Nico & Vinz: International Stars

I always love it when I discover that an artist I'm hearing in America is actually from a different part of the world. Accents are usually hard to decipher in music, so it's often a surprise when you find out that a singer, who sounds so American, is actually from the other side of the world. This was my feeling when I read up about the Norwegian duo Nico & Vinz.


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Am I wrong when I say these guys are awesome? Sorry for the bad attempt at humor, but "Am I Wrong" is probably one of my favorite songs of all time. It's catchy to sing along with, rhythmic to dance with, and somehow the lyrics make it seem meaningful in a way. "Am I wrong for thinking out the box from where I stay? / Am I wrong for saying that I choose another way? / I ain't tryna do what everybody else doing / Just cause everybody doing what they all do / If one thing I know, I'll fall but I'll grow / I'm walking down this road of mine, this road that I call home". This song seems to be a call for independence, for doing things in your own way and not simply following the crowd. I like that message.

After replaying "Am I Wrong" so many times that I practically know it backwards, I did some more looking for other songs the duo have written and sung. I found a beautiful piece they'd done, called "Find A Way", featuring Emmanuel Jal. It was written to go with a new Reese Witherspoon movie, "The Good Lie". After listening to the song I watched the trailer for the movie, and let's just say that I definitely would like to see it!

But back to the song. "Find A Way" is a song filled with hope, and though some people may find it a little cheesy, I love the song and its message. The melody and instrumentation is beautiful as well. The song has a calming quality to it, so listening to it is both relaxing and uplifting. I definitely recommend it!

I'm very excited about this duo, and I can't wait to see what else they come out with. To conclude this post, here's a clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live! of the two performing one of the best songs I know, "Am I Wrong"; enjoy!

Iggy Azalea: A Feminist Icon?

Ever since she crashed onto the worldwide music stage with her hit single "Fancy", Iggy Azalea has been taking the music world by storm. She shines in Ariana Grande's "Problem" (see my post about Ariana Grande herself as well), and I simply can't get the catchy "Black Widow", featuring the fabulous Rita Ora, out of my head.

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Female rappers have been rising in popularity over the last few years, with one of the most famous coming to mind: Nicki Minaj. I really like seeing women succeed in a field that has generally been dominated by men. Though many people dislike rap, and some may even not consider it "music" or an "art", I personally believe that it takes quite a bit of skill to rap well.

Iggy Azalea has definitely got that skill. She has a genuine style to her rap that is very pleasing to listen to. She has a solid grasp on rhythms, and is constantly changing the pace at which she is rapping throughout each song. I often like to rap along with her whenever her one of her songs comes on the radio in the car, and I know from experience how difficult it is to change up rhythms mid-rap; and sound good doing it!

Mainly I admire Iggy Azalea for the very fact that she is breaking boundaries (hence the title of this post). She's boldly executing a music style that has been dominated by men, and is proving that women are perfectly capable of doing what the men do. Yes, it is rapping, and I'm sure many people would think "That music style is bad anyway, so who cares if it's men or women doing it? No one should be doing it!". I understand; people have different tastes. But regardless of the style of the music itself, it's the principle of the fact that women are able to do it also, and are doing it well and becoming very popular while doing it. There is nothing wrong with women singing love-struck ballads or poppy dance tunes; trust me, I love those too! But it's great to see women like Iggy Azalea and Nicki Minaj pave the way for women to have more possibilities with music - and, eventually, in all aspects of life as well.

So keep on rapping, Miss Iggy; we love you for it!

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Ariana Grande: There's No Problem with Her!

It's very rare for anyone in the entertainment industry to successfully transition from one field to another. We've seen many try, and many fail to do so. Yet every once in a while we see a highly successful transition, and it always make us take note of just how talented that particular artist is. A prime example of this is the fabulously talented Ariana Grande.


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I never really watched the show Victorious, but I'm sure that for people who did, Ariana Grande will forever be associated with her character Cat Valentine. She even played the same role in the spin-off series, Sam & Cat.

For me, however, I will always remember my discovery of Grande as being the first time I heard her belting "Head in the clouds / Got no weight on my shoulders!". I was immediately impressed by her ability to flawlessly hit the high notes and bought the song right after hearing it. It's true: I like her voice. She's got talent! She has successfully transitioned from acting to singing, and at this point there's no looking back for her.

My obsession with "Problem" was just calming down when I heard "Break Free", and my interest was rekindled. I like Grande's poppy style, that's so easy to dance and sing along to. Her songs have a power to them that I enjoy. She's free and strong and independent, and that's great to hear. I'm officially a fan, and I can't wait to see (and hear!) the exciting things that will come from this amazing artist in the future!


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