If you're looking for an epic love song with a funky tropical-esque instrumental, this new track off of Halsey's upcoming album has got you covered.
We can't wait for hopeless fountain kingdom, and Halsey isn't making the wait any more bearable by releasing several tracks before the entire album is out... "Strangers" is the latest track off of the pop star's upcoming project and features a fellow recognizable pop star - Lauren Jauregui. If you aren't familiar with Jauregui, 1. have you been living under a rock? and 2. she's a part of the sensational girl-group that is Fifth Harmony.
"Strangers isn't your typical love song. It depicts the controversial relationship between two individuals who consider one another strangers after growing apart over time. This concept fits with the idea of hopeless fountain kingdom, considering the fact that the album as a whole is said to reference the classic story of Romeo and Juliet. What'd We Think of the Song?
After hearing "Now or Never" and "Eyes Closed" - the other two tracks that Halsey has released from hopeless fountain kingdom thus far, we weren't sure whether "Strangers" would sound similar or have a completely different sound.
While this track is sonically similar to the other two tracks we've heard from Halsey's new project, "Strangers" has its own unique elements; one of the prominent differences being that there is another strong female artist lending her vocals to it. We're diggin' the love story that comprises the lyrics of the song, and the contrast between Halsey and Jauregui's vocals prove the duo to be a force to be reckoned with. While the collaboration was totally unexpected, it would be an understatement to say that we were pleasantly surprised. We're predicting that we'll love the rest of the album just as much as we've loved everything that we've heard leading up to it.
Have you heard "Strangers" yet? If not, check it out here:
What do YOU think about "Strangers" and Halsey collaborating with Lauren Jauregui? Let us know on Twitter!
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That's right Barbz, it's your turn... Nicki Minaj opened the 2017 Billboard Music Awards with a show-stopping performance of some of her recent hits, and it was nothing less than spectacular.
From just the first five seconds of Minaj's performance, the bar was set high for the night. It began with groups of young dancers poppin' and lockin' to a few familiar tunes by the generous queen including "Super Bass", "Beez in the Trap", and "Moment 4 Life" - and they KILLED IT.
Just as the dancers fled the stage, an army of gas-masked soldiers appeared on stage... When the first few bars of "No Frauds" were heard and Minaj appeared on a throne, we knew this performance would be one for the books. Alongside special guests like rapper Lil' Wayne, international-superstar DJ David Guetta, and bop king Jason Derulo, Minaj left the crowd speechless. What'd We Think of the Performance?
From the epic choreography, to the elaborate stage sets and costumes, everything about this opening performance grabbed our attention. Tons of performers have difficulty maintaining stamina while dancing and moving around stage - but Nicki Minaj makes it look easy.
The transitions between Minaj rapping and singing were clean and precise, and YES, she can sing just as well as she can rap... At least, we believe so. It was clear that Minaj was feelin' herself (see what we did there..?) throughout the nine minute performance, and the crowd at the BBMAs were as well. She took Vegas by storm with her vibrant personality and vigorous stage presence - and we loved every second of it. Another job well done, Ms. Minaj.
Did you miss Nicki Minaj's EPIC opening performance? Watch it right here:
What did YOU think of Minaj's BBMA performance? Let us know on Twitter!
While we're sure most viewers were expecting to hear a live rendition of "Shape of You" - loop pedal and all, Ed Sheeran hit us with another smash off of Divide at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards: "Castle on the Hill". Straight from the Divide Tour stage in Santiago, Chile to television screens across the globe, Ed Sheeran proved (once again) just how uberly talented he is when he performed his promotional single to a crowd of thousands of devoted fans. There were screams, tears, and a whole lot of singing along to the chart-topping track; seriously, the crowd knew EVERY. SINGLE. LYRIC. What'd We Think of the Performance?We were lovin' "Shape of You", but we must admit... We were glad to hear Sheeran perform another song at the BBMAs. It was truly amazing how Sheeran commanded the stage and drew in the audience's attention with just a guitar and a loop pedal. His killer vocals, charisma on stage, and minimal visuals attested to the true power of raw talent - it's incomparable. Although we're disappointed that he wasn't present at this year's ceremony, we're glad that Sheeran was still provided the opportunity to bring us an outstanding performance. He gets two thumbs up from us on this one! *insert thumbs up emojis* Missed Sheeran's performance of "Castle on the Hill"? Watch it here: What did YOU think of Sheeran's performance of "Castle on the Hill"? Let us know on Twitter!
Five months after announcing her decision to venture into a solo career, Camila Cabello performed her debut single "Crying in the Club" at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards - and it was one to remember.
After sharing the stage with Fifth Harmony for over four years, Camila Cabello took the BBMA stage on her own last night to let us all know that she isn't going anywhere any time soon.
Her performance of "Crying in the Club" portrayed Cabello as a beautiful, tribal Goddess. With a stage set that resembled - what we believe to be - Ancient Egypt and an assembly of passionate background dancers, the T-Mobile Arena erupted into a mix of loud cheers and screams (and we're sure a few tears). What'd We Think of the Performance?
Being that it was Cabello's debut performance as a solo artist, we were pleasantly surprised to see her take the stage with such command and finesse.
The performance of her latest smash began with Cabello giving us a taste of her second promotional single, "I Have Questions", and we actually do have a question - when are we getting the music video for it? Some things we loved about the overall performance were the stunning visual elements, Cabello's STELLAR vocals, and uh... DID WE FORGET TO MENTION THAT EPIC DANCE BREAK?! Guess you could say that Cabello left us... Cryin' in the club *insert viral meme*
Didn't get a chance to watch Cabello's performance of "Crying in the Club"? Check it out right here:
What did YOU think of the television debut of "Crying in the Club"? Let us know on Twitter!
Newly-solo artist Harry Styles released his debut project, Harry Styles, last Friday - and boy, did it make an impact. We're giving you our opinion on the album; so if you're a loyal supporter of Styles, stick with us.
Although Styles may still be stuck in the public eye as "the boy from One Direction who lays his vocals down on teeny-bopper tracks", that popular opinion may be re-evaluated after listening to this album. Harry Styles features ten tracks - each with its own elements combined to create an incredible project that is clearly rock-influenced. That's right, ROCK-INFLUENCED. Bubblegum pop is a thing of the past.
In an interview with Almost Famous director Cameron Crowe, Styles said "I didn’t want to put out my first album and be like, 'He’s tried to re-create the Sixties, Seventies, Eighties, Nineties', "I wanted to do something that sounds like me." Throughout his journey with One Direction, Styles' vocals always proved to be outstanding, and we totally predicted that he'd take the rock-influenced route with his own music. What'd We Think of the Album?
From soft ballads like "Sign of the Times" to grungy tracks like "Kiwi", we're ALL ABOUT this side of Harry Styles as an artist. This album completely strays away from the typical pop-y tracks he was recording when he was a part of One Direction.
Did we mention that Styles co-wrote every single song on the album? This showcases his talent on an even larger scale than when he was co-writing a couple of the songs on Four and Made in the A.M. - Yeah, we just HAD to mention 1D albums, don't slaughter us in the comments. You can really tell that Styles poured his heart and soul into writing particular tracks such as "Ever Since New York" and "Two Ghosts" due to the emotion that his vocals emit over the instrumentals. Both similarly and on the contrary, tracks like "Carolina" and "Only Angel" showcase an edgier side of Styles' personality - one that we only believe he would be able to give us with this solo project. Overall, we're LOVIN' the new music from Señor Styles, and can't wait for him to tour across the states this Fall! Listen to the Album:
What did YOU think of Harry Styles? Let us know on Twitter!
As if Enrique Iglesias' music wasn't good enough with solely his vocals on a track, he outdid himself by teaming up with Latin boy-band CNCO for a remix of his latest single, "Súbeme la Radio". If you're not familiar with CNCO, they're a group of five talented boys who were put together on La Banda, a singing competition show on Univision. The boys released their debut album Primera Cita in August 2016, and with the help of Latin superstar Ricky Martin, grew to be one of the biggest Latin groups in the industry today. "Súbeme la Radio" is the lead single off Iglesias' upcoming album, and let us tell you... It's a banger. What'd We Think of the Song?We've always loved Enrique Iglesias, and after hearing the original version of "Súbeme la Radio" back in February featuring Descemer Bueno and Zion & Lennox, we were sure that this song would be his next smash. We were correct - at least, we think so. CNCO added a refreshing new sound to the track that the original version did not particularly exhibit. The remix of the song features all of the elements that make it a perfect radio hit: a bangin' beat, a catchy chorus, and of course, a popular boy-band featured on it. In essence, we're lovin' it. Haven't heard the "Súbeme la Radio" remix yet? Check it out here: What did YOU think of the remix? Let us know on Twitter!
Just weeks after putting out "Kissing Strangers" with Nicki Minaj, dance-rock band DNCE have released the music video for the track to the world; and let us tell you - it's everything we wanted it to be + more! When DNCE announced a collaboration with the queen of current-day rap, Nicki Minaj, fans lost their minds. "Kissing Strangers" is an up-beat, funky track that'll have you bopping along for days. Now, don't look too into it, the song is about exactly what you think it's about: kissing strangers. Lead singer Joe Jonas sings about kissing random individuals "'til I find someone I love", and while that might sound odd, it totally applies to the whole "love at first sight" mentality! And let's be real... He's a Jonas brother. He can do whatever he wants. The music video features the band going about their daily activities while kissing a couple of random bystanders. It eventually leads up to the band playing in a small bar, and then in walks the queen herself, to perform alongside them. Did we forget to mention that we aaaaaaalmost got to see a kiss between Jonas and Minaj? Guess it wouldn't have necessarily fit the theme of "kissing strangers". What'd We Think of the Video?Considering the two massively talented artists that collaborated on this track, we went into watching this video for the first time with high hopes - and they didn't let us down. Between the vibrant yet washed out colors and the slightly comedic tone of the music video, we were left speechless. While Minaj wasn't in a majority of the video, we loved her cameo appearance! (Although we would've loved it a little more if we would've gotten to witness the kiss between her and Jonas). Overall, we had a blast watching this music video, and from the looks of it, the band and Minaj had a blast recording it! Didn't get a chance to watch the "Kissing Strangers" video? Check it out: What did YOU think of the "Kissing Strangers" music video? Let us know on Twitter!
It's finally here! DJ Zane Lowe premiered the latest single from pop-star Miley Cyrus on Beats1 Radio earlier today, and her fans went wild! "Malibu" is Cyrus' first release since her last project, Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz (2015). The song pays homage to her reconciliation with current boyfriend Liam Hemsworth, as well as embracing the idea of a fresh start. And what's more? In an interview with Billboard Magazine, Cyrus shared that she has her upcoming (untitled) album recorded; additionally, she wrote all of the lyrics and melodies on the album, and got some assistance from producer Oren Yoel - who plays all the instruments. What'd We Think of the Song?When we heard that Cyrus' new music was going to be taking us back to her country roots, we weren't sure what to expect. While we can totally hear the country influences in "Malibu", we wouldn't necessarily refer to it as a country song. The song definitely gives off some pop-rock/alternative vibes in our opinion... And we're here for it. She sings "I never would've believed you if three years ago you told me I'd be here writing this song", and we can agree with her on that one. Considering her last project was so different in style, "Malibu" is a refreshing, new take on Cyrus' career. Aside from premiering "Malibu" on Beats1 Radio, Cyrus also released the music video for the track on VEVO. The video features Cyrus in various open locations: the beach, a field, and a beautiful meadow with a waterfall. With no clear storyline in mind for the video, it was evidently intended to showcase a new side of Cyrus that we weren't used to seeing. What'd We Think of the Video?The cinematography throughout the video is consistent and mesmerizing. There are some incredible close-up shots of Cyrus, as well as some very intriguing double exposure shots. Overall, the director had a clear vision of what they wanted to portray in this video, and we feel that the theme was translated very well. We're particularly OBSESSED with two elements of the video: 1. The colorful balloons. 2. That little jig that Cyrus does in several clips... You know what we're talkin' about. Didn't get to check out the video for "Malibu"? Watch it here: What did YOU think of "Malibu"? Let us know on Twitter!
Harry Styles made his solo debut on live television this morning, performing on the TODAY Show plaza as part of their Citi Summer Concert Series - and definitely set the bar high for the rest of this summer's lineup. After just releasing the music video for his lead debut single, Styles took to the plaza to perform a few songs off his first solo project, Harry Styles. Aside from "Sign of the Times", Styles performed two new songs - "Ever Since New York" and "Carolina". Just as the massive crowd awaited to hear a fourth and final song from the 23 year-old singer/songwriter, the intro to an all-too-familiar tune began playing. The entire plaza was stunned when they discovered that Styles chose to perform "Stockholm Syndrome" - a song by his former boy-band, One Direction. What'd We Think of the Performance?Ever since Styles announced that he was releasing his own music, we knew that he'd be a massive success; and if a SOLD OUT Fall tour and hundreds of fans sleeping out on the streets of New York City to see him perform on a morning show doesn't prove our point, we're not sure what else does. Styles' vocals were impeccable, and the crowd knew every word. We weren't sure how comfortable he'd be performing on his own (considering he was used to sharing the spotlight with four other boys), but Styles was TOTALLY in his element. This performance receives an A+ in our books; and as if new music wasn't enough, he hit Directioners with a moment of nostalgia when he performed "Stockholm Syndrome". We can't wait to see what's next for this incredibly talented young man. If you missed Styles' performance this morning, check out the clips here: What did YOU think of Harry Styles' performance on the TODAY Show? Let us know on Twitter!
2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards Performances: Noah Cyrus, J Balvin X Pitbull X Camila Cabello, & Big Sean5/7/2017 Last night's 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards was pretty epic; and the musical performances were nothing less than just that. Want to know what we thought? Keep reading! Noah Cyrus gave the first performance of the night, debuting her latest single, "Stay Together". Cyrus was sure to bring out elements of the music video for this teen anthem throughout her performance, and ended it with a crowd favorite: a confetti cannon. What'd We Think? Considering it was Cyrus' first performance of "Stay Together", we thought it was definitely one for the books. She looked totally comfortable being on-stage, and why wouldn't she? It's not like this was her first awards show performance! It fun, colorful, and entertaining: everything we'd expect to see in a performance from Ms. Cyrus. "Mi gente Latina stand up!" J Balvin, Pitbull, and Camila Cabello definitely lit up the stage with their performance of "Hey Ma" from The Fate of the Furious; the trio took us on a four minute trip to Cuba complete with dancers, motorcycles, and flames! What'd We Think? We've seen Cabello perform alongside former girl-group Fifth Harmony and rapper Machine Gun Kelly, but we saw a whole different side of the fiery young artist last night. She was completely in her element, and her Cuban roots clearly shined through! As for J Balvin and Pitbull... Who doesn't love when two international superstars team up for a collaboration that's just too good to be true?! If your friends jump out the window, does that mean you have to jump out the window? Well, if that friend is Big Sean, then we might just consider it... Sean Don took the MTV Movie & TV Awards stage to perform his latest single "Jump Out the Window" and gave us some preeeeeeeetty dope visuals to accompany his chill vocals. What'd We Think? If weren't already such big fans of Sean's music, this performance would've sucked us into the fan base. From his impeccable stamina during the rap verse to the stunning visuals - which we were LIVING for, everything about Sean's performance made it one for the books! Didn't get a chance to watch the performances last night? Check 'em out here: What'd YOU think of last night's performances? Let us know on Twitter!
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