Category: Icon

Rihanna Pairs Up With Dior

8/19/2016

Rihanna is continuing to dip her toes into the world of fashion. The CFDA awarded her fashion icon and Rihanna is doing her best to live up to her award.

You might remember her Fenty Puma collection that was launched this February during fashion week. Not to mention her role as a creative director for Stance socks. That and her own brand of weed and we wonder why it took four years to get Anti.

Rihanna's brand ambassadorship with Dior has lead to her putting input into a new sunglasses collection titled “Rihanna”. Their futuristic and reportedly inspired by Star Trek, specifically the character La Forge. She also lent her voice to the movie with the single “Sledgehammer”.

La Forge

The sunglasses are one good paycheck away from being in your wardrobe. One frame comes in six different colors and retails for $840, while the other 24 Karat plated shade will be locked up for $1,950.

Dior may still not have a creative director, but who needs a creative director when you have Rihanna.

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My Heart Hurts

6/10/2016

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The thing I love about having Hispanic friends is that whenever I question what Enrique Iglesias is saying, I just ask them to translate. “Duele el Corazon”. It roughly means his heart hurts and it's bringing our king of Latin pop back.

It's been two years, since Enrique last left us with his Sex and Love. His heartfelt album of unapologetic pop that ran between his two dual personalities of balladeer and throwaway pop. It was all syrupy and stupid and anyway I loved every second of it.

My love for Enrique Iglesias has been a middle school obsession. There was an unreasonable time when he was the love of my life, the way only a celebrity can be. I've since moved on, although I've yet to forgive Ryan Reynolds for marrying Blake Lively without asking my permission first.

Enrique is neither the best singer, nor the best song writer. But, he's fun, something that cannot be overlooked. He used to be an adult contemporary singer. I fell for him with “Hero” as did the world.

If we're being really honest, his nineties Spanish music is not my thing. Of all of his Spanish releases, Quizas is the only one I actually live and die for. “Pienso En Ti” breaks my heart, even though I have no idea what he's saying.

Thanks to Enrique I actually know a small snippet of Spanish. I took French in high school after all. It's impressive. I know that “No Me Digas Que No” is something along the lines of “don't tell me no”. It's not only one of my favorite jams, it's also the building block in my Spanish fluency.

I think it goes without saying that Enrique is also an icon, because he's so pretty. He removed that mole and we still love him. It's been getting a little rough lately, but we'll put some collagen in his face and he'll look like a fresh 28 year old again.

Enrique is dad to me. He's kind of embarrassing. Who says “tonight I'm fucking you”? It's like dad, stoppppppp, but you also love it.

That's always been Enrique. He's a little predictable, he's a little too overly sentimental, but it's all apart of his charms. He's hot, but at his heart he's just a dork like the rest of us.

I'm also in love with his dog. He posts about him all the time and all I have to say is that I want to be loved as much as this man loves his dog. I also need Enrique to go ahead and marry that poor tennis player. Put a ring on it. This whole sexy bachelor thing is old. Give Anna Kournikova a good wedding. She's waited too long. Stop kissing your fans on stage. Dad it's time and I say this out of love.

Now, I'm just hoping we get a new album this year. I love Enrique so much and 10 albums can only keep you entertained for so long. He's also part of the salacious Pitbull song “Messin' Around” that heavily relies on a sample of the REO Speedwagon hit, “Take It On The Run”. Hopefully that's included on his new album.

I want it all. I want dirty photo shopped pics of him half naked. Dad needs to turn out and I want another big anthem about fucking someone in the club. I'm ready for him to give me everything and more. If either of these songs are representative of what to come, we're going to get a classic. A comfortable, middle of the road, pop album, full of shiny gems and Enrique's dimple charm.

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The Queen of Country Music?????

5/27/2016

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I have a bad problem with calling everyone queen. I call my bestfriends kween, although I should probably stop that. I wouldn't want to be accused of appropriating gay culture. But, needless to say I think it's true. Everyone's a queen. Me, the girl next door, that bitch who's on the pound that killed Princess Diana. We're all queens.

I felt guilty that I didn't do enough promo for Cyndi Lauper on this blog for her recently released album Detour. It's a little known secret that she's one of my favorite people.

Cyndi Lauper is an LGBT icon for the ages and she decided to delve into country music. I know how people feel about country music. I mean if your not from Iowa, there truly is no innate desire to listen to it, but I grew up on the sentimental country twang of the nineties and it does have a soft spot in my heart.

You might not know who Cyndi Lauper is, but you know her music. She was originally predicted to be in it for the long haul. Madonna was the throwaway eighties girl and Cyndi was the crazy girl with the personality and talent. She sang “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”, “True Colors”, “I Drove All Night” and my favorite ode to female masturbation, “She Bop” just to name a few.

She's very pop in her stance in pop culture, but Cyndi Lauper is a talented musician. She's done everything and that's why the follow up to her Jazz album Memphis Blues shouldn't be anything less than a detour into country music.

The woman has done it all successfully well. Alt rock in the nineties, modern electronica, mainstream top 40. It was time for country to take her on. Detours is Cyndi Lauper's foray back into music after a six year hiatus.

Detours is full of covers. She's very classic country on here. None of this is polished Carrie Underwood or a true stab at returning to the charts, but it bears the mark of a Cyndi Lauper classic.

We've got some classic sixties country in Patsy Cline hits “Walking After Midnight” and “I Fall To Pieces”. They lack Patsy's signature husk, but Cyndi makes up for it with her usual charm and vigor. She even brings out Willie Nelson to truly harken back to those country roots on “Night Life”.

Cyndi shines on the albums second single “Funnel of Love” originally made famous by Wanda Jackson, a woman Adele absolutely adores. The album closes with the Dolly Parton classic, “Hard Candy Christmas”. Allison Kraus sings a few lines. This is the second time she's included a Christmas song on one of her studio albums. The first was “Feels Like Christmas” on the deeply political Hat Full of Stars.

Buy "Funnel of Love"

Buy "Hard Candy Christmas"

Detour is full of flaws, charms and guest stars, but Cyndi bears all of this with a cowboy's sweethearts smile. This is eleventh studio album by the woman best known for her eighties escapades. It marks the most guest appearances she's ever had on an album with five stars lending their vocal prowess. Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, and Jewel are just some of the few to lend their support. Detour may not be perfect, but it does make us hope she doesn't wait another six years for a musical return.

Buy Detour

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May Music Pulling Through

5/13/2016

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This is the first month this year that I'm excited about the music coming out. Every month has had it's winner's. March and Gwen Stefani, February with The 1975, and January started off strong with Rihanna. However, it's March that decided to pull out the release dates.

There's three releases I'm excited for this month and they're all stellar.

Cyndi Lauper
Detour
This album already came out. Eighties icon, Cyndi Lauper is back with her first... country album. Ever since her hey day, Cyndi has experimented with all different styles of music. The alt-rock of the nineties, jazz, and modern electronica. She's back with an eclectic set of hits that would light up country radio if they weren't set on being sexist and ageist bigots.

The eleventh studio album features a slew of iconic covers including hits by legend Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton. See her reworking of Best Little Whorehouse classic “Hard Candy Christmas”. Guest musicians range from Jewel, Alison Kraus, Vince Gil, and Willie Nelson.

It's an eclectic mix of country perfection, including lyrical stand out “You're The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly”. Cyndi Lauper also recently donated all the profits from her concert in North Carolina to a cause dedicated to overturning the recent hate laws against the LGBT community.

Goo Goo Dolls
Boxes
Surprise of all surprise. I've never been a Goo Goo Dolls fan. I knew the name. I appreciate them from a distance as the epitome of the 90s. Of course I knew the hits. All the one word wonders, “Slide”, “Name”, and “Iris”. Then, by chance I heard their lead single “So Alive”. It's anthemetic. It's wonderful and it's unlikely to overtake the charts, but it should be given the chance.

The Goo Goo Dolls in the 10s are the modern forebears to a style of music that Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy have done so well commercially with. I don't know if their doing it better, but it sure sounds damn good.

Buy "So Alive"

Ariana Grande
Dangerous Woman
This album hasn't come out... yet. But, I have high hopes and expectations. This is the third album from the Nickeldon star. It's safe to say she's safely made her way out of the grips of “child star”. The second lead single “Dangerous Woman” is a jazzy return to top 40. There's a slew of guest stars, much like 2014's My Everything.

We've got Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne and Macy Gray. A line up of A-listers. It's sure to be a solid hour of well performed manufactured pop. Personally, I'm excited. The little girl with the biggest voice on radio is here to murder us.

It's unlikely that this album will win a Grammy for “album of the year”. It's appeal to mainstream is too strong for that, but will it create her first number one? Now that's something it could.

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An LGBT Christmas

12/25/2015

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Merry Christmas bitches! It's the final day of the 12 Days of Bubbles. The marathon blogging spree is over. Exams are done. I'm with family.

…

And, when thinking about what the most religious, holy thing to talk about for Friday Favorites, I thought to myself “who are the most fucking gay celebrities that I love?” In this endeavor I have compiled a list of some pretty kick ass LGBT singers.

As wonderful as the LGBT community is our representation on radio is minimal at best. See Sam Smith and his lack of personal pronouns in all of his hits so he doesn't “alienate people”. Because, as we all know LGBT is offensive and gross and disgusting and the brave heterosexuals and cisgenders shouldn't have to put up with us. Least of all on the radio or their TV screens.

I'm going to be trying to include people that you might not be aware of. Some people you would have to do some research to find. Therefore as much as I love my gay boys, Elton John and Ricky Martin, they won't be on here. Similarly, everyone's favorite bisexuals Fergie, Madonna, and David Bowie did not make the cut.

Beth Ditto (Gossip)
Lesbian
“Obsession” would be an understatement for my feelings on Beth Ditto. Lead singer of rock band Gossip, she's the body positive LGBT icon you've been looking for. She's gorgeous. See my Snapshot Saturday I did on her (read here). And, more importantly a voice so distinctive, it's unlikely anyone could replicate it's wail.

She released a self titled EP full of four pop oriented tracks. Most of her work with Gossip is rock based. Standing in the Way of Control and Music For Men were there commercial break through. Specifically, their ubiquitous song “Heavy Cross”. Their last album explored an eighties pop melody and lived up to it's title of A Joyful Noise.

Buy"Heavy Cross"

RuPaul
Gay
Drag queen extraordinaire and also the topic of a Snapshot Saturday (read here). RuPaul has maintained an interesting music career. Since, his second studio album, Foxy Lady, he's remained an independent dance artist. His work is disco inspired empowerment and R&B.

His most popular song was “Supermodel (You Better Work)” when it almost went top forty in the nineties. My personal favorite album by him is Redhot and it's feel good anthem “Looking Good, Feeling Gorgeous”. Recently, he's emerged an artist on the outskirts of mainstream with the self promotion through RuPaul's Drag Race. Making “Sissy That Walk” a surprise club hit and it's parent album Born Naked his highest charting since Supermodel of the World.

Buy "Sissy That Walk"

Troye Sivan
Gay

Arguably the most well known of all the celebrities on this list, Troye Sivan is the youtuber who started the trend of “coming out online”. He released his debut album The Blue Neighborhood this December. Without a hit in sight his album and EP sales are stacking up well against who are having top ten hits. Marking a clear need for any kind of LGBT representation in the music industry.

All of his music is experimental electro pop. The trend among hopeful pop stars who want to carve out their own niche in the industry without alienating the top 40. His single “Wild” notably marked him using male pronouns to address his lover.

Buy "Wild"

Tegan & Sara
Lesbians
Canadian duo Tegan & Sara have always been on the outskirts of pure mainstream success. They have quirky good looks and have slowly been building a fanbase since their debut album Under Feet Like Ours in 1999. Their biggest mainstream success in the United States came recently when “Closer” hit the radio long enough for them to have their first charting song.

Heartthrob marked their biggest mainstream attempt and is a good place to start investigating their discography that plays well against their pop/rock leanings. Funny enough their biggest success came with a collaboration with The Lonely Island for the Lego Movie Soundtrack. “EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!!!”

Buy "Closer"

Laura Jane Grace (Against Me!)
Transgender

A strong example of the lack of transgender representation in media, Laura Jane Grace made waves back in 2012 when she announced that she identified as a woman and was undergoing gender confirmation surgery to Rolling Stone.

It raised the profile of her band Against Me! and allowed for their biggest commercial success Transgender Dysphoria Blues that still only charted as high as 22 in the United States. Valid and to the point it's one of the most gripping punk rock releases of 2014.

Buy "True Trans Soul Rebel"

Halsey
Bisexual
Halsey is what the self deprecating cool kids listen to. Gorgeous. Sexy. Stunning. Breakout indie star of the year, she has a loyal and growing fan base. Her music falls into line with the moody electro pop that her contemporaries are favoring, yet doing something more with it.

There is a never ending list of amazing bisexuals. And, yet their sexual orientation is consistently erased and made to be either heterosexual or homosexual. Take Lady Gaga and Freddie Mercury. Halsey defied her record label's insistence on making her lover in “Ghost” a man and traded him in for a lush woman instead. Halsey spreading bisexual awareness one video at a time.

Buy "Ghost"

Charice
Lesbian

Filipino singer Charice was championed by Oprah. Had the highest charting album for an Asian act in the United States and all but disappeared. Her voice has the controlled range that Ariana Grande is praised for. Charice just lacked the right producers that shot other strong voiced divas like Mariah Carey to fame.

When announcing her sexual orientation, Charice said “that she understood if people didn't want to be her fan anymore.” As if that was an acceptable reason to dislike her. She's stayed mostly out of the public light, since then but she still has two strong albums full of ballads to capture you with.

Buy "Pyramid"

I hope you've found some cool LGBT singers to add to your playlist. If there's anyone you think I should add be sure to comment below.

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Work It!

12/11/2015

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The QUEEN is back.

Imagine. I'm just sitting there alone, in the library, scrolling through my social media, when I see Missy Elliott's new music video flash before my eyes. It was manna sent from heaven. Rap god apparent, Missy Elliott was back from an extended hiatus.

The public has been clamoring for a Missy Elliott come back. Clamoring might be a strong word. Most of us forgot about Missy and then she came up on that stage with Katy Perry at the Super Bowl and literally murdered us all by bringing “Work It” back. The most iconic of all of Missy Elliot's hits.

It's not that surprising that Katy brought Missy out. Back in the days of global domination and chart success with Teenage Dream, Katy had Missy do a remix of “Last Friday Night (TGIF)”

Missy Elliott has not been releasing solo material, but she's been putting her foot back in the studio. When Skrillex and Diplo got together with Kiesza and produced the bombastic “Take U There”, they turned right around and had Missy Elliott drop some bars. It's literally better then my entire life.

Buy "Last Friday Night"

Buy "Take U There"

After Janet Jackson released “No Sleeeep” and it did marginally well for the aging R&B diva, she teased her album Unbreakable with a collaboration with Missy Elliott, “Burnitup!” The songs a little retro, a little done before, and also one of the best songs to come out of her canon. And, it united her with Missy Elliott.

Buy "Burnitup!"

Missy Elliott is a goddess. She was part of the insurgence of female rappers in the nineties. She was right there with Lil Kim, Queen Latifah, Left Eye, Foxy Brown, and Eve. I miss the days of female rappers. Now all we have is Nicki Minaj and Dej Loaf trying to make it big.

The new song from Missy is called “WTF (Where They From)”. It's fire. This is the first of new music we've heard from her since “Best Best” in 2008. We have been waiting seven years for a new Missy Elliott album.

The last album we had from Missy was The Cookbook. It had that one good Ciara collaboration on it, “Lose Control”. Not to be confused with the iconic "Lose Control" by Kevin Federline.

Since, then we have been lost in the ocean, just waiting for Missy Elliott to return and gift us with her presence again. “WTF (Where They From)” has reminded us why we miss her. In a smart move she's included Pharrell on the track. His contribution is a few throwaway, absolutely delicious verses. With his enhanced radio presence after the massive hit that was “Happy” his appearance is sure to help garner radio play.

The music is nothing we haven't seen before, but it's a fun ride. There's some rhinestones on the lips. Reminiscent of J. Lo's “Goin' In” video and Latrice Royale's time on RuPaul's Drag Race. Some stimulated dance sequences. Puppets. A few people rolled up into body bags. Missy Elliott is back and about to let us have it.

Buy"WTF (Where They From)"

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Rihanna Pairs Up With Dior

My Heart Hurts

The Queen of Country Music?????

May Music Pulling Through

An LGBT Christmas

Work It!

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