The Next Big Duo

Josh Devine... Drummer for One Direction 

Ollie Green...Upcoming musician 

What happens when you put the two of them together? You get one of the best duos ever! I'm am so in love with these too! They are both extremely talented on their own, but when you put them together, the results are astounding! So far the two of them have released 2 singles: Fight For You and Here to Stay. Both songs have been a huge success on the music charts. They have gotten loads of shares on the Internet thanks to the One Direction fans and music lovers everywhere. These two artists deserve to be played on the radio so that the rest of the world know what they're capable of. The two of them are continuing to work on music together. I can't really blame them either. They have been such a hit in the music world. I honestly think if they get the right amount of publicity that these two could go the distance.
Josh Devine is the loved drummer in One Direction. He's been there since the beginning. What most people didn't realize was that Josh was more than a pretty face and a drummer. He has an amazing voice! I hate to say this, but he could be the new fifth member in One Direction! Not only that, but he is also a talented song writer. He can play the guitar along with the drums. He's just a well-rounded musician who deserves to be where he's at in life. He has the most vocals in his latest release with Ollie, "Here to Stay". It's a song with a bit of a rock edge and sick vocal provided by the one and only Josh Devine.
Ollie Green is an upcoming British musician. He is a singer/songwriter that not all to many people have heard of until he linked up with Josh. I couldn't be happier that these two came together! Ollie has a strong talent when it comes to producing and writing music. It's a hard thing to master. This kid has done it if you ask me. There aren't many people that can come up with the things that Ollie does. The stuff he's putting out isn't the same shit that you hear on the radio. He's following his own path working on his own music. That's the best thing he can do. If he wasn't doing that, we wouldn't be blessed with the two amazing songs he worked on with Josh. "Fight for You" was their debut song together and it left people in shock. Not only did the world discover that Josh was more than a drummer, but they were introduced to the talented Ollie Green. The song is a nice ballad that you can sit back and relax to. It also has more of a rock-ish edge to it.
These two songs are absolutely amazing! I love, love, love them! I literally can't wait to hear the other things that they have been working on. I believe that the two of them have enough talent and a large enough following to put together a successful album. I'm praying that that day will come. Whenever Josh gets a day off, he usually spends it with Ollie working on some new music. The two of them are working extremely hard to put together music that is different and people will love. They have a bright future as a duo!

One Direction Going in Two Directions

The music world was shaken by the news that Zayn Malik was leaving One Direction. The word spread faster than the plague. Everybody knew minutes after they made the announcement that the world's biggest boy band was losing one of it's cherished members. I know that I'm a few weeks behind on posting this, but in all honesty, it was too difficult for me to write last week. It's still hard for me to write about it. I'm a huge Directioner. (Judge me if you want) Zayn leaving the band hit me harder than anything I'd ever experienced before. (Again judge me) I cried for over three days. The second I thought that I was over it, something would remind me of him and I would just lose all control again. This happened to a lot of people, so it's reassuring knowing that I didn't go through this alone. I had thousands of Directioners, family, by my side throughout this entire thing. On top of that, there was the amazing support of Harry, Niall, Louis, and Liam, as well as other celebrities and fandoms that showed their love and support.
Zayn told the whole world, including his four best friends that he has shared the stage with, his life with, that he was leaving because he couldn't handle the fame and the publicity. He was being called names. Rumors were always coming up about him cheating on his fiancee, which put a strain on their relationship. He also said that it was starting to affect his family and that is something that he never wanted to happen. He felt like the attention should never be on his family because they didn't do anything to deserve fans and paparazzi on their front lawn when he wasn't even there. People were also sending in hate to him and his family through the internet and the mail. There was no escape from his hectic life. He didn't like that. He wanted to be a normal 22 year old boy. He told the band this. They all did their best to get him to stay, but nothing proved to be enough. Zayn's decision stood. He was leaving the band. During their last concert as a whole group, Harry and Louis openly wept. Nobody understood why until the next day when they released the news of Zayn leaving. It all made sense. They said "One last group hug" and "We want to tell you all one last time that we all love you". Not to mention there were more tears on the stage that night that ever seen before. It seemed like they could barely keep themselves together.
This post isn't just about Zayn though. It's about One Direction and how they're holding together since his departure. Everything has changed for them. They had to figure out who gets Zayn's parts. There is no longer somebody that can hit those amazing high notes without even trying. They don't have any "mystery" in the band anymore. The chemistry on stage and in their music won't be the same. Their sound is going to be different. Yes, only one member left, but Zayn was an important piece to the band. Every single one of them plays an important role in the group. During the X-Factor, Louis almost didn't make it to the judge's house and they were so thrown off that they thought they had no chance of getting through. That's what it's going to be like all the time now for them. It's not only that though, but the memories they share won't be the same. Their laughter, jokes, and time spent together won't be the same as it was. It's going to take a while to get used to. After all, they'd spent almost every minute with Zayn over the past five years. They literally lost a family member, a brother. One Direction isn't One Direction anymore.
They're working extremely hard on new things for us, for their fans. They know it's going to be way different. They're trying ten times harder. This isn't easy for them. They had to cut Zayn's vocals out of their album on tracks they had already completed. They cut out any parts of the video diary they are working on that had Zayn in them. Can you imagine having to do that, cut your friend out of everything? It's like they're washing away his memory. We'll never get to see what memories they shared with him on there OTRA tour. They will be the only ones to ever know what happened before he left. They are the only ones that know what really made Zayn leave. We all know it wasn't because he wanted to be normal. If it was, then Zayn wouldn't have gotten with NaughtyBoy and started working on a single. This started a riff between NaughtyBoy and Louis. Nobody knows where Zayn stands between the two. This could mean the end of one of the best friendships ever. Zouis could be dead for all we know. This thought kills me.
Zayn is on his own. The band is working harder than they ever have before. The fandom is slowly healing from what some say is a betrayal from their idol. We've been doing good so far though. We've been strong. The band has been strong. As long as they keep working hard, I know that everything is going to be okay. It will be different, but it will be alright. Plus, Zayn is supposedly happy. So, I'm going to be happy too. Best of luck to the rest of One Direction and Zayn. I can't wait to hear new music from both artists.

Let The Road- Rixton

Rixton is one of the rising stars of 2015. In my opinion anyways. I'm in love with their new album 'Let The Road'. Every song delivers something different and shows off all of their talent. This much anticipated album was worth the wait! 

Track 1: Let The Road

The opening and title track, Let The Road, is done Acappella style.You are truly able to hear the talent the four musicians have to offer. Towards the end of the track they surprise you by adding some instrument, but they still sing Acappella syle. It's something that not many people have done before. The last band I can remember doing something like that was Nsync and that's been a while ago. Major props to them for this wonderful track! It was a great way to open the album. 

Track 2: Wait On Me

Wait On Me is a song that shows you how different they can be. It has a totally different sound than the first track on the list. It makes you want to listen to the album even more. Wait On Me was also their second single from the album. It did almost as well as Me and My Broken Heart. Once again, this song shows you how talented they are. It allows them to show you the variety of music they are able to perform. They pull of this sound so well. It's a Rixton original! 

Track 3: Appreciated 

This track begins with a soothing guitar accompanied by whistling. It's an interesting way to start a track. It caught my interest because of that. What I really like about this song, isn't necessarily the music, but the lyrics themselves. The song is about the one they love always being there for them and they appreciate them. Not many songs are out there like this one. This song also shows off how good they are when it comes to harmonizing and using their instruments to emphasize what they are singing. It's a great song to just sit back, listen, and relax to. 

Track 4: Beautiful Excuses 

This song is one of my favorites from the album. It is similar to Appreciated music wise except it relies more on guitar and piano. It's a slow song, so it's nice to relax to. If you listen to it though, it really pulls at your heart strings. "What makes an angel fall in love? What makes a good man turn and run? How do you know if she's the one?" Those are my favorite lyrics from the song. The ones that follow only make the song stronger and more emotional than it already is. This band has a serious talent when it comes to song writing. Everything is so different and original. I love everything about this song. This song is one of the highlights of the album. Good luck getting it out of your head! Not many slow songs have the power to be as catchy as this one! Amazing vocals as well on this track, especially towards the end. 

Track 5: Me and My Broken Heart No review is needed for this song! Everybody knows it! 

Track 6: Hotel Ceiling Check out the review I did for this song earlier this year! LOVE IT! So emotional and overall just amazing! One of my favorite songs of all time.  

Track 7: I Like Girls 

When it comes to this song, it is completely different than any other song they have done. I think that's why I like it so much. When it starts playing, you're actually kind of surprised that it came from Rixton. It is very laid back and will definitely put a smile on your face. It's going to be on my playlist for the summer because it has a beachy vibe. This is one of the songs that shows you how much variety they are capable of doing. Just like I've said a thousand times before, it's very original. I mean, they put jingle bells in this song! It only added to the overall enjoyment of the song though. Excellent song for their debut album! It's the fun, silly, song that every album needs to have. 

Track 8: Speakerphone

This song starts out with strong harmonization from the band belting out the chorus, not instrument added. They are showing off their talent within the first 10 seconds of this song. This one changes speeds as it goes. I love that when it comes to a song. The verses are slower, not slow, but slower. The chorus picks up and will have you dancing around your house singing the lyrics out loud with them. There a quite a few high notes hit in this song that I find to be very impressive. They highlight them usually with a cymbal shot here and there. This song also does a great job at emphasizing things with their instruments. One of my favorite songs from the album because of they way it's structured and the overall vibe from the song! 

Track 9: We All Want The Same Thing

This song is very surprising coming from Rixton and I love it! This is the most sexual song from the album. Once again, every album needs a song like that, right? This one if perfect for it. The entire song is sung in high notes. The beat is very catchy. It's more computerized than other songs on the album, but it still shows off the immense amount of talent the band has. It was one of the first songs available for download before the album was released, I was sketchy about it at first, but after listening to the full song, I began to appreciate it for what it was and I ended up falling in love with it. You can sing to it. Dance to it, and just have an all-around good time. Good luck trying to match the notes though! 

Track 10: Whole 

Whole is similar to let the road. It starts out Acappella style. The piano is thrown in there after the first couple of seconds. The versus are very slow and have very little instrumentation. The closer you get the verse, the more instruments there are. The verse mainly consists of just the words "make them whole", but it's so amazing how they are able to pull it off by singing it in different keys, different lengths, and using that Acappella style that you don't hear very often. The second verse consists of a lot of repeating after each other. Usually I'm not a fan of that, but they did such a good job with it and matched each other so well that it sounded like one huge voice instead of three or four. This is another ballad for the album. It's not my favorite song, but the album wouldn't be the same without it. They just have sooo much talent! 

Track 11: Make Out

This.,. This here is my favorite song from the entire album. This song has been out for over a year, but it hasn't been available on iTunes. However, the music video has been. The music video is a whole other story. I strongly suggest you watch it if you're looking for a laugh. This is the party song of the album. Can't you tell by it's title? They put a romantic twist to it, which I find very interesting. Yes, they are saying 'Let's make out', but they're also encouraging you to go out there and find the one you love! It shows how much fun they can have. I would love to see this song performed live. I don't know what else to say about this song other than it leaves me speechless because I love it so, so much! Good luck getting this song out of your head. One listen and your stuck with it for a week! (Excellent layering at the end of the track btw)

  

Talking About

What everyone talking about? Isn't the answer obvious? Conor Maynard is stepping back out in to the music industry with his new amazing single "Talking About". It hasn't even been out for a week yet and its caught the attention of thousands of people. It's his first single in some time. The wait was worth it. I'm absolutely in love with this song! Sadly, it's not available in the U.S. iTunes store yet. However, it is up for pre-order. I've been having to settle for racking up the video's views on YouTube.
The song is extremely catchy. I suggest you listen with caution. The second you listen to it, it will be stuck in your head for days on end. I'm not complaining though because it's such a great song! It has the typical Conor Maynard style. The beat is easy to move to. It's definitely a song that will be played in clubs! It has similar sound to his previous songs, but it's not as computerized as many of them. There is a range of sounds the meld perfectly together to create the catchiest song of the year so far.
If people recognized this song and the artist, Conor would have so much more fame than he already does. It's just that nobody appreciates music unless it comes from a big name. Honestly, I think his song is ten times better than anything Taylor Swift will put out or Rihanna who just released that song "Fourfive Seconds" or whatever it's called. The only reason their songs are so popular even if they are crap is because they created a name for themselves. It's time to start recognizing artists like Conor. He is using everything that is being used in today's popular music. It's got bass, catchy lyrics, easy to remember, fast-paced, and it uses computerized instruments. I feel like this song could be Conor's big hit to launch his career again.
 "Talking About" is easily one of my favorite songs of the year so far and I think it will stay highly ranked in my book. I'm not usually in to this kind of music, but there is something about Conor that makes me love, love, love his music. I don't know if it's because of the type of person he and his personality or if his music is just different and draw me in. As I'm typing this, I'm realizing that it's both. Conor has an amazing personality! I've discovered that by watching him appear on YouTube videos and by watching the videos he post on social media or videos other have posted with him. His music is different than a lot of the things that we hear on the radio. Sure, it has a similar sound, but the thing is that he hasn't changed his sound. He started with it and he has continued with it. He didn't change to fit in with the time just to get a number one single. I don't think he ever will. That makes him more likable for me.

Not only that, but I know Conor is capable of doing things other than the type of music he releases. He displays his talent on his YouTube channel by posting covers of songs. One of his most recent ones was a cover of "Waves". Personally I liked his cover more than the actual song because it was more raw. Conor has an immense amount of talent. This will be the song that people will hear and recognize him for what he is. An immensely talented artist who has worked his ass off to get where he is at.

BYE! (Before You Exit)

Before You Exit is one of my latest band discoveries. I got in to them over the summer of 2014 when I heard their song Dangerous. I loved it the first time I heard it. Like most people do when they find something they like, they look up the song and other things that pop up with on iTunes. I found a lot of great music by them. I blew quite a bit of money buying some of their songs. A lot of time was spent listening to the covers that the three brother band post on YouTube.
Before You Exit consists of brother Toby, Connor, and Riley McDonough. All three of them play guitar and vocals. Before you go calling them a boy band, make sure you have your facts straight. Since they all play their own instrument, write their own music, and don't do choreographed dance routines they are not a boy band! These three have an absurd amount of talent and a lot of gumption as well. They fearlessly post covers of the most popular songs on the radio. Many of the artists they cover have a strong verbal fan base that wouldn't think twice about hating on them if they performed a song wrong. They've also associated themselves with bands/people such as All Time Low, Cody Simpson, Allstar Weekend, Hollywood Ending, and Olly Murs. They most recently were named Macy's Rising Star and performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

They have been trying and succeeding to gain more and more popularity. They are a huge deal on Radio Disney, which has proven to actually help many stars rise to fame. Hello, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Zendaya. Do I need to say more? Along with their radio attention comes the media attention. Good looks must run in the family because they always seem to look perfect on the covers of teen magazines around the world.
The band formed in 2007 and has been going strong ever since. Connor is 21. Riley is 19, and Toby is 17. That means they were 14, 12, and 9 when the band formed. Toby of course was the last one to join the band. He had to develop enough musical skills before jumping into the band life. Can you imagine starting something so big that young? I think anyone that starts so young is amazingly talented and very brave. Since the band formed they have gone on several tours, released singles, and 3 EPs. The most successful EP being I Like That and the most popular single being Dangerous.
I am so impressed with how far this band is come in such a short amount of time. As soon as they got one break, they went soaring sky high. They haven't come down since they took off. Of course it took a lot of hard work to get where they are now. If you don't respect them for their music (which is mostly pop), you can at least respect them for the amount of time and effort they put forth to get where they are. It's not like it just happened to them over night. Plus, it happened when they were so young. They are still growing up. Toby is only 17 years old. He should still be going to high school every day and Riley should be going through the first amazing year of college. Instead, the three of them are spending all of their time together on the road, away from their family. They only have each other. Props to them as well for constantly being around their siblings and not killing each other yet. The three of them have only proved that the strongest bond is that of a family bond. These three are going to go far. I'm proud to be a fan of their music. Other people need to give them a chance. At least respect them for what they have accomplished.

Spencer Sutherland

This is the day and age to break in to the music scene by using the Internet. In my opinion, Spencer Sutherland will be the next big thing to come off of YouTube. He's got the personality, the looks, and most importantly the talent. His quickly building his fan base by posting covers of popular songs, like R-Kelly's "Ignition". He's also posted covers of "All About That Base", "Waves," "Bang Bang", "Fancy", "Talk Dirty", and "Chloe". One of his most popular videos was one that he stared in the with close friends Emblem3 in their cover of "Sugar". I wrote a whole blog about it previously. It's obvious he covers every genre. 

Not only does he have the talent, but he has the connections. As I just mentioned, he is friends with Keaton and Wesley Stromberg. I'm not saying that's what is going to get him places, but it certainly helps to be close with somebody that is in the business. Not only will they be able to give him pointers and help him along they way, but they can also help promote him. One simple tweet with his video attached can get the video thousands of views, giving it the possibility of being noticed. That's exactly what happened to 5 Seconds of Summer. They are now one of the most popular bands of the year. It all started with a single tweet from a One Direction member. Along with his friendship with Emblem3, he has shared the stage with Ariana Grande, MKTO, and Austin Mahone. So, he's already gotten his name out there. 

Spencer is a self taught musician as well. Nothing is more impressive than that. It takes a lot of time and talent to teach yourself to be a good singer and songwriter. He is 22 years old and has mastered the musical art of song writing. He is a co-writer on Emblem3's album Forever Together. Not only does that give him more exposure, but it shows off more of his talent. He released an EP, Unveiled, in January on Itunes. It consisted of four original songs. He has also released a single, "Nothing Can Hurt Me".  

Spencer  is not only a star in music though. He is a star in the modeling industry. He is signed with Ford Models New York. Yep, he can be one of the boys on your Hollister bag. He totally has the body for it. His cheek bone game is strong! Don't believe me? Maybe you should check out his Youtube channel or possibly go follow him on Twitter or Instagram? Sounds like a good idea to me. I believe we need to keep a close eye on this kid. He is going places. Someone with as much talent as him deserves to be recognized on a stage bigger than Youtube. 

Keaton Stromberg

Keaton Stromberg, a.k.a my future husband,  is a member of the outstanding duo Emblem3. He's the younger sibling to Wesley Stromberg. He's only 18 years old and has mastered many, many talents, including stealing the hearts of girls everywhere. This talented kid started playing instruments at the age of six. He can now do 7 different things related to music. He can play the guitar, bass, piano, drums, ukulele, trumpet, and he does amazing vocals. To top it all of, he is a God when it comes to song writing and audio engineering. He has always been involved in the song writing process just like Wesley and former band member and friend, Drew Chadwick. Since Emblem3 got dropped from their record label, Keaton has been doing all of the producing and engineering on his own. Major props need to be given to this kid!
Not only does Keaton focus on writing and producing for Emblem3, but he also constantly works for himself. I often wonder how he has any free time or if he ever gets enough sleep. He has produced many of his own amazing songs and posts them on SoundCloud and Youtube. One in particular he spent three years working on. 'The Simple Life' is now one of my favorite songs ever. I could listen to it for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. It was three years of hard work well spent. Other original songs include: You Will Not Be Forgotten, For You, To the Moon and Back, Reach for the Stars, Thought of Her, Do What You Love, and The Best of Me. I can't get enough of any of these songs! He plays the instruments, records the vocals, and then puts it all together all on his own. I can't imagine how much time and effort is put in to his stuff. He literally puts his everything in to his work. I believe that's what makes it so good. His heart and sole are obvious when he performs and records.
Not only does he put out his own work, but he does plenty of covers as well. His most recent was one that I was shocked to hear, but I still loved it. He did a cover for 'Talking Body' and posted it on SoundCloud. He's also done covers of Sweater Weather, Cardiac Arrest, Seaside, We're Going to be Friends, and Somewhere Only We Know. Of course, you can find others if you search the web. It just seems like there is nothing that this kid can't do.
Music isn't his only strong point though. Oh, no. Why would it be? The highlight to Keaton is his personality. For being as well liked and popular as he is at his age, he is very down to earth. He has a great sense of humor that few will fully understand, but everybody loves. He is shy and quiet, yet he can conquer the X-Factor, perform on TV, and in front of thousands with up-most confidence. He always has a positive attitude and spreads it wherever he goes. I've never once seen this kid say something pessimistic unless he was merely joking or it was simply the truth. He is an inspiration, someone to look up to.
My dream is to meet this kid. We have a lot in common and I'm sure we'd be great friends. I don't want to know him because he's famous. I want to know him because he's just such an amazing person. I've never heard of another like him and I don't think anyone ever will. He is one of a kind. He's 18 years old and it seems like he can do anything and everything! He's one of those people that make me wonder what I'm doing with my life. I NEED a Keaton in my life. I want TO BE Keaton. I've never met him, but he's stolen my heart. Love you Keater Pan!



-Please click the links to show Keaton some love! He really does deserve it! :)