss was about. And now I know.
I've read the first two books so far and am just about to start reading the
third and final book in the series. But I'm seriously hooked. The first book
was quite slow starting, as is the same with any book in a series; the
narrative has to be set, key characters introduced, etc. But the second novel,
Fifty Shades Darker, was truly gripping. From start to finish I was enthralled.
I'm hoping Fifty Shades Freed, the final book in the series, is equally as
gripping as its predecessor. Although I will be a tad gutted when I finish the
series.
However, I have the movie adaptation to look forward to! Yes, Universal
Pictures have acquired the rights to adapt the series into a movie trilogy.
There's been many rumours circulating regarding actors and actresses who could
play Christian and Ana; I personally would like to see Ian Somerhalder and
Scarlett Johansson play Christian and Ana, respectively. They're both gorgeous and I think they could bring the sizzling chemistry between Christian and Ana effortlessly. But I have no idea how
the erotic scenes from the book will transfer onto the big screen. The movie
will most definitely have to have a '18+' classification. And, hopefully, the
movies will do the novels justice and not have the adverse effect. But we shall
see.
Ian and Scarlett have been linked to the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' movie adaptation
Jessie J is my muse and inspiration for life. No joke. The outfit that she is wearing could be worn by me. I LOVE IT.
I want the jacket. I want the tee. I NEED those shorts. This outfit makes me love her even more. She better rock up to Wireless Festival in a similar outfit, because I definitely will!
Okay, so, in the midst of moving house I've had to clear out A LOT of rubbish in order to make room for all of the stuff that I need to keep; 'stuff' such as my clothes. However, lately I've been feeling really hateful towards my wardrobe. I really wish I had disposable money as I would shop, shop, shop until my heart is content. I am constantly finding items in stores that I would love to purchase but can very rarely justify spending copious amounts of money on items of clothing, especially given the fact that I do have plenty of clothes already at home but I just want new clothes.
Although I have lots of clothes I don't have lots of shoes, and this leads me swiftly into my next 'want'. A girl I work with has such a quirky dress sense and today she was wearing a pair of leopard creepers with a pair of denim shorts, plain tee and oversized cardigan' the cardigan I, myself, already have. Her creepers looks so cute and really complimented the rest of the outfit. I came to the realization that I want a pair of creepers in my life.
The reason I don't have loads of shoes is because the shoes that I do have match any outfit that I wear. But I've already started planning what I could wear my creepers with; I've decided I want plain black creepers just for the reason that plain black shoes match ANY outfit. I also don't think I could work a pair of zebra/leopard/any other colour creepers, so I figure plain black creepers are the perfect choice.
So yeah, deciding what colour I wanted was pretty easy but then I needed to decide what I could actually wear with them but then it wasn't long before inspiration hit me. I recently saw a leather gilet in Topshop which I instantly loved; the only downside was that it was £45! Sadly, I could not justify that amount of money for a gilet. Gutted. However, a few days ago New Look got the exact same gilet in store at £24.99!! What. A. Bargain. Seeing as I work there I got staff discount, too!
I do love it and it would go perfectly with my creepers, a pair of skinny jeans and a band tee; I'm channelling my inner rock God with this outfit and to complete the outfit lots and lots of studs, in the form of necklaces, bracelets and rings! The wonder of the creepers being black means that I could, within reason, wear them with anything. But I think skinny jeans or shorts would look amazing with them.
I look forward to experimenting with my new babyz.
So, this weekend saw the live final of the Voice UK which signalled the end of series one. After much anticipation, the Voice debuted in March to exceptional viewing figures and the BBC saw it as a rival show to television juggernaut The X Factor. But upon reflection, was the Voice really any competition for The X Factor?
The American version of the show, which features Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton as coaches, proved a huge success when it premiered in America last year and when the BBC bought to rights to the show for a staggering £22 million, they hoped to replicate its success in the UK. However, simply purchasing the rights to a show that is majorly successful in various countries does not guarantee success elsewhere, as the BBC found out.
I, personally, love the concept of the show; to uncover a star with a killer voice, not taking into account looks, personality or styling - this is where the initial 'Blind Auditions' proved successful. With the judges facing away from the contestant, or 'artist' as they are referred to, if one or more coach likes what they hear, they press their 'I WANT YOU' button, revolving their chair so that they can face the artist. A very clever and unique idea. However, the concept is slightly deluded as the music industry today IS image dominated, but there are still artists today that have hugely successful careers because of their voice. artists such as Adele and Ed Sheeran.
The superstar coaches for this version were frontman of the Script, Danny O'Donoghue, living legend and musical icon, Sir Tom Jones, US producer, rapper and founding member of the Black Eyed Peas, Will.I.Am, and the fourth and final coach is global singing sensation, and my favourite artist, Jessie J. I feel that the BBC selected the perfect coaches. Each coach contributed something different to the dynamics of the panel, yet something just wasn't connecting with audience members.
Although I praise the concept of the show for providing aspiring musicians with the platform and liberation that a show like The X Factor may not give them, I do feel that the diversity that was constantly discussed regarding the show proved to be its downfall. The X Factor is a great entertainment show - it makes you laugh, cry, shout and cheer simultaneously and that is what a good entertainment show should make you do! I found myself becoming bored with the Voice as the coaches were far to constructive and never truly criticised the artists. Also, with the X Factor being such an established British television show, comparisons are inevitable and it soon became apparent that the Voice was no competition. But what the BBC must remember is that the success that The X Factor has achieved is almost ten years in the making and success must be worked for and cannot me gained immediately.
It's been confirmed that The Voice is returning for a second series next year and it's clear that it needs a lot of developing. Perhaps if the shows airs for longer than two months the British public will begin to love it the way they love The X Factor. But I'm not sure if it was worth the £22 million the BBC paid for it, and I bet the BBC are wondering the same thing right now.
So, my dissertation has been submitted and I can now regain control of my life. Hurrah! One way that I plan to utilise my new found time is by going to the cinema and checking out the films I have been wanting to see for weeks and weeks! There is so many films I want to see but below are a few of the films that I REALLY want to see within the next few weeks.
Avengers Assemble (2012)
The first film that I plan to watch is the superhero manifesto, Avengers Assemble. I never watched Iron Man or the Hulk when the films were released. To be honest, I wasn't really ever a fan of superhero movies; they were so predictable and had such a repetitive narrative. But, alas, I found myself converting after watching Thor and Captain America. I loved Thor. And the movie. Definitely one of the best films I watched in 2011. So I was immediately wanting to watch Avengers and have waited patiently since last summer to see this film and cannot wait to see if it lives up to all of the hype surrounding it. But I can't lie, I'm ridiculously excited about seeing it this week.
Dark Shadows (2012)
The next film that I'm not sure if I'm excited about or just intrigued about seeing is Dark Shadows, starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. This film's directed by Tim Burton and nobody creates Gothic creations as well as Tim Burton. I'm pretty sure that the premise of the movie is something along the line of Johnny Depp, who's a vampire, being buried centuries before by a witch and being unearthed and resurrected in the present day. I'm not sure and I can't say I have a burning desire to see this film, but I do enjoy Tim Burton's films so I figure it's worth a watch. I like watching movies that I can just sit back, relax and enjoy. After all, what else is a movie for if not for escapism?
What To Expect When You're Expecting (2012)
If there's one form of movie that I love the most it's a good comedy. I love a film that physically makes me laugh out loud. I have a feeling this film could make me do just that. Cameron Diaz does comedy fantastically. She was hilarious in Bad Teacher last year. Although some people question Jennifer Lopez's acting ability, she is a good actress. I think she was best in Monster-in-Law opposite Jane Fonda. Fantastic film. This film features an ensemble cast including Matthew Morrison, Chace Crawford as well as a cameo appearance from Cheryl Cole. That should be interesting. But again, this film will pacify me I think. I'm not expecting Oscar-worthy performances from this movie, but I am expecting great comedy.
SWATH (2012)
Now this film has got me SERIOUSLY excited. This movie has been publicised for months, with various trailers circulating the internet. From what I have seen, Charlize Theron looks like she is going to be fantastic as the Evil Queen. She exudes cruelty and malice but in such a seductive way. Chris Hemsworth stars as the Huntsman; my second dose of Chris Hemsworth in less than two months. He's making his mark in Hollywood. Not bad for a former Home & Away export. My only criticism is that Kristen Stewart stars at Snow White. I really do not know how out of all the talented, Hollywood actresses Kristen Stewart was the ONLY one that fit the criteria the director was searching for. I think she's a terrible actress and she seems so miserable all of the time. Maybe this could be the film to change my opinion on her? Chances are slim but stranger things have happened.
So, that's the four films that I'm determined to see within the next few weeks. Now that I've regained my life, I look forward to blogging my verdict.
Okay, so, lately I've been on the hunt for the perfect pair of shorts. With the summer months fast approaching and high street stores almost nearing the end of their summer season trend, time is of the essence to find a pair of shorts for myself.
At the minute all high street stores are filled with shorts so I find it hard to fathom how I don't like any of the shorts I see. Most of the time I find myself drifting around aimlessly as I know the chances of me finding a pair of shorts that I am going to fall in love with are extremely slim.
But yesterday I finally accomplished the short term goal I had set myself - I found the pair of shorts that will see me through the summer months, summer holiday and, more importantly, my summer festival. They are as close to perfect as I think I'm going to get.
There they are! Whilst searching for the perfect pair of shorts, I noticed that stars and stripes are a prominent theme along the high street. Perhaps TOO prominent. I do like it but sometimes fashion tend to overkill certain trends. That said, I have only noticed this in relation to female clothing and trends. I have struggled to find any item of clothing, for guys, that is unique, affordable and wearable; my shorts are all of the above.
What I love is that these shorts are stocked only online or in London at the minute which means it could be a few weeks before an influx of these shorts appear. Hence why I've snapped them up. They're from Topman and Topman jeans/shorts are always fantastic quality, hence why they're perfect for me. Definitely a worthwhile buy.
As well as loving the above shorts, I also found some rather 'different' shorts that I like. I haven't bought them yet, but there's a good chance I will. I've been told by numerous people that I'll "never wear them" and that "they're awful". Well, I like a challenge.
