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Monday, August 24, 2015

Ariana Grande: Sweet and Coy and with a Powerful Voice






At first listen, Ariana Grande would remind you of a very young Mariah Carey, but in terms of looks, Ariana has this subversive pre-pubescent beauty straight out of Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita novel - exuding incredible sex appeal from a body that makes her look like she's barely 14 years old - a pedophile's wet dream.
However, she has a very beautiful voice which she displayed in full force last night, singing two gems from Whitney Houston's Grammy-winning The Bodyguard album, just to prove to everyone that, yeah, I got the vocal chops baby! She hit all the right notes in I Have Nothing and I'm Every Woman but didn't quite have the adult emotions needed to express those songs properly.
While Mariah can't dance to save her life, Ariana can, and she can sway those hips of hers to the tune of several of her hits - from One Last Time to Problem to Love Me Harder to Break Free. I'm not too familiar with her earlier work but she did make a good balance between her earlier work and My Everything.
The audience just really adored her and were screaming and singing along with her from the first song. I'm sure as Ariana continues to do more live shows, she will have learned the ability to hold the audience in the palm of her hands.
She has the repertoire, the right look, she can dance, and she can birit as well!
As it is tonight, it was like, she was just going through the motions of the whole show, shouting I love you's and Mahal Kita here and there, but not quite enthralling more seasoned concert goers like me. Unlike Katy Perry, she didn't even talk very much with the audience.
It was a full production show with dancers and rappers and a DJ. Many of her fans wore bunny ears and Ariana was styled to look and perform like a pre-pubescent Playboy bunny. Drag queens also came in full force, many of them achieving that Ariana Grande look - long beautiful hair, the right touch of mascara and slender long legs.

Waiting for Ariana Grande to Come Out of the Backstage






After the show finished, Laura was very eager to say bye bye to Ariana, so I brought her to the "backstage" where the vans ferrying the performers were waiting.
I told her to fight for space since most of the people waiting were girls anyway and Laura was small and could easily squeeze her body near the front.
Unfortunately, we never really got to see Ariana, because unlike Mariah, she never bothered to come out and say hello to the waiting throng.

Ariana Pays Tribute To Whitney Houston and Madonna on Her Honeymoon Concert Tour


Just like in Katy Perry's concert earlier this year, Ariana also paid tribute to the Queen of Pop by singing Vogue, mashing it up with Whitney Houston's I'm Every Woman.
Even though Madonna is not known for her vocal prowess, it's nice to know that she was able to influence these current group of female performers.
Anyhow, tonight was the night for the teenage girls. Our version to relive our teenage moments will come soon enough.
I haven't decided yet to buy the stupendously expensive tickets to her show since I'm waiting for the setlist.
Rebel Heart is a fantastic album showcasing so many musical styles so I was thinking, if Madonna will sing Rebel Heart (the title track), Beautiful Scar, Bitch I'm Madonna (this one is a shoo-in because it's the only song that charted in the Hot 100), Ghost Town and Joan of Arc, maybe, just maybe, I'd have to get some money from our baul, just to see her in Manila.
Sana di pa ubos ang tickets by Christmas time.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Mica Javier


Local urban singer, Mica Javier has two top 10 hits in my OPM countdown.

2014 - Heart Song (#2)

2015 - Tonight (with Jay-R) (#6)

Saturday, August 15, 2015

My OPM Top 10 for August 14, 2015: #7 Jason Dy - Caught In That Feeling





Jason Dy of The Voice Philippines posts his very first top 10 hit in my OPM Top 10, as Caught Up in that Feeling moves back up to #7.

My OPM Top 10 for August 14, 2015: #8 Marion Aunor - Take A Chance





Marion Aunor's third top 10 hit in my OPM top 10, Take A Chance, moves back up to #8 this week.

Marion Aunor

Marion Aunor has three top 10 hits in my OPM Top 10.

2013 - If You Ever Change Your Mind (#4)

2014 - Fallen (#5)

2015 - Take A Chance (#8)


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My OPM Top 10 for August 14, 2015: #9 Franco - Across the Milky Way




This is Franco's fourth top 10 hit in my OPM Top 10 and it lands this week at #9.  All three of Franco's songs went all the way to #1.  His album, Soul Adventurer has been a treasure trove of hits for him.

Franco Tops My OPM Countdown for the Third Time!


Local band Franco is on a roll this year, after I gave their album a spin, they now get their 3rd #1 song in my OPM countdown as A Beautiful Diversion rises to #1. Frankly, their album is one of the most mature and most well-thought out albums that I've listened to in a long time, and it deserves and Album of the Year award from me at year-end.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending July 31, 2015 -

#1 Franco - A Beautiful Diversion (#2)

#2 Lyca Gairanod - Puede Nang Mangarap (#3)

#3 Young JV - Ale (#4)

#4 Angeline Quinto - Nag-iisa Lang (#5)

#5 Isabelle de Leon - Sa Yakap Mo (#6)

#6 Nadine Ilustre - Me and You (#7)

#7 Jason Dy - Caught in that Feeling (#8)

#8 Marion Aunor - Take A Chance (#9)

#9 Jay-R / Mica Javier - Tonight (#10)

#10 Thyro / Yumi / Jeric - Triangulo (NEW)

Franco Tops My OPM Countdown for the Second Time


Local band Franco, gets their second #1 song this week, as To Survive, moves up to the top spot.  Two years ago, they had their first #1 song with Better Days.

Incidentally, this same song comes from the same album.  I just decided to listen to the album again and chose four other strong tracks from it to compete with the other OPM songs.  To Survive is such a strong track, it went all the way to #1.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending June 26, 2015 -

#1 Franco - To Survive (#2)

#2 Gimme 5 - Pag Kasama Ka (#3)

#3 Hale - See You (#4)

#4 Silent Sanctuary - Sa Piling Mo (#5)

#5 Paolo Onesa - You Are So Beautiful (#6)

#6 Julie Anne San Jose - Kung Maibabalik Ko Lang (#7)

#7 Angeline Quinto - Hanggang Kailan Kita Mamahalin (#8)

#8 Thor - Pa'no Ko Sasabihin (#9)

#9 Never the Strangers - Sabay (#10)

#10 Pupil - Why (NEW)

My Weekly OPM Top 10 for August 14, 2015: #10 - Reo Brothers - Ako'y Tinamaan




After their fairy tale story from the typhoon-ravaged city of Tacloban, to the competitive band scene here in Manila, the Reo Brothers, finally get their very first top 10 hit in my OPM top 10, as Ako'y Tinamaan debuts at #10.

Reo Brothers


There is a fantastic and touching back story to the success of the Reo Brothers, which I encourage all of you to Google and search for!  It's very inspirational!  Anyhow, the band has one top 10 hit in my personal countdown.

2015 - Ako'y Tinamaan (#10)

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Fresh and Ready to Party with Zedd







Waiting for Zedd.....I only caught one opening act since I decided to arrive late, knowing that the star of EDM shows usually play fashionably late!
The one I caught though, called Haywyre played a pretty cool set, a kind of smooth R&B which was prevalent in one of Janet Jackson's 1990s album - the one which had her famous hit 'Together Again'.
It was good that I skipped gym today since I didn't want to waste my energy there. I've learned in EDM concerts past that it would be wiser to just sleep all afternoon since these things finish really really late!
I wanted to be fresh and ready to party!

Concert Review: My First Zedd-Experience in Manila



I missed Zedd's first concert here in 2013 because it was in the middle of the crazy Christmas season. I didn't want to be driving to MOA in Christmas traffic. That's no fun at all!
In less than two years, he's back, and I did buy his True Colors album (which is also the title of his concert tour, and although there are no tracks that really jump on you, what I noticed was that the songs really sounded great live!!
I've been listening to the album the past week and Zedd played almost all the songs except my most favorite, which was also the least danceable of all, Daisy.
However, everything else sounded exceptionally well live, especially, (at least for me), Done With Love, which was his first encore song! It sounded amazing since he really played the whole track! Bumble Bee sounded also great as well as Addicted to a Memory, since both songs are really true blue EDM tracks - pulsating electronic beats!
I'm just glad I chose a section which had aircon blasting all over it, because at least we weren't too sweaty! Also, I had a whole section of seats to myself, which was great!! I'm actually not really a fan of dikit dikit dancing.

My Zedd 2015 Concert Pictures!!















My Photos of Cody Simpson in His Manila Concert