Millennium Rewind

If you've been following me on Twitter (@goddessjaz), then you know I've been doing my music #millenniumrewind all week. I've been taking a musical trip down memory lane...resurfacing warm memories of alcohol-induced dancing at college, dredging up memories of painful breakups, and sweating out the past that's linked to these tunes so I can move forward. They are pretty random but I hope these joints will sweep some cobwebs away from more pleasant moments of the decade. Catch me here on Blip.fm.

read more

Ladies Hit and Miss at the AMAs

In case you missed the American Music Awards (God/ddess for bid), here's pretty much what you need to see. Oh, and Taylor Swift beat out Michael Jackson for the "Artist of the Year." She was very humble about it, and was totally floored. As was the audience. Hey Kanye, Taylor thanks you!



HITS:



because you know how i feel about Shakira, and the song has a positive, inspirational message ("anything you want you can make it yours"), and the women dancing on stage and in the aisles are powerful! people say i'm biased b/c of my love for her, and i am, but it was jammin'. that's a serious workout too, trust. stepping may not be her forte and the lyrics are simple, but it doesn't have to be profound, it's entertainment. big up.







i loved Gaga's performance...she shines on stage, theatrics to the max and rawe emotion. she can sing and play music...she's a bit out there but she's badass. i didn't get all the hype until she performed Paparazzi at the VMAS; now I'm a believer. *kicks self for not getting tickets to her show at Radio City*







and the Queen Janet Jackson, doing a medley of joints from "Control," "Rhythm Nation," "Janet," and "the Velvet Rope" and executing her old signature moves beautifully. i feel lucky to have grown up with her.







MISSES:



damn Rihanna, you know i'm cheering for you. but i also know that you're a studio singer and you make hot radio and album cuts, and you are not really a performer. i've seen her do better but you know, i still rock out to her joints on the album. in the meantime though, singing lessons for Ri-Ri?







and a million sighs and shaken heads for this performance from Jennifer Lopez debuting her new song, "Louboutins." The dancing was eh, but can we move on from these songs about shoes, clothes, labels, bullshit? An entire song advertising some expensive ass shoes? I know it's entertainment as I stated earlier, but this is wack. The beat isn't even club-worthy. Don't you have something better to sing about? Anything? Maybe you could write a song? And as I'm sure you know she falls in this performance...which isn't what makes it bad (I actually cringe seeing it)...maybe she's just trying to hard. (take cues from Janet's performance) thanks.



src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-MUu6710PrI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344">



A.Keys, I dunno. I don't like to pigeonhole artists because people want to try different things and expand but I'm not feeling the dancing. 1) because it wasn't that good, and 2) because it's what Beyonce does, and Bey does it much better. And Alicia's vocals aren't that strong for her to be moving around that much. She's incredible behind the piano but tone down dancing, please. Or at least, try something original. (peep the floating piano too...i dunno)







FOR GOOD MEASURE:



Jay-Z isn't a lady as per the title of this post but with Alicia with him, it counts. The song of the moment-or last 3 months...especially if you're a Yankee fan (Holla!!!) and/or live in New York, and probably everywhere else. Unfortunately, I can't find a link that includes A-Rod introducing them. I love it...so appropriate on so many levels! A-Rod love to get his celebrity on, bless his heart. Alicia's intro is gorgeous, again Yankee fans can certainly appreciate it.

read more

part deux: what makes a music video?

I got a lot of responses on Facebook to my previous post "what makes a music video?" where I talked trash about the videos of today, and bigged up Paula Abdul's classic "Cold-Hearted." In the midst of the discussion, Goddesses Rising sister, Angelika, mentioned the contributions of Janet Jackson, and thus I'm inspired to make this a continuous series...cause if you know me, you know I love my music videos. It's what I grew up on, so I reserve the right to be critical.

Ms. Jackson followed her big brother's footsteps in creating captivating music videos that used dance theatrically to illustrate stories. Michael's short films gave weight and legitimacy to music videos as a viable promotional tool and art form. Janet consistently made entertaining videos whether it was just concert footage or a full-fledged film to her latest single.

Case in point: the above video from her powerhouse album "Rhythm Nation." It has all we need for a dope video. A) catchy song, B) ill choreography, C) an engaging story/theme/concept, D) a set that transforms you to another time and place, E) unexpected celeb cameos and F) a verse from someone from Mt. Vernon (I kid! kinda). But seriously...even though Janet may have had a huge budget and the pull to get major stars to appear in the video, she had a clear vision and used her strengths (i.e. her dancing) to create something timeless. Note how the video isn't a direct translation of the song, but it takes the viewer/listener on a journey and transports us as if we are dancing in the streets right there with her.

This is just one of my favs from her video collection. On the opposite end of the budget and drama spectrum, think back to "The Pleasure Principle." It was filmed in a warehouse with a wooden chair, a microphone stand and a mirror. All she had to do was wear tight jeans and dance. Yet she still told a story...with her body. I still wish I could do that chair trick.

What's your favorite Janet Jackson video? So much to choose from! In the meantime, double your pleasure:

read more

what makes a music video?

Queen Makeda and I were checking out the videos for Mariah Carey's "Obsessed" video and Cassie's "Must Be Love," and unfortunately, they were really wack. The "plots" are weak, there was no dancing-just a lot of posing and making love to the camera, and they were snoozingly boring on top of that. The "Obsessed" theme is taken so literally and I wish she did something sexier and more powerful for the song (maybe in black and white), rather than doing something cheeky/corny (the bus=fail). I didn't expect much from Cassie but 4 minutes is way too long to look at her bedroom eye and wall-writhing. It's too bad because the songs are hot and I'm sure someone could create more stimulating visuals to go with those beats. But I suppose that's a lot of popular videos out today.

I feel like an old-head talking about how great things were in the past (I'm too young for that!) but it's undeniable that the quality of mainstream music videos has seriously declined. It became glaringly evident in the immediate aftermath of Michael Jackson's death that he brought music videos to an art form. We can't expect everyone to create major theatrical productions as the King of Pop did, but damn, at least can there be some thought and creativity into it? It can be done without a mega budget too...peep the example and case in point below.

Let's take a walk down memory lane with one of the dopest videos ever made. Certified. Talented dancers, evocative choreography and a sexy theme cleverly placed on a simple warehouse set with basic lycra and spandex costumes and no special effects. Substance over style, my friends. Cassie, Mariah, Beyonce (yes, you too) need to take some notes from this artist, her video collection is solid and she respects dance as the foundation that takes videos to the next level.

(stay tuned this is gonna be a series...)

read more

Summer Soulstice

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the Summer Solstice that began June 21st and is actually in effect until today, June 24th, especially since it's been so powerful. One more day to write down your wishes and intentions for the season and place them into the Universe. As per sister Twelfth Moon's solstice suggestions, I have been thinking about how to best love myself and what role fear has been playing in my course. I've also been having vivid dreams uniting the links my subconscious and the life I'm living every time I wake up. The details are not fodder for this blog but I hadn't really connected it to the solstice (and the coinciding New Moon-thnx Twelfth Moon) until I read sister Sophie Lhoste's Healing. She breaks down the biology and physics of why our positive thinking and energy is so important during this 3 day span when the sun stands still.

Tonight's (or now as I write this) also St. John's Eve or the day of San Juan El Bautista. This evening, I attended an amazing dance class by teacher, choreographer and folklorist, Marily Gallardo, accompanied with drumming by Irka Mateo, a musician and Taino culture researcher among many things. They talked more about this tradition which I don't even feel comfortable writing online (call me a sucker for oral history). I'm sure you can find more in the Internets but not my place. Generally speaking and depending on the tradition, women dance and celebrate together (especially by water), brush off the negative energy, and seek guidance from dreams.

A sister goddess is down in New Orleans, where St. John's Eve, is associated with the feared and revered Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau. Dances, trances and orgies are believed to have taken place in celebration of midsummer and it is still shroud with mystery. There was much fear in her snake dances and her power to conjure.

However, you acknowledge this date and time, bring love and positivity to your intentions and believe anything can manifest. The Universe is open...

read more