Yuna, I Love You!

The current artist dominating my playlist is young Malaysian artist Yunalis Mat Zara'ai, who simply goes by Yuna. Her soulful music is so relaxing and can easily put me in a good mood.  I’m quite thankful I was able to find her music, as it came to me at a somewhat difficult time?

Yuna’s music has a strong identity you can easily recognize just a few seconds in, in fact her music can do for me, what Corinne Bailey Rae’s Put Your Records On still does for me all these years later.   Its carefree and strong!

Yuna began songwriting at the age of 14, to eventually become somewhat of a Myspace musician. She then had an appearance on a Malaysian singing reality show, after being eliminated she began to take music more seriously.  One law degree later, Yuna officially decided (thankfully for us) to officially pursue her career in music.  She’s not been left unrecognized, as she a massive following all around the world and many big name fans such as Pharrell Williams and David Foster.

Yuna has been busy, not only as a singer songwriter but also as a fashion designer, launching her (AFFORDABLE!) clothing line 14Nov which gives her the opportunity of designing beautiful clothes parallel with the modesty that is taught by Islam (that's the part that made me fall completely in love with her!)

Unfortunately, its been quite a while since Yuna has left us with any music, but as of now there seems to be enough for me to be content. Her music can make me feel so much, as there's a song for everything. I’m listening to Rescue as I type this, and I feel like I can pretty much achieve anything, just like Yuna!

A Word With TOY

South Korea has easily produced some of the greatest reality shows that are sadly unknown to most English speaking audiences (there are people who sub ya know). From Running Man and Hello Counselor to Hello Baby to Laws of The Jungle, Korea has nailed variety television, which is why its no shock that the Rap competition, Show Me The Money just finished its third season.  Reality singing shows don’t get very far in North American, many dying down after the first season so I was obviously very interested that Korea has managed to pull off a rap competition on top of many successful singing competitions.

The show had many familiar faces to anyone who is a fan of underground Korean hip-hop which was fun to see, however I was a lot more curious about a contestant who didn’t receive as much air-time.

You may have caught a glimpse of her in the first episode but by the third episode you knew she was there. Very much intrigued, I asked Toy a few questions that she generously answered.

So to start, do you mind introducing yourself?

My name is Toy. I am an American rapper based in Seoul, South Korea.

How have things been since the show ended, have things changed much? You’ve dropped some new music!

Since the show ended, I have been working on a lot more music. Im trying to put out a single soon and hopeful a mixtape as well. The only thing that has really changed since the show ended is that I have a lot more fans hahaha.

You’ve said a few times that you and Bobby got closer throughout the show, how do you feel that your teammate ended up winning?

Im happy for Bobby.  I was rooting for both Bobby and Iron . . . so im just glad that one of the two won.

Because you’re a foreigner, did you feel any stigma from the other judges or contestants?

Being the only foreigner on the show was not easy. Also, my Korean was not perfect, so i think most people didn't think I could possibly make it as far as I did. I think a lot of people thought I didn't belong there and although Im no where close to rapping as well in Korean as I can in English, I did have support from some of the judges and a few of the other contestants.

A lot of people came on the show saying they had to prove themselves, did you feel like you had anything to prove?

I only wanted to prove that "anything is possible." I wasn't able to rap in English, so I knew that I would not be able to show them even half of what i was cable of in terms of rap skills . . .. I just wanted to show that a foreigner could do well too.

After living in Korea and getting to know it, as well as participating in a show like SMTM, would you have still come to Korea with the same plan and mindset?

Ive been in Korea for 4 years now and I wouldn't change a thing. Everything happens for a reason and i like to live my life with no regrets. I wish that I was more fluent in Korean, but that comes with time.

Did you receive any advice from other rappers before you came on season 3?

Any advice . . . no hahah . .  just to do my best.

We never got to see you much on the show (and trust me, a lot of international viewers were bummed out about that) do you feel like you kind of got cheated? Was there anything you wanted viewers to know?

Yeah, it is kind of a bummer that they didn't show me much on TV. Even some of the team producers were complaining to the writers of the show that i didn't get much tv time. Most people know that the show is not a "true" rap competition. It is a bit of a popularity contest at times and there was a storyline even before the show began (as is the same with most tv shows). Basically, I wasn't a part of the storyline...hahaha so less tv time.

(I also followed up with these questions - A lot of people had previously complained about the show's editing telling very different stories from what actually took place. Did you feel like that may have happened? And finally, just...what was it like to see yourself on the show?)

As far as editing . . . im not 100% sure because i didn't watch the show . . . but i do know that some of what was said or shown on tv is not exactly how it too place in reality. Tv shows are always edited in a way to make things appear to be more dramatic than they actually are in order to grab the audiences attention.

And as i mentioned above, I did not watch the show . . . so im not sure. Usually, I don't like watching myself on TV because I always tend to think of what i could have done better.

What can we look forward to from you in the next few months, and any parting words you’d like to leave us with?

In the next few months, look forward to single and hopefully a mixtape as well. Im busy working on a lot of new music, so i hope that you will be patient with me as I work hard to make songs where i can show everything I’ve got. To my fans: Thank you so much for all the support. I didn't realized that so many people outside of Korea watched the show. It been awesome learning about how much support I have from around the world. Thank you so much!!

A big thank you to Toy who agreed to this interview, I’m excited to see her development as an artist in South Korea and will definitely be keeping an eye on her, as a fan. It was great to get to know about her experience! If you’d like to keep up with her, here are other platforms that you can use to connect with her.

Twitter Instagram     Youtube Soundcloud

Snoh Aalegra

The first few moments of Snoh Aalegra's video had me commenting on how undeniably gorgeous this woman is, but just a few seconds later I was so in love with the song, that nothing else even mattered.

"Following it’s the release of the audio last month, Snoh Aalegra returns with the official visual accompaniment to her impressive single “Burning Bridges”.

The beautiful ARTium signed Swedish singer-songwriter who has been steadily perfecting her craft under the wing of Superproducer No I.D. brings the Trakmatik and No I.D produced cut to life with the Matt Barnes-directed official video, which perfectly compliments the tone and mood of the emotive track."   - (X)

I believe in sharing good things, and though Swedish singer/songwriter Snoh Aalegra has only released just a few songs, she is something you gotta know about.

As it says on her website, Snoh had been writing music since a very young age and has been developing her unique sound. "Her music is very dark, theatrical and sometimes poetic. She writes most her music in her bed, which can be a big reason why it is very personal and intimate."

Its not hard to see how talented Snoh is, whether you're watching the beautifully produced video for Burning Bridges or are watching one of her few covers uploaded to Youtube.

The video is fluid, artistic, and beautiful. The perfect companion to such a good song.

- Horea

Playlist - Scholastic Sadness

A few months ago, during the final days of high school, I specifically remember telling one of my friends "I am SOOOOOO done with high school!!!!11! And I know that in 3 months, I'm going to be crying about how much I miss high school and how much I hate university, but that is irrelevant right now!"
When I said that, months ago, I said it with a sense of hope. A sense that maybe university wasn't going to be that bad and that hopefully it might even be better than high school.

Wrong.

Very wrong.

After my first day, I was ready to quit. On my second day, I knew that I would need to win the lottery that weekend or become ridiculously famous. Either one would be fine as long as university was postponed. Unfortunately, n'either of those things happened. Instead, I've had to endure university for what it is for this semester. I should probably highlight the fact that I'm not a rez student, which may or may not have an impact on my opinion. Regardless, I'm not a fan of university. Yes, the freedom is nice  but that doesn't make up for the friends I will most likely lose touch with, the fact that your proffs don't really care about you or your success, and the fact, the whole class is basically online, I also don't really do well with learning in large classes (250 students doesn't work for me) and the uncertainty that gnaws in the pit of my stomach asking me "is this really what I want to be doing?" (the answer is no). I always had an idea that in university, you would study things that interest you. Yet here I am, postponing studying for a test in communicational organizational (don't ask me what it's about - I still don't know)* (Edit: I wrote this a little while back ago, I've finished all my finals but am still unsure about organizational communication...)

The transition from cushiony high school to bear boned university is not easy, and people make sure it isn't. They call it the "real world" and tell you that you should get used to it.  Disregarding the fact that we're basically unstable children who have no idea what we're doing in the world. In the "real world" you're not expected to react like a normal human being? I feel like that's an idea imposed on us by society. We don't offer a hand because people told us not to. That's just how it feels. I am fortunate to attend university and I'm sure there's a kid out there who would sell their soul for my opportunity but that doesn't diminish the fact that I hate it. *attempt at not sounding like a spoiled brat*

But in these times of  uncertainty and teen angst, I've relied on my musical buddies to get me through em. Thank goodness for Beyoncé releasing an album because now I have so much more to be thankful for. Without further ado,

My Teen Angst Playlist - Scholastic Sadness

(there is no relation between the theme and the music - its just stuff I really like to listen to during these angst ridden times.)

To help you cope with school:
This Is What It Feels Like - Banks
This Year - The Mountain Goats
Waterfalls - TLC
Happy - Pharell Williams
Lost Generation - Rizzle Kicks
Get Free - Major Lazer
Ribs - Lorde
Joy Of Nothing - Foy Vance

Horchata - Vampire Weekend

Waiting All Night feat. Ella Eyre - Ruidemental
Feel The Love feat. Ella Eyre- Rudimental
Losing You - Solange
Don't Let It Get To You - Rostam
I Don't Give A Fuck - Boss (couldn't find audio on Soundcloud, here is a snippet)
Beautiful - Tajan x Fwdslxsh
What WOuld You Do - Bastille
Whaea - Skakaburbian Collective

Rock The Boat - Aaliyah
Do I Wanna Know - Arctic Monkeys

Rostam - Wood
Almost Is Never Enough - Ariana Grande ft. Nathan Sykes

Afterglow - Wilkinson
Hold On - Alabama Shakes
Better Left Unsaid - Ariana Grande
Walcott - Vampire Weekend
Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High - Arctic Monkeys
Hold On We're Going Home - ASTR
Don't Wait - Mapei
No Bueno - Angel Haze
Clarity feat. Foxes (Acoustic) - Zedd
Warrior - Foxes
I Wanna Be Yours - Arctic Monkeys

Love Me Again - John Newman

U.N.I - Ed Sheeran (JUST BECAUSE)

Vampire Weekend On Holy Ground (I'll always Kwassa Kwassa 4 u)

Warning: Picture heavy post

Nineteen days ago, exactly nineteen days ago, I witnessed Vampire Weekend live. That's right, I saw them in person, up front, nice and close, on a stage, performing music I've been obsessed with since the 9th grade. Was I emotionally stable? Not at all. It was awesome.

We arrived about 2 hours early for the show, but even that wasn't enough time to beat the hipsters as there was already a pack of people pushing to the front of the stage. Regardless, we arrived just in time because we got an awesome view, and thankfully, there weren't too many tall people standing in front of us. My general rule is that if you can see the performer's facial expressions, you have a good view. And we had just that.

After what seemed like a never ending night of waiting, Vampire Weekend appeared five minutes early (thank God, because my last bus was supposed to come soon after the show).  The first one on the stage was Rostam, wearing a blue jacket, who positioned himself and his array of instruments on the left side of the stage, he was followed by the rest of the band. Ezra, front and center, CT on drums, right behind Ezra, and Chris Baio, who was right in front of me, on the right.

 They kicked off their almost an hour and a half performance with Cousins. The crowd was a perfect mix of rowdy teenagers and people who just wanted to appreciate the music, meaning that there was no pushing and shoving, it was serene.  I was so happy that they decided to perform not only some of my favorite tracks from Modern Vampires of The City, but their early music from Contra and Vampire Weekend as well. I've been a Vampire Weekend since grade 9, about 4 years now, and although I NEVER EVER thought I'd be seeing them in concert in Ottawa (of all the places!), I would have hoped that they would play some of their early music that made me become a fan. What truly made the performance special was the attention to detail. The set was decorated in floral, just like the side panel of the album with a huge mirror in the middle that reflected various images throughout the show. But my favourite part was the light show. Every song had a different light pattern and I couldn't help but think it was referring to the meaning of the song. When there were mentions of Heaven the lights would throw beams from the top of the stage to the bottom, where the fans were. It went dark during mentions of death. The lights went red and spastic during Giving Up The Gun. It was trippy and beautiful.

Of all 4 members, I would have said Chris Baio is the one to watch. He seems to be the most energetic and danc-y of all four (CT is kind of chilling behind the drums so I can't really count him). He was making eye contact with the crowd (pretty sure we shared a look), dancing and just showing us that he was having as much fun as us.  The live show allowed me to have a much larger appreciation for Rostam Batmanglij. He was switching from instrument to instrument like it was nothing, and harmonizing so perfectly with Ezra that it hurt. Harmonies that I'd never even notices were being played on the stage that I now consider holy ground. And although VW's music can sometimes be all over the places, Ezra never missed a note. Never (that I noticed, at least). Throughout the show you could see Ezra and Rostam sipping out of coffee cups (but you never know) and I was just...seriously? HA!

 
At around the time their set was supposed to finish, Ezra apologized on behalf of the band for taking so long to come to Ottawa and they left the stage. It seemed ridiculous to us, and so we called them back out. We cheered for an encore for about 4 minutes until they came back out on stage for about three more songs, and then they left the stage properly that time. One of my favorite moments of the show was when Rostam was playing the final notes of what I think was Hannah Hunt, and he played the wrong key. We knew it. He knew it. He knew we knew it, and we all chuckled for a moment, and instead of finishing the song like it was supposed to end, he played a few off keys and we all enjoyed the moment together. They left the stage by throwing their guitar picks and drum sticks into the crowd and calling it a night.

I took a moment for myself during the concert to just look around and appreciate the experience. I understood 2 things about Vampire Weekend at that point; Vampire Weekend will provide a perfect rendition of their music, and it is up to you to make the best of it. There is no hype man during the show telling you to jump, its up to yourself and the crowd to make the best of what it is. And if you want to dance your heart out, dance. If you want to sing your heart out, sing. But if you just want to stand there and listen to Vampire Weekend, then listen. You take your time, young lion.

*All photos were taken by myself and Jasmine , feel free to use them but please credit them!

My Sweet Lady

My Sweet Lady (Spring Playlist - 2k13) from horea_tmt on 8tracks Radio.

Its been a while since I made a music post, which is clearly unacceptable.

Music is my lady. She keeps me calm in the dead of night. Reminds me I'm not as crazy as I think I am. Changes my mood as she pleases. She moves me. Shapes me. Brings me imagination to life, gives my ideas flights and cures every ail I have.

And my lady needs some lime light on this blog.

I know I've spoken of Imagine Dragons before but I think I need to speak about them again. Their album, Night Visions is filled with hit after hit after hit. It is the musical definition of my senior year of high school, and quite frankly its what got me through it. If I could define Night Visions with one word, I would say: holographic. You look at a song and understand one thing about it, and later you look at it in a different way and understand something completely different. Does that make sense?

Speaking of bands, I recently saw a local band perform an acoustic set of some songs off their album. The band is currently based in Ottawa, Ontario and goes by the name The Riot Police. I usually am not impressed with the music scene in my city (let alone my country) but The Riot Police honestly shocked me! By the middle of their first song I was singing along to what I could remember and falling truly, madly, deeply in ''music love''. A few of their members go to some of my rival high schools in Ottawa, I didn't know our generation was capable of producing bands. Real, honest bands. With instruments, and feel worthy lyrics, and talent. I thought we were all products of industrialization, hypersexualation and the media. Who knew! Their music is currently available on iTunes if you care to take a look (you should) and I will definitely be picking up a copy of their album. I am absolutely smitten by the tune ''Losing You'' and I am so happy I recorded a few clips of them because those are my stand ins until I get the album.

I recently purchased Trilogy by The Weeknd. A collection of The Weeknd's first 3 cd's, House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes Of Silence. Its definitely worth it, as I got 3 Cd's for the price of one.  I usually don't purchase albums since its kind of outdated, but I think this is the start of an amazing collection.

Speaking of albums I need to buy, I may need to purchase The Great Gatsby's soundtrack. It is pure perfection and seems to go along with the book just perfectly.

So there is my Spring playlist. It has some old and some new. What's on your playlist?

Follow me on Instagram: @Ahorea

Stardust

Songs I've been feeling in these early July days...

Some Nights - fun. 

It's Time - Imagine Dragons

Liquorice - Azealia Banks

Go - Delilah 

Summer Girls - LFO (BECAUSE IT'S SUMMER!)