Marvelous Happy Things

 The time has come for the next round of HSM Songs, Ranked. This tier is HSM: The Concert (minus Zac). Again, these are in no particular order. See if you can guess which original film is my least favorite. You are the Music in Me (Sharpay's Version)- Sure, Sharpay can flaunt her choreography, but the fact that Troy has zero idea of what he needs to do during this means it isn't winning any "awards." And since she is in costume, this could be a dress rehearsal. Bonus point for the fog machine or pyro that startles Troy. Gotta Go My Own Way- #2 in Gabriella's songs list, although this is technically a duet. Bonus point for the dramatic acting from both characters. Everyday- This is a nice group song, but it is a little sleepy. I guess we could cut them some slack as this is a talent show performance at a formal event. (I suspect they sing a reprise of this as they look at the stars and Troy and Gabriella almost kiss, but I haven't seen that scene enough to know...

Summer vibes and the arrival of HSM the Musical the Series Season 4 in August led to this ranking. My idea was to list all of the rankings in one post, but it will be too long. Songs are from the original trilogy. I'm starting at the bottom, and these songs are in no particular order. Sunday School Musical tier (yes, this exists)- Humuhumu song- originally only on the extended version of HSM 2, but now included on Disney+ *stuck in your head for days When There was Me and You- 3rd in Gabriella's solo songs. An impressive showcase of Vanessa's voice, but not the best in comparison. High School Musical (who says we have to let it go)- I understand the appeal of this being one of the few "musical style" songs in the trilogy, but I don't enjoy it.

After watching a few videos in which other fans did the same, I used tiermaker.com to rank every One Direction song. It has been long enough since the release of Made in the A.M. for my opinion to be somewhat objective. Enjoy! 1) THE Songs (love them, listen every time): Perfect, If Could Fly, Love You Goodbye, 18 2) Amazing (mean something to me or the band): What Makes You Beautiful, Little Things, Moments, Drag Me Down, Infinity, History, You & I 3) Good: One Thing, C'mon C'mon, Heart Attack, Story of My Life, Where Do Broken Hearts Go?, Fool's Gold, Night Changes, Fireproof, Spaces, Never Enough, I Want to Write You a Song, Home 4) Had Good Potential: Gotta Be You, More Than This, Live While We're Young, Kiss You, Last First Kiss, Over Again, Nobody Compares, Right Now, Little Black Dress, Though the Dark, Steal My Girl, Ready to Run, Girl Almighty, No Control, Better than Words, Clouds, Illusion, Once in a Lifetime, End of the Day, Wolves, Walking in th...

It's been a few weeks, yet the media industry still turns. Here are some bits that stood out to me. Taylor Swift feat. Brendan Urie, "Me"- It's her first single in a year. This is the new, shiny pop version of Taylor. I somewhat miss the harsh sound of reputation, but she may bring that on future singles, who knows? Brendan was a nice addition to this song. I'd seen people praise his voice online a lot, but I'm not familiar with him. What a great introduction. The Jonas Brothers album, "Pure Happiness"- It's out on June 7! They've been performing all over the place, from the Billboard Music Awards to SNL. And they're going on tour! I won't be there, but they've already sold out one leg so far, and tickets for a second North American leg are on sale. I also didn't think I'd be able to buy Jonas Bros merch in 2019, but here we are. Louis Tomlinson, "Two of Us"- I'm a proud Directioner this week. Louis has...

The Jonas Brothers 2019- "Burnin' Up," "Year 3000," "When You Look Me in the Eyes," "Lovebug" Here's a confession: When the original JB were first around, I didn't really like them. I grew to like Lines, Vines, and Trying Times  and appreciated their earlier stuff nostalgically. When "Pom Poms" came out, I remember thinking, "What are you doing?" I don't like that song. Some would say I'm not a "true fan" since I wasn't there from the beginning. I'm definitely ready for this comeback. We're all older, and it will be fun to see how they view the world through music this time around. I was disappointed that they only sang part of "Burnin' Up" on Carpool Karaoke . It would have been fun to hear Nick's "red dress" lyric live. The lyrics to "Year 3000" are silly. I wasn't as familiar with "When You Look Me in the Eyes" before this vid...

This fan meets a famous actor on an airplane.  We feel like we know them, but we really don't. Singer and actor (only one movie, but I'm listing it anyway) Harry Styles has been in my life since 2012. I've never met him, and I probably never will, but some people can inspire you from afar. His philosophy to "treat people with kindness" and his personality are attractive and winsome. Unlike the way that some fans (see the recent news of Kelsy Karter using a fake tattoo of his face to get attention and then writing a song with his name) relate to artists, some of us are quite sane. (No hate to her; the song is quite catchy.) But I digress. I've been a fan of Harry since his One Direction days. Their music was a wonderful distraction in high school and college. They are around the same age as I am, and it was fun to see their lives on the road, living the dream. Sometimes fans take personal speculation too far, like insinuating romantic relationships betwe...

Disclaimer: There were short performances by lesser-known groups that I have not included here. This was the first VMA award show that I have seen that did not have a primary host. Different celebrities introduced the awards and the performers. Ryan Tedder and Logic- They performed their song "One Day." Children came onto the stage during the song with "we are all human beings" t-shirts on. They had clever visuals about border control behind them. This was the only performance of the night with a specifically political message. Panic! At The Disco- The lead singer had an impressive high note at the bridge, and the band had good energy throughout the performance. Nicki Minaj- Nicki performed a medley from a different location than the awards show, so the audience saw it through a video screen. The crowd was energetic and jumped. Nicki had serious facial expressions as she rapped and strutted around the stage with gold backup dancers. She performed songs from her ...

I've been a fan of Taylor Swift since Speak Now  in 2010. On that album, she spends time wishing some of her exes would take her back. Her next album Red  also references past relationships. With a new chapter of my life (college), came a new Taylor Swift album, the completely pop- 1989 . This captures her journey of moving to an unfamiliar place and dealing with haters. She also discusses her relationship with Harry Styles. (You may have your own thoughts on those references, but it's pretty clear.) After 1989 , Taylor took a break from writing and was involved in some heavy drama (think Kanye and Kim, her breakup with Calvin Harris, and fling (?) with Tom Hiddleston). Who knows if she had time to write? Then rumors began last fall that a new album was on the horizon. Would Taylor address the drama of two summers ago? Would she move on with no hint of her side of the story? The  album art alone proved this was not the case. I learned suddenly that she had a new boyfri...

When I saw friends sharing the video for Kesha's "Praying" on the internet, I had to check it out. I was quite surprised by what I found. She uses bright colors and black and white to show her emotions. The song itself is most likely a reference to her struggles with her label and producer over the past year. While she could have chosen to react in anger, she instead offers prayers for her abuser and hopes that he will change. The music video shows crosses and a holy Bible. It looks like Acts 4 and Acts 1 are written on pages of an open Bible. As far as I could see, Acts 1 does not fit Kesha's situation. But in Acts 4, Peter and John speak to the Sanhedrin. Verses 16-20 could reflect Kesha's situation: 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to ...

I heard that Harry was making an album, and I was excited. As I'd read online, I suspected every song would have a rock focus, since he enjoys old rock songs. I was pleasantly surprised by "Sign of the Times." It had strong vocals but also tender moments. I thought that it was too long. The bridge showed a lot of his range, and I had to wait for that while listening to the chorus again. Other than that, I have no critiques.

A theologian and a rock star walk into a kitchen. This isn’t a joke. In an event filmed by Fuller Studio ,  Bono (born Paul Hewson, lead singer for U2) visited Eugene Peterson’s home (author of the Message Bible) in 2015 to discuss their mutual love of the Psalms and what they see happening in Christian culture.  Not only was this event interesting because they’re very different men – one’s a soft-spoken academic, the other’s never left his loud, blue-collar roots – it was also interesting because Bono seemingly has many reasons to avoid religious people. While Bono’s a Christian, he’s always had a complex relationship to the church. He was born in Ireland to a Catholic father and Protestant mother not long before Catholics and Protestants began killing each other in the Troubles . In his late teens, Bono teamed up with two Christians and a skeptic to form U2, and initially the three Christians sought Christian mentors and even joined a Christian group called Shalom in t...

Today I'm going to introduce you to my favorite new duo in music. They are Dove Cameron and Ryan McCartan, otherwise known as The Girl and the Dreamcatcher . The two met as onscreen love interests in the Disney Channel show Liv and Maddie . They soon began posting covers on YouTube under the name "Dove and Ryan" and became an official duo in 2014. They've recently released their first EP, entitled Negatives , and that is what I am reviewing. 1 Make You Stay- Ryan begins the song with a catchy melody. It has an overall pop-feel, with a strong drum beat and electronics on the chorus. Both switch up the melody on the second verse. They add subtle harmonies on the chorus, with the melody shining through. The beat moves to a dubstep feel on the bridge. This is one song that gets stuck in your head easily. 2 Glowing in the Dark- Ryan starts the first verse. The electronics drive the song. We get to hear Ryan take the melody on the chorus. This song has many similarities...

This is a continuation of my review of the Billboard Music Awards 2016. Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, "Go Ahead and Break My Heart"- Recent couple Blake and Gwen have been supporting each other at events, but this was the first that I'd heard their new duet. I was not sure how it would sound because their voices have such different tones, but it was fantastic. I enjoyed seeing their relationship play out in a song. DNCE, "Cake by the Ocean"- This song has been everywhere for weeks. One unique part of this performance was that there were large balloons with DNCE written on them onstage. The band kicked these into the crowd and then went into the crowd themselves. Kesha, "It Ain't Me Babe" cover- The hosts addressed rumors that she was not going to perform before announcing this singer. This was Kesha's return to television after her legal dispute with Dr. Luke earlier this year. Dr. Luke's record label approved her performance after she...

These awards took place last night on ABC, and I am only covering the performances. Britney Spears, medley- I honestly fast-forwarded once they removed Spears' outer clothing. I did see her dancing around a pole. What a way to begin the night. Ludacris, one of the hosts, slammed the Oscars as these awards did have black nominees. Shawn Mendes, "Stitches"- Mendes performed in two rooms onstage and switched up both the melody and the rhythm. He played the guitar and the piano during his performance. Fifth Harmony, "Work from Home"- The choreography was in-sync. I hadn't seen 5H perform this song before and didn't know what to expect. I'm still humming that song today. Meghan Trainor, "No"- She was the first artist to go into the crowd and wore a sparkly dress. I've heard this song a lot recently and fast-forwarded because of that. Justin Bieber, "Company", "Sorry"- I hadn't heard "Company" before an...

The MTV VMAs (Video Music Awards) were this past Sunday. Guess what was trending earlier this week? Sure, artists won awards and gave speeches as you would expect. I saw some articles about them. Bigger than that though? Two words: Miley Cyrus. You see, she had the privilege of hosting these awards. The audience saw plenty of her outfits and a lack thereof. She tussled verbally with Nicki Minaj, performed a new single, and at the end of the show, announced that her new album was now available for free. Who does that? Most artists love to create art and perform it. But release an album for free? Even with her often inappropriate fare, it was a smart business move. But won't people pay for quality? Yes. So is Miley cutting herself short? Is she trying to make a statement? She already does that and has addressed the issue of copyright laws regarding music in the past. This album is a "side project" and is something she wanted to "share . . . with her fans directly...

Hey there!  Well, time for my first ever concert review.  I guess I'll start with the first opener: Rozzi Crane.  She used profanity quite often, so I would not recommend her; however, she did do a decent cover of "Barracuda."  Next was Magic!  They all wore matching red suits.  It was funny in a way.  They performed a new song called "No Way No" and attempted a cover of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," which works surprisingly well with their reggae style.  They didn't play their big hit song, "Rude," until the very end, which kind of disappointed me.  Oh well. Finally, Maroon 5 came out.  They started with a big hit from their most recent album, "Animals."  It was full of energy and was a great opening song. During "Hollow," the lights which were at first set in a V, then began to rotate.  Also, one of the electric guitarists used the runway for his solo.  Pretty much, either Adam Levine was on the runway, carrying his...

Hello! Time to review 1D's new album.  Side Note: I am uncertain sometimes as to how my life as a fangirl relates to my life as a Christian.  Let's be honest, many parts of the "fandom" can become sexual quickly.  It is best to not be offended by every little thing; however, I can share Christ by not referring to the boys as some fans do: husband, gay, etc.  They do have lives, and it is necessary to respect those lives. 1 Steal My Girl: The first single. Some think that the boys could be talking about their fans, but whoever she is, they do acknowledge that other guys find her attractive.  Take that for what it's worth. 2 Ready to Run: He is ready to break away from expectations and be with his girl. She'll help him figure out his future. 3 Where do Broken Hearts Go: He knows now that she is what he wants and is determined to win her back. 4 18: They made a false start at the beginning of the relationship. He loved her before she loved him. "These ar...

Well, in case you are into music, here are some new (ish) artists that I have found.  This first group is well-known for their covers: six sisters make up Cimorelli.  You will find tight harmonies and instrumentation among their strengths; a weakness is their occasional talking about random things.  This guy is also known for covers of popular songs; however, he also starred in a Nickelodeon movie called Rags  in 2012.  His name is Max Schneider.  He has an extremely powerful voice; you will also see his talented instrument-playing brother Kurt on his videos.  Kurt also has his own YouTube channel.  Now for some more official artists: Anthem Lights is a Christian band who posts covers on YouTube to get popularity.  I honestly have never listened to any of their own music, but their musical covers are great.  At the age of ten, Jackie Evancho was runner-up on the fifth season of  America's Got Talent .  She is known for her oper...

I received One Direction's new album, Midnight Memories , over Thanksgiving break. I feel that, as a blogger and a Directioner, I should review this album for you all. 1 Best Song Ever- Let's face it, we have been hearing this song since August.  The music video makes this song ten times better.  It is still extremely exciting and is a great way to begin the album. 2 Story of My Life- Again, we have been hearing this one for weeks.  The video is adorable; however, it does not reflect the content of the song.  The one part that bothers me is "I steal her love until she's broke inside." What does this mean? We will probably never know. 3 Diana- According to an unknown source, this song is similar to a 90s ballad.  In my opinion, it could symbolize human trafficking.  "We speak a different language, but I still hear your call." 4 Midnight Memories- This is the first of a few songs that are promiscuous.  It talks about not going home alone and dancing ...