[Free For All Friday]

Today's cat gif accurately sums up my current feelings about the blog (I even feel that's what I look like when typing up posts)...I need to get my focus back! Also, I saw Beyonce on Wednesday at the O2 and, unsurprisingly, she was amazeballs.

If you don't know the score, here be the rules:

• Try not to get too perverted- this site  needs to basically be "safe for work".
• If somebody starts a controversial subject, try keeping it civil when dealing with it. If things get out of hand please flag the conversation.
• It would be nice if it stuck to music, but it's not a requirement! So talk about news, current events, how you're getting your hair done next time you hit the hairdresser! Whateves, really!
• No nasty comments aimed at other users.

Inappropriate hugs to all of y'all (hi fives to the underagers), and wishing you an awesome weekend!

Idina Menzel Scares Children With "Let It Go" Performance @ 2014 Oscars

It was probably for the best that the 2014 Oscars were on too late for the kids to stay up and watch. The parents of these (hypothetical) children at least now had the night to work out an excuse as to why Idina Menzel's performance of Let It Go was unlike the version they had heard, and sang along to, while enjoying animated flick Frozen.

There was without a doubt problems emanating from Idina's voice, with tuning issues and some cracking (on the top note). But the biggest problem, for me, was the mismatch in timing between the orchestra and Idina. It were almost as if they were in a race to see who could finish first, making the performance sound even messier than pitch problems alone would have caused.

I'm still not sure if I've been trolled, and the versions uploaded to YouTube- because I did not watch the show live- have actually been edited to make it sound worse than it was. I honestly find it hard to believe that someone who has cut their teeth on Broadway could deliver a rendition like this.

I really like Idina, but this here was a mess from top to tail. 

Pink Stuns With "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" Performance @ 2014 Oscars

When I heard Pink was performing at the 2014 Oscar Awards, I did wonder why. However, it wasn't any of her own material that the rocker was bringing to the stage. Instead Pink's talented pipes had been called on to cover the iconic Somewhere Over the Rainbow in honor of 75 years since the Wizard of Oz's release.

Needless to say, she SMASHED It. The rendition was perfectly simple- in staging- allowing for the montage honoring the film to be beautifully scored by the performance. I'm sure there will be those who find fault in the harsher tone Pink's vocal brought, especially when compared to Judy Garland's voice, but I really enjoyed hearing her sing it. Her vibrato was a definite revelation!

The ruby dress was a nice touch, too!

Dawn Richard Remixes Katy Perry's "Dark Horse"

Looks like the Egyptian Gods have blessed Katy Perry with a gift of gargantuan proportions: Dark Horse getting a Dawn Richard makeover.

As excited as I was/am about the news that Danity Kane were working on a new album, I couldn't help be a little dismayed that it would probably put the kibosh on Dawn's solo output- which has been phenomenal so far! However, this remix hints to the Goldenhearted girl still releasing solo gems, despite the reformation of the group that brought her to our attention. And that's great news as far as I'm concerned!

Take a listen to Dawn Richard's experimental remix of Dark Horse, below.

[Music Video] HAIM Work It with "If I Could Change Your Mind" Visuals

HAIM (which I still read as "ham") have released a video for latest single If I Could Change Your Mind!

The visuals find the sisters being transported back to the 70s and somehow bagging a spot on the Soul Train stage- despite their Fleetwood Mac-esqu music! It's a suitably retro affair, with the Divas venturing out from behind the instruments to school Girl groups everywhere (I'm looking at you South Korea!) on how to really rock some choreography.....(!)

To help get the steps just right, the sisters (apparently) employed Aaliyah's former choreographer to work out a routine for them. Honestly, it's a little hit and miss- I don't believe they were all fully committed to it- but it's great to see them trying something clearly out of their comfort zone.

Goes without saying (since I love their album) that I very much enjoy the song, too!

Katy Perry Offends Seemingly Everyone (Except me) With "Dark Horse" Visuals

Yep, I'm late with posting the Dark Horse video by Katy Perry. But since everyone seems to be mightily offended by it, I figured I may as well so you guys can comment on it.

My two pennies on it are thus: it's a cute video that makes no sense what.so.ever. There's no connections to ancient Egypt in the lyrics- though the ancient world is referenced with mention of Aphrodite- yet the video is rocking the theme as if its life depended on it.

Also, the visuals are oddly light and bright, despite the Diva referring to the song as "witchy and dark", and the rap segment mentioning a serial killer, cannibalism and steroids. But I think that was the point. The video's frothy aesthetic was chosen to make the song more palatable to middle America. After all, that is where the bucks are!

Ignoring the motives behind the video, simply put: I liked it. It was a fun take on a period of history that I've always been fascinated by. But I'm not a Muslim, nor someone connected with Egypt in any way, so perhaps it's unsurprising I took it as nothing more than a pop video. But what do you guys think? Is it offensive or just  a bit of fun?

ETA: Apparently there is a connection to Egypt (who would have thunk it), but it's nothing to do with the song and it's rather a tenuous link. The director of the video explained it:

“[Perry] said that there’s actually a place in Egypt called Memphis, and she thought it was so interesting that Juicy J is from Memphis, Tenn.,” explains director Mathew Cullen. “She basically came to me and said, ‘I want to do something Egyptian and I want to combine it with Memphis hip-hop.’ That’s music to my ears — when an artist has a couple concepts that they want to mash up to create something fresh.”

[Read more at Time Magazine Online].

Tamar Braxton Pays Homage To Diana Ross @ BET Honors

Tamar Braxton was serving smouldering bugeye for her 2014 BET Honors performance! Not sure what was going on with her, but she had the oddest expression on her face for a lot of the Diana Ross medley (does two songs make a medley? Who cares, I'm using it).

Tamar spent most of the ridiculously short medley rummaging around her lower range and head voice- the latter sounding gorgeous. It was only as she was wrapping it up, while singing Upside Down, that the belt was unleashed. But by then, the performance was over and I was left wanting more!!!

Still, lurve watching Tamar perform.