Music Monday: Wonderful Crazy Night by Elton John

Elton John is one of my favorite artists, and his legacy is incredible. His career spans over four decades, and he's the man behind the piano for hit songs such as "Your Song," "Tiny Dancer" and "Candle in the Wind." On Feb. 5, 2016, Elton came out with his 32nd studio album, "Wonderful Crazy Night." And it was wonderful, but not so crazy.
The album reminded me of the similar tempo and mindset of his past releases--"Honky Chateu" and "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player." When John went out to make this album, he wanted to make a happy album--with happy lyrics. The album's lead single, "Looking Up," mirrors that exact mentality. This is also the first album since 2006's "The Captain and the Kid" to feature the Elton John band. All songs on the album were written by Bernie Taupin and Elton John, the lyricial genius duo who composed "Candle In the Wind," and "Simple Life" just to name a few.
The album kicks off in the fast paced tempo of the title track, "Wonderful Crazy Night," which gets listeners up off of their feet. The album slows down for tracks like "Blue Wonderful" and "In The Name of You," however, the tempo speeds up again in songs like "Looking Up." The album definitely shows John's talent as well as Taupin's lyrical genius.
Overall, this album was a good listen. No, it's not going to be in the same league as classic Elton John albums, such as "The One," nor "Goodbye Yellowbrick Road," however, it still is a really good album. I recommend this album for two reasons. One it's Elton John, and pretty much everything he does is pretty good. Two it's just a really good album, and worth the listen.
Songs I liked: "Wonderful Crazy Night," "In The Name Of You," "Looking Up," "Claw Hammer" and "Guilty Pleasure" 

Music Monday: This Is Acting by Sia

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Sia is without a doubt talented. Her vocals are strong, and she writes beautiful songs like 2014's "Chandelier," which is what originally drew me to her music. This past Friday, Sia released "This Is Acting," and I am blown away with its lyrical content as well as her vocals.
The album starts out with the song "Bird Set Free," a song that discusses singing for expression and not caring about the sound's quality. (Although I would like to argue that Sia definitely doesn't sing off key). This is often the theme of many songs on her album, from "Alive" to "Unstoppable," all of which are songs that talk about being strong and surviving hardship and struggle. However, the album is more than a dozen power anthems-songs such as "Cheap Thrills" and "Move Your Body" are songs that are upbeat and listeners can dance to. Other songs, such as "Space Between" and "Broken Glass" are stripped down and showcase her vocal ability.
Overall, I enjoyed the new album, and can't stop listening to "Bird Set Free" and "Alive" over and over again. Sia did more than just create a good pop album, she created a good album. Sia is one of the lesser known artists, however, she's extremely authentic, which shows in her albums. "This Is Acting" is definitely worth the listen, as many can use a power anthem to motivate them through mundane daily life and find inspiration in Sia's struggles to deal with their own. If you haven't listened to it yet, than I recommend you do so now. It's just that good.
Favorite Songs: "Bird Set Free," "Alive," "One Million Bullets," "Cheap Thrills," "Unstoppable," "Broken Glass," and "Reaper."

Music Monday: Honeymoon Album Review

 
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It's no secret on this blog I've mentioned my love for Lana Del Rey. In August, I talked about her recent single "High By the Beach" which was the first single off of her new album "Honeymoon." Promotional singles "Honeymoon," "Music to Watch Boys To" and "Terrence Loves You" then followed in the following weeks. "Honeymoon" then arrived on Sept. 18, 2015.
It starts with violins, and the melancholy melody of "Honeymoon", which is a dark ballad that in my opinion is one of the best songs off of the album. For those who liked "Young and Beautiful," will instantly fall in love with the dark melody. Then, it goes into "Music to Watch Boys To," and "Terrence Loves You." The ultra catchy "High by the Beach" is reminiscent of summer, and puts listeners in a "summer state of mind" despite the fact that summer days are behind. Del Rey also covers "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" as the final track for the album.
As a Lana Del Rey fan, I'm in love with the album. Del Rey is extremely talented in her vocal range, and her music is beautiful. I will admit that I haven't listened to the album as much as I would have liked to, but I can already tell that this is going to be one of my favorite releases for 2015. Del Rey is definitely unique compared to other artists on the scene, and this release shows that element off quite nicely. "Honeymoon" is definitely a must-listen. 
Must Listen: Honeymoon, God Knows I've Tried, High by the Beach and Music to Watch Boys To. However, I just recommend you listen to the entire album.

Music Monday: The Weeknd's New Album

 
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One of the album's that has been on repeat for me for the past few days was the Weeknd's second album "Beauty Behind the Madness." I never really heard of The Weekend until I heard that Lana Del Rey, my favorite singer ever was going to be featured on the album. I remembered seeing "Earned It" on the Fifty Shades soundtrack, but since I didn't know much about the artist I didn't end up getting the song. Needless to say, I downloaded the song when the album dropped August 28th. And it was a repeat, because it's amazing. Lana did an amazing job with it, but I really liked the beat of it as well. I knew right then and there that this was an artist that I needed to have the entire album of.
And so, Friday night I snagged a digital copy of it. I feel in love with it, as soon as the first notes of "Real Life" came out of my Macbook speakers. It's a bit different then some of the other Indie/Metal/Rock artists that are present in my iTunes, but I'm still obsessed with his vocals, lyrical content and the overall album. Some of my favorite artists, such as Del Rey and Ed Sheeran, appear on the album and those songs did not disappoint. Even though those artists are different then The Weeknd, I thought the combination sounded perfect.
Overall, I think this album is one of my favorite albums that came out this year, tying with Madonna's "Rebel Heart." As we enter the last few months in fall, I'm expecting that this will compete with a few other albums, such as Lana Del Rey's "Honeymoon" (expected release this Friday), and Demi Lovato's confident (which is expected to be released in October.) And, we can not forget JoJo's tringle. However, I think "Beauty Behind The Madness" is definitely going to be one of my favorites of the year.
Must Listen: Real Life, Prisoner, the Hills, Tell Your Friends Can't Feel My Face, Angel, Earned It (Fifty Shades), Losers and Dark Times.