In honor of the world's favorite redhead releasing new music for the first time since 2014, I present to you my five favorite tear-inducing, I-need-a-pint-of-ice-cream-asap songs of the wonderful Ed Sheeran.
5. Thinking Out Loud
When I first listened to the X album, this song was one of the standouts. From the first line, Ed sings about how he will love this woman until they are very old. They won't be as active or young looking, but will still appreciate the little things that made them fall in love years ago. His lyrics make the listener want to find that same never-dying affection, and though the radio played this song to death, my non-existent future husband better prep himself to hear this at the wedding reception.
4. Give Me Love
An immediate favorite from +, there is so much passion in this track as Ed's voice intensifies with the progression of the song. By the end, he is belting out the same line over and over - "Give me love" - and there's so much longing behind that simple repetition. On the album version, if you listen past the song, there is a bonus track tucked away at the very end called "The Parting Glass," that is simple and hauntingly beautiful.
3. Lego House
This is a classic Ed Sheeran track that I can never get sick of. The melody and lyrics are absolutely adorable. He sings about caring for a woman and doing everything in his power to make her happy and comfortable - "And if you're broken I'll mend ya, and keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on." *swoon*
2. All Of The Stars
As the ending credits track for the movie The Fault in Our Stars, this song has caused millions of actual tears to shed onto theater seats and popcorn. It's the perfect summary for the story of two teens who fall madly in love despite the odds and their deteriorating health. Spoiler alert, the boy passes away because of cancer, and the girl must learn to keep living while holding tight to his memory and the hope of seeing him again.
1. Kiss Me
One of Ed's lesser known tracks but by far my favorite, "Kiss Me" describes that magical instant that you fall in love with someone. One particular verse gets me everytime - "I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet." I guess chances are slim that I'll hear that from any guy at happy hour this weekend...
It's still unclear when we can get our hands on the new Ed Sheeran album, but hopefully it's filled with more swoon-worthy lyrics about falling in love that average guys have virtually no chance of living up to.
It was about a month ago. I was in the kitchen when I heard it. That beautiful, magical theme song from Harry Potter coming from my living room television. I bolted into the other room like a crazy lady.
Harry Potter? Where?!
To my disappointment it wasn't my favorite boy who lived, but a trailer for J.K Rowling's new movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. At first I wasn't pleased.
This isn't Harry Potter. They can't use the same theme song!
But after some research, I soon discovered that Fantastic Beasts takes place in the same magical world, with connections to Harry, just seventy years prior in New York. Needless to say, I had to see it, and this week I finally got to the movies to feed into my wizarding world obsession.
While the original Harry Potter series will always be my true love, I thoroughly enjoyed Fantastic Beasts. The story centers around Newt Scamander, a British wizard who travels to New York and accidentally sets his suitcase full of magical creatures loose on the city of Muggles, or No-Maj's as the American wizards call the non-magical community.
Eddie Redmayne plays Newt, and he is absolutely adorable and charming (despite his Hufflepuff colored scarf...). His mission in life is to rescue various creatures in the wizarding world who most deem to be dangerous, not unlike our old Hogwarts friend Hagrid with his love for dragons and hippogriffs.
Many of the creatures that find their way out of Newt's case are actually taught to Harry and his friends in Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures classes. These include a rather clingy bowtruckle and a fuzzy little niffler that you can cuddle with AND set loose to collect gold. Think PetSmart has any??
In addition to the creatures, Fantastic Beasts has a few more links to the world of Harry that fans have become so familiar with. Many times, Rowling mentions how Dumbledore defeated the powerful wizard Grindelwald years before. It has always been a sort of fun fact about the headmaster that no one elaborated on until now.
In Fantastic Beasts we see Grindelwald (played by Johnny Depp) firsthand, masked as another wizard, trying to control the young Credence who just learned about his magical abilities. In one scene, Grindelwald places a necklace upon Credence's neck with a triangular pendant symbol on it - the Deathly Hallows. I guess Krum was right in wanting to fight Xenophilius Lovegood for wearing the symbol at Bill and Fleur's wedding.
Voldemort's loyal supporter, Bellatrix Lestrange, is also touched on in the film, or rather her ancestors. Spoiler alert, the leading female character Tina, played by Katherine Waterston, starts to fall in love with Newt. However, a picture of a young woman is spotted by Tina's friend, Queenie, in his room. When asked about her, Newt explains how she is a Lestrange, and how she was a friend of his at Hogwarts. Queenie warns him that the Lestrange's aren't the best wizarding family to be involved with, so it's clear that they supported the dark arts years before Bellatrix even existed.
For me, Fantastic Beasts had everything - action, comedic relief, a love story, subtle connections to Harry, and a cute British lead. Rumor has it that Rowling is creating a series of movies, and if it's going to consist of another eight, I'll need some time to track down a niffler....
It's almost the start of 2017, which means new beginnings and an overflow of Oprah Winfrey weightloss commercials. Yes, I want to be a better person and do great things like the rest of us this year, but more importantly, I'm already planning ahead for all of the music, books, movies, and shows I want to take in over the next 12 months.
Music
NIALL HORAN - Let's all take a deep breath because my favorite member of One Direction is releasing an ALBUM. A few months back, Niall released the single, "This Town," which was pure heaven. The simple melody and vocals suited him perfectly, and I have my fingers crossed that the album will follow a similar style. Niall recently told E! News that he's still in the writing and recording process, but "it should be coming soon."
FALLING IN REVERSE - On a similar note, another of my favorite bands, Falling In Reverse, just released a heart-wrenching single called "Coming Home" which I can only assume means a new album is coming. The song has a different, more relaxed and futuristic vibe than most of their heavier music, which myself and other fans have come to know them for. I'm all for some chill, emotional songs, but it won't be a Falling in Reverse album without Ronnie screaming about an ex, drugs, and the general stupidity of humanity.
Movies
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - It's a tale as old as time, yet I will forever love Beauty and the Beast. A real-life version of the Disney classic will be released in March, with one of my favorite actresses, Emma Watson, as Belle. Only quick clips have been released over the past few months, but we finally have a full-length trailer to hold us over until the movie officially hits theaters.
Books
HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD - If there's one obsession that has stayed with me since my grade school days, it's Harry Potter. Over the summer, I got my hands on Harry Potter and The Cursed Child as soon as it hit shelves. However, it's now December and I still haven't touched it. Why? I couldn't just jump into a new Harry story after years since The Deathly Hallows. It just wouldn't seem right. So, I started from book one and am working my way through the series. It's been years since I read them, and the story still holds the same excitement and magic as when I was a kid (as does my undying love for Malfoy). Hopefully The Cursed Child doesn't disappoint.
GAME OF THRONES - A few months ago, I powered through every season of Game of Thrones and fell in love with everything from the theme song to the million storylines to keep track of. After consulting with several friends about the book series and getting mixed reviews, I decided to give them a try. These will need to wait until after Harry Potter, but I can already see they may very well take until 2018 to finish....talk about small print!
Television
BEYOND - Every year, Freeform (previously ABC Family) launches a few new series. Some stick like Pretty Little Liars while most fizzle out after one or two seasons. The station is premiering Beyond on January 2nd, and it seems like something I can easily get hooked on. The plot of the show focuses on a guy named Holden who wakes up from a coma after 12 years and needs to figure out what happened to him. In typical Freeform fashion, I'm sure there will be some love interests and sketchy people who you know from the first episode had SOMETHING to do with the coma.
So, if you need me in 2017, I will be binging all of the above while working on my abs and trying to mentally curse out less people on the subway. Happy New Year!
If there's one thing I don't mind spending money on, it's concert tickets.
"$10 for a sweater? Ehhhh gotta think about it..."
"$50 to see my favorite band? *lunges for debit card*"
Since I was a kid, I've always loved the thrill of a concert. My dad took me to my first show when I was about eight to see Shania Twain, and I became obsessed with the excitement of seeing and hearing my favorite artists in person. Over the years, I saw huge productions from artists like Britney Spears, and also gained an appreciation for smaller venues. Standing so close to David Cook at World Live Cafe that he could hear audience members breathing was a surreal experience.
I've managed to keep the passion for concerts alive, and in the span of a day, I recently bought tickets to two shows in 2017 that I'm pretty hype for.
On January 28th, I will be seeing for the third time one of my absolute favorite bands, Falling in Reverse, which features my "tattoo man" Ronnie Radke as the lead singer. FIR will be at The Fillmore in Philly, which I've been to several times and STILL get lost trying to find their parking lot.
I first saw Falling in Reverse at the Electric Factory last Thanksgiving break, and though it was my first concert that involved mosh pits and crowd surfers, it was an amazing night. I've idolized Ronnie since I learned about his story of getting sober and fighting his way back into the music industry. He's one of the best live performers I've ever witnessed, and I can't wait to see what kind of show he's going to put on - he's been posting tons of cryptic pictures on Instagram, which are hopefully foreshadowing some new music!
On February 13th aka an awkward Monday night, I'll be heading to TLA for my second Jake Miller concert. I first heard about Jake when he randomly followed me on Twitter a few years back. After checking out his profile (and seeing how attractive he is), I listened to his music and was immediately hooked. He's a cross between pop, R&B, and rap and has a slightly younger fan base called the Miller-tary (get it??).
I had the extremely cool opportunity to do a phone interview with him for my college's newspaper, and though he was in the middle of a crowded mall being swarmed by fans, he was the nicest guy and took the time to talk about his music, touring, and how he's lost track of how many hats he owns.
Seeing Jake has become a sort of tradition for my one friend and I. One year, we waited several hours in the bitter cold to meet him at an album signing, and had to take turns standing next to the heater at a nearby bank. We then waited about six hours in the scorching heat a few months later to get a good spot in line for another of his TLA concerts. He puts on a really good show, and I'm excited to see him perform some of his new music from "Overnight."
Black Friday. A day where we get to trample other shoppers for awesome deals on televisions, clothes, and endless other things we don't need. Do you want to know the extent of my Black Friday shopping? A trip to Target at about 3:00 in the afternoon to get Finding Dory for ten dollars.
You might be thinking "that's it??" Yes, yes it is. When Finding Dory came out in theaters a few months back, I saw it twice in the span of a week and loved it even more the second time. I'll admit, I wasn't crazy about Finding Nemo growing up. I always liked Toy Story and other Disney movies much better. So when this little blue fish made me die of laughter and almost cry several times, I knew she was something special.
If you're NOT familiar with the movie (I promise I'm not judging...too much), here's a quick summary of the plot. The movie starts out with Dory during her childhood, and OMG she couldn't have been cuter with her giant pink eyes that take up half of her face. Dory has suffered from short-term memory loss since she was born, and her parents work extra hard to show her love and praise for her accomplishments.
Dory tries her hardest to make her parents proud but accidentally gets swept up in the undertow and through the pipes, and ends up miles away from her home. Fast-forward a bit, and she meets Marlin and Nemo and starts her new life with them. It's not until she's assisting with Nemo's class one day that memories of her parents start to emerge, and she sets off on a quest to California to find them.
Along the way, Dory manages to befriend Hank, the cranky octopus (septopus, if we're being technical...), Marlin gets imprinted on by the twitchy, cross-eyed bird named Becky, and we meet various other lovable characters like Dory's old pipe pal, Destiny the whale.
But most importantly, Dory is able to find her parents. Despite her choppy memories and lack of confidence in herself, she accomplishes the seemingly impossible goal that she put her mind to. Lessons that her parents taught her as a child keep coming back in flashes, particularly one from her father when she was having trouble lifting a rather large shell. He told her, "There's always another way," and this allows her to assess her difficult situation, take a new path, and succeed.
Dory's mom also told her, "You can do whatever you put your mind to," which is a piece of advice we can all live by. In life, we are constantly questioning our ability to succeed, whether it be starting a new career path, maintaining a quality relationship, or just making ourselves better people. There's always that voice of doubt in the back of our minds, but we need to create a new voice that encourages us and pushes us forward.
Dory may not have had it all figured out when she set off across the ocean with Marlin and Nemo, but she taught me a lot. I don't have to have a set plan. I just need to recognize my overarching goal, take some pretty crazy chances, and "just keep swimming" until I get there.
As much as I've been trying to contain it until after Thanksgiving, today I transitioned into full on Christmas elf. I blasted "O Come All Ye Faithful" by Pentatonix in my car, and turned into a complete five-year-old when I spotted Santa at the mall.
So, to keep the spirit going, I've decided to share some of my favorite holiday movies that I have to watch each year before Christmas can officially occur.
1. A Christmas Story
Every year on Christmas day, I obsessively watch the TBS 24 hour marathon without getting the least bit sick of Ralphie's excitement over his new Red Ryder or Scut Farkus' obnoxious laugh. Towards the end of the night, I always need to battle my family for the remote, but complaining that it's the "last showing" and how I "won't see it again for a year" usually wins out.
It's just a story that you can't get tired of. Ralphie is your typical middle-school boy, struggling through class and bullies, and all he wants for Christmas is an "official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot, range model air rifle" but his mom keeps putting her foot down, concerned about his safety. In the end, his grouchy but loving dad comes through and gives him the gun, disguised as a present from Santa.
Watching the marathon will forever be one of my favorite yearly traditions. On Christmas Eve, my mom always makes anchovy gravy and fried shrimp, and after dinner, we break out the coffee and butter cookies as Ralphie gazes into the toy store window to get his first glimpse of Red Ryder.
2. A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott version)
There's so many versions of A Christmas Carol out there. Endless actors have done a solid job at playing Scrooge, but the version with George C. Scott is the only one that I grew up watching, and therefore holds a special place with me.
Yes, it's the same story as all the others, but there's something about his portrayal and delivery of Scrooge that adds a new dynamic to the character. You still dislike Scrooge, but there's a comical sarcasm that Scott brings to the scenes that makes you want to like him and actually root for him.
He plays greedy and mean well, but joyous and apologetic even better. When he wakes up on Christmas morning after his visit from the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, he leaps up and down on his bed yelling "Merry Christmas to the world!" The scene gives you the urge to leap around your house doing the exact same thing.
A Christmas Carol is my Christmas Eve tradition (yes, I manage take a break from A Christmas Story). I'll usually start the DVD a little after 10pm, this way by the time Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning, it's after midnight and actually Christmas in real time.
3. The Polar Express
I'm going to be honest...when this first came out, I wasn't a fan. I thought it was very lengthy and that the storyline was slow. Man, was I stupid. A few years ago, I decided to give it another shot and by the final credits, ended up on my couch in tears surrounded by empty chocolate wrappers. Needless to say, I was pretty touched.
First off, the music is absolutely beautiful. It's a similar melody that plays in the background for many of the scenes, and it's perfect for the setting and storyline. Several songs are extremely catchy, including the hot chocolate one on the train, and "When Christmas Comes to Town."
My absolute favorite is Josh Groban's "Believe" that plays through the final credits. I never got chills like I did the first time I heard it - from the lyrics to the melody, it's an all around wonderful song for the entire year.
"Believe in what you feel inside, and give your dreams the wings to fly. You have everything you need...if you just believe."
The storyline managed to give me chills as well. The main boy is getting older and is starting to question the reality of Santa Claus. It's not until he gets to the North Pole and physically sees him, that he fully believes. The boy receives the first gift of Christmas from Santa - a bell from his sleigh. Only people who truly believe in Santa can hear the bell's chime.
Over the years, his friends and little sister stop hearing the bell. This part depressed me to no end because I remember (spoiler alert) when I realized Santa didn't exist as a kid. However, the boy continues to hear the chime even as an adult. Moral of the story - no matter how old you get, you can't lose that magic and excitement of childhood. Reality will set in, there will be responsibilities. But through it all, you can't stop believing in happiness and dreams.
There's so many other great movies that if I kept going, Christmas would be over. So I'll leave you with quite possibly the greatest holiday song of our time...
One night after an exceptionally long day at work, I was watching some music videos on NickMusic. After one forgettable pop song after the next, my mind was drifting elsewhere until one line caught my attention...
"I've heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord..."
"Hallelujah" has always been one of my favorite songs since I first heard it in Shrek as a kid. Over the years, endless people have covered it, but this version by the acapella band, Pentatonix, was different.
I always enjoyed listening to Pentatonix around the holidays, and that was it...until this song. The video is simple but captivating. It starts off with one of the lead vocalists, Scott Hoying, singing the first verse and staring into your soul through the camera. Each member then follows suit and crushes each of their own solos. Meanwhile, Kevin Olusola makes it sound like there's an entire drum section behind the band using only his voice and body.
Hands down, the best part of the song is Mitch Grassi's solo towards the end. His voice is absolutely beautiful and managed to give me goosebumps the higher he sang.
Over the next week, I listened to the song any chance I got - before work, before bed, before going out. etc. My dad quickly jumped on the Pentatonix train as well, and also had the video on repeat. One night, inspiration struck - the band was going to be in Philly on Sunday, Nov 13th, so I offered to take him as an early Christmas present. After the shock of my offer wore off, he was all for it and I purchased tickets within the hour.
Pentatonix was quite possibly one of the best groups I've seen live. It was easy to forget that there wasn't a live band behind them because you still felt that thump in your chest from Kevin's percussions and Avi's insanely deep voice. They sang everything from Michael Jackson to Justin Bieber, and threw in a few original songs like "Sing."
Pentatonix live at Liacouras Center in Philadelphia Nov 13th
From L to R - Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Mitch Grassi
Towards the end of the show, they mentioned the great Leonard Cohen, and the entire crowd went nuts because "Hallelujah" was finally next. It sounded even better than the record and tiny Mitch with his enormous voice managed to bring out the goosebumps once again.
As part of their encore, they sang the eerie "Light in the Hallway" but took it a step further. The entire arena was asked to not make a sound, while Pentatonix huddled in the center of the stage and performed the song without microphones. They sounded exceptionally beautiful, and managed to keep hundreds of people engaged with just pure, raw talent.
Their Christmas album, A Pentatonix Christmas, is out now and they'll also have their own NBC special on December 14th. Only 29 days away?? Let the countdown begin.
