MTV VMAs 2011: Adele’s “Someone Like You”

When Adele started to sing “Someone Like You” at Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, Hubbie and I both stopped typing on our laptops and looked up at the television.

We had to watch this incredible stripped-down performance.  Her voice is beautiful.  This song is amazing.  Just give this woman a microphone and a stage and she is undeniable.

You’ve done it again, Adele.

Scotty McCreery: I Love You This Big

Here’s the official music video for “I Love You This Big” by Scotty McCreery. It’s the American Idol Season 10 winner’s debut single. My favorite line is “I love you to the moon and back.”  He’s just so darn cute.

I was a fan of Scotty’s from the very beginning and I’m so happy he won.  I’ve always loved country music.  And I think the video is perfect for him.  It’s simple.  It’s down to earth.  It’s true country.  The fun thing is he’s from Garner, North Carolina, a small town near Raleigh where I lived for five years.  It’s a wonderful place to live and I’m sure everyone there is just thrilled for their hometown boy.

Taylor Swift: Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”

Yo! I love this girl.

Taylor Swift covered Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” during her concert stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan last week.  She’s been paying homage to hometown artists in each city of her Speak Now tour. She chose Eminem’s Oscar-winning song for her show outside Detroit.  And she remembered all the words!  That’s not easy. Here’s the video of that ultra cool performance followed by her cute crowd pleasing cover of Uncle Kracker’s “Smile.”  I adore that purple dress, Tay!

Stingy: Jordan Knight feat. Donnie Wahlberg

Here’s the official music video for Jordan Knight’s new song, Stingy.  Okay, I’ll admit. I did not LOVE this song the first time I heard it.  And I’m a HUGE fan of Jordan and the New Kids on the Block.  But this super hot video is convincing me that this song is pretty darn good.  It also features my sister’s favorite, Donnie Wahlberg (or D-Dub. Hee.)

The Fresh Beat Band: Here We Go

You know you’re a Mom when…

You can’t get this song out of your head!  I’ve been singing this all week.  It’s Nick Jr’s “The Fresh Beat Band” and their new single, “Here We Go.”  It’s pretty darn awesome.

Happy Friday.

Demi Lovato: Skyscraper

There was a time, a few years back, when I could not tell the difference between all the young, cute girls who starred on the popular Disney Channel television shows.  Then, Hannah Montana made Miley Cyrus a HUGE superstar and I saw her first interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show.  I was floored by her immense popularity.  After that, I took notice.  Not just of Miley, but of all the other girls on the scene like Raven Symone and Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.  They were all young and talented and every little girl began to worship them.  You could not miss the posters and bed sheets in all the tween stores.  But I couldn’t tell you which one starred in iCarly or Suite Life of Waverly Place or Wizards of something or other.

Then, Miley grew up and showed her independence…maybe she showed a little TOO much of her independence.   Moms like me got upset. What happened to this adorable young star with the big smile whose Daddy was her best friend?  It was reminiscent of when Britney tumbled off that role model pedestal we all built for her.

I now know who Selena Gomez is because she recently started dating boy wonder Justin Bieber.  That’s probably NOT what she wants to be known for, is it?  And then there was poor Demi Lovato.  The headlines were bad.  She got in a fist fight with one her back up dancers. She canceled her tour.  Some said it was because she was depressed about a breakup with her best friend, Joe Jonas. There were also reports that she cut herself and had an eating disorder.  Just some really awful, sad stuff.

Demi left the scene, went to rehab, and took care of herself which, I think, was the most important decision she’s ever made.  I hope she also got lots of hugs from her Mama.  These kids are just that…kids.  They are young girls growing up in front of us.  They were blessed with extraordinary talents, but that doesn’t mean they don’t struggle with peer pressure and body issues and heart break too. And, let’s be honest, it’s magnified for all the world to see.  I know it was their choice (maybe?) to go into the entertainment business and I don’t think I would allow my daughter to enter that world until she was AT LEAST 18 years old, but the truly awesome thing about falling down in front of everyone is that you can also show the world how you can stand right back up.  And that’s what Demi did.  In front of everyone.

Here’s the premiere of the video for her brand new song, Skyscraper.  It’s raw and real and beautiful.  This is what girl power is all about.

Katy Perry: Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)

Please check out this totally awesome video from Katy Perry.  It’s for her new single, “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” and you need to watch closely for all the fun cameos (including You Tube sensation Rebecca Black, Debbie Gibson, the kids from Glee and Hanson, just to name a few.)  I’m an 80s girl so I dig all the neon fashions and sax solos.  (Hi Kenny G!)

Oh, and the “star” of this video, Kathy Beth Terry, has her own Twitter account now.  Totally rad.

NKOTB(SB) in DC

I flew to Washington,DC this past weekend to meet my sister, Marsha, and our childhood BFF, Melissa, for one fun, EPIC night. It was the New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys concert.  We were there for the New Kids.

I’ve mentioned here before that I’m a big New Kids on the Block fan.  A Blockhead.   I’m on the older end of the fan spectrum.  My sister is four years younger than me and Melissa is two.  They were in junior high school and I was in high school when the New Kids were at their peek of boy band stardom.  The boys were on every weekly cover of Teen Beat and Bop Magazine.  We were so obsessed that we had the magazine subscriptions. We would jump up and down when the new issues arrived in the mail.  Oh, look!  There’s Jordan with his rat tail getting longer shooting some baskets.  Or, there’s Donnie at a diner! What’s he ordering? Hash browns with ketchup?  He loves ketchup too??!!  Ahhhh!!!

OK, it wasn’t THAT bad, but we did have our scrapbooks.  I was a Jordan girl.  Marsha was Donnie.  Melissa was Joey.  It was perfect because we never fought over our future “boyfriends.”  We saw them in concert at the gigantic Washington, DC stadium. We had amazing seats close to the stage.  We had the time of our lives.  We came early to stalk the tour buses but never met them.

We took a family trip to Boston that summer and OF COURSE Melissa had to come along too.  The New Kids on the Block are from Boston!!  We did the standard family tour of the city, but we just HAD to look for their homes.  The only one we managed to find was Joey’s (score for Melissa!), but he wasn’t home.  Boo.  Melissa did meet Joey’s dad which was seriously the highlight of the trip.  Melissa has that photo.  I have the city tour photos.  (Please note the awesomely long hair, fanny packs, Boston baseball caps and friendship bracelets.  Oh, and the old school Budweiser Superfest T-shirt that I think I gave my sister. And, no, I don’t know why I thought it was cool to pose like that.)

When I left for college, the New Kid love started to dissipate.  They broke up.  The came back as NKOTB.  I graduated from college and started my first radio job in New York City.  I now had access to great tickets.  The three of us went to an NKOTB club show and sat in the front row. They sang brand new songs.  It wasn’t the same.

Then, Jordan and Joey had solo records.  I was living in North Carolina and still working in radio.  I was able to meet them backstage at two different festival concerts.  (My sister came down for the weekend to meet Joey. Melissa is still bitter. Ha.) It was really weird to be in the same space as my teen idol.  It was a thirty second “Hello and “I’m a big fan” and then they were gone.  It was still so very cool.  (Please note my short hair phase.)

Two years ago the New Kids on the Block came back together for their very first concert tour in years.  The three of us went to the DC concert together and had the time of our lives.  My sister was pregnant.  The entire place was filled with Moms.  It was hilarious.  It was just so fun to relive those concert memories from 20 years ago.

Then, this year came the formation of NKOTBSB.  Hey, I like the Backstreet Boys too (they have one of the Best Pop Songs. Ever.), but they are not the New Kids.  We went to the concert for the New Kids.  My sister was the super loyal one and wore her NKOTB T-shirt she bought at the last concert.

My sister wanted to stalk the tour buses again, but no sign of NKOTB at the venue loading dock. So we had dinner and drinks and headed to the show.  It was just as fun as 20 years ago.  We had great seats.  The boys, um MEN, looked fantastic.  They are all in terrific shape and their dance moves were sharp.  Jordan’s voice still has that amazing falsetto and Donnie can still make any girl scream.  Joey just had a baby and he was smiling from ear to ear the entire show.  They sang all their hit songs.  Melissa was the one taking the concert photos and it was no coincidence that every photo was of Joe.

OK, there was one of all their butts.

My husband asked if I would be embarrassed to write this blog post.  To admit that I loved, and still love, the New Kids on the Block.  I think that’s so funny.  Like if I went to a Cure reunion concert I would be perceived as cool?  Who knows.  I’m not ashamed of loving pop music.  The New Kids on the Block were the first boy band sensation.  All the other boy bands (Backstreet Boys, NSync, 98 Degrees, etc.) just followed their lead.  And I know it’s not nerdy to say you love Justin Timberlake.   He’s cool.

Well, so are Jordan, Jon, Joey, Danny, and Donnie.  Keep hangin’ tough, guys.  We’ll be loving you forever.  (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

 

Taylor Swift: “The Story Of Us” Music Video

Here’s the latest video from Taylor Swift, “The Story of Us.”  I really like this song and it appeals more to her pop fans.  Big eyeglasses definitely make a lot of cameos in her videos.  Enjoy!

American Idol: The Final Three

I still have TWO of my four favorite American Idol contestants left in the competition: Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina.  Yay! They will compete against Haley Reinhart for a spot in the finale.  Scotty and Lauren are both country artists.  I would love a country finale.  I wonder what songs they would sing?  Here’s Scotty singing one of the best songs ever written, Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning?) by Alan Jackson.  It was the perfect song because it was so relevant and it showed how Scotty has emerged as a true artist.  Watch out, Nashville.

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