The newly single Justin Bieber is quite the ladies man, and he looks as happy as a toddler in a candy store to be participating in a YouTube video with lip syncing supermodels. At one time he says the experience is like partying in the future, whatever that means.
The video, which was made from “2700 hours” of footage, is like last year’s video of supermodels singing along to Maroon 5′s “Moves Like Jagger,” so maybe this is more like copying the past.
Watch The Biebs and various models party like it’s 3012 here
Even cats and dogs are not safe from that inevitable Christmas season staple: the Christmas sweater. At least they look much cuter than all those bearded hipsters at Ugly Christmas Sweater parties.
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So Bo Obama is probably the luckiest dog on the planet. Not only does he have the fluffiest, shiniest coat of hair I’ve ever seen, but he also gets to chill in the White House and get spoiled by Barrack Obama and co. Judging by this YouTube video, Bo gives back to his family by being an excellent inspector of Christmas decor.
Watch Bo here
Bill O’Reilly, aka no one’s favourite TV host, needed to bring in a psychologist to drop some truth bombs about the meaning behind Psy’s ”Gangnam Style.” After all, it’s the most watched music video on YouTube, even surpassing The Biebs, which apparently means it has to have some deep meaning.
I can’t figure out who I feel more sorry for, good ol’ Bill for sounding less relevant than ever by calling Psy a “Little Fat Guy from Yongyang” or Dr. Keith Ablow, the psychologist who starts off his analysis by saying “Gangnam Style” has no recognizable words. Maybe the awareness that languages besides English exist isn’t necessary for psychologists, but NEWSFLASH, “Gangnam Style” has lots of words, they’re just in this other language called Korean.
The best part is Ablow’s brilliant conclusion that “Gangnam Style” is popular because “people don’t want any meaning.”
Watch it here
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Little Boots, the cutest UK electropop export from Lancashire, England.
Little Boots is like the British version of Debbie Harry, (if you don’t know who that is, shame on you: google Blondie immediately), with a super danceable electropop sound, punk sensibilities and killer style. Not only is she a multi-instrumentalist, with training in classical singing, but also her songs have appeared in a bunch of TV shows and commercials from The Vampire Diaries to a Victoria’s Secret commercial. Judging by her killer sound and success thus far, her second full length album, which should be released before the end of the year, will make your ears happy.
Origins: Lancashire, England
Full name: Victoria Christina Hesketh
Known for: Little Boots is known for her explosive dance-along electropop sound.
Used in a sentence: Little boots, massive talent.
File next to: Marina and the Diamonds, Blondie
Download now: “Headphones”
Five fun facts:
1. Her friend gave her the nickname, “Little Boots” in reference to her unusually small feet.
2. She can play the piano, keyboards, synthesizer, Stylophone and a Japanese instrument called Tenori-on.
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Ryan Beatty, the next teen heartthrob from Clovis, California.
In about a year Ryan Beatty went from being a regular high school student in Clovis, California, to the newest teen pop sensation adorning the bedroom walls of girls everywhere. With all the makings of a heartthrob, this 17 year old gained notoriety by posting videos on YouTube. Since then he has gotten the co-sign from the original baby-faced boy wonder Justin Bieber, as well as had The Biebs cover his song “Every Little Thing.” Seems every little thing is going just right for Mr. Beatty.
Origins: Clovis, California
Known for: Ryan is known for his excellent acoustic tracks.
Used in a sentence: Ryan Beatty has the type of dreamy hair that teen girls imagine running their fingers through, which I am pretty sure is one of the top criteria for pop stardom.
File next to: Justin Bieber, Jason Mraz
Download now: “Hey L.A.”
Five fun facts:
1. He loves cooking and watching Top Chef.
2. Cherry Laffy Taffy is one of his favourite candies. Read more…
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles HAIM, a three-piece female rock band from Los Angeles, California.
There are lots of great things about the 80s: leggings, neon, Michael Jackson’s Thriller and the launching of MTV. Another great thing: that 1980s sound. Luckily, HAIM, which is made up of three fashionable sisters in their 20s, brings an unmistakably 80s vibe to their music. HAIM has been making waves in the music world with their nu-folk, rock and R&B inspired sound since the release of their debut EP Forever in February. Don’t miss their new track, “Send Me Down” which came out yesterday.
Origins: Los Angeles, California
Band members: Este Haim (bassist), Alana Haim (guitar, keys, maracas), Danielle Haim (lead guitar)
Known for: The girls are known for their laid-back California girl fashion sensibilities and eclectic sound
Used in a sentence: It only takes one listen, and you’ll be eagerly awaiting the release of their debut album.
File next to: Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush
Download now: “Forever”
Five fun facts:
1. The girls spent 15 years rocking out in the classic rock cover band Rockinhaim with their parents.
2. Danielle has worked with Cee-Lo Green, Julian Casablancas, and Jenny Lewis.
Read more…
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Blackbear, a crooner from Hollywood, California.
Formerly Blackbear was known as Mat Musto, and had more of an indie pop vibe. Now, he’s gotten a hair cut, changed his name, and evolved as an artist, pairing his catchy pop vocals with R&B swagger. Blackbear has spent a large chunk of his career writing major hits for other artists and collaborating with Pharrell Williams, Machine Gun Kelly, Bei Maejor, and Ne-Yo just to name a few. His newest EP “Sex The Mixtape” just dropped on October 31.
Origins: Palm Coast, Florida, but currently residing in Hollywood.
Full name: Matthew Tyler Musto
Known for: Mat is known for his smooth vocals and his equally smooth mixing of R&B, hip-hop, and folktronica.
Used in a sentence: Great lyrics, great vocals, and tattoos. What more could you ask for?
File next to: Mike Posner, Childish Gambino
Download now: “All My Lovin”
Five fun facts:
1. You can download his entire new mixtape “Sex The Mixtape” for free at http://www.mtv.com/artists/blackbear/, which is just the freakin’ best.
2. He co-wrote Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend.”
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Tori Kelly, a YouTube pop sensation from California.
Like so many up and coming artists, Tori Kelly has taken advantage of the Internet to help pave her way to stardom. She has been posting covers on YouTube of all kinds of songs, from Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In the World)” to her latest, Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T.” As a result, this future pop star has been getting noticed. Now, she is performing sold out shows and working with Scooter Braun, the man responsible for Justin Bieber’s pop stardom.
Origins: Lake Elsinore, California
Known for: Tori Kelly is known for her voice: she sounds like a more soulful Mariah Carey.
Used in a sentence: From American Idol to YouTube sensation, it shouldn’t be long before Tori Kelly is on everyone’s iPod.
File next to: Mariah Carey, Jill Scott
Download now: “All In My Head”
Five fun facts:
1. Her studio is in her bedroom.
2. Her favourite song to sing in the shower is “Love On Top” by Beyonce. Read more…
Paige Thomas always wanted to be a singer. When she was eight years old she performed a Spice Girls song at a beauty pageant, and ever since then, she knew singing was what she wanted to do. Although she began pursuing a nursing degree to provide for her three-year old daughter Jade, she never gave up on her dream.
After a teary audition where she sang Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Goin’ Down,” Paige has continued to impress the audience and judges, including her mentor Demi Lovato. Now, she’s ready to show everyone that she is not “Ri Ri 2.0.” She is Paige Thomas and she is going up.
Where are you right now? I’m in California.
Where would you be right now if you weren’t on X-Factor? I would probably be back home in San Antonio in school, or with my daughter.
On being compared to Rihanna: It’s nice. She is beautiful and she is one of the biggest stars right now. It’s nice to be compared to someone so big. But I’m ready to break out from that: my name is Paige Thomas and I have something different from her. I have a few surprises in store for everyone.
Song you can perform 100 times? “Paradise” by Coldplay. It has a lot of meaning — it’s still got a pop vibe in it, but you can hear the emotional attachment.
Most nerve-racking moment? Honestly, it was if I made it to the live shows. The anticipation and everything I’d gone through on my journey had built up inside me.
What sets you apart from the other contestants? I’m fearless and I’m willing to try anything and everything. I have somewhat of a complete package. I can dance, sing, I have stage presence and I have a passion for this.
Words of wisdom for single mothers: Read more…
In andPOP’s new column “Schooled” Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Kendrick Lamar, a hip-hop artist from Compton, California.
Take a pause from singing along to Taylor Swift’s newest ex-boyfriend song, and give a listen to the lyrical stylings of Kendrick Lamar. His debut album good kid m.A.A.d city, which just came out yesterday, is the story of Lamar and his hometown. In it, he discusses to excellent beats, the challenges a smart teen faces growing up in a negative environment. If that doesn’t make you want to listen to a couple of his tracks, then you’re a lost cause.
Origins: Compton, California
Full name: Kendrick Lamar Duckworth
Known for: Kendrick Lamar is known for his poetic, intelligent lyrics.
Used in a sentence: Mr. Lamar’s type of hip-hop sounds grown up and delicious.
File next to: Tupac, Nas
Download now: “Poetic Justice”
Five fun facts:
1. He used to go by the name K-Dot, but dropped it after the release of his mixtape C4.
2. He is a member of the hip-hop group, Black Hippy. Read more…
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Icona Pop, a DJ duo from Sweden.
I’ve been mildly obsessed with this female electropop duo ever since I heard “I Love It” in July. They’ve garnered international attention with hits like “Manners, “I Love It,” and “Nights Like This.” Now, they are gearing up to fully take the music world by storm. The ladies are releasing their sophomore EP titled, Iconic today and they are touring the US, Sweden and Norway throughout October.
Origins: Stockholm, Sweden
Band members: Aino Jawo, Caroline Elizabeth Hjelt
Known for: They are known for making music you can’t help but dance to, even if you can’t dance.
Used in a sentence: ”Icona Pop are majorly badass, effortlessly cool, and Aino Jawo’s haircut makes me all sorts of happy.”
File next to: Little Boots
Download now: “I Love It”
Five fun facts:
1.They have a blog that documents everything from their sick fashion sense, to beach days.
2.During Fashion’s Night Out in Manhattan, the ladies did a DJ set at Helmut Lang and an in-store performance at Urban Outfitters. Read more…
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Machine Gun Kelly, a hip-hop artist from Cleveland, Ohio.
Machine Gun Kelly, known as MGK for short, combines two of my favourite things: white rappers with mad skills, and illegal amounts of swagger. At 15, his rapid-fire lyrical style earned him his stage name, which is a reference to notorious 1930s gangster George “Machine Gun Kelly” Barnes. MGK has been blowing up on the hip-hop scene after releasing four mixtapes. His debut album, Lace Up, drops today!
Full name: Richard Colson Baker
Known for: MGK is known for his lightning speed delivery.
Used in a sentence: “If MGK continues to produce the type of brilliance he has thus far, then he’s probably going to have to change that dangerously placed “Almost Famous” tattoo.”
File next to: DMX, Yelawolf
Download now: “Invincible”
Five fun facts:
1. Born to missionary parents, MGK spent the first four years of his life in Egypt. He spoke Arabic before he spoke English. Read more…
By Victoria Abraham
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Little Mix, a British girl group.
Although the four girls of Little Mix originally had solo aspirations, their formation into a girl group led to them winning the eighth season of UK’s The X-Factor. But don’t let their origins jade you: they’re not your average fabricated-for-pop-stardom-cutie-pie girl group. These girls can sing and they do it well. They’re set to release their debut album, DNA, on Nov. 19.
Origins: The United Kingdom
Band members: Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall
Known for: Little Mix are known for their X-Factor beginnings.
Used in a sentence: ”These four ladies have the winning combination of cute, British, and talented.”
File next to: Girls Aloud
Download now: Their new track ”DNA.”
Fun facts:
1. The girls auditioned for the show individually, but were combined into a group after each failed to make it past bootcamp’s first challenge.
2.The girls were then separated into two different groups during the Groups bootcamp challenge. After each group failed, Jesy, Perrie, Leigh-Anne, and Jade were combined to form the group Rhythmix.
3. One Direction’s Zayn Malik (who was on The X-Factor that same season) is dating Little Mix band member Perrie Edwards. Read more…
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Miguel, an R&B artist from Los Angeles.
Miguel’s music is more than a simple listening experience. You don’t just hear the song, you feel it, and his lyrics and melodies are evocative enough to change your mood. Plus, his full name rhymes, which is pretty cool. Miguel’s highly anticipated second album, Kaleidoscope Dream, is scheduled for release on Oct. 2.
Full name: Miguel Jontel Pimentel
Known for: Miguel is known for his happy combination of eletronic music, R&B, soul, rock, hip hop, and funk.
Used in a sentence: ”Miguel’s songs make you feel like you’re swimming in a delicious chocolate fondue pool. Take that however you want.”
File next to: Usher, Prince
Download now: “Girls Like You”
Five fun facts: Read more…
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Chaos Chaos, a band from Seattle, Washington.
Listening to Chaos Chaos, (formerly known as Smoosh), will amp up your cool factor because 1. They’re an indie pop band who’ve turned slightly electro, 2. The band is made up of two sisters, 3. They released their first album before they were teenagers, and 4. Their new EP is coming out on Oct. 16.
Band Members: Chloe Saavedra (vocals, drummer) and Asy Saavedra (vocals, keyboard)
Used in a sentence: “Asy and Chloe are impressively multi-talented, and their new single, “My Hands,” hints at great things to come.”
Download now: “My Hands”
File next to: Tori Amos
Five fast facts:
1. The girls released three albums under the band name Smoosh. Read more…
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Marina and the Diamonds, a singer from Monmouthshire, Wales.
Marina and the Diamonds is a synthpop singer with an indie pop heart. She balances her catchy pop aesthetic with lyrics that have more meaning and make more sense than your average bubblegum song. She’s currently touring Europe as part of her Lonely Hearts Club Tour.
Real name: Marina Lambrini Diamandis. ”The Diamonds” in her stage name refer to her fans.
Known for: Marina is known for her unique fashion choices, which she describes as a mix of vintage, cheerleader, and cartoon.
Used in a sentence: “Frequent hair colour changes, doll eyelashes, and a penchant for pink lipstick make looking at her just as fun as listening to her music.”
Download now: “Primadonna”
File next to: Florence and the Machine, Kate Bush
Five Fun Facts: Read more…
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles St.Vincent, an indie songstress, currently residing in Manhattan, who just released Love This Giant with David Byrne.
St. Vincent is a singer and multi-instrumentalist who takes the best parts of indie rock and combines them seamlessly with cabaret jazz and pop. Her clever, straightforward lyrics and unapologetic weirdness make for a lovely musical experience. She’s set to release an album with David Byrne titled Love This Giant on Sept. 11 and will be participating in the 30 Songs/30 Days Challenge to support Half the Sky, which turns oppression into opportunity for women worldwide.
Origins: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Full name: Annie Erin Clark. Her stage name “St. Vincent” is a reference to Saint Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center where the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas died. Also, Annie claimed in a different interview the name honors her grandmother whose middle name was St.Vincent.
Known for: Clark is known for using a variety of musical instruments and arrangements, and for her happy lyrics that have an unmistakably anxious edge.
Used in a sentence: “St. Vincent makes the kind of music that you wouldn’t be ashamed of having as “most played” on your iPod.”
Download now: She and David Byrne released a new album called Love This Giant featuring a song called “Who.” But we still love her classic track “Cruel.”
File next to: Feist, Kate Bush, David Bowie
Fun facts: Annie began playing guitar when she was 12. Later, she took on the piano, bass, organ and theramin.As a teen, she worked as the tour manager for her uncle’s band Tuck & Patti. Read more…
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Dead Man’s Bones, a folk-rock duo from Los Angeles. We haven’t heard much from Dead Man’s Bones lately, so this is a bit of a throwback post AND a plea for them to make more music.
There are two particularly awesome things about Dead Man’s Bones. One: their folk-rock sound. Two: RYAN GOSLING. Yup, Ryan Gosling is in a band. So just in case your crush on him was wavering, he decided to become even more awesome. But, unlike other actors-turned-rockstar situations, Dead Man’s Bones is actually genuine, different and worth your ear time.
Band members: Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields. Gosling performs under the alias “Baby Goose.”
Known for: Dead Man’s Bones are known for their dark lyrics and imperfectly perfect songs..
Used in a sentence: “Dead Man’s Bones is like accidentally discovering those two cute guys from high school have a morbid fascination with zombies and horror movies, yet you’re still totally into them.”
File next to: Flight of the Conchords
Download now: “My Body’s a Zombie for You”
Fun facts: Gosling met Shields when The Notebook star was dating Rachel McAdams. Shields was dating her sister at the time. They bonded over their mutual love of horror movies and music. So they decided to create a scary musical.
Eventually they decided to just focus on the music. The band has a personal rule of not doing any more than three takes for any song, embracing the imperfections that occur. They also play all the instruments themselves.
Timeline: Read more…
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Cimorelli, a girl group from Sacramento, California.
Cimorelli, pronounced sim-or-ELL-ee, is a group of six singing sisters who are as talented as they are adorable. Ranging in age from 12 to 21, the ladies combine their love of R&B, hip-hop, country and 80s synth pop to create a unique musical sound. Most of their songs are done a capella with occasional instruments. The ladies are currently working on their debut album.
Used in a sentence: “The Cimorelli singing sisters make ordinary siblings seem so unimpressive. They’re basically a modern Von Trapp family.”
Download now: “Some Nights” by Fun.
File next to: Megan & Liz
Fun facts:
The sisters are part of a big family that includes five brothers — leading to a total of 11 children. Their mother Lynne is a music major, composer and choir director. She began teaching her daughters music between the ages of two and four. She taught them classical piano, three-part barbershop harmonizing and vocal jazz. Read more…
