Lady GaGa and Katy Perry continued the march to the release of their fall albums by performing at the VMA's this past Sunday. GaGa opened the show and Katy closed the show from under the Brooklyn Bridge.
GaGa opened the show with her face in the middle of a white square cutout. As the camera panned away you heard canned boos and Mother Monster was revealed to be wearing a white, modified nuns habit. GaGa launced into her new single. The performance was full of costume changes as the Lady Germanotta went through different phases of her career from her "Poker Face" video to her "Telephone" wig, ending in the clamshell, Boticelli bikini she sports in the "Applause" video. The performance was a bit more lowkey for GaGa, but I think it worked. I think keeping it simple and relatively low concept served to better highlight the song and the intricate choreography. GaGa definitely got things started on a high note.
The whole show MTV was making a big deal about how Katy Perry was heading to the Brooklyn Bridge for her show ending and show stopping performance. For the first live performance of her biggest selling single so far, Katy emerged in boxing gear in the middle of a gold boxing ring. The boxing setup worked really well considering the songs lyrics, talking about the "eye of the tiger, the fighter." There was some pretty cool jump rope choreography right before the bridge. All in all, both divas helped to make this year's VMA's the best yet.
So, what did you guys think? Did you like one performance better than the other, or did you think that both were the bees knees? Let me know in the comments.
I'm not sure if you know this, but Miley Cyrus performed at the VMA's on Sunday. It was kind of a big deal and got a big reaction from people. I mean, I'm not sure why. It was pretty tame, right? I've never really watched Hannah Montana before, but I assume that this is pretty typical of every episode. I'm kidding obviously. With her tongue and ass hanging out, Miley bid adieu to Hannah Montana and said hello to adulthood.
A lot of people have had a lot to say about Miley and her performance. We have gotten a lot of what you expect. She's a whore, she's a slut, she needs to put some clothes on, she needs to find Jesus. I even read a commentary where someone called her a harlot. I can't remember the last time I heard the word harlot, maybe the last time I read the Bible? There were some other things that people pulled out that I was more surprised about. One of Miley's most outspoken critics was co-host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski, who went on a ridiculous tirade that seemed to go on forever. Here is just a taste of what Mika had to say. "I wouldn't make a joke of it, actually. That was really, really disturbing. That young lady, who is 20, is obviously deeply troubled, deeply disturbed, clearly has confidence issues, probably an eating disorder, and I don't think anybody should have put her onstage. That was disgusting and embarrassing." Whoa, there. A lot to take in. Slut shaming disguised as worry. Some guessing about her mental state and that she maybe has an eating disorder. Whoa.
Now, was I a big fan of Miley's performance? Oh no. I didn't take issue with a lot of the things that people were griping about. I don't care what Miley had on. She's an adult, she can wear what she wants to. If she wants to grind on someone almost twice her age, that's fine, too. No one was holding a gun to her head. If she wants to attempt to twerk with her tongue hanging out, cool. My problem was that the performance itself sucked. There was no signs of talent on that stage anywhere, starting with the vocal. Miley was not on pitch at anytime during that performance. To be fair, "We Can't Stop" isn't a song that really takes a lot of vocal ability. It became more clear during her thin, warbled verse during "Blurred Lines" that maybe the Lady Cyrus should hook up with a vocal coach, stat.
Then there was the air of desperation that seemed to permeate the entire thing. From the moment Miley came on stage in the teddy bear onesie until the time she stripped into the latex halter and hot pants to mime fingering herself with the foam finger, it was all 1-800-TOOMUCH. We get it, Miley. You got a Gwen Stefani hairdo and are singing about drugs. You're edgy. You're not Hannah Montana anymore. The whole thing was akin to a teenager dating someone older just to show their parents how grown up they were. Also, no matter what Miley says, none of it seems authentic. She wants us to believe that this is who she really is, but I'm not buying what she's selling. If you head to dictionary.com and look up "trying too hard" there will be a video of this performance.
So, I'm embedding the video of the performance below if you have yet to watch. Let me know what you thought. Mountain out of a molehill? Should we leave Miley alone? Are you counting down the days until "Bangerz" drops? Sound off in the comments.
Prior to the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, all the talk was focused on the female performances. Which of the dueling pop divas would "win" the night, opener GaGa or closer Katy Perry? How crazy and out of control would Miley Cyrus be? A few days before the big show, talk turned to this years recepient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award, Justin Timberlake. Little birds began tweeting that during his performance we may be seeing an NSYNC reunion.
The night of the show, there was NSYNC, but there was soo much more. Introduced by Jimmy Fallon as the President of Pop, JT lived up to his title. The performance started with a pre-taped rendition of JT's newest single, "Take Back the Night," then segued to the main stage where JT performed a breathless medley of all his biggest hits. This was the first time that the audience showed any signs of life. Once the familiar strains of "Cry Me a River" started everyone in Brooklyn was on their feet.
Some people complained that the NSYNC reunion didn't last long enough, but I was content. This was giving the highlights. He paid them an homage and then moved on. He also acknowledged them in his speech and I thought that was very nice. Not only did he receive, as he called it, the old person's award, he also took home the nights top honor Video of the Year. Not too shabby for an old guy.
Check out JT's full VMA performance and hit me up in the comments and tell me what you thought.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Episode 12: "Hair-Binger of Doom"
The fragile peace that was established between the Gorgas and the Giudices by Dr. V when they were all at their retreat is starting to fracture. We all knew this would happen, though. We all knew it was just a matter of time before things went back to the way they were. We all knew that it would have something to do with the infidelity rumors that have been plaguing Melissa recently and are being spread by her supposed friend Jan and that Teresa is, possibly, complicit in. It all went down at, shocker, a party for Teresa's new business venture. Will this end the recent reconciliation? Let's break down what went down in this episode.
Things were all good when the episode began. Teresa and Melissa were comparing notes and sort of trying to one up each other. Melissa showed Teresa the mock up for her book cover, while Teresa talked about her new line of hair care products named after Milania. Melissa has more than just her book cover to discuss with Teresa, she also has a magazine cover. It turns out that people have been telling their tales of Melissa cheating to InTouch. Melissa is livid, but Teresa urges her to ignore it. At first.
Young women watching RHONJ are learning a valuable lesson. If someone you are dating uses the words "old fashioned" or "traditional" when it comes to marriage, run far and run fast. Kathy and Caroline are learning that lesson the hard way, as their reality TV stardom gives them oppurtunities that they didn't have before and it seems to be bringing out some resentment in their husbands. I'm really loving the friendship that is blossoming between Caroline and Kathy. It seems natural and they seem to bring out the best in each other. Kathy even takes Caroline's advice. She finally stands up to Rich and tells him that she isn't feeling the test kitchen. He hems and haws, but it seems like he understands what she's saying. I loved Kathy in her confessional finally telling any young women watching that a "traditional" marriage is not all it's cracked up to be.
Caroline should take her own advice since Al is still being a giant dick and doesn't show any signs of stopping. I'm not sure why Al is being so dick-ish, or why Caroline keeps defending him using antiquated reasoning. She sounds a little like Teresa defending Joe quite frankly. If there was one good thing that came of Al's continued descent into asshole-dom, it made Lauren realize that maybe she shouldn't be in such a rush to marry Vito (Hey, big guy! Nice to see you!).
It was time for the party to launch Teresa's hair care line, sure, named after favorite daughter, Milania. Teresa had warned Melissa that backstabbing Jan would be there since Jan owned a salon. Does anyone else think that it's time Teresa cut ties with Kim D.? I mean, all she does is cause problems and I don't think she can ever truly mend fences with the Gorgas unless she just bites the bullet and cuts the extension wearing cancer right out of her life. Also, doesn't she know that Kim D. is a witch who steals the souls of children in an attempt to stay young? Run, Milania! Run for your life!
At the party, Teresa urges Melissa to confront Jan. At first the budding author refuses, but then thinks what the hell and tears into Jan. Not much is resolved, Jan continues to make accusations and Melissa denies them until Jan finally sashays away like some overly made up Disney villain come to life. We are then left with Penny, who apparently was at the dinner where everyone was shit talking Melissa. I don't remember her, but apparently, even though she doesn't know Melissa tabloids are still calling her and asking her about Melissa. The whole time this is happening Teresa is right there in the thick of it. At the start of the confrontation, it looks good for Teresa. She encourages Melissa to confront Jan, but once Penny enters into it, Tre begins to look guiltier and guiltier. It's obvious Penny is protecting someone, since she is acting so shifty. It's like Teresa stays because she doesn't want Penny to spill the beans that she is the one that is feeding Penny information to feed to the tabloids.
So what did you guys think of this episode? What was your favorite Milania moment? Mine was definitely the bra. Should Caroline take her own advice? Do you think Teresa is guilty? Can we all agree that Kim D is horrible? How do you think this trip to Arizona is going to go? Hit me up in the comments.
Today is Tori Amos' 50th birthday. She is a musical icon and probably my favorite musical artist of all time. Tori is so many things to so many people. She is an amazing piano player, singer/songwriter, feminist, champion of women, wife, mother. She is an icon. Since releasing her groundbreaking breakthrough album, Little Earthquakes, in 1992, Tori has released 13 albums, along with countless bootlegs and B-sides. Tori isn't just a musical artist who loves her fans and her songs. She is an activist. She has been heavily involved with and a spokesperson for RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, since it's inception in 1994. She made the ceremonial first call to the hotline. Being a survivor of sexual abuse herself, Tori has always been candid about the experience. Using it to help other victims find peace and rebuild themselves after their own horrific experiences with sexual assault. The a capella, heart wrenching, "Me & A Gun," recounts the experience and the thoughts that were going through Tori's head as she was being assaulted. It is harrowing and heartfelt and perhaps one of the biggest pieces of evidence that Tori is one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
I'm sort of a latecomer to Tori Amos fandom. I really discovered her through my boyfriend and the past three years have been an awesome journey of combing through Tori's huge catalog and discovering these amazing songs, each one touching me and hitting me someplace different. Since I became a fan so late, I, selfishly, hope that she keeps on making music for 50 more years.
If you have never listened to Tori before, I highly encourage you to check her out. If you are a fan of Alanis Morrissette or Jewel or Fiona Apple, you will find that they wouldn't even exist without Tori. I truly believe there is something for everyone. Below, you'll find my picks for my favorite Tori songs from each of her albums via a live clip. There is nothing like watching Tori perform live, whether it's with her band or just her and her Bosendorfer. It was a tough thing to do, but I'm pleased with my picks. Give a listen to each and feel free to hit the comments to tell me about your memories of Tori, how she's affected your life, or just to wish her a happy birthday.
Little Earthquakes
For my pick for her first album, I went with the obvious, "Silent All These Years." There is something about this song that gets me every time. It also features some of my favorite Tori lyrics like, "I've got the AntiChrist in the kitchen yelling at me again." Brilliant.
Under the Pink
Tori's sophomore set contains some classic Tori songs like "The Waitress" and "Cornflake Girl." While those are great songs, my favorite is "Past the Mission" which features Nine Inch Nails', Trent Reznor, on background vocals.
Boys for Pele
This is the album that most Tori fans, myself included, believe is her best. Every song sort of hits you in the gut, whether it's a song about a pretty girl who maybe killed herself or talking to the devil himself. The latter is my favorite song from this record, "Father Lucifer."
From the Choirgirl Hotel
Tori's fourth album is the album where she plugged in and went mainstream, sort of. It is her most commercially successful album to date and if you want to give your friends who haven't heard Tori an album to start with, this is definitely the one that I would give them. My favorite song on "Choirgirl" is a song about a mother who will do anything to protect her daughter called "Playboy Mommy."
To Venus and Back
This was a double album that contained a disc of live renditions of some of Tori's biggest hits and some popular B-sides. It took me a minute to warm up to this CD, but now I love it, especially the sparse, piano ballad, "Josephine."
Strange Little Girls
This was an album that Tori released to fulfill her contractual obligations to Atlantic Records. Rather than release a generic greatest hits compilation, Tori released a cover album of songs written by men about women and performed them from the womans perspective. The most famous song from this collection is her version of Eminem's "97 Bonnie & Clyde", sung from the perspective of the woman in the trunk of the car. My favorite song from the album is Tori's cover of Lloyd Cole's, "Rattlesnakes."
Scarlet's Walk
This was Tori's first album after 9/11. She took listeners on a lyrical journey across the United States. This album contains Tori's most well known single by the general public, "A Sorta Fairytale." My favorite song on the album is the opener, a song about a woman seduced by the world of pornography in "Amber Waves."
The Beekeeper
This album put Tori in a group of women that includes Madonna and Barbra Streisand, women who had scored five or more albums in the top 10. It also includes one of my all time favorite Tori songs, "Sweet the Sting."
American Doll Posse
This was a concept album where Tori played different female characters all representing different archetypes. There were also songs protesting the ongoing war in Iraq and the presidency of George W. Bush. I love the song "Big Wheel" and I especially love this live performance with an introduction by Quentin Tarantino.
Abnormally Attracted to Sin
After a string of high concept albums, Tori went back to basics with this collection of songs. It is not a favorite of a lot of fans and does suffer a little bit from being overly long, but it does contain some great songs, like my favorite, "Fast Horse."
Midwinter Graces
The same year she released AATS, Tori released her first ever collection of holiday songs. There were new tracks along with re-interpretations of classic Carols, including my favorite, "Star of Wonder."
Night of Hunters
For her most recent studio album of original material, Tori linked up with classical record label, Deutsche Grammophone, to record a 21st century song cycle. An ambitious project to be sure, Night of Hunters, follows a woman who leaves her relationship and encounters various creatures that help her on her journey. Tori re-worked classical compositions into her original songs, really showcasing her musical abilities. She was joined on the record by her niece and her daughter, Tash. Here's my favorite track from Tori's best album since Scarlet's Walk, album opener, "Shattering Sea."
Gold Dust
This was Tori's most recent album. A celebration of the twentieth anniversary of her debut, Tori re-worked some of her songs with an orchestra. The result is familiar yet different, thrilling and gorgeous. Here is the single from the album, "Flavor."
So, thanks for reading and watching and hopefully, enjoying. Don't forge to leave some comments and birthday wishes!
Lady GaGa and Katy Perry have been relatively in sync when it comes to their respective new albums. They both made the announcements relatively close together, GaGa was forced to release her new single early after it leaked, they both released their lyric videos around the same time. Finally, GaGa got ahead of her fellow pop star. On Monday, she unleashed the video for "Applause" on an unsuspecting world.
I think that we can all agree that the videos from the "Born This Way" era were rather lackluster. It seems the time away from the spotlight has helped GaGa refocus, because "Applause" is her best video since "Telephone." While it doesn't reach the heights of "Paparazzi" or "Bad Romance" there is still a lot to love in Mother Monster's feast for the eyes. Those bras! The hand bra totally had me fooled at first. GaGa emerging from a top hat. The monster make-up in the cage. GaGa's head on a black swan. Some of the most intricate choreography I've seen GaGa do. The Boticelli-esque clamshell bikini. It is the best kind of video. The kind that magnifies a song and makes it a little bit greater. What did you guys think of the video for "Applause?" Give it a watch and let me know in the comments.
The Real Housewives of Miami, Episode 1: "Til Lies Do Us Part"
Summer may be winding down, but Bravo is attempting to turn up the heat by taking us back to the neon colored beaches of Miami. They've trimmed down the cast (Smile, Karent!, See ya in the kitchen, Ana), but amped up the drama. Mortal enemies, Adriana de Moura and Joanna Krupa, are both getting married, so you know it's only a matter of time before lines in the sand are drawn and sides are chosen. If this episode and the preview for the rest of the season are any indication, sides have already been chosen. I'm not sure why more people to don't watch this iteration of the franchise. I mean, that montage of the women getting ready, Alexia's bedazzled hand mirror with the "A" on the back. It is so over the top and delicious and this looks like it might be the best season yet. So, let's check in with the Mamis of Miami and catch up.
Lea: Speaking of the "Mayor of Miami," we first see Lea Black lounging in the back of her car, waiting for her new bestie, Joanna. As they ride, they talk about Adriana's marriage. Lea is distraught. She did all these things for Adriana because she thought she was helping out her friend, the single mother. This all seems a little shady to me. Lea and Adriana were thick as thieves for seven years. If you are that close to someone, how do you not know that they are married. Something is not adding up here. Could Lea Black be playing the victim this year, after all the crap she threw Marysol's way last season? We shall see. When she wasn't bad mouthing Adriana and lusting after Romain, Lea was re-modeling her house with two very famous interior designers. Don't ask me their names, because I don't care and I wasn't listening. All I could really focus on were Lea's curlers. I didn't realize that A.) anyone on the a Real Housewives show did their own hair, and B.) that anyone wore curlers anymore. Lea skipped out on Lisa's reconciliation cocktail hour, but something tells me that we won't have to wait long to see the former friends have it out.
Joanna: Joanna is still engaged to Romain and is enjoying her new status as BFF to Lea Black. One of the best moments of the episode was when she said that she was Lea Black thirty years ago. Maybe, Lea does need that plastic surgery she is always pooh-poohing. Joanna says a lot, but doesn't do much this episode. She is very verbal when it comes to her feelings about Adriana's marital revelations. She also gets a new car. That Romain, he knows the way to Joanna's heart is not through her vagina, like she wants us to believe, but through Romain's wallet. We also saw some fracturing in Joanna and Lisa's friendship when Joanna first came to Lisa's house. We know from the previews, and the Twitter feud they were engaged in, that, like most Housewives friendships, this one won't last.
Alexia: Welcome back to the show full-time, Alexia. I have a feeling you are going to be a lot of fun, even if your tagline does need a lot of work. "This Cuban doll is back on the scene and living the dream?" Oy vey. Alexia has had lots of issues. Her youngest son, Frankie, was in a car accident that almost took his life, which was the reason she wasn't a full-time Housewife last year. Luckily, Frankie seems to be doing a lot better, even though his accident messed with his impulse center and now he just says what pops into his head. Alexia's oldest son, Peter, has been acting out. Apparently, he beat up a homeless guy, videotaped it, and put it on YouTube. Alexia heard that Lea called her a horrible mother. We were also introduced to Alexia's mother, Nancy. Poor Nancy. She looks like her plastic surgeon is the same one that Mama Elsa used. Yowza. Alexia claims that Nancy is a psychiatrist, but I'm not convinced. She talks about how men do everything better than women and says something about a castration complex. I love how they all just nod along, like, of course, men are better than women. It would be ludicrous to think otherwise. I'm not sure if Nancy is a good influence or not. I don't think a kid who is beating up homeless people needs someone telling him he is superior.
Lisa: Tits McGhee (thank you, Marysol!) is still trying to be friends with everyone. She goes to the Miami Wedding Expo and meets up with Marysol, Alexia, and Ana. Ana is still upset about being cut from the cast. Sorry, Ana. You can't be dull all season, liven up at the reunion and then expect to be invited back. Go be a bitch someplace else. Lisa doesn't tiptoe around Adriana's marriage to Frederic, she brings it right out into the open, even thought the other women play dumb. Lisa was sort of a plot facilitator this episode. She brings up the marriage with Adriana for the first time and she hosts the party that brings all the ladies minus Lea together for the first time. She briefly mentions her infertility problems and has a scene with Joanna that hints at them drifting apart.
Marysol: I know that Marysol is just a "Friend of the Housewife" this season, but as far as I'm concerned she is still an intergral part of the show and she is my favorite. So there. Marysol was giving us comic relief everywhere and was serving backbone realness, which was a nice change from last season. She also brought the ladies back to Earth by giving them a lecture on what really matters. Mama Elsa is in the hospital. She fell and hit her head, causing her brain to hermorrhage. She had surgery and her prognosis is good, but she will be in the hospital. This sobering admission brought the women back to reality and they toasted to Elsa's good health.
So, what did you guys think of the premiere? Are you feeling Miami? Do you think Marysol, Ana, or Karent should have stayed on? Are you Team Adriana, Team Lea, or Team Joanna? Did you buy Adriana's story? Let me know in the comments.
