Columbia Records
Release Date: March 24th 2023
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Alana Springsteen– TWENTY SOMETHING: Messing It Up EP (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Continue reading Alana Springsteen – TWENTY SOMETHING: Messing It Up EP
Columbia Records
Release Date: March 24th 2023
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Alana Springsteen– TWENTY SOMETHING: Messing It Up EP (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Continue reading Alana Springsteen – TWENTY SOMETHING: Messing It Up EP
8 Days Of Christmas
Label: Columbia Records / Sony Music Entertainment
Release Date: October 30th 2001 (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Continue reading Mini-Review: Destiny’s Child – 8 Days Of Christmas
Columbia Records
Release Date: May 20th 2022
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Train– AM Gold (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Disruptor Records / Columbia Records
Release Date: February 11th 2022
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Dove Cameron– Boyfriend (Single) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Not too long ago, the Dove Award nominations released. For those of you familiar with Christian music, and for those who have read our site since the inception back in 2014; I’m sure you’ll all believe me when I say that throughout the past few years, both myself and my brother Jon have always eagerly anticipated the Dove Award nominations every year. We’ve even written predictions for these awards on this site here, here and here (2017, 2018 and 2019); as well as our analysis of winners and nominations here and here (both 2014). But for those of you who are unfamiliar with the Dove Awards though, let’s just say that it’s like the Christian version of the Grammy Awards. It’s probably the most prestigious award show in the history of CCM music. And being that Jon and myself basically grew up solely on Christian music, the time of the year when nominations of the Dove Awards roll around is always nostalgic and sentimental to us. Even though of late, we have mostly read the nominations and shrugged our shoulders and rolled our eyes and written our own fantasy ‘fake’ lists. And it’s just because over the past few years The Dove Awards’ nominations have been somewhat spot on but somewhat off the mark at the same time. Yet… guess what? We always come back to these lists, and we always are eager to see the same things over and over and over again. And I reckon it’s what most of us (lovers of mainstream music as well!) do anyways, in a broader sense. We see these award shows nominate the same people year after year after year; and we’re still a sucker to watch them. And the Dove Awards nominations this year actually was a catalyst for me to ask the question… of why is that so? Why do we watch awards shows even when we know what’s going to happen? I’ve been thinking about how ingrained we all are in our likes and dislikes, even though we sometimes are indifferent to them as well. And it seems to me that with award shows with the biggest celebrities, we latch onto these events and spectacles like church services, and we hang onto the words of our biggest idols like they’re God. We elevate our role models like they’re perfect, and even if we know that award shows are like a popularity contest and that the nominations may not reflect in totality if these actors or musicians or artists actually have any talent or even have anything worthwhile to say; we’ve fallen into the trap that they’re still the best thing the world has to offer. And it’s because… I don’t know, actually. We love living vicariously and vivaciously through people, and it’s easier to be persuaded and encouraged to love someone who is popular and has nothing much to say than to be really invested in someone influential with something to say. If you think about most of these 100 artists we’ve written about in this blog series, from artists like Keith Urban, Pentatonix, Skillet, Jason Gray and Carly Rae Jepsen, to John Mayer, Carrie Underwood, Owl City, Train and Hanson… is it likely or probable that the majority of them would be present as a nominee, presenter or performer at a major awards show like the Grammys or The American Music Awards or The Billboard Music Awards or The MTV Video Music Awards? Yes? No? Yeah, I reckon it’s probably not. And that’s not a reflection on the talent and prowess of the artists in question I’ve blogged about… it’s just the way the music industry is these days. Popular artists sell and influential artists do not.
Continue reading MOMENTOUS MONDAYS: INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS OF ALL TIME – WEEK 95: BEYONCÉ
Columbia Records
Release Date: March 26th 2021
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Train– Drops Of Jupiter (20th Anniversary Edition) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Continue reading Train – Drops Of Jupiter (20th Anniversary Edition)
Disruptor Records / Columbia Records
Release Date: July 24th 2020 / April 2nd 2021
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Dove Cameron– We Belong (Single) / LazyBaby (Single) (Amazon mp3/iTunes) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Continue reading Dove Cameron – We Belong (Single) / LazyBaby (Single)
Christmas In Tahoe (Deluxe Edition)
Label: Columbia Records
Release Date: November 13th 2015 (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
A Legendary Christmas
Label: Columbia Records
Release Date: October 26th 2018 (Standard), November 8th 2019 (Deluxe) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Continue reading Mini-Review: John Legend – A Legendary Christmas
Let me ask you a question that has been running in my brain for the past few days. In the face of adversity, do you run away? Do you cower in fear and curl up in a foetal position? Do you analyse every decision that you make or have made or will make- overthinking and stuck in indecision thinking that the bad outcomes are your fault? Do you cry out and ask for help or do you soldier on and naively believe that you yourself and only yourself can overcome odds that are seemingly insurmountable and impossible? When faced with tragedy and the worst adversity possible, how do you react? Do you cry out to God or turn to your vices like alcohol or drugs to cope? Or do you stick your head in the sand like an ostrich thinking that the problem will go away? Now all of these outcomes are all valid, yet as a Christian I find some ways of coping much healthier than others. Yet over the past couple of weeks I’ve been presented with one of the most unique, heartbreaking, encouraging, inspiring, honest, emotional, vulnerable and freeing journeys I’ve had the pleasure of immersing myself into. The true story of actress and singer Lea Michele (born Lea Michele Sarfati to an Italian-American mother and a Sephardic Jewish father), her instant rise to fame and stardom due to the exponential success of musical TV series Glee, and the very public dealing of her boyfriend Cory Monteith’s fatal drug overdose and subsequent healing from scars and internal wounds so that right now Lea is in a place of peace and contentment with life; is very remarkable and so, so relevant for society right now. As Lea overcomes adversity, heartbreak and negative situations in a way that’s commendable and admirable; you may not think that Lea deserves to be in my list of ‘up and coming influential artists over the next 5-10 years’- I mean, she is an actress first and foremost, and she did release music after Glee, so one may say she’s not a ‘true’ artist. However I am certain that once you finish reading what I’m about to say to you all…well I’m sure you’ll rapidly change your mind!
Continue reading Momentous Mondays: Influential artists of the next 5-10 years – Week 8: Lea Michele