Mariah’s rise to fame

Mariah Carey has an estimated net worth of $510 million. The goddess of style and charismatic Mariah Carey is a renowned American singer, record producer, music video director and an actress.

Popular for her voice that spans over more than five octaves, Mariah also writes most of her own music. This high-octave songstress is one of the proud ‘pop-divas’ of 90’s, having sold more than 80 Million albums, and has so far sold around 160 million albums worldwide.

In terms of giving most number one hit singles in U.S, Carey passed Elvis Presley, and has became second to The Beatles.

Born in 1970, in Long Island, New York, Mariah Carey stunned her mother Patricia Carey, an opera singer and a voice coach by imitating her operatic singing at the age of two, and began taking singing lessons at the age of four.

Mariah who also worked as a coat check girl and waitress in Manhattan signed her first music contract with Columbia records at the age of 18, and her first album, Mariah Carey had four hit singles, including ‘Vision of Love’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Cry’.

Later, with other studios she went on to produce multiple super-hit albums and top singles, making her the third best-selling female artist of all times.

She reportedly signed a whopping $80 million contract with Virgin records in 2002, but ended up taking only $50 million as part of her severance agreement.

The artist is known for her lavish studio production techniques, and even has exclusive recording studios in her uber-luxury mansions.

Mariah has also been involved in multiple relationships; her first marriage was with Mottola, whom she divorced in 1998, and went on to date Luis Miguel, a Latin singer for three years.

After dating Luis, she then married actor-rapper Nick Cannon in a secret ceremony in Bahamas in 2008, and the couple is now expecting twins.

Nick even appeared in Mariah’s music video Bye Bye. Mariah also got a philanthropic side as well, she is an active fundraiser for The Fresh Air Fund, an organization that provide free summer holidays to more than 1.6 million underprivileged children of New York City since 1877.

http://laurenceourac.com/mariahs-rise-to-fame/

Levine in fame

Adam Noah Levine and his music band Maroon 5 are a very popular group of musicians, known all over the world for their fantastic music and song-writing abilities and most importantly for their ability to entertain the masses.

Adam is the front man and guitarist of the band, and currently he is also a Judge/coach on the American talent shown named The Voice.

Levine was born in Los Angeles, and when he was just 6 years old, he took the winning shot of a basketball game, with barely any time left on the clock. This event inspired him that he can be successful and do well in life.

Ever since, Adam Levine is a name that is on every music lover’s lips. Adam Levine’s net worth is estimated at about $21million and his annual salary is about $6million.

Most of his cool cash comes from the income of his band, Maroon 5. Since their debut in the year 2002, Maroon 5 has sold over 10 million albums in the United States alone.

Although, the band’s biggest hit so far is the single “Moves Like Jagger” featuring Christina Aguilera.

Adam is a registered democrat and mostly dressed in a plain t-shirt and jeans. Levine also stripped naked for testicular cancer awareness for a centerfold in the February 2011 issue of Cosmopolitan UK.

He stays in the Hollywood Hills in USA. Levine admitted dating Russian Sports Illustrated swimsuit and Victoria’s Secret model Anne Vyalitsyna.

Although, they dated for a year and a half the relationship did not stabilize. Adam had thereafter, dated many of the Victoria’s secret models, but none of his relationships have stabilized.

During his teen years, Levine was medically diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Adam’s favorite musicians are Prince and Stevie Wonder, whom he calls his Spiritual Leaders.

Adam Levine had written the songs of the album Songs About Jane in remembrance of his ex-girlfriend Jane.

The album went on to become a Platinum hit. In an interview, Levine admitted that even though the album was a success, Jane never contacted him thereafter.

http://laurenceourac.com/levine-in-fame/

One Deduction

After five years being a part of the crazy famous One Direction, Zayn Malik has decided to pursue other endeavor and quit the group to the disappointment of many.

In a statement posted on the group’s official Facebook page, Malik announced his departure from the group. “My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined,” he wrote. “But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. I’d like to apologize to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart.

The Facebook post also contained statements from One Direction and Simon Cowell, who put the group together in 2010 during their season on the UK show X-Factor. Malik’s former group plan to continue recording, with the remaining members promising fans a new album. “We’re really sad to see Zayn go, but we totally respect his decision and send him all our love for the future,” the group wrote. “The past five years have been beyond amazing, we’ve gone through so much together, so we will always be friends.” Cowell thanked Malik for his contributions to the group.

The news follows Malik’s recent exit from the band’s current world tour, where he cited “stress” as the reason for his leave. Last year, the singer had co-written songs with UK artist Naughty Boy, including “One Chance to Dance” which One Direction had planned to record.

Simon Cowell, who assembled the group when they each auditioned for X Factor as solo artists in 2010, added: “I would like to say thank you to Zayn for everything he has done for One Direction. “Since I first met Zayn, I have grown very, very fond – and immensely proud – of him.

“I have seen him grow in confidence and I am truly sorry to see him leave. Fans can rest assured Niall, Liam, Harry and Louis are hugely excited about the band’s future.”

During his tumultuous time in ID, Zayn’s biggest controversy came when he was filmed smoking what appeared to be cannabis with bandmate Louis. Zayn’s relationship with Perrie was rocked by cheating allegations in 2013, he proposed to the former X Factor star later that year.

 http://laurenceourac.com/one-deduction/

2015 and albums: a list to watch out for

Music had been an integral part of civilization dating through the Old Times. We have been all witnesses on how music had evolved from the mere tapping of stone to stone, the plucking of strings on a self-made wooden base to the morphing of sounds through innovations in technology.

Every person existing and had existed on this planet have their own choice of music to listen to as this had been a channel to express thoughts and character.

We all can conclude that the evolution of music is never-ending. Every year, we are all in the same trance as we hear the most popular song or band hitting the airwaves.

We always say to ourselves that this specific song is ‘the song of my life’ but take it back whenever a new song penetrated our interest. Simply said, we all have been victims of this cycle, one song after the next, and all we can do is to take in more as we move along.

The year 2015 had been kind to collaborations. New artists emerging from different parts of the world were now a widely-accepted trend in Hollywood and the music scene in general.

From Lorde to Rita Ora, Jessie J and Avicii, the music industry had been an open ground for literally all singers or artists with a talent to boast. Now, let’s take a quick peek on some of the albums being made and hopefully, be released this year. Take those pens and get ready for this unique mishmash list.

CORINNE BAILEY RAE – This British songwriter-singer had been missed. More or less 9 years had passed since we last submerged ourselves with “Like a Star” and the time is just so ripe for a new release. A ‘back to roots’ album had been on the works, no labels had spoken yet, but word has it that 8 songs are in. We can wait, right?

JUSTIN BIEBER – With all the controversies this talented young man had been in, Bieber decided to step back and get back to creating music again. Let’s face it, Bieber, no matter how mature he looked, will still be the teeny-bopper dude that we have come to love not just because of his appearance, but hey, this kid can sing! Same as Rae, no specifics are being released but Bieber minions must watch out for a hip-hop aesthetic and new songs that are confident’ in nature. Rumors have it that by the end of this year, a new album will be seen on music stands.

MACKLEMORE AND LEWIS – With their songs tackling about socio-political issues, this duo have been an indelible part of hip-hop especially when “Can’t Hold Us” bagged raves and awards. After lying low in 2014, it is said that Macklemore wanted to surprise followers with a new album rotating on upbeats and interestingly take on their genre. So far, it is with great excitement that they would surely not waste The Heist’s immediate success and is planning to release an interlude 3rd quarter this year.

BRUNO MARS – The ascent of the singer born Peter Gene Hernandez to superstardom was so swift and all-encompasing that Bruno Mars headlined the 2014 Super Bowl Halftime Show with only two albums on his belt. And he doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon—Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk with Mars strutting across the song’s 80’s groove doing his best Morris Day impression, is quickly shaping up the first inescapable pop smash of 2015. Details are scant so far on the third Mars album, although Ronson, who worked on three tracks on 2012’s Unorthodoz Jukebox, will likely be a part of it. And there’s no reason to believe that it won’t add up to his quickly growing roster of platinum plaques and chart-topping singles.

JAMES BLAKE – In November interview with the Miami New Times, Blake dropped hints about his forthcoming third album, saying it was 70 percent done and that he hoped to get Kanye West to contribute to the record, only making it harder to wait for its release.

Also set to be released this year are works of Jeremih, legendary Lil Wayne, Grammy-nominated artist Frank Ocean, well-known artists like Rihanna and Kid Cudi and so much more.

We are slaves of music and we know that we will forever be. For now, what we can do is to wait for our turn to crank up the volume and enjoy the geniuses that are behind the music industry on this current generation.

http://laurenceourac.com/2015-and-albums-a-list-to-watch-out-for/

The Jazzy Norah Jones

Norah Jones is a jazz vocalist and songwriter with a petite height of just 5’1”. Her actual birth name is Geetali Norah Jones Shankar and she was born on March 30th, 1979 in Brooklyn New York.

Her original birth name of Geetali, is of Indian origin meaning song or melodious. However, she legitimately changed her name at the age of 16, shortening it to Norah Jones.

Norah Jones initiated with her pleasant-sounding ability pretty prompt by being a member of church choirs and by taking piano classes during her childhood days.

Jones’ distinctive melody today consists of various genres comprising jazz, country, blues, and pop. Some of Jones’ inspirations are musical legends like Elvis Presley, Billie Holiday, and Hank Williams.

Knowing music was Jones’ constant craving, which prompted her to study in Booker T Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas.

She won multiple accomplishment awards including Best Student Music Awards for Best Jazz Vocalist and Best Original Composition. Jones went on to advance her learning, registering in University of North Texas and studied jazz piano.

In 1999, Jones stepped up to her next big escapade. She headed off to her roots, moved back to NYC and performed at various clubs for financial earnings.

She also played her part in the band called Wax Poetic which is a funk-fusion group. In 2001, Bruce Lundvall discovered this unrivaled talent when he first heard of her enigmatic voice at a café, and offered her a singing contract with Blue Note Records.

It wasn’t long after having an exclusive contract signed; Norah Jones soon became internationally acclaimed in the music industry. Her unveiling album, “Come Away With me ” grandly received five Grammy awards.

Her signature song “Don’t Know Why” captivated the hearts of music lovers worldwide. Norah has continued her musical career and collaborated with some top-named artists of the industry including Billy Joe of Green Day, Ray Charles and Bonnie Raitt.

Jones is now considered one of the great influences on up and coming musicians as well. Jones also had her own tried her own acting exposure in Kar Wai Wong’s film “My Blueberry Nights”, co-starring Jude Law and Natalie Portman.

http://laurenceourac.com/the-jazzy-norah-jones/

Music Diversified

Have you ever had the sentiment that you have gotten hold of the age where you can decently expose that you certainly know more about music than your younger equivalents? I may seem just an old sentimental fool for saying this, but I honestly feel that the fresher generation opts to listen to just anything now and conclude that it’s good music.

Today’s music scene is slowly evolving, wherein many songs no longer have any sense of instrumentality and lyricism. It even has to exaggeratedly travel back in time to snip a great compact of the past to try and merge it with the present, to make it sound kind of like the forthcoming. Poor old music is just struggling hard these days.

I hope that this strikingly intangible mortal we call music will one day revert itself back to fulfilment, and kindle the same passion it once had way back then.

I know that there is an immense rivalry out there these days, and plenty of good artists trying their toughest to make it in this melodiously frenzied mash-up of a realm we have.

I just wish there would be more of ingenuity, and spotlessness in music per se.

With all these being said, I don’t mean to point out that there are no current, or imminent bands that do not have any of these potentials, or talent that some of the greats and legends had, or still have.

I am purely conveying the fact that there is so much musical antagonism out there, that there may be not enough meticulous ears to listen to it all. Permanence in the music world is a tough edifice to break into.

A wide array of music flooding the airwaves, the web, and music stores; the chaotic type of music at this time and age becoming so prevalent that people living in this generation are becoming so adjusted with its flair.

What will be the succeeding ways of gaining entree to music, and which new pathway will we be directed to? It can either be better, or more unruly as we know it.

Either way, the world of music is incessantly shifting, providing us more and more variations, all fighting for a spot in an already hampered musical scene.

http://laurenceourac.com/music-diversified/

Karaoke: Sing Your Heart Out

Singing is cool but it’s also calming. The sort of song an individual sings reflects the mood and emotion.

He or she currently has. How many times have you been singing along to your favorite radio station especially during your solitary moments? How often do you go to Karaoke bars and how many songs can you actually sing in one night? Are you a karaoke singer?

I love it. It’s certainly one of my all-time favorite activities. There’s not a lot I like more than jamming with a good group of family and friends, and singing karaoke.

Even though singing is a talent I have, one of the best aspects of karaoke is that you don’t have to be a fantastic performer to join in. Karaoke isn’t about being vocally talented and it isn’t even about being able to sing in perfect tune. It’s about fun!

Karaoke obsession is far-reaching all the ends of the globe. So what is this karaoke anyway?

Karaoke is a Japanese word, which is made up of two other Japanese abbreviations, “Kara” from the word “karappo”, meaning empty and “Oke” from the word “okesutura”, meaning orchestra.

So the term Karaoke literally means empty orchestra. Karaoke players play the music of the songs, without the lead vocals. So empty orchestra means you get the music without the voices and we provide the voices.

Low-cost yet pleasurable entertainment is getting hard to find but the trend of karaoke is growing at a rate that’s more rapid than almost any other form of amusement.

If you don’t want to invest in a karaoke machine, you may want to consider karaoke software for your computer. Karaoke is a combination of your live vocal part with musical accompaniment and lyrics being highlighted across the screen. The karaoke machine mixes vocals with live singing through a microphone.

Karaoke is great fun with the kids and old alike, and can be the perfect entertainment for a party with friends. There is music for all age groups as well as equipment for every age.

It wasn’t that long ago that the only place you could enjoy some good karaoke was at a nightclub or karaoke bar. Not any more, now that it’s catching on with all age groups, via karaoke machine, PC software or even a smartphone application.

One can always do an update. What’s the buzz about the up-to-date karaoke player? What do you need to know to be “in the know” about this continuing craze?

The widespread trend of karaoke shows no sign of fading. If you haven’t tried it yet why not give karaoke a try and see what you are missing. Start singing karaoke now. Don’t let this revolution overpass you.

http://laurenceourac.com/karaoke-sing-your-heart-out/

Zedd-ificent

Electro-dance music is the hype among millennials nowadays. Wherever you go, you can hear this type of music being played on the best clubs worldwide.

One person who has made a huge impact on EDM is no other than Zedd. Born Anton Zaslavski, Zedd was raised in Kaiserslautern, Germany by two classically trained musicians.

He began playing the piano at the age of four and built up his knowledge of the Classical repertoire throughout his childhood, at times writing a song a day.

At age twelve, Anton learned to play the drums and, soon after, he began performing with the post-hardcore/metal trio Dioramic. As a preteen he was already composing and producing numerous rock songs in his band’s own studio.

As the years progressed, Anton’s awareness of other genres widened, and in 2009 his interest in producing electronic music was piqued after hearing the French electronic duo Justice. With his gift for musicality and background in composition, instrumentation and production, the move into the realm of electronic dance music was seamless.

The flurry of activity earned him a deal with Interscope, the record label to which Gaga is signed. As Zedd’s profile grows in tandem with his work on ARTPOP, he’s becoming yet another example of the ever-shifting role of the electronic musician due to the many hats he wears: DJ, performer, producer, songwriter.

In the meantime, though, it seems he’s not going to leave the booth anytime soon. He’s got 100 shows planned across five continents through the end of the year, and as the demand for electronic music concerts in America continues to grow—particularly in Las Vegas—he should have little trouble continuing his upward trajectory on the earnings front.

Seven-figure earnings are certainly a nice side effect—and they seem set to become a regular occurrence given the number of people who now know Zedd’s name.

http://laurenceourac.com/zedd-ificent/

Tame and Wild

If you talk about EDM or Electronic Dance Music, one name comes to mind— Calvin Harris. He is one of the most sought-after disk jockeys, music composer and writer of this generation.

He is known for his upbeat choice of songs and neon light kind of music. The almost-30 year old Calvin Harris (born Adam Richard Wiles) has spent half his life producing music resulting in fruitful career. From making bedroom beats in Dumfries, Scotland to breaking chart records, the man has been on a rampage to success.

Here are fun facts about him:

1. Before discovering his natural production chops as a young teen, he harbored dreams of playing football.
2. In today’s fashion, Calvin was discovered on MySpace by Tommie Sunshine, and input tunes out on Sunshine’s label Xylophone Jones Recordings, before he released anything with Sony BMG.
3. While working on his second album in 2008, Harris “lost” his laptop at London Heathrow Airport, which held the only copy of his still in-progress album. He later came clean with the info that he did lose his bags at the airport, but he lied about the laptop to buy some more time to work on the album, and that his sound engineer played a part in the scheme. We forgive you.
4. His productions have been used in television advertisements for DFS sofas, Kia Motors, a Coca-Cola, and a Pepsi Max campaign. We wonder which soda he prefers…
5. In 2011, Harris was scheduled to be an opening act/DJ for Katy Perry on the UK leg of her California Dreams Tour. Just before the gig he backed out due to production issues and problems with Perry’s management in an apology to her fans. Perry put Harris on blast via her Twitter feed, stating that the tour’s other support acts hadn’t expressed problems with their production arrangements, but Harris has since cleared the air about any bad blood and says he’s open to working with her in the future.

http://laurenceourac.com/tame-and-wild/ 

Drake’s Touch

The music industry has long been known as one of the most profitable area of the entertainment field. A lot of pop singers; if not all, have amassed a fortune just by performing to sold out concerts worldwide. One example of these artists is Drake.

When he was just 23, the rapper Drake set a goal for himself— He’d make $25 million by the time he was 25 years old by rapping about money, cars, girls, and here’s the bizarre part; his rawest feelings and emotions.

He achieved it! At 26, Drake is about to launch his most inspired album yet, has set a new goal for himself. Drake joined the cast of Degrassi: The Next Generation in 2001, when he was only 15 years old.

He played Jimmy Brooks, a basketball star who had to use a wheelchair after being shot. Drake was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1986 where he used to play hockey when he was a child.

Drake admitted back in 2010 that Minaj was his inspiration for “Un-Thinkable.” He told MTV in 2010 about his crush this way; “I’ve always really, actually, really had a crush on her, always really loved her, and she’s always just looked at me as, like, her little brother,” he said.

The rapper recently spoke with GQ magazine about the Rihanna relationship, and how he realized he never felt that he loved her. “I had lunch the other day with someone I extremely look up to.

I had lunch with Will Smith and listening to him talk, it made me think and realized that I don’t know what love is” he told GQ. He said something profound.

He said love is when you become one and you need that person. It’s not about wanting anymore, you need that person. Hearing that, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt that way.

http://laurenceourac.com/drakes-touch/

Unleash the Singer in You

In singing, it’s essential to be accurate about how you actually sound. Unless you have a meticulously proficient melodic ear, it will truly be somewhat a challenge for you to gauge your singing and how you voice it out.

Taking music lessons can actually help you cultivate a profounder ear for music. Whether you envision yourself sounding like a diva, rock star or an opera soprano, it’s still compulsory to find out how your listeners distinguish your voice. It takes inordinate determination and adept training to sound like a pro.

Listening to your own voice is the first step in determining improvements. Record your voice on your smartphone or computer to have an insight of how much you have enhanced or whether you just remained where you were.

You should have progressed audibly if you have been enrolled on online music trainings or have decided to undergo vocal lessons. Re-record your singing after a period of training a few months later for example, then you judge yourself if you have improved. Take note of the precise areas where the enhancement is evident as well as areas which need further exertion.

A basic requisite for converting your voice from being typical to remarkable is to consider practicing at a daily basis. Training the vocal chords habitually particularly in the morning is vital in sustaining and improving your voice.

Once you are competent enough to ripen a clear, resilient voice, it sets the platform for grander vocal sort, improved voice quality, much better breathing and developed vocal pitch and tone. 

Inappropriately, people have many unhelpful ways related to singing which could be concerns on breathing or pitch and putting too much stress and tension on your voice while singing.

You need to choose in advance whether you want to be a singer concentrating on a particular genre or if you want to be a versatile performer. Once you’ve decided on what you really want to attain, no one should be able to discontinue what you have started, in the name of singing and music.

http://laurenceourac.com/unleash-the-singer-in-you/

Karen Carpenter: The Fall of a Legend

Karen Carpenter’s velvety and calming voice enchanted millions during the 70’s, and she was part of the musical duo, The Carpenters. The Carpenters consisted of siblings Karen and Richard, and they were residents of New Haven, Connecticut.

Richard was born in 1946 and Karen in 1950. The Carpenters were one of the well sought after and highest selling American musical acts of all time. Richard and Karen Carpenter had 17 Top 20 hits, including songs such as Close to You, Rainy Days and Mondays, Yesterday Once More, and Goodbye to Love between 1970 and 1984.

They achieved 10 gold singles, 9 gold albums, 1 multi-platinum album and 3 Grammy awards. Karen’s silky voice and Richard’s lighthearted melodies and fastidiously created arrangements stood up dominantly against the louder, wilder rock music during their time.

Richard was the melodious lashing potency but it was Karen’s naturally graceful voice that made the Carpenters’ hits. Upheld from behind the drums to lead songster, she became one of the decade’s most instantaneously distinguishable female singers.

The Carpenters have had many prevalent singles over the years and still get played frequently on radio even now. They acquired quite a lot of awards during the early 1970’s including Best New Artist in 1970 and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1971, and were acclaimed for many more. Between 1971 and 1975 they had a total of 814 concerts and had numerous TV guesting.

But there was a heartbreaking inconsistency between her public and private characters. Away from the spotlight, she felt dreadfully detested by her mother, Agnes, who favorited Richard even more, and fought with low self-esteem, developing anorexia nervosa in the long run, from which she never recovered.

She passed away only a month before her 33rd birthday in 1983. She suffered from heart failure caused by chemical imbalances supplementary to anorexia nervosa. Karen’s death was conceivably the starting point of the media circulating the actual effects of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia as maladies, and not just psychological problems, and this spearheaded many other personalities such as Lady Diana to admitting they also had eating disarrays.

After Karen’s demise, through the years, Richard released new albums comprising some unreleased materials and quite a few compilation albums apart from several TV shows and documentaries.

http://laurenceourac.com/karen-carpenter-the-fall-of-a-legend/

Fetty Wap Talks “Trap Queen”

Rapper Fetty Wap took a fate by singing on his breakout hit “Trap Queen,” and it paid off. It has been the song of excellent for most of the summer in Paterson, N.J. The song’s rough draft had around 500,000 plays on SoundCloud.

It is now clocking in at just above two million. Based in New Jersey but affected by Gucci Mane and other Southern hip-hop acts, Fetty Wap first hit in 2015 when he rapped and sang his way through his hit single “Trap Queen.”

The people who shared the SoundCloud and YouTube links have sustained the song get play on local hip-hop stations like Hot 97, and the confident feedback has developed in Fetty gaining reserved for shows and passion from labels—as well as 300 Entertainment.

“Trap Queen” is presently one of the sizzling songs in the club scene across the country. The New Jersey rapper accountable for the trap tune, Fetty Wap, recently sat down with DJ Smallz to clarify the cause of the track and how it evolve into a big hit that it is now.

Fetty arranged the song on Soundcloud first as part of his “Up Next” EP. Offline, Fetty explained that he initially sold the mixtape in his hometown of Patterson, NJ. and after a few months, it begun to catch on.

Born and nurtured in Paterson, New Jersey, Fetty, frequently famous as Fetty Guwap, started his career along with Montana Bucks, Khaos, and P. Dice in the hip-hop group Remy Boyz.

Over the past few months, the 24-year-old went from being a somewhat obscure MC to scoring a smash single on the Billboard Hot 100 (No. 16 on this week’s chart), earning co-signs from stars like Rihanna and Kanye West, the latter of whom brought him out during a performance in New York City on Feb. 12.

http://laurenceourac.com/fetty-wap-talks-trap-queen/

Summer playlist

The sun is shining, and the beaches will soon be crowded, which can only mean one thing: Summer is underway. To celebrate the return of our favorite season, we’ve scoured the Billboard chart archives and updated this definitive list of the most popular songs about summer ever recorded.

Summer anthems are often defined by the sing-a-long factor. Aside from the manic laugh and shriek of the song’s title at the beginning, The Surfaris’ “Wipeout” is the exception to the rule, with almost 3 minutes of surf-guitar instrumental magic and one of the most memorable drum beats of all time.

With an unabashedly synthy beat and breathy vocals about a “warm, wet and wild” place and the women you find there, how could Katy Perry’s perfectly timed hit — with a smooth assist from Snoop Dogg, not have been the top song of summer 2010? In fact the song was so huge, it leapt from No. 18 when we first published this chart in May 2010 to No. 1 just one year later, beating out over 50 years of other hot summer songs.

Namechecking every popular surfing spot, The Beach Boys certainly did their research for summer jam “Surfin’ U.S.A.” They sang they’d be gone all summer, and hey, if they didn’t make it back before school starts, “tell the teacher we’re surfing.” The song, a reworking of the tune from Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen,” reached the top five of the Hot 100 in 1963.

Endless Summer Nights” finds Richard Marx waxing hopeful about a summer fling he wants to develop into more, despite his girl’s resistance. This ballad must’ve done the trick, because he later married the woman he was on vacation with when he was inspired to write the song. “Endless Summer Nights” reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts in 1988.

http://laurenceourac.com/summer-playlist/

The Gould-En Voice

Each one of us has his own favourite singers of all time. People are naturally appreciative of somebody’s talents. One prime example of a singer who exhibits great amount of confidence and charisma, it would be Ellie Goulding.

English singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding has taken the Billboard charts by storm with her hit single “Lights,” and since its release the single has gone double platinum. The 25-year-old multi-instrumentalist has been an indie darling for years, and now she’s officially broken into the mainstream.

Elena Jane Goulding was birn and brought up in Lyonshall, England. Her family is Jewish nd she has a brother and two sisters. When she was just 5-years-old her parents separated.

At the age of 9 Ellie took up the clarinet, and realizing how much she loved music she went on to pick up the guitar when she was 14-years-old and began song writing swiftly after as well as winning parts in school musicals like The Wizard of Oz.

Music critics in her home country were already calling Ellie a rising star to watch, and she even won a place in the BBC 2010 Sound Poll for emerging artists. In 2010 Ellie released the album Lights, which was later re-released as Bright Lights and began to tour the world in support of the album.

Her newest album Halcyon is set to be released October 8th 2012 and will feature the track “Explosions” and “Anything Could Happen.”

She told MTV: “I’ve moved on quite a bit since the first album, because I’ve discovered so much; I’ve learned a lot more and I’ve grown up a lot more. I’ve gained more influences and different influences and people have influenced it; I suppose just circumstances. It’s a bit more tribal and anthemic; a bit more piano and vocal than anything. The last album was very electronic, but it was tied in with my voice; this one, to me, is way more of a pop record.”

http://laurenceourac.com/the-gould-en-voice/

Kanye’s Rise To Fame

No matter what you think about Kanye West, there is no denying that he is one of the most famous and bankable stars in this generation.

It’s quite possible that, at this point in his career, Kanye is more infamous than anything else, due in large part to certain incidents involving George Bush and Taylor Swift. Some might think he is simply another celebrity with an enormous ego, making vacuous music to garner profit from the masses.

However, if we actually consider his music, especially of the past four years, Kanye is quite a complex figure; he is a person with real feelings and real struggles, who, even with all his fame and fortune, seems to be searching for something more in this life.

Beginning with his first album, The College Dropout, Kanye’s music has always been deeply personal, highlighted by songs like “Through the Wire” and “Family Business.”

His next two albums, Late Registration and Graduation, would follow in a similar manner, balancing the personal with typical rap braggadocio, always backed by fascinating beats.

This pattern is so irrevocably severed, lyrically and musically, by 808s & Heartbreak that it comes as a shock. It is with this album, an intensely personal reaction to a painful break-up, that Kanye begins to reflect on his fame and celebrity, and his vulnerability and honesty are surprising.

Kanye’s sensitivity seems to be a recurring theme, as “Runaway” and its chorus evidence: “Let’s have a toast for the douchebags/ Let’s have a toast for the assholes/ Let’s have a toast for the scumbags/ Every one of them that I know.”

Given the multiple times this is repeated and the many different names Kanye gives these people, there seems to be quite a few of them. In many ways, this album is a send-off to the haters, but the vitriolic language disguises something that hearkens back to 808s and that will come into focus on this year’s collaborative album with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne.

http://laurenceourac.com/kanyes-rise-to-fame/

Weird Al: Parody 101

“You slammed my face down on the barbecue grill
Now my scars are all healing, but my heart never will
You set my house on fire
You pulled out my chest hairs with an old pair of pliers

Oh, you think that I’m ugly and you say that I’m cheap
You shaved off my eyebrows while I was asleep
You drilled a hole in my head
Then you dumped me in a drainage ditch and left me for dead…”

Many of you must have heard of this attention-grabbing song which hilariously depicts martyrdom. This is one of the few musical ingenuities of Weird Al Yankovic. Alfred Matthew “Weird Al” Yankovic is an American singer, parodist, songwriter, record producer, and author.

He is known for his humorous songs and parodies highlighting his preferential instrument, the accordion. Weird Al is famous for using popular songs and altering the lyrics into something hilarious while keeping the original style and tune of the song.

Few of his parodies which I still remember up until now include Like a Surgeon, a parody of Madonna’s Like a Virgin, Amish Paradise which is a spoof of the famous rap song Gangsta’s Paradise, Party in the CIA, a parody of Miley Cyrus’ Party in the U.S.A., and of course, we all know his original hit song You Don’t Love Me Anymore. Up to the present time, parodies from this musical genius still unceasingly emerge which never fail to blow our minds away.

Weird Al has sold over 12 million albums and recorded more than 150 original songs and parodies, since he was first-aired in 1976. Since then Al began his phenomenal career, which has spanned twelve albums and numerous compilations.

He also did a great deal in advancing the cause of accordion-wielding enthusiasts. His works have gotten him four Grammy Awards and 11 other citations, six platinum records and four gold records in the US.

His latest album, Mandatory Fun which was launched 2014, became a number one album on its debut week and now on its run for the Mandatory Fun Tour in different states and countries.

In addition to doing parodies, he has also written two children’s books, wrote and starred in a film entitled UHF in 1989 and also starred in his self-titled spectacle in 1997, The Weird Al Show.

http://laurenceourac.com/weird-al-parody-101/

The Greatest Love For Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston was an American singer and actress whose first four albums, released during 1985 and 1992, and assembled overall sales in surplus of 86 million copies.

She is the eponymous debut album of American R&B and pop singer Whitney Houston, released February 14, 1985 on Arista Records. Born on August 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey, Whitney Houston approximately appeared coming from birth to develop into a singer.

Her mother Cissy Houston, cousin Dionne Warwick and godmother Aretha Franklin were all legendary and well-known characters in American gospel, soul and pop music.

She started singing at church, The New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, as a growing child and by the age of 15 was singing backing vocals professionally with her mother on Chaka Khan’s 1978 hit, ‘I’m Every Woman’.

Houston is the only musician to chart seven successive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits. She is the second artist trailing Elton John and the only woman to have two number-one Billboard 200 Album awards on the Billboard magazine annual charts.

Houston’s 1985 first album Whitney Houston turns into the top-selling album by a woman in history. She moved on to give backing vocals for Lou Rawls, Jermaine Jackson and her own mother and executed hastily as a figure, emerging on the case of ‘Seventeen’ magazine in 1981.

Houston’s self-titled debut album was set free in 1985. Whitney’s top selling song is “I Will Always Love You”, which is the top single of the album following the motion picture The Bodyguard.

It spent fourteen weeks at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and was declared 13 times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, designating deliveries of above thirteen million copies in the United States.

In respect of its 25th anniversary, the album was reproduced as Whitney Houston – The Deluxe Anniversary Edition on January 26, 2010, an extended with five additional tracks containing the a cappella version of “How Will I Know” and the intial 12-inch remixes, a brochure following the past history of the original album, along with a DVD of live accomplishments and discussions by Whitney Houston and Clive Davis.

http://laurenceourac.com/the-greatest-love-for-whitney-houston/

Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘I Really Like You’

“Call Me Maybe” singer Carly Rae Jepsen currently reappeared with her new single “I Really Like You”. Carly Rae Jepsen achieved a slight assistance from her friends Tom Hanks and Justin Bieber for her most recent music video, “I Really Like You.” It turns out that we really, really like it: “The good news is that the song is wonderful. The latest song ‘I Really Like You’ is intense, grotesque, catchy pop song that will cause you to want to Facebook follow that dejected guy from philosophy class, marry him and have babies with him until your future second husband comes along.”

Jepsen’s approaching studio album features teawrk with Dev Hynes, Tegan and Sara, Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij, Max Martin, and Ariel. It will be released this summer along Schoolboy Records/Interscope.

Watchers and spectators watch Hanks walk along the streets of New York lip-syncing Jepsen’s song, and at one speck watch a channel of girls swipe right on the actor’s Tinder profile as he swag past them. Bieber accompany the singing twosome at the wrap of the song for a band outdoor dance and sing-along.

It’s very natural pop, which is the style Carly feels more appropriate in after recording ‘Call Me Maybe’ and the genre her album Kiss was established on. This really could convey her ‘staying in the past’ but in all truth ‘I Really Like You’ is so obsessive I don’t care if she’s not displaying any development with it.

It’s a captivating pop song, the chorus is certainly brilliant, the video could go amplifying thanks to the presence of Tom Hanks and JB, and all in all, if Carly and her manager Scooter Braun play the cards right ‘I Really Like You’ could mean Carly’s return to the top spots of the charts.

http://laurenceourac.com/carly-rae-jepsens-i-really-like-you/

The Supremacy of Music

I’m a singer, a music lover, and I can’t live without it. But what is it about music that through time, it has been an immense part of humanity. Music plays a forceful role in our day-to-day life.

It is an expression of our state of mind and emotions. Music is a means to get away from the harshness of life, and somehow gives us relief in pain. Music is one of the many paramount creations of human kind. It helps us to calm down, and even excites us in the instance of joy.

Many people also believe that any music you react to, positively, will work for you, regardless of its genre and lyrics. Thus, even pop or rap music might work wonders.

Music is a powerful means of meditation and we all know that meditation washes off negative energies and vibrations that is why soothing and relaxing music is used during meditation sessions.

People are made to restfully lie down, clear-out their minds and then listen to the music which is thoroughly changed so that they can fit through different sensations and state of consciousness.

It also serves as an entertainment tool. On special occasions or events, music plays a vital role that makes the event to be lively and it sets the mood for the people as well as creates affable relationships.

Music is the most common interest of many people globally. People who love music, listen to it while working out, traveling, reading, and some even have easy music while dead set on their hectic routine.

It can transport us to another time or place, from oldies, to retro, up to the present genres that we have. Music has now become latched to our lives as it serves different purposes to all of us.

Music also serves as a source of income to a huge fraction of people in the entertainment industry. It is a profession of particular classes of people like singers, composers and lyricists, playback singers, musical directors, musicians, DJs and even standup comedians.

To sum up it all up, we live in a rapidly changing world and music is emerging as a powerful tool for empowering our lives. Now by simply playing music, you can start creating a more vigorous, positive, healthy, ardent and rewarding life, if you dance with it really well, metaphorically speaking.

http://laurenceourac.com/the-supremacy-of-music/

Brian McKnight: A Knight of Soulful Music

When it comes to soulful performances, incredible vocal belting range, strong falsetto and dynamics, I can only think of only one musician, Brian McKnight. With a string of platinum albums to his name and more Grammy Award nominations than any other artists but without a win, Brian McKnight indeed has proved his stature in the industry.

Brian McKnight was born in June 5, 1969 and is a critically acclaimed American R&B singer-songwriter, arranger, producer and musician. McKnight, a native of Buffalo, New York, grew up in a clan where music came naturally.

He was a member of the church choir along with his immediate family, and his grandfather was the director. With a gospel rearing, McKnight explored other fields of music. Still in his early teens, he exercised his writing ambitions by penning instrumentals.

He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays eight instruments including piano, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet. McKnight’s ceaseless effort has earned him 16 Grammy Awards nominations, though he has never won. He is tied with Snoop Dogg for the record of ‘most Grammy nominations without a win.

This wasn’t merely one of McKnight’s most productive phases from a musical standpoint. Over the years, he has collaborated with dozens of the top musicians of our time, among them Quincy Jones, Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Willie Nelson, Kenny G and Josh Groban, and even Filipino singers like Regine Velasquez and Kyla.

His most meaningful collaborations, however, are with family members. His greatest pleasure is working with his brother and his 2 sons. If possible, he would also include his 21 first cousins. One Last Cry, Back at One, Home and 6, 8, 12 are few of his chart topping hits.

During one of his tours before, he confesses, that music has provided him more fun than any of the past. One of his favorite moments is singing the National Anthem, something he has done at baseball games and all other shows.

By eyeing around at his audiences and studying their faces, he comprehends that the patriotic hymn has taken on new meaning. Because he dislikes living in a day and time that is becoming cynical, he wants people to learn how to fall in love again and learn that life can be much better.

http://laurenceourac.com/brian-mcknight-a-knight-of-soulful-music/

Life after love

Cher’s career has lasted over forty years, first as a singer, then as a TV comedian and, later, as a mature and talented actress.

The young Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPierre was dragged out of her job as a studio back-up singer by crooner and music promoter Sonny Bono when she was just seventeen.

Failing to impact as double act Caesar and Cleo, the tall, deadpan girl and the diminutive Bono gained huge popularity as Sonny & Cher, though each continued to occasionally record on their own. They ended up marrying in 1964.

Musically, the husband-wife team grew ever more popular with hits such as ‘I Got You Babe’ and ‘The Beat Goes On’, but changing musical tastes at the turn of the decade and financing flop films led to the couple becoming seriously in debt.

The humiliation of the Lounge circuit finally evolved into Las Vegas appearances. Their onstage banter and lavish Bob Mackie costumes formed the basis of their TV show – the couple started to work on comedy sketches and ‘The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour’ debuted in 1971. It was a hit and ran for three years on US networks.

By 1974, Sonny and Cher split, both professionally and romantically. Cher returned to music and recorded a series of commercially successful pop albums. Sonny eased himself out of showbiz and into politics. Cher on the other hand remarried briefly, in 1975, to Greg Allman.

However, film was Cher’s passion of the 1980s and she worked hard on small parts, eventually winning Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards for her performance in ‘Silkwood’. Buoyed by her success, Cher was offered starring roles in ‘Mask’, ‘Suspect’ and ‘The Witches of Eastwick’.

In 1988 she won the Academy Award’s Best Actress gong for her role in ‘Moonstruck’. At the same time, her ‘Heart of Stone’ album produced a sizeable hit ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’ and a memorably risqué outfit for the video.

http://laurenceourac.com/life-after-love/

Electro Dance Music

A lot of people consider music as an escape to reality. Every time we hear something upbeat, sentimental, or even instrumental can evoke a lot of emotions from different types of people.

Electronic dance music (sometimes referred to as EDM, or in the UK simply as dance music) is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered in dance-based entertainment.

The music is largely created for use by disc jockeys and is produced with the intention of it being heard in the context of a continuous DJ set; wherein the DJ progresses from one record to the next via a synchronized segue or “mix”.

In the 1980s, many genres of popular electronic music, including EDM, were constructed by means of electronic instruments such as synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers, and these genres generally emphasized the unique sounds of those instruments, even when mimicking traditional acoustic instrumentation.

Currently the music is now mostly made using software that contains sequencing, sampling, synthesizers, effects, and multitrack recording features.

The ability to produce and create has become much easier economically and physically since producers no longer need to buy large amounts of equipment.

It sometimes encompasses music not primarily meant for dancing, but derived from the dance-oriented styles.

Several EDM-centric American music festivals are held periodically, including the touring Electric Daisy Carnival the Ultra Music Festival in Florida (1999–present), and the Electric Forest Festival in Michigan (2008–present).

Other festivals, including Lollapalooza and Coachella have increased the number of EDM acts represented. Rawley Bornstein, an MTV music and talent programmer, described EDM as “the new rock and roll, as has Lollapalooza organizer Perry Ferrell. Ray Waddell, touring editor at Billboard magazine, noted that festival promoters have done an excellent job at branding.

http://laurenceourac.com/electro-dance-music/

Time Of Our Lives Pitbull & Ne-Yo

Pitbull reunites with Ne-Yo once again for their teamwork on Mr. Worldwide’s hit, “Time Of Our Lives.” It is a song taped by American rapper Pitbull and American R&B singer Ne-Yo for the previous eighth studio album Globalization.

The famous twosome skyrocket into the Hot 100’s top 40 (46-33), as the partnership ascend 35-20 on Digital Songs with a 4 percent winnings to 76,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen Music.

Pitbull and Ne-Yo have got your back. at least in song. Before the release of Mr. World wide’s recent album Globalization, yesterday, he collaborated once again with his “Give Me Everything” collegue Ne-Yo for a new single “Time Our Lives.”

It was released on November 17, 2014 as the fifth single from the album by RCA Records. Created by Dr. Luke, Cirkut, Michael “Freakin” Everett and Lifted, the song spots the second collaboration by Pitbull and Ne-Yo, following “Give Me Everything” (2011).

Meanwhile, the song’s video, released on Christmas Day, bounds by 147 percent to 2.1 million U.S. streams. Increasing to Pitbull’s profile along with the tracking week: his two-hour Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution special, which opened on Fox on New Year’s Eve.

The song highlights financial stupidity and giving what insufficient rent cash you don’t have on a night at the club. Because even though you’re bankrupt, that doesn’t mean you can’t have the “time of your life.”

The music video was first released onto Pitbull’s official VEVO channel on December 25, 2014. It was conducted by Gil Green. On January 20, 2015 a behind the scenes video was also released on the channel.

The video has earned over 28 million view. The video displays Pitbull and Ne-Yo saving up their extra cash to save up for a New Year’s Eve Party on 1999.

http://laurenceourac.com/time-of-our-lives-pitbull-ne-yo/