Recent Controversy!

          Hello people! I have read some very controversial things in the media recently and feel as though I should shed some light on a few of them.  In browsing, I ran across Lady Gaga.  She recently had a show in London, as a part of her current tour, in which she decided to pay homage to a couple of artist that had passed.  The first one, thus making this controversial, was her tribute to the late Princess Diana.  She said in the article that if she had ever gotten a chance to perform in London, that she would perform a dedication song in remembrance of Princess Diana.  According to WENN Entertainment News Wire Service, Lady Gaga said, “Since I was a very young girl, the people’s Princess was the most important person in me and my mother’s life.  I swore if I ever had an audience like this in London I would take a moment to appreciate her.  This song is called Princess Di-D-I-E..Let’s take a moment to appreciate her presence and what she means.”  She then later goes on to tribute the late Amy Winehouse, who passed away in 2011.  Personally, I can’t pay a tribute while using a “pun” or play on words.  Yes, Princess Diana passed away in 1997, but I can’t believe Gaga, tribute or not, would use such a connotation.

            Another item of controversy will be the release of Sinner’s Creed, an upcoming memoir told from the eyes of the lead singer from the band, Creed.  Apparently, this is to be a “tell-all” book which is set to be published later this fall.  The controversy arises from the amount of information being released to the public.  PR Newswire states “’The book describes my childhood, my internal battle with drugs and depression and how I lost control of my life,’ says Scott Stapp”.  This book is to unleash unpublished accounts of his battles and how he became sober.  It is this reason why he refuses one-on-one interviews.  I think this book is controversial but I am also anticipating its release.  I do think it can be a coping method and also an insight into how this industry can impact other aspiring artists.  This book is set to be released this Tuesday, October 2, 2012 via Tyndale Publishing.  Visit http://www.sinnerscreed.com if looking to purchase either the hard copy or e-book version.

            The last controversial subject is that of what celebrities do to gain attention.  “They often deliberately initiate a controversy to boost their popularity.  It is also a fairly standard issue for any upcoming movie to be trapped in a controversy” (Mens XP).  Celebrities often do “feel good” campaigns where they contribute to humanity, or also envelop themselves into Social Media.  It is now the most popular means of free publicity, but also an effective way to get close to fans.  As the title of this article states,  I don’t truly believe it is all a “gimmick” but I do sense many artists doing things just because it may bring attention to them.  They just so happen to be conveniently timed around a release, launch or celeb party. 

Lady Gaga Debuts Princess Diana Track at U.K. Show. (LexisNexis Academic). WENN Entertainment News Wire Service.  9 September 2012.  Retrieved on September 30, 2012.

Publicity Gimmicks You Must Know.  Mens XP.  13 September 2012.  Retrieved on 30 September 2012.

Scott Stapp Announces Uncensored Tell-All Book; Lead Singer of Creed to Introduce Sinner’s Creed Memoir This Fall. (LexisNexisAcademic). PR Newswire.  13 August 2012.  Retrieved on September 30, 2012.

"...This Love is on FIRE!"- Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys is one of the artists that I have in my Personal Learning Network, or PLN, and I am learning so much from various different perspectives.  There is the artist standpoint, the managerial view, the entertainer view, the listener view, and that of the critic.  Keys has just recently been focusing a lot of her energies into social networking, which to me, is working to her advantage.  She posts quite frequently to her Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook pages.

I read excerpts taken from an interview with Alicia Keys published in VIBE magazine back in April of this year.  It’s amazing to see the growth from her as an artist, person, and woman.  She truly embodies an ideal representation of how we should be.  We should be free: free to make mistakes, free to be real, and, in her words, “I’ve been brave enough to be uncomfortable.” (VIBE Magazine).  This is profound.  To me, brave enough to be uncomfortable means when conditions don’t seem ideal, I am ready to enter the trenches regardless.  It means I am ready to look stupid if it is what makes me happy. 

In this article, Alicia speaks on her relationship with mega-producer Swizz Beatz and the story of how they met/evolved.  Apparently, there were some signs that they were meant to be together, including a credit card mixup.  Swizz ended up with her credit card in his back pocket.  She believed it to not be somewhat of a coincidence that it ended up there.   Regardless, it’s her story, and she is at the point in her life where she is truly “comfortable in her own skin” (VIBE magazine).

Alicia Keys has become “one of the best-selling recording artists of all time.  She’s released five albums, won 14 Grammys and sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.” (VIBE)  She has broken boundaries and extended her individuality.  She has a unique sound where everyone can tell it is Alicia.  She is distinct and she will always be easy to remember.  With talent and hard work, Alicia shows they truly pay off.  This is motivating!

Article: http://gossiponthis.com/2012/04/06/alicia-keys-covers-vibe-magazine-talks-with-swizz-beatz-about-how-they-became-soul-mates/

Photo: Vibe.com

Rapradar.com is on the Radar!

Music blogs and websites have to grab my attention.  They have to be informative and provide information not only first, but also provide news other sources may not even possess.  I chose to review one of the top music blogs, www.rapradar.com.  Immediately I noticed it was very interactive.  The first thing I look for in a website is how interactive it is.  There are updates in the music’s rap and hip-hop scene that are regularly posted to this site.  Videos are embedded on the page.  There are also links that route you to RSS feeds, Twitter, and Facebook Pages.  On the right side, there are links to over 80 other blogs, some are well-known, others not-so-much.  These are blogs to magazines, businesses, musicians, companies, gossip, etc.  It provides you with a little of everything to choose from.  Some days we may feel like wanting to know what’s happening on a personal level with a celebrity.  Other times we may want to know when he/she is putting out new music.  Then there are times when we want to know the ratings of an album before we by it from iTunes, or when the new music video will air.  This is just a site that is not only informative, but interactive, reliable, and current.

What I enjoyed most was the music.  I’m a musician at heart, so when going to this site, seeing the new music that was posted was wonderful.  I never want to feel like I have to search through several websites to find what I want.  The website covers who collaborates with who and who discontinued working with who.  Ultimately, I am looking to be informed and educated.  On the flipside, it did appear a little too dark, as if rap music is depressing.  The main background color of the site is black, as with all the postings.  I would have liked to see a bit more color to enhance my mood.  Too much black makes me become uninterested in the content regardless of how pertinent the information may be to my music search.  But all in all, it was a good read!