#nothing post-hiatus made me go back and listen to the full album in one siting until now

[daeluin]

the greatest accomplishment of so much (for) stardust is that it made me listen to folie a deux in its entirety for the first time in more than a decade

[kangcrushupdates]

GIRLKIND BAD MANAGEMENT AND SUB-UNIT DEBUT

Hey fanforce and Girlkind occasional fans! I wanted to finally make a post about Girlkind bad management because i feel like nobody really seem to realize nor care about what is happening to Girlkind since the last time they came back, which was already a year ago. A Few of us are really concerned about Girlkind’s career as we fear things could get worse and worse till they probably disband and honestly it would be really sad to witness another amazingly talented gg disappearing like that. Fanforce alone is a really really small fandom and we realized we are not getting heard, we’ve been completely ignored since Girlkind debuted, so i’m asking kpop stans to help us and mass email the company, but first let me explain the full story of the problematic and messy things Nextlevel Ent. has done that ruined Girlkind career. I’ll try to list them chronologically.

Please read the full thing and help us save Girlkind

Culture appropriation, N word and lack of research: 

Girlkind debuted with Fanci a year ago and eventually started a meme that unfortunately will be linked to them forever, Girlkind is also known as the “Hood Unnies” because of the “All my bad unnies all my hood unnies” verse which kpoppies started using as a meme or a drag blaming Girlkind for lyrics they didn’t even composed. ROOM102 (worked with GOT7 countless of times) wrote the lyrics and composed the song for Girlkind, their company didn’t do any research and so didn’t care to double check a song that was also produced a year before its release, they basically had a whole year to eventually change the lyrics and also production but they just didn’t.

Same thing happened for Broccoli, which was a Parody single they legit called a “Mixtape” when it really wasn’t. The song was supposed to be an inside joke between us the fandom and them on their forced broccoli diet which they released a vlog about prior to the song. I don’t really understand what their company was thinking but they also thought it was necessary to release an MV for it (waste of money) in which they appropriated African hairstyles just for aesthetics. They wore Bantu knots and jumbo box braids acting hood in what looked like a urban area shooting with fake guns, now the question is...what all of this had to do with a song about a broccoli diet?? absolutely nothing, and it made things even worse, certain fandoms sent death threats, spread unnecessary hate and wished them to disband instead of educating their company sending emails, the girls were dragged for the entire year and still are now even though they had no control over it, while the company still isn’t educated.

During Girlkind debut anniversary this year i sent an email to educate the company, and throughout the year i wasn’t the only one, during Broccoli and after S.O.R.R.Y comeback, a few fans who didn’t leave the fandom sent a lot of emails too. Anyway in my email i also mentioned again to the company to double check lyrics for future covers and dance covers and make sure Girlkind doesn’t even get to mouth the N word. Unfortunately on May they posted on Bastarbastar (this app where underrated idols post their daily vlogs and short videos) Jikang’s cover of Venom by Little Simz which countains a lot of n words which Jikang eventually ended saying as well. I commented on the video ASAP and asked for it to be deleted together with other few people. The video was deleted 2 weeks after and so were the cuts posted on twitter from a few Girlkind fanpages. This shows the company never bothered to read mine and the other fan’s emails and prevent such mistakes from happening.

S.O.R.R.Y comeback and members disappearing: 

S.O.R.R.Y comeback was made possible through Makestar which  the company didn’t bother to even promote leaving all the hard work to fan pages with more or less 50-200+ followers each. We begged the whole kpop twitter and on here as well (i was girlkindsource at the time and god knows how much i begged for it to succeed) and after months of begging the project almost failed but suddenly succeeded literally 2 minutes away from closing with 1k dollar more than the goal. The teaser said we were going to get a Mini album, then a FULL ALBUM but we ended getting a SINGLE plagiarized from a demo on Diginoiz (a site that sells sound kits and demos). Knetz basically found out first and exposed and shamed both the girls and the company since the song was said to be co-produced by the members especially Medic Jin which is credited in the lyrics and melody composition as well. Their company seem not to know the difference between a single album, mini album and full studio album which are the basics when you enter the music industry how do they not know the-

Anyway, Girlkind S.O.R.R.Y comeback had 5 Live Stages ONLY, one nugu variety appeareance and consolation trains stages at military bases in which Medic Jin already isn’t participating in, and at this point we don’t know where the hell is Medic Jin, rumors said she left the group others that their company left a notice saying she was on hiatus on Girlkind Fancafe (which is false, we never found the notice), a few months after even Sun J disappeared and only 3 members were visibly active, Ellyn appeared in a drama, and only Jk and Xeheun were in dance covers. Their company would purposely crop Medic Jin out of teasers and missing in dance cover videos uploaded on youtube, but then she would be in Christmas and new lunar year greetings videos like how???

The company is not focusing on the group as a whole and is wasting money:

It’s been a year since Girlkind comeback as a whole, fans keep asking for comebacks but the company keeps focusing only on the same 2 members (Jikang and Xeheun). Since debut the company tried to make Girlkind look like Xeheun and the girls because she was supposedly the most popular member since she participated in PD101 S1, but things really didn’t happen that way, Ellyn happened to be the most popular member as she is also the visual, then Sun j because of her very cute face and aegyos, on the other side Xeheun, JK and Medic Jin ended being the least gp favourites but their company didn’t seem to care about statistics and proceeded giving JK and Xeheun poorly produced solos and MVs with little to any promotion at all wasting money and making their already least popular members flop. Girlkind was  almost debuting in Japan as a whole after a year but all of a sudden 3-4 days before the tour got cancelled and now the company is debuting a subunit made of guess what? JK and Xeheun. At this point the company really is refusing to focus on Girlkind and instead just wants to focus on two members, on top of that they also keep wasting money on projects that are really not realistic at all, Girlkind have little to any fans in Japan but anyway wanted to make them tour there to then cancel it all of a sudden “due to one-sided circumstances with the hosting company”, which i think it’s complete bs. I am SURE the reason it was cancelled was that they did not sell enough tickets for all the 5 dates, imagine 5 tour dates of a group with less than 5 fans in Japan, i’m sure the hosting company didn’t want to waste time and so they agreed to cancel the tour. Besides the tour their company wasted money for the Broccoli and S.O.R.R.Y MV (they flew all the way to Saipan for that bad MV when they could’ve stayed local and go to Jeju Island if they really wanted a summer concept for the MV), Xeheun and JK solos and unreleased shoots of their travel in Japan their company promised to release during the tour.

Girlkind honestly deserves so much more, each member is so talented and could easily be a main dancer in whatever group they would be if they weren’t together, however their company doesn’t seem to know how to showcase their talent and is making them look like a joke. Unfortunately they happened to debut in a really messy company with niggaboo stylists, negligent managers and at this point probably broke with little to no connections. The company is fairly new and we think this should be the right moment to proper educate them before it’s too late, but as i said before, we are a really really small fandom and i think that if we are in more emailing them about what we would like to see from Girlkind (dance or song covers, vlogs etc...), educate them on cultures etc... they would finally listen and take actions. Please help Fanforce save Girlkind and email the company at nextlevelent@naver.com

[niallismymuse]

Start of Something More

          Though I would never admit it, being Harry Styles’ best friend has its perks. For one, I’ve been able to travel the world, see sights most people my age only dream of. I’m incredibly blessed, and it’s only because I have an incredible, gifted friend. Also, because of my one incredible, gifted friend, I’ve made other incredible, gifted friends.

           You may have heard of them; they were in a little band called One Direction, which is currently on hiatus as they each branch out and try new things. Because of Harry, I met Louis, Liam, Zayn, and Niall.

           They all hold a special place in my heart, Niall especially. Which is why when I told Harry I was going to see one of Niall’s concerts, he winked cheekily at me, a broad grin stretching across his face. “Should I warn the lad to pack a condom or two?”

           “Harry!” I smacked his arm, my face coloring. Perhaps telling Harry about my crush on his former bandmate was a bad idea. I trusted Harry with my life and soul, but maybe telling him this was too much. “Niall’s my friend too, I want to support him.” It was true. Over several visits on tours, I had grown close to all of the band members, though Niall most of all. It was why I wanted to surprise him at his concert in London.

           Harry waggled his eyebrows at me, and I frowned at him. “Alright, love, make sure you have an excellent time.” He was still teasing me.

           I deflated a little, crossing my arms over my chest. “You won’t tell him, will you? I want it to be a surprise, and it won’t be if you rush off and text him the minute I leave.”

           “I’ve got better things to do than to text Niall about your plans for him, love,” Harry’s voice was a bit wry, and I sighed out in relief.

           “Thank you, Harold. You’re good to me.” I swept my arms around him and held him close, patting his back. I could sense the shit eating grin before I saw it.

           “I am, but you better be good to Niall, too, when you see him.” The innuendo was clear in his voice, and I didn’t feel guilty as I hauled back and smacked his arm again, ignoring his pouty whine after the fact.

           “Shut up, Styles, and take me to brunch.”

             The night of the concert arrived too quickly, and for some reason, I was nervous. I wasn’t sure why, either, since it’s not like I’m the person singing live onstage. Niall didn’t even know that I was coming, and might not even notice me at all, but for some reason I find myself dressing up in a form fitting black dress that goes down to my knees. “You’re dressing up too much for this,” I muttered to myself, but nevertheless, kept the dress on and matched it with some black flats. Like hell I was going to wear heels to a concert; I’m not that extra.

           I kept the makeup simple, and pinned my hair back in a bun. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror I had in my bedroom, and damn, I looked good. Fancy dinner good, not concert good, but it was too late to change, I had to get going if I wanted to get to the venue on time.

           Trying not to overthink, I headed out and got into my car, driving towards the venue. I made good time, and even managed to find a halfway decent parking spot. I walked briskly towards the arena, hoping to God that some of the more eagle-eyed fans wouldn’t notice me. I had been in the pop news sites before, and in some of the band’s pictures; heck, I had even received some death threats when rumors were circulating about Harry and I supposedly dating. I didn’t need anything like that to ruin my night.

           Once I got situated in my seat (orchestra seating; I did my time waiting for tickets just like every other fan), I sat book and took a quick selfie before posting it on Instagram. I wrote out a quick caption: Excited for the show! And tagged Niall in it. I figured he wouldn’t see it until after the show, anyway; he was probably warming up. Maren was due to start shortly.

           Though I wasn’t much of a country fan, I appreciated Maren’s performance and applauded her like everyone else. She was special in her own way; Niall wouldn’t have chosen her otherwise.

           Everyone in the arena was a bit of a nervous wreck waiting for Niall to take the stage. The mood was infectious; I could feel my heart pounding a bit faster in my chest, and I kept gnawing at my lip. I was just so excited to see Niall perform his solo material; he deserved the sun and the moon and the stars, this man. I had listened to his album over and over again in preparation for this night, but I was sure that recorded, it wouldn’t do him justice.

           The arena lights darkened, and the fans erupted into cheers. Niall strode out onto stage, grinning broadly, his guitar strapped to his chest. “’Ello!” He spoke directly into the microphone, his deep voice resonating throughout the stadium. It made my heart jump into my throat a little. He looked so gorgeous and at ease on the stage, a dark gray, long-sleeve shirt clasping to his body like a glove. For once, he wasn’t wearing a hat, and his dark hair shined a bit in the lighting. “Lovely crowd we’ve got here tonight, London! I’m pleased to see ya all here. And with that bein’ said, let’s get started.”

           Niall was pure energy on stage, though in a relaxed way. He constantly engaged with his audience, and crooned his songs like the best of them. Even from my seat, where I stood dancing and swaying with the other fans, I could see the sparkle in his eyes. He loved what he was doing, pure and simple. It was an incredible thing to experience; within the first seconds of his first song, I was swept away into the music.

           Towards the end of the show, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I turned back, startled, only to see a big, burly security guard. “You’ve been requested to come back.”

           Heart pounding in my chest, I followed him out of the crowd and towards backstage. There was nothing else I could do at this point in time. “Did Niall send for me?” I asked, a step or two behind the security guard. He nodded his head, but didn’t say anything else. He was probably annoyed at being sent out like that.

           He left me close to where Niall was performing, but still off to the wings of the stage, where no one from the audience would see me. Niall paused before his final song, and took a long sip from his water bottle, back turned to the crowd. As he spun around to face them once more, we locked eyes. I felt my lips part at the intensity of his gaze; it felt like he was staring right into you, holding you hostage with his eyes. And then the moment broke and he turned back to his audience. “It’s been an incredible night, London. We’re gonna close it out with a favorite of ours.” He grinned cheekily and then ‘Slow Hands’ began.

           I sang along, not able to help it. It was such a sensual song, and a favorite of mine. And Niall got into it, like really into it. There was even a moment where he almost did that crotch-grab he was so fond of in One Direction. But he didn’t do it, even though I was secretly hoping for him too.

           Watching him so closely had me feeling all kinds of things. I pressed my thighs together to ease the slight ache that was staring to build up from the sight of him, and mentally cursed myself for my own weakness. Niall doesn’t even like you that way, what are you getting horny for?! I screamed at myself, but it didn’t matter, because Niall wiggled his hips and I was gone. It didn’t help that I had a great view of his little peach bum from backstage.

           Niall was hot. That was simple, and I really didn’t need to go much more into it. He had changed physically in the years I had known him; he went from a cute boy to a sexy, handsome man, and I was into it. His shoulders had broadened out, his hips were still slim, and his brunette hair spoke to a certain maturity that hadn’t always been there before. Besides, the guy was confident with himself now – just look at his album cover.

           The show ended, and Niall and his band took a bow together, before roaming backstage, directly at me. My heart fluttered in my chest as Niall came straight up to me and wrapped me in those strong arms of his. “Love! Didn’t know you were coming, or else I would have gotten ya better seats!” I felt the scratch of his stubble against my jaw as he pressed a kiss to my cheek and took a step back and smiled at me. “I’ve missed ya.”

           Could he see how red my face was? My heart beat was in my ears, but somehow, someway, I still managed to smile at him. “I’ve missed you too, Niall. What an incredible performance!”

           “Yeah, it was alright,” he chuckled and scratched at the back of his neck. “Listen, I gotta help the band clean up, but I’ll take you to my dressing room and you can wait for me there, okay? We’ll hang out.”

           I nodded my head quickly. “Yeah, of course.” With that being said, Niall offered me his arm, and I tucked mine through his, grinning foolishly as he led me down the hall. He was so goofy; it was why I had fallen for him in the first place.

           Niall helped me get comfortable on a plush couch situated in the middle of the dressing room he was given, and then left with a few dozen promises of, “I’ll be back, love!”. I could have sworn I heard him call someone else a wanker as he left the room, his loud cackle echoing back to me.

           So. Here I was in Niall’s dressing room. This wasn’t really where I figured the night would go at all; I didn’t think he would know I had been there until after. I should have posted the selfie after the concert, he must have seen it and known I was there because of it.

           My mind wandered while I waited, legs crossed and hands clasped on my lap. I hadn’t seen Niall in quite a few months, since my job was centered in London, and Niall spent quite a lot of time in LA. With all of the album promo, he had been going all over the US as well. Not that we didn’t stay in contact; I had his number, he had mine, and in fact, we had talked a few days ago without mentioning his concert.

           There was a knock on the door and I jumped, standing up. “Um…come in?”

           It was Niall. “Hey,” he said as he popped in, grinning widely.

           “Why did you knock for your own dressing room?”

           He tilted his head to the side, thinking about it. “Dunno. Wanna come back to my place and have a drink with me?”

           That sounded wonderful, actually, and I nodded my head quickly. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

           Niall led me outside, and side-eyed me as we walked towards the stadium exit. “I’m assuming you drove here, yeah?” When I nodded my head, he stopped. “Well, I’m with the band, so my car is out back. I’ll walk you to yours and give you directions to my place, okay?”

           “Oh, Niall, you don’t need to walk me. There will be fans out in the parking lot, and they’ll see you and go mad.” And see me, I added in my head. That wouldn’t bode well for either of us. “Just give me your address and I’ll meet you there, okay?”

           Niall mulled it over and nodded his head. “Sounds good, yeah,” he said and I pulled my phone out, allowing him to type his address in. I had been to his London house once or twice, but not recently, so I definitely needed directions. I plugged it into maps, waved at him, and started off towards my car without looking back.

           Once I hopped in my car, I followed the directions my mobile told me, and arrived outside of his gate. Luckily, I had heard my phone chime with a text earlier, and as I had guessed, it was the gate key. I pushed it in and drove through the gates, parking out of the way so Niall could get in. At that point, I had beaten him somehow (London traffic was awful, so I was surprised we hadn’t arrived together), so there was nothing for me to do but stare out at his large, two-story house.

           It was elegant, and modern, and the landscaping was nice. I didn’t know much about houses, but even I could tell that this was a nice one, and right expensive.

           I heard the gates open behind me, and I turned in my seat to watch Niall’s Range drive in seamlessly. I got out, my flats crunching a bit on the gravel driveway. Niall got out as well and grinned that infectious grin of his, and nodded towards his front door. “Come in, would ya?”

           I laughed, smiling wide enough that my cheeks hurt. “That’s why I bloody came here, you daft moron.”

           “Oi!”

           Giggling, I walked up to his front door with him, watching as he unlocked the door. I kicked my shoes off and left them by the door, and watched as he took his own black Chelsea boots and neatly placed them in a row. Then he took my flats and placed them alongside his own. “Still anal as always, I see.”

           Niall flashed me a glare, before clicking his tongue. “I invite you to my home, and all you’ve done is insult me so far.”

           I shrugged. “You’re easy to insult.”

           Barking out a laugh, Niall shook his head, and padded off past the entranceway to the kitchen. “I’m grabbin’ a Stella. Want one?”

           “But of course.”

           I followed behind him, looking over his house. It was as neat as ever, carefully cleaned. Niall was a bit neurotic about his cleaning, something I discovered on tour. He was meticulously neat compared to the other lads, who were absolute disasters with someone cleaning up after them. Niall cleaned up after himself, kept his clothes neatly folded, and even bothered the others to do the same. Some things didn’t change.

           Niall popped the lid off and handed me the bottle, before grabbing one for his own. “How have you been?” He asked, eyes locked on mine as he took a long sip of his beer, Adam’s apple bobbing. Leaning against his counter, I updated him on my job and how our mutual social circles were. He listened, letting out a chuckle here and there at the stupidly ridiculous stories I told about our idiot friends. And he kept his eyes on mine the entire time I talked. It was a good feeling.

           “It’s good to see you,” I said later as we reclined on his couch, a couple Stella’s in. “Like, really good to see you.”

           Niall chuckled, eyes flashing at you from across the couch. You were both leaned against an opposite arm rest, his sock-covered feet bumping and rubbing against your own bare ones. “It’s really great to see you, love. I’ve missed ya.”

           “You’ve said that,” I replied, smiling as I bumped my toes against his.

           “Well, it’s true. You’re a good friend of mine, and – “ Here he paused and swallowed, eyes looking a bit conflicted. I sat up a bit more, interested in what he was cutting off. I bit at my lower lip, looking at him, my eyes a bit wide.

           “And what, Niall?”

           He let out a puff of air. “And nothin’. Just missed you.” He tossed a lopsided smile at me and then proceeded to tug at the fringe of his hair with his fingers, taking another sip of his Stella to cut his own sentence off.

           I narrowed my eyes at him. Something was definitely off. I lunged forward, pressing myself into his lap, my motions a bit sloppy from how tipsy I was. My face was inches away from his; I could feel his rapid breaths against my cheek as our eyes locked. There was a little alarm bell going off in my head – this was too close, I needed to back off, but I couldn’t do it. There was something delicious in this contact we had, in feeling his thigh pressed against my knee, how close our chests were to touching. How close our lips were to touching. “Alright, Horan, what the fuck is going on in your head?” I demanded, keeping my gaze locked on his.

           Niall bit at his lip, which I instantly hated him for, because it only drew my attention down to his very kissable, pink lips. Damn his lips. “Love…ya just don’t understand.”

           My eyes narrowed once more. “So make me understand.”

           Niall looked away from me at that point, and swallowed harshly. He leaned back a bit away from me, which stung a bit, but he didn’t seemed to have done it to get away. He had a thoughtful face on, his brows furrowed, though he looked a bit stressed at the same time. Finally, Niall looked back at me, his clear blue eyes connecting with mine. “I like you.”

           I sat back a bit, falling off of his legs and onto the couch, mostly from the drinks. “Of course you like me. You’re my friend.” Niall huffed out a sigh at my answer and pulled at his hair again, hard enough that I was briefly concerned that he would just yank it all out. He leaned forward, bunching his legs under him, and grabbed at my hand.

           “No, you daft moron,” he joked, bringing back my words from earlier, “well, yes, I like you as a friend, but I also like you…more than a friend.”

           It felt like my heart had just swelled in my chest and burst. This couldn’t be real. Niall…liked me? Like I liked him? How could this be real life? This was beyond my wildest hopes and dreams. Probably taking my silence as a negative response, he rushed on. “But if you don’t return my feelings, that’s okay, you’ll never hear it again from me and-“

           I cut him off by pressing my lips to his own. My hand cupped his jaw, fingers running affectionately against his skin. Niall was frozen for a moment, body tense, but then he relaxed under me, his arms rising up and around me, melding into me. His lips parted slightly, and I was home. That was honestly the way I felt as his lips moved with mine, as he explored me with the vigor I had always hoped for. It was everything.

           Moments or hours later, I pulled back, gasping for air with my cheeks aflame. Niall didn’t care, his lips simply reattached themselves to the skin of my neck, an open-mouthed kiss that went straight to my core. A rush of wetness suddenly flooded my panties, and I moaned aloud at the sensation of Niall’s teeth gently nipping at my skin. This man was getting me all riled up, but as I adjusted myself on his lap, I could feel his length starting to fatten up beneath me. Experimentally, I rocked my hips, and listened as Niall let out a quiet grunt in response. “Christ on a bicycle, woman,” he muttered.

           I giggled, pleased with the response, even as Niall pushed his hips against mine, needily rutting up into me. My body felt on fire; zips and licks of flame shooting from my toes, up.

           “I want you,” I leaned forward to whisper, nipping gently at his ear.

           “Fuck, darlin’, I want you to,” Niall replied, his fingers gripping tight into the flesh of my hips. I leaned forward to eagerly press my lips to his, but Niall leaned back away from me. Stung, I settled back away from him. His chest was heaving; he took a few steadying breaths to calm himself. When he looked at me, I could see his pupils had bled into the beautiful blue color of his eyes. “But…I don’t want to do this to ya.”

           Confused, I frowned at him. “What do you mean, ‘do this to me’? I quite want it, myself.”

           Niall sighed deeply and used both hands to rub at his face, a bit roughly. “I’m only in London for another day or two, and they’re both packed full of interviews and promo. I don’t think I can hang out with you, and I don’t want to fuck you and send you off with a ‘see ya later’. And we’ve both had a bit to drink, I don’t want ya to regret this. I want to do this properly, petal. I want to take you out on dates, kiss you in the moonlight, cuddle on the couch…but I can’t do that yet.”

           Understanding lit through me, and for some reason, it made my eyes water. I sniffled and leaned away. Niall practically flinched at the sight of my tears. “Oh, no, please don’t cry! I want you, I promise I do!”

           “It’s not that,” I hiccupped. Definitely too much to drink. “You’re just so…so sweet, and I can’t handle it!”

           Niall let out a deep chuckle at my explanation, and I felt the rough palm of his hand curl against my cheek. My eyes closed, and I savored the feeling of his touch on my skin. “Okay. When I come back, love, will you go out on a proper date with me?”

           My eyes flew open. “Of course! Niall, I nearly fucked you on the couch a minute ago, I’m not about to turn down a date.”

           A loud bark of a laugh worked its way out of his chest, and Niall’s head tipped back in pure mirth. I let out a laugh of my own, thrilled to chase such a reaction out of him. Not that it was hard; Niall laughed easily and frequently, even at himself. Especially at himself.

           “Proper date it is, then,” Niall chuckled out and I nodded, smiling widely with glee.

           I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his scratchy cheek. “It’s a good thing I came to your concert. It feels like this is the start of something more, y’know?”

           Niall’s responding smile was soft, his eyes crinkling a bit at the edges. His pupils had returned to their normal state; there was that beautiful, clear blue I loved. “I have to agree.”

[listenherereviews]

2017 Was A Great Year For Music....Here Are Our Favorite Records And Songs Of The Year

  Year end lists are always difficult, but this year felt particularly tough. Below are some of my favorite records and songs in no particular order. If you are interested in reading the original news post or review, links will be listed with each entry if I was able to include it on the site this year. Happy New Year everyone!

Harry Styles- Self-titled

The members of One Direction were all busy this year, diving into solo ventures with albums tours, and songs. While Irishman Niall Horan would be the first member to release new music with the acoustic ballad “This Town,” in 2016, it would be member Harry Styles who would make even the toughest critics turn their heads. Pulling from such older influences such as Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd, Styles released his self-titled album on May 5th, introducing this new chapter with the ballsy ballad “Sign of the Times,” the acoustic “Sweet Creature,” and the fan favorite “Kiwi.”  With ten songs that made us feel like we were back in the 60’s, Styles has managed to gracefully pull away from his boyband days and make a solo debut that became one of the most talked about records of the year.

Read the album review for Harry Styles here.

Niall Horan – Flicker

While his One Direction band mate Harry Styles took up most of the attention in 2017, Niall Horan also dropped a record titled Flicker in a similar vein as Styles by introducing influences such as The Eagles and cultural sounds from his Irish roots. While sultry singles such as “Slow Hands” which would become the number one song in the US come summer, Flicker’s tunes such as its title track and “Since We’re Alone” represent Horan’s artistry and songwriting skills best, due to their more reflective nature and artistic expression. While he performed in small venues this year to create an intimacy with his fans, Horan will be taking over arenas in 2018.

Read the news post for Flicker’s announcement here.

Ed Sheeran – ÷ (“divide”)

In late 2015, Ed Sheeran fans received a message on the singer’s Instagram stating that he would be taking the year off to relax and create new music. After famously ditching his phone to stop living an artificial existence through a screen, Sheeran came back in 2017 with some of the best songs of his career. Introducing his third album ÷ with the songs “Shape of You,” and “Castle on the Hill,” it was the most attention Sheeran had ever received, speaking not only to his millennial fans, but also winning over the older generation. While Sheeran has become a top songwriter who cranks out the hits effortlessly, the album features plenty of lesser known songs such as the opening track “Eraser” and “Nancy Mulligan.”

Read the review for ÷ here.

The Maine – Lovely Little Lonely

Over their ten-year career, Arizona rock band The Maine has released some great albums, though this year’s Lovely Little Lonely is their most mainstream and introspective work. After releasing 2013’s Forever Halloween, the band’s pop punk bounce came back with 2015’s American Candy. Upon releasing Lovely’s… lead single, “Bad Behavior” as the first taste of going back to their roots, fans who fell in love with The Maine’s debut were out in full force to support the band as they traveled across the United States and other countries to support the LP. Lyrically and creatively, the band had dropped some of their best music to date with songs like “Taxi” and “Black Butterflies and Déjà vu,” quickly becoming moments on the record that fans will not soon forget.

Read the review for Lovely Little Lonely here.

HalfNoise – The Velvet Room EP

After leaving Tennessee rock band Paramore in 2010, drummer Zac Farro appeared weeks later with a new electronic group called Tunnel (later renamed HalfNoise) with a song titled “Hide Your Eyes.” While fans were not very enthused with the track considering Farro’s hard hitting beats in Paramore, eventually fans warmed to the new project. Turning towards more vintage sounding pop in the last few years, HalfNoise has released The Velvet Face EP, which includes funky jams such as “Scooby’s In the Back” and “As U Wave.” While Farro has since returned to Paramore and appearing on their latest LP After Laughter, HalfNoise is still Farro’s main project, allowing him to flex his creative muscles and return to the darker themes.

Read the review for The Velvet Face EP  here.

Chris Stapleton – From the Room Volume 1

Coming on to the scene several years ago with his debut Traveler, Chris Stapleton has become one of country music’s best performers. His first album of 2017 From the Room Volume 1, displays Stapleton as a soulful and stable artist, with one of the best voices in the genres. With tracks like “Millionaire” and “Hard Living,” Stapleton’s soft and pleasing voice makes From the Room Volume 1 one of the best efforts of the year.

Read the news post for the release of “Second One To Know” off of From The Room Volume 1 here.

Little Steven – Soulfire

When people listen to Bruce Springsteen, they may not consider the rest of the people up on stage with him, and Little Steven is a musician that you should not pass over when looking for last minute new music this year. Putting out a fiery and colorful album titled Soulfire, Little Steven is not just a backup musician, but a guitarist that can stand on his own, as demonstrated on Soulfire, his latest solo effort. Playing with the E Street Band since the 70’s, Steven has plenty of ideas to present to his fans on Soulfire.

Read the review for Soulfire here.

Ryan Cassata – Virginia, Pick Up the Phone

Dropping his eith release this year, New York musician Ryan Cassata has released a fun and beautiful new collection of music with Virginia, Pick Up the Phone. With songs such as “Oh, Girl” and a revamped version of his hit song “Alcatraz,” the effort that Cassata put into this release is noticeable, while also promoting his career further, as he continues to get better with each new body of work.

Read the review for Virginia, Pick Up The Phone here.

Barenaked Ladies – Fake Nudes

After being a band for 20 years, Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies has released their fresh new album called Fake Nudes, with tracks such as “Lookin’ Up” and the beautiful acoustic song “The Township of King.” Always looking to make a bit of fun at themselves, the Barenaked Ladies continue their fun formula while letting fans in on their more serious and softer side with “Township of King.” Perhaps the most stand out tune on Fake Nudes, Barenaked Ladies are out not only to continue their career, but keep themselves relevant at the same time.

Read the review for Fake Nudes here.

Ella Fitzgerald – Ella at Zardi’s

Kept in the vault for over 60 years, Ella At Zardi’s is one of the best live records of the year from the late jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald. Performing in Los Angeles at the now defunct Zardi’s Jazzland in 1956, Fitzgerald’s set is comprised mainly of requests from the audience, and she does this beautifully with enthusiasm and authority that was an asset to female performers during this period. Performing well-known jazz hits like “Cry Me A River” and “How High the Moon,” Fitzgerald has and always will be one of the greats, no matter how much time has passed.

Read for the review Ella At Zardi’s here.

Shawn Mendes- There’s Nothing Holding’ Back

Releasing “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” at the beginning of last year to give fans something new before his world tour, Canadian musician Shawn Mendes released one of the biggest hits of the year. Recording the vocals for the track while Mendes was getting over a cold, the song feels raw and real with an incredibly catchy chorus and an indelible guitar riff heard throughout the track. Dropping his second album Illuminate just a few months before, it was included on the album’s deluxe edition. As one of 2017’s biggest hits, the song cemented Mendes as a great songwriter who is still rising to the top.

Read the news post for “There’s Nothing Hold Me Back” here.

Brendan Murray – “Dying to Try”

Getting his start in the Irish boyband Hometown, vocalist Brendan Murray has pushing himself consistently all throughout 2017 to become known as a solo artist. While his participation in Eurovision helped widen his fan base, it his competition song “Dying to Try” that was one of standout tunes of the year, pushing him closer to fame. “Dying to Try” shows off Murray’s voice along with the peaks and valleys of a large pop song, while demonstrating his likability. While it went number one in a few countries, Murray is still largely unknown, though hopefully 2018 will be his year.

Read the news post for “Dying To Try” here.

Paramore –”Hard Times”

Fresh off a hiatus off after releasing their 2013 self-titled LP, Paramore have come back with their 80’s influenced After Laughter, and perhaps its most catchy single “Hard Times” Reminiscent of Talking Heads with its synths and distinctive guitar riff from Taylor York, its one of the more memorable songs on the record and in Paramore’s discography. Ever since Taylor York took over the writing reins in 2010 after guitarist Josh Farro’s exit, the band has written some of their most experimental music to date, and “Hard Times” and their biggest departure from their heavy rock sound.  

Read the new post about the announcement of “Hard Times“ here.

Linkin Park – Sharp Edges

After Linkin Park fans got word of front man Chester Bennington’s suicide in July of this year, it was unclear the direction the band would go in, as they had just lost the most original part of their sound. While it is still unclear what the group will do next, if anything, they have released the One Light Live album, featuring performances on the band’s last tour with Bennington. Releasing a live performance music video of their guitarist Brad Delson and Bennington playing an acoustic rendition of the song “Sharp Edges” its one of the bands strongest songs, and their most emotional live performance, given the period of events. As the fans surround him while singing, Bennington sounds wonderful, distinctive, and legendary.

Read the news post about the One More Light Live announcement here.

Zedd and Liam Payne – Get Low

Going solo with his first track of 2017 with “Strip That Down,” One Direction’s Liam Payne would end up releasing some real bangers, including “Bedroom Floor” and his collaboration with Zedd on “Get Low.” Starting with a pulsing beat, Payne takes over the entire song vocally, and while it’s not his strongest performance, the song is memorable enough to pass over this minor flaw. With a catchy chorus that gets crowd revved up, and Payne’s dive into hip hop, 2018 will be an interesting year for the former boy band singer. Whatever follows his singles next year is sure to come out of nowhere, leaving fans and possibly critics pleasantly surprised.

Read the news post about “Get Low” here.

  2017 Was A Great Year For Music….Here Are Our Favorite Records And Songs Of The Year was originally published on Listen Here Reviews