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YouTube Wednesday: A look back at the song that REALLY solidified Rebecca Black’s career
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we’re going to talk about something a little different. Today, July 19th, is the 7 
year anniversary of Rebecca Black’s second single ‘My Moment’ (which followed her viral internet hit ‘Friday’). Why am I talking about this you ask? Well because Rebecca Black honestly has a very interesting story that is a HUGE part of YouTube history as a whole (also we did previously discuss the ‘Rebecca Black Effect’ that was a trend for a little while a few years ago, you can check out that post here: http://celindareyesblog.com/2014/06/youtube-wednesday-the-rebecca-black-effect/). Just like TV or film teen stars, Rebecca spent her entire teen years in the spotlight. Now being a teenager can either be the best or worst time of your life, but it’s definitely harder when your attempt at making your dreams come true get turned into a giant worldwide joke. Honestly I never (and still don’t) understand why everyone gave her such a hard time. However what I’ve always liked about this story is how Rebecca was able to use this ridicule & turn it into a career doing exactly what she wanted to do. So today we’re going to talk about how Rebecca Black’s song ‘My Moment’ actually predicted her future. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!
Now as we know it all began when Rebecca’s parents paid Clarence Jey & Patrice Wilson of Ark Music Factory $4,000 to write & produce a song for Rebecca, & record a music video for her. I couldn’t find an exact number in regards to how much money Rebecca has made from ‘Friday’ (although I’m sure we can all guess). What we do know is that this song led to A LOT of opportunities for her. Katy Perry (who was honestly having the best year of her career, at least at the time this post is being written) immediately came to Rebecca’s defense by not only inviting her to perform ‘Friday’ at various upcoming shows she had, but also giving Rebecca a lead role in her ‘T.G.I.F’ music video which premiered in June 2011. Other high profiled celebrities such as: Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, Simon Cowell, & Lady Gaga also came to Rebecca’s defense, and the song was covered on the 2nd season of the hit Fox show ‘Glee’. Rebecca continued to ride this fame by uploading more original music, as well as beauty/fashion videos on her YouTube channel. Throughout the rest of her teen years, Rebecca hosted the 2011 ‘YouTube Rewind’ as well as the 1st MTV ‘O Music Awards’ Fan Army Party’, has appeared at VidCon (one of the biggest annual YouTube conventions), had her own Go90 (an online streaming site) show called ‘Life After Friday’, as appeared on the reality show ‘The Four’, is an ambassador for anti-bullying campaigns, and so much more!
So now back to your original question, why are we talking about ‘My Moment’? Well although ‘Friday’ is what made Rebecca Black famous, ‘My Moment’ is what showed that she had staying power. Most of us have dealt with some sort of bullying in our lives, but nothing compares to the worldwide ridicule that Rebecca faced. To go through that throughout your teen years & still pursue in a career in the entertainment industry is not only admirable, but also very brave. However, personal strength & determination alone don’t make a successful career. Rebecca could’ve easily become just a forgettable part of internet history, but instead has been able to hold our attention all these years later. If you think about it, there have been other “internet sensations” that have quickly burned out, and now are never mentioned. Even though internet fame can come quickly, it can also disappear even more quickly. In the opening lines of ‘My Moment’, Rebecca says, “Weren’t you the one who said that I would be nothing, well I’m about to prove you wrong”, and it looks like she was right.
Check out Rebecca here:
Website: https://www.rebeccablackonline.com/
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/rebecca/featured?disable_polymer=1
Twitter:https://twitter.com/msrebeccablack
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msrebeccablack/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAmRebeccaBlack
- All videos and information used in this blog belong to Rebecca Black, Ark Music Factory, Clarence Joy, Patrice Wilson, ABC News, YouTube, Simon Cowell, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Glee, RB Records, Brandon Hamilton, Quinton Tolbert, Charlton Pettus, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan, James S. Levine, 20th Century Fox Television, Columbia Records, MTV, Chris Brown, VidCon, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Capitol Records, 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
YouTube Wednesday: Jesse-Jane McParland, the little girl with a seriously terrifying talent
Hello people of the Internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we’re going to talk about an AMAZING new video that’s going around
YouTube. If you haven’t heard of mini martial arts expert Jesse Jane McParland then prepare to have your mind blown. At only 10 years old Jesse is a world kickboxing champion, and already has 117 martial arts titles to her name (seriously impressive!). So please keep reading and prepare to be completely amazed. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!
Jesse made a huge impact on the world when she competed on the reality T.V. show ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ in early 2015. She ended up placing 8th in the competition, but definitely became a fan favorite throughout her time on the show. A few days ago a YouTube video of Jesse competing at the 2015 World Championship Kickboxing tournament surfaced on YouTube, and once again we got to see how awesome she is. Jesse did some really cool routines with a sword that you just HAVE to check out in the video below. Needless to say this isn’t the last time that Jesse will amaze us with her martial arts skills. With a future of endless possibilities one thing is for certain, you definitely don’t want to mess with this girl.
- All photos and information used in this blog belong to YouTube, the channel that uploaded this video, Jesse Jane McParland, Britain’s Got Talent, World Kickboxing Championship, Simon Cowell, Jonathan Bullen, Ant & Dec, Nigel Hall, Lee McNicholas, Amelia Brown, Richard Holloway, Matt Banks, Charlie Irwin, Paul Jones, Fountain Studios, Thames, Talkback Thames, Syco, Fremntle Media, Global COmbat Sports organization, HNS, City Wanning, Le Meridien Shimei Bay Resort & Spa, hunan youyi, C’est bon, Ascent AG, Kwon, Schlagmesser, SThree, Fighter Legion, Shrike Verner, dailymail.co.uk, 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.
Monday Memos: Bars and Melody…the newest musical duo who is taking the world by storm one computer at a time
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we’re going to talk about an AWESOME new duo that has already gone viral on YouTube, appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show, and is on their way to exploding even more this year. If you haven’t heard of R&B/Rap duo Bars & Melody, then read on to learn all about one of the internet’s favorite new musical forces.
Bars and Melody are a R&B/Rap duo that consists of rapper Leondre Devries, and vocalist Charlie Lenehan. The two artists met over social media in 2013, and in January 2014 formed their act. They first rose to fame when their audition (which was filmed in early 2014) for the singing competition show Britain’s Got Talent, went viral in 2014. The duo were given automatic entrance into the show’s semi-finals when head judge Simon Cowell pressed the “golden buzzer” (a new feature introduced in the 8th season), after their audition. After finishing 3rd on the show, Bars and Melody were signed to Simon Cowell’s record label, Syco Music.
So with all of the entertainers who compete on talent competition shows every year, you might wonder what makes this duo so different. Well, one reason is the fact that their audition video (which was posted on YouTube on May 10th, 2014 (here’s the link: Bars & Melody – Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer act | Britain’s Got Talent 2014), received over 22 million views in a little over a week. That sort of viral praise is definitely not easy to come by, and if they’re already this popular, it only makes sense that everyone will fall more and more in love with them as their careers’ continue. In fact, the duo received so much attention, that they were invited to appear/perform on the Ellen Degeneres Show, while they were still contestants on Britain’s Got Talent. Their audition video now has 63,997,419 total views (as of February 15th, 2015), and shows no signs of slowing down. Another reason why Bars and Melody are definitely artists to watch, is the fact that at the young ages of 13 and 15 (at the time they auditioned), they seem to have a clear idea of the types of artists they would like to be. Finding your own unique style is very important for an artist, and if this is done right, then this is what turns good artists into memorable ones. Bars and Melody have shown that they have the potential to become memorable by developing their own style that fans can identify with. The fact that the duo was able to take Rapper Twista and R&B singer Faith Evans’ song Hope, and it into an anti-bullying anthem is astounding, and shows that their level of artistry will only get better and better as time goes by.
Now let’s get to the part that you were waiting for, the music. The duo’s first single Hopeful was released on July 7th, 2014 (here’s a link: Bars and Melody – Hopeful) , and peaked at #5 on the UK Singles Chart. Hopeful is an anti-bullying anthem which tells the story of what Leondre Devries (AKA Bars) went through when he was bullied as a young child. Because bullying has continued to be such a big problem for kids, teens, and even young adults, this is truly a song that people can not only relate to, but will also be inspired by. The duo’s next song Shining Star was later released. This is a fun, upbeat song about the duo’s love for their female fans (definitely a crowd pleaser). I love that they came out with a fun song after releasing Hopeful, because this shows that they are artists that can have fun and release a song with a serious message. The duo released the music video (here’s a link: Bars and Melody – Keep Smiling) for their next single Keep Smiling on February 9th, 2015, and is officially available for sale today (February 16th, 2015), so definitely go buy it after you finish reading this post (you’ll love it!). This is another inspirational hit from Bars and Melody that is about being thankful and appreciative of all that you have. This is a cool combination of the best elements of their previous two releases that will force you to keep smiling all day. With a tour and debut album expected this year, you will definitely be hearing A LOT more from Bars and Melody.
Keep up with Bars and Melody:
Twitter: BAM™ (@BarsAndMelody) | Twitter
YouTube: Bars and Melody
YouTube VEVO: BAMOfficialVEVO
Website:Bars and Melody Official – Leondre Devries and Charlie Lenehan
Instagram: Bars And Melody (@barsandmelody)
Facebook: Bars and Melody | Facebook
- All photos and information used in this blog belong to YouTube, VEVO, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, soccer-six.com, barsandmelodyofficial.co.uk, Syco Records, Leondre Devries, Charlie Lenehan, Simon Cowell, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Britain’s Got Talent, 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.
Monday Memos: Sweet Suspense…the rising group whose music is your best early Christmas gift
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we are going to discuss a rising group that you are already very familiar (and if you’re not read on, because trust me, you want to be)! If you saw the 3rd season of ‘The X Factor U.S.A.’, then you were one of the first to see the creation of music’s next big thing Sweet Suspense. This group has gone on to build off of the momentum they received while competing on The X-Factor, and are showing everyone that they are truly ready to be superstars. So please check out the rest of this blog post, to see why Sweet Suspense will be your new favorite group.
Sweet Suspense is an all-female pop power trio, who were first put together by Simon Cowell on the 3rd season of ‘The X-Factor U.S.A.’ in 2013. The group consists of singers Summer Reign, Celine Polenghi, and Millie Thrasher. Originally all three girls auditioned as solo artists, but were later placed in a group and given Simon Cowell as their mentor. The group showed their vocal diversity by performing songs from numerous artists and genres including Beyoncé (‘Wishing On a Star’), Icona Pop (‘I Love It’), The Supremes (‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’), and many other hits. The group ended up finishing in 12th place, but were able to use their popularity and momentum from the show to begin the launch of their empire. On August 9th, 2014, the group announced on Twitter that they were the first act signed to R&B/Pop superstar Jason Derulo’s new record label ‘Future History’.
Now that y’all know a little about this AWESOME group, let’s get to the music! In 2014, the group decided that they were ready to once again unleash their awesomeness upon the world by releasing a cover of Wilson Phillips’ hit song ‘Hold On’, on May 1st, 2014 (the link to the song is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l52rFw6IRk ) on sweetyhigh.com. I really enjoyed this cover because it was a fun choice that not only allowed the girls to show off their vocal abilities, but also their ability to captivate and fully entertain an audience, as well as bring a fresh feel to a Grammy nominated song. I feel that the fact that they are able to capture and keep your attention through a screen, definitely shows that they will be more than capable to do the same with a live crowd. On December 2nd, 2014 they released their debut Christmas single ‘Just Another Night’ on iTunes (here’s the link to the music video which was released on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGRxBrHj7o-gATJTxhLZijQ ). This song is the perfect choice for anyone who loves fun holiday music, and will be the perfect soundtrack for all of your Christmas parties. I also loved the music video for this song because it shows the group performing during a ‘Radio Disney’ event, as well as performing around the city they are in. This fun video really showed off the energetic and goofy personalities of the members of the group, which makes them seem not only talented but completely relatable. With such a strong debut, I am really excited to see what Sweet Suspense releases next.
- All photos and information used in this blog belong to Sweet Suspense, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, The X-Factor U.S.A., Simon Cowell, Summer Reign, Celine Polenghi, and Millie Thrasher, Beyoncé, Icona Pop, The Supremes, Jason Derulo. Future History, Wilson Phillips, sweetyhigh.com, The Grammy Awards, Radio Disney, iTunes, Chynna Phillips, Glen Ballard, Carnie Wilson, 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: Restless Road…the country trio that is about to take your radio by storm!!!
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we are going to discuss a trio that is quickly making their way to becoming country music superstars. Please allow me to ask y’all a question. When you think of Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, and The Band Perry what comes to mind? Talent, great artistry, amazing vocals, all around awesomeness? Well be prepared to add another INCREDIBLE trio to that list very soon. People of the internet please allow me to introduce Restless Road.
Restless Road began their journey as contestants on season 3 of the X Factor USA. The three original members: Zach Beeken, Colton Pack, and Andrew Scholz originally auditioned as solo artists, but eventually were combined as a group and mentored by Simon Cowell. As they began to compete as a group, Restless Road made it into the ‘Four Chair Challenge’ portion of the competition (which was a section in which the acts competed, and their mentors choose four acts to take into the live shows portion of the show). During the ‘Four Chair Challenge’ of the competition, Restless Road dazzled the judges with their rendition of Keith Urban’s hit ‘Somebody Like You’. This well executed performance propelled them to the live shows. In the live shows, the trio showed off their advanced level of artistry by performing a country version of Katy Perry’s hit track ‘Roar’. Restless Road advanced to the top 12, and treated their fans to their rendition of the beloved song ‘Easy’ by the Commodores (in honor of ‘Motown’ week). Unfortunately due to a graphics error that nullified the votes, Restless Road was forced to sing a different song in the re-vote show. They stayed true to their country roots by choosing the track ‘Don’t You Wanna Stay’ by Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson. The next show had an ’80’s’ theme, so Restless Road decided to incorporate their country roots into the performance by selecting country superstar Blake Shelton version of the 1984 hit ‘Footloose’ ( originally performed by Kenny Loggins, who sang the song for the 1980s classic musical ‘Footloose’). The next challenge the trio took on was ‘British Invasion’ night. Restless Road room on this challenge like pros, and performed a country rendition of Coldplay’s mega hit ‘Fix You’. This choice ended up being a crowd favorite, and definitely proved that Restless Road can handle emotional ballads. Next up was ‘Big Band’ night, in which the trio covered Rascal Flatts’ version of the 1991 Tom Cochrane hit, “Life Is a Highway”. The next competition night was ‘Divas/Unplugged’ night, and the trios choose to perform ‘Red’ by Taylor Swift as their “diva” song. Their ‘unplugged’ song was ‘Wake Me Up’ by Avicii (Restless Road’s version of this track reached #1 on the iTunes country chart). After conquering every test the show threw at them, Restless Roads entered the semi finals, where they performed ‘That’s My Kind of Night’ by Luke Bryan (which the public chose), and ‘Wanted’ by Hunter Hayes (which the trio chose). Unfortunately Restless Road was eliminated the next night and finished 4th in the competition (but considering all of the thousands of people they had to beat out, and the fact that they were not a trio before the competition, finishing 4th is pretty impressive!).
On February 25th, 2014, Restless Road uploaded their first YouTube video since Colton’s departure. The video was a cover of Keith Urban’s hit song ‘Cop Car’ (Restless Road Cop Car), off of his latest album ‘Fuse’. I really enjoyed this cover because it allowed fans to see how much Zach and Andrew grew vocally, since there time on The X Factor ended. I also liked that they didn’t perform any harmonies on this track, because you were really able to hear how strong their vocals are individually, and this excited me for how amazing they will now sound together. All in all, they performed an excellent rendition of a very difficult song (because Keith Urban is AMAZING!), and thus proved that they are ready to compete in mainstream country music. On May 28th, 2014 Restless Road uploaded their version of One Direction’s latest hit ‘You & I'(Restless Road You & I), with new group member Jared Keim. I have to say that this is definitely one of my favorite Restless Road covers ever, because it really demonstrates how far the trio has come. In this song all 3 guys proved that they are talented vocalist (and Jared proved that he is an AMAZING guitarist), and have the potential and meticulous hard work to only get better and better. I really loved the chemistry that the three members share, and am excited to see what they release next. I really enjoy that Restless Road continues to impress me time after time, and I know that these YouTube covers are just a small taste of what this powerhouse trio has in store (yay!!!).
In 2014, Andrew and Zach announced that Colton had left the group, but that they would both continue in the group. On May 28, 2014, Andrew and Zach posted their rendition of the One Direction song ‘You and I’, and in doing so, officially introduced their fans to the newest member of Restless Road, Jared Keim. Restless Road has stated through their social media sites that they are currently writing and recording new original music for their fans. On June 3rd, 2014, Restless Road uploaded a Ustream session (a website that allows people to hold Q&A and/or performance sessions) to YouTube. In this Ustream session they discussed the future of Restless Road, answered questions, and really allowed their fans to see their true personalities (BTW they are really funny guys, y’all should definitely check out the video).
So as you can see, Restless Road is on their way to becoming country music’s next super trio. With talent, ambition, charisma, and a loyal fan base, there is no stopping these superstars. I can definitely see them performing on numerous large scale platforms (stadiums, award shows, etc.) one day, and their sound and vocal versatility is also very radio friendly. It seems as if the stars are aligning perfectly for this power trio, and I for one am excited to see where their “Restless Road” takes them.
Stay in touch with Restless Road:
YouTube: Restless Road
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RestlessRdMusic
Andrew’s Twitter: Andrew Scholz (Andrew_Scholz) on Twitter
Zach’s Twitter: Zach Beeken (zachbeeken) on Twitter
Jared’s Twitter: Jared Keim (JaredKeim) on Twitter
Facebook: Restless Road | Facebook
Instagram: restlessrdmusic on Instagram
Andrew’s Instagram: andrewscholz on Instagram
Zach’s Instagram: zbeeken on Instagram
Jared’s Instagram: Jared has an Instagram but I couldn’t get a link for it on my computer, but his username is jaredkeimofficial
- All photos and information used in this blog belong to Restless Road, Simon Cowell, The X Factor USA, FOX, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum, Zach Beeken, Colton Pack, Andrew Scholz, Jared Keim, Katy Perry, The Commodores, Keith Urban, Kelly Clarkson, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Footloose, Coldplay, Tom Cochrane, Avicii, Aloe Blacc, Luke Bryan, Hunter Hayes, One Direction, all of the individuals responsible for the conception/implementation/ and are involved with The X Factor franchise in any other way, form, or fashion, all of the songwriters and labels/managers/agents, with any of the previously mentioned acts, 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.