It only took a couple Instagram pictures to make me get crazy excited for goth Queen Banks’ new single.
“Goddess” dropped on iTunes this past week and it is the epitome of real life girl power and courage.
The song is clearly about a troubled relationship. Banks sings “she gave it all, you gave her s***, she coulda done just anything.” The haunting backup vocals and gorgeous R&B beats leave you singing every word.
“You shoulda crowned her, cause she’s a goddess” I just can’t get over this line and how perfect it is. Banks recently said at a live concert, “Every woman is a goddess and I want every woman to know that, every single one of you, you are a goddess. This is for you.” Banks is being a voice for all the women who deserve true love but don’t have it. The song has a sassy “coulda had this” attitude that you can’t help but completely fall in love with.
The chorus is another mixture of sass and truth; “f****** with a goddess and you get a little colder” AKA- don’t mess with a woman. This just makes me want to make a Goddess army with tons of really cool women in hot leather and lots of eyeliner. Maybe even a couple thigh high boots.
Banks’ full length album comes out September 9th and it is going to slay everything in its path. With a total of 18 songs on the album (including songs from her London- EP) her mixture of dark pop and sultry R&B are absolutely stunning. Banks’ voice in itself is something you don’t hear every day. She has an interesting vocal range hitting low notes all the way up to trickling high fairy notes. Her vibrato is subtle enough where you can barely notice it but when you do, it just adds that much more emotion to every track.
Banks is killing it in every way possible right now. Her style and ambition to create an album that resembles her is the true way to make music.
If you couldn’t already notice, I am a die hard Paramore fan (going on round 5 this July for MONUMENTOUR). I have met some pretty fantastic and cool people at every Paramore show I’ve been to. The band really does have the best fans in the world. In honor of their newest album “Paramore” turning 1 today I decided to compile a list of 10 things (I believe) only a Paramore fan would understand.
1.) When you miss the “Pressure” flip cause you can’t see…
It’s 12:48 am and I can’t sleep. I listen to “Heaven” by Beyonce and relive some of the most pivotal moments in my life: the death of loved ones, the life of new ones, the tears I’ve cried, the laughs I’ve laughed, the smiles I’ve smiled, the love I’ve given, the love I’ve received. Life is nothing without love.
“Heaven couldn’t wait for you, so go on, go home” may be the most heartbreaking lyrics we have ever heard Beyonce sing.
“Heaven” floods our ears with a haunting piano melody and heartbreakingly beautiful lyrics that flow as effortlessly as a prayer. Beyonce proves that the power of love is just that…power.
“I fought for you the hardest, it made me the strongest” the song is obviously referring to the miscarriage Beyonce suffered a few years back. The steady piano and quiet enchanting background vocals make the song a symbol of raw emotion.
“Heaven” ends with a Spanish translation of the “Our Father” that further proves the impact of a simple song about the pure feeling of a love that was lost.
It is now 1:19 am and I’m crying, but now I think I can go to sleep.
In light of the recent news concerning Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow splitting after 10 years of marriage, I have been reminiscing on some of my favorite Coldplay songs. I have been a huge fan of this band for a very long time. I think what first caught my eye was an iPod commercial that featured “Viva la Vida” incessantly for months and months. After that point I dug deeper into their archives and realized I already knew so many of their songs and just fell completely in love.
“In My Place” (A Rush of Blood to the Head, 2002): There is something about this song that never gets old. The drums, the gorgeous guitar melody, and most of all Chris’ vocals which practically sing the song like he wrote it in 2 seconds and then was like “Yeah, I can sing this right now” The lyrics are alluring, heartbreaking, and relatable all at the same time.
“The Scientist” (A Rush of Blood to the Head, 2002): I have a very personal connection to this song which is why I think I love it so much. I played it on piano and sang it for a couple talent shows. After practicing it for so long I felt insanely connected to the lyrics and could not help but cherish every chord, note, and emotion in this song. To this day, it is one of the most emotional songs I have ever heard. Near the end when the guitar is added into the simultaneous pounding chords you can feel these notes pulsing through your veins (or maybe its Martin’s flawless falsetto?)
“Death and All His Friends” (Viva la Vida, 2008): I have said from the beginning the most insane talent of Coldplay is to transform a song so that when the listener is done, they feel they have just been on a long journey through a personal story. Time and time again I find myself saying “Wait, is this the same song that we were listening to 30 seconds ago?!” Their transitions musically and lyrically are done so beautifully you would believe they were sculpted for years. “Death and All His Friends” starts out as this gorgeous piano driven ballad and then the guitar soars in, both become stronger, then the drums bring everything together and the alternative vibes are zooming through the rest of the song (best part is 2:18…) It soon becomes a huge anthem singing “No I don’t wanna battle from beginning to end, I don’t want a cycle of recycle revenge, I don’t wanna follow death and all of his friends” But wait, it’s not over yet. The band then gets electronic-y as Martin’s vocals lead us into another dream-like sequence that does eventually end.
“Glass of Water” (Viva la Vida, 2008): This song holds one of the coolest messages I have ever heard. A man wonders if he will see heaven inside his glass of water, because he heard you can see your future inside it. The chorus of this song is crazy heavy and pulls you in instantly. I love it in its entirety.
“Sparks” (Parachutes, 2000): This song is a true hidden gem. A steady coffee shop beat and sleepy vocals lead you into a romantic trance through lyrics like “My heart is yours, It’s you that I hold on to, that’s what I do…” I love listening to this song before bed, it could put the meanest gorilla to sleep.
“See You Soon” (The Blue Room – EP, 1999): Much like “Sparks” this is a beautifully composed track almost portraying a goodbye letter to a loved one. The lyrics in this song convey a chilling yet enchanting message, “In a bullet-proof vest, with the windows all closed, I’ll be doing my best, I’ll see you soon…” Start to finish, this song is a work of pure art.
“Don’t Let It Break Your Heart” (Mylo Xyloto, 2011): This song is crazy perfect. It’s an upbeat anthem talking about life’s struggles and how it is never worth it to let anything or anyone break you down. Much like the rest of the “Mylo Xyloto” album we get a colorful array of instruments/melodies and soaring alt-guitars as usual.
If you haven’t heard of some of these songs, GET ON IT! Coldplay’s talent is immense and unforgettable.
I thought my first legitimate post should be about the band who sparked my initial interest/obsession with music: Paramore.
They have come a long way since the greasy hair, band t-shirt, and Vans wearing days. Paramore completely changed the rock genre to me. They started out as a cute young band with a front woman who changed the vision of a “girl singer”. Hayley Williams became an icon. Never have I ever seen a woman rock harder than Ms. Williams herself. She has the perfect amount of talent, poise, beauty, and bad-ass-ness!
Seeing this band perform live four times have been the highlights of my life. The energy and vibe this band gives off is nothing short of positive. Jeremy (bassist), Taylor (guitarist), and Hayley (lead vocals) all have a huge enjoyable chemistry you cannot help but strain your neck to look for. Every show was different, every set was spectacular, and Hayley’s voice remains the same; perfect. Rock music to me was never just about the voice, it was about the music as a whole. Paramore brought that sense of rock music back but with a woman who’s voice could rock a volcano to bits or sing a baby to sleep.
The growth of Paramore from their first album “All We Know Is Falling” to their latest album, the self titled “Paramore”, is immense. The content is heavily weighed on new life experiences. We also get to hear the most spectacular mixes of shredding guitars and electronic synths I have ever heard in my life. When I first found out the new album was filled with 17 songs I was in shock. I had been following Paramore through every step while they were working on their long awaited 4th album and I knew it was going to be flawless.
And it was.
If you haven’t listened to the newest Paramore album I highly suggest you do. It is a true homage to the long journey Paramore has been on as a band, as friends, and as true people.
Now that I’m done gloating about the best band in the world, I’ll leave you with some pictures I took at the most recent Paramore show I went to in Virginia when they were on the “Paratour”.
The scene that appeared when the curtain finally dropped!
A beautiful shot of the confetti that shot out during the encore!
Music blogger 
