This summer will see the release of lots of new albums from a variety of artists. So, who's releasing what, and when? Ariana Grande - Sweetener Grande's long awaited fourth album is rumoured to be coming out on July 20th following the release of the lead single, No Tears Left To Cry. I'm really looking forward to hearing what Ariana has created for this album, as she's teased that we should expect the unexpected. Ariana has also been teasing fans of social media about the rumoured next single from Sweetener, The Light Is Coming. Shawn Mendes (self titled) Shawn's new album is actually coming out this Friday (May 25th), and I'm so excited to listen to it. The lead singles In My Blood and Lost In Japan have shown a more maturer sound from Mendes, and I so this album should hopefully be his best one yet! 5 Seconds of Summer - Youngblood 5 Second's of Summer's last album, Sounds Good Feels Good, was released all the way back in 2015 and I really wasn't a fan. I liked their debut album, but I couldn't actually sit through Sounds Good Feels Good without turning it off. Their comeback single, Want You Back, however was a lot better and gave me hope that their third studio album will be a good one! Youngblood is out on June 22nd. The Vamps - Night and Day (Day Edition) Last year The Vamp's released part one of this album, Night Edition, with the second part (Day Edition) being released on July 13th. Night Edition was a really good album, so I have really high hopes for the Day Edition too. I decided to do a Twitter poll to see what albums everyone was looking forward to hearing. The poll had a massive 1,044 votes, and there was one clear favourite.
Sweetener by Ariana Grande received 19% of the votes, while Shawn Mendes got 13% and Youngblood by 5 Seconds of Summer only got 11%. However, Day Edition by The Vamps got a massive 57% of the vote! Personally I'm really looking forward to hearing Sweetener, but I think all four albums should be really good!
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Anne-Marie recently released her debut album, Speak Your Mind. All of the singles leading up to the album's release were brilliant, so I was really excited to hear what the rest of the album would sound like. Just before the album was set to be released, Anne-Marie 'leaked' her latest single 2002. 2002 is one of the most lyrically genius songs I've heard in a while, with the combination of loads of classic hits all merged into one chorus. I've never seen this done before on a song so I found it really impressive, and it also hyped me up a lot more for Speak Your Mind's release.
What I really like about Speak Your Mind is the huge mixture of songs. The varying styles from upbeat to slower make for a very interesting listen because the next track is unpredictable. Before I listened to the album I thought that the whole album would sound quite similar and I would maybe give it a few listens and then move on, but I can honestly say Speak Your Mind is one of my favourite albums that has been released this year so far! This isn't just because of the variety of songs, but also because of the lyrics. Every song on the album almost feels like a mini story that draws you in and makes you feel connected to Anne-Marie. The song that particularly stands out to me lyrically is Perfect. This feel-good song encourages confidence and self love, and I think that's really important in today's society. Social media puts a lot of stress on young people to look and act in a certain way, but the fact that Anne-Marie is using her platform to remind her fans that not being perfect is actually perfect is so beautiful to see. Anne-Marie's vocals and lyrics are brilliant, and Speak Your Mind was definitely worth the wait! After being absent from social media since the end of 2017, Ariana Grande finally returned on Tuesday to announce that her new single, No Tears Left To Cry, would be released today. This is the first time Ariana has released new music since the horrific Manchester Arena attack, so all eyes were on Ariana to see what she would be releasing. There were many questions about the song. Would it be a ballad? Would it directly address the Manchester attack? But Ariana did what no one was expecting. The style of the song is like nothing we have ever heard from Grande before, and I'm close to saying it's actually one of my favourite songs she's ever released. The poignant lyrics together with the upbeat track work really well. I think if the song had been a ballad, it would have made people feel sadder rather than uplifted. No Tears Left To Cry, however, leaves the listener feeling both uplifted and strong, and I think that is an excellent thing to make the fans feel after such an awful tragedy in Manchester. The positivity and courage that is exerted throughout the song, both in the lyrics and the upbeat nature means that fans will be able to dance and singalong, rather than listen and want to cry. The music video also has a subtle, yet beautiful, Manchester tribute at the end, with Ariana's dog transforming into the Manchester bee and flying away. Ariana Grande is a really positive influence to her fans, and I truly admire her and the release of this powerful song. I can't wait to see what Grande has in store for the album, but if it's anything like No Tears Left To Cry, I have a feeling it might just be my favourite album to date. Watch the 'No Tears Left To Cry' music video on YouTube here: Recently I discovered up and coming singer-songwriter, Ania Diamond. Diamond, from North London, already seems to be establishing herself as an artist with both her look and her sound, and I think that will really make her stand out above other new artists. Her latest single Butterflies is a really good track to get you in the mood for summer. With a mix of house music and contemporary pop, Ania's sound is definitely unique. The music video for Butterflies has also just been released, and I love the fact that we get to know Diamond as an artist throughout. The beginning shots of her working in the studio, in combination with the simple shots focusing on her vocals and scenes full of choreography, really show off what Ania is capable of. I'm really excited to see what the future holds for Ania Diamond, as she is definitely an artist to look out for this year! Watch the music video for 'Butterflies' on YouTube here: The latest release from Halsey's album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, is Alone. Alone was definitely one of my favourites from the album, so I was really happy when I found out it would be the next single. However, I didn't expect two features being added onto the song. Big Sean and Stefflon Don were added to the track, and I was both intrigued and excited to hear what it would be like. All three artists are really great, but I would never have predicted them to be on a song together, as I never thought that their sounds would have complimented each other very well. After hearing the new release, I was very much proven wrong. The song in itself remains very much similar to the version on the album, and surprisingly if anything, the features actually make it better. Each artist on the track keeps their individuality, while not dramatically changing the genre of Alone. I think it's great when artists from all different genres come together to work on a song, as it somehow brings in this togetherness within music. Having artists who aren't very similar in one track is a really enjoyable listen, and I think Halsey made a really great decision adding Big Sean and Stefflon Don to the track. Listen to 'Alone' on YouTube here: Described as the "official friendzone anthem", the new release from Marshmello and Anne-Marie is genius. FRIENDS is a song that focuses on a side to love that isn't usually covered in songs, friendzoning. The fact that it was released so close to Valentine's Day is also brilliant. Rather than listening to the same old songs about being in love or breaking up, FRIENDS has a whole new take on love songs. The lyrics are also brilliant, as the sass and frustration is felt throughout the song, however the incredible production of it means that it isn't depressing. Since it's been released, I've listened to FRIENDS every day and it's yet to get boring, which shows just how good this song is. I would love to see Anne-Marie and Marshmello collaborate in the future, as they seem to work really well together! Check out the lyric video to 'FRIENDS' here: In under three weeks time The BRIT Awards are taking place at London's O2 Arena, and every year I make my winner predictions. The predictions may not necessarily be who I want to win, but who I think will win.
I am so excited to have tickets to the BRITS, and can't wait to find out what other artists will be performing at the ceremony! See below the winner predictions (the predicted artist will be in italics): BRITISH MALE SOLO ARTIST Ed Sheeran Liam Gallagher Loyle Carner Rag'N'Bone Man Stormzy BRITISH FEMALE SOLO ARTIST Dua Lipa Jessie Ware Kate Tempest Laura Marling Paloma Faith BRITISH GROUP Gorillaz London Grammar Royal Blood Wolf Alice The xx INTERNATIONAL GROUP Arcade Fire Foo Fighters Haim The Killers LCD Soundsystem INTERNATIONAL MALE SOLO ARTIST Beck Childish Gambino DJ Khaled Drake Kendrick Lamar INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SOLO ARTIST Alicia Keys Björk Lorde P!nk Taylor Swift BRITISH SINGLE Calvin Harris Ft Pharrell Williams/ Katy Perry/Big Sean - 'Feels' Clean Bandit Ft Zara Larsson - 'Symphony' Dua Lipa - 'New Rules' Ed Sheeran - 'Shape Of You' J Hus - 'Did You See' Jax Jones Ft Raye - 'You Don't Know Me' Jonas Blue Ft William Singe - 'Mama' Liam Payne Ft Quavo - 'Strip That Down' Little Mix - 'Touch' Rag'n'Bone Man - 'Human' BRITISH BREAKTHROUGH ACT Dave Dua Lipa J Hus Loyle Carner Sampha BRITISH ARTIST VIDEO OF THE YEAR Anne-Marie - 'Ciao Adios' Calvin Harris Ft Pharrell Williams/ Katy Perry/ Big Sean - 'Feels' Clean Bandit Ft Zara Larsson - 'Symphony' Dua Lipa - 'New Rules' Ed Sheeran - 'Shape Of You' Harry Styles - 'Sign Of The Times' Jonas Blue Ft William Singe - 'Mama' Liam Payne Ft Quavo - 'Strip That Down' Little Mix - 'Touch' ZAYN And Taylor Swift - 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker Soundtrack)' MASTERCARD BRITISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR Dua Lipa - 'Dua Lipa' Ed Sheeran - '÷' J Hus - 'Common Sense' Rag'n'Bone Man - 'Human' Stormzy - 'Gang Signs & Prayer' Today it was announced that Lady Gaga has cancelled the rest of her Joanne World Tour. The European leg of the tour was already rescheduled back in October due to Gaga's severe pain from Fibromyalgia, and once again her pain means that she is unable to complete the rest of the tour,
I can't begin to imagine how Gaga must be feeling right now. Both her physical pain and the emotional pain of having to suddenly end a world tour must be overwhelming. She is one of the most hardworking artists in the music industry today, so to see her not being able to do what she loves because of such a horrible illness is heartbreaking to see. I was due see Gaga tomorrow in London, which I've been looking forward to for a year. Of course I'm devastated. This is the first Gaga tour that I will be missing. But how can I be angry at her? I've seen a number of people on Twitter being both hateful and angry. and I think that's disgusting. To hate on such a hardworking artist who puts her music and fans above anything else is heartless. Gaga can't help having an illness, and certainly can't help the amount of pain she is in. People, like myself, who had their tour dates cancelled obviously have a right to be disappointed. However, what they don't have is the right to be nasty with their comments. If these people really are fans, they would understand that Gaga's pain must be severe to make her cancel. The pain that Gaga has to deal with was also shown throughout her Netflix documentary, Gaga: Five Foot Two. The whole documentary focused on her battle with Fibromyalgia leading up to the Super Bowl. The viewers could see just how much pain Gaga was in, but also how strong and brave she is as well. So what gives people the right to send so much hate to her? I hope that this situation not only raises awareness for invisible illnesses, but also makes people truly respect Gaga and the battle with pain that she has to go through every day. I've been a fan of Gaga for 10 years now, and there is no one I find more inspiring than her. I'm sending all my love to Gaga, and I hope she takes as much time off as she needs to properly relax and start feeling better. In May 2017, Manchester was subject to one of the most devastating terror attacks in this country, as a suicide bomber targeted fans at Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman Tour. 22 innocent lives were taken at the Manchester Arena that night, with many others being left with serious injuries. I first heard about the attack when I was scrolling through Twitter that night, and saw people saying they had just heard a loud bang. Speculation then began to pour in about what happened, but I didn't let myself believe it was a bomb. Why would someone target innocent young people who have gone to see their idol perform live? Who would be evil enough to do that? I then turned on the news to see what I had been dreading, it was a bomb. My whole body went cold thinking about what those innocent people were suddenly going through. The fear that everyone must have felt that night, and the sadness that followed is something that I can't even begin to imagine, and as the death toll began to rise, the severity of what happened was getting clearer and clearer.
Thoughts then turned to Ariana and how she would respond. People expected her to return home to America and show her face a few months later, but she did the exact opposite. Not only did Grande visit the injured fans in hospital, she also put on a massive benefit concert to raise money for the victims. One Love Manchester managed to raise over £10 million through both ticket sales and individual donations! For Ariana to return to the stage under a month later from the attack and show the world that through the hate, love always wins, was incredible. People who didn't know much about Grande before the attack were suddenly speaking so highly of her, and I don't think there was anyone in the country and that didn't have any admiration or respect for her. In response to One Love Manchester, Ariana was made an honorary citizen of Manchester because of all the money that she helped raise for the victims. Next month is the 2018 BRIT Awards, one of the biggest nights in music held in the UK. The BRITs usually pay tribute to legendary musicians who may have passed away since the last awards, however I think this year they should give Ariana a special acknowledgement. What happened at the Manchester Arena that night affected music lovers from all different backgrounds, as the shock of a concert full of fellow music lovers turning into something so horrific, was just unimaginable. I'm not saying Ariana should get a special BRIT Award for what she did (as no such award exists so far), but I definitely think the ceremony should pause for a few minutes to pay tribute to the victims who lost their lives, and thank Ariana for all that she did to raise money. 2017 is pretty much over, and what a year it’s been! There’s been so many great songs and albums released this year, so I thought I’d list my top singles and albums that were released in 2017! Albums: Youth by Tinie Tempah - Youth was released back in April after many release date push backs. I was lucky enough to attend Tinie’s Youth album launch house party, where Tinie performed many of the songs on his kitchen counter! The whole night was brilliant, and Youth didn’t disappoint either! Every song on the album is great in its own way, and I think it definitely deserved more success than it got! Reputation by Taylor Swift - Taylor released her highly anticipated new album last month, with a lot of hype and build up leading up to it. I liked 1989, but I love Reputation! Each song on the album is lyrically brilliant with great production, and it was definitely worth the wait!
hopeless fountain kingdom by Halsey - I was never a fan of Halsey before this album was released. I didn’t like Badlands, but I thought I would give hopeless foundation kingdom a chance. I was so surprised by this album! Halsey has a beautifully unique voice and shows off her versatility throughout the album. I still listen to it now even though it was released months ago, and it hasn’t yet becoming boring - highlighting what a great album it is! So Good by Zara Larsson - Zara’s debut album didn’t disappoint! There are some songs that really stand out for being better than the rest, for example One Misssipi and Funeral, however every song is really great! Definitely looking forward to album two! Singles: Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2 by Stormzy (feat. MNEK) - This is one of the most beautiful songs released this year. Stormzy really showed how versatile he is as an artist because of how different it is to his previous single, Big For Your Boots. I think Blinded By Your Grace definitely should have been Christmas number 1! The Cure by Lady Gaga - During her Coachella performance, Gaga performed her new single The Cure. The Cure isn’t part of Gaga’s latest album Joanne (that was released in 2016), however it’s still brilliant. The lyrics are so beautiful, and the style of the song really reminds me of Gaga’s old roots. I just wish a music video had been made for it! River by Eminem (feat. Ed Sheeran) - This recent release by Eminem is amazing! Ed and Eminem are two completely different artists, yet they work so well together. The whole song is powerful and catchy, and should have been the lead single for the album instead of Walk On Water (feat. Beyoncé). Silence by Marshmellow (feat. Khalid) - I’ve had this song stuck in my head since it was released. I love Khalid’s unique vocals, as well as the production of the song as a whole. Unforgettable by French Montana (feat. Swae Lee) - Similar to Silence, I’ve had Unforgettable stuck in my head since the first time I heard it in summer! I don’t usually listen to French Montana, but this song is definitely one of my favourites released this year! Thank you so much to everyone who has read and supported Pop Affairs over the past year! 2018 will be full of loads more posts! Happy New Year! |
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