hardly genius.: 2013

Friday, December 27, 2013

i am part of the lorde club

This year was certainly different. We lost great people- Nelson Mandela being one of them, but we gained an appreciation for great music in the form of Imagine Dragons, Beyonce's new album (not a big fan but the music is awesome) and of course, the ever respected Lorde.

She manages to be controversial without being controversial. Her words have become so respected that they are focused on and scrutinized to every last measure (she tends to do a lot of criticizing of modern pop music but who doesn't. She just happens to be famous and her words are taken so seriously that when she disses famous pop stars, suddenly everyone is on it like flies on rotten chicken (bad analogy, I'm sorry) when they do the same as well when they say that music isn't "real" these days, it's all engineered and blab on about how music from the 80's was "da bomb". She's just saying what she thinks. Freedom of speech my friends).

She has hit the music world like a nuclear purple lipstick wearing bomb (she is actually convincing people to try purple lipstick in a not overly gothic format. I love her) and she's not backing down. She released her first EP, The Love Club which was a total hit and brought her out into the spotlight. She writes her songs and sings what she wants. No one else. Her music isn't tattered with alcohol loving heroines, excessive party goers or bong smokers, it is quite the opposite actually (she sticks to no specific genre which is another thing I love about her music). She released a song titled Royals AND IT IS TOTALLY WICKEDLY AMAZINGLY AMAZING (very hip-hoppy too with finger snaps and sounds like it was made with kids tapping out a beat on a table as their curly haired friend sing raps) Tennis Court which is beautiful and haunting (watch the video and understand) and Team is simply ethereal.

There's also her dark, minimalist style which doesn't really match her music (love that fact) and her wild crazy hair. Her style is pretty uncomplicated and a relief from the overly sexualized style that graced us this year.

So enjoy this photo montage (with me squealing at the bottom about how much I love LORDE!!!)

Here are some of her videos (just watch and begin to grasp the wonderfulness of this teenage girl who is a year and a day older than me).

She has THAT grasp on lyrical genius.

T.

new year buzz

2014. Not as hyped as 2012 and not as historically significant as 2010 but a New Year is exciting either way.

We have the ball drop in New York City in Times Square, people getting drunk and acting stupid (I think that applies to every other day of the year though), Auld Lang Syne, countdowns, kissing at midnight, resolutions. It's all very magical and spectacular. There's something amazing about feeling like you have the chance to start over or change yourself. Be New.

2014 is especially significant to me...university here I come! New people, new home, leaving the nest...basic rites of passage. I won't be driving (legal driving age in Nigeria is 18 and I'm 16) but I'm still basically on my own. I love the idea (even though I am freaked out of my mind) of being on my own. Notice how much I love saying it- on my own.

So, the New Year is pretty special to me. I don;t get to see the ball drop (yet. New York is the dream..) and I'm not making any resolutions because I know I won't keep them but it' still pretty special.

Be New. Try to change your life. Try new things. Don't take crap from anyone.

Happy New Year.

And in the tradition of the ages, here is my special gift to you...

This is one of my favorite versions.

RIP Cory Monteith, Nelson Mandela, Paul Walker and all the other amazing people that were lost this year famous or not. You will be sorely missed (unless you were a baddie. Then you won't be missed. Dead people can't read...)

T.