I may be a little late on reviewing Justin Timberlake’s newest offering, but better late than never.
Justin Timberlake The 20/20 Experience
Downloading The 20/20 Experience made me think I was going to be thrown back to being a teenager, getting excited about SexyBack and way before that Rock Your Body.
Nope.
Apart from Suit & Tie, Justin’s first album for seven years was a mature grown-up sound. Which I’m guessing was what he was going for, especially with his Tom Ford-revamped look, no more curls just the sweet sound of a blow-dryer as they disappear from atop his head.
I get it Justin is grown up, he’s married for christ sake (Jessica Biel I damn you to hell). Every love song on his album sounds like he’s singing it personally to his new wife, which is a bummer because I would really like to listen to Mirrors and dream that he was talking about me.
We went through somewhat of a Justin fatigue in the run up to his album release, he spent a week on Jimmy Fallon promoting it with a few funny sketches and the return of the history of rap, and as a result he nearly topped ONE MILLION album sales in the first week of release which barely happens anymore. So well done to him for pimping himself out and hilariously toppling David Bowie from the album charts much to the chagrin of all you Bowie lovers out there.
I’ve listened to the album a couple of times, and I like it but it doesn’t set my world on fire like his first two albums did. They contain happy memories and his new album is so different to what my music taste has grown to be like that it will no doubt linger unplayed apart from when I want to feel nostalgic for those missing teenage years.
I will always be a fan of Justin Timberlake (nee Trousersnake) but I really wanted to be nostalgic, not all this maturity and marriage and love stuff.
Mild panic turned into hysteria the other night as I casually Googled myself to see what people in general could find out about me.
There existing in its own little 18-year-old universe was my old MySpace page.
The offending article.
For five full panic-ridden minutes I argued with myself that I had almost definitely, positively deleted it from the World Wide Web.
But it was there staring at me in all it’s duck face posing glory.
What’s worse is the same password I’ve been using since I was 14 didn’t work nor did it recognise my email. What could I do to get rid of this embarrassing abomination?
A hunt through the FAQs lays the answer to all my problems, the MySpace Salute of course.
What the frick is that you may ask? Because I wondered the same.
The only way to remove your account from the internets is to send a picture of you saluting your original MySpace URL. And then forever more be in the gallery of stupid idiots that fell for that.
What can I possibly do now, because as far as I’m concerned the former and soon to be re-crowned prince of pop Justin Timberlake owns my soul.
The achingly embarrassing streams of crap that I wrote about myself, not knowing that only seven short years later I would develop into a person that Does. Not. Like. To. Share.
I need my soul back please JT.
MySpace was officially relaunched this past week and it is safe to say the focus is all about the seamless integration of music in social media, allowing you to connect with friends, and discover new artists. (Not the aforementioned streams of crap.)
Justin Timberlake along with his business partners Chris and Tim Vanderhook have a controlling stake in MySpace, and it just so happens that in the same week MySpace was relaunched JT also relaunched his music career. Now that’s a genius act of marketing I ever did see.
From what I remember MySpace’s original strength was music, remember when it launched the career of Lily Allen et al? There wasn’t a day that went by in the earlyish 2000s that a new artist was launched because of MySpace, and from the help all those fans of course. You were encouraged to make playlists (that annoyingly played automatically when visiting other pages), and it seems that the new version wants you to do the same with it’s very clever music player.
I’m not sure I’ll be signing up to make a new account, but it may be the only way to somehow hack into my existing account to get rid of it and that stupid video of me and unnamed friends dancing and singing to Backstreet Boys…
I say good luck to the new MySpace, I think we’re about ready for a new(ish) social media platform especially for music because I mean who cares about Facebook these days?
All I ask is if you think about rejoining is no more duck face. Please.
If you have any solutions that doesn’t involve me doing a MySpace Salute, I will happily accept them in the comments box below.
And please feel free to share any of your own MySpace horrors, I bet it’s still out there in cyber space and you didn’t even know it!
As I’m currently compiling my best dressed of the year lists, I thought I’d look through my blog posts from this past year and pick out my favourite ones. It’s hugely self indulgent, but as I was looking back there were so much stuff I’d forgotten I’d written about especially in the earlier part of the year.
I’ve picked one from each month, so if you find yourself currently bored of wrapping presents have a look! Check back later in the week to see who made my Best Dressed of 2012.
January: Shailene Woodley vs Jennifer Lawrence - The two actresses at similar places in their careers, Jennifer Lawrence has had another great year with The Hunger Games and The Silver Linings Playbook.
Jennifer Lawrence in Dolce & Gabbana at the Independent Spirit Awards 2011 and Shailene Woodley in Honor at the 2012 AFI Awards.
February: Spring Couture - a look at my favourite couture pieces, Elie Saab has to be Being Oreo’s most featured designer!
Elie Saab Kasia Struss
March:New Yorkshire Music: Seafret - I interviewed this up and coming Yorkshire duo earlier this year, I predict big things for Seafret in the next few years!
April:Dawson’s Creek possible reunion - This topic will not die down, and now that Katie Holmes has been released from her marriage who knows what the future holds?!
May:Christina Ricci at the MET Gala - Christina Ricci was a standout at the MET Gala for me this year, the dress is super quirky but who would guess that she is only 5″1 she knows how to werq it!
Christina Ricci at the MET Gala 2012 in a bespoke Thakoon dress.
June: Blake Lively Savages press tour and Diane Kruger at Cannes 2012 - It was too difficult to pick just one post for June, especially when two of my favourite style crushes had fabulous runs on their respective red carpets. Blake Lively was back to her amazing self promoting Savages and Diane Kruger did a fantastic job as judge at the Cannes Film Festival with an array of couture.
Blake Lively in Zuhair Murad Couture at the LA Premiere of Savages
Diane Kruger in Vivienne Westwood at the Amour premiere in Cannes 2012
July:Kate Upton wants to enjoy life and eat - Kate Upton seems to have made an impression on everyone this year, she must be one of the most controversial models to grace the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue ever, all because she likes to eat apparently.
Kate Upton on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition
September:It’s September again… Television time! - I like my American television, and I think this is a great guide for those who want to know what imports to watch when they appear on British tellyboxes. This year Fringe comes to an end, which I am very upset about as that will mean Joshua Jackson needs to get another job lined up sharpish!
Tyler Hoechlin as Derek in Teen Wolf. Check out the hilarious recaps from Price Peterson over at TV.com
October:Emma Stone and that Maje coat - One of my most popular posts this year, Emma Stone worked the hell out of that coat.
Emma Stone at the Musee Rodin in Paris, wearing a Maje coat.
November:A zombie romance for Valentine’s Day: Warm Bodies - This is on my 2013 film list already, really looking forward to seeing it and will get round to reading the book if it’s not too scary!
Nicholas Hoult as R in Warm Bodies, out February 8, 2013.
December: Twilight: Kristen Stewart - I definitely have a love/hate relationship with Kristen Stewart, I make myself laugh at how shocked I was she was named Best Dressed of 2012 by Glamour just a few months into the year! This is a round up of her best Twilight red carpet looks with an extra addition or two, but her street style will always keep her on my worst dressed list!
This technically isn’t related to Twilight, but Kristen in Reem Acra on the Cannes Red Carpet for Cosmopolis is one of my all time favourite Kristen looks.
It seems like everybody went to Coachella at some point over the both weekends it was on, and once again I was not one of them.
This festival is one of the first in the summer (nearly) season, albeit in the US but still it’s as much of a fashion show as it is about the music. Plenty of trends were a-popping but the main style staple were denim cutoffs, in every kinda style.
Something so easy to copy and denim is a fantastic material to customise, I already have mine ready for Leeds Fest 2012 in August:
The studs are actually gold which for some reason doesn't show in this! (Originally from Topshop)
Back to the celebs at Coachella, my ultimate favorite look from the festival has to go to Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Those gams. That hair. And that body. She looked flawless in a pair of Christopher Kane embellished shorts and a simple white J Brand shirt open to reveal a bikini top, Givenchy boots finished off this great twist on casual dressing.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley at Coachella
Kate Bosworth has never been a firm favourite of mine, but her Isabel Marant cowboy shirt had to be hands down the best thing I saw. I will definitely be hunting out a western inspired lightweight shirt for this summmer. She is a great day dresser, minus a couple of accessories you can never go wrong with Isabel Marant Dicker boots though… I will own a pair one day!
Kate Bosworth at Coachella
Another sight that made me smile with glee was the sight of my favourite ever couple Diane Kruger and Josh Jackson. They love Coachella and were spotted there last year with another cool couple Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder. Thank god they were there again this year, after rumours buzzed about on the internet the other week that the couple had split I started to worry but lo and behold they are back and look as in love as ever!
The gang back together at Coachella this year, Josh Jackson, Nina Dobrev, Diane Kruger and Ian Somerhalder. Yey.
Diane and Josh back together. Diane is wearing a Stella McCartney Palm Print Dress, £170 and those Dicker boots.
Rihanna was there at the festival to perform with Calvin Harris, she jumped off stage to sing with her BFF Katy Perry who was in the crowd. The one time she can get away with a cropped bra top has to be at a festival, and this PEACE top and a Chanel bomber jacket paired with the best studded denim cutoffs I have seen, looked fit.
Rihanna at Coachella.
Oh and I can’t post about Coachella without mentioning Joe Maganiello. Shirtless. Dreamy.
Joe Maganiello. Shirtless at Coachella.
Other majah celebs in attendance were Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, not worth a picture because they looked like homeless people. Katy Perry of course was there with her rumoured new beau Robert Ackroyd of Florence + the Machine, wonder if she will ever get that tattoo the same as Russell’s covered up? Emma Watson with her new boyf, lacking in good hair (poor pixie crop). Gerard Butler, Alexander Skarsgaard, Emma Roberts with on again boyf Chord Overstreet, Dita Von Teese with Hurts frontman boyf, Zoe Kravitz and Penn Badgley looking like the 90′s barfed on them and various others.
A recent signing with record label B-Unique, a new album in the making, a great live sound and these two unlikely lads make up some of the finest talent to come out of Bridlington.
Seafret are Jack Sedman, 19, on vocals, and Harry Draper, 16, on guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin and any other instrument he can lay his hands on!
The duo met back in August 2010 after being introduced at The Ship Inn pub in Sewerby, and coming up with the name which is a play on the ‘fret’ of a guitar and the sea we live so close by, the rest as so many before them say is history. Jack says of the meeting: “I was introduced to Harry and invited round to his house, I went round and it just kind of worked.”
They form a wonderfully unique sound, a mixture of husky Paolo Nutini-esque vocals from Jack – that he only discovered he possessed around eighteen months ago – and Harry’s magical guitar riffs that have audiences hypnotised. Harry is a rarity, after picking up the guitar out of boredom two years ago he taught himself to play, along with guidance from his musician dad Chris Draper.
Chris, of Moonshine Music Men, is clearly a huge influence on the boys as well as Jack’s own dad Mike Sedman, formerly of International Rescue and now of the band Duck Baby. Jack says: “Most of the music comes from home. I saw my Dad play and thought I want to do that, and obviously with [Harry’s] dad as well.”
Apart from the family influences, a big inspiration for Jack and Harry is the late singer John Martyn, his music was blurred between folk, jazz, rock and blues. The boys say, “He had a similar sound to what we play with an acoustic guitar, and he defined strange chords with different melodies.”
Fascinatingly the boys form their melodies first and then add the lyrics, Jack explains, “The music is born and then I’ll bring the lyrics to the guitar and then we just work from there.”
They are currently recording their first album under record label B-Unique, a publishing and recording contract sees them in a nine-month development period where they are gigging, writing and recording music and then will make the album at the end of the nine months, which is around seven months from now.
The boys admitted they find it easier in the studio recording music, and already have over 25 original tracks laid down but will have to narrow them to, at the most, ten tracks.
Jack says of the album-making process: “At the minute in the studio we’re recording live basically, we’re both in the same room with no division between us and two microphones set up and that’s how we record the songs. We might not even use some of the songs we’ve got now but the ones we like we can re-record and use those for the album.”
Jack and Harry are both in agreement that even if they hadn’t been signed very early on in their short career, they would still be very heavily involved in music even if it meant busking and gigging wherever they could, Jack says: “I didn’t mind whether it was just busking on the street or to make a living doing gigs if we got offered them. I only knew I could sing a few months before I met Harry and after that I just fell in love with it.”
“We’re lucky we’re in the position now where we’re getting paid to do what we want to do.
“I love the music we make.”
If you’re reading this and you don’t live near Bridlington in East Yorkshire, UK (David Hockney-land) then please take the time to watch some of their videos, and let them know what you think of their music!
You can find the band on Facebook here or add them on Twitter @Seafret2011.
They are also headlining the Limetree Festival in Masham, North Yorkshire, August 24-26, 2012.
She debuted her new single the other week and then followed the video, after that a storming performance of Run the World (Girls) at the Billboard Music Awards where she was honoured with a Millenium Award for being the artist she has become today and then another fantastic show on Oprah’s final season. And now slowly but surely, on Facebook it seems Beyonce is releasing her track list for the new album simply titled ’4′, 4 after her date of birth, 4 after the date of her marriage, and 4 after her fourth solo album. Of course it’s going to be massive, 28th June it is to be released and then hopefully will follow the announcement of a new worldwide tour as this is the way B does things. She’s taken the time out to be a wife and to enjoy her life, now she’s back and she’s as Sasha Fierce as ever. I couldn’t be more excited.
