And what a beautiful EP that was.
Next up on Lana's list of things to do: slay the film industry with her music scores
She gon snatch an Oscar award tbh
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And what a beautiful EP that was.
Next up on Lana's list of things to do: slay the film industry with her music scores
She gon snatch an Oscar award tbh
And what a beautiful EP that was.
Next up on Lana's list of things to do: slay the film industry with her music scores
She gon snatch an Oscar award tbh
The fact that she's being paid dust by The Great Gatsby in favor of Jay-Z is just too much.
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wait More than Friends...
Fucking bopping
What kind of PERFECT SUMMER JAM?? LordT I need summer time right now. Holy shit the video is so hot, Inna looks incredible as per. The autotune is a bit grating during the chorus but the beat is so fire that I don't care. The Reigning Queen of Romania (music or otherwise).
C. AGUILERA & B. SHELTON – Just A Fool: 5.513 (- 0.217)
Just a Flop is done.
KE$HA – C’mon: 51.197 (+ 0.616)
And this is only 20 on iTunes when Die Young was in the top 5 forever. Ke$ha's Warrior era is over.
Justin was never going to stay at the top of the iTunes charts. I'm sure RCA is happy with his comeback outcome when it could have been worse, like Xtina's or Mariah's.
It's too early to call obviously. It was 48 on BB this week, I could see it stop in the 20s tbh, maybe even 30s. Or it could smash. We'll see.
It is and I LOVE it.
We have already seen the peak of the Unapologetic era, and it was short lived anyway. Time for the talented girls to come out and slay in 2013.
"Diamonds" is the peak of Unapologetic, but the era is far from over. It's still in the Top 5 selling consoles WW. People are still here for her and Unapologetic.
Bonus Chrianna Era Update
Rih was spotted leaving the studio and her and Chris were there. No word on what they were recording, or if they both were recording, but who really knows at this point.
Shut up and stan for the Queen of Euro House tbh.
WHERE is Alexandra [you better]Stan?
now WAIT
Almost as bad as gaming side using queen NEW YORK gifs to defend and stan lightning.
Crumpet Trumpet
Banned
Terrible terrible terrible. Totally Garbage and you should feel ashame of posting such mediocrity into the thread.
I would have done it without the pants tbh.
Fnkhbbvjjghbkkhkjdadfcvhhjkkvb
I don't know. I think it's quite kind of Bieber to remind us that he still has shortcomings despite all the fame and success.
DEAD
Crumpet Trumpet
Banned
The Bieberconda picture might just be the polar opposite of enticing.
Sorry. I'm trying to decide who out of Ashlee and Bieber are the lesser of two evils on this page.
Sorry. I'm trying to decide who out of Ashlee and Bieber are the lesser of two evils on this page.
Majmun
Member
Shut up and stan for the Queen of Euro House tbh.
She has some great summer anthems.
But I wouldn't listen to a whole album of hers. It's just basically one huge track.
You are so full of it, not sure why you bother to post the updates if you dont know how to read them.
C'Mon has been climbing slowly and steady for the past few days, its was just #33 3 days ago and now its #20. Die Young was the lead single, of course it climbed faster durrrrr
Now don't even try to deny-ay
This song is getting ready to smash-ay
You are so full of it, not sure why you bother to post the updates if you dont know how to read them.
C'Mon has been climbing slowly and steady for the past few days, its was just #33 3 days ago and now its #20. Die Young was the lead single, of course it climbed faster durrrrr
Now don't even try to deny-ay
This song is getting ready to smash-ay
Understand the context. I was replying to Blade, the fallen Ke$ha stan, and made the comment since he said the whole 'final nail in her coffin' bit about her before. I agRih it's doing fine.
So sit.
Much better than that horrid simspon girl you posted earlier.
Not bad. Too bad that it seems the GP have already decided that "Pour it Up" is the Ratchet anthem of 2013. Coincidentally, those two songs are produced by the same person.
What it's like working with Taylor Swift:
Bless Jeff for producing Holy Ground and The Lucky One.
More acclaim for State of Grace:
Bless Jeff for producing Holy Ground and The Lucky One.
More acclaim for State of Grace:
A look at Taylor Swift’s “State of Grace”
In its recent study on the evolution of popular songs over the last 50 years, research publication Scientific Reports noted an overall decline in sound color, texture, and tone quality—which, according to the study, points to “a growing homogenization” of instrument usage and recording techniques, particularly over the last few decades. Not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with a little simplicity now and then (which, of course, is the essence of many great pop singles); however, there’s no arguing that the sharp dynamic contrasts that were once commonplace on pop radio have been in short supply for quite some time.
By Dave Simons
Which might help explain why listeners tend to respond favorably to music that offers a bit more in the way of tonal variety. This presents songwriters and sound sculptors with a dual challenge: to not only craft excellent music, but to record it in a way that is every bit as creative as the writing process itself. While traditionalists may argue that a great song is a great song no matter how it’s cut, there are many instances in which a great song has been rendered even more compelling as a result of a little mixing savvy.
One of the more recent examples of this phenomenon is “State of Grace,” the lead-off track (and promo single) from Taylor Swift’s latest effort, Red. Something of a departure for the 23-year-old country-pop chanteuse, the self-penned, U2-styled rocker got a fair amount of attention for its predominance of Edge-like delayed guitars and aggressive, Larry Mullen-esque floor-tom backbeat. Like the Dubliners’ best work (“Beautiful Day,” “Vertigo,” to name a few), Swift’s “State of Grace” helps get its point across by using subtle shifts in recording dynamics—the kind of sound manipulation that not only involves knowing which instruments to use in the mix but also where to use them, and, above all, when not to use them.
Spare Parts
“Grace” opens with several bars of standalone drums—a sure-fire hook if there ever was one—and is immediately followed by producer Nathan Chapman’s twin electric-guitar overdubs, panned left and right (Chapman even allows a bit of real feedback to leak in right at the top—guitarists take note). As Swift makes her entrance (“I’m walking fast through the traffic lights”, the guitars retreat, leaving nothing but a spare backing of drums, bass and pulsating synth, allowing Swift’s vocal to become the focal point. The technique is repeated at the start of the second section (“You come around and the armor falls”
Taylor Made
Clocking in at just under five minutes, “State of Grace” defies a number of modern-day pop-music assumptions, the most obvious of which is that the vast majority of listeners don’t have the wherewithal to sit still for just under five minutes. But Taylor, along with producer Chapman, engineer Chad Carlson and the rest of the crew at Nashville’s esteemed Blackbird Studios, make it all work—in large part by working the dynamics of a great song to perfection.
While home dwellers may not have access to the same kind of top-shelf machinery, we can certainly benefit by adopting some of the tone-shifting techniques brought to bear on the likes of “State of Grace.” For one, try to use overdubs judiciously—when it’s time to mix, keep the focus on the main ingredients (drums/bass/rhythm instruments, etc), adding instrumental coloration only as needed, and, most importantly, at critical junctures in the song. If, for instance, you’ve tracked several different guitar parts, try waiting until the start of a chorus or bridge section to bring them into the mix (and not all at once, either), then pull them back out again as the song returns to the main verse. Introducing a new sound in this manner acts as a subtle “hook,” helping to grab the listener’s attention.
Of course, not even the most clever mix will be able to salvage a lackluster song, so, as always, great material comes first. Still, there’s no denying the many benefits of using creative engineering in order to bring out the best in a compelling piece of music.
http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/grace_notes
someone is bitter
Implying it is SOMEONE other than a COMMONER who is trying to be FAMOUS when it will NEVER BE SOMETHING.
SourceFeministing said:Feminism is totally cool with Beyoncé posing in her underwear
Sesali: First off, one of the most interesting things about people like this who come after Beyoncé for fucking up feminism is that I have never once heard Beyoncé self identify as a feminist. So whose feminist standards are we holding her up to and why? This reminds me of a feminist stance weve seen here recentlyone that is basically waiting for the opportunity to tell someone else that their feminism, that they may or may not own, isnt good enough. How ironic. And do I catch the tiniest whiff of white privilege here?
Maya: Yes, Id venture more than a whiff. And you and I have actually touched on this topic before. I dont think celebs who have never claimed to speak for the feminist movement have any obligation to be feminist role models, period. But no matter how anyone self-identifies, its far more interesting to look about what theyre doing and the ideas theyre supportingwhether they have a gender awareness and commitment to equality. And in that regard, Beyoncé is killing it in this profile. Equality is a myth, and for some reason everyone accepts that women dont make as much money as men. she says. I truly believe that women should be financially independent from their men. And lets face it, money gives men the power to run the show. It gives men the power to define value. They define whats sexy. And men define whats feminine. Its ridiculous. On fucking point.
Thats my main problem: of all the things you could possibly discuss about that profile, Freeman chose to focus on the most boring one. I mean, of course Beyoncé is half-naked on the cover of GQ. Kinda like how she is in many of her music videos. Kinda like basically every other pop star today. Its one thing to bemoan the fact the fact that the sexist objectification machine is so extreme that even women who are famous for other things, like, say, playing sports or being pundits, are often sexualized by others or sexualize themselves. Even in the latter case, though, Id generally recommend not being a judgmental, slut-shaming asshole towards other women, since, ya know, the whole point is that there is strong cultural pressure to conform to this expectation. But pop stars? Please. Beyoncés imagewhich, yes, is damn sexyis part of her multimillion-dollar career. Call me if Hillary Clinton starts doing strip dances for the Austrian ambassador or something, and maybe well stage a feminist intervention.
Sesali: Yeah, the slut shaming in the article is so real. Freeman acts as though somehow because Beyoncé already has money and fame, she should not fall prey to the same sexist ideas that womens worth is defined by their sex appeal. I never fail to be amazed at the high profile, often A-list women who celebrate their professional success by posing near naked on the covers of allegedly classy mens magazines, such as Esquire and GQ, and these covers are, to my eyes, becoming increasingly close to porn. Does she really think that Beyoncés appearance in GQ was an opportunity to celebrate her career? She doesnt think that magazine spreads and other endorsements are just part of the job? Please, Freeman, Id love to be clearer on the boundaries between owning my own sexuality, doing my job, and participating in what you later call attention-seeking nonsense. And at what point do we acknowledge sex appeal as something that we can embrace?
Maya: Seriously, has it really never occurred to Freeman that sometimes women like being seen as sexy? And that is not an inherently awful thing? Or that sometimes posing in your underwear is empowering? Or that just because theres pressure for female pop stars to take off their clothes doesnt mean that there arent also opportunities for claiming control of your own image? Can we please have some recognition of nuance and context here?
Sesali: Nope. It feels like we cant fucking win for losing with these people. In the same way the patriarchy sucks for telling me I need to be more sexy, you suck for telling me Im too sexy.
Maya: Yah, weird how you sound so much like the patriarchy, Hadley Freeman. We may never be able to win, but we should at least be able to expect that other feminists not play the role of sexy-police.
And even beyond the slut-shaming, its just so disrespectful of Beyoncé. Theres an assumption that either shes too dumb to not realize that shes being duped into stripping down for the patriarchy, or else shes a just hypocritical narcissist who only cares about her fame. The possibility that shes an extremely powerful woman who works in a sexist industryone whose gender dynamics she quite clearly understands way better than Freemanand is constantly navigating how to assert her own agency while resisting/accommodating/subverting the worlds expectations of her is not entertained. Which is weird since thats basically what all of us, even Helen Freeman, are doing every single day. We just dont do it will millions of people watching.
Speaking of claiming control of your own image what does that remind me of? Oh right, that whole fascinating part of the profile that discussed Beyoncés extensive archive as a way of owning your own brand, your own face, your own body, which Freeman dismissed out-of-hand as about nothing more than her raging narcissism. Nope, couldnt possibly be any interesting feminist analysis to be found there, lets talk about her underwear instead!
Sesali: Exactly, Maya! In conversations Ive had with folks on the web, Ive also found it interesting that Beys insistence on controlling her own image and her willingness to put in the work to do so via all that archiving makes people worry about her sanityher ability to function in the world and capacity to actually experience life and process emotionand, as we see here, gets her called a narcissist. But this is the same person who has resisted the demand to bare all of the intimate details of her life in a way that tells me she is very much concerned with her personal well being and that we should trust her to make healthy decisions for herself. Plus, what would we call a man who was such a perfectionist like that? The hardest working man in show business? A genius? A boss? A role model?
Maya: Totally. And thats the other thingwe cant ever really know about the pressures Beyoncé must face on a daily basis, but if there is one person in the world that Id trust is making an informed, empowered decision whenever she displays her body, its Beyoncé. I mean, as the woman herself saidin the cogent analysis Freeman all but ignoresthe thing about money is that it gives you the power to define whats sexy. And I think its safe to assume that, at this point in her career, Beyoncé is defining sexynot the other way around. Like, Im pretty sure that she could don a trash bag and the world would worship at her feet.
Sesali: Yes, and she would look amazing in it! And speaking of her power, Im actually really offended by the way Freeman dismisses Beyoncés extremely moving statement Im more powerful than my mind can even digest as another example of her narcissism. I understood this as a sign of her resilience and a commitment to respecting her own individual and unique greatness: something we all have. I personally would encourage every black girl I know to say that to themselves at least three times a day.
Maya: Ugh, yeah. Heres Beyoncé offering a structural analysis of gender inequality, as well as just being the greatness that is Beyoncé. And heres Freeman complaining about what another woman is wearing. Remind me again who is supposedly hurting the feminist cause?
Sesali: Yeah, seriously, I think there are bigger feminist fish to fry than Beyoncé in a pair of panties.
Maya: To conclude:
They raise some interesting points. This one in particular was my favorite:
"The possibility that shes an extremely powerful woman who works in a sexist industry ... and is constantly navigating how to assert her own agency while resisting/accommodating/subverting the worlds expectations of her is not entertained."
Discuss.
My fellow #Directioner returns tomorrow to complete 1DGaf
and I didnt even get to pass his post-whoring ways
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