Did You Miss Me

Last Tuesday (Nov. 25) The Veronicas released their self-titled album ‘The Veronicas’ and my entire existence has changed forever.

Now, the title of this post isn’t me being prissy, it’s the title of Track 2. But to answer their rhetorical question–YES! I missed twin sisters Jessica and Lisa Origliasso with my whole heart.

I definitely was a fan of The Veronicas when they put out their first album ‘The Secret Life Of…’ (4ever is still my jam, like every day) and their second album ‘Hook Me Up,’ and a few weeks ago I began listening to them nonstop. This was before their single “You Ruin Me” was even announced, so you can imagine my ecstatic excitement when the single was released.

Honestly, I can’t remember if along with the single, news of a new album was announced, but whether it was or was not–Ashley Morales was the happiest person on the planet.

Singles usually mean a new album, or testing the waters to see where the artist are more popular.

As you may or may not know,

The road to getting this album was not the smoothest. The last new music we got from Jess and Lisa was “Lolita” which was released through Sire and Warner Bros., along with their previous two albums. But after several delays in the release of their third album and label conflict, The Veronicas broke their contract with them.

In 2014, the heavens rang and they signed a new major record deal with Sony Music Entertainment to release and promote the album. It happened pretty quickly! I don’t know the exact date they signed with SME, but to release a well written and produced album in the 11th month, is pretty outstanding. To me anyway.

I did two videos that show my reaction to the album and a few comments along the way.

Part 1

Part 2

If you like the videos, please give them a thumbs up and you could also subscribe to my newbie channel if you’d like! 🙂

Some things I learned after listening to the album more are:

1. Lisa and Jess co-wrote the entire album. There are times throughout my videos where I’m assume the girls wrote certain songs, but I’m unsure because there are no physical copies anywhere in Lubbock (if you watch you will hear about my absolute struggle to find one!) and the digital copy from iTunes did not consist of a digital booklet. Sad day. Through research I found multiple articles stating the writers of all the songs and Lisa and Jess were listed on every one.
2. The emotion is on a whole other level. When I was assuming in my videos that Jess and Lisa wrote certain songs, and after finding out they co-wrote the whole album, I was out of my mind. Not because I didn’t think they could, but because then I knew that all the emotion in every song came from them. Every song they poured their souls into.
3. This album is exactly what I needed. As I said before, I was revisiting my love for The Veronicas before the single and album were announced, but why? Because these women make music that is absolutely 100 percent relatable. This sounds rubbish and common, I know, but think about it… Or rather let me tell you what I think from hours upon hours of thinking about it. Personally, I listen to every genre of music. (I know I have only posted a few artists from somewhat similar genres, but I’m working on it!) My iTunes library ranges from “Girls & Boys” from Good Charlotte to “Party Up In Here” by DMX to “Beautiful” by P.O.D. to “Jesus Take The Wheel” by Carrie Underwood. Seriously you guys, I listen to everything. And something I think we fail to recognize when reading articles praising artists is that the word “relatable” is not overused. Every genre in its entirety has its own complex that differentiates it from all the rest. Nowadays, yes, we have artists who are a mashup of several genres or who have created their own in a certain way, but they have different audiences who live different lives. Basically what I’m saying is that every artist/genre has a different audience and the way they write and present their music somehow relates to their audience.
4. You can always make a come back. The Veronicas haven’t released a new album since 2007 and they blew me away with this album. The album hasn’t done particularly well in the U.S. (I don’t see it on the Top Albums of iTunes and haven’t heard anything from Billboard about it), but it has done well in Australia, their home country as well as a few other countries. I think (and I’m just me, so) that it’s not all about how well you do in the first week, or whatever. It’s the content of the music. If there isn’t a large population in the U.S. that are fans of The Veronicas, then okay it’s not going to do well, but what I’m worried about is the tour. I pray every day (not joking) that The Veronicas will come to America, at a time where I can travel to see them perform live. It’s an honest tick on my bucket list.

If you liked my videos or this post you should definitely check out the album which you can buy/preview here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-veronicas/id932728153

Talk soon!

Ashleyyy

Do you know ‘Where Broken Hearts Go’?

Because I don’t and I really need to know.

In my video I explain the process I had to go through before listening to this song, and it doesn’t sound as dramatic as I felt going through it, but it was. I promise.

One of the things I love about this song is the fact that Niall sings the first verse, and he sounds so different. He sounds more grown up, and don’t think his voice has changed, but it’s just the type of music their singing now makes them seem more…mature? Not sure if that’s the exact word I’m looking for, but it definitely fits in my head for now.

All the songs they have released just–make my heart insanely happy and I can’t wait for the album. I don’t know how I’m supposed to wait until Sunday night.

Just know I’m dancing around in my room to this song and will be for the next 10 hours.

HAPPY MONDAY NIGHT!
Ash x

New Music: The Heart Knows What It Wants

Today amidst all the One Direction and 5SOS being on Ellen hype, I somehow missed (but not really, because I downloaded it at 10 a.m.) Selena Gomez’s new single from her new album–which I knew nothing about beforehand, so someone please let me know if she had been promoting or teasing new music!

The song isn’t a pop-y/formulated/general song that we are almost used to seeing Selena release, but it’s actually her.

In the video I did to go along with this post, I said something along the lines of how I felt Selena’s previous albums were tests of trying to find who she is as an artist. I definitely think that’s true, but I also need to add that several artists have done this.
My reasoning for artists doing this is because (most) record label don’t make time for artist development. They just want their musicians to pump out album after album without really experiencing life and gathering inspiration to create a work of art that represents them as a person and musician.

I love Sel, don’t get me wrong, but I think this album is going to blow the last few up, up and away.

She’s just so raw in this video, I feel like if she sat down next to me we could have a conversation like we had been friends for 5+ years.

I saw an article where Selena said when she showed Taylor Swift (they’re BFFs if you didn’t know) the video, Taylor just sat there and looked at her then watched it three more times.

That is the exact reaction I would have had/I sort of had.

Watching something for the first time is like walking down the street, but looking at your phone and not your surroundings. You miss so much! Things you see the first time have more meaning the second time, then oh! Did you see that?! I didn’t see that the first time it played!

It’s like an on-going lesson.

When I watched the full video for the first time, I just sat there and stared at the blank screen for a second (partly because I was all by myself and had no one to talk to about it, but mostly because I was in awe). It just wasn’t what I was expecting. I hate to say it, but I was expecting the same thing we’ve been seeing from Selena for the past few years, and it just wasn’t.

It was grown up, mature, emotional, raw, transparent and beautiful.

Something I’ve always noticed in successful artists, is that they all create their work from personal experiences. Whether they felt it themselves or they knew someone who did or they were the outsider looking in on a situation. In any case, they create their work from experiences they have seen/been through first hand.

Selena’s last album, Stars Dance, was stepping in the right direction toward this goal, but it just wasn’t there yet. She’s definitely there now, and I cannot wait to hear more from the album, For You.

You can preorder For You here where you will instantly get “The Heart Wants What It Wants” along with the music video: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/for-you/id937052888

Go listen/watch!

Ash

Also! Follow me on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ALaAshMorales
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alaashmorales

 

My Body Is ‘Ready To Run’

ATTENTION ALL: One Direction has released another song off their album “Four” and it has me feeling some type of way.
This morning as I was getting ready for school the One Direction twitter account (@onedirection) kept blowing up my promoting the song release if fans reached a certain amount of shares and whatnot.
I obviously helped with this, and was sitting in yearbook (where I have a deadline) when I glanced at twitter and saw the song was available!!!

I preordered the album (which you can do here) and I don’t know why, but my preorders never immediately download from iTunes which causes me a lot of anxiety, because other people are already blessing their ears with the beautiful voices of Harry, Zayn, Niall, Liam and Louis while I am going 90 mph trying to cancel my preorder and then preorder it again so the song downloads.

Day in the life of a fan girl.

Anyway!!

So yes, I’m sitting here freaking out all by myself (what else is new) and I feel like it’s a race against the clock to get this post up.

I have economics in exactly 11 minutes and I’m going to be so distracted during it, it’s not even worth going… But I obvi have to because……………..

School >

FOR NOW ANYWAY!

Check out my reaction video!

Talk soon!
Ashhhhh x

SO MANY THINGS HAPPENING

Okay so obviously my world has been rocked by Taylor Swift’s album 1989 (see previous posts to laugh at me have a laugh), BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE!!

Taylor slays me, goodness.

All this week she has done promos on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, Late Show With David Letterman, a Scholastic Web Chat, The View and appeared on The Voice and had an iHeart Secret Session.

My social media accounts have been overflowing with posts/pictures/videos of her on all of these shows and my life has never been more exciting. I love seeing everyone love her so much!

It’s constant. Taylor even started the hashtag #taylurking where she stalks her fans and reposts pictures of them with the album and polaroids that come with the deluxe version.

It’s so fun looking at her tweets of fans just like me who enjoy her music so much. I can’t even imagine getting the notification that she tweeted, opening it and seeing one of my pictures. I would be off the wall with complete elation.

BUT ALSO THINGS GOING ON!

Next week, Wednesday, Nov. 5 5 Seconds Of Summer are going to be back in the states and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and I. Am. Ecstatic.

I saw the boys on Sept. 21 while they were supporting One Direction’s Where We Are Tour and they were Ah. Maze. Ing. Even though I’m not seeing them in real life, I’m still so excited that they are going to be back and about the media.

Ellen also has a thing on her website where you can write an entry for a chance to travel to the show on the day 5SOS are performing.

Of course I already did it! I actually came across the post while I was in my Principles of Economics class, hahaha. I was so distracted, I have absolutely no idea what CPI’s are, but I remember seeing those letters on the board. Whoops.

Anyway, I always enter these kind of things, but nothing happens and it’s okay. I get excited just by entering, because it’s like, “Okay… It could happen… Small chance but it could.”

It’s like .000001 percent chance of these things happening to a person, but on the day the boys are on the show I’m going to be so excited sitting in my room and watching them and the lucky winner.

Then a few days later on Nov. 17 their “Good Girls” Ep is hitting iTunes (the same day as One Directions fourth studio album “Four” and I’m guessing 5SOS will be ahead of them on the charts, but we’ll seeeeeeee!) and a new song is on it!!!!

I can’t even describe my excitement. I’m curious as to how the “Good Girls (Single Version)” is different from the one on the album. I listened to it over and over trying to guess what they would take out, but I have no idea. Also very excited for the Live From The iTunes Festival version!! Live versions of anything are my absolute favorite. They’re just so raw and unique.

“Long Way Home (Acoustic)” ummm… I’m not going to be able to breathe really.

THEN THE NEW SONG “Just Saying” I don’t know what I’m going to do when this song comes out. The boys posted a sneak peek on their Instagram and it sounds amazing! As always, why am I surprised.

Before I go (to economics, ew) since it’s Thursday I thought I would post some throwbacks!

Enjoy,

Ash xx

I met these guys in line, and they actually got invited to Club Red! So happy for them!

Awhhhh!!!

Pano of the crowd during Taylor’s B-Stage performance on May 25, 2014 at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

Michael Clifford, Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood and Ashton Irwin perform on Sept. 21 at the Alamodome in support of One Direction on the Where We Are Tour.