A 'Booty' by Any Other Name

Of all the fan-made and artist-inspired monikers, none is as renowned as ‘J. Lo’. Withstanding the tests of time and trendiness, Jennifer Lopez has built a brand to outlast the eras of the Puff Daddies and Snoop Doggs whose images were defeated at the turn of the century. Durable and adorable as the 45-year-old has proven to be, J. Lo has also ventured to prove that her moniker comes with an identifier: her bottom.

On September 18, J. Lo released the official music video for ‘Booty’ featuring her Aussie counterpart, Iggy Azalea, with curves down under to rival the original Fly Girl herself. These two femme queens make the most of four minutes and some-odd seconds, showing audiences more dance moves to highlight your rear-end than ever previously imagined. Of course, this is no surprise as the newly ranked Billboard Hot 100 track uses J. Lo’s trademark body part as its namesake.

Jennifer Lopez in the music video for "I Luh Ya Papi" ft. French Montana. Courtesy of  jennifer-lopez.net.

For decades now, the frame through which consumers view J. Lo has been through the recognition of her Latina allure and her best asset. This is to say that the identity and purpose that Lopez serves in the media is conveyed in such a way that audiences interpret her strengths as a star to be dependent on her minority identity. As an actress she has lent beauty and relatable nature to the archetypal Latina maid, the Latin pop star and the unlikely female suitor to the fair-skinned McConaughey-male leads. As an energetic performer, she made us believe that love don’t cost a thing in the presence of catchy choruses and truly bootylicious dance moves (our apologies to Beyoncé, CC: Destiny’s Child). 

Perhaps it is Jenny from the Block’s identity as a minority and as a Latina that contributes to her resistance identity as a curvaceous female. Deserving of the resistance identity title, J. Lo’s media framing keeps her from fitting in with her female counterparts, even within her latest music video alongside Iggy Azalea, because of her warm skin and the rhythmical aptitude, which stereotypes would suggest is all too telling of her Latin upbringing.

In one of the most watched role reversals of mainstream media, Lopez made a satire of the modern music video for her song “I Luh Ya Papi” featuring French Montana. Joining in on the recent trend of female pop stars advocating for gender equity, Lopez “turns the male gaze on its head,” as stated in this music video review from the Huffington Post. Breaking the dichotomy of gender roles and the spectrum of objectification, Jennifer Lopez and her female counterparts make a mockery of men as mere décor—an effort that equity-conscious consumers can surely get behind.

What’s more important than the media frame that permits J. Lo’s booty to precede her in music and movies alike, is the way that she has taken this resistance identity, put on some gold hoop earrings, and has run with it. It is not out of defiance that this Latina from the Bronx has remained a name to know, no matter the monikers you choose. It is with compliance and maybe a little help from a stylist, that J. Lo has embraced her outlier of a silhouette in order to make the most of her Latina identity and to frame her biggest asset for decades on end.

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Lorde performs hit song, ‘Royals’, for U.S. Television Debut

You don’t have to be a churchgoer to be entranced by New Zealand’s latest standout star, Lorde. At 17 years old and with a sound all her own, she’s defying the boundaries of her island homeland and gaining listeners on an international level.

On Tuesday night’s show of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Lorde sang her hit song, ‘Royals’, and baptized the first of many stages in America. The kiwi’s debut studio album, ‘Pure Heroine’, became available for purchase on iTunes Sept. 30. At $9.99, the entire album features ten tracks of Lorde’s smoky voice that manages to engage listeners song after song.

While her growing fan base can attest to her fresh and strong sound, the young star has made few television appearances. Tuesday night gave Lorde a new medium to grab the attention of the masses not only with her raspy voice, but with her bold appearance, as well. Revealing her youth and her mane of curls, Lorde swayed into the tempo of the song as she sang.

It’s apparent after her performance on Late Night that her fans aren’t the only ones who get lost in the rhythm and poetic lyrics of her songs—she, too, connects with the music. From co-writing her songs and gaining traction in New Zealand, Lorde offers tribute to the traditional journey towards fame. And if she continues on this streak of passion and lyrical depth, her fans will surely sing along. 

Check out Lorde's U.S. television debut above or click here ---

Jayme Dee's Broken Record Review

After making you fall in love with your favorite songs all over again for six years on YouTube, Jayme Dee has fled the Internet screen and released her first EP album. This snippet of original music, entitled Broken Record, provides this bubbly artist’s already growing fan base with proof that she can step out from behind her guitar and acoustic covers in order to write contagious lyrics of her own.

Broken Record was released on July 30 and the musical variety serves as the polka dot kiss from the hipster artist herself. For nearly a dollar per song, this sneak-peak to her expected album can add to your summer playlist for $6.84 on iTunes.

A summer album, indeed, Jayme Dee’s premiere EP features songs like, “Broken Record”, which sounds eerily like an orange, setting sun or a drippy, orange Creamsicle—it’s hard to tell which. And don’t try denying that the track “Tip Toes” doesn’t sound like the daughter of a soulful Zooey Deschanel and the ever-smooth Justin Timberlake.

Praised for her blues-like voice and vocal range that knows no bounds, Jayme Dee’s YouTube channel has over 19 billion views. Making viewers forget that blues has been out of the lime light for a number of decades was easy for her in covers such as, Britney Spears', “Toxic” and Foster the People’s, “Pumped Up Kicks”.

There is no avoiding that the six upbeat songs that comprise this EP album stray from the stripped down music Jayme Dee first dropped our jaws with. Despite having to face some harsh criticism from fans who prefer Jayme to be flirting with listeners equipped only with a song and guitar strings, she stands firm in her new, jazzy artistry. “It’s been a long journey,” Jayme Dee tweeted after the release, “…we had so much fun making these records in the studio.”

Be it from our computer or from our radio, this bubblegum blonde from southern California has a common look and a not-so-common sound. For music patrons, Jayme Dee is different. And not fitting the mold is more than enough reason for audiences to hit ‘play’ on any medium.

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Also, here is one of the most viewed videos on Jayme Dee's channels...
just because.

Musical Match-up from Overseas

We all love a classic face-off; The Beatles vs. The Beach Boys, the Confederates vs. the Union in the civil war, the cheeseburger vs. the hotdog.
This summer, the alternative music junkies from Humboldt County, CA. to Atlanta, GA. are turning up the volume for a musical battle from overseas—the United Kingdom versus Australia & New Zealand. Ripe with instrumentals that make you believe you can make the head bob look cool, and countless, catchy choruses, the Brits, the Aussies, and the Kiwis are showing Americans a worthwhile head-to-head—or vocal cord-to-vocal cord—matchup.
If your summer siestas have taken place at the nearby indie café, you might’ve turned your ears towards the stereo in order to hear Bastille’s new music over the crushing of coffee beans into espresso. Initially formed in 2010, the band is comprised of four men from London. This is further evidenced from their often skinny jean clad legs and mussed hair.
Dan Smith, the lead vocalist of the group, has a sound comparable to the fluid lead singer for The Lumineers, Wesley Schultz. However, Smith retains his own style in a wide vocal range that is supported by occasional hints at his English accent. While the band’s premiere studio album, Bad Blood, began to catch attention from the U.K. rdebut in March of 2013, the U.S. was not far from earshot. Early stand-out singles, like ‘Pompeii” with a rhythm made for summer, will have you and your slew of friends walking in step down the sidewalk; undoubtedly looking less British and rugged than the members of Bastille, yet enjoying yourself all the same.
Now, if you’re less of the café, siesta type of summer soul, and you like to cut straight to the nightlife, drink-in-hand technique, you might make fast friends with another U.K. band—Disclosure. Recognized for their addicting tempo that picks up when it should, and slows down just as you need to catch your breath from your own awkward interpretation of dancing, the electronic duo is coming into the American spotlight quickly.
Brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence, the duo behind Disclosure, hail from Surrey. Yet, the undeniable likeness of their music on U.K. streets and U.S. soil alike has led to appearances such as the stages at Coachella last April. “Latch ft. Sam Smith” (attached below) comes from their premiere album, Settle. This single has hit number one on U.K. charts, and number two on American electronic charts. Perhaps, electronic music does, in fact, have a place in 2013 and Disclosure stands tallest among the rest to make this argument.



To combat these two groups from England, are two solo artists from down under. The first is singer-songwriter, Lorde from New Zealand. With two number-one hits in New Zealand, her single, “Royals” is climbing the charts in the U.S. Upon watching the music video to “Royals” (attached below), and finding a striking fair-skinned, blue-eyed, brunette singing to you—directly to you—you’ll be left jarred just long enough to watch the music video at least once more.
This alternative pop maven also gleans popularity from her songs, “The Love Club”, and “Tennis Court”. These hits all tie together with bridges as equally tranquil as heard in “Royals”. The clarity in her voice and freshness in her look has jumped from the island and has us all in a kiwi tizzy. If you haven’t knelt to praise Lorde’s musicality thus far, then surely finding out that she’s but 16-years-old will make you throw in the towel and succumb to her fandom.



Lastly, Betty Who a native of Sydney, Australia lends listeners her own classic pop persona just in time for rolled down windows and topless… Jeeps of this season. Her overarching, popular single, “Somebody Loves You” was first premiered by American bloggers in late 2012. Now, her lyrical “ooh’s” and “aah’s”, that we’ve long associated with the work of Madonna and Whitney Houston are making a comeback. Betty Who is settling in as one of the most preferred artists to lose track of time to on hot summer days.
From innovation within electronic music and the revival of meaningful lyrics, these groups and artists from overseas are meant to stay awhile. Boys versus girls, Brits versus Kiwis and Aussies—call it what you will, surely we’ll all be singing along regardless.

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