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Tag Archives: 2013
YouTube Wednesday: Sophie Foster…your newest fav beauty/fashion/lifestyle guru
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we’re going to talk about an awesome beauty/fashion guru that you’ll need to subscribe to right now! If you haven’t heard of Sophie Foster then keep reading to learn all about the YouTuber that all your friends will soon be obsessed with. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!
The first video that we’re going to talk about is Sophie’s ‘Introduction Video’, which was uploaded on August 26th, 2013. The reason why I wanted to mention this video, is because it not only shows you what you should expect from this channel, but it also shows us how far Sophie has come as an entertainer. It’s interesting to see our fav YouTuber’s first videos because it just reaffirms that they really are just regular people with extraordinary talent. Next up we have Sophie’s ‘My Morning Routine’ video, which was uploaded on May 23rd, 2014 (you can check out the video below). Morning routines can be really interesting to watch because you get cool tips & tricks regarding makeup, hair, food, and so much more! If you want inspiration to make your morning even more fun then you should definitely check out this video.
The next video that we’re going to talk about is Sophie ‘How To Have The BEST Concert Experience’, which was uploaded on May 31st, 2015 (you can check out this video below). Whether you’re preparing to go to your 1st concert or you’re a concert veteran, this is the video for you! In this video Sophie talks about outfit & makeup suggestions, what to/what not to bring/do, & a lot of other essential information that you should know in order to have the best time possible. The final video that we’re going to talk about is Sophie’s ‘Purple Smokey Glam Makeup Tutorial’, which was uploaded on January 17th, 2016. If you want a step-by step explanation on how to get an amazing smokey eye look that will make you stand out, then you gotta check out this tutorial.
•All photos and information used in this blog belong to YouTube, Sophie Foster, and all companies, individuals, corporations, managers, writers, producers, and/or businesses that should receive credit for anything mentioned in this blog post or the videos mentioned and/or featured in this post, and all original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. If any people, corporations, businesses, companies, etc, were not previously given credit for their work, they are given credit now and their previous absence was unintentional. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.
YouTube Wednesday: Get ready to meet your newest musical obsession Anthem Lights
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday we are going to discuss an INCREDIBLE new band 
that you will all be completely addicted to. If you’ve never heard of Anthem Lights then you NEED to keep reading because this amazing bands and covers will instantly hook you from the first note. This band has the amazing ability to cover a wide variety of songs from different genres, and still make each cover sound unique, but also keeps the original vibe that originally made the song a hit. Anthem Lights is a Christian pop/rock band that currently has 379,301 subscribers and over 64 million total channel views on YouTube, and over 72,000 Twitter followers, so if you don’t want to miss out on the music industry’s next big thing then keep reading to learn all about this band’s awesome music. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!
The first video that we’re going to talk about is Anthem Lights’ cover of ‘This I Promise You’ by ‘NSYNC, which was uploaded on February 5th, 2013. I thought that this was an awesome cover to kick things off with because it allows each of the guys in the band to show off their amazing vocal skills. This cover is also a good example of this band’s phenomenal ability to take a song that we love, add the special Anthem Lights touch, and make the song feel like your listening to it for the first time. Next up we have Anthem Lights’ mash-up of the ‘2014 K-Love Fan Awards: Songs of the Year’ nominees, which was uploaded on March 11th, 2014 (you can check out below). This video is so incredible that you’re going to definitely replay it over and over. In this cover, Anthem lights takes multiple Contemporary Christian hits from the 2014 voting year, and combines all of the songs to create a memorable, entertaining video that fans will love (they have also released a 2015 edition so I would check that out too).
Now we’re going to talk about Anthem Lights cover of ‘Drops of Jupiter’ by Train, which was uploaded on March 11th, 2014. This can be a really difficult cover for an artist to pull off because it’s a very popular song, and is still a favorite among Train’s fan base. Once again Anthem Lights does an incredible job of making this song their own without changing what we originally loved about the song. Their vocals of this cover are so perfect that they instantly captivate you, and leave you mesmerized from beginning to end. The last video that we’re going to talk about is one of Anthem Lights’ original songs. It was extremely hard for me to pick just 3 covers to talk about (because all of their covers are amazing), so it was even more difficult to pick just 1 original song to write about I decided to pick a track off of their 2014 album ‘Escape’. Although I really loved all of the songs off of the album, I decided to go with the song ‘Top of the World’, because it’s a fun, energetic song that’s perfect to blast in the car. This song is a MUST HAVE on all of your playlists! The music video for this song was uploaded on YouTube on October 6th, 2014, and is just as fun and zany as the song itself (you can check out the video below). This video will definitely keep you entertained, and anxiously waiting to see what Anthem Lights releases next.
Keep up to date with everything Anthem Lights is doing:
YouTube: AnthemLights
Website: anthemlights.com
Twitter: anthemlights
Instagram: anthemlightsband
Facebook: AnthemLights
iTunes: Anthem Lights
- All credit goes to Anthem Lights, anthemlights.com, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, iTunes, ‘NSYNC, Train, Richard Marx, Jive Records, Sony Music Entertainment, RCA Records, RCA Music Group, Columbia Records, Patrick Monahan, Brendan O’Brien, Matthew West, Sparrow Records, Universal Music Group, Capitol Christian Music Group, Peter Kipley, Phil Wickham, Fair Trade Services, Sony Music, Josh Farro, Jeremy Riddle, Pete Kipley, Mandia, Christopher Stevens, Ben Glover, David Garcia, Big Daddy Weave, Fervent Records, Warner music Group, Benji Cowart, Essential Records, Provident Label Group, Daniel Carson, Matt Maher, Christy Nockels, Jesse Reeves, Kristian Stanfill, K-Love Awards, easttennessean.com, all of the businesses, companies, people, and any other original owners involved and/or mentioned in any of these videos and/or hauls, any and all companies, individuals, and/or businesses that should receive credit for anything mentioned in this blog post, and all original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. If any people, corporations, businesses, companies, etc, were not previously given credit for their work, they are given credit now and their previous absence was unintentional. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.
YouTube Wednesday: BriannaxBeautyx…the beauty guru who is quickly rising to the top
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we are going to talk about another AMAZING beauty/fashion guru who you NEED to know about. I was randomly looking on YouTube (because I’m always randomly on YouTube), and I stumbled across a channel that I am now so in love with, and I know y’all will be too! If you’re not already familiar with BriannaxBeautyx, then you need to subscribe to her channel right now (I mean like right this very second…finish reading this and then please go subscribe to this channel, because you’ll become obsessed). Brianna is a 13 year old beauty/fashion guru from Ohio, who is also a musician (here’s the link to her music channel: Brianna Nicole). With her knowledge about all things beauty/fashion related, witty banter, and natural on-camera charisma and honesty, I anticipate that Brianna will soon become one of the queens of YouTube. So get ready to meet your newest fav YouTuber.
The first video we’re going to discuss is Brianna’s ‘Makeup of The Day’ video (here’s a link: Makeup Of The Day! ), which was uploaded on June 10th, 2012. I picked this video because it’s the first beauty video that she uploaded, and I feel that you can really see her raw talent as a beauty guru. You can really see how a YouTuber grows from their first video, and in 2 years’ time, Brianna has grown A LOT from this initial video. I do think that the look that she shows on this video is a nice, easy to copy look for anyone just starting to wear makeup, because she shows exactly which products and colors she uses. The next video that we’re going to discuss is Brianna’s ’10 Products I would repurchase Tag’ (here’s the link to the video: 10 products I would repurchase TAG!), which was uploaded on February 17th, 2013. I thought that this would be a fun video to talk about because it’s an easy to find out different beauty guru’s favorite products. Personally I like watching these videos because you get honest opinions about lots of different products, so you find out which products you should purchase, and which ones you should skip (so you can save your money and do even more shopping. I really enjoyed Brianna’s video because it was a fun mix of high-end and drugstore products. She also explained why she chose each product, which is perfect for someone who is starting to learn about makeup.
Next up we have the ‘Summer Clothing Haul 2014’ video (here’s a link: Summer Clothing Haul 2014! {VS Pink, Hollister & More!}, which was uploaded on June 10th, 2014. Now y’all know that I had to include a haul video in this piece because haul videos are AMAZING! This video really gives viewers a glimpse into Brianna’s personal style. I really liked that the items she showed were trendy, very style neutral (meaning most people would probably like these pieces regardless of your personal style), and affordable enough that if you like the pieces shown you could probably buy the same items, or something similar. The last video we are going to talk about is Brianna’s ‘Back To School: Emergency Kit For Girls!’ video (link: Back To School: Emergency Kit For Girls!), which was uploaded on August 23rd, 2014. I thought that this was a really cool video idea, that y’all would enjoy, and the video is actually really helpful so I suggest you all watch it. I think that Brianna mentions a lot of really good beauty/personal items that you should have with you at school or work. This video will definitely help you avoid a lot of common embarrassing situations so I would suggest you watch this video closely. Lastly, I really love how you can see just how much Brianna has grown as a YouTube over the past 2 years. I’m really excited to see where she goes from here, because she is definitely a star on the rise that we all need to look out for.
Keep up with Brianna!:
YouTube: BriannaxBeautyx
Twitter: brianna (@BriannaxBeautyx) | Twitter
Instagram: brianna (@BriannaxBeautyx) | Twitter
Tumblr: briannaaanicole
- All photos and information used in this blog belong to YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Brianna, Briannaxbeautyx, all of the products/companies that Brianna mentioned in any of the videos I used in this blog post, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. If any people, corporations, businesses, companies, etc, were not previously given credit for their work, they are given credit now and their previous absence was unintentional. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.
YouTube Wednesday: Rivers Monroe, the band that will soon take over your radio and IPod
Hello people of the internet!!! For today’s YouTube Wednesday blog, I will be introducing you too another AMAZING band (you may now clap….ok now shall we begin? Great!). I found out about this band after one of their members followed me on Twitter, and I have to say that I have been completely obsessed with their debut cd (which they are giving away for free on their website…I know how amazing is that)! So please allow me a few minute to tell y’all why Rivers Monroe will soon add a permanent spot on your IPod’s playlist.
According to their Facebook fan page, Rivers Monroe was founded in Philadelphia when friends Mat Rivers (a pianist/vocalist) and Mike Monroe (a guitarist/vocalist) decided to join forces and begin a band. The two musicians later added a guitarist named Doc, a bassist named Kirby, and a drummer named Dan. Once the lineup was completed, the future of this amazing band was set. Over the years, Rivers Monroe has been able to gather a loyal fanbase, which has led them to perform a national tour, which was sponsored by Coca-Cola, Sunoco, Cerwin-Vega, Motel 6, and other businesses. The band currently has 7,688 likes on Facebook, 23,364 followers on Twitter, 620 followers on Instagram, and 307 subscribers on YouTube. Needless to say, these guys have certainly used social media to spread the word about their music, which shows that they are not only great musicians, but also have a firm grip on the “business” end of the music business.
Rivers Monroe has also had the experience of playing shows with many established bands, such as: Paramore, All Time Low, Fun, Incubus, Phoenix, The Wonder Years, Passion Pit, Allstar Weekend, and numerous others. Just in case you’re not familiar with any of these bands (and if you are not, your homework this week is too search all of these bands on YouTube…after you read this blog and check out Rivers Monroe of course), many of these bands have had platinum selling albums, have won Grammys, and have been on the Vans Warped Tour. So needless to say, Rivers Monroe has performed alongside a very impressive group of musicians, this definitely speaks volumes towards the band’s talent and fan base. Now if you thought that this band couldn’t get any more impressive, prepare to have your mind blown away one more time, Rivers Monroe has also been a fixture on TV. They have been featured on the Verses Network, NASCAR Network, FOX Sports TV, Speed TV, and their music has been featured in the 2011 and 2014 NASCAR video games. I honestly don’t know how this band finds the time to be this awesome…but yet they do!
Now that you know enough information about Rivers Monroe to win a trivia contest, allow me to introduce you to the amazing music that this band makes. The overall sound of Rivers Monroe is pop-punk, with definite stylistic influences from amazing alternative rock bands such as Fall-Out Boy and We The Kings. Their music is very high energy, and perfect for spring break/summer road trips, or for just dancing around your house. Although the majority of their music is very high energy and fun, Rivers Monroe also knows how to write very moving ballads. This allows them to tap into another aspect of their musicianship, and the result is a small hint of blue-eyed soul infused rock, that demonstrates that these guys can not only rock, but also know how to write lyrics that will cut deep into your soul. I understand that we have now become a singles centric society (meaning that we have the ability to only buy single tracks off of an album), I personally still love having the ability to buy and enjoy an album in its’ entirely. With Rivers Monroe’s album, I am able to play the album from beginning to end, and I never have to skip a track due to boredom. Trust me, finding an album that you truly enjoy from beginning to end is rare these days, so when you find a band that can do this, you know that you’ve truly found a band that will one day completely control the radio airways. I HIGHLY recommend this band for music lovers everywhere, because even if you think that Rivers Monroe’s music will not be something you like, you will soon find yourself addicted to their catchy beats and infectious hooks.
Here’s how to stay connected with Rivers Monroe:
Website: Rivers Monroe
Facebook: Rivers Monroe | Facebook
Twitter: Rivers Monroe (RiversMonroe) on Twitter
Instagram: Instagram
YouTube: RIVERS MONROE – YouTube
* All photos and information used in this blog belong to Rivers Monroe, Mat Rivers, Mike Monroe, Doc, Kirby, Dan, any and all managers, labels, lawyers, and publicists involved with Rivers Monroe, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, bistroonbridge.com, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.
Monday Memos Artist Spotlight: Why 2014 Is Going To Be A Golden Year for Bruno Mars!
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’, we are going to do an ‘Artist Spotlight’ on the AMAZING performer Bruno Mars. Ready? Let’s get started! Over the years, there have been many artists who enter the music industry with talent and charisma, who instantly steal our hearts and souls. However, every once in a while, an entertainer emerges who is so phenomenally special, that they rise above the others, and leave us in awe of their musical abilities, Bruno Mars is one of these entertainers. Bruno Mars (whose real name is Peter Hernandez) was born on October 8th, 1985 in Honolulu, HI. At the tender age of two, he began performing throughout Hawaii, and by four he was performing shows five nights a week. Bruno has stated that his father moved to Hawaii from Brooklyn and began a group called ‘The Love Notes’, who sang 1950’s doo-wop and did impressions of Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley. As a young boy, Bruno began performing with this group, and did an Elvis impression. After he completed high school, Bruno moved to Los Angeles, CA in order to continue his musical pursuits.
Upon moving to Los Angeles, Bruno worked with many undiscovered artists, such as Ne-Yo (who later wrote a hit song for the artist Mario, and has since become a huge star as well). Bruno has stated that he learned the importance of songwriting by watching how Ne-Yo wrote music. Bruno realized at that moment that he wanted to learn how to properly write songs, in order to (as he has stated to ’Vibe Magazine’), “…be respected for the songs that I write.” Bruno worked on his writing skills, and at the age of 18, he received a recording contract with the legendary ‘Motown Records’. Unfortunately, Bruno was later released from his contract due to creative differences, and he moved back to LA and continued to pursue his musical ambitions. He soon began working with songwriters/producers Phillip Lawrence and Ari Levine, and the trio soon became a highly sought after team called ‘The Smeezingtons’. Bruno soon began writing songs for popular artists, and in 2006, he met with Aaron Bay-Schuck (who at the time had just left his A&R position at Epic Records). Aaron (who later became Bruno’s manager); soon took a job at Atlantic Records, and wanted to sign Bruno immediately. However, Atlantic Records thought that Bruno was not ready yet, so Aaron kept The Smeezingtons on as songwriters and producers for the label. In 2009, Bruno was finally signed by Atlantic Records as a solo artist, and immediately began writing hits for artists such as Travie McCoy, Flo Rida, and B.O.B (Bruno lent his vocals to Travie McCoy’s song ‘Billionaire’, and B.O.B.’s song ‘Nothin on You’, which was his first real exposure as a solo artist).
In May of 2010 Bruno released his E.P ‘It’s Better If You Don’t Understand’, which peaked at #99 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. In August of the same year, Bruno co-wrote Cee Lo Green’s hit track ‘Forget You’, which was a huge hit for both artist (although Bruno did not sing on the track). Bruno’s debut full length album ‘Doo-Wops & Hooligans’ was released in October of 2010, peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart (and also peaked extremely high in numerous other countries, causing the record to be a vast improvement from his EP). Doo-Wops & Hooligans received a total of seven Grammy nominations in 2011 & 2012, and won in 2011 for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance for the single ‘Just the Way You Are’. In 2012, Bruno released his second album ‘Unorthodox Jukebox’, which peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and garnered Bruno five Grammy nominations in 2013. Bruno’s music has earned him international fame, and has been used in numerous commercials, as well as covered on the popular U.S musical-comedy ‘Glee’. Bruno is scheduled to perform at the halftime show of the 2014 U.S. Super Bowl, and honestly is most likely going to put on an amazing show.
As you can see, Bruno has had a very long road to achieve his fame and acclaim as a vocalist/songwriter/producer. Although he his past three years have been phenomenal, I think that 2014 is definitely going to be Bruno’s golden year. I anticipate him doing very well at the Grammys, and possibly even releasing another album by the end of this year, or in early 2015 (and we all know when he does release another album, it’s going to be musical perfection). Honestly, the Super Bowl Halftime Show is arguably the biggest event for an artist to perform at, thus Bruno’s invitation to perform there, proves that he is now recognized as one of the top musicians, currently in the industry. I anticipate that Bruno will only become more famous and will one day become a musical icon, just like the artists that he idolized as a young boy in Hawaii.
*All photos and information used in this blog belong to YouTube, Bruno Mars, Atlantic Records, Motown Records, Barry Gordy, Cee Lo Green, Travie McCoy, B.O.B., Philip Lawerence, Ari Levine, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Flo Rida, Arista Records, Elektra Records, BMG Rights Management, Fueled By Ramen, Warner Music Group, Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock, Boston.com, Ne-Yo, Vibe.com, hitquarters.com, wallpapergrab.com, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended
Monday Memos: Artist Spotlight Ariana Grande
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ blog, we will be discussing an artist that has had an amazing year, and that I feel you need to keep an eye on her next year. Now who is this artist you ask? I’m glad you asked that! It’s the multitalented Ariana Grande (Cue the clapping!!!!!) 2013 was a very good year for Ariana, but she has worked for years to get to this point in her life, and she certainly deserves all the success she has had. So if for some strange reason you don’t know who Ariana Grande is, you will definitely know about her after you read this blog. Ready!? Well then let’s get started!
Ariana Grande:
Ariana was born on June 26th, 1993 in Boca Raton, FL. She began performing in local theater production and at local sporting events at a young age, and even at this time, she had an amazing voice, as well as a comfort and ease in front of large crowds. Here’s a link to a video of a then 8 year old Ariana performing the national anthem at Chicago Blackhawks vs. Florida Panthers hockey game in Sunrise, FL Ariana Grande at 8 years old singing National Anthem – YouTube (Watch the video and you’ll be impressed…did you watch it? It was great right?) In 2008 Ariana began work on the Jason Robert Brown musical 13 (which was a show that had a 105 performance run on Broadway). She played the character of ‘Charlotte’, and sang 3 songs (which included: ‘It Can’t Be True’, ‘A Little More Homework’, and ‘Brand New You’) on the show’s album.
In March of 2010 Ariana made her debut as a main cast member on the new Nickelodeon show ‘Victorious’ (the show stared Nickelodeon alum Victoria Justice, and Ariana’s former ‘13’ costar Elizabeth Gillies was also a part of the cast). Ariana played the role of ‘Cat Valentine’ on the show until ‘Victorious ended in February of 2013. ‘Victorious’ creator Dan Schneider was so impressed by Ariana’s work and fan reception on ‘Victorious’, that he cast her in a spin-off show called ‘Sam & Cat’, which also included ‘iCarly’ (another highly successful Nickelodeon show) alum Jennette McCurdy (who plays Sam on the girls spin-off show). ‘Sam and Cat’ aired in June of 2013, and is a situational comedy, which has been a huge hit for the network thus far. In August of 2013, Ariana starred as ‘Amanda Benson’, in the Nickelodeon movie ‘Swindle’.
Although Ariana has had great success as an actress, she is also an accomplished singer. She released a single in December of 2011 called ‘Put Your Hearts Up’, which was a pop song about how doing small good deeds can cause big changes in the world (Here’s a link to a lyric video of the song Ariana Grande – Put Your Hearts Up (+ Lyrics) – YouTube, I highly suggest checking out his song, it’s very inspirational and well sung). Ariana has also released many amazing covers over the past few years, such as a rendition of Mariah Carey’s hit ‘Emotions’( Emotions – Ariana Grande (Mariah Carey cover) – YouTube), Leona Lewis’ track ‘Bleeding Love (’Bleeding Love – Ariana Grande – YouTube), and Alicia Key’s hit track ‘If I ain’t got you’ (‘If I Ain’t Got You’ Ariana Grande 🙂). On September 3rd, 2013, Ariana released her debut album ‘Yours Truly’ through Republic Records. ‘Yours Truly’ sold 138,000 copies in it, making Ariana the first female artist since January 2010 (when Ke$ha’s album ‘Animal’) to have a #1 debut album. The overall sound of this album was much more R&B than Ariana’s previous song ‘Put Your Hearts Up’, and has caused her to be compared to strong female vocalist, such as Mariah Carey. Ariana has performed on numerous shows such as ‘The Today Show’, ‘Dancing with the Stars’, and the ‘MTV Video Music Awards’ pre-show. Ariana performed her song ‘Tattooed Heart’ at the 2013 American Music Awards, and also won ‘New Artist of the Year’ at the award show (here’s a link so y’all can see how awesome she was: .Ariana Grande performing at AMAs – YouTube). Ariana also released
2013 has certainly been an extraordinary year for Ariana Grande, and I foresee 2014 being an even better year for her. It is rumored that Ariana will release another album in 2014, and her show ‘Sam & Cat’ is still one of Nickelodeon’s highest rated shows. Ariana Grande has defiantly proven in the last year that she is Hollywood’s newest “It” girl, and she certainly has the talent and fan base for a long and fruitful career.
- All photos and information used in this blog belong to Ariana Grande, Dan Schneider, Republic Records, Universal Music Group, Victoria Justice, Nickelodeon, John Robert Brown, IMDB, YouTube, Jennette McCurdy, Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, The NHL, Elizabeth Gillies, Ke$ha, Mariah Carey, The Today Show, Dancing with the Stars, MTV, The American Music Awards, Alicia Keys, Leona Lewis, Columbia Records, J Records, Syco Entertainment, Zimbio.com, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.
Monday Memos: 2014 CMA Recap
Hello people of the internet!!! Ok, last Wednesday (November 6th) was the 47th annual CMA awards and A LOT of stuff happened. Ready? Ok, let’s get started!
Hosts:
Once again the talented and hilarious duo of Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley hosted the CMAs. The duo’s monologue included many funny moments including a rendition of ‘Why can’t we be friends’ which discussed celebrity feuds. The actual feud between Zac Brown of The Zac Brown Band and Luke Bryan was finally settled when the two singers hugged (awww!). As well as the feud among the Jonas Brothers, the feud between Sinead O’Connor and Miley Cyrus, as well as the feud between Jimmy Kimmel and Kanye West. The opening scene of the show also included a parody of ‘Blurred Lines’, where Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, and the cast of ‘Duck Dynasty’ imitated Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke’s performance at the 2013 VMAs. The final laugh of the night for the duo was a joke about the frustration that the American public has had with the Obamacare Health Plan, which was set to the tune of ‘Amarillo by Morning’ by George Strait. All in all the banter between Carrie and Brad was really great, and once again showed what a great and hilarious team they make.
Winners:
- Single of the Year: ‘Cruise’ by Florida Georgia Line
This infectious song was all over country and mainstream radio this summer and was even remixed with the help of Hip Hop recording artist Nelly. Cross-over radio popularity and a killer remix on the first single of a new album?!…I can definitely see more success in this duo’s future.
- Song of the Year: ‘I drive your truck’ by Lee Brice
This heartwarming song about a fallen Afghanistan solider and the father who mourns him is performed with such powerful emotion by Lee Brice that I can see why this song deserved the title of ‘song of the year’.
- Vocal Duo of the Year: Florida Georgia Line
I think the success of cruise explains why this duo deserves the award.
- New Artist of the Year: Kacey Musgrave
Although Kacey experienced previous success with her single ‘Merry Go Round’, her career was never the same when ITunes featured ‘Blowin Smoke’ as the ‘free single of the week’. With her new single ‘Follow your Arrow’ blowing up the charts, and her work on Miranda Lambert’s song ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’, Kacey is definitely an artist to watch.
- Music Video of the Year: ‘Highway Don’t Care’ by Tim McGraw feat. Taylor Swift and Keith Urban
In my opinion this music video is not only a great PSA about the dangers of texting and driving, but a piece of art. When I first saw this video, I was captivated from beginning to end. I definitely believe that this was the music video of the year.
- Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award: Kenny Rogers
Really what can be said about the legendary Kenny Rogers?! With more than 120 hit singles, 130 million records sold worldwide, numerous Grammys/AMAs/ACMs/CMAs, and a career that began in 1958 and is still going strong, I think that his credentials speak for themselves.
- Album of the Year: ‘Based on a True Story’ by Blake Shelton
From the party anthem ‘Boys Round Here’, to the emotional ballad ‘Mine Would be You’, Blake’s latest album has so much versatility and honesty that it is easy to see why this album was a favorite this year
- Pinnacle Award: Taylor Swift
Now I know that we all know who this artist is, I mean she somehow knows every detail of our lives and writes songs about it, so she’s everyone’s BFF right? Well her beautiful voice and incredible songwriting ability has helped her receive this prestigious award at the tender age of 23. Not bad Taylor!
- Vocal Group of the Year: Little Big Town
With previous hits ‘Pontoon’ and ‘Tornado’, this is a group that couldn’t miss. Also, their harmonies, and pure vocal chops are always on point, which was evident by their performance of their new single ‘Sober’ on the very night they won this award.
- Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert
With a long career of hits (most recently ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’, ‘We were Us’, and ‘All Kinds of Kinds’, Miranda is definitely the woman to beat, and she once again let all know on one of country music’s biggest nights.
- Male Vocalist of the Year: Blake Shelton
Blake once again proves why he has had such great success finding incredible talent on the ‘Voice’; on Wednesday he showed that he is the man to beat by becoming the male “voice” of country music for this year.
- Entertainer of the Year: George Strait
Although many amazing artists were nominated for this award, “King” George proves that he still has it after all these years by topping country music with this coveted award.
Performances:
There were so many amazing performances this year so let’s get started!
- The show kicked off with Luke Bryan performing a shortened version of his hit ‘My Kinda Night’, which also included a snippet of ‘Cruise’ with Florida Georgia Line, and then the artists all finished ‘My Kinda Night’. The performance of these two songs was entertaining, from the amazing vocals, to the staging and lighting, it was such a great way to open the show.
- Jason Aldean sang his song ‘Night Train’ later in the show, and the staging was incredible. Jason performed in a manufactured train box car with a background screen which displayed trees, and dark lights shadowed the stage.
- New Artist of the Year Kacey Musgrave performed her new hit ‘Follow Your Arrow’, which displayed her ability to captivate a crowd without theatrics.
- Power trio Lady Antebellum performed their newest single ‘Compass’, which was made complete by the trio’s stunning vocals, as well as the background screen which had revolving pictures of compasses, roads, and people on horses.
- Group Little Big Town played their hit ‘Sober’, which placed their outstanding vocals front and center. The presence of candles in a circle around the stage further added to the ballad.
- Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert displayed why their new single ‘We were Us’ has been burning up the charts, by giving an electrifying performance of the song.
- Next up was country superstar Taylor Swift’s epic performance of her song ‘Red’, with country legends Alison Krauss and Vince Gill, as well as Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, and Eric Darken. The softer take of the track definitely added a new dimension to it, which made an amazing song even better.
- Florida Georgia Line appeared once again, and this time performed their hit ‘Round Here’, which once again showed how amazing the duo is.
- The next performance was by Hunter Hayes and Jason Mraz, who performed their duet version of Hunter’s hit song ‘Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me’. The performance showcased both artists’ vocal talent, as well as Hunter’s amazing guitar skills. Which ended with Hunter presenting the New Artist of the Year Award to Kacey Musgrave.
- Eric Church performed his new song ‘The Outsiders’ next, which was spectacularly performed with the assistance of smoke, lights, fire, and a cool guitar solo.
- The Band Perry was up next with their new song ‘Don’t Let me be Lonely’, which was spectacular due to the band’s stellar vocals and amazing special effects.
- Next up, Tim McGraw performed his newest hit ‘Southern Girl’, which showed that like a wine, country superstars only get better with time (sorry for the unintentional rhyming).
- Blake Shelton was next with his emotional ballad ‘Mine Would be You’, which showed off the Male Vocalist of the Year’s “voice”.
- Internet sensations Lennon and Maisy performed a unique cover of ‘You Belong with Me’ to Taylor Swift right before she was presented with the Pinnacle Award, which resulted in a sweet moment among the three vocalist, in which Taylor hugged Maisy, which was immediately followed by video testimonies by numerous artists that Taylor opened up for when she was a new artist.
- Carrie Underwood performed amazingly as usual, her performance included renditions of her hit songs ‘Good Girl’, ‘Blown Away’, ‘Two Black Cadillacs’, and ‘See You Again’. While she performed, clips of all of Carrie’s music videos appeared on the screen behind her.
- Country legends Alan Jackson and George Strait paid tribute to the iconic George Jones by with their breathtaking performance of George Jones’s hit song ‘He Stopped Loving her today’. As they performed the song, images of George Jones and his wife appeared on the screen behind Alan Jackson and George Strait.
- The Zac Brown Band, with the assistance of Dave Grohl( of the the band ‘The Foo Fighters’), gave their new song ‘Day for the Dead’ a great debut due to their energetic performance.
- Next up was Brad Paisley who performed his new single ‘Mona Lisa’, which was given extra character due to Brad’s shirt, which had an image of the Mona Lisa on it. Paisley not only showed off his amazing talent as a vocalist, but also did a breathtaking guitar solo that left the crowd in awe.
- Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Kenny Rogers was honored next, with a medley of some of his hit songs performed by Jennifer Nettles(of country duo Sugarland), Darius Rucker, and Rascal Flatts. The number was made extra special when Kenny Rogers sang his classic hit ‘Islands in the Stream’ with Jennifer Nettles.
- Darius Rucker closed the show with his performance of the song ‘Wagon Wheel’, which was unfortunately cut off mid performance, but was still wonderfully done.
So all in all, the 47th annual CMA awards were full of hilarious moments and amazing musical numbers. The show definitely did not disappoint, and made me excited for next year.
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