Tag: new music

#MusicMonday, Music

#MusicMonday | Sam Smith, Maroon 5, One Republic, Jordan Fisher, In Real Life & Fall Out Boy

by KristinLeave a Comment on #MusicMonday | Sam Smith, Maroon 5, One Republic, Jordan Fisher, In Real Life & Fall Out Boy

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What’s up, everyone??

Welcome to #MusicMonday here at According to Kristin! I’ve been wanting to get a bit more personal on the blog, and Music is the most personal for me…so here we are! I’ll be posting here on certain Mondays, and sometimes I might add in a podcast or two. I’m hoping to have guests on and even try scheduling some interviews, so if you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know! Let me know what you’re currently listening to, what albums and tours you’re excited about. You can even tag me on Twitter with a performance you think I should check out. I’m open to all suggestions!

I’ve always been a music fanatic, so I’m sure Mondays will be extra therapeutic for me now as I’ll be able to discuss all of the aspects that make up one of my first loves. Music is my escape from the world. When I’m stressed at work, the power of an ear bud is priceless. I just pop one into my ear and the calmness takes over. I honestly don’t know where I’d be without it (both music, and the ear bud lol).

So, here are some of the things that have interested me in the music world this week:

 


Sam Smith has (finally) announced a new album and tour, following the release of his newest single, “Too Good At Goodbyes.” The single is lit and the album and tour are sure to be just as incredible-it IS Sam Smith, after all. The album is titled “The Thrill Of It All” and will be available on November 3rd. You can pre-order the album on his web store HERE. You can also follow him on Twitter and Instagram by clicking on the respective links.

Not to be left out, Maroon 5 (@maroon5) also announced details for their new album, titled “Red Pill Blues,” set to be released on the same day, November 3rd. Here is the track listing for both the 12-Track Standard Edition and the 15-Track Deluxe Edition of their sixth studio album:

12-Track STANDARD EDITION TRACK LISTING

Best 4 U
What Lovers Do feat. SZA
Wait
Lips On You
Bet My Heart
Help Me Out with Julia Michaels
Who I Am feat. ft. LunchMoney Lewis
Whiskey ft. A$AP Rocky
Girls Like You
Closure

15-Track DELUXE EDITION TRACK LISTING

Best 4 U
What Lovers Do feat. SZA
Wait
Lips On You
Bet My Heart
Help Me Out with Julia Michaels
Who I Am feat. ft. LunchMoney Lewis
Whiskey ft. A$AP Rocky
Girls Like You
Closure
Denim Jacket
Visions
Plastic Rose
Don’t Wanna Know ft. Kendrick Lamar
Cold ft. Future

One song that I’m really enjoying this week is One Republic‘s “Rich Love,” and you can catch the video for that below:

If you haven’t seen One Republic (@onerepublic) live before, I strongly suggest you change that. I saw them in West Palm Beach, FL when they went on tour with The Script (who will definitely make an appearance on #MusicMonday) and it was nothing short of amazing. They’re high energy throughout the whole show and their vocals are always on point. Do it and you can thank me later!

The next two artists that I want to mention are both signed to Hollywood Records.

Jordan Fisher (@jordan_fisher) is a triple-threat who is soon to be dominating the charts with his upcoming debut album. He’s currently dancing his way to the mirror ball trophy on Dancing With the Stars, he has a new single, “Mess,” which was released last week and an album that is on its way to the shelves. Not sure if you familiar with him? He was on Broadway with the hit show Hamilton, he was on Disney’s Teen Beach Movie and he also played Doody on the live version of Grease. Check out his new single, “Mess,” wherever you download/stream music and also feel free to check out his videos on YouTube. Again…you can thank me later! I’m just wondering if dude could show me how to dance lol!

I’ve posted a few times about In Real Life (@inreallife) because they’re new to the scene and they deserve the exposure. I was exposed to them when my niece started watching ABC’s Boy Band, and my friend Jesus @thisfunktional got a chance to speak with them out in California last week at the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor event. I was excited for them when I found out that they’ll be under Johnny Wright’s wing for the duration (hopefully) of their career because he’s worked with some of the best in the industry! Their debut single, “Eyes Closed,” has done well since its release and they have a fantastic marketing team that has been putting them in some of the best places since the show ended. They’re currently playing little shows while they record new music and they just wrapped a music video for their original Christmas song that should be released soon.

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Last, but certainly not least…my little sis, Brancey, absolutely loves Fall Out Boy (@falloutboy), so it wouldn’t be a discussion about music without talking about their new single and their pushed back “Mania” album, set to release in January 2018.

 

 

You can hear Brancey and I rambling on the podcast below. Also, don’t mind the little section in the middle where Skype decided it hated us and cut off our recording lol. Shout out to Jesus for splicing them together for us lmao!

Music, TV

Meet Your Newest Boy Band!! @InRealLife | #boybandabc #music #InRealLife

by KristinLeave a Comment on Meet Your Newest Boy Band!! @InRealLife | #boybandabc #music #InRealLife

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You guys!!! For the past 10 weeks, we’ve had the chance to watch a group of young boys work their butts off as they competed for a spot in the newest boy band, which has now been revealed as IN REAL LIFE.

I started watching the show because I’m fascinated by the inner workings of these types of shows, and also because I grew up in the boy band era and simply can’t forget my roots! There was really no intention to continue watching past the first episode, but I got reeled in alongside my thirteen-year-old niece, Briana. I never would’ve imagined that I would become so invested in another boy band experiment, but this one was different to me.

All of the boys on the show ranged in age from 14-19 (after some 20-somethings had been eliminated) and had such a positivity about them that was infectious. These boys showed love to their families, they showed love and affection towards each other and aside from the MILD drama here and there behind the scenes, it was so refreshing to get caught up in something with some positivity. I can say that, personally, it’s brought a bonding between my niece, my mom & I that I appreciate so much. My niece was able to witness a group of people around her age that were working hard for something they really wanted to accomplish and never faltered in their love and respect for themselves or for others. A message I hope she retains for her own future.

IMG_9910I can’t say that the final band was my top 5 throughout the season though. Initially, our top 5 was JHype, Michael Conor, Chance, Drew and Mikey. When JHype (wrongfully) got eliminated, his spot on our list went to Marcus. However, that’s not to say that I’m upset about the final band either. I think any of the final 8 would have been a great addition. Jaden Gray has one of THE best voices I’ve ever heard and I truly hope he continues pursuing a career in music because it would be tragic if he didn’t. Marcus also has that star quality that I’m sure will drive his already budding solo career forward. We’re mostly sad for Mikey because I really think he fought for his spot in the band. After being in the bottom two (WRONGFULLY) twice, he still managed to win America over in the voting process and made it to the final 8. I was really hoping that they would add a 6th member to the band, but I’m just hoping he doesn’t give up on music because he’s such a personable and lovable kid with talent and the motivation to succeed. He definitely won us over, and we’ll continue to support anything he does after this.

With that being said…the final band is:

Chance Perez, Michael Conor, Drew Ramos, Brady Tutton and Sergio Calderon!!

You can watch their first performance of ‘Eyes Closed’ below. Keep in mind that they didn’t know who was in the band until right before this performance, so as each person was announced throughout the hour episode, they were given specific parts of the song that belonged to them on the final recording. Each person had to learn every part of the song in preparation for the final decision. I give them A TON of credit for knocking out this performance with so little mistakes! I can’t wait to see where this takes them, and here’s to hoping for a tour that reunites the boys with past contestants (:::cough cough::: JHype, Jaden, Mikey and Marcus)!! Here’s to also hoping that Timbaland and Justin Timberlake reach out to JHype too! lol.

Make sure to download the actual recording on whichever platform you use for downloading or streaming music too! Let’s get these boys some exposure!

 

 

Music

ARTIST TO WATCH: WENS | “Bones” @wensmusic #music

by KristinLeave a Comment on ARTIST TO WATCH: WENS | “Bones” @wensmusic #music

FullSizeRenderWhat’s up, music lovers?!

If you know me at all, you know how much I LOVE finding new artists to listen to. Thankfully, I also have great taste in TV shows that introduce me to a plethora of amazing new music every week!

Last week was no exception, as I learned about a new artist, WENS. Her track, “Bones,” was featured on an episode of Teen Wolf and it’s been stuck in my head ever since!

To the left is the track artwork featured on Apple Music and below is the audio for the song on YouTube. This song has a blend of R&B and almost alternative vocals on top of a hip-hop influenced track. It’s a creative fusion of incredible sounds and I can’t wait to hear more from this Los Angeles native.

You can find WENS on Twitter HERE and you can check out the song below:

Music

Multi-platinum selling X Ambassadors return w/new single ‘Ahead Of Myself’ | @xambassadors

by KristinLeave a Comment on Multi-platinum selling X Ambassadors return w/new single ‘Ahead Of Myself’ | @xambassadors

X AMBASSADORS

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RELEASE BRAND NEW SINGLE ‘AHEAD OF MYSELF’ OUT NOW – LISTEN HERE

NEW ALBUM COMING

PLAYING READING & LEEDS FESTIVAL
PLUS HEADLINING LONDON’S ULU AUGUST 29TH

US trio X Ambassadors return with a brand new single ‘Ahead Of Myself’, which is the lead track from their upcoming second album.

Released today, ‘Ahead Of Myself’ was co-written with American multi-platinum selling songwriter, producer, and musician Scott Harris (Shawn Mendes, Chainsmokers) and was added straight onto Spotify’s UK and Global New Music Playlists as well as Deezer and Amazon’s Brand New Music UK playlists.

‘Ahead Of Myself’ is the first taste of their new album, the follow up to the critically acclaimed, gold-certified debut album VHS, which featured the two multi-platinum hits ‘Renegades’ and ‘Unsteady’.

The success of VHS saw X Ambassadors venture out on a near two-year touring odyssey, winning over fans around the world and performing at the likes of Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Life is Beautiful, Shaky Knees festivals and many more.

The three-piece, formed of brothers Sam and Casey Harris and college friend Adam Levin, have collaborated with a number of top names such as Tom Morello, Elle King, A$AP Ferg, Wiz Khalifa, Eminem and label mates Imagine Dragons.

Earlier this year they gave fans a taste of their current sonic direction with the release of ‘The Devil You Know’, which featured in a trailer for the upcoming Tom Cruise film American Made, ‘Torches’ which was heard in Transformers: The Last Knight, and the inspirational ‘Hoping’, which came about following the US presidential election.

X Ambassadors will be playing the Radio 1/NME stage at this year’s Reading and Leeds Festival before headlining a show at London’s ULU on August 29th.

“One of rock’s hottest new bands” – The Independent

“Triumphant, euphoric, immensely uplifting” – Clash Magazine

“Bombastic rock that’s as stomping as it is diaristic, leavened by big-tent pop hooks and a hint of hip-hop swagger” – Rolling Stone

Retail | iTunes | Apple | Amazon | Google | Spotify | Soundcloud | YouTube

 

Music

NEW MUSIC: THE SCRIPT | “Rain” Music Video | #music #thescript

by KristinLeave a Comment on NEW MUSIC: THE SCRIPT | “Rain” Music Video | #music #thescript

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For those of you who don’t know me personally, I’m a HUGE fan of The Script. I met them at a show here in Miami a few years ago with my friend (Thanks, Keisha!) and they were absolutely incredible. I had already been a fan of their music, but the way they were with their fans made me love them even more . . . not to mention that they’re Irish, which automatically makes them awesome! lol.

I’ve seen them live 3 times now and I’m hoping they make a stop in South Florida again for their next tour. Believe me, seeing them live is so worth it!

Here is the new music video for “Rain” that was released this weekend! I’m kinda digging the dance vibe they have going on here. Lyrically, The Script is always on point, so I don’t mind them experimenting with new sounds like I do with some others haha.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Music

NEW MUSIC: HARRY STYLES | ‘Sign of the Times’ Single

by Kristin1 Comment on NEW MUSIC: HARRY STYLES | ‘Sign of the Times’ Single

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Ladies and gents . . . the long-awaited first single from the One Direction heartthrob, Harry Styles, has been released today!

Following in the footsteps of his band mates (most of them, anyway), Harry has released ‘ Sign of the Times’ on April 7, 2017. Strange to know that there are thousands of young girls losing their minds today because of it – my niece included! It’s interesting how different their musical styles are, isn’t it? Harry Styles with this 80’s rock style single, Niall Horan released an acoustic style ‘This Town,’ Louis Tomlinson released an electronic/dance vibe single ‘Just Hold On’ with Steve Aoki and we’re still waiting on Liam Payne to release something! We also saw Zayn Malik branch out on his own with a different style as well.

I also find it interesting that this is the one boy band who has seen ALL members branch out to do their own thing. Not even my beloved *NSYNC did that!

Anyway, Harry will be performing ‘Sign of the Times’ on NBC’s Saturday Night Live this Saturday, April 15. You can also check out his upcoming movie, Dunkirk, which will be in theaters this SUMMER, July 21, 2017.

So here is the audio “video” released on Harry’s VEVO channel:

Music

@JTIMBERLAKE RELEASES NEW TRACK ‘CAN’T STOP THE FEELING’

by KristinLeave a Comment on @JTIMBERLAKE RELEASES NEW TRACK ‘CAN’T STOP THE FEELING’

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YES!!!!! New JT music is out!! Justin Timberlake released the first track off of the TROLLS soundtrack on May 6, and it is nothing short of amazing! Since Z100 has dubbed this Justin Timberlake day on the radio, I definitely have my JT Tour shirt on! :::don’t judge:::

The song is fun and the First Listen video is great! It shows the cast dancing around to the track and it just makes you want to get up and dance too!

So check out the video below and let everyone know what you think!

 

 

 

This should be you after watching the video…

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Entertainment News, Music

Zayn Malik’s Debut Solo Single “Pillowtalk” Has Arrived!

by KristinLeave a Comment on Zayn Malik’s Debut Solo Single “Pillowtalk” Has Arrived!

IMG_2709It’s the moment all One Direction fans dreaded!  The moment when the 23-year-old would drop his first solo single since leaving One Direction mid-tour in March 2015.

Now, as a woman in her 30’s, I’ve had my share of boy band heartbreaks!  Nsync broke up.  Need I say more?  Ok, maybe I can.  NKOTB split up for years (and got back together so maybe there’s hope for a reunion when they’re in their 40’s Directioners!), Backstreet Boys lost Kevin for a while (and got him back), etc.  It happens, and it stinks, but we saw this happen with Justin Timberlake, didn’t we?  He needed something more than the cookie cutter boy band image, so he went off on his own and he’s done amazingly well!  Don’t get me wrong…I’m still holding out hope for a reunion though…

With Zayn’s debut single, it’s definitely edgier than we’re used to seeing from him.  WAY EDGIER!  I actually really like it…with the exception of knowing that my 11-year-old niece will end up watching it and have a million questions (like why it’s called “Pillowtalk” in the first place lol).  The video was released on January 29, just 2 days after band released their nostalgic video for “History.”  Coincidence?  Quite possibly.

In any case, check out One Direction’s newest video and then check out Zayn’s debut as a solo artist.  Let me know what you think!  Tweet me @kristin0409!