I first started listening to Halsey on YouTube in the fall of 2015. By coincidence, her debut album, Badlands, was released around that same time. I was in a really dark place fighting depression and Crohn's disease and I found comfort in this concept album that was about people being trapped in a post apocalyptic society surrounded by desert land that keeps them there...knowing they should desperately try to escape, yet finding a weird sense of comfort there. Halsey created this world around the Badlands, which I used as a metaphor for my life. I've never felt more connected to music, nor have I felt so understood by music before.
This Friday, Halsey's new album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom comes out!!! In true Halsey fashion, this is also a concept album. She describes Hopeless Fountain Kingdom as a purgatory kind of like LOST. You know, my favorite TV show of all time! In the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast featuring Halsey, the Badlands are described as being the mortal realm above the Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. While I've listened to the songs that have been released from the album (I'll post links below), I am most excited to be able to listen to all of the songs on Hopeless Fountain Kingdom in order so that I can piece together the concept and interpret the story being told for myself. I've already got tickets for her HFK Tour and I can't wait to see her bring the Hopeless Fountain Kingdom to life! If you're looking for me, I'll be getting lost in the Hopeless Fountain Kingdom.
There are definitely Romeo and Juliet vibes in her "Now or Never" music video: https://youtu.be/kzQTc0-iBX8
No doubt she can sing in the stripped version of "Eyes Closed": https://youtu.be/joN23n_e5hk
"To be touched / To be loved / To feel anything at all" - Halsey ft. Lauren Jauregui "Strangers": https://youtu.be/e3hjpNuvapQ
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
"These are the Badlands"
I'm totally pumped to see Halsey tomorrow night at the CFE Arena! Kim got me tickets for my birthday and I'm pretty excited about seeing her live. I clung to her Badlands album late last year into early this year as I was battling my own "badlands" during some shitty months of depression and Crohn's disease. Strangely enough I first liked her music because I related to her lyrics. I felt understood.
Waking up facing the same disease day in and day out allowed me to relate to the line in 'Gasoline' by Halsey that says, "You can't wake up, this is not a dream". I couldn't just snap out of it and get back to the reality I so desperately desired. The pain and lack of happiness had me living the line in 'Hold Me Down' by Halsey that says, "They [demons] fight me, vigorous and angry, watch them pounce". It seemed unrelenting. If I could have controlled it, I would have. Honestly, I felt helpless. All I could do was hold on while it took its toll on me. I found a much needed sense of hope in the line "I'm meaner than my demons" in the song 'Control' by Halsey. At times, Crohn's disease and/or depression made me feel isolated and I related to the lines in Halsey's song 'Empty Gold' that says, "I, I must confess / How hard I tried to breathe / Through the trees of loneliness". Right about the time I was overcoming depression, I started to catch myself thinking who am I without that weight? I don't know who I'm supposed to be. The line in Halsey's song 'Haunting' explains my crazy feelings well: "I'm begging you to keep haunting me" because I wasn't sure who I was without it. There's no doubt I lost a bit of myself during that period in my life. It was difficult to find the person I was prior to that struggle, but I think I have found myself again.
Now, I like Halsey's music because I appreciate the depth of her lyrics. Not only can she hit the notes (how would I know? I'm tone deaf), but she is very artistic in her delivery, sound, and beat. I like that she doesn't shy away from dark feelings. Life isn't all sunshine and roses and I can appreciate anyone willing to verbalize that.
"These are the Badlands": https://youtu.be/DWCOW7TaGQE
Waking up facing the same disease day in and day out allowed me to relate to the line in 'Gasoline' by Halsey that says, "You can't wake up, this is not a dream". I couldn't just snap out of it and get back to the reality I so desperately desired. The pain and lack of happiness had me living the line in 'Hold Me Down' by Halsey that says, "They [demons] fight me, vigorous and angry, watch them pounce". It seemed unrelenting. If I could have controlled it, I would have. Honestly, I felt helpless. All I could do was hold on while it took its toll on me. I found a much needed sense of hope in the line "I'm meaner than my demons" in the song 'Control' by Halsey. At times, Crohn's disease and/or depression made me feel isolated and I related to the lines in Halsey's song 'Empty Gold' that says, "I, I must confess / How hard I tried to breathe / Through the trees of loneliness". Right about the time I was overcoming depression, I started to catch myself thinking who am I without that weight? I don't know who I'm supposed to be. The line in Halsey's song 'Haunting' explains my crazy feelings well: "I'm begging you to keep haunting me" because I wasn't sure who I was without it. There's no doubt I lost a bit of myself during that period in my life. It was difficult to find the person I was prior to that struggle, but I think I have found myself again.
Now, I like Halsey's music because I appreciate the depth of her lyrics. Not only can she hit the notes (how would I know? I'm tone deaf), but she is very artistic in her delivery, sound, and beat. I like that she doesn't shy away from dark feelings. Life isn't all sunshine and roses and I can appreciate anyone willing to verbalize that.
"These are the Badlands": https://youtu.be/DWCOW7TaGQE
Monday, October 26, 2015
I've Been Busy; That's a Lie
Hi! Long time, no blog. I could lie and say I've been busy. The truth is I've been sleeping my life away. How am I feeling? I hate that question! Honestly, I usually say I'm doing good until one day I wake up and I realize that somewhere along the way my 'normal' has changed. Yet, I'll still tell you, "I'm good."
I see my gastro on Thursday and my colorectal specialist on Friday, so I'll be haunting my doctors with my ass for Halloween. Thankfully, I haven't been experiencing pain. Two weekends ago, I shit so much in the middle of the night that I woke up with abs the next morning... I haven't worked out in months. Sounds like a dream, right? Go to bed, wake up 14 times to shit in the middle of the night, and then wake up with abs. My bowels have gotten back to 'normal' since then. I have been super tired. I slept for 26 hours this past weekend. My doctors and I have some talking to do... even though they still don't know about the incident in Texas last December and I don't know if I'm going to tell them.
Enough about that... When I'm not working, sleeping, or shitting, I've been reading "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking". I'm about a third of the way through the book and all I can is wow! It has been eye opening to the way our brains process information consciously and subconsciously. This is a book about psychology and so far learning about priming and thin slicing is so interesting to me. I can't wait to see what else this book has in it!
I've also been finding new music on YouTube. My current obsessions are with Halestorm and Halsey. If you're only going to listen to one of each of their songs, listen to Hold Me Down by Halsey and Love Bites (So Do I) by Halestorm. If you're going for a second song, go for Gasoline by Halsey and Apocalyptic by Halestorm. I'm surprisingly leaning toward more rock selections. The screaming parts are just the therapy I need.
Lastly, I've been binge watching The Walking Dead on Netflix. I just got to season 5! All I can say is that I would not survive a zombie apocalypse. I'd be one of the first to turn and then I'd be attacking all of you healthy people.
I see my gastro on Thursday and my colorectal specialist on Friday, so I'll be haunting my doctors with my ass for Halloween. Thankfully, I haven't been experiencing pain. Two weekends ago, I shit so much in the middle of the night that I woke up with abs the next morning... I haven't worked out in months. Sounds like a dream, right? Go to bed, wake up 14 times to shit in the middle of the night, and then wake up with abs. My bowels have gotten back to 'normal' since then. I have been super tired. I slept for 26 hours this past weekend. My doctors and I have some talking to do... even though they still don't know about the incident in Texas last December and I don't know if I'm going to tell them.
Enough about that... When I'm not working, sleeping, or shitting, I've been reading "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking". I'm about a third of the way through the book and all I can is wow! It has been eye opening to the way our brains process information consciously and subconsciously. This is a book about psychology and so far learning about priming and thin slicing is so interesting to me. I can't wait to see what else this book has in it!
I've also been finding new music on YouTube. My current obsessions are with Halestorm and Halsey. If you're only going to listen to one of each of their songs, listen to Hold Me Down by Halsey and Love Bites (So Do I) by Halestorm. If you're going for a second song, go for Gasoline by Halsey and Apocalyptic by Halestorm. I'm surprisingly leaning toward more rock selections. The screaming parts are just the therapy I need.
Lastly, I've been binge watching The Walking Dead on Netflix. I just got to season 5! All I can say is that I would not survive a zombie apocalypse. I'd be one of the first to turn and then I'd be attacking all of you healthy people.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
The Cat is Out of The Bag
I'm taking Taylor to see the Shania Twain Concert in Miami next Thursday. It was supposed to be a surprise, but her boyfriend told her about it on their anniversary since the concert ticket is one of his gifts to her. Thank God because it was killing me not being able to talk about it with her! Now we get to have awesome text convos like the one below. It's so awesome that she loves Shania Twain as much as I do!!! God Bless her... she can't spell to save her life
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Tomorrow is Only a Day Away
I start my new job as payroll assistant tomorrow! Well, technically I'll likely be spending the whole day with HR getting orientated, but I'm excited nonetheless! A new job, a new routine, and best of all less time with certain members of my family. I'm super excited because it's a set schedule. I even get about two hours of jam session time during my commute each day. It's going to be great time for me to get in the zone of happiness and fun, and get my head right again. I love time to myself even if I don't consider myself an introvert. It's so easy to let others' negativity mess with my mentality. Almost like the negativity is contagious. I'm working on making mixed CDs to listen to. In the mean time, I'll be jamming out to Olly Murs.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
One of My Favorites - Shania Twain
When people ask me who my favorite musical artist is, I usually tell them Taylor Swift. However, if you know me well, you know my real favorite is Shania Twain. She's been my favorite since I heard her songs off The Woman In Me album when I was seven years old. By the time her Come On Over album came out when I was nine, I was obsessed with her music. Of course, I loved her Up album that came out in 2002, which I think was totally more pop than country. It is amazing!
I can't pin-point what drew me to like her music in the first place. Most of her songs are about love or heartache, and I certainly don't have any personal experience to relate to the songs; however, I can lose myself in her music. Her songs take me back in time and remind me of my childhood. A life before Crohn's. A life before responsibility. Somehow it allows me see how much I've grown up. Sure, my parents only allowed me to listen to country and Christian music while growing up. Perhaps Shania's music seemed a little rebellious compared to what I was used to hearing and I've always been a rebel at heart. I would jump for hours, by myself and sometimes with my sisters and friend Brittany, on the trampoline in the backyard while playing Shania's cassette tapes in my pink stereo. I listened to the cassettes so often that I could fast forward a song perfectly to play the next song at the beginning... My pink stereo didn't have a skip button.
The first concert I ever went to was Shania Twain's Come On Over Tour on September 19th, 1998. I remember getting to the box office early to buy tickets with my mom. At ten years old, her concert was bigger than life! I guarantee that I sang along with every word. Flash forward to 2013, I spent more than I should have to fly out to Las Vegas to enjoy her You're Still The One show in a third row seat at Caesars Palace. I had high expectations and she blew it right out of the water. The show was unbelievably captivating. It was such fun to re-live her hit songs live, the very songs that I grew up with. I read her autobiography and to know what she has been through in her life, she is a light of inspiration. Her courage is something I admire.
This morning I purchased tickets during the presale for Shania Twain's Rock This Country Tour in Jacksonville on Wednesday, July 15th, 2015. She's claiming this will be her farewell tour and I didn't want to miss one last opportunity to see her preform live! I'm super excited!!!!
Watch her video that inspired my leopard print photo above: http://youtu.be/mqFLXayD6e8
I can't pin-point what drew me to like her music in the first place. Most of her songs are about love or heartache, and I certainly don't have any personal experience to relate to the songs; however, I can lose myself in her music. Her songs take me back in time and remind me of my childhood. A life before Crohn's. A life before responsibility. Somehow it allows me see how much I've grown up. Sure, my parents only allowed me to listen to country and Christian music while growing up. Perhaps Shania's music seemed a little rebellious compared to what I was used to hearing and I've always been a rebel at heart. I would jump for hours, by myself and sometimes with my sisters and friend Brittany, on the trampoline in the backyard while playing Shania's cassette tapes in my pink stereo. I listened to the cassettes so often that I could fast forward a song perfectly to play the next song at the beginning... My pink stereo didn't have a skip button.
 |
| I was obsessed! I was 10 or 11 years old in this picture. |
The first concert I ever went to was Shania Twain's Come On Over Tour on September 19th, 1998. I remember getting to the box office early to buy tickets with my mom. At ten years old, her concert was bigger than life! I guarantee that I sang along with every word. Flash forward to 2013, I spent more than I should have to fly out to Las Vegas to enjoy her You're Still The One show in a third row seat at Caesars Palace. I had high expectations and she blew it right out of the water. The show was unbelievably captivating. It was such fun to re-live her hit songs live, the very songs that I grew up with. I read her autobiography and to know what she has been through in her life, she is a light of inspiration. Her courage is something I admire.
This morning I purchased tickets during the presale for Shania Twain's Rock This Country Tour in Jacksonville on Wednesday, July 15th, 2015. She's claiming this will be her farewell tour and I didn't want to miss one last opportunity to see her preform live! I'm super excited!!!!
Watch her video that inspired my leopard print photo above: http://youtu.be/mqFLXayD6e8
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
My New Jam
Say what you want, but I love Taylor Swift! This beat totally makes me move!!!
http://youtu.be/nfWlot6h_JM
http://youtu.be/nfWlot6h_JM
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