Hands up. How many of your are feeling that start of the year fatigue already?
Christmas and New Year are a distant memory and you’ve already given up on your resolutions. What you need is a musical pick me up of just unavoidably happy songs to shake away those January blues – even just for a couple of minutes. These are songs that scream of sunnier skies, pushing through the grey and windy weather, and fighting to survive another gloomy day.
*image via Zimbio
If you’re a pop-culture vulture like me, when January rolls around the one thing that crosses your mind. It’s the start of the most lavishly opulent two months of the year:
Awards show season!
Whilst for most people this psycho-analysing the media winning predictions, or eagerly waiting up at 2am to watch the ceremony on live-streams or on TV, for me my awards show experience focuses almost entirely on the red carpet. Yes, call me sad but I live for the red carpet coverage and more often that not the red carpet can honestly be the most entertaining part of the awards show, especially when the ceremonies end up flopping because of awkward hosts or I get frustrated at the winners/losers lists.
Obviously I’m not oblivious to the criticisms that have amped up in the past few years namely #AskHerMore, controversy over cultural appropriation and the objectification of many of the women on the red carpet. I wrote a post last year about ‘being nicer’ to the attendees who I’ve actively shamed online when I’ve been writing about these ceremonies.
But with all of these criticisms and more celebrity women fighting back against the inane ‘what are you wearing’ questions, I question myself as to whether ‘red carpet fashion’ is still relevant in 2016? Does it matter and do people care? What is the ‘carpet’s’ value?
I don’t normally talk music here but as part of my new little ‘mantra’ on blogging I thought I’d branch out of the box a little.
Though I of course love returning to my favourites there’s a whole new generation of musicians coming into play. A new age of millennials are invading the airwaves influenced by some of the greatest musicians on the planet both past and present, so here are three of my favourites that are infiltrating the scene right now.
If you’re after some fresh blood to add to your Summer playlists, look no further than Halsey. Hailing from New Jersey, this East Coast singer could give Lana Del Rey a run for her money for the perfect music to chill to in the sunshine. A cool mix of sleepy electronic mixes and cool indie chillwave, Halsey’s brand of electronic pop feels familiar and yet utterly fresh at the same time, not to mention lyrically her words will get right under your skin – listen to Hold Me Down if you don’t believe me.
Upcoming: She’s currently killing it on tour with Imagine Dragons, but her latest single New Americana has just dropped and her first album Badlands is also due out in August.
Recommended track: Hurricane
If you like your rap music with a bit of intellect George is your man. With a strong focus on socio-ecocomic politics, racism and social justice, this Cambridge alum manages to weave together both the middle and lower class worlds of the UK with music that really makes you think. He’s already got some serious critic backing behind him, not only was he listed on this year’s BBC Sound of 2015 poll, he’s was also nominated for Critics Choice Award at the Brits this year. Powerful lyrics and themes get woven into great music production, which sounds like a melting pot of two of his influences Watsky and Tupac.
Upcoming: George is currently hitting the festival circuit at the moment off the back of his single Search Party, he’ll also be touring the UK this Autumn.
Recommended track: My City
High powered, unadulterated and unfiltered pop-punk hailing from the Sydney suburbs. To be honest these four Aussies (Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Ashton Irwin and Calum Hood) are all the best bits of Busted mixed with a generous helping of All Time Low (Alex Gaskarth has even penned tracks with them). Just don’t call them a boyband, they may have toured with 1D, but they definitely march to the beat of Green Day, Blink 182, and Fall Out Boy, and could well raise the next generation of teen-punk kids.
Upcoming: The boys are right in the middle of the North American leg of their first arena tour and their new single She’s Kinda Hot has just landed (and has basically killed the fandom) with their new album due out soon!
Recommended track: End Up Here
So what are your thoughts on these three acts? Have you heard of them before?
Feel free to give me some recommendations on your favourite Millennial musicians too! And let me know if you wanna see more of this kinda thing on the blog :D
R.xoxo