What to expect from Little Red- Katy B New album out 10/2/2014

I've always been into Katy B. There's no denying this girl can sing, and I love her edgy, urban style of music and laid-back fashion sense. She impressed me with her debut album 'On a Mission', and is also responsible for one of my favorite summer smashes of last year- 'Aaliyah' from the 'Danger' EP. I have been excited about hearing her second album for a while now, though as the release date slowly approached I found I didn't know what to expect this time around as Katy released 'What Love Is Made Of' and threw me off course. It was totally different to anything I'd heard from her before, and I hoped she wasn't changing her musical style too much.

'Little Red' is availlable to buy from tomorrow and I can exclusively reveal it was worth the wait. The album paints a perfect picture of how Katy has evolved and grown as an artist, exploring different styles of music such as dance and ballads, whilst keeping her funky house, rave and dubstep roots at the soul of each song. 'Little Red' has emotions running through it from the first track to the last, and we see Katy open up in a way she never has before. The subject matter is deeper and the focus of the album is love and feelings, rather than clubbing. 

While 'On A Mission' was mostly upbeat, a collection of funky floor fillers and feel-good anthems, 'Little Red' is a little dark in some parts, more lyrically intense than its predecessor, with a chilling- yet chilled out sound. If you like the sound of that, you will love the sound of 'Sapphire Blue', 'Emotions' and 'Tumbling Down'. 

For a reminder of Katy's trademark edgy dance/pop sound, skip straight to '5 AM' , 'Next Thing' or 'I Like You', which will stay in your head for days thanks to its catchy chorus! 

'Little Red' is well sung and well produced. It's easy to love from and will have you hooked from the first listen. There's not so many club smashes on this but I think that may be the point- Katy is growing up and wants the world to know it. 

Happy New Year everyone! 2014 has arrived and I have a feeling it’s going to be an exciting year. Now, as much as I’m ready to wave goodbye to 2013, I’m feeling a little reminiscent, so for the next few posts I’m taking you on a trip down memory lane to revisit some of the moments that made last year such a memorable one. Let's start with my favorite fashion trends, then we'll move on to celebrity shockers and music, of course!

I’ve always been glamorous and loved shopping and clothes, but 2013 was the year I developed a serious interest in fashion and trends after a brief stint working in a retail store. I tend to wear what I want- and never felt the need to be bang on trend every season, but last year I definitely learned to pay more attention or you miss out on all the great pieces. For example, crop tops have been around for years but I did not own one until the Summer of 2013. I just assumed one would never look good on me- little did I know when teamed with a midi skirt, a crop top can create a sexy but sophisticated look perfect for a night out!

Crop top - Missguided, skirt- New Look

 This is just one of the trends that I loved last year- here are some others.

LEATHER AND FUR

Now these are two wardrobe essentials I'll be taking with me into 2014 and beyond. There's nothing I love more than a big, fluffy, (faux) furry jacket to help me survive the bitter cold British weather and to keep me looking glamorous. Add a dash of red lipstick and you can't go wrong. A touch of leather can give any outfit an edgy feel and this Winter it was all about the edge! Mixing the two became popular on the high street and I saw many women rocking fur jackets with leather sleeves. Celeb fans of leather include Kimye, who were rarely seen without some sort of leather attire back at the beginning of the year.

I think Kim's Givenchy baggy leather pants are TO DIE...love them

 

 

This super warm New Look faux fur coat has become my trusty sidekick this winter

                                                                        
                                                                     OMBRE

 

Khloe K loves her ombre tresses

There was a point in 2013 when it seemed it was near impossible to find anyone who wasn't sporting ombre locks. All it took was an Instagram upload from Rihanna to spark the craze and have women all over the world reaching for the dip-dye. I can't be alone when I say I found myself wondering why I hadn't thought of it before. I loved it! The trend gave us girls the freedom to dye our hair pretty much whatever color we desired- as long as we kept our roots a shade that suited our skin tone it was bound to look good.

The ombre trend allowed me to experiment with light brown hair- almost risk free!

It didn't stop at hair either. The trend also brought us ombre make-up, nails, and even clothes. I think ombre is a sexy, adventurous look and all the blended colors certainly brightened up 2013.

My first attempt at ombre nails- it was fun and super easy!

20/20 2 OF 2- The Verdict!

So Justin Timberlake’s hotly anticipated final part to the 20/20 Experience is out and I have to say in my opinion the whole thing is a masterpiece. It’s clear to see how much JT has evolved as an artist, whilst still being able to pull out the old school tricks that his die-hard fans know and love.

One of my favourite things that Justin Timberlake does is blend two songs together and there are couple of these double whammies to keep us entertained- making 11 a satisfying and entertaining amount of songs.

In comparison to the 20/20 Experience 1/2- I would describe this second offering as chilled and smoother, packed with plenty of soulful vibes of course. Lots of strings and classical sounds combined with modern beats. There’s some typical JT style r’n’b, such as Gimme what I don’t know (I want), Take Back The Night and a track called Amnesia, which kind of reminds of Cry Me A River vibe and lyric wise.  It’s a flashback of the ‘feistier’ Justin Timberlake as we did hear a lot of love songs in the 20/20 Experience. Speaking of love songs, every JT album has to have a couple.  If that’s what you want to hear then be sure to check out Not A Bad Thing. It’s one of my favourite tracks, and it’s real and raw lyrically, the kind of honest and open song that I think wins him so many fans. You Got It On is another love song to look out for. It has a smooth, warm tone complete with sultry strings and perfect harmonies. There’s a few things we didn’t get in 1of 1, such as Drink You Away, a soulful yet country sounding mid tempo R’n’B tune.

I am a big fan as you’ve probably guessed by now, but I can’t be biased. There’s an eyebrow raiser in the midst of these 11 gems and it’s called True Blood. I would say it’s the album’s standout track, just like Let The Groove Get In was for me in the last one. I got that, but I just don’t really get this. I’m all for artists doing something different and experimenting but True Blood just makes me think of vampires and not in a good way! Timberland no doubt has something to do with this one, you can hear it all over the beat.
There’s a surprise appearance from Drake on sexy r’n’b tune Cabaret, which is my favorite song off the whole album, and I must say it was the perfect song for him to feature on. His verse is good- nothing too out there or different from what we’ve been hearing from him lately.

All in all, Justin Timberlake has made a very impressive comeback. 2 of 2 compliments 1 of 1 perfectly, with a darker, less ‘just married’ vibe than 1 of 1. If you are a JT fan this won’t disappoint as it doesn’t stray from his typical signature style. If you’re not such a fan you might not appreciate this for the same reason…but less face it, most of us are JT fans…so enjoy!

Guess who's back!

Hi Guys!

It's been over a year since I posted anything on my blog and I want to write a really honest, open letter to explain why.

2012 was a big year for me. I graduated from University and after three years studying Creative Writing with Journalism, I was ready to take everything I'd learned about writing and use it to start a career doing something I really love. That's when I started blogging, applying for internships, going on work experience at radio stations and really trying to put myself out there. I wasn't going to let any negative statistics about graduates and finding work (you know the ones I'm talking about!) deter me from living my dream. Then after about six months, it started to feel like I'd applied for everything, written about everything, been rejected by everyone and pretty much gotten nowhere. I felt uninspired and I got writer's block, and the less I wrote, the less confidence I had in my writing.

This was a really depressing time for me. I missed writing, but I couldn't do it. I'm literally only just picking myself up from this writer's block now. I thought these things only lasted days, sometimes weeks or months in extreme cases, but guys, I had writer's block for a whole year. It sounds crazy to me too, but it's true. When you literally cannot do the one thing that you love to do, something that you have always been able to do as well, it's frustrating. However- I now think that maybe I had to go through this to become a better writer. 

I managed to find work in retail, where I discovered I had more of an interest than I thought in fashion and trends. I gradually changed my style and started being more open and daring with my clothes and I started paying attention to what people in the media were wearing as well. My taste in music also changed. Commercial, mainstream music started to do my head in. It all sounded the same to me. Artists I used to love, some of which I have written about in detail in this blog, no longer inspired me. Watching the music industry destroy certain artists, and watching people buy into these artists, who to me, were nothing but money making puppets for the industry is frustrating to me. I went through a stage where I loved rap, and I can still listen to some of it now but that got annoying for a little while too. I felt like most rappers were talking about the same thing, bragging, look at all my money, bitches and hoes, boring!!!

I rediscovered my love for garage, music from back in the days where it wasn't so much about money. It was about making music that people genuinely loved. It was about making anthems that people still dance to in clubs ten years later. Most of the music we hear now is forgotten about in ten weeks! I also started listening to house music, deep house and soulful house. Music that really is all about music without too many lyrics to distract us from what is really important. Most of the music I listen to now is from undiscovered, kind of underground artists and producers and this is what I prefer. No corruption! 

So that brings me to where I am right now. I feel inspired again. Of course there are still artists that I have always been a fan of who are considered mainstream and commercial that I am always willing to give a chance, so I'll still be posting about them. My musical taste is always changing and evolving as I discover new things that inspire me so there's going to be a noticeable change in the type of music and things that I blog about and I hope you enjoy it.

JJ xxx

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @janahjack
and Instagram @jljxx

Rihanna and Fazer To Collaborate!

It has been revealed that US superstar Rihanna is to work with ex N-Dubz member Fazer on some new tracks. RiRi was reportedly impressed with Fazer’s production work on his former band mate Tulisa’s debut single, Young. Fazer, 25, will no doubt be excited about the prospect of working with such a huge US star. Fazer’s bandmates Tulisa and Dappy haven’t left the headlines since the N-Dubz split, with Tulisa scoring her first solo number one and landing her highly publicized job as an X Factor judge, and Dappy releasing his controversial freestyles Tarzan 1 and 2. However, Fazer has kept a relatively low profile until now and this latest opportunity with Rihanna and the release of his debut solo single Killer could be telling us that it is now his time to shine. I personally think Fazer did a really good job on Young and he is a respectable artist with a lot going for him. He deserves a big break like this, and any song that these two come up with will definitely be fire. Meanwhile, in another unlikely transatlantic collaboration, Tulisa revealed her next single is going to be a hip-hop/bashment track entitled Live It Up featuring Rack City rapper Tyga. Random?!

D'Banj Drops His New Single!

Yesterday saw the premiere of ‘Oyato’, the latest single by one of my favourite artists D’Banj. The singer achieved international success this summer with his previous offering, Oliver Twist, which reached number two in the UK R’n’B chart. Those who know me will know this is one of my TUNES! D’banj showed the world he had no intentions of being a one hit wonder with the no-nonsense video for Oliver Twist which included guest appearances from his friends, Kanye West and Big Sean. To say Oliver Twist is a hard act to follow would be an understatement, but D’Banj might just have yet another hit on his hands with the catchy Oyato which is already causing a stir amongst his fans on Twitter and was even trending in London yesterday. The star has been retweeting the many positive posts about the song and encouraging people to download it. Oyato is a reminder as to why D’Banj has won awards, including a BET award for his contribution to African music. Oliver Twist had a mainstream sound that got him heavy rotation on radio and in clubs, while his new single has a more classic Afrobeat sound to it. Like Oliver Twist, Oyato has a slower but equally infectious beat, but is the UK really ready for Afrobeats? We are about to find out!



What do you think??

Dappy's Controversial Tarzan 2 Sparks Twitter Fued

So yesterday saw Dappy drop Tarzan Part 2 and it certainly did not go unnoticed.

The ever opinionated MC gave us his very interesting opinions on the music industry and everyone in it, from Choice FM DJs Max (he wants to smash her from the back) and Sarah Jane Crawford (he thinks she should give him head) to Simon Cowell (he calls out previous unsuccessful X Factor winners) and Alexandra Burke (her career is getting raped by a mason (LOL) ).

Choice FM's Max responded to Dappy's comments about her via twitter, stating she was 'very disappointed' in the rapper and regarded speaking about women in that way as 'inexcusable' (http://www.twitlonger.com/show/i58i8a)

Her mention of Dappy being a father left his girlfriend Kaye unimpressed, and she responded to Max's tweet, asking her not to speak about their kids and telling her to 'enjoy the buzz around her name while it lasts and calm down' (LOL). Dappy also responded, saying 'do ur job and ill do mine. ive always looked at u as a big sis, youve supported me frm day dot..dnt knw y ur so mad. BANTER'

There was no further responses from Max. I wonder if anyone else targeted in the song will speak out?

Either way, I'm loving Tarzan 2 and Dappy. I think he always keeps it real and I admire his determination to never be changed by fame and fortune. He isn't afraid to speak his mind, and whether or not people agree with him is not an issue which is quite a respectable quality to have. Tarzan 2 is a banger, watch the equally controversial video here!