"This is What Makes Us Girls" and "Million Dollar Man" are definitely on my long list of favorite songs by Lana Del Rey. I find the lyrics of both songs to be very interesting. They also are very catchy and tend to get stuck in my head.
"Million Dollar Man":
My favorite part of "Million Dollar Man" are these two lines: "Look like a million dollar man, so why is my heart broke?" I love how Lana played with the word broke. It means broke as in without money, while being a play on the word broken as in "my heart is broken." Speaking of which, "My Heart Is Broken" by Evanescence is another great song...
The music video for "My Heart Is Broken" is one of my favorite Evanescence music videos. The whole thing is visually appealing and full of lights, mystery, imagination, and radiant cold colors. Amy Lee has two really cool dresses in this video, as well. The first one she's shown in is very pretty, but the second one is just so cool. It kind of reminds me of the illustrations in Dr. Seuss books ( I think that may mostly be because of the sleeves). The best part is when she plays her intricate piano solo in the Dr. Seuss-esque dress.
Anyway, back to Lana Del Rey. Here is "This Is What Makes Us Girls":
Some may disagree, but I think there is a lot of truth in what Lana is saying in this song. For me, the best lines are:
There she was, my new best friend
High heels in her hands
Swaying in the wind
Then she starts to cry
Mascara running down her little Bambi eyes
'Lana how I hate those guys'
This is what makes us girls
We all look for heaven and we put love first
Something that we'd die for
It's our curse
Don't cry about it
Don't cry about it
This is what makes us girls
We don't stick together 'cause we put love first
Don't cry about him
Don't cry about him
It's all gonna happen
I think that in this song, Lana is commenting on how a lot of girls put loving boys above having solidarity with other girls. I don't think she's promoting that, she's just observing it, and I have observed this too. In my view girls should stick together far more. I'm not saying all girls are like that, but from my observation, this is an occurrence and a reality, however unfortunate.
I also love this part:
The prettiest in crowd that you had ever seen
Ribbons in our hair and our eyes gleamed green
Those two lines (especially the second line) strike me as very beautiful and poetic-sounding every time I listen to this song.
I'm feeling conflicted about the gothic metal (or as I like to say, gothic rock) band "We Are the Fallen". We Are the Fallen was created after Ben Moody, Rocky Gray, and John LeCompt left Evanescence to form their own separate band. Ben Moody split from Evanescence when he and Amy Lee's contrasting creative outlooks clashed. The lead singer of We Are the Fallen is Carly Smithson, an Irish American and a Dubliner (I know Dubliner refers to a person that presently resides in Dublin, but as Carly Smithson was born in Dublin, I like to call her a Dubliner), who used to be a contestant on American Idol.
A lot of people constantly compare Evanescence with We Are the Fallen. In my view, these comparisons are unavoidable, seeing that We Are the Fallen gave themselves a title that obviously refers back to Evanescence's first album.
My conflicted feelings towards We Are the Fallen stem from their relationship with Evanescence. Some view We Are the Fallen as unoriginal and a copycat of Evanescence's music. I thought this when I first discovered We Are the Fallen, and I really hated their band then. But since then my opinion of them has softened. We Are the Fallen does sound a lot like Evanescence, but only the songs of their first album, Fallen. Since Fallen, Evanescence's music style has changed and developed. They now sound nothing like We Are the Fallen. We Are the Fallen is also changing. Their music is developing into their own style more and more. Presently, We Are the Fallen and Evanescence do not sound all that similar.
Below are some songs by We Are the Fallen that I have recently taken a liking to.
"I Am Only One":
Evanescence would usually include a lot of piano in a song like "I Am Only One", but We Are the Fallen uses stringed instruments (in this case, mostly cello).
"Tear the World Down":
I really like the sound of Carly Smithson's voice. Her voice differs from Amy Lee's in that it sounds rougher and more gravely, like a rock star's singing voice. Amy Lee is a fantastic rock singer, but her voice is deep, clear, piercing, and floating, as though the song she were singing had wings...it's difficult to describe her singing voice with words.
"Sleep Well, My Angel":
I know I should let go and appreciate We Are the Fallen for what it is, but I can't shake the feeling I'm betraying Evanescence by listening to their music. As a loyal Evanescence fan, I don't like this feeling. Despite this, I do enjoy We Are the Fallen's music, and I'll continue to listen to it.
The title of this post 'bout sums it up. Just wanted to put that out there.
Anyway, I really like this live performance of "Your Star". Your Star is one of the best songs from Evanescence's album "The Open Door". Actually, all of the songs from The Open Door are good. So never mind. Your Star is still particularly good, though. Amy Lee first sings Lithium before she sings Your Star in this video.
I also really like this song. It's called "Broken". I've been listening to it a lot recently.
Note: The first video I shared doesn't seem to work well on my blog, but it will work on youtube.
Today I feel like discussing music. I have a love for much of the music from the past, such as folk and classical, but this doesn't mean I don't like some of the modern music of today's world. This list I have conjured up features my personal top favorite singers and bands that range from the late 90's to the present. 7) Adele What I like about Adele is how she doesn't put up an act to get extra attention like so many artists today, but presents to us the pure, simple talent that she possesses - her voice. She is a straight forward musician that lets her personality shine forth. "Rolling in the Deep" is my favorite song of hers.
6) The Backstreet Boys Songs by the Backstreet Boys are somewhat of a "guilty pleasure" for me. I think the reason I love their music so much may be because they remind me of my early childhood. I like 90's music because it brings back memories. And music that brings back cherished memories is the best kind of music. The Backstreet Boys is very nostalgic. I was born in the mid 90's, so I was too young to be really fully aware of the Backstreet Boys, though I have a distant memory of the song "I Want It That Way". When I was fifteen, I rediscovered them and began to listen to their music. I like both their early songs from the 90's and their late songs from the early and mid 2000's.
This is their most well known song, "I Want It That Way", from 1998.
Here is a song by the Backstreet Boys from 1997. 90's music just makes me grin from ear to ear. :)
A more recent song by them, from 2005.
5) Imagine Dragons
Well, I don't have much to say about Imagine Dragons, since I'm not quite as familiar with them as I am with the other people and bands on this list...but they deserve a spot, because I like their sound and style, and this song. There are a lot of other songs of theirs that I like, but "It's Time" is my favorite, and in my opinion, their best. It's also the most well known of their songs.
One of the reasons I'm so interested in this band is because they remind me of one of my uncles when he was young. He was a fan of "Guns and Roses". Somehow, "Imagine Dragons"reminds me of that band and my uncle. Perhaps its their style, the color scheme, or mood in this music video...I'm not sure.
4) Mika
I don't have too much to say about Mika...he's just a great singer, has style, is full of energy, and I love listening to his songs. And he's awesome. Pretty simple.
This was the first song by Mika that I heard. I was taking a sewing class at that time. I heard the teacher's daughter listening to it frequently during class. Years later, I remembered that song and tried to find out who had sung it. Thus, my knowledge of Mika was born. This is from 2007.
This song is a personal favorite of mine. It's "We Are Young", from the movie "Kick-Ass".
And two more songs by Mika, to show more of the overall sound and style of his music....
.....yup. He's awesome.
3) Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe, to me, is like a hidden jewel. She is underrated and underexposed. She writes songs with meaning, which is refreshing, since so much of the music today is devoid of any meaning or truth. I love how her album, "The ArchAndroid", feels like a film with emotional ups and downs when listened to from beginning to end. She's a fantastic singer and an intelligent, well spoken, unique individual. Also, I love her culture and sense of style. Oh, and her hair is just amazing. I always like when someone embraces their natural self.
This is the music video for one of her songs, "Tightrope".
...and here's another version of it.
In this interview, Janelle explains the meaning behind the suits she is always wearing.
2) Amy Lee and Evanescence
Evanescence speaks out to the dark side in all of us. Their songs feel real, because they are so connected with what people go through in life, their struggles, and feelings, whether they are happy, angry, or sad. If I'm having a bad day, a song by Evanescence helps me vent any emotions closed up inside. It is healthy to let go of those emotions every once in awhile. This is one of Amy Lee's most beautiful songs, "Good Enough". It seems more happy than most of her other songs, I feel.
Another aspect of Evanescence that I love is Amy Lee's voice. I find her voice to be hauntingly beautiful. She is also very talented at writing lyrics and expressing the feelings so many people feel. A lot of this comes from her own experience. The raw emotion she has comes out in her music and connects to the listener emotionally. I will always be a fan of hers.
"Lithium" is one of my favorite songs by Evanescence. As Amy Lee explained in an interview, this song speaks of the difficulty of letting go of your sorrow. Because it's been a part of you for so long, you are afraid of letting it go and allowing yourself to be happy. Lithium, the drug, is a metaphor for being cold and dead emotionally. When someone takes lithium, they don't feel sad or happy - they are emotionally numb.
This is the video that led to my discovery of Amy Lee and the band, Evanescence. This is my favorite of the songs Amy Lee covers, since it was the first time I heard her voice. I am in love with her version of this song and like it even more than the original.
Two other favorites...
1) Jessie J I loveJessie J! She is a great inspiration, and my favorite pop singer. I have been a fan of hers for a long time, even since before she became well known. This is she singing "Who You Are", my favorite song by her.
"Nobody's Perfect" is my favorite of her music videos. I really like the outfit she wears when she walks on the table and holds onto the chandelier. It seems like a very British style to me, and reminds me of London.
Her voice is just so powerful. She's got an incredible vocal range. Plus, she sounds even better live, which is pretty rare nowadays.
Jessie is an amazingly talented musician, and will never cease to be my favorite singer of today. And that concludes my countdown!
