2012 AMAs: Top 5 Performances

The 40th Annual American Music Awards was held Sunday, November 18, 2012. While plenty of singers went home with that coveted trophy, what stuck out in my mind were my favorite performances. But, there were 5 that were outstanding in my mind. So let's count them down!

5. Ke$ha
With blonde, braided pig-tails Ke$ha belted out her new single “Die Young” with an amped up tribal performance.  The neon lasers and skeleton painted dancers banged on large drums while Ke$ha jumped around the stage in black knee-high boots. She looked and sounded much better than other performances…dare I say Miss Ke$ha is growing up? Maybe she is, but let’s not forget the crouch grab mid-song, still showing us that she will always be herself on stage.

4. Nicki Minaj
In all white Nicki Minaj, stepped on stage to a winter-themed stage.  Singing her new song “Freedom,” Nicki kept the performance rather low key.  Don’t get me wrong I love when Nicki goes all “Roman”(her alter ego) on us while on stage, but this simple yet elegant performance made me appreciate her as a singer and a rapper. Nothing classes up a performance like bringing a choir on stage, which is exactly what Nicki did.  If vulnerability is what Nicki was going for on stage, she nailed it.

3. Taylor Swift
Stepping out onto a Victorian styled stage, Taylor Swift looked classy in a long, all white dress.  Singing “I Knew You Were Trouble” which is rumored to be about former boyfriend, Jake Gyllenhaal, Taylor broke into an outstanding pop performance.  What looked to be a normal Swift performance was changed about midway through the song when two dancers ripped off the sweet white dress and revealed a black, red, and gold risqué dress.  The rest of the song was performed in this vixen-esque dress.  If Swift was trying to verify that she can sing and perform a solid pop performance, she was correct, this performance proved it. 

2. Kelly Clarkson
10 years is a long time for anything, but when you’re in the spotlight for that long it probably feels more like 50 years.  Clarkson came out stronger than ever with a girl-powered, pop performance medley of 3 of her biggest hits (Miss Independent, Since U Been Gone, and Stronger) and closed with her newest pop masterpiece “Catch My Breath.”  With a rock-star, chic look she belted out her hits flawlessly on a mock American Idol Stage, even donning her AI number 2311.  Two of the four songs featured direct reflections of her famous videos, a pillow fight from Since U Been Gone and the flash mob dance to Stronger, but all the songs showcased her phenomenal voice.  If fans of pop music think Kelly Clarkson is not relevant anymore to the pop world, than see this performance because it will proves she still deserves a spot in the top pop/rock vocalists of our time, and if I’m not mistaken at the end of the performance Brandy was shown and I’m pretty sure she characterized the performance as “Dope.”

1. P!nk
P!nk is a strong vocalist and puts out exceptional music, but something I don’t think she is appreciated for is her strength.  Her performance recreated the video for her new single “Try,” which is an acrobatic masterpiece; and if you aren’t sure that P!nk can do all the moves she did in the video, watch this performance.  While singing live, yes live, P!nk did an athletic and artistic live performance the breathtaking video.  The fact that she has the strength not only physically but also in her lungs and core to sing while performing this demanding routine live is amazing.  Her vocals were only shaky, maybe one time, and that’s really stretching to find a flaw.  The woman is an incomparable performer and singer and definitely deserves to be the top performance at the AMAs.

Bonus Performance: Psy with special guest, MC Hammer
The Korean song that took the world by storm, “Gangnam Style,” also took the AMA stage by storm when Psy closed down the show.  The “Gangnam Style” singer performed with the one and only MC Hammer.  The upbeat, fun performance closed the show in the best way possible, by dancing.  As the camera panned through the audience celebrities could be seen doing the famous dance.  

Each video can be found on YouTube, so go ahead and look them up. See if you agree with my top 5!

10 Years, 5 Albums, 1 Voice: A Decade of Clarkson

Powerful voice. Perfect smile.  She has a personality that pulled fans in from the very first time she stepped onto the American Idol stage, auditioned, then turned the tables and judged Randy Jackson’s vocal skills.  Girls wanted to be her.  Guys wanted to date her.  Little did Miss Clarkson know that in just a decade she would be the best selling artist to come out of American Idol.  Now with an arsenal of songs that include Breakaway, Stronger(What Doesn’t Kill You), and her most famous hit Since U Been Gone, she is a bonified pop star.

A self-proclaimed girl next door, Kelly Clarkson has made a name for herself as a powerhouse pop artist.  With soul in her voice and country in her heart, Kelly can sell any song she sings as if it was written with her vocal range in mind.  Hailing from Burleson, Texas, Kelly chose pop as her singing route because it gives her the opportunity to sing a variety of genres.  

The what-you-see-is-what-you-get Texas girl has only hit the tabloids for three reasons: her weight, her sexuality, and her rebellion against her record label.  Although Clarkson has fluctuated in weight since her jump into fame, the tabloids can’t get enough of it.  Kelly is not a model and stands firm in not wanting to look like one saying in an interview with The Huffington Post, “Sometimes I eat more; sometimes I play more.”  Weight shouldn't define a singer.  No matter how she looks, it's her voice that matters, and it's her voice that makes her famous.

 As far as Kelly’s relationship status she has been dating Brandon Blackstock, Reba McEntire’s step-son, for about nine months and has never been happier.  She has been called a lesbian on many occasions because she has a large gay following and has not had many boyfriends while in the spotlight.  Although she is for gay-rights she is not a lesbian but adds in a New York Times interview, “If I were gay, I’d probably have more luck.”  Now Kelly couldn’t be happier with her boyfriend and has taken to Twitter quite a few times praising how great Brandon is as her other half.

Outspoken, is not good when dealing with big-shot record executives, but that is just what Kelly was on several occasions.  The most famous battle she had was when her record label decided to release “Already Gone” as the third single from her fourth album “All I Ever Wanted.”  The music was given to her by Ryan Tedder, lead singer for OneRepublic, who failed to mention that he had also given the track to Beyonce for her single “Halo.”  Kelly has been quoted as saying, “No one’s gonna be sittin’ at home, thinking ‘Man, Ryan Tedder gave Beyoncé and Kelly the same track to write to.’ No, they’re just gonna be saying I ripped someone off…”  Although she tried to get the track pulled off the album she was unsuccessful, and was also unsuccessful when the label released it as a single.  

Through Kelly’s ups and downs her fans have been a constant.  She never fails to have huge crowds at her concerts and her records have always sold in great amounts.  Kelly Clarkson is a class act.  She is a true artist who doesn’t count on back-up dancers, flashy lights, and auto-tune to create fans.  Her concerts have little costume changes and feature her booming vocals, not a track played behind her while she dances around the stage with barely any clothes on.  

She lends her writing talent on many of her songs, but is very picky when it comes to choosing songs written by other writers.  In many interviews Kelly says she wants songs that are relatable and that have meaning.  She doesn’t like meaningless song lyrics and has said in an interview, “I think sometimes on the radio now like people just have some stupid lyrics out there. I’m just like did y’all just get drunk and go ‘what can we get away with’?”  Kelly sings the truth in her songs somehow finding a way to add music to her written word to producing heartfelt songs.  

Since January of 2012 Kelly has been on her Stronger Tour wowing fans with a new add-on to the tour, the “Fan Request” song.  For every show Kelly has done this year there has been a song that has been chosen by a member of that audience.  Through twitter, fans can submit which songs they want Kelly to sing.  The day of the concert Kelly and her band learn a new song, which makes every show unique.  She has covered everyone from Adele to TLC and P!nk to No Doubt.  And she took her entire fan base by surprise while in Detroit when she rapped, yes rapped (seriously, look it up on YouTube), “Lose Yourself” by Eminem.  

Clearly, Kelly likes every genre of music and isn’t afraid to go out of the box to make her fans happy.

In ten years Kelly Clarkson has not slowed down, producing a record every two years that simply amaze fans and critics alike.  Some “Kelly-Haters” may say, “Well ten years is a long time and she can’t possibly have more songs to write and more people’s lives to touch.”  I say, “Only ten years?!? That means we have at least ten more years of great music coming from her!”  But, no matter how much longer she records music one thing will never change and that is the fact that her five records will live on in music history forever.  Every year a new generation will find one of her albums and become a fan, while fans from the beginning with continue listening to her music anticipating what she will do next.

Not to sound too much like a fan but, “My Life Would Suck Without You” Kelly and so would all of your other fans’ lives. Here’s to ten years of Clarkson and many more to come!

Kellie Pickler, the Ultimate Cancer Buddy.

Kellie Pickler is best known for her upbeat personality, southern accent, and beautiful golden-blonde hair.  But recently Kellie made a drastic change to her physical appearance by shaving her head!  No, she didn’t pull a 2007 Britney Spears…Kellie made a stand against cancer when her best friend, Summer Holt Miller, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in June of 2012.  The “Tough” singer has proven her love by stating on the Ellen Degeneres Show, “It’s just hair!” 

Kellie has been affected by cancer before when her grandmother died from the disease the morning after she was diagnosed. Kellie has witnessed firsthand how consuming cancer can be and plans to be there for Summer.  Kellie is completely committed to their friendship and will help through chemo treatments side effects as well as moral support through this scary time in her life.  

Maybe if there were more people like Kellie Pickler in the world, acceptance and love would be more widespread than hate.  Hats off to Kellie Pickler for using her platform to educate others about selflessness, but more importantly let’s pray that Summer beats cancer. 

"The Talk" Goes Au Naturale

Five women sitting around chatting with no makeup on, sounds like something most women would love to do. Well, that’s exactly what the women on the daytime show “The Talk” did.  The premiere of the show’s third season was quite unexpected when the women walked onto the stage with white robes wrapped around them and absolutely no makeup on.

Each woman was very concerned about doing this kind of a show because everyone in the world would see what they naturally look like. Scary, right?  After a few short moments on camera each woman decided that it was very “freeing” to go without makeup.  The hosts of the show also extended their natural look to not only the guests on the show but also the audience.  The guests and audience were given white robes when they walked into the studio and were required to wear absolutely no makeup. Everyone in the studio for the show embraced this style to the fullest.  

Jamie Lee Curtis walked onto the stage with pure happiness in her eyes.  After all, she was featured in More Magazine with no makeup and a completely un-retouched photo. She even brought out makeup wipes and had the hosts wipe their faces to prove that no makeup was worn, and they all passed with flying colors.  Curtis is a true proponent of being comfortable in your own skin, she even chooses to not dye her silvery-gray hair because she says that God chooses what we look like.

Also stopping by “The Talk” were three Soap Stars, Michelle Stafford, Melody Thomas Scott, and Katherine Kelly Lang.  The three women said they don’t go out to the grocery store on the daily basis with makeup on.  When the stars go into their job they wear a lot of makeup, but that is who their characters are not who the person underneath is.  Seeing true Hollywood stars without makeup was a truly inspiring thing to watch. It showed the world that the woman under the makeup is just as beautiful as the woman with the makeup.

The message of the show, for me, is to love yourself for what you are and to not hide who you are.  The women of the talk showed the world what was underneath the lipstick, eyeliner, and foundation, and what they found was the respect of millions of women who are more comfortable in their own skin because of their “No Makeup Monday.”  Remember, you are beautiful. 

A Princeless Princess?!?

 Brave

(Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly)

Disney/Pixar’s newest blockbuster hit Brave has audiences falling in love everywhere.  The movie is much darker than other movies from the same company, and is the first to feature a female as the protagonist and hero.  

Princess Merida, voiced by Kelly Macdonald, became an expert archer at a very young age, much to her mother’s dismay.  Merida is spontaneous and is determined to use her arrow to find her own target and passion in life.  She wants no part in being the princess her mother taught her to be and after some serious conflict resulting in the loss of her bow she enlists a witch to help solve her problem with her mother.  

Merida’s adventurous and stubborn ways get not only her and her family into danger but also her entire kingdom.   But unlike other “princess” stories Merida is not opposed by an evil queen she is opposed by her straight laced traditional mother, Queen Elinor.  Elinor has worked hard to bring Merida up how a true princess should be raised, but Merida has other plans for her life.  She does not want her entire life to be defined by being betrothed to a man she does not love.  Instead, Merida decides to choose her own fate by simply splitting a man’s arrow in half.  Merida’s impetuous personality creates a curse that will change a mother/daughter relationship forever.

Queen Elinor is voiced by the talented Emma Thompson, but the twist comes when Elinor is magically turned into a bear and does not utter another word until the last few scenes of the movie.  The plot twist created in Brave added just enough softness to the movie before anarchy was inadvertently unleashed, turning Merida’s world upside down.

Evenly matched to Queen Elinor is her husband Fergus, voiced by Billy Connolly.  Fergus is the fun loving dad to Merida, a father who wants her daughter to be happy.   He is the one who gives Merida her first bow and arrow that is so dear to her.  Fergus acts like a big kid, so all he wants to see is his daughter being herself.  

Constantly keeping the royal family on their toes are the triplet brothers who are skilled in causing trouble and sneaking around the castle.  The nosey little boys must endure an adventure of their own when they eat the wrong thing at the wrong time and have a much different life for a bit.  The boys bring comedy to the movie without being overly obnoxious like younger siblings are almost always portrayed.  

The animation and scenery was beautifully done, as it always is in a Disney/Pixar movie.  The thriving Scottish land was in full bloom creating the perfect atmosphere for a headstrong princess to save her kingdom.  The music was perfectly chosen with uplifting titles such as “Touch the Sky” and “Into the Open Air” but by far the best song was “Learn Me Right” by British Folk Band Mumford & Sons.

The newest Disney Princess has flaming red hair and a bow and arrow, and get this she doesn’t want a man at this time in life.  Merida has enough spark and bravery to live her life the way she wants.  She has proven to her parents and the kingdom that love shouldn’t be forced.  They all learn that in time everyone can find their one true love on their own terms.

Brave is a must see adventure movie.  After you see the movie you should follow the wisps right back to the theater and see it again to truly take in the gorgeous scenery of Scotland and its breathtaking castles.  Brave isn’t about a love story, it’s about a mother/daughter relationship and the way they can be broken and repaired.  It’s about a girl’s destiny, not about the love she is forced into.  Brave shows that finding Prince Charming isn’t something that needs to happen right away instead it can be put on the back burner to find one’s own path in life first.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1217209/)