News — new music

You know what my favorite thing to do while working from home is? Blasting reality TV in the background. When I am not blogging, I need constant background noise. What better way to fulfill that need than to have adults looking for love, screaming at each other? 

As a surprise to no one, because I am tragically single, I love the show “Are you the One.” This show is pure chaos. Let me give you a brief synopsis, so juicy, that you will want to immediately leave here and go binge it yourself. Don’t worry, Seasons 1 and 2 are on Netflix at your disposal. In short, the show is SUPPOSED to be about finding your soulmate. Based on a single survey. Like are you kidding? If that’s the case, I can find my soulmate from my sandwich order at Which Wich. C’mon now. Anyways, like I said, the whole point is to find love, right? Well then why do they offer you A MILLION DOLLARS if you all pair correctly? Motive of the whole show changes, f love, I want money. It becomes chaotic when most people realize, they in fact LOVE WHO THEY LOVE, and don’t want to base it off of the survey. Yet, there are the select few, who really really want the money. I actually don’t even know if it’s a million, I just know it’s a large sum. 

So you’re probably wondering why you are reading the ramblings of a lunatic addicted to reality television. WELL, because one of our very own, Tai Verdes...was a star. Going by Tyler, he debuted on Season 6...fresh off the heartbreak express. He was very open about, well, not being able to open up in a relationship. All with good reason, heartbreak is no joke. One of my favorite moments, however, came after the chaos of the show. When the whole cast sits down and reflects on their triumphs or mistakes, Tai and co-star Ethan had a little ukulele rap performance for the audience. While that sounds like it entirely doesn’t go together instrumentally and lyrically, IT DOES. While I can’t speak on Ethan’s rapping career, I can definitely say that for Tai this was just the beginning. I mean, look where he is now! He just dropped a new music video today, which I WILL be reviewing for you guys this week...don’t worry. So, you better go watch it before I write a novel about the whole plot.

Moral of the story...if you’re looking to take off in your career. Start on reality TV. Or at least pretend. I sit in my house, working away for the public, and find myself staring into imaginary cameras often. Like I am the main character….okay I’m lying I definitely don’t do that. Mentally, though? I 100% do. If staring into imaginary cameras, or let alone HAVING REAL ONES SHOVED IN YOUR FACE, isn’t your thing...you’re in luck. There’s this super cool thing called streaming, and you can watch everyone else live the chaos instead. While season 6 of “Are You The One” doesn’t appear to be on Netflix, I definitely think it’s worth at least a free trial to MTV’s streaming to watch Tai find love. You can watch him find love and take off his music career all in one. A real do it all guy. You can also tune back here this week to see me reviewing his newest music video. 

‘Til next timeeeeee!

Julianna Taylor

Ethan and Tai’s Performance Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy187f1oNp0

Guys...finally...my little EDM heart is crying. We have a new guy on the roster, coming in HOT with a dope drop too. GRABBITZ. Today we’re going to talk about his merch, as well as my favorite song of his. I’ll throw in some of his other songs too, just to give you guys some options. Or a break from me, I dunno…

Okay, let’s start with the merch because I’m kinda sorta mesmerized by it. We have 3 black pieces and one white tee. The black...that’s the one I can’t get over. Each pattern has bright blue butterflies as well has his name. It’s the color contrast for me. Super eye grabbing. Like if I saw you wearing that at a bar, pre-covid of course, I would 100% ask you where you got it. No, I totally DO NOT have a shopping problem. My favorite is definitely the hoodie, I mean mentally, I am in hoodie season. Physically? I’m sweating. The hoodie is just so beautiful. Again, the blue on black was such a good move. Same with the tee. If you want to get really spicy, you can buy the tee in a size larger, like I always do, and crop it. Men...you can crop too...I will support the movement. There’s even a face mask. We’re still in a pandemic, so this is a staple. Wearing a mask that is also a fashion statement...is a HUGE flex. 

Now...let’s talk about music. If you follow us on social media, you’ll have seen that I updated our Absolute Coachella playlist to include a couple GRABBITZ songs. This is just what the Coachella vibe needed. Right as we were getting a second wave of missing festival season. Before COVID even crossed my mind, I came across the song, “At Night.” When I heard it, I was like THIS IS THE SONG OF THE SUMMER. It definitely still was...but not the drunk in the club type of Summer I was thinking, ya know? However, when I got the news that he was dropping merch with us, I was like….this is my time to shine. Time to finally tell the world about the song I’ve been singing for months. No shame. I can’t sing it in the club, so I’ll sing it here. Another crowd favorite is “Someone Else” with EDM queen, REZZ. Don’t get me wrong, I love this song too. It’s like night time, Winter, driving down PCH vibes. Can you guys tell I drive down PCH a lot? It’s like my favorite way to listen to new music, I highly recommend you try it with these songs. “Someone Else” gives me, it’s cold outside, but I am warm vibes. That literally makes no sense, but so much at the same time. Figure it out. 

Since it is Friday...unfortunately I won’t talk your ear off more about this...even though I really really want to. Nobody has time for that, I get it, it’s time to clock off and spend money.

So...as always...links will be below. You better cop something to match me. You also better go listen to these songs...PCH or not. 

‘Til next timeeeeeee!

Julianna Taylor

MERCH:

https://absolutemerch.com/search?q=grabbitz

SPOTIFY SONGS:

Happy new week all you hooligans!

Okay, I feel like my titles for these posts are getting super clickbait-y. I promise they’re not! Tell me your Monday’s aren’t a little messy...I’ll wait. Nobody asked, but I am going to tell you why today mine is particularly crazy. Friday, I had every intention of talking your ears off about Blackbear’s new single. However, the day slipped away from me, and I had to trash it. I know, so sad. So, that leads me back here. We’re going to catch up on the new tune, and catch up on life. Consider this a little break from reality.

So, Blackbear released a single on Friday called, “queen of broken hearts.” Honestly, this song makes it seem like savage Bear is back. Don’t worry, he’s still out here being the best dad ever. I particularly love this song because of the funky beat in the back. He’s going on to say that his life has become dark, and that he will break someone into a thousand parts. However, as the song goes on, you’ll realize it’s because he is also a walking broken heart. C’mon, we all know the phrase, “hurt people, hurt people.” I hope you read that as it was intended to be spoken. It’s written really confusing, trust me it took me a second too. While this song is amazing, I don’t think that’s the best part. He’s coming out with part ONE of his LP, and he released the track names on Twitter. For me, I need to know the song titles in advance. Don’t ask me why, I have no idea. Maybe I subconsciously need to prepare for what mood I’m going to be in while listening. Yeah, let’s go with that. He also dropped a new shirt to go with it. It’s the sparkly sad girl tears of our dreams. Go get it.

Now, let’s talk about something a little more real-life. Let me know if you like these little Monday check-in’s, I’ll do them more. So, as we all know, 2020 is just the worst. It’s okay to be the most positive person on the planet, and admit this. I totally understand. For a while, I didn’t want to seem so negative, and I tried to have a positive outlook. Don’t get me wrong, there is still hope the year will turn around. Let’s all manifest it people! However, with recent Pop Culture news, it is hard to see the bright side. Which leads me to my next point. Everyone is going through something they don’t speak about. Kindness is always the answer. As I live my 9-5 life in the DMs with you all, I can’t help but notice people in the comments sections not treating each other the best. I am sure if you are reading this, you are probably not one of them. If you are, C’MON NOW. If we want to really dig deep, I can tell you that I promise your favorite artists see this all go down. So, when flowing through your week, remember, we are all human. We all have feelings, tragically. Let’s be a little kinder to one another.

‘Til next timeeeeeeee


Julianna Taylor

Blackbear “queen of broken hearts” Shirt:

https://blackbearmerch.com/products/queen-of-broken-hearts-digital-download

Happy 2020! 

Forget all the basic, “New Year, New Me” Instagram captions. How about, “New Year, New Music.” I thought I would kick off this new chapter, by introducing some artists for you to keep on your radar! While in 2019, these artists began their breakout, 2020 is proving that it is already their year. With tours, merch drops, and more, it will be hard to avoid these amazing singers! So, let me show you what they’re all about. 

First up on our watch list is Vaines. Also known as Jared Gaines, this artist has proven he is ready to bend the rules in the pop-rock world. Personally, I love pop songs that have a bit of a moody twist. His first hit he released in 2019, “Medicine,” is the perfect mix of angst and party. I love breakup anthems that I can dance to. I mean who doesn’t? Does anyone REALLY want a heartbreak tune that they have no choice, but to cry in the shower to? No. It’s 2020, we’re dancing our problems away. However, if crying is more your thing, I totally respect that. One thing I love about this song is the unexpected guitar solo in the middle. Giving the tune an edgy vibe we didn’t know we needed. I know Vaines himself is proud of this transition, touching on it in a past interview. 

His second track of 2019, was “Punchdrunk.” Another relatable emo love song. However, this one makes you want to roll down your windows, let the wind blow through your hair, while you forget about the person who clearly doesn’t like you back. Tragic, but beautiful. Since this bop came out toward the end of 2019, it really makes me wonder what 2020 has in store for Vaines. Obviously, nothing short of amazing. 

Next up, we have the lovely, Taylor Janzen. Her voice is one that will soothe you to sleep on a rainy day, but also lift you up in the middle of rush hour traffic. Her breakout year, started with a release of an EP at the end of Spring in 2019. This included her single, “Shouting Matches.” This is the type of song I would listen to on my way home from work. When I just want to wind down from a long day and relax. This is also a great go-to song for when you’re feeling a little lost, and need help getting back into the right mindset again. From melancholy to hopeful, this song is a much needed emotional rollercoaster. Taylor ended her year with, “What I Do…” This song is definitely another sunroof open, warm, summer vibe. She begins the song with a concept we can all relate to, forgetting someone we once loved. This song can serve as closure to those of us who may still be looking for it in an ex. If you find yourself falling in love with Taylor Janzen, catch her on tour at the beginning of this year!

Last but certainly not least, we have, Trevor Daniel. 2019 was a big year for Trevor. However, I feel like we need to blast back to 2018 for a second in order to come to terms with why 2019 was huge. In 2018, Trevor released his song, “Falling.” Now it’s no telling how long this song flew on the radar for, until Tik Tok blew it out of the water. This song became a viral hit, when users of the app started using it for comedy skits and breakup stories. Now, don’t be fooled. This song is definitely NOT a comedic hit. This song digs into a past relationship heartbreak, and how a new flame may be the one to change everything. In 2019, Trevor was firing out hits. With 4 new singles and 1 EP, he was determined to take the year by storm. Which is exactly what he did! His single, “Paranoid,” touches on typical paranoia we all have, about our lovers losing interest. His unique sound is familiar, yet unheard all in one. For that reason alone, I think he will go much farther than blowing up on comedy sketch apps in the near future. 

Listen Here:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2EuJ1FVQxyGyE5aHSMGjzO?si=eu9-QN7YQ2-A2Z65BGR95Q

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3rTVTBOBT7NPgXtI5oWyxc?si=Z_1jKktfQIKW_kLVGEKF4g

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DZ06evO4qP1zV?si=I09IxfMSTpeNZwfHSME2uA

Julianna Taylor