I know I already posted today, but I figured I might as well put this up because I have discovered some really cool, different music this week. Good for just chilling out and thinking if that makes sense..
I have been sorting out the media for this blog post this past week, but I am just now beginning to write this late Sunday night following the MTV VMAs....and if you watched that then I'm sure we are on the same page regarding JT. (maybe not so much the other stuff bc we all know that was a lot to take in for one night...)
But.......back to the best. I'm sorry but can we all just admire how TRULY RIDICULOUS CRAZY AMAZING WONDERFUL SEXY and TALENTED Justin is. I mean, honestly, he is everything. He can sing (on point as he does on the radio, which, not many artists can do now), dance, and act. Like, Jessica Biel, gurl, spread the wealth and shareeeee him. kthx :)
But truly, Justin Timberlake has been one of my favorite artists of ALL time, not to mention N*SYNC (who were also incredible although they didn't do the signature bye bye bye move... #disappointing), and after Mirrors came out I was all in. Now, I know some of you might say, "Monica, what about Suit & Tie?" Well, to be completely honest, that isn't my favorite. It's okay, but I just don't feel like it completely showcases his talent as it should be....but Mirrors.....I...I just .....I simply cannot...it's too much. Truly, I believe it is one of the best songs to come out in a while, and certainly in my Top 5 Songs of ALL TIME.
And can I just take the time to say that he totally and completely deserved the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award AND the Video of the Year Award. He is just such a true artist and I really appreciate that he takes his time to create the best for the industry. That is why he is the President of Pop, because he contributes to the art, and because he shares his love of music with those who can take it for what it is // take note Miley.
ps. his performance last night was basically him on his summer tour, minus Jay-Z.
SO......originally I wasn't sure where I would be (at home or back at school) for the #LOTS tour so I didn't buy a ticket, regretfully. Then I saw Justin's tour dates for his 20/20 Experience Tour and saw that none of the dates matched up with my holidays :(. So I managed to somehow get tickets for the last show in Miami with Jay-Z, which was great! I was really looking forward to seeing yet another artist live! (And this was before I even knew Rick Ross and Timbaland would be surprise guests!)
Getting ready for the concert, I had to consider that it was at an outdoor venue. All of the concerts I have attended previously were indoor and kept it quite cool. However, having this on an August evening in Florida would prove a much different environment.
So, to keep it cool and comfortable, I wore high waisted shorts from Free People, a crop top from Urban Outfitters, and a plaid flannel from Urban Outfitters in case of mosquitoes and just in case it got a little windy by our seats. Here is a picture of me at the concert :)
Additionally, I kept it quite low-key with the makeup look. Below I have pictured the skincare products I had been using as well as the makeup I used to achieve the look I was going for.
Let me know if you want me to review any of these products in the comments below!
Not pictured: I also used my Real Techniques expert face brush and Maybelline concealer but didn't include them because I wanted to add products I have not featured before. :)
I will say that I was quite disappointed that the concert didn't start on time....or anywhere near. The show was originally for 8pm, however didn't start until around 9:45! My brother said he heard them announce that they waited to get at least 10,000 people in the stadium because there was some reason no one was there on time....... awk. And I know that was the right time because he was supposed to go to the Fillmore on Miami Beach a private aftershow at 11:30 so.....I wonder what time that was pushed back until....ha considering we finished around midnight lol :) Thanks for taking your time JT & Jay-Z!
Anyway, before the show started (it was dark at this point) we saw a bunch of cameras flashing and a large group of people huddled together by one of the VIP sections on the field and obviously were curious about who it was. Not wanting to waste my phone battery and check twitter, I just sat and wondered. It was not until yesterday that I found out it was JC, Chris, and Joey of N*SYNC! ughhhhhhhhhhh I wish I had known. So that was pretty cool. And apparently, because they came out to Justin's last #LOTS show, they had spoken of the VMAs and his award and this could have been where they made the decision to reunite!
Later, once the show started, it was really exciting! I wasn't sure how I was going to like Jay-Z, because, although I am a fan of some of his songs, I just wasn't sure of how a rapper would perform during a live show. But, it was Jay-Z hahaha, so my doubts went away within the first song :)
I'll just post the videos and pics I took below, and let them do the talking :)
I think this was during Suit & Tie, which I was unfortunately unable to record bc my phone had no more space for video :(
And this was during Young Forever which was dedicated to Trayvon Martin.
So, all in all, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND seeing either of these artists live if you have the chance. The atmosphere was really cool, and at one point, Jay-Z even told the security to just let everyone move up and fill the space between the sections so it felt like more of a club. I will say that it wasn't so much a kid-friendly environment as Justin Bieber or T-Swift, or even Bruno Mars for that matter. There was a real difference in the audience for this show because they were kind of there just for a good time rather than worshiping and screaming for their idol like the previous shows I have attended. Also, I feel asthough JT and Jay-Z weren't as personable in comparison to Bruno Mars, but that may just be the way BM rolls... at #LOTS they talked to the crowd some...just not as much. Hahaha I did enjoy Justin's dancing too! And he also played the piano and guitar, which I always like because it shows versatility. But, truly, you can identify a true artist when you see one, and these guys are the real deal. That's why their careers are flourishing as they are, and their fan bases are as strong and getting stronger. These 2 brought an awesome mix of swag and talent and I was glad that I was able to be a part of it all :)
I'll always remember seeing the L E G E N D S of the Summer
For those of you who follow me on twitter and Instagram, you'll know that I had the pleasure of seeing Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z on their Legends of the Summer Tour on the last night in Miami.
I am currently working on a blog post for that so look forward to seeing it in a few days (I really mean it this time)!!!
As much as I love Drake (and this song), it is a little repetitive. I feel as though he is repeating the same 5 lines over. With that said, his voice is beautiful so I don't mind listening to it on repeat :)
This is really interesting...but still has the same sound as her previous album. I feel like a full on review will be necessary once her album is released. Let me know if you are interested in seeing that!!
LOVVEEEEEE Such a perfect single to release! Incredibly excited for Prism!
What do you guys think about the new music released (or rather, leaked) this week? Let me know in the comments!
I know it has been ages since I have posted, but I have been hard at work making this post as lengthy and full of media as I can!
I hope you enjoy reading about my experience at the Bruno Mars Moonshine Jungle Tour as well as my overall review of it for this Music Monday :)
Enjoy!
First, let me preview you on the musical genius that is BRUNO MARS (for those of you living under a rock). Peter Gene Hernandez was born in Honolulu in 1985 and took to music right away.
As a child, he was exposed to a variety of different genres of music including R&B, hip-hop, rock, and reggae. And, after he moved to LA when he was 17, we saw Bruno only build on the diversity that added to his pizzazz.
Now, we know Bruno for his hits "Just the Way You Are," "Grenade," "Lighters," "It Will Rain," "Billionaire," "Nothin' on You," "Locked out of Heaven," and "Treasure" just to name a few.
And, not only has Mars created mega hits for himself, he has also helped other artists (such as Mike Posner) produce music.
Now, into my outfit and makeup picks: I decided to keep it quite laid back and simple for this show. After the Taylor Swift concert, I knew that I would be standing the duration of the show so decided to be as comfortable as possible. And I didn't go too crazy with makeup, just a shimmery nude eye with bronzed cheeks. I also used a wand to curl my hair and lightly brushed out the curls to give it more of a beachy wave.
Follow me on instagram: @mmendoza27 :)
Then, off we were! I went with my brother and we are both HUGE fans so we were extremely excited (esp. with it being his first time to see a concert, and that of such a huge musical sensation).
The concert was held at Verizon Center in DC (same as Taylor Swift) and I was rather pleased with out seats. We were on a higher level but we still had quite a good view to everything happening on stage. There were also 2 HUGE jumbotrons that were projecting a closer view of the stage on each side.
I will say that I was quite surprised how small the stage was, especially compared to T-Swift and JB. If I'm not mistaken, I do believe they added a little bit for Bruno, but definitely not much more than is pictured above. Maybe towards the end which gave the band more room to move around.
Now onto the review. I was slightly disappointed when I saw that Ellie Goudling would be opening for some shows, however, not this one. We unfortunately had to listen to Fitz & the Tantrums for a solid hour before we were graced with Bruno's fine presence.
I just......I just don't know why he picked THIS band out of all the talented musicians in the world. They were no where NEAR his level of talent. I checked out the band the night before the concert, and listened to maybe 2 songs, and thought, eeh ok we'll see how it goes. But, it was just horrendous.
To begin, the drums were WAY WAY WAYYYYY to loud. I was getting a headache just from the horrendous screaming going into my ears and the loud drums banging nearly every second. And thank the Lord they adjusted this (I actually saw and heard the crew make adjustments to fix this after the openers) for Bruno's turn on stage. Not to mention the woman was LITERALLY JABBING a tambourine into her hip for the entirety of their time on stage. I mean...she kept saying "here we go DC" trying to pump everyone up, but I kid you not..everyone except maybe a few in the front row who felt bad were standing....
I mean...cool backdrop though :/
I don't feel that it is right to go on and on about how much I disliked the opener, for it is over with and I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I really think that my experience could have been lightyears better had the opener been some new music that I really enjoyed and wanted to look up when I got home. However, that was not the case. But the good news was, after thinking, "This better be the last one..." over and over, it finally was time for Bruno to hit the stage and I was overjoyed when I heard the first song in his set... :))))))
MOONSHINE
The fact that his voice was so raw and accurate to what we all hear on the radio made me really happy. It's good to know that there are still true musicians out there who take pride in the work they create and the trade that they practice!
I commented on an earlier post about how amazing BM was on the Billboard awards, singing Treasure for the first time, and it was even better on his first stop of his tour! His band is so energetic and just makes you want to stand throughout the show (which is what I did :D).
Again, I just don't think words do him justice. If there was one song I was going to film entirely, I told myself it would be When I Was Your Man. A favorite of mine to sing, and it was such an amazing moment to see him perform live :')
I was also genuinely surprised how much he interacted with the audience. He was fun....I was definitely all ears...and eyes ;) But really, he talked to us, made us laugh, maybe even cry. It was beautiful really, and refreshing. I think that most artists now get on stage, and hop off when they're done. He didn't; he cared about us and I greatly appreciate that..
SO much led up to this moment. He went off stage for around 5 minutes to change outfits while the lights in the venue were shut off. I knew there was NO WAY he wouldn't sing this song so I started chanting "BRUNO," and I SWEAR I got half the venue to chant with me...then it died down a bit and he came on stage pounding the drums to begin Locked Out Of Heaven. He finished with Gorilla...which, to be honest, could have gone somewhere in the middle, but I do think that it tied the whole tour together---being jungle themed and all (Moonshine-first, Gorilla, last = Moonshine Jungle Tour ;)).
Overall, the concert was Ah-MAZING. I really, truly enjoyed everything after the opener. It was full of energy and hype, and most of all talent. I HIGLY suggest you try to see him live. Well worth it!!! You can see how excited performing makes him, and that really makes all the difference in the world. He even said, "Thank you guys for proving to me that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life." :')) And I can only hope that he does just that! :)
Sorry I missed last week's post, but trying to keep up with this while away from home is messing with my schedule!! Anyway, here are some new tracks I've been listening to whilst on the road.
Enjoy :)
Such a powerful song.
I thought this song was SO incredibly annoying at first, but turns out I love to sing it..haha #typical
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