I don't talk about music often on this blog, but when I do, I like to feature some songs that I'm loving in my playlist. Between Tuesday Tunes
and this yearly ongoing post, it's a quick series to get a taste of music. Basically a nice change to try something new between most of my geeky posts!
Similar to last year's post, I've kept track of my Top 25 favourite musicians and songs of the year - and ranked them accordingly. If you're unfamiliar with the series, I rank the top songs, artists and groups who made a big impact on my playlists for the current year. I've done this for the last five years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014
Similar to last year's post, I've kept track of my Top 25 favourite musicians and songs of the year - and ranked them accordingly. If you're unfamiliar with the series, I rank the top songs, artists and groups who made a big impact on my playlists for the current year. I've done this for the last five years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014
Note: Songs from past lists won't be included in this edition. If certain artists are featured in the same
song, I may only reference the song once. Also, this is my personal
list, you may disagree with your own choices.
Let's start with the 25th spot...
25. Britney Spears
Songs: Pretty Girls
LYR (Last Year's Ranking): NEW
24. Carly Rae Jepsen
Songs: Run Away With Me, I Really Like You
LYR: NEW
23. X Ambassadors
LYR: NEW
23. X Ambassadors
Songs: Renegades
LYR: NEW
22. Steve Aoki
LYR: NEW
22. Steve Aoki
Songs: Delirious
LYR: NEW
21. MO
LYR: NEW
21. MO
Songs: Say You'll Be There
LYR : NEW
20. Elle King
LYR : NEW
20. Elle King
Songs: Ex's & Oh's
LYR: NEW
19. HAIM
LYR: NEW
19. HAIM
Songs: Falling
LYR : NEW
18. ZEDD
LYR : NEW
18. ZEDD
Songs: I Want You To Know
LYR: NEW
17. Young Empires
LYR: NEW
17. Young Empires
Songs: The Gates
LYR: NEW
16. Janelle Monae
LYR: NEW
16. Janelle Monae
Songs: Yoga
LYR: NEW
15. Tove Lo
LYR: NEW
15. Tove Lo
Songs: Talking Body
LYR: #9
14. Chvrches
LYR: #9
14. Chvrches
Songs: Leave A Trace
LYR: NEW
13. Ariana Grande
LYR: NEW
13. Ariana Grande
Songs: One Last Time, Focus
LYR: #13
12. Major Lazer
LYR: #13
12. Major Lazer
Songs: Powerful, Lean On
LYR: NEW
11. Ryn Weaver
LYR: NEW
11. Ryn Weaver
Songs: The Fool, Promises, Sail On
LYR: NEW
LYR: NEW
Songs: Hotline Bling
LYR: NEW
It's hard not to like Drake. Growing up in Toronto, you can feel his influence everywhere - people either absolutely love him or they're over him. Also, I grew up watching Degrassi! Beyond one or two of his earlier songs, this year may have been the one where I listed to his track on repeat. I blame most of my friends for pulling me into the Drake train for 2015.
Songs: Activate Me, Bleeding Love
LYR: NEW
Who is ASTR? Exactly. I had never heard of the pop group before until a fateful (alright, it's not that dramatic) night at the Mod Club. They were the first opening act for Ryn Weaver and I caught half of their performance since I arrived late. I love pop music. I love dance music. And their blend of both genres together instantly became a hit for me. I've listened to some of their tracks on repeat ever since then.
8. Taylor Swift
8. Taylor Swift
Songs: Bad Blood, Wildest Dreams
LYR: #1
LYR: #1
The year of Swiftie continues for me. I was pulled back in by the release of "Bad Blood" and it kept going with a few other tracks. Unfortunately, she did fall down the list a few spots this year; partly due to the lack of releases. However, I expect her to stand her down in next year's ranking.
7. The Weeknd
Songs: Can't Feel My Face, The Hills, Earned It
LYR: NEW
Songs: Can't Feel My Face, The Hills, Earned It
LYR: NEW
Similar to Drake's placement on this list, The Weeknd's influence in my beloved city has made me a fan. The first time I was introduced to him was when he sang with Ariana Grande in one of her tracks and since then, the name constantly keeps coming up when reading music features. His tracks are catchy, he's a great singer and he's doing pretty well for himself. I'm excited to see what comes next from him.
Songs: Fools, Talk Me Down, Wild
LYR: #24
I still associate Troye Sivan with YouTube as compared to his music fame. But the difference is starting to disappear. During last year's list, I featured one of his songs that became a surprise hit with me. While scrolling through MUCH online, I saw that Troye had released several new tracks and a new album. He's a great singer and if you like soulful pop, I'd definitely recommend for you to check him out.
Songs: Hello
LYR: NEW
It's Adele! Is there any other reason why she shouldn't be in the Top 10? Her voice is incredible, her video is dramatic, and no one can really compare to the queen. She only had one major track come out in 2015 and that may explain why she's not higher on the list. If there is one song she needs to do for 2016, she NEEDS to do a cover of a Spice Girls song. Her ride-along video is still one of the best she did.
4. Selena Gomez
4. Selena Gomez
Songs: Same Old Love, Good For You
LYR: #16
LYR: #16
Selena Gomez is another artist who had a big year in 2015. Two of her tracks became mainstays for my music playlist - one because it was catchy and the other because I was going through a breakup. Trust me when I say this, "Same Old Love" helped a lot, as well as a few other songs featured in this year's list.
Songs: All Hands On Deck, Player
LYR: NEW
I can't stop listening to her songs. They're catchy! Similar to many other artists on this list, I wasn't too familiar with her work before hearing one of her tracks. Since then, I might have listed to "All Hands On Deck" multiple times and contemplating whether to check out her show when she visits Toronto on tour. I'm still on the fence, but I've been pleasantly surprised with what I've heard.
Songs: How Deep Is Your Love, Pray To God
LYR: NEW
Calvin Harris may not be the main vocals (or any vocals) on his tracks, but he is the featured artist and DJ who released the songs. His music is catchy and great to dance to, whether live or through playlist. The one time I did hear him perform was a few years ago in Las Vegas when he was the feature DJ at one of the late night clubs. He was incredible! A definite highlight of my first ever trip to Las Vegas and I couldn't believe he was spinning. His recent tracks from 2015 were equally as amazing. I can't wait to hear his next collaborations. Hopefully one with Taylor Swift?! (We all can dream!)
1. Ellie Goulding
1. Ellie Goulding
LYR: #2
She's back at the top for another year. I will admit that this year may have been the hardest to narrow down between the Top 10. There were many amazing artists who released tracks that I loved in 2015, but I had to go with Ellie Goulding yet again. Similar to Selena Gomez, her two songs helped me through two times - one of happiness and the other through sadness. With the release of her new album, I wouldn't be surprised if she makes another appearance on next year's list. Until then, she rules the top spot for 2015!
Which musicians were on your 2015 list? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
*Images provided by Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, Billboard, GQ, SXSW and Original Tune*
Archie and friends are getting a makeover for a new generation. The soda pop gang, who still rules the Sunday morning comics, is potentially being revamped into a brand new TV series on The CW. Receiving a pilot episode order, Riverdale is a modern take on the comic book series. The show will follow the lives of Archie, Betty, Veronica and their friends as they move through quiet small town life and discover the secrets of Riverdale.
Riverdale joins a collection of five other pilots ordered by the younger-skewing network. There's period piece Transylvania, which is about a young woman in search of her father while fighting infamous monsters, a romantic-comedy No Tomorrow, a TV remake of Frequency, the Untitled Mars Project set on the red planet, and the equally mysterious Kevin Williamson pilot.
The CW has been having a great year in terms of their TV shows and ratings. They struck gold in awards season and fans are loving their high-concept shows, especially their superhero dramas. However, they didn't pick up many new shows last year, and it's expected that a few of their older series could be getting the axe this year. America's Next Top Model and Beauty and the Beast are already cancelled, but who could be next to make room? Reign? Crazy Ex-Girlfriend? The Vampire Diaries? The unaired Containment?
If I had a choice, I would love to see Riverdale, the Kevin Williamson pilot, Transylvania and the Untitled Mars Project (in that order) get a series order. But we're talking about The CW here...we'll never know what they decide until May 2016.
Which pilots are you hoping get a series order? Share your comments below.
Oh 2016, it's a new year of movies and reviews. With plenty of sequels, blockbusters and guilty pleasure horror movies coming out, there's a lot to look forward to. And what better way to start off the year than with a quick horror movie review? The movie I will be reviewing today is the horror-thriller: The Boy.
The Premise: Set in the secluded forests of the U.K., Greta (Lauren Cohan) takes a job as a nanny to escape a mysterious situation back home. What is supposed to be a quiet and easy role turns into a terrifying nightmares as the child she's supposed to look after is, in fact, a doll.
The Results: 2.5/5!
The Boy is an interesting addition to the "toy" genre of horror. As compared to a movie like Annabelle, The Boy is more focused on the interactions between the characters than supernatural jump scares. Lauren Cohan does a great job as the main lead and shows off her acting chops to carry the film. The downside, however, is that the flick is surprisingly content-lite for a horror film. The action and the real drama of the film doesn't appear until the last quarter of the story where, dare I say, is the most worthwhile part to watch. I've watched many horror movies throughout the years and even I was surprised I got the twist wrong (I was kicking myself for not even considering it). I enjoyed the film, but I feel like it was missing a large chunk of footage to really complete a horror gem.
Action movies are always about the heroes fighting the villains. It's the triumph of good vs. evil and the story of how good can overcome. But with the Suicide Squad comic book series, the bad guys are taking a trip down the good road to play the heroes. "The grass is always greener on the other side" hasn't looked this good...well, more like bad.
I've been eagerly waiting for the film to come. Suicide Squad was filming in my city last year and it was exciting to hear all the latest updates going away (and the first footage of Harley Quinn popping up). Until the flick comes out this August 2016, you can watch the newest to get you just as excited.