#SLMR: Fancy

Hi everyone.
So I went to the Billboard Hot 100 chart to find dome songs to review, and surprisingly, there are some songs that have some staying power. Two songs I already reviewed (Dark Horse and Talk Dirty) are still making waves, staying in the Top 20, and some songs like Happy and All of Me staying in the Top 10 (with both peaking at #1).

But today, I'm gonna talk about the huge year this artist is having. She has become a popular artist last year gaining acclaim for her rhyming and content, has later toured with Beyonce on her tour, two videos for really dirty songs went viral, had two successful EPs produced by T.I., became a popular model, and, in 2012, became the first female and first non-American rap artist to be inducted into XXL Magazine's Top 10 Freshmen issue (that's right; Nicki Minaj didn't make the list first).
This artist really made it big, especially when her debut album The New Classic hit the top 5 in several countries worldwide. And, as said, she's not American.

Who is she? Iggy Azeala.
The song I'm reviewing-is one that's burning up the charts. It's on top at #1, and she had another ("Problem" by Ariana Grande) that was, on it's peak, just one slot lower at #2, and she's just the featured artist. Because of these songs, Iggy became only the fourth female rapper in history to have a song top the Hot 100, and she joins The Beatles as the ONLY acts to have the first two singles reach the top of the Hot 100.
DAMN. She should just retire right now.

It's "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX.

We start with a slow beat that kinda reminds me of certain song, but I can't put my finger on it. Anyway, Iggy starts off with:
"First things first, I'm the realist"
--That's a pretty good start-up line. And even though it gets on my nerves when rappers say the word "real" in regards to them, I'll give a pass because the way she says it sounds really good.
"Drop this and let the whole world feel it (let them feel it)/And I'm still in the Murda Bizness
I could hold you down, like I'm givin' lessons in physics (right, right)"
--The "Murda Bizness" part is a nice little Call-Back to her earlier song of the same name featuring TI. It's about looking fly, being better than other women, and killing whoever's in your way. It's pretty good. As for the rest, I'm gonna skip because, as a black dude who should know what this means, I have no idea what this means.
"You should want a bad bitch like this (huh?)
Drop it low and pick it up just like this (yeah)
Cup of Ace, cup of (Grey) Goose, cup of Cris(tal)
High heels, somethin' worth a half a ticket on my wrist (on my wrist)
--Ehh... Okay, these lines are the usual talking about wanting a man to get with a woman like her (or a "bad bitch") And the usual mentioning of the expensive alcoholic beverages no one can buy unless there's a block party or club visit or whatever. I don't know what the hell "worth a half a ticket on my wrist" means, though.

By the way, I'm sorry, but doesn't she sound, like, almost like T.I.? Now, I know she worked with T.I. before, and she was raised in the South when so emigrated to the U.S. when she was 16. But come on, don't you hear the similarities between them? The thick Southern accent, the flow, the way the two of them I do.

Takin' all the liquor straight, never chase that (never)
Rooftop like we bringin' '88 back (what?)
--Nope. nothing.
Bring the hooks in, where the bass at?
Champagne spillin', you should taste that
Wow, I don't know anything from this. Maybe it's something Australian-related, if there actually is rap music from Australia at all, but my mind's drawing a blank on this one. Let's go to the chorus.
"I'm so fancy
You already know
I'm in the fast lane
From L.A. to Tokyo"
--Okay, first off, if I already know, why the hell do you feel the need to tell me?
And second, I like Chari's voice, but it also irritates me. Especially when she says "Fancy" and "Fast Lane"; stretching the end of the words just aggravates me.
"I'm so fancy
Can't you taste this gold?"
--I'm sorry, "taste this gold"? That ain't fancy; that ain't even sanitary.
"Remember my name
'Bout to blow"
--I barely remembered your name when "I Love It (I Don't Care)" came out.

Okay back to Iggy.
"I said, "Baby, I do this, I thought that you knew this."
Can't stand no haters and honest, the truth is"
--I'd know what you'd do, Iggy, if you'd tell me what the hell it is.
"And my flow retarded, each beat did depart it
Swagger on stupid, I can't shop in no department"
--I hate when artists use the word "retarded" to mean a crazy good beat, if not using the word at all, but hey, if it can be used in a positive way to not mean something cruel and degrading, I'm okay with it.
"To get my money on time, if they not money, decline
And swear I meant that there so much that they give that line a rewind
So get my money on time, if they not money, decline
I just can't worry 'bout no haters, gotta stay on my grind"
--To me, that "Line" is kinda bad, doesn't really deserve a "rewind", and doesn't make sense. But the way Iggy says it keeps it from being terrible. Speaking of terrible...
"Now tell me, who that, who that? That do that, do that?
Put that paper over all, I thought you knew that, knew that"
--There is nothing you tell me that I know of!! Also, this line makes no sense either; it's like someone who stutters wrote that. Well, if they actually have the mental capacity to write stuttering.
I be the I-G-G-Y, put my name in bold
I been working, I'm up in here with some change to throw"
I like this line. Sure, she's bragging, but it's a really cool line; way cool.

Okay, Charli's verse includes trashing a hotel room, getting drunk, riding on a chandelier, being a deluxe film star (of porn, probably), not giving fucks and overall getting what she wants. Things that are not at all fancy and that crazy, oversexed little sluts do.
Catchy, but stupid, please don't ever touch; OOWWW (repeat to oblivion and fade)

"Still Stuntin'/how you luv dat"
I could give less of a shit if you do actual stunts, Iggy.
"Got the whole world askin' how I does that"
--How you does that? First of all--oh forget it. I already lost half my brain from this. Moving on...
"That's jus the way you like it, huh/Feel so good, you could wish that you could bite it, huh"
--B-B-B-Bite? That molester talk, girl.
"Neva turn down nut-in/Slayin these hoes, gold trigga on tha gun like--"
Now, that's straight-up serial killer talk.

Okay, that's enough; this is the hardest song I've ever reviewed. I don't know much of Iggy's lyrics to make analysis on and barely came up with what you see here. Even if she's talking Australian-related content, there's nothing in this song that I haven't already heard of or is completely new to hip-hop. In fact, I'm very surprised that I'm drawing blanks at this one; almost all these lines either make no sense or something I've heard so much, it just comes across as lazy and foolish.

Okay, I kinda like this song, but the lyrics are catchy enough to make this song a success. Not to lyrically dissect and find anything unique or original. So, just listen to this without thinking. You'll stay smart and not lose brain cells.

See you next time for another review!

America's Got Talent Weekly Review: Ep. 1--Quarter Finals with Cheesiness-Part 1 Acts

Welcome to Maroon Mondays' weekly reviews of the Live Shows of America’s Got Talent. As with my reviews of Rising Star and So You Think You Can Dance, this review is (slightly) less professional than the those of the TV Show websites.

Hello, everyone. Welcome to the first review of America’s Got Talent's Live Shows of Season 9. Now, I wanted to do this because I wanted to do more of this reviewing stuff (which was fun, but I won’t give up the regular work and the Segments) and because I was giving on Rising Star. So I needed something better, and just in the Nick (heh; pun.) of time, this show came right in with its live shows. All the amazing variety of acts in different styles, competing for the love of America and winning $1,000,000 and a headlining show in Las Vegas. Couldn’t be any more fun to watch, right? Also because despite how lewd and gross he was in the 90s, Howard Stern is an awesome judge.
So let’s get it started.


First up on the first live show of the season, Sean & Luke. The two are tap dancers who’ve done so since they were toddlers and have done a quite impressive job since then. Now to the act, though. I thought they were really good, but I felt that they’re not great. The dancing was wonderful, but pretty basic. Plus, the ladies dancing with them and the lighting were a bit of a distraction. I did love the song playing in the background. This may have helped my perception of them a bet to their advantage. I do believe they can make it to next week, but not for the long run.


Up next, Valo & Bobby. A couple from Bulgaria, they are a strongman and acrobat stunt act. Immediately, the pressure and intensity were on high. During their act, Bobby holds a very tall metal bar with Valo in a circle on top. Almost immediately, I lost my breath.
Then she brought a BIKE. Intensity went to 11 and a half and I almost literally died. I prayed she wouldn’t fall, and thank goodness she didn’t. I did agree (a little) with Mel B. While she thought it was awful because she feared Bobby might drop Valo to her death, I thought it was awful because there was too little act to watch. I was impressed with the act, and hope they go through.


After that, Julia Goodman. Although she’s a soccer player by day, she's a singer by night and already impressed during the audition.
This week she sings “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls. Her voice is so beautiful; the low bars are amazing and the high notes were good. Although they were low, and I could barely hear her, and that’s with the volume up. Howard believes it wasn’t her best (probably because of nerves) and Mel feels she didn’t give it her all, despite looking stunning. I thought she did. She also does have grace and innocence, and I really like that.


After the 3-minute switch up, Baila Conmigo, a Latin dance troupe from West New York, NJ. Such a cute group of kids, they are. Their performance was amazing. Even with the strobe lights blocking the act, they were immensely amazing. And these are LITTLE KIDS doing these moves. Everyone put a lot of work into this dance, and it paid off in a great way. I loved it.
Mel, Howie and Heidi got excited at how fast the kids were and exasperated at how these dancers are kids. I find this one my Favorite Act of the Week.


Next, David and Leeman, a comedy and magic act. They’re basically doing what every other act did on this show. Perform a guessing game with the judges. First they take a picture of everyone and send it online. Then, they pull out the judges’ books, Howard’s Miss America, Heidi’s Heidilicious, Mel B’s Catch A Fire and Howie’s Don’t Touch Me. I won’t type in the rest because it’s tedious and boring, just like most of the act. It was boring and dragged. I was paying attention, but felt like wanting the two to pick up the pace. And the most laughter and amazement I got from this was the title of Howie's book. Seriously genius.


Next up, The Willis Clan. You can tell because of the name and their home life, they’re country mice of a family and a family singing group. They performed Huey Lewis and the News classic “The Power of Love”. Although I really liked it because of the song choice and their perfect harmonies and the wind instrumentation, it felt very low and quiet-like. Howie and Mel thought so, too. And Howard was rooting for them. On the side note, the kids dancing was super cute.


Later on, Flight Crew Jump Rope, a stunt crew involving...Jump Ropes. Their set also involves trampolines(!) and doing both at the same time(!!!). I thought it was really awesome. Their rope skills were stupendous, and doing the ‘trampoline and roping at the same time’ bit was every bit of perfect. They did not mess up nor disappoint.
Mel thought it was “OFF THE CHAAAAIIIINNNNN-UHH!!”


Next, Jasmine Flowers, an East-meets-West dance troupe. The whole entire performance was absolutely fantastic. The transitions, the techniques, the shapes and forms, the this and that. It was almost breathtaking. All of the group was amazing.
Mel went “Ah” (not in a good way) and called them “an acquired taste”, something not everyone would like, Heidi liked it, Howie enjoyed it, and Howard didn’t like this one as much as their previous performances. I don’t know about Mel’s opinion, but they were my perfect cup of Tea.


Emily West was next up to perform “Chandelier” by Sia. Emily has a perfect mix of Celine Dion and Shakira in her voice. I really liked that in her. Her arrangment was amazingly sultry and refreshingly sexy. Plus, she’s really hot for a middle-aged woman.
Everyone gave a standing ovation. Mel said “Wowzers!”, Howie called it the best performance of the night so far, Howard called it the best performer IN THE THREE YEARS HE’S BEEN A JUDGE, and Heidi loved it with no other words. I loved it too, so I also name Emily my Favorite Act of the Week.


Straight after, another strongman act, JD Anderson. At first we’re treated to him sushing in a tux, then rips it off and does his signature--breaking stuff with his body while looking like a reject from American Gladiators. He amazed me with that. Breaking baseball bats, cinder blocks and BLOCKS OF ICE while not bleeding (and he almost passed out from that) definitely deserves some love.


(This is the only video from the NBC-verified show YT channel.)
Dan Naturman. Another comedy act that acts more awkward and cringe-y than funny. He was funny, but wasn’t hilarious to me. He does have a funny-sounding voice, but is also irritating. He did have some good bits including the Canadian Prime Minister, Prevacid and the Health Care, but other than that, it was meh. Side-not, the song introducing him, "Baby Got Back", was inappropriate and corny.


Last but not least, the final act of the first live show of the season, Miguel Dakota. He sang The Beatles’ iconic “Come Together”. I love the vibe this one gives, like some Imagine Dragons-type performance, and it sounded like them too, especially the drum banging. His voice was also really good. He really made the song his own, something no one should successfully attempt with a Beatles song.
Mel and Heidi were feeling hot under the collar from this and Howie (@HowieMandel on Twitter) thought this could be a Million-dollar act. Howard, meanwhile, wasn’t impressed.

And now the first eliminations of the season.


Taking the spots in the the next round are:
Emily West
Dan Naturman
Miguel Dakota
David & Leeman
(Judges’ Choice) Baila Conmigo

Eliminated are:
Jasmine Flowers
Valo & Bobby
The Willis Clan
Sean & Luke
Julia Goodwin
JD Anderson
Flight Crew Jump Rope

I feel that with these choices that this is a really sad thing for me. I loved JF, JD and FCJR. They did so well to me, but it’s America’s decision and I must stick with it with the utmost respect and maturity. And yet, it still wasn’t fair!! I don’t like Dan Naturman, and David & Leeman are boring!! I’m so mad, really really mad!!!! But…
I must act like an adult, and finish the review.

Next week, the semi-finalists face off for out votes. Who will impress and shine? Who will crash and burn? And what tacky, flashy, pattern-y, Mariah-picked-it outfit will Nick wear next week? Find out this Tuesday, and tune in Next Thursday night for my review. And please tune in every Thursday at 9pm for my review of America’s Got Talent; I hope to see you guys then.
Goodnight for now!

Brian Williams' Daughter Allison Cast as Peter Pan in NBC Live Special; Many Cry Nepotism

Hey everyone.

Last year, NBC announced, after the astounding success of its first live televised musical special in decades, "The Sound of Music Live!", that it will air another live televised special in December, Peter Pan Live! (What the hell is up with the exclamation points?). Usually the title role in the Broadway musicals and TV specials are played by a woman; the most famous being Mary Martin, who won a Tony award for the musical and the hearts of millions (65 to be exact) in the NBC special in 1955, '56 and '65. This announcement left questions and wonder as to who will play the amazing boy wonder of Neverland. That is until now. Today, NBC made the announcement that Girls star Alison Williams will play the title role in the live special. She is also a classically-trained singer and has videos on YT that have millions of views each. Here's one of them below.
Damn, she's got pipes.

Oh yeah, she also happens to be the daughter of NBC Nightly News anchor and managing editor Brian Williams.
Soon after the news hit the web, people immediately threw the nepotism card because of the Peacock keeping it in the family for the role choice, writing bitingly hilarious comments about it, saying that she's Brian Williams' daughter and saying "Nepotism!" and crap. And there were a lot of them.
Here are some of the comments at this article on Deadline:
http://www.deadline.com/2014/07/allison-williams-cast-as-peter-pan-in-nbc-musical-peter-pan-live/#comments
And some at TVLine.com: http://tvline.com/2014/07/30/nbc-peter-pan-cast-allison-williams-girls/#commentform-536386

Hey, I don't blame the people for the accusations of nepotism. They have a really good point. Remember, Brian Williams IS her father, he does work at NBC News, and he may have put in a word in to for the producers to consider her. So, it does make sense to say so. But come on, people, the network execs didn't make the decision (they're probably too busy fixing it's messed up schedule); the show's producers did. Even if they they did, at least they made a great, smart choice! I don't care what the other people think or say and I don't find this a bad idea; she's a very talented actress. I admit, I don't watch Girls (I find it annoyingly overrated) but I've heard her name. And I have never heard her music before, but I regret that. This girl can sing! Just listen to her. Her voice sent shivers and chills to my spine (among other places), and it'll send some to yours, too. Here's some more examples:



Also this ultra-cute picture she later shared of her 3-year-old self dressed as Peter Pan is another great indication. Just look at the hair!


If she has an album out, I'd buy that in seconds, and if she's in anything else, I'll support it from the start. Whether it be comedy, drama, musical, hell, even sex tape--I support it. (okay, maybe not sex tape; she's better than this). She's just that talented. I wish her the best as Peter Pan, the producers for making this as fun, amazing (and safe) as possible, and NBC as much of the best in the world for catching lightning in a bottle for a second time. Only God knows how many people have watched it before the show airs, but everyone already has 3 million on lock.

I'd also want to point out that I always wonder why a woman always plays Peter Pan and not a dude, and why the producers of the original Broadway musical did this choice. I'd want to look further into that, but I'm too lazy to at this point.

#RisingStar Weekly Review Ep 6: The Du-els Part 3--The Honor of Rolf's Ancestors Has Been Restored!

Hey, everybody. Du-els continued. And...I feel more frustrated than last week.
In our first Du-el of the week, it’s Morgan Higgins vs. Maneepat Malloy.
First up, Morgan performs Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory”. Okay, Morgan was kinda terrible. She sounded good at parts, but I heard screeching that would make Screech from Saved by the Bell irritated. Plus, I thought she sounded like she was talking more than singing. The only good parts was when she held notes; that’s the part when she seemed on-key. Kesha tapped Yes (of course) and Luda tapped out (of course). She reached 45%.

Next, Maneepat sang “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles. Right from the start, she was better than Morgan. Her voice was soothing and calm but perfectly on key. Plus her hold-in in the middle of the performance was amazing. She deserves to go through because her voice and the song choice just meshed perfectly. Unicorn Tears and Mr. Shutthehellup tapped Yes, while Venison Jerky tapped No, saying she has done better and needs to do better.


Next Du-el, Shameia Crawford vs. Unselfish (?)
Shameia Crawford was up first, singing “Cry Me a River” by Ella Fitzgerald. Right off the gate, she was amazing. I loved her voice and the arrangement. I heard bits of Ms. Fitzgerald and Kelly Rowland in her voice and the stage presence was different than what I’ve seen. At %, she deserved to go through, unlike her short-time rivals.

They are Unselfish, the group that previously appeared in the Wall auditions. They were terrible then, and they’re still terrible, by performing my partial-namesake Maroon 5’s “Payphone”. Out of the gate, they were frustrating. The one singing the chorus sucked the blue off of mailboxes and it did get
Kesha says she’s “Not a Dream Crusher”. And that’s fine; she also was aware that the performance wasn’t good. But she feels okay to give them an “Upvote” anyway. I don’t know her deal about things, but it’s getting straight-up annoying. Paula Abdul did have a similar behavior at the start of Idol but at least she had perfect constructive criticism.

Random Thoughts:
--Why did Unselfish go through to the Du-els instead of more deserved performers, like Colin Huntley? Well, since the comp. had an odd number of qualifiers, Unselfish got through due to combined E-Coast and W-Coast votes, and Colin didn’t. He wasn’t great, but was at least miles better than them. Both of their song-choices were bad ones, but Colin’s voice was great enough for me to love. So basically it wasn’t fair. It would’ve been nice to see him again.

Okay, final Du-el of the night (and the season, finally). Dana Williams vs. Audrey Kate Geiger.
They were both good, but Dana was the best.



--You know what? I was excited of this part of the season, to see qualifying contestants reach this far and give it their all for the shot of reaching the semi-finals. And almost all of them blew it (whether or not they actually make it through). And I’m really disappointed it this show. I was really happy for this round and somehow I left it dissatisfied. The only ones who actually gave it their all and make me proud were Shaneia Crawford, Austin French, Lisa Punch and Jesse Kinch, and it was pretty much expected for the latter to make it through. I think he takes it seriously, but not seriously enough to believe this is a real thing. I’m really believing this show is a true, pure joke. I seriously believe that. the overall enjoyability of this show has gone down to near-unbelievable levels.
I couldn’t wait to watch this show from the minute I saw the PR, and wanted to use the app as much as Madonna wanted to use dildo in the 90s. Then my hope for this show has begun to wane and my disgust for this show began to increase. Almost everything about it was frustrating: Kesha’s every other shitty thought, Brad half-assed critiques, Josh near-loopiness and quirkiness that might make even Wander a little annoyed and the hell-and-high-water horrible contestants that believe they can carry a note and actually went past the producers’ auditions, who are so tone-death, even William Hung wonders how the hell they got any of them to make it through. The only one that I believe gets it right each and every time is Ludacris; his critiques are perfect and on-point, he knows a good contestant when he sees one (well, most of the time) and I enjoy his side remarks without giving them second thoughts (Unicorn tears never gets any thoughts from me).

See ya next week.

SYTYCD Review Ep. 4: Good Kissing, Flipping and Flying & Dancing Lepers

Welcome to Maroon Mondays’ review of the Live Shows of “So You Think You Can Dance”.
As with my reviews of Rising Star, the opinions are less professional than those of the TV-show websites.

Well, this week has surprised me. Although the dances were good, almost all of them were a little middling. I of course have my favorites and my opinions so let’s get this started.

Show-starting Group dance time!!



The competition begins with Valerie & Ricky performing a Bollywood dance choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan to “Dilliwaali Girlfriend” from the soundtrack of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. They did a great job for two people who aren’t Indian. They did the step fantastically and the part where he slaps her ass like bongo drums was hilarious. I find Bollywood dancing cheesy, but I think it’s a great kind of cheesy. So far and away I find this one the “Favorite Dance of the Week”.


Up next, Bridget & Emilio did a Travis Wyatt-Comtemp groove to Chris Gameau’s “The Leaving Song’. This one takes place with a bed frame, so it had to be about a broken relationship. I loved the passion and emotion he two displayed during the routine. And the physical contact the two shared was perfect. Plus, a nice big props to Bridget for holding and carrying Emilio like that; such a heavy frame to hold, but she did great. Also, three cheers to the bed frame for being an awesome prop. There should be a Twitter account expected for it, but that’s stupid.


Then, Tanisha & Rudy did a Hip-Hop bit to Usher’s “Good Kisser”. Boy, was it steamy. Tanny brought some major sex appeal along with the dance, and Rude made sore the ladies got some, too. The song meshed well with the dance. And Tanisha’s legs!! Can I put that out there like the dog I am? Yes I must. This is also my “Favorite Dance of the Week”.


Jessica & Marquet performed a Dmitry Chaplin-choreographed Foxtrot bit to “I Put a Spell on You” by Nina Simone. I love the elegance and grace of the moves, but somehow I felt a lack somewhere in there. I don’t know what it is, but it’s in there. Anyway, it was a wonderful foxtrot and the two did wonderfully. Also, just putting it out there: doesn’t Nina Simone sound a bit like Cee-Lo Green. It’s probably the ambiguous tone of the voice. It’s no wonder Cee-Lo has the pipes like a woman.


Later on, Carly & Serge give a Contemporary from Mandy Moore (yes, the singer/actress can also has a dancer side) to Jewel’s “Foolish Games”. This was a beautiful dance. I felt emotion and heart-wrenching moves all around, that it almost made me cry. And I felt it too. Well done to the duo, and well done to Mandy Moore for the moves. You still got it, woman who once voiced Rapunzel.


Emily & Teddy, meanwhile, to it to the Salsa for this Oksana Dmytrenko and Jonathan Platero-choreographed dance to the “Roca Remix” of “Bruk it Down” by Mr. Vegas featuring Alison Hinds. I usually find Salsa dancing exciting, sexy and awesome. I saw sexy, but also a little excitement and not much awesome. I’m sorry, it just didn’t do it for me. I also saw a little mess-up from Emily near the beginning, but since this isn’t Dancing with the Stars, she isn’t very screwed. They did their best, but I wasn’t all that impressed.


Next, Jacque & Zack perform a Jazz routine to “Back to Black” by Beyonce feat. Andre 3000. Although the part where Zack flapped his arms like a dodo was clearly strange, I liked the dance. It’s questionable but I like it. I just can’t explain my thoughts the moves. They’re so unique and amazing, I’ll just say I liked it. Not “Best Performance of the Week” liked it.


And finally, Brooklyn & Casey did a Hippity-hoppity ditty by Will "WilldaBeast" Adams to the “Hustle Hard’ remix by Ace Hood feat. Rick Ross and Lil Wayne. First off, their outfits.They look like rejects for the Umpires of the New York Yankees. Now the dance; the middle part is really good, while the beginning and end were lacking. The two gave it their all during that part and I loved it. The start and end though didn’t move me though. Good for them, anyway.

Before the elims come in here are some “Mini-Group” dances for you guys.
Here’s the first one, which I loved. It’s basically moving around like lepers and falling like them. The intensity and emotion left me breathless. And the story behind it makes me want to start a fund for these sick people and wish them a longer life, even though they’re clearly not sick. so it’s amazing (and funny).

And now the second, which I love just as much, if not more. It’s features what I love about this show: fast dancing, “Let’s Do the Same Moves” dancing, mugging the camera and jumping like ballerinas. These guy were so amazing, and the part where they pick up Jessica (or Carly or Bridget) and she falls into their arms was brilliant.

These two dances were absolutely the highlight of the week.


And now, the ever-so-intense eliminations. No video this week (Fox usually doesn’t have them[!!!!], so I had to go to an outside channel for them. Not the usual one I go to because Dick Clark Productions struck it down, but another one tha carries he show's videos.

Bottom 6:
Girls: Brooklyn, Bridget and Tanisha
Guys: Marquet, Serge and Zack
Eliminated: Marquet Hill & Brooklyn Fullmer

Painful all over again. Anyway, next week, as Nigel said, FOUR DANCERS will be eliminated from the competition. It will be even more painful for them (and for us). So stay tuned til next week for my review. Bye-bye, everyone!!

#RisingStar Weekly Review: Ep. 5--The Du-els Part 2: CHOOSE!!

Hey everyone.
It’s That time once aga--Oh who, am I kidding? It’s Duels round again and six more semi-finalists fight for three more spots in the finals. Let’s see where we go now.



First up, Gabrielle Nicole vs. Macy Kate.
Okay, I’m shocked. but first, let’s go back to the first performance in the Wall auditions. She blew everyone (including me) away with her vocals, sound and control. She could be the winner, someone I thought would be Jesse. But I hoped it’d be her; she’d have this in the bag. But...then she became a bitch by seeing herself as a better singer and thinks everyone else is inferior to her. That pissed the viewers off, and stopped voting for her in the process.
Now back to the performance. That was mediocre. I didn’t know what I got myself into when I first heard that. I feel that Gabi forced the power in her vocals a bit too much. She did sound good in places, but the rest really overshadowed the performance. I felt she went down in her quality; there is no way anyone can do that in two weeks. Which is utterly unbelievable. She reached 49%
Up next, Macy took up the battle to using “Demons” by Imagine Dragons.
Macy did really well here. She did scream in places, but that what people who do rock do all the time. Her voice was overall better than Gabbi.
The Experts said both did great tonight, but I believe that they can’t criticize Gabi because of how disappointing she has become or because they didn’t; I expect Luda to do so, but he likes her so yeah. She won this battle with 80%

Expert Chat time.
A couple weeks ago, Kesha mentioned a Twitter fan convention called “The Cat Call”. At this point, she says it has gone very well, with some audience members wearing cat ears. Later, Josh and some stage hands gave her a giant ball of yarn. And she played with it. I don’t know what to make of this.

I didn’t watch the 2nd or 3rd Du-els to make a more perfect critique so I’ll have to work with what I saw the first time.

Next up, Sonnet Simmons vs. April Lockhart.
First, Sonnet sings “Feeling Good” She sounds like Fergie if she sang in the 1940s; and that’s a good thing. I loved the rendition a lot. Her voice and control was perfect. Although there a couple off-key pieces here and there, and her high points felt unnecessary. Anyway, she did great with 73%.
And last, April with Neon Trees’ “Animal”. I liked it, but not as much. I enjoy her low-deep voice, but felt a little bored because it felt a little slow. All Experts tapped yes, and it was enough for her to carry on the finals with 74%, just an inch more than Sonnet. Congrats to her, though.


And finally, the final Du-el: Austin French vs. Adam Jaymes.
Starting up the battle was Austin with “I Don’t Want to Be” by Gavin DeGraw. I liked this a lot. austin packed the vocal power in this one. And he didn’t lose his breath or voice till the very end. The Experts and the viewers loved it, so in return, they gave him 81%. Luda was proud, Unicorn Tears liked the new (sort-of) look, and Brad loved him as well.
And Adam fought back with “Free Fallin”. I liked the song, but his slow, sultry version took it to a new level. Oh wait, he wasn’t supposed to be like that? Oh okay. Then he was a little boring, with no pace being picked up. Venison Jerky and Kesha were impressed, but Luda (along with a lot of viewers) was not impressed, saying that he did not give it his all, and I did agree. I do think he didn’t either. Kesha thought he was hot (and also hoped he would pick up the pace), and Brad that he misses notes; that’s all I have.

And that is all I have to say this week. This week was more disappointing than the last. Almost all performers didn’t give me the impression I hoped for, especially Gabrielle. I hoped she destroy the stage but she became an over-confident diva-ish brat and lost the popularity from viewers (and me a little). I like the others, but not loved them. They didn’t blow me away, but they all got a like from me in their own ways. I wish the final bout next week could be better, but from here, let’s say I’m beginning to lose hope in this show. Sorry.
See you next week…(if you’re actually still around).

#SYTYCD Live Review: Ep. 3--The Funky Mosquito Tweeter

Welcome to Maroon Mondays’ review of the Live Shows of “So You Think You Can Dance”.
As with my reviews of Rising Star, the opinions are less professional than those of the TV-show websites.

Hey everyone. This season continues to be great and get even better. The dancers continue to impress me in places I never felt impressed, especially the guys. And I feel the ones I like or are beginning to like are end up eliminated. And that sucks. And another thing, I guess the twist from last week doesn’t happen again this week, as the mixed-up duos stayed the same for another week, and will probably for the rest of the season.
This week, Nigel and Mary were again joined by Ballet icon Misty Copeland. I like her critiques; so balanced, straightforward and subtle.
Also, I apologize for not putting the names of the choreographers in the last two reviews. I will put their names in this review and those afterward.
Unfortunately, this time, my source for the videos on YouTube has been deleted thanks to the production company behind SYTYCD, so I had to switch to videos from the Fox network's YT channel. My apologies.

This week’s Group Dance features the dancers as chess pieces on a board for this Hip-Hop dance choreographed by Christopher Jennings and Krystal Meraz to “How It’s Done” by District 78. I could only hope that it isn’t a danc-y version of any scene from Game of Thrones and is a danc-y version of the scene with the huge chess game from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Everyone was stretching and clawing, the King making sure things were in order. And then...they dance? Anyway, this dance is pretty awesome. The dark setting and lighting really work with this dance, and the back piece dancers & white piece dancers really mesh when doing the same moves. I also love when the black pieces and white pieces get their own chances to shine. My favorite part is when the Black pieces danced; that was so menacing.
I never knew Hip-Hop and Chess can go hand in hand sometimes.


Straight after the dance, the show intro, the Top 18 dancers being introduced, Cat Deeley walking to the stage, and the T18 coming back to the stage, the Bottom 6 dancers are announced. Unfortunately, I can’t put them on the bottom of the page because they’re in the video. The Bottom 6 dancers are:
Girls: Bridget, Emily & Jourdan
Guys: Emilio, Stanley (such a shame; I really liked him) & Teddy
(I will reveal the Eliminated dancers at the end of the review)


Jacque & Zack kicked off the competition with a Hip Hop dance to “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith (They really like this guy’s music (and Ed Sheeran’s) this season). It was fine, I enjoyed it, but not as much as the next ones. Also, "Stay With Me" definitely isn't a Hip-Hop song, so it felt odd to use an R&B song for a Hip-Hop dance. They did a great job, though.


Next, Marcquet & Jourdan (two dancers with very unique names) performed a Dee Caspery-Contemporary dance to “Disappear” by Mikky Ekko (the guy that appeared in Rihanna’s “Stay”). The emotion and intensity were really nice. Jourdan was amazing, with the way she the moves while...being caught by Marcquet while he did...ummm. Anyway, what they did was so great, I can’t describe. Also, when she was leaning on her tip-toes was great; must be the Ballet influences.


Jessica & Stanley later performed Tyce DiOrio Jazz routine to “Funkier than a Mosquito’s Tweeter” (I don’t know if the person who came up with the name was high or did it on a dare, but okay) by Nikka Costa. The dance was performed on a very flat rug, so it’s understandable that you would get hurt from it. But Stanley did an awesome job, and did get spared by the dance Gods to walk around normally.


Bridget & Emilio took the stage to make a Jive groove to Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”. It was an okay dance, but what a Turkey it was. I won’t say because I heard the song like ten thousand times; I’ll never get tired of it. There were pauses of some sort throughout the dance, so Bridget can shimmy, I think. I did love the split Emilio did under Bridget’s dress. It just didn’t feel exciting to me.


After the 3-minute switch, Emily & Teddy performed a Tyce DiOrio-Contemp dance to “Ne me quitte pas” by Nina Simone. The intensity and emotion were on high alert here. Both dancers did a great job, especially Teddy. And this Nina Simone song was a great choice and fits here. Also them putting their arms in the air in a dramatic way was really funny to me.


Brooklyn & Casey took to the floor to do a Jazz bit choreographed by Bonnie Story to Michael Buble’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (a cover of the Queen classic). It was exciting to watch. The flipping and the spinning, the the twirling and the tip-toeing and the jumping (stammering). It just makes me dizzy just thinking about it again. Brooklyn is becoming my favorite girl and Casey is tying with Teddy as my favorite guy.
(I’m fearing they might leave next week. Because the dancers I like always leave the next week.)


Valerie & Ricky came to perform Lacey Schwimmer’s Vietnamese Waltz routine to Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up”. It was beautiful. I mean Bee-YOU-tee-FULL! The chemistry was heartwarming and the part where Rick spins Val (along with when she slid halfway across the floor) was fantastic. The two were so graceful and beautiful with this dance. I’m naming this my--cue Imaginary Trumpet--Favorite Dance of the Week.


Then, Carly & Serge did a Hip-Hop bit by Luther Brown to “Senile” (a song you would think about cranky, dumb old people) by, of all people, Young Money. The two wore body-suits with skeletons, which really helped here. The two really got in character as skeletons and I liked that. I’d be damned to like a Young Money song for an actual legit reason (especially because I like Every Girl), but the beat of the song meshed well with the dance and it was perfect. Well done all around.


For the last dance of competition, Tanisha & Rudy took to Broadway for their dance, choreographed by Warren Carlyle, to the beat of “Sing Sing Sing” by Bob Fosse and the original B-way cast of “Fosse”. I love the Broadway dances; they’re always fun, jazzy, full of bursting energy and never ceases to amaze me. This one’s no exception. Tanny and Rude brought it and left it wrapped with a bow. So jazzy, so fun, so energy-bursting, so AWESOME!! And the fact that it’s also a “Same Moves” dance (and I’ve seen a lot this season so far) only makes this 100 times better!! This definitely made Mr. Carlyle really happy. These guys were amazing. So I also name this dance the--again cue Imaginary Trumpet--Favorite Dance of the Week.

And now, the weekly performance by someone else. This time, A Great Big World with "Say Something", the song that's gonna make them reach one-hit-wonder status really hard.


And now, the moment we’ve all dreaded; the eliminations. This time, it’s about America’s votes. Six guys and six girls. Who will be the two to leave us this week?

It’s Stanley Glover and Jourdan Epstein.
I really liked Stanley, so I’m saddened to see him leave the show. He was so good. Jourdan was good, too. Oh well, too bad for me.
FAVORITE DANCE: (TIE) Valorie & Ricky--Vietnamese Waltz and Tanisha & Rudy--Broadway
Worst Dance (Sorry): Bridget & Emilio--Jive

Okay. We’ll be back next week as 18 become the Top 16. We’ll see who improves, who falters and who gets eliminated again (probably one I like. It probably the one-episode-a-week concept with eliminations at the end. Why do people like it this way?)
See you then!!

Adorable, Innocent Daddy-Daughter Date Video Gets Stupid Outrage

Hey, guys. Take a look at this video I watched earlier today.
This video features a guy taking someone out on a date. And that someone...is his daughter. The video is called "The Best Date Ever" and was created by the guy, Aaron Dickson, who wanted to record the entire date with daughter Analynne. It's really cute with a nice dinner, a waiter, and the two playing in the park. The best part is when it all began when Daddy meets his date. You can really see how happy and excited she is, with beaming red cheeks and everything. Here's the video below, which was posted last month in time for Father's Day.

This video later went viral on YT, reaching almost 8 million views as of posting this. But, the reason for it's popularity isn't because of how cute it is...No, no, no. It's because of some people making comments about how disgusting it seems to be.

Some of these comments include "This is too creepy" and "Ewwww, on so many levels".
Umm...okay.
To the people who find the video disgusting: you find this purely innocent video of a Dad enjoying a date with his daughter the most disgusting thing ever, but you find rape, domestic abuse, incest, murder, cannibalism, necrophilia, and anything else sex- and violence-related on television and in music okay. You also find putting fake relationships of blood-related characters from television shows together (like some as found on TVTropes.org) cute,
including one between a twin brother and sister.

Yeah. Let that sink in for a minute.

If you think that video is sick and wrong on so many levels, YOU must be even more wrong for putting two members of the same family together for the sake of liking some scenes between the two people. Don't give me the argument that it's all fake and just for fun, or that we like these characters a lot, or that they just make the show they're even better. So what? It's still proving my point. Just because they say things in some way that aroused you, that disgusts me. Sure, the word "Date" is used, and that made me a little creeps out too, but that's the only downside.

If the dad was a war hero, we all wouldn't find the video gross; we'd praise the dad for all his service to the country, say that the daughter is really adorable and say that this is the cutest video we've ever saw. And if any of us had still called the video gross, we'd all be called terrorists or un-American immediately. But because not much is known about the dad or how the date came into plan, the people who commented find this disgusting.

Now, I'm not gonna force you all to change your minds for the sake of righting things; we'll all entitled to our own opinions. But I'm just saying, if you want to ship a brother and sister, or a cousin and cousin, or a father and daughter, then whatever. But also saying that a cute, sweet, adorable video of a father and his daughter spending the day together is creepy and gross really puts how creepy and gross you are into the spotlight.

Oh, humanity, how I give up on you.

Sam & Cat-roversy Part Dice: Suddenly Cancelled

Well, everyone?
The news that we already knew would happen for the last few months, has happened. Nickelodeon's hugely popular sitcom Sam a& Cat has been cancelled after one season. And to be honest, I'm not all that surprised. First off, giving a show a FORTY-episode season is definitely gonna put a strain on everybody, especially without a hiatus in between everything. Second, it had to happen because Ariana Grande now has a huge music career. Almost all of her singles are hugely popular on the charts and on the Internet. third, those sexy lingerie photos that were leaked.
And fourth, the rampant rumors circulating between the two main stars, like the one about Jen and Ari getting into problems, the one where Jen is pissed that Ari has a bigger paycheck than her, and the one where Jen had problems with, all of which which were vehemently denied. So basically, this production has been a troubled one after the first taping.

Oh, what the heck? It's 1 Season Wonder Time!!

Sam & Cat is created by Nickelodeon ratings powerhouse Dan Schneider. It's about

Okay, Sam & Cat were both annoying in their own ways.
Sam is still the cold-hearted bitch we all knew and liked from iCarly, and Cat is still the scatter-brained nutcase from Victorious (who of course, didn't start that way; she was dim but had some common sense.) Cat's voice is seriously beyond grating; every time she speaks, it hurts my ears, especially when I watch on a PC with headphones on. It's the vocal equivalent to someone scratching a chalkboard.
And Sam is back to her old ways, and it is just annoying. The worse offenders are #PeezyB (where she coldly brushes off Cat to hang out with a dickhead rapper, and give a fucking girl to two grown fucking men when they go to fucking Mexico!!) and #Twinfection (where she forces her twin sister to help do a dirty deed involving a stupid "disease" and scaring Cat).
To quote her from an episode of iCarly:

Mama doesn't play to get even. Mama plays to win.

The fact that this show exists with these two complete opposites was puzzling, but a smart move because of how popular it was younger viewers.

Now, the other characters I have a better time with.
Dice is a pretty cool straight man to the two. He's funny in his own accord, is pretty to cool to see, and isn't really dull. His peddling scenes are strange (Which is predictable considering it's Schneider's forte) but are pretty funny
Nona is not your typical Schneider-verse elderly character. She sweet, caring, lovely, and her stories of her past are hilarious (and questionable) and she isn't frustratingly annoying or senile, like the many old people Schneider has featured in his shows. In fact, Nona might as well be my favorite character.
And yes, I enjoy even Goomer, too. Yes, he's stupid, but he provides a lot of laughs, more than Cat. He does have some bright spots: In #BlueDogSoda, he knew how to make a carbon copy of the episode's titular soft drink in order to start an underground business thanks to the sody-pop being banned by the CFC. Also, in #RevengeoftheBritBrats, he figured out the evil Gwen and Ruby's plan to sever Sam and Cat's friendship without difficulty...despite the fact that he barely knew who they are, since he didn't appear in (hashtag)TheBritBrats. Anyway, Goomer is more funnier to me because -- and Zoran Korch's delivery. He can make me laugh more than be annoyed.

This show had some funny moments. But the taste in humor that Dan Schneider has does not work out for me in the long run.

Now to some serious talk: Nickelodeon, it's all your damn fault!! If you hadn't cancelled Victorious (which was your highest rated show at the time, mind you) we could've gotten some more episodes. The 60-episode limit is old, outdated and weak, especially after iCarly ended and since SpongeBob is still on the air. I really like this show; the characters are really fleshed-out, the music is great and the actresses have better voices than Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez. So it's not fair this show cancelled when it got better. I refuse to watch anything else on this network that is live-action anymore; they really suck.

Anyway, goodbye to Sam & Cat. You have become The Monkees of live-action television shows. 2013-2014

#RisingStar Weekly Review: Ep 4--the Du-els Part 1-Bring Me the Ed-Boy!!

Hey, everybody.
It’s finally here. The Du-els; the part of the show where semi-finalist pass the Wall and into the next barrier: Using against another contestant and hope for another Raise into the Finals. One will -- while one will be metaphorically be repeatedly slapped with a fish without a to get up for a second...and then fall by the wayside.
The performances are packaged together and will appear between the contestant’s critiques.

First up, Alice Lee faces off against Lisa Punch. Two ladies with power and punch in their voices. Alice was up first singing “Wings” by Little Mix. She reached 69%. I thought it was a little irritating to hear voice. To be more critical, I didn’t really love it. She did sound really good at the first half, but got a little worse as it progresses. She put a bit too much power into it, and sounded like Broadway. Someone on Twitter asked me if I thought she was “Out-screaming” her voice. That made more sense and made me think a little more. She did scream-sing a lot and I just didn’t like to hear it.

Now, it’s Lisa Punch. She was much better here singing P!nk’s “Perfect”. She belted out her best, which was awesome and . Unfortunately, Luda and Brad tapped “No”, which was detrimental to the voting, and therefore lost the Du-el to Alice with a close 66%. And that made me mad! No offence to Alice (she’s good) but Lisa was a way better belter and had a much better voice than her. I just cannot agree with the male Experts’ decision. I’m also beginning to hate Luda’s socks. They and America got it wrong here...at least until the West Coast saved her during its airing later on. She got a

Next, Megan Tibbits takes on Sarah Darling. Megan performed first with Sir Paul McCartney “Summertime”. She had a perfect sultry voice that really complimented the song. And when she reached those high notes, I swear I fainted and went to Heaven...or ended up with 8 tentacles, slept with a Hamburger and had Squid/Burger baby...and not in a good way. They sounded strange and pitchy, and I couldn’t tell; she took me there.
All three Experts tapped “Yes” and she ended up with 71%.

After the 3-minute leap, Sarah went behind the Wall to perform “I Hope You Dance”. Wow, I loved it as much as Megan’s performance. Maybe even more. Her voice was soft, gentle and fantastic. Just perfect to lull you to sleep and you’d wake up satisfied. You know what, I think Sarah should’ve came out the clear winner. They and America got it wrong...again.

And finally, the last one of the night (wow!! How quick!) and the most painful.
Will Roth came first to sing Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball”. Strange choice to sing, but he delivered on it. He made a better version than Miley herself did, I think. In fact, had “Wrecking Ball” been produced as a Rock-pop song or straight-up Rock song, I would’ve like it more than the thing we have today.
Luda said “No”, but Venison Jerky and Unicorn Tears tapped “Yes”, leaving Will with an unfortunate 57%. It’s very horrible for Will to go home as he’s a fantastic singer, but I knew from there that Jesse will come and destroy him easily.

Finally, the golden boy of Rising Star, Jesse Kinch rocked out to “Whipping Post”. I knew he was going through no matter what song he sings, and so did the Experts. Jesse just gave his freaking all and IMMEDIATELY our dear old Jesse went through with a whopping 93%. Mr. ShutTheHellUp shut the Hell up for once and said, to my agreement, “America has spoken!”. I feel saddened that the two had to face off against other instead of other people, but it had to done. I’m still pissed off though.

And now, Random Thoughts:
--First off, I thought the concept of the Du-el (yes, I’m typing it like that) was for both singers to appear behind the Wall and face each other sing the same song, with the singer with the highest amount of Audience votes going through to the next round.
Weird Socks Alert: This time, it wasn’t Josh wearing something strange and fuzzy to show off this week; it was Luda. Initially, Luda was deceitful of the short johns that Josh has been rocking and bragging about for the past few weeks. But then, as the show progressed, he’s warmed up to them (literally)
You know what, I’m noticed a trend: Bad singers going through because of them reaching high notes and getting the Experts excited, because that’s what they want. They want contestants who have powerful voices and can reach high notes; it doesn’t matter how well they are. They say it outright every time; Luda says to Megan that she didn’t give him the high notes like he wanted. Their actions clearly showed it, also, being more excited when Alice and Megan sang, and bored when Will, Lisa and Sarah sang. We're not looking for a Pop singer, guys!! We’re looking for the next singing sensation. Apparently, it seems that won’t happen.

So I went into the Du-els excited and left angry. I’m puzzled that two people I liked left (one against another singer I liked) and that another barely made it. Oh well, we’ll have to see where this goes from here next week. See you for The Du-els part 2. See you next Monday!!

#SYTYCD Live Review: Ep 2--Colored, Phoning In & Too Much Work

Welcome to Maroon Mondays’ review of the Live Shows of “So You Think You Can Dance”.
As with my reviews of Rising Star, the opinions are less professional than those of the TV-show websites.

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to my weekly reviews of Dance. This season has already shaped up to be an amazing one. This week, there was a big switch up between dancers as they gained new partners to spice up the competition. While it enhanced some dancers, this new twist in the live shows left some others falling flat. Nigel and Mary were joined this week by guest Misty Copeland, famed ballet dancer and the first African American female soloist for the American Ballet Theatre.
(For those of you that missed this weeks show, or watched it on DVR, I will reveal which dancers were in the bottom 6 and which of the 6 got eliminated at the bottom of the review.)
(I didn't use the dancers' last names on the critiques in last week's review, so I'll put them here, and on the "Eliminations" section during the reviews from here on out.)


This week's show begins with a wonderful group dance/Broadway salute to the City That Never Sleeps, to the tune of "New York, New York" by the 2014 cast of the White Way hit On The Town. I love this one from beginning to end. The dancers brought their all, especially the guys. The sailors were astounding and when the ladies came in, everyone shined like it was West Side Story all over again. This one has to be my favorite by far.



After that Bottom 6 reveal, Tanisha getting a new partner in Ricky and pulling off something that came out of a chapter of "Fifty Shades of Grey" You know, after the one where Grey rapes the girl, but she finds it as love? Anyway, they give us an ultra-sexy Jazz routine to "You Need" by Bengsons. It was steamy, sensual and close to white-hot, it almost got me sweating bullets; that or I forgot to turn on the AC. Either way, I'm gonna feel the heat the next day.


Next up, Valerie Rockey switches up with Ricky Ubeda, and together, they do a Contemp to Gossling's "Oh Darling". I really felt the emotion and power in this one. Plus the soft lighting really helped make it more emotional. The amazing part was Val falling while Rick holds her legs. To do that and not crap up is seriously impressive. Well done, you two.


Bridget Whitman took a turn with Emilio Dosal and gave us a Hip-Hop rappin' rendition of "Work" by Iggy Azalea. I don't like the song, but this dance is perfect. Emilio brought the awesome and Bridget brought the sexy. Together they brought us this amazing dance. I've said last week that I love "Let's-do-the-Same-Thing" dances, and this week, I'm in love again. Also, that backflip. I don't know about the picture about the pretty girl fitting in with the story, though.


Jessica Richens gets to dance with Nick Garcia and swing the West Coast Swing to a 1971 Live performance of Aretha Franklin's iconic "Respect". I thought it was very good, especially 2 seconds in when the spinning commences. Both of them are really great at WCS (especially Nick) and I wish to see the two doing it again later this season (if either doesn't get eliminated first.) Their spinning and twirling make me close to puking...and I mean it in a good way. I really enjoyed that.


Up next, Carly Blaney gets Serge Onik and performs a Contemporary to the Acoustic version of Sam Smith's "Latch". Boy did I feel the emotion from this one. The two touching each other, throwing the other around, rolling on the floor and spinning. And, while any Sam Smith song is perfect for this show, this particular song was perfect for this routine. It just fits here like a glove.
Plus, big cheers to Serge for his amazing lifts with Carly, along with her; seems like she was light on her feet her whole life.


Emily James gets paired up this week (and probably not beyond) with Teddy Coffey, performing this week's second Hip-Hop rappin' groove to Ed Sheeran's "Don't". I thought it was pretty good, but felt a little boring in a couple places. It gets much better during the middle part, but the boring-ness does take precedent throughout the dance.


Marlene Ostergaard just keeps turning up the heat. This time around she is chosen with Stanley Glover, who himself impressed me with his "Let's-Do-the-Same-Thing" Contemporary last week, and straight to business (or should I say "a bus-uh-ne-usss" with this Broadway number to "I've Got Your Number" by Nancy Wilson. Damn, that was impressive. Their footwork, leg-lifts and the way they held those phones throughout the whole routine without dropping them was amazing. His jump-splits-thingies (or whatever you call them) are just astounding. Coupled with Marlene leg-work (who by the way, has some fine-ass legs; I mean, Damn. Sorry, I lapsed into being a dog for a bit) Anyway, that was so very good, and I applaud them both. I name this dance my Favorite Dance of the Week.


Jourdan Epstein got a new partner (this time a man!!) in Marquet Hill. They perform a Pop Jazz number to Britney Spears' "Work Bit--", I mean "Work Work". It was a really good dance, but somehow, I wasn't really impressed. I did enjoy the part where Marc picks up Jordan and she does a mid-air split and keeps that pose when she reaches the ground!! That's gotta hurt, but that was really cool. And then kick that made him flip? Super cool. Other than that, it was a very so-so dance.


Next, Brooklyn Fullmer shook things up Casey Askew, performing an Argentine Tango to "Gallo Ciego" by Luis Bravo's Forever Tango. I find this one really good, and these two brought some fire to the dance; mind you, not "the" fire, some. But it felt a little dull to me. There was a nice amount of passion there, but still felt dull.


And finally, Jacque LeWarne also gets a man partner with Zack Everhart, Jr., giving us a kick-ass African Jazz groove to the same name Mix of "Dibiza" by Danny Tenagila. This dance had everything, the two covered in colorful spandex, loud electronic-like music, "Let's-Do-the-Same-Thing" moves, and nice chemistry between the two. And quickness, power and ferociousness were on display, and I loved that. Everything just works here, so I'm also naming this my Favorite Dance of the Week.

FAVORITE DANCE: Marlene & Stanley--Broadway & Jacque & Zack--African Jazz
(Honorable Mention: Bridget & Emilio--Hip-Hip)
Least Favorite Dance: Emily & Teddy--(the other) Hip-Hop

And now, a special performance by a wonderful dance group called Syncopated Ladies. Totally sassy, those girls.


And now, the eliminations. This week, 20 dancers stand, 6 will face elimination, and 2 will leave the studio. First, the bottom six dancers.

And now the reveal of the two dancers (one guy, one girl) leaving the competition.

Eliminated: Marlene Ostergaard & Nick Garcia

I thought that was a very terrible elimination. Marlene and Nick shouldn't have left; they really improved this week. I know these eliminations are results from last week's dances, but still. I think it should be Jourdan that should be the girl to leave and some guy to leave; the guys were great so far, I can't choose. Oh, well. Two rising dancers leaving us this week. I did not like it but it had to happen. This season is going to be painful. I love it.

Oh well, we'll have to see what happens from there next week. See you next Friday at 8 for Review #3. But for now, I'm Andrew Pollard saying "Plié, Pas de Deux, echappe and other Ballet crap". Sorry, Misty Copeland.

#RisingStar Weekly Review: Episode 3--Some Nights, I'm Gonna Be Somebody, as Long as The Lights Stay On

Welcome to Maroon Mondays' weekly review of Rising Star, the newest reality singing competition show in America (of many). Well, I wanted to do this to--well, because there's nothing else to do on a Sunday night. Also, this is not a review by a professional columnist; just from a guy who created this blog because he was bored with his life. These are my opinions, and I stand by them. And they're much more subtle (and much less brutal) than the reviews on the TV show websites.

Thank you for joining me once again.
Well, this has been a questionable few weeks for me. Before this blog, I’ve never be so engrossed in a TV show, much more a singing competition show. I just watch, laugh it it's funny, frown if it's dramatic and feel good if I've enjoyed it. And since Rising Star came in, I found interest because of its innovating concept: contestants sing on live television in front of three judges (dubbed the “Experts”) for the viewers’ votes, but first they have to get past a wall that’s activated by the viewers’ likeness. Because they are the judges. But, there have been times on this show where I haven't enjoyed it.
But these few weeks have been a problem to me; I was hoping for some really nice (to say the least) singers with a few fantastic singers in between like you see on Idol and The Voice. Instead I got some singers that are somewhere between mediocre and downright horrible. And after a few of these audition, we finally get one-two good ones that I truly like, like Joshua Peavy, Jesse Kinch, April Lockhart, Austin French and this week's fantastic performer Gabrielle Tyson. So let's get into this week's review, because I'm celebrating the fact that this audition round crap is over. I just want to hear Jesse sing again.


Dana Williams from Los Angeles was up first. I liked her already from her home video at 5. She had the nice voice that could make you light-headed and love that feeling. She performed Rihanna’s “Stay”. Her low parts are very “Meh”. Also it sound better than how Rihanna herself it, judging by how she makes her music now-a-days. So with 87%, Dana becomes yet another contestant moving on.


Unselfish, a group from Atlanta, took the stage next to sing “Some Nights” by fun.. They surprisingly remind me a little of the R&B groups of the 50s and 60s. They have the style and harmony to be the next boy band, but the song they chose wasn’t the best. And unfortunately, because of that, it wasn’t enough to get them to the next round, as the Wall did not Raise, and they went back to the ATL with 46%. Plus, their setting up their positions and jumping was corny.


Cliff Cody, a goat herder from Somerset, Ohio performed “I’m Gonna Be Somebody”. He reminds me of a large, bearded, singing Bray Wyatt. You know, without the creepy behavior, Hawaiian tourist shirts or Exorcist walk. His voice is so deep and booming, which I like a lot. He did have some pitch issues, as pointed out by Kesha, plus it was too booming. So despite Brad voting “Yes”, the Wall didn’t rise, and with 49%, he went back to the city where the Sun sets with his herd of goats, hoping they would enjoy his singing and bleat with joy.


Audrey Kate Geiger, from New York City, joined in later to perform Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me”. I’ve never heard of Sam Smith, but this song is so really good, so you should listen to his music sometime. Her voice is just perfect. It’s smooth and soft, and yet sexy. And to me, it reminds classic folk and jazz singing All Experts tapped “Yes”, and with that, she went through with 84%.
Her voice and rendition wa so great, that I name her my Favorite Performance of the Week.


Next, another group; Gabby Puyat and Michael Dunn aka Oh.M.G. And OMG, were they mixed. They sing my favorite song from Ellie Goulding, “Lights”. Her voice was very good, but not very exciting and his voice wasn’t great at all. Putting them together doesn’t do well. Luda voted “No”, while Kesh tapped “Yes”. It wasn’t enough to save them. I do wonder if she’d fare better by herself, but she might not also go though; she would’ve done better by viewer votes. I’d be really mean to say they ruined that song; so I’ll say this. At 33%, they messed with “Lights” and they really shouldn't have.


Later on after the 3-minute split, Gabrielle Nicole Tyson from Cleveland came to the stage to perform “My Man” from classic Broadway musical and film Funny Girl. And Man, can she sing. Her voice is beautiful, powerful and magnificent. She can hit the notes like Mike Tyson hits his opponents; she definitely packs the punch in her performance. Josh said everyone in the studio had goosebumps from it, and that Barbra Streisand heard it, she’d be really proud. I’ve had goosebumps all over, and if that way my song she sang, I’d definitely be proud of Gaby...and maybe a little jealous. Brad says “You are ridiculous!!” Her voice is far from ridiculous. And if the network allowed, Kesha would’ve expressed her gratitude by using every expletive in the book. Fortunately for me, this is the Internet, so I’ll do that. F*** yes!! That c**t is going to the duels!! Yass b****, yasss!! Go on wit’cha fine-a** self, mutha-f***a!! And your fine ass.

And now some Random Thoughts:
--Venison Jerky was wearing a nice light blue shirt. I liked it. Josh also liked it. #Brosh
--I think Unicorn Tears might be high. This might be because of her former image...or how much hair dye she’s using every week. I don’t want to go, but she need to shape up when the show goes to the Duels round.
--Also, Mr. ShutTheHellUp (aka Luda) is getting better as a judge as the show progresses. His critiques are on point, he really knows who sucks and who shines, and I don’t want to boo him like the audience does cause when the do, he hits right back. Last week’s shot inspired me to give him an in-review nickname, just like I did Brad and Kesha. Luda shall come back next season. I was surprised to see him as the best Expert out of them all.
--Later, during talk with the contestants, Josh asked Gabrielle which contestant she would be afraid of in the finals. Gabi answered by turning the question, wondering if some contestants would be afraid of HER . I understand that there can be diva-like contestants on singing shows, and she might have a lot of confidence in herself, but she took this a bit too far by saying that. Now because of this, she might turn out very unlikeable by the other contestants. She should wonder who she is afraid of now.
--Also, Kesha gets more boring as an Expert. Here, she looks like a rip-off of Katy Perry, she’s too nice to all contestants, when she gives criticism it’s weak and cuddly, and even if she doesn’t like a contestant (which, by the way, is five times; including ONCE this week) the things she say isn’t as constructive or powerful as the other Experts (even Brad). If she comes back next season, she needs to be more straightforward and less sugar-coated.

This week’s Expert Chat was really strange. First Josh talked to Unicorn Tears about “catcalls” which she explains is her fans doing some ritual. I don’t know about this chick; her slutty party girl image was a parody, and that was funny to watch. Now, there's...nothing. Later, Josh and Luda again talked about the former’s socks. Things can’t get as cheesy as that. This time, they have a Luchador face on both sides. But I really like the socks, and I really want them.

Okay...Now, back to the singing.

Karen Hornsby is next up from from Jacksonville, Florida. She sang Celine Dion’s “To Love You More”. Before I get to the criticism, I must say this: I felt heartbroken to learn that her baby daughter has brain cancer. No parent should ever have a child go through so much pain and fear so early in their lives that something horrible can take it so quickly, even if they don’t know anything about it. I wish her and her family the best of hope and prayer. And now, my thoughts...
I felt that she has a voice that is a knock-off of Celine Dion and impressed me in some parts with the high notes, but the low notes well kinda so-so at best. To be an older contestant in a competition with many younger ones, it takes a lot of guts to sing beside a group of people who are barely no longer sperm and eggs, and come out with 82%. I applaud her bravery to do so.

Tread with caution while watching...

Up next, a group of triplets named Jordan, Lance and Miles Tindall who came to make a(nother) name for themselves in music. Who are they? They’re Tx3.
Well...the good thing about them is--they do look good, and have the package to be department store models for Abercrombie or H&M. Now the bad thing--they stink as singers. They truly stink. During the first note of their rendition of Andy Grammer’s “Keep Your Head Up”, I squirmed. They are are good individually, but really terrible as a group. From the beginning, I knew they would not go through, and so did the rest of the viewers--well except for 22% of them, who wanted them to go through. I don’t know who voted, but I wish I want to know why. Outside of their looks, what do they see in their voices? If their eyes were closed, they’d vote “No” immediately. And speaking of “No”, Luda and Venison voted just that. Meanwhile, Unicorn Tears chose “Yes”. Why?!? They suck, the harmonies are terrible, they can’t sustain a note, and they’re too bad . Also, I don’t what’s up with the audience. They cheer them on, their supportive of them, and when they booed Luda during his constructive criticism of them, knowing full well that they’re really terrible, it pissed me off. What do they see in the--Oh that’s right. Their looks.
I’ve lost faith in humanity.


Next, Skye Griffin from Houston sang Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In the World)”. I read on Twitter that she once sang on stage with Kanye West, so it was interesting to see her perform tonight. It was a bad idea for her. She does have a good voice, but did have pitch problems in place. Plus she messed up at the end; fortunately the end, though, because if she screwed up anywhere else, it would’ve gotten worse for her. Luda liked her boots, but didn’t like her voice; I didn’t love it that much either. Singing Rihanna is really hard, even if she has gotten more processed and sexualized these days. So with the paltry 28%, Skye goes back home to hope that Yeezus (ugh.) gives her a miracle to sing beside him again.


And finally this week (and for auditions this season), Morgan Higgins from San Clemente, CA sang “Alone” by Heart.
Her voice is questionably iffy to me. She has a nice voice, but in some places it kinda puzzles me. The closest thing that comes to me is that she sounds like a better version of Vanessa Hudgens or a rip-off of Rachel Berry. I like her voice, but it’s so--umm--odd to me to hear something like this, especially at the end. And the part where she reaches the high note too hard cements that. She got through with 79%. Also, the part where her family is rocking out to her is hilarious, especially when her parents were dancing like they went to a couple Heart concerts in their day.

WEST COAST RESULTS:
Dana Williams: 84%/-3%
Unselfish: 48%/+2%
Cliff Cody: 44/-5%
Aubrey Kate Geiger: SAME
Oh.M.G.: 35%/+2%
Gabrielle Nicole: 89%/-1%
Karen Hornsby: 79%/-3%
Tx3: 25%/+3%
Skye Griffin: 29%/+1%
Morgan Higgins: 77%/-2%

BEST PERFORMANCE: Gabrielle Nicole Tyson (Honorable Mention: Dana Williams)
WORST: (Definitely) Tx3 (Dishonorable Mention: Skye Griffin and Oh.M.G.)

And that is finally it. The auditions stage has finally concluded and we have only 5 days until the Duels begin. I'm so excited, I can't stand it!! I hope you are, too. See you guys next Tuesday for the first Duels review. See you later!

#SYTYCD Live Review: Ep 1--Green Shirt, Black Swans and Mr. Wiggle

Welcome to Maroon Mondays’ review of the Live Shows of “So You Think You Can Dance”.
Hey, everyone. Welcome to the first review!
This week’s guest judge was pop superstar Jason Derulo. He also performed his hit “Wiggle” later in the show; I’ll get to that later. I would like to point out this is also the show’s 200th episode, which is impressive for any TV show any genre, let alone a reality show.
As with my reviews of Rising Star, the opinions are less professional than those of the TV-show websites.


The newly-crowned Season 11 Live Show dancers all performed a wonderful routine to Kingdom’s “Stalker Ha”.They all looked liked back-up dancers for Madonna circa Vogue or Lady Gaga, circa The Fame, whey the dress slightly less odd than her. The part of the beginning where they took their hats and put them on other’s heads was my favorite. The synchronicity was also perfect.
After the credits, the dancers are revealed. Don’t they have the most unique and/or normal sounding names on TV? They do to me.


First up, Sergei & Brooklyn cha-cha-ed to “Hell Yeah” by Midnight Red. I thought they did very good. They brought some fire during choruses, but I felt it was basic at times. And might I add--Brooklyn’s legs. DAYUM.


Next, Emily & Casey. She eats breakfast for dinner, He lives in Seattle, but hates the rain.
They did a dance that was symbolic of a couple in a painful relationship, played to John Legend’s “All of Me”. It was wonderful. Nice amount of physical contact and intimacy. That made that once powerful. Jason said “Sometimes, It’s not about Technique”, it’s about the story and touching people”, something he does know about as Mr. “Talk Dirty to Me”. And he’s right.


Then, Valerie & Zack. She can really eat an omelette, He likes Hood Rap and not Country (he’s White by the way).
They do a ravishing tap number to “Sing” by Ed Sheeran. I thought the tapping didn’t match the song some parts, but since tapping is very hard to do and maintain, I thought it was really wonderful. It impressed me halfway to the end. They did a great job, enough for Nigel to say “WOW” ever and over.


And now, Bridget & Stanley. She massages feet, He does something that has to do with Michael Jackson. They do a Contemporary to “Doesn't’ Mean Goodbye”. I love a dance when both dances do the exact same moves at the exact same time. And they did that! It was beautiful, and brought realism and authentic emotion that had me pulled in. Mary couldn’t say such big world that I didn’t know that made sense about the dance, and Jason was crying. So he loved it, too.


Next, Jacque (Jack-eee) & Jourdan (both female). She talks fast, She...also talks fast. Okay. Anyway, I’ve never seen two ladies dance together on the show before, so I was excited to see what happens, and I...enjoyed it.
They performed a Ballet number to “Pas De Deux - Black Swan - Tchaikovsky” by Richard Bonynge & The London Symphony Orchestra (thank God for YouTube or else I wouldn’t have remembered it all in my one-track mind). It was a very pleasant and enjoyable dance. It wasn’t the best of the night but very enjoyable, nonetheless. I sometimes love to watch ballet on TV and I do impromptu dances sometimes out of nowhere a lot, so I loved the dance, and the two looked beautiful. I’m proud of them and I hope they move to the next round.


Straight after, The set quickly changed and Jason somehow changed clothes to perform “Wiggle”. You don’t need a description to know what’s it about. Okay, fine. It’s about a dude’s desire to see a woman shake her ass. It’s probably the 1,000th song about that. Snoop Dogg made a surprise appearance to do his verse.


After the 3 Minutes, it’s Marlene & Marquet. She eats lots of chocolate like she got dumped, He failed the 2nd grade at three different schools. DAMN. They did an awesome Salsa number to Morning Drums by . The vibe was wonderful, both did a great job, and they looked really good in green, especially Marquet.
The audience clapping added to the perfection. They brought fire to the dance from start to finish.
I loved it so much, that I name this dance Favorite Dance of the Week.


And now, Carly & Rudy. She mixes Rs & Ls like...some ethnic group, He’s possibly a Latino from the South. They perform a to “Take It Easy” by Jetta. It was perfectly dramatic and powerfully heartwarming. It made Mary cry (tears of joy). I loved the wind blowing of Carly’s dress, which added to the drama; it was too good not to enjoy. Jason said these two aren’t going home next week; I definitely believe him. They’re too good to be eliminated.


Emilio & Teddy. He’s Puerto Rican...and curses.
They did a number as janitors at a workplace during night shift to...well, “NightShift” by the Commodores. It’s pretty good. I didn’t see much of it for a critique, though.


Later, Jessica & Ricky. She believes Mermaids are real, He shops at Thrift Stores ( I like him already).
They did a haunting dance to “Vow” by Meredith Monk. It was a really perfect dance; so intense, so powerful, so emotional, so amazing, so...wow. I literally have no more words to describe it. Cat called it other-worldly, and I don’t blame her.
These two are amazing, I also name their dance Favorite Dance of the Week.


And last but not least, the last of the Top 20, Tanisha & Nicky.
She has parents that love sex, He sucks at math. (How Ironic.)
They did a groove to “I’m a Freak” (HA-HA-HA!) by Enrique Iglesias. It got basic and dull at parts, but got better as it progresses. Mary loved it so much that she turned into a human VCR on Fast Forward. So funny, also because time was running out. It’s live television; what can I say?

Since I don’t follow dancing as much as I do singing, I can’t tell which dance is the worst, but from the comments I read on YouTube, Jacque and Jourdan’s ballet seems to be that. I guess I'm the only one who likes it. Anyway...

And now we’ve reached the end, and what can I say (again)? Even though it felt like it went on forever, I enjoyed every moment of it. I enjoyed the dances, and I even enjoyed Jason Derulo (I don’t hate him, though.) And finally, the part of the show that I enjoy the most; when the dances come to the stage to dance one last dance together during the end credits. I just love watching the dancers have fun and look silly at the end of the show every week; it just makes me feel good.

Thank you guys for joining me for this review and make sure you keep coming back every Friday at 8 o’clock for reviews of this fan-tap-olous show for every dance, every (other) critique and things I just love to here. See you then! And see you later!