It Was All A Dream

See you later, folks! It’s been fun 🙂

So the time has come for me to wrap this little blog project up! It seems just like yesterday I was asking my roommate Jilll (creator of Jill’s Crazy World)  to help me set this thing up and here we are, a whole semester later! Time flies when you’re having fun…right? Haha

When I first found out we were supposed to be creating and maintaining a blog for my FDOM class I really thought it was going to be simple and easy. Boy, was I wrong! Thinking of interesting topics to post about and actually keeping up with the blog is extremely hard work. I have a profound new respect for people who do this as an occupation. They seriously make it look like cake.

Some of the things I really liked about this blog was how customizable everything was. From layouts to widgets, you can really set it up to be a true expression of what you are blogging about. I wish I would have set aside more time to actually figure out all the fun stuff I could have done with my blog. I also enjoyed the slideshow feature that WordPress provides. Really easy to set up and also it looks nice when actually posted.

I learned that I can really market myself in a cool and interesting way to future employers. Also, by managing a blog I am able to have a one up on my competition that has never used or created a blog in their life. Blogging isn’t just for little girls to complain about their lives anymore, it’s much much more…and this class/project helped me realize that. By creating a strong social media presence you have more leverage and more power. You are also more popular! Or infamous…this class has also taught me there is a big difference between the two! You must learn how to use your social media presence effectively or what you are putting so much time and effort into doesn’t even matter.

So that is all from me for now folks! This has been an eye opening experience and I’m glad y’all came along for the ride 🙂 Until next time loves!

What’s Up, YouTube?

Below is a YouTube video that I have posted. PLEASE bear with me because I am not technologically savvy in the slightest and this is the first video I have ever made! Lol raw and uncut footage of yours truly giving her opinion on some topics that came up in the past week. I know, it’s horrible….you don’t have to tell me! Haha, but hey…the things that are talked about are true and maybe you will learn some valuable advice for the future!

 

 

 

Music Apps

popular music apps you can put on your phone

So in this post I am going to talk about some music apps I really enjoy to listen to either on my phone or my laptop. In my FDOM class I am taking at Texas State my professor, Jon Zmikly, took a survey of what was the most popular way people listen to music these days and streaming music was the number one answer choice.

People love to listen to music for free and also love to find new artists and songs they have never heard before that are similar to what they enjoy listening to. Luckily nowadays with social media and advances in technology we have music at our fingertips and the sky is the limit when it comes to the outlets of streaming music. Below I am going to review some of those outlets! I you are looking to learn more about the apps and websites I discuss links will be provided at the bottom of this post.

Pandora

Pandora was launched in July of 2005 and in April of 2013 it announced that it had over 200 million users. This streaming outlet is my favorite just because it is so simple and easy to use. Both the app and the website are simple to navigate and the only thing that could be annoying is the commercials, but you can decide to upgrade and pay a certain amount a month so that you don’t have to hear commercials. The other thing that could pose to be a nuisance is that there are limited skips on the stations, but if you like and dislike the songs that come up then you shouldn’t have to worry cause the station will be set up to your personal music taste.

Spotify

So I really like Spotify because it allows you to see what your friends are listening to, you can set up your own playlists, and if you want you can listen to just one artist instead of having it shuffle through various ones. You also can listen to albums so can decide whether or not you want to go out and actually buy it. I find the website easier to navigate than the app, which is probably due to the fact that I don’t pay for the premium Spotify so that you can use it offline. The app is just pointless if you don’t already have playlists set up. You can only use it as like an internet radio instead of being able to personalize it like you can on the computer.

iHeartRadio

My little sister Paige put me on to this outlet. iHeartRadio always you to create custom stations or you can listen to real radio stations. I enjoy that option because I am from Houston and enjoy the radio stations there. iHeartRadio allows me to listen to those stations whenever I feel a little homesick, seeing as how the radio stations in San Marcos totally suck. Again, they figured it out for the website but the app is hard to navigate and not really functional. However, you can tell them whether or not you want to listen to popular music or discover new music which is what I like to do. You can also set up popular stations so you don’t have to constantly search for the one you want to listen to.

iTunes Radio

After I got my iPhone 5S I have been using iTunes Radio A LOT more than any other app, other than Pandora. It is extremely similar but iTunes Radio it more customizable. Just like with iHeartRadio, you can choose to listen to popular music or discover new music. You can also tell them what artists and songs you don’t want to hear on your stations so you don’t have to worry about hearing the same boring song or artist over and over again on your phone or laptop. One thing that is pretty awesome is since iTunes Radio is linked with iTunes you can automatically buy a song that is playing on the radio if you really enjoy it. The only hindrance is just like with Pandora, there are limited skips.

Let me know if y’all have heard of any cool music apps or websites cause I’m always on the lookout! I just wanted to let y’all know my opinion of the most popular ones I have heard of but I know there are so many more out there. Also feel free to comment on what you like or dislike about the apps I listed and if you have any tips to help me navigate the apps I found confusing lol.

Until next time loves!

More info about:

Pandora

Spotify

iHeartRadio

iTunes Radio

Fast Family

Hi Friends!

Now I know most of my posts and my blog has to deal with the latest happenings in  the music world, but the recent and untimely death of Paul Walker. Below is a Storify of fans, celebrities, family, and friends reactions to this tragedy.

[View the story “Paul Walker – We Will Miss You, Our Fast Friend ” on Storify]

Made To Love Tour!!!

Hey Everyone!

A while back I made a post reviewing the John Legend album, Love in the Future. I was lucky enough to get tickets to his concert in Austin and see him up close and personal! I know what y’all are thinking…this girl got to see John Legend AND Beyonce in the same year?! Well yes ladies and gents, I sure did! And I know I’m blessed 🙂

John Legend’s concert was obviously not as extravagant as The Queens, but it was equally as amazing…if not more just because of the intimate setting. The Bass Concert Hall in Austin holds about 2,900 people and is an amazing venue for any artist to perform. Just last year my roommate was able to see Kevin Hart do his stand up routine there.

Me and two of my friends were able to get tickets in the the lower part of the Hall, in Orchestra B so our view was awesome! His opening act was Tamar Braxton, sister of Toni Braxton. Y’all might know her from her reality shows Tamar and Vince or Braxton Family Values. She had just released her album Love and War which has doing fairly well. I was a bit worried she wasn’t  going to do very good but for her 30 minute set she did her thing! Between her songs she interacted with the audience and talked about her relationship with her husband, Vince Herbert, and their newborn baby. One thing I didn’t like was that it seemed like she was trying too much to emulate Beyonce, but other than that she was a great opening act.

Now, to the main attraction…JOHN!!!

John Legend hands down has a voice given to him from the Gods of Music. When I say he sounded better than his album, that’s not an exaggeration AT ALL. His voice was as smooth as butter and so succulent. His set list was a good mix of his old stuff, such as Ordinary People, Green Light, and Cloud 9, and songs off his recent album (Love in the Future) like All of Me, Asylum, and Made to Love. There was so much audience participation and it really made you feel connected to him. For majority of the concert people were standing and dancing, either with a group of friends or their significant other (so sweet ❤ :’)) It honestly felt like a dream, I could have stayed there all night listening to him sing.

It brought you back to what real R&B music should sound like and how it should make you feel. If he comes to your town you should definitely do whatever you can to see him, I promise you won’t regret it! It will definitely be a night to remember!

Below are some pictures from the concert! Until next time loves!

 

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My Workout DJ

In my FDOM class we were discussing the creation of our own mobile app. I was thinking about if I had to make a new app for people to enjoy, what would it be? I came up with the idea of a Workout DJ app. This app would be synced together with your workouts.

A lot of the times when I workout I will get frustrated with having to skip to songs that I like or not wanting to have to make a playlist cause I really don’t have the time. With the My Workout DJ app you would be able to choose the workout that you would be doing that day and the genre/artist you would like to listen to while working out. My Workout DJ would be able to link up the music to the workout so that your pace would be on beat with the workout you selected. Just like with Pandora you can “like” and “dislike” workouts and songs so that the DJ can be perfectly in sync with you.

You would also be able to upload your own music to the app and enter in your own personal workout routines and playlists to share with others. You could create a following and also follow others. In the app you would also be able to “like” other peoples workouts/music and My Workout DJ would take that into account when you conduct workouts similar to theirs OR completely duplicate the workout for you if that is what you would prefer.

In the My Workout DJ app you would have the option of uploading videos and pictures of your workouts, giving advice, nutrients and supplements you use, and also good/fun places to workout. Just like with any social media app, My Workout DJ wants to link people together, but this time it will be through physical fitness and music. It is definitely just a rough idea as of now but I definitely think it could be beneficial and has the potential to be an awesome application.

Until it is actually put into action, here is a great website to get some nice workout music so you can create an awesome playlist for your next gym session http://www.workoutmusic.com/

As always, let me know what you think and leave your comments and suggestions below! Thanks for reading and until next time…MUAH!

My

The Queen

No, this isn’t a post about the Queen of England. It is a post about the Queen Bey…Houston’s pride and joy…and my imaginary girlfriend, the one and only Beyonce Knowles. At the beginning of the year she announced her “The Mrs. Carter Tour” and I could only DREAM about seeing her in concert. The moment the tickets went on sale for the Houston show they were sold out within minutes and there was no way you could get your hands on them unless you had a serious connection. My roommate, Jill, let me know in May (I believe) that her mom could possibly get some tickets for us but it wasn’t a done deal. Later on into the summer I got a text from her saying, “Guess what!!!” and it was in that moment. I knew my life was complete. I, Shelby Lynn, was going to see my favorite artist of all time in concert on July 15, 2013!!!

The day of the concert I was SO excited I thought I was going to freaking die. Me and Jill get to the Toyota Center super early and I spend $40 on a t-shirt that probably cost $4 dollars to make but I could care less. I was in a daze…and I know this sounds crazy but man, I LOVE me some Beyonce! It was so awesome to be around people that love her music just as much as I do, it was like we were a little family..The BeyHive. Everyone was in such a good mood and it felt like a huge party even before the concert started.

Unfortunately, Beyonce didn’t go on until about two hours after her scheduled start time but other than that everything was awesome. When she came out onto the stage I screamed so loud I thought I would lose my voice in that very moment. Her dancers were flawless. The all female band was AMAZING. From the colors and images projected onto the stage to the perfectly planned intermission videos, everything about her concert was flawless. I felt like I was watching her on the television but she was RIGHT in front of me. There was no track playing in the background so she could lip sync when she got tired. Beyonce sang and danced the entire 2 hours and didn’t miss a beat. Her voice was so beautiful and she made everything seem so effortless. Hands down it was the best concert I have ever been to in my entire life. I will never forget that night and it will forever be one of my most cherished memories.

 

I know that her concert isn’t cheap by any means, but if there is any way you can see her perform live before you die…DO IT! You don’t even have to be a fan. Be able to go to a concert and see all the hard work an artist put in to give their audience an awesome show is something everyone should be able to witness.

Below is the link to her tumblr where she uploads a TON of pictures from her tour. The photographer is so good at capturing the moment.

-Until next time my loves! MUAH!

http://iam.beyonce.com/?utm_source%3DGothamist+Daily%26utm_campaign%3Daa586a6ebb-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN%26utm_medium%3Demail

Do You Have The Link?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday I was sent a text message from my boyfriend that had no explanation at all. The only thing it had was a link from the website Share Beast. I had no idea what it was but I clicked on the link

and immediately downloaded whatever was in the zipped file. When all was said and done I had ended up downloading Dom Kennedy’s album “Get Home Safely” which was set to be released on October 15, 2013 but had been leaked yesterday, October 8, 2013. Now, I have been waiting on the new Dom Kennedy ever since he dropped the “Yellow Album” so of course finding out it had been leaked was awesome. I was also able to get a hold of Justin Timberlake’s new album “The 20/20 Experience –  2 of 2” the week before it was set to be released. Albums and mixtapes being leaked nowadays is nothing new but what does it all mean? Is this going to be the norm? Do artists do it on purpose? Does it change album sales? After observing peoples opinions about this on social media I have decided to share my opinion here and NOW!

Over the summer it seemed like every major album that was being dropped was leaked about one week before it was set to hit the stores. Magna Carta Holy Grail, Yeezus, Nothing Was The Same, etc. are just some examples of this. Thanks to social media sites like Twitter fans are able to get links to the leaked material and also share the links with their followers. This then creates a tidal wave across the site. Everyone is listening to the music at the same time and are able to interact with one another about the album. This is an awesome opportunity for the artists label and PR to look at this free feedback and possibly see what the sales will look like come the official release day.

Me being a marketing major, I see album leaks as a marketing strategy. Fans are able to listen to the album and get a feel for what the artist has been working on for however long it took them to make the album. The consumer is able to sample the product before they make the decision to fully invest in it. This is an opportunity for die hard fans to get there hands on the product they fein for and allows a whole new market to be opened up. People who aren’t already fans of an artist are probably not going to drop $13 on their album, but if they are able to listen to the leak for free and they like what they hear…well then what is stopping them from investing fully into this artist and their music? Nothing!

You might be saying, “Well they already got the leak for free, why would they pay money for something they already got?” I will tell you why! People will ALWAYS support good music. People will ALWAYS support an artist they believe in and an artist that loves their fans. Musicians won’t have to worry about selling albums as long as they make music that is fulfilling, meaningful, exciting, has awesome beats, and is made from the heart.

Music being leaked doesn’t seem like it is going away anytime soon. I don’t have a problem with it, but some people do. Let me know what you think about the topic! Do you think it lessens the impact of the music or does it not have an effect at all? I wanna hear your feedback! Below are some websites I know of that typically have leaked album links and files. Check them out…who knows, maybe you will find something you like! Until next time folks…MUAH!

http://www.sharebeast.com/

http://www.datpiff.com/

http://www.hiphopearly.com/

http://www.urbanleakz.net/

 

Love in the Future

Okay, so I’m laying here on this rainy Saturday night dozing off to the Wisconsin vs. Ohio State game thinking about all these awesome things I could say about John Legend’s new album. Of course there is no time like the present to post so I got my lazy butt up and here I am!

Love in the Future is John Legend’s fourth studio album and it was released on August 30, 2013. Now the first single off the album is an amazingly beautiful and romantic song entitled “All of Me.” Now when I tell y’all that this is quite possibly one of the best R&B tracks to be put out since the 90’s…I MEAN IT! This song was made with so much love and you really feel it. The moment he starts to sing his voice totally surrounds you and takes you to a whole other world…a better world. What makes the song even better is that it was written for his now wife, Chrissy Teigen. When an artist sings a song from the heart and can relate to it on every level it just makes it that much better. In this track you know every word is the God honest truth because you can feel it in your bones. When I heard this song it had me so emotional because I knew how he felt. To love someone with your entire body and soul is something special and I thank John Legend for blessing the world with a song that can translate feelings that sometimes can’t just be said…they need to be sung.

Now, as for the rest of the album….it is awesome! With 20 tracks (yes TWENTY TRACKS, like who even does that anymore?!) the album gives you everything from songs that you could two step to with your significant other to to songs that you could play when…well let’s just say they can set the mood. In this day and age it is hard to find songs that you can groove out and actually dance to. Here is where I avoid going on a rant about how young girls don’t know how to dance with a male counterpart without “twerking”. Back to the topic at hand! Some of the songs that I enjoy the most are Asylum, The Beginning, Who Do We Think We Are feat. Rick Ross,  and MOST of all You & I (Nobody In The World). This track embodies what being infatuated with someone is. It is also what every woman wants to hear from their man….Fellas take a hint!

John Legend is going on tour and luckily he is coming to the Bass Concert Hall in Austin in November and I will be in attendance! If he is half as good as he is on his live recordings on his Pandora station, I know this is going to be an amazing show. I can’t wait to fill y’all in on all the wonderful details when the time comes. So go and and take a listen to this work of art, I promise if y’all love real R&B music you won’t be disappointed!

Below I posted a video of John Legend singing “All of Me” on Oprah Winfrey’s show “Oprah’s Next Chapter.” All I can say is, it is a beautiful thing to be in love and it is a beautiful thing to see people in love…

CD Review To Come

I recently bought John Legend’s new CD: Love In The Future and this will be the first CD I will review. I am really excited about this! So make sure to come back to check out what I thought of the CD.

See you soon!