A girl whose hopes and dreams could adorn the sky...
Communications and English Literature student. Proud Gryffindor. Lives for love, laughter, and music. Believer of happenstance. Looking for that magic rainbow.
"I'd rather have a life of oh wells than a life of what ifs."
"Follow your passion, follow your heart, and the things you need will come." - Elizabeth Taylor
Phillip Phillips possesses many of the qualities that American Idol fans find irresistible: laid-back vibe, boy-next-door charm, all-American good looks, and intimate performance style. He may not be a vocal powerhouse like his fellow contenders Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine (who dazzled this week with their respective performances of “Rolling in the Deep” and “Son of a Preacher Man”, and “Born This Way” and “Heard It Through the Grapevine”), but as the last few Idol champions can attest to, that’s not the sole requirement for being successful in this competition! His re-imagining of Usher’s “U Got It Bad” from an R&B hit to an acoustic jazzy number was original, cool, and oh so clever. As I was watching this performance, I couldn’t help but think of Kris Allen’s stripped-down rendition of Kanye West’s “Heartless” - a manoveur which cemented his win in Season 8. Could Phillip’s smooth move also led to his own victory? Time will tell!
The judges ruined what would have been an incredible show of current (as in the last three years current) songs with their heavy criticism of Hollie Cavanagh. Hollie, with her beautiful, crystal clear tone and powerful, pitch perfect vocals, finally picked a song that she could emotionally connect with - a stripped-down version of “Perfect” by P!nk. Despite delivering her best performance yet and showing her star potential, she was treated to purposeless comments like “that was not perfect” and “but you looked pretty tonight”, instead of receiving the accolades she so deserved. Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler have been on her case for weeks, and honestly, seeing them continue to fail to acknowledge Hollie’s great work is detracting from my enjoyment of this season.
I really hope that Hollie will take the underdog route (a la Haley Reinhart from Season 10) and stay afloat this week. Her incredible voice, sweet demeanour, and strong spirit deserves a place in this competition!
It’s the oldest story in the world. One day, you’re seventeen and planning for ‘some day’, and then quietly and without you ever really noticing, ‘some day’ is today. And then ‘some day’ is yesterday. And this is your life.
In English 10, we were asked to read our favourite poem or song to the rest of the class. One of my classmates recited the lyrics to a song called “I Don’t Want To Be” by a singer named Gavin DeGraw. It was the theme song of a show she liked called One Tree Hill. As a teenager who was struggling to figure out who I was amidst the pressures of people telling me who I was supposed to be, the song’s message of finding the courage to just be you resonated with me. Out of curiosity, I decided to check out One Tree Hill and see what it was all about, and from that day forward, I was hooked. I had found treasure in a show with heart and soul. For nine seasons, I grew up, learned life lessons, graduated, and evolved with the inhabitants of Tree Hill, namely the main characters of Lucas, Nathan, Peyton, Brooke, and Haley. Each episode drove home the point that every single person matters on this Earth.
Human beings are ambitious. We spend so much time wanting, pursuing, wishing. For the most part, that’s okay. Ambition is good. Chasing things with integrity is good. Dreaming. As long as the chase doesn’t diminish what we already have. The goodness we take for granted, the people we take for granted, the lives we take for granted. My life… is good.
This week, we said goodbye to Tree Hill after nine years (and many time jumps) later. The series finale was an emotional tribute to the many special moments throughout the course of the seasons. Fans got to see Tree Hill High School, the River Court, Karen’s Cafe - the places were memories were made - for the very last time. Gavin DeGraw made a special appearance at Tric’s tenth anniversary concert, where he sang “I Don’t Want To Be” as the Tree Hill gang sang and danced along. Fast forward five years as the group cheered for the Tree Hill Ravens one last time, and Nathan, Haley, and Brooke looked back at their younger selves to reflect on how much has changed since their high school days. Through it all, one thing has always remained constant - that Tree Hill is home.
If you had a friend you knew you’d never see again, what would you say? If you could do one last thing for someone you love, what would it be? Say it, do it, don’t wait. Nothing lasts forever.
Thank you to James Lafferty, Bethany Joy Lenz, Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, and Chad Michael Murray for bringing these incredible, relatable characters to life. I am so happy that they have all achieved their happy endings with their families and friends. Thank you to Gavin DeGraw, Tyler Hilton, Bryan Greenberg, Kate Voegele, Jimmy Eat World, and all of the artists featured on One Tree Hill for sharing your music and being the soundtrack of my last two years of high school and beyond. Thank you for the storylines, voice-overs, and words of wisdom that challenged me to think about love, loss, and life. Make a wish, and place it in your heart. Anything you want, everything you want. Do you have it? Good. Now believe it can come true. You never know where the next miracle is going to come from. The next memory, the next smile, the next wish-come-true. But if you believe that it’s right around the corner, if you open your heart and mind to the possibility of it, to the certainty of it. You just might get the thing you wished for. The world is full of magic. You just have to believe it.
Make your wish. Do you have it? Good. Now believe in it with all your heart.
As I always say, those who fly slightly under the radar are the ones you have to watch out for…
On an uninspired American Idol Top 8 performance night filled with lackluster tracks from the 1980s (song choice really is everything, people), it was Skylar Laine who soared to new heights in the competition with her stunning rendition of “Wind Beneath My Wings”. The spirited Skylar showcased her strengths of versatility and storytelling, proving that she is more than just a spunky country singer.
Looks like we’ll be seeing Ms. Laine’s debut at the Grand Ole Opry in no time!
Riding on the waves of the current pop culture craze by incorporating a popular fad from years past, The Online Musical has put two and two together to create the latest YouTube sensation - TheBeanie Baby Hunger Games! This creative, witty, and oh-so-cute parody of the smash action/adventure hit retells the story of the first book/film by using TY Beanie Babies to represent the memorable characters of the series. I thought it was a particularly clever choice to have Rocket the Blue Jay act as Katniss Everdeen, the Mockingjay.
Suzanne Collins’s gripping series of a dystopian society whose government marches their children off to fight to the death has hit the big screen. The adaptation captures the essence of Panem and its districts, the control of the Capitol, and the brutality of the arena - all while foreshadowing how the game of survival eventually ripples into the start of a rebellion. Riveting and real, the film retains the book’s intensity and sensitivity through naturalistic execution, from the swift camera movements to the stellar sound editing. Jennifer Lawrence leads the cast of exceptional actors. Her portrayal of the bold and brave Katniss Everdeen sets a new standard for empowered female characters.
Caution: The Hunger Games is sure to be a hot ticket at the theatres this month. Run, don’t walk, to the nearest showing, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
The year is now 1966, and it is clear from the episode’s opening that the atmosphere of this season is going to be one of pivotal and swingin’ change as the show enters the height of the civil rights era. Don and his former secretary, Megan are newlyweds, and it is clear that their generational differences are going to come to hard clashes throughout their marriage (‘Zou Bisou Bisou’ is just the tip of the iceberg). Pete and Peggy both continue to fight for respect at SCDP, and new mother Joan is anxious to return back to her role of the office’s Queen Bee. Due to the repercussions of a prank ad against their competitors, the advertising agency may even see some diversity in the form of African-American employees among their staff.
The times, they are a-changing.
Watch the styles, the intrigue, the ambitions, and the scandals of Mad Men on Sundays at 7pm on AMC.
This week, the Top 9 of American IdolSeason 11 paid tribute to their own idols. Since they were singing the songs that inspired them to pursue music, the contestants all gave what Steven Tyler termed as “a Magical Mystery Tour of talent and emotion.”
Once again, my favourite performer of the night was Elise Testone. (I swear, I’m not deliberately scheming to push my favourite contestant upon all of you, but I have to give mad props when mad props are due!) The bluesy singer unleashed her 70s rocker side by belting out Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”, which was first covered on Season 8 by glam rocker Adam Lambert. It was groovy, electrifying, and honestly the coolest thing I’ve seen on the Idol stage since Haley Reinhart’s “What Is And What Should Never Be” (also by Led Zeppelin) during Top 3 week last year. I just love how Elise is continuing to show us just how eclectic her musical tastes by performing these gutsy, dynamic songs every week. When you can harmonize with Stevie Nicks, sound like Janis Joplin, AND deliver a performance that would make Robert Plant proud, you know you’ve got it.
