Starlight

Recently I went to the American Idols Live! Tour concert in Washington, DC. I have a full review of that coming up, but during the concert I was introduced to some gorgeous songs, one of them being Starlight by Muse. When Adam Lambert sang Starlight, I was BLOWN AWAY. I was really scared to get the original because often when Adam covers songs, his version of it and his voice is just so superior to those of the original artists. I was (and am) happy to report that Muse absolutely NAILS it!

Starlight is a song about missing someone. Anyone. Anyone who cares about you and anyone who you care about in return. Lead singer for Muse, Matthew Bellamy, said that he first wrote the song on a ship in bad weather, but I think the ship in the song can have many different meanings.

A journey, literal or figurative. A journey that makes you sacrifice things and explore new things, and build and break your expectations. Find new revelations, despairs and celebrations.

But the song has fear, desperation. Fear that your loved one will disappear while you take your journey. Fear that he/she will become a memory, and that memory will fade away. Desperation to hold on to them. To chase them and love them no matter what, to never let them go.

It also has hope. Hope and love towards that person, something that person brings out inside of you, something you want to bring out in other. Something you want to share with and show the world, with your loved one by your side.

This song is about love, hope, togetherness, ambition and desperation. It's life.

The lyrics are so inspiring and the song is so well put together with Mr.Bellamy's vocals and the guitar, drums and piano used. I love the emotional strength portrayed through the piano and drums. It's powerful, but beautiful. Matthew Bellamy does an especially amazing job during the chorus (hold you in my arms...etc.). He has such emotion, but still maintains his voice and uses it so effectively when switching to the higher notes. It's altogether gorgeous.

I hope you are inspired <3

Starlight-*****

Starlight- Muse

Far away
This ship is taking me far away
Far away from the memories
Of the people who care if I live or die

The starlight
I will be chasing your starlight
Until the end of my life
I don't know if it's worth it anymore

Hold you in my arms
I just wanted to hold
You in my arms

My life
You electrify my life
Let's conspire to re-ignite
All the souls that would die just to feel alive

But I'll never let you go
If you promised not to fade away
Never fade away

Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations
Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations

Hold you in my arms
I just wanted to hold
You in my arms

Far away
This ship is taking me far away
Far away from the memories
Of the people who care if I live or die

And I'll never let you go
If you promise not to fade away
Never fade away

Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations
Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations

Hold you in my arms
I just wanted to hold
You in my arms
I just wanted to hold

***

And for the sake of loving him... Here's Adam performing Starlight in Newark (thank you TheAdamBombs!:

Happy Birthday to a Legend

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL JACKSON <3

1958-2009

YOU WERE LOVED AND CELEBRATED, YOU ARE LOVED AND CELEBRATED, AND YOU WILL BE LOVED AND CELEBRATED THROUGH THE HEARTS OF MANY.

TO YOUR IMMORTALITY: MAY IT INSPIRE MORE GENERATIONS TO COME

More Adam

So I have been really busy and kind of neglecting this blog, so I missed out on a lot of things Adam Lambert has done. So I'm going to brush up on his American Idol performances.

If I Can't Have You (Top 7, song by Yvonne Elliman)

This is one of my favorite performances from Adam. He puts a lot of feeling into the words and the finesse he uses in his voice fits perfectly with the words. You can tell he's really into the song and he just makes you feel so deeply. Add that with his flawless technique, amazing voice and stunning stage presence (again, I apologize for the quality of the videos) and you have an absolute five star performance.

Feeling Good (Top 6, song by Sammy Davis, Jr., version by Muse)

Surprisingly enough, this performance landed Adam in the bottom two. I think it was because his use of the stairs gave him a very haughty self-indulgent air about him, but I think he was brilliant. It felt like a real show watching him swing his hips as he very sassily(???) walked down Ryan Seacrest's stair case at the beginning of his song. I love the lyrics and the song itself is great. He did Muse's version of it and I thought it was good, even if it wasn't his strongest performance (he didn't deserve to be in the bottom).

Whole Lotta Love (Top 5, song by Led Zeppelin)

YES! LED ZEPPELIN! This was SO perfect for him, and he totally nailed it! I was super excited about him doing Rock Week and he definitely pulled it off. He worked with Slash (from Guns N' Roses) this week and he took his advice to stay in his lower range, which was brilliant since he shows off his high range a lot. The pure rock sound and sexual feeling that the song has came out wonderfully in his voice and he was the rock star of the night. Yeah!

Slow Ride (Duet with Allison Iraheta, Top 5, song by Foghat)

The perfect pair! Allison and Adam have been my two favorites throughout the whole competition and I was SOOO excited to hear their duet. It was great! Adam held back a little as to not show off in front of Allison and he two of them had great chemistry on stage, they gave a great performance. Allison is amazing, too, and at 16 I think she has an amazingly advanced voice for her age (and in general).

One (Simon Cowell's choice, Top 4, song by U2)

I do have to say that Adam has an amazingly talent for suspension in a song and building up to the climax. He keeps the song moving even if it has a tendency to get boring (as this one does). I thought he sang it well and kept us pulled in, and I loved how he arranged it. Flawless as Adam always is :).

Cryin' (Top 3, song by Aerosmith)

"...someone I can't resist..." didn't that make you feel like you were really struggling to resist something that you just couldn't? Great. Flawless. Amazing.

Mad World (Favorite performance, Top 2, song by Tears For Fears)

Adam got to do his favorite performance of the season and he picked Mad World. Last time he sang in a plain jacket with a chair and blue light. Very "subtle" (as subtle as Adam can be), quiet and showed a different side of Mr. Lambert. This time, though, I loved how he made it very theater/Broadway

with the AWESOME trench coat and the even sexier fog. The song showed one side of him while the stage showed another. Beautiful ;).

A Change Is Gonna Come (producer Simon Fuller's choice, Top 2, song by Sam Cooke)

Simon Fuller is a brilliant man. I have to say, this is DEFINITELY one of Adam's top 3 performances. The slow quiet with the strong blasting sides of his voice mixed with such powerful lyrics, amazing music, an A suit and the most eye-catching stage presence EVER this song was absolutely stunning. I mean, your whole heart and soul is pulled into it, especially when he holds that one note and then slides into the next and you can feel yourself holding your breath. This is absolutely one of my favorites.

Adam had actually performed this song at The Zodiac Show. You can hear how much better his technique is now, but I like the Zodiac one because you can really see him put a lot of feeling into the song and really be himself without the pressure of AI and the media. You can see the video (and it's a real video) at the bottom of this post.

No Boundaries (mandatory, Top 2, co-written by Kara DioGuordi and premiered on the show)

This was my least favorite performance, more so because I didn't particularly like the song. It was a little too cheesy, predictable, and stereo-typically pop for me. It did not suit Adam's voice. He pulled it off, though :).

------

A Change Is Gonna Come (performing at The Zodiac Show)

Check out his bio! Go to www.zodiacshow.com, click "Bios", click "Leads" and then click his pic at the bottom of the screen.

A Beatles B'Day

James Paul McCartney was the bassist for The Beatles and vocalist, too. He was born today in 1942 in Liverpool, England and is turning 67. Happy Birthday Paul!!!

Adam Lambert

This is a man I have been closely following on American Idol. He is by far my favorite contestant and he is such an amazing musician and an amazing performer that the only way you could NOT like him is out of jealousy ;) I should have been tracking him on this blog, but I haven't been so I am going to make up for it by posting the longest post ever about him :D

Well let's see, Adam was born January 29, 1282 in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in San Diego and has been performing since he was 10. He was cast as Linus in San Diego's Lyceum Theater's production of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. he played a part in The Ten Commandments in the Kodak Theater and he was the understudy for Fiyero in the touring and Los Angeles casts of Wicked. He is now one of the Top 7 on American Idol and, as I said, my FAVORITE contestant. Here's a video of him singing "Dancing Through Life" from Wicked as Fiyero.

Dancing Through Life

Isn't he great? He can dance and sing and act like CRAZY! Like, can you say triple threat?! Here is the Adam Lambert chronicles on American Idol:

(okay as much as I tried, I could NOT find any videos! These "videos" are only his pictures with the song playing. Sorry because he's amazing to watch. Okay wait, I lied, some of these are videos but they're very low quality)

Bohemian Rhapsody (San Francisco auditions, song by Queen)

Believe (Hollywood week 3, song by Cher)

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Top 36, song by The Rolling Stones)


Black Or White (Top 13, song by Michael Jackson)

Ring Of Fire (Top 11, song by Johnny Cash)

The Tracks Of My Tears (Top 10, song by The Miracles)

Play That Funky Music (Top 9, song by Wild Cherry)

(this one is the only video I could find that has the full song, but it plays some other weird song at the end so sorry about that)(oh and if you can find the performance video, please watch it! He dances in it! lol)

Mad World (Top 8, song by Tears for Fears)

Born To Be Wild (Top 7, song by Steppenwolf)

click here

Do you see why he is my favorite? Every week he has been consistently flawless and he has chords of steel. He also has a great technique and when he sings he uses every color and every tool to his voice to completely draw you in and transport you into a completely different place. It's like your on your own world with you and Adam when he sings. On top of all this, he is a pro at performing. He brings everyone in, the band, the judges, the audience and the people watching at home. His energy is absolutely contagious! I am so glad that American Idol has finally discovered some fresh new talent worth buying an album from! We can just pray that he doesn't get sucked into the pop genre like everyone else...

Adam is also a great person. He's so sincere in everything he does and I think his reason for winning American Idol- to be a role model- is wonderful and I know he's going to be great no matter what he does in music. So here is Adam on what he thinks about American Idol and please vote, Vote, VOTE! :P

click here!

Birthday At The Disco! Woot woot! (lol)

Brendon's turning 22! Brendon Boyd Urie was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and is (as we all know) the lead singer for Panic At The Disco. Happy b'day Brendon! 

Happy B'day Gee!

Gerard Arthur Way. We all know who that is! He is the lead singer of My Chemical Romance. He was born in Newark, New Jersey and today he turns 32! Happy birthday Gee!!!

Birthday

George Harold Harrison, born on February 25, 1943, was the lead guitarist for The Beatles. He was born in Liverpool, England and today he would have turned 66.

Happy Birthday George <3

Angel

My mother really loves this girl. And I have to admit, she's talented. Who is this girl? Sarah McLachlan.

Angel is my favorite song by her. She's really amazing because she writes all the lyrics and all the music to all of her songs. She has a gorgeous voice and her music is very inspiring. I'm going to give you a link to a video of her singing Angel, but I'm also going to give you a link to listen to the same song with what I think is better sound quality. But there are some things different about each and I love them both. Enjoy.

Sarah McLachlan- vocals, piano, keyboard, guitar, harp


Angel live (no video)

Angel (video)


Angel- Sarah McLachlan

Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay
There’s always one reason
To feel not good enough
And it’s hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release
Memory seeps from my veins
Let me be empty
And weightless and maybe
I’ll find some peace tonight

In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You’re in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there

So tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn
There’s vultures and thieves at your back
And the storm keeps on twisting
You keep on building the lie
That you make up for all that you lack
It don’t make no difference
Escaping one last time
It’s easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
This glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You’re in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there
You’re in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here


http://www.sarahmclachlan.com/

Lacey Mosley (Flyleaf)

Lacey Nicole Mosley is the lead singer of the band Flyleaf. I wanted to share with you everything that I found out about her because I think she is an amazing person.

Lacey was born in Arlington, Texas to a single mother of six kids. Her family was very poor and they often moved from place to place, trying to find work that would make ends meet. She had a terrible relationship with her mother which she described as "a war zone going on at home" and eventually started doing drugs. "The first time I ever did drugs, I was ten years old. I kind of kept it a secret from people at school, and I always had a thought that it was wrong, you know. I kinda knew it was wrong. But, then, when I was thirteen, I found these other people that did drugs and I got even worse into it. It was like whatever I could do, I would do it, you know? I was trying to figure out who I was, and anything to separate me from my family, or to separate me from my situation at home, was awesome, was good to me."~Lacey Mosley

At fourteen Lacey got a bass guitar and started playing. At sixteen, fights with her mom were too intense and the police stepped in. She went to live with her grandparents in Mississippi and joined a band. She eventually quit for bad communication and the negative music.

Lacey left her family soon after that and left drugs behind. Unfortunately, that led to what she calls a "nervous breakdown". She cut off her hair and became suicidal. Her grandmother then urged her to attend church.

She later got married and moved to Temple, Texas. She divorced soon after, but luckily met James, Jared, Sameer, and Pat who all joined together and have been together as Flyleaf (after being called Passerby) ever since.

I think Lacey is an incredibly inspiring person and it's amazing how she pulled through all the drugs, depression and divorce. I commend her for her strength and courage. I think Flyleaf is a great group and you should check out this amazing song they wrote about Jesus:

All Around Me



All Around Me- Flyleaf

My hands are searching for you
My arms are outstretched towards you
I feel you on my fingertips
My tongue dances behind my lips for you

This fire rising through my being
Burning I'm not used to seeing you

I'm alive, I'm alive

I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healing

My hands float up above me
And you whisper you love me
And I begin to fade
Into our secret place

The music makes me sway
The angels singing say we are alone with you
I am alone and they are too with you

I'm alive, I'm alive

I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healing

And so I cry
The light is white
And I see you

I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive

I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healing

Take my hand
I give it to you
Now you own me
All I am
You said you would never leave me
I believe you
I believe

I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healed


Personally, I like the acoustic version better. Same lyrics, same meaning, just more organic.

All Around Me (acoustic version)-Flyleaf

To end this post I leave you with a quote that I find inspiring:

"We all share the same faith. And so when we deal with the whole 'Christian band thing,' we kind of think about something P.O.D. says, like, 'If you're a Christian, it affects everything in your life. So if you're a plumber, does that make you a Christian plumber?' I don't know the answer. We're a band, it's part of who we are, so it comes out in our music, and it's the fuel for what we do. And finding faith saved my life. So I'm not ashamed of it at all. And most of our album reflects that."~ Lacey Mosley

Jason and deMarco

I was just looking these guys up on iTunes. I was watching showtime this morning and they were showing the documentary on their lives. Jason and deMarco are gay lovers who travel the world performing pop songs together in churches, dance clubs and at pride events. They are both very spiritual and religious people and they want to show the world that you can be spiritual and gay. They battle critisism from both anti-gay churches and from they gay community. They work together to integrate spituality and homosexuality and they beleive in accepting all religions and sexual orientations. I think they are very inspiring and amazing people. They have two full-length albums, Spirit Pop and Till The End Of Time.

They're great singers and great people. Check out they're website and google them. Here is their music video and a video of one of my fave songs:

This Is Love- Jason and deMarco

Be The Light- Jason and deMarco (at Wallingford United Methodist Church in Seattle)

I incourage you all to look into them.

www.jasonanddemarco.com