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Momentous Mondays: Influential artists of the next 5-10 years – Week 20: Philippa Hanna

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Do you often wonder why you’re in the valley sometimes? Why you’re in the same valley that you reckon, or maybe even believe, you’ve been there since the dawn of time; and the same valley that you’re certain and convinced that you’ll stay there until the day you pass? Do you often wonder why life isn’t going the way you thought it would be at this very moment, or why the whole world seems against you? You get the sense that fate, or destiny, or whatever deity or higher power that is up there (that you probably know for a fact is up there in the heavens floating about, but don’t really give the time of day, except for at Christmas or at Easter or at Ramadan or Hannukah or any other token religious festival and occasion) doesn’t care at all about you and your problems and your situations and your relationships with others, or your needs, or your wants and desires… otherwise he, or she, would be actively doing something, anything to create a positive change in your life. For the past umpteen years, it has seemed like you’re on your own, in the valley for eternity, with no one around you to keep you safe, or make you feel good, or make life worth living. So do you wonder why you’re seemingly stuck in the valley with no way out?

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Momentous Mondays: Influential artists of the next 5-10 years – Week 19: Dami Im

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Don’t you reckon how it’s funny how God orchestrates things to happen in your life that you can just look back on and marvel at, and see His handiwork just to know that He is God? When God reveals things to you, you may not know it but in hindsight you’ll know what he’s doing and you’ll definitely see his imprint. Confused? Well let me explain a bit. A few weeks ago when I was browsing the internet just because I had some spare time and because I just wanted to relax, I heard a Lecrae song from my brother’s speakers in his room, as he was finishing up his blog for his Momentous Mondays series. Full disclaimer though- I don’t really have a love for rap, just more of an appreciation for songs here and there; so when Jon listened to, and re-listened to, as well as pausing and re-listening to certain parts, and watching the music video of the song “Welcome to America”- well, boy I was hooked and captivated. Reaffirming my love for Lecrae as a rapper, and having me declaring that I believe in my opinion that Lecrae is one of the most impacting rappers of this generation; “Welcome To America” is a unique track, as it speaks about people’s opinions of America from 3 different perspectives. A war veteran, a low socioeconomic African American, and a potential migrant to America living overseas in probably an Asian country where they are making clothes to send over to America in sweat shops.

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Momentous Mondays: Influential artists of the next 5-10 years – Week 18: Little Mix

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Justin, living in Australia wanted to go on a holiday. He booked a holiday for June over the phone for Christchurch New Zealand, but also booked via the internet for Wellington just in case his credit card details weren’t written down word for word by the clerk on the other end of the phone. He then packed his suitcase full of woolly jumpers and jackets as he heard that the weather was cold, snowing and windy but also packed his trunks and swimmers just in case he wanted to swim in the Cook Strait, if the weather was up to it. He installed burglar alarms the month before leaving, just in case the 40 he already had were faulty and he had to buy some more. He also enlisted his friend to take care of the place for him, and bought a black Doberman to guard his house as well, just in case his friend was unreliable. He then packed his laptop as well his i-Pad just in case he wanted to use one more over the other. He also paid for Foxtel in his hotel rooms in New Zealand just in case he wanted to watch the England vs Australia Ashes series on TV. He disconnected his SIM card from his international mobile phone as he didn’t want people to disturb him, but also bought another phone with international roaming just in case he changed his mind. And finally, perturbed by the possibility of another Cyclone Larry, or another Bali Bombing that could occur in NZ, he decided to cancel the much-anticipated holiday, just in case.

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Momentous Mondays: Influential artists of the next 5-10 years – Week 17: Lauren Alaina

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I think my favorite artists are honest artists and as a songwriter, that’s what you have to do. You have to be willing to put yourself out there in a really vulnerable way. I really wrote the album accidentally [laughs]. I wrote it to make myself feel better and process what I was going through. When it was time to put the album together, it had kind of written itself because I had a collection of songs that told my story and kind of reintroduced me. Which I think is super important for someone like me, coming from a TV show — people don’t really get to know who you are as an artist on something like that because you’re doing cover songs. You’re showcasing your personality and things like that more than the artistry. It was six years ago, which is crazy for me to even say, but I wanted people to know where I’ve been and what’s changed about me. That’s the thing with the music business is, I’m on stage a lot and I’m in front of people, but they don’t know me unless I tell them who I am. It can be a really lonely business. [On Idol], we never talked about my dad’s alcoholism, we never talked about my eating disorder — I felt like my life was a big secret and I just couldn’t do that anymore. I needed to free myself from secrets, and this album [Road Less Travelled] helped me do that.

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Momentous Mondays: Influential artists of the next 5-10 years – Week 16: Demi Lovato

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Demetria Devonne Lovato, or Demi Lovato as she is known by her fans, friends and the general public. A future star in the 2000’s, she was thrust into the spotlight at a very young age. Fame at a very young age can make you or break you- it can destroy and warp a person’s psyche beyond belief and beyond reparation, and while we all may be laughing and just shrugging off the effects of fame and the pressure of always being watched as something that comes as part of the package of being a role model for young kids; let me tell you that the long lasting effects of not having much of a childhood can be closer than we all can imagine, fathom and comprehend. In 2018 Demi Lovato had an overdose on drugs. The type of drugs were irrelevant- the fact was that in July 2018 in the middle of her Tell Me You Love Me World tour, she was fighting for her life, broken beyond comprehension and stifled by what she later described as a toxic management relationship. I’m not sure if you know this about me, but I’m not the one to speak ill about anybody especially without any proof or tangible evidence, but when the evidence presented before me is Demi fighting for her life way back in 2018 and her revealing interview with Ashley Graham in 2020 about her plight; well then that gets very real and scary. Truth be told, I wasn’t really much of a Demi Lovato fan, but right now as of this moment, I am definitely a Lovatic. Not to the extent of camping outside of a concert line for hours and hours and hours- that’s crazy talk, however after investigation into Demi’s story and her songs and her passion for making the world a better place; I can definitely say that the world needs to sit up and take notice of this emotional and powerful singer.

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Momentous Mondays: Influential artists of the next 5-10 years – Week 15: Selena Gomez

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What do you reckon is our most basic want? If you strip everything away, the house, the fancy car and our hopes and dreams; what do you reckon is left at the end of it all? Disregarding each of our personal views, morals, faith, beliefs and probably divided opinions about almost every topic under the sun; I believe that there’s something that bands us all, that unites us all together. There’s something insides each one of us that is a common thread if you want to call it anything like that. I believe it is that innate want (or is it need?) inside each of us, our longing to be loved. Yes, I’m growing philosophical and existential in my old age of 30- who knew?- but more on a serious note, what I believe connects us all is our individual desires to be loved and accepted, no matter our flaws and our screw-ups. Finding somebody that can and does love us for who we are is very rare, and while most pop artists sing about having a good time, I reckon there is no other artist more vulnerable and baring her soul and emotions nowadays- no other artist who is singing about love and the loss of love that is so beautiful, emotional and personal- than former Disney star and current pop superstar Selena Gomez.

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Momentous Mondays: Influential artists of the next 5-10 years – Week 14: Anthem Lights

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Let me ask you all a question. I mean, I reckon it’s one of the most important questions ever asked. And it is this. That after the continued and sustained yet somewhat waning success of the Backstreet Boys as well as Westlife, the and the brief but nonetheless impactful tenures of One Direction, and NSYNC; is the boy-band genre done for good? Is there a supergroup or another up and coming pop band ready to wow us all like Backstreet Boys did in the past? I mean have you ever stopped to wonder about the future of what may be one of the most loved yet frustrating genres of all time? What is it you say? You really haven’t given it a second thought? Nah, neither have I! I think I may have stretched the truth back there, in the sense that boy bands aren’t really the main topic of one of the most important questions ever asked- not by a long shot. It was just a question I asked to grab all of your attention. But seriously, the question of who the mainstay boy-band groups like Backstreet Boys and Westlife will pass the baton onto, does indeed pop into my head from time to time.

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Momentous Mondays: Influential artists of the next 5-10 years – Week 13: Jordan Smith

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Do you think a song is just great because it is? Because of the original artist’s recording, maybe the song stands tall on its own. Or maybe a song is just good simply because of the number of covers that have been recorded of aforementioned track. And once we’ve figured out that the song it good, maybe even awesome, then should the song promote the message inside or the original artist, or shudder to think the cover artist? Perhaps the cover version is just as good or maybe even better than the original, and in that case- well the ‘newer’ artist is just simply lucky and blessed to have their stardom fast-tracked by covering such a well known and timeless sung. What about artists who cover several songs and then showcase their voice that way? Does any of you know what I’m subtly alluding to? Of course I’m speaking about singing competitions and how covers of famous songs gone by essentially can propel a literal nobody to global stardom. How do any of these guys thrust into the spotlight deal with the instant pressure? Well judging from the calibre of the small sample size that is only two studio albums and one Christmas album- up and coming powerful vocalist Jordan Smith has handled the pressure quite well. And no doubt he will be, if not already, influential in his own right, as he inspires and encourages us all to live life to the fullest, and to in turn provide light and hope to others who need it.

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Momentous Mondays: Influential artists of the next 5-10 years – Week 12: Marc Martel

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We’re an odd bunch, us humans. Searching for meaning, searching for purpose, searching for identity in a wide variety of places. We think we’re content even if subconsciously we realise that we aren’t, and we all have our own weird and wonderful habits that make us all unique to each other. But what I reckon is the most quirkiest of quirks of all in the human race- and one might want to disagree with me on this, but maybe you all won’t- and that is that we are all seemingly obsessed to find again, or at least try to recreate what is lost. Think about it for a moment. We don’t like change, we like to stay in the comfortable. And the best example of us trying to control every aspect of our lives is when death comes knocking at our door. Yes the proverbial and literal monster that comes like a thief in the night when no one is watching nor listening. One minute you’re here and the next poof you’re gone, and no one remembers you. So I guess I can understand why we as humans would like to be remembered after we’re gone, or even still try to live as long as we can without the deterioration of the human mind.

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Momentous Mondays: Influential artists of the next 5-10 years – Week 11: Echosmith

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Up until now in my section of this blog series called Momentous Mondays, I have, and this is probably unintentional; written about and explored the discography of artists that, though are still somewhat finding their feet and not as established as others whom Jon is writing about in his list; are nonetheless seasoned in terms of years. As in maybe aside from Alessia Cara (from my memory, Alessia released her debut before she turned 20!), the other 9 artists I’ve talked about thus far had to do the hard yards and toiled for quite some time before their big break. Not that I’ve had any reason to avoid artists who are young and thrust into the spotlight for whatever reason- I actually reckon that some artists who are in the spotlight from a young age are mature and are wise beyond their years; but I reckon generally speaking artists who have been around for a while yet who are just making their mark now, are maybe slightly more humble and more mature. Yet an artist who has popped up recently on my Spotify playlist who I reckon will be a force to be reckoned with is the up and coming band Echosmith– and they fit in the category of Alessia Cara- they’ve been around for 12 years and lead singer Sydney is only just 22 years old!

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