how i survived the 1989 world tour

looking out onto the sea of peasants
(photo creds: jason williamson @ the line of best fit)

Some may say her power lies in her ability to single-handedly make the largest cooperation in the world redesign their business plan (we're looking at you, Apple). Others in her ability to reduce relatively emotionally stable people of all ages into a fit of tears. Although, it's most prevalent (and, perhaps, most overlooked) in her ability to sell out Hyde Park (that's 65,000+ tickets, I'll have you know). Out of all the other headliners of the British Summertime Festival, the only other act who was able to draw identical numbers were The Who. Neither Britpop heroes Blur nor the founders of modern indie rock The Strokes could achieve such numbers. Hence, Taylor Swift is a musician completely on par with rock legends celebrating their golden anniversary. And she proves it in her biggest UK headline show to date in the company of her London crowd.

The day-long event was opened fittingly by an array of genre-crossing acts. Rae Morris was charming and euphoric; Vance Joy's cotton candy acoustics were impressive and dynamic; though he can't dance for piss and tried (and failed spectacularly) to get an audience who wasn't there for him to sing-a-long to his unknown tracks, John Newman gave his all; and Ellie Goulding went above and beyond, pumping up the crowd with a cluster of electronica fire-starters. Surprisingly, it all made the excruciating seven hour wait from doors opening to Miss Swift's set a little less painful.

For someone who once claimed she couldn't dance and is infamous for her problematic award show moves, the love letter to her beloved new home and show opener Welcome To New York was the first of many performances to boast high-precision body pops and locks. It also set the bar for an ornately camp extravaganza. Almost every sugar-tinted synth was accompanied by high kicks in even higher waisted garments and the most incredible (for lack of a better term) slut drops the eyes have ever seen. Behind the superstar herself was an army of truly exquisite backing dancers to accentuate the big top show. (Collectively, we decided we loved Mason Cutler the most.)

friendship group goals
(L-R: martha, kendall, serena, swizzle, karlie, gigi, cara)
(photo creds: glamour magazine)

Each beat which burst from the Great Oak Stage was bedazzled to perfection; whether they were a blazing inferno as in her 2013 worldwide smash-hit I Knew You Were Trouble or silky smooth under Style. During the latter - a slinky, seductive instant classic glossed with immaculate hooks and retro riffs - she paraded members of her ever-growing girl squad of beautiful people - Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid (I literally died), Serena Williams, Martha Hunt, Karlie Kloss, and Cara Delevingne - to the adoring crowd.

Prior to attending, I was initially a bit ambivalent towards the set list as, for a Swift-till-death personality like myself, it was too 1989-heavy for my liking, particularly due to the inclusion of This Love (which was a bit of a snore and could definitely done with being replaced by a masterpiece like Last Kiss or All Too Well) and You Are In Love. After attending, I still harbour these feelings. However, one of the most bewitching moments of the show was Taylor being suspended above the crowd against a background of sallow oranges as the sun was in mid-set as she acoustically (and unforgettably) sang You Are In Love.

love story at sunset

Yet, her set was not shy of her previous catalogue. Though it did not include any full version of her songs from the greatest album of all time (2010's multi-platinum Speak Now), the songs she did incorporate showed her remarkable talent for reinvention. It's not just the fact that 1989 transformed her from pop princess to the biggest superstar on the planet, but her tour has given her the artistic opportunity to inject fresh energies into her archive. During her platform suspension over the crowd, she played the song that catapulted a then-18 year old Taylor Swift into international music fame: Love Story. Tinkering at her keyboard, she turned the country crossover smash into an 80's tinged ballad. Later in the set, she electrified the crowd with an amazing beefed-up version of one of her dryer tracks We Are Never Getting Back Together, shredding guitar and whipping like it was nobody's business. Her final surprise was a mash up of one of my most favourite T Swizzle songs Enchanted (circa 2010) and brooding ballad Wildest Dreams. Living up to its namesake, it was enchanting. Beginning as a soft piano solo and evolving into a momentous serenade to the beauty and delicacy of love. It was certainly a set highlight.

don't be so baffled luv, they're all here for uuuuuuu
(photo creds: tumblr)

It is a well-known fact that Taylor is not a one-trick pony. Not only is she, possibly, the most famous singer-songwriter of the 21st century, accomplished multi-instrumentalist, philanthropist and the dictionary definition of 'goals', but she can add 'agony aunt' and 'potential Noble Prize speech writer' to her CV. Before Clean, her severely underrated track about finding yourself in the midst of stormy heartbreak, she gave a speech that wetted the cheeks of many. She preached about the importance of self-love and how we are not "damaged goods", before launching into a graceful melody that captured the crowd.

It is indisputable that Taylor Swift is some kind of phenomenon. She brings the bangers through some of this year's biggest songs - Shake It Off, Blank Space, Bad Blood (the tour version is, unfortunately, minus the explosive Kendrick Lamar appearance) - and lifts them to new, dazzling heights. She has flowered into a bonafide music icon. May the reign of Taylor Swift continue.

past taylor-related posts

WARNING CONTAINS SEVERE EMOTIONS: 1989 album review

Red Tour review

SUBLIMINAL SEXISM IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

A sociological and psychological examination of how two of the music industry's biggest and most profitable genres contribute to the gender gap

In an interesting debate over class/politics/gender with a friend of mine (send him twitter hate), he made the following rhetoric: "Like its not sexist that the rock industry is dominated by males and pop industry is dominated by females?". This was interesting because it opened up a new perspective. We've all heard a lot about the fact that the industry is sexist - women as a whole have experienced moments were they aren't treated as serious musicians, but as pop puppets in the male game, etc. - however, through inclusive probing (scanning the web, looking at statistics, reading the opinions of others) I've theorised a possible explanation for why the industry is so rooted in sexism (besides from - but not excluding - the obvious existence of the capitalist patriarchy).

EOIN LOVELESS OF DRENGE: no girls allowed?
(photo creds: NME)

If you turn a blind eye and look at the side of the argument where the industry can be perceived as non-sexist, the difference in genres could be down to the biological difference between the sexes. Men are typically physically stronger, women are typically more empathetic. Solid fact. Therefore, it can be seen that the sexes have separated themselves into genres in which they thrive in due to their alternative biological wiring. Extensive research by scientists and psychologists alike have found key differences in men and women that suggest that we were born to be different. For example, Dutch studies on transgender and cisgender individuals in the late 1990s discovered that the size of the BSTc (bed nucleus of the stria terminalis), which is located in the thalamus of the brain, correlates with preferred sex rather than biological sex. This is one of the many pieces of research which defines just how men and women think differently - and are therefore fundamentally separate. Our brains are built differently and are zapping with different kinds of hormones. But how does this apply to our taste in music and preferences for different genres?

This study, and many others that consider the differences in male and female brains, would suggest that its highly possible that men dominate rock and women dominate pop because of our integral human diversities. But still, how would this explain why Royal Blood have female fans or why your mate Tom bought the Lorde record? Here the argument falls flat, and we are back to arguing the case in favour of sexism in music.

The biggest selling music act of all time is The Beatles. John, Paul, George, and Ringo changed music forever following the release of their debut 1962 single Love Me Do. The Liverpudlian quartet would go down in history as four of the most influential individuals of the Twentieth Century, but why is this? Probably because of the magic of the Lennon/McCartney writing duo and their consequent success following the band's demise, but Beatlemania would become way more significant than they had ever predicted. For reasons that have puzzled scholars and remain largely ambiguous, four working class boys from the North sent teenage girls across the world into a heightened frenzy. Beatlemania was a phenomenon never seen before. The Beatles were an important watershed in showing the big bosses just how many bucks they could make if they marketed acts to the right audience.

Henceforth follows the next fifty years in music when the ability to correctly market an act to an audience became one of the most successful ways to sell records. Of course, not all big artists sold because of marketability - take acts such as Pink Floyd, Whitney Houston, Fleetwood Mac, Jay-Z etc; covering a wide range of genres and line-ups, it's undeniably clear that merit and skill also churns out success. However, if we specifically examine other million-selling artists (particularly those from the 21st century) such as Rihanna, Katy Perry et al we can recognise similarities in marketability traits. Not to say these ladies should be diminished of their talent because they've proved to marketable, however their ability to be sold to the public as a product is of note.

MILEY CYRUS: is her sexuality the extent of her male appeal?
(photo creds: idolator)

Since the beginning of the media world we live in, the deprecation of women has been an essential factor in selling products. Unfortunately, as a woman, you are likely to have been socialised to be belittled since before you could talk, walk, or think for yourself. The media has used this belittlement to its advantage and so played on the universal insecurities which women suffer from in order to sell products. This works especially in cosmetic products, but can also be applied to fashion, food, and - in this case - the records we purchase. This means that females are more impressionable, simply because we've been socialised to believe that we can always be better than what we are. L'Oreal does this when they want you to buy their latest celebrity endorsed product, as do a multitude of other major corporations who cater to the female market.

This means that young girls can be easily sold to the pop star façade. Figureheads in pop are a model for girls to imitate. When males see a female pop star they don't think "hey, she's hot and a talented musician - I'm going to buy her single on iTunes"; they're more likely to think "hey, she's hot and a talented musician - she's one for the wank bank!". On the other hand, the manipulation of a young woman's psyche can lead her to think "hey, she's hot and a talented musician - what's her secret? How is she so goddess-like? Maybe if I buy her record, I can be like her. Maybe then I'll appeal to males too."

BRUNO MARS: one of the biggest pop stars
of the last five years
(photo creds: Us Weekly)

This works too with the boyband phemoneon. It's been happening since, what seems like, the beginning of time with groups from The Monkees to N*Sync, but the most recent and relevant example is, of course, One Direction. The British group are five attractive, wholesome, boy-next-door types and have been manufactured in order to centre their marketability on making them accessible to their audience. Songs like What Makes You Beautiful aren't just catchy pop classics, but tools to lure in their audience and make their listeners believe that they could be singing to them, triggering fantasies about being the one who makes Zayn Malik overwhelmed. Pop music is, therefore, female-orientated and relies heavily on feminine ideals and aspirations in order to appeal not just to the people who enjoy a well-written Mariah Carey track, but also to the vulnerable who have been manipulated by the pop star smoke screen. This is one of the many reasons why pop music succeeds. (Again, I do not disregard the genuine talent and star power of the majority of pop musicians. I am not destroying pop - it is a fantastic, innovative, and zesty genre - but, like all systems in society, it has its major flaws.)

'Pop' isn't just a fizzing burst of energy - it is also a contraction of 'popular'. Pop is the mainstream. Therefore rock - or alternative - acts as a counter-movement to the revolution of pop music. Therefore, it's an alternative to pretty boys in suits - though, being real, rock music is not shy of them - and big budget arena showdowns. Alt seeks to be the polar opposite of pop, though the lines are becoming more and more blurred as the genre is slowly being embraced, by creating a genre which encircles male interests by pushing out the females. Males dominate the genre because it's a territory they believe to have acquired. Not only does this lock out a lot of passionate female acts, but it ostracises female fans as it means they're not taken seriously as ardent music lovers.

CHERRY GLAZERR: women who rock
(photo creds: LA Record)

Girls are made fun of for screaming at concerts (which, okay, is extremely irritating and uncomfortable for those surrounding them, but it's all just a bit of fun) or for worshipping their favourite band (which Jack Black TOLD. US. TO. DO), but no one bats an eyelid at the "spirited" fans of sports teams who literally riot when their teams lose...They resort to actual violence over something that has no importance after the season finishes. Yet teenage girls at Justin Bieber concerts are 'sad' and 'pathetic'. Regardless of your opinion of the Biebs, is this not misogyny at its finest? And yet, I have met boys who've acted with surprise at the fact that I love Foo Fighters. Am I not allowed to because societal standards dictate that my gender means I've crossed into the wrong territory? Gender doesn't dictate where your music preferences lie. I simultaneously enjoy the tunes churned out by Taylor Swift and by The Cibs, and I don't see the problem.

I leave you with the following quote. Unfortunately, I don't know the source as I found it on Tumblr but I hope that it makes you think about the impact of socialisation on young girls and in the media in which we consume:

"There’s still very much this stereotype that teenage girls are not serious consumers of music, even though they are the number one purchasers of music. Teenage girls are the number one consumers of music, they are the number one drivers of taste, and yet they are still not considered serious music fans." (x)

READ MY PREVIOUS POSTS ON FEMINISM-RELATED ISSUES (I promise one day that I'll write something that's more important than Western white feminism, just give me a couple o' trys)

• feminism for beginners (march 2014)
• gig groping: the philosophy of ask the cutie before you touch the booty (november 2014)
• international women's day mixtape (march 2015)

27TH OCTOBER: INTERNATIONAL TAYLOR SWIFT DAY

It has arrived. 2014's most fervently awaited album is here. Taylor Swift has released 1989: the follow up to 2012's smash hit Red - a collection of songs about a crippling heartbreak. The newly appointed princess of pop adamantly denies that 1989 will be an echo of Red - this is not an album where she pines over the past; this is the soundtrack to self-discovery, as she writes in her linear notes: "These songs were once about my life. They are now about yours.". This phrase defines her success as a songwriter and a performer, and explains the Swift-hysteria bubbling across the world at the moment. And here I am, with my physical copy of 1989, waiting with bated breath to experience her latest offering. What will follow is my immediate, embarrassing reaction to each song as fast and as truthfully as I can type it. Stream of conciousness type, and it's gonna make no sense. I apologise in advance for the capital letters.

TRACK 1: WELCOME TO NEW YORK

lbr that bass drop just knocked me out. The lyrics are pure poetry (but what is this production??? can we? not?). I'm fully ready to body roll to that electric and cheesy chorus thooo. It's all quite obviously an extended metaphor for her self-growth. This is all very sad I miss New York a lot, where was this album when I was there? Or when The Carrie Diaries was still on air? Tbh this is pretty ~funky and further proof that the world needs a Taylor Swift trance album. Is the vibe of New York captured? Yes, but lay it out there - it's no State of Grace. Album opener game maybe not that strong :(

SECRET MESSAGE: we/begin/our/story/in/new/york

TRACK 2: BLANK SPACE

Ladies and gentlemen, Nicki Minaj part 2 is here and reincarnated in the form of BLANK SPACE. These beats are too sick, I am floored. That line "you look like my next mistake" is incredible yeaaassshhhhh !!!! This is so the vanilla version of What You Know Bout Me it hurts, I am so in love. So sharp, so witty, so insightful. This is slick and smart, and most importantly, very sophisticated. Bubblegum pop at its most prestigious: Lorde has definitely left her acidy mark on Taylor. I love the self-love! She is no longer the victim - she is the femme fatale. Plus the chord progression is mint af.

SECRET MESSAGE: there/once/was/a/girl/known/by/everyone/and/no/one

TRACK 3: STYLE

I mean, upon seeing this song on the track lists there are certain premonitions; the subtlety scale is on a beautifully round zero like helllloooooooooo. But fuck, those guitar licks SLAY from the outset all the way to the chorus. Curiously, very Girls/Robbers-esque - the enigmatic love child of the two. Maybe a salute to Daft Punk for beating her out for 2013's Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs? oH my god amazin g i kove haylor. Could this be a the very mature Treacherous? The 80s are upheld, yet she is still crisp and fresh and modern HOW??? Madonna would be proud.

SECRET MESSAGE: her/heart/belonged/to/someone/who/couldn't/stay

TRACK 4: OUT OF THE WOODS

honestly Can;t deal with another Haylor classic - this has completely grown all over me like an ivy vine. I can't stop singing this. There is an ominpresent aura of anxiety and fear which weaves so well with the impossibly strong chorus. I'm unbelievably elated that despite the new direction, she can still stay #TRU to the autobiographical chapters that we all fell in love with. nahhh though some seriously sly SBTRKT vibes going on here... LMAOOOOOO HARRY STYLES CRYIN REMINDS ME OF:

SECRET MESSAGE: they/love/each/other/recklessly

TRACK 5: ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS STAY

Her cited Annie Lennox influences were so evident in that first ten seconds. hmmmm can't help but think this might work better if it was minimalist up to the bridge? Oh YES LUV a good finger click. Sounds like one of those dittys in the chick flick when the guy does something dumb before he wins her back.

SECRET MESSAGE: they/paid/the/price

TRACK 6: SHAKE IT OFF

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!! okay, honestly, I didn't originally get the pure brilliance of this but the BRASS and the GIRL POWER is irresistible. This is indisputably an anthem. I just want to Taylor dance and flip my hair to this and yep that's exactly what I'm doing. bruuuuuu the cheerleader chant will forever be GENIUS ~~~ HELLA GUD HARRRRRRRR (foot in mouth btw)

SECRET MESSAGE: she/danced/to/forget/him

TRACK 7: I WISH YOU WOULD

Slot this into a John Hughes movie and it's the missing puzzle piece, put it on the radio in 2014 and it could be a smash hit. Its big and sprawling production works so timelessly. She is classy pop that deserves to be screamed along drunk to. And I will take this task onto myself.

SECRET MESSAGE: he/drove/past/her/street/each/night

TRACK 8: BAD BLOOD

FUUUUUUUUCCKCCKKCKKCKCKCKCKCKCKKCKCKSSKDNJKSDNJKCD OH MY GOD EVERY OTHER ARTIST ASPIRES TO HIT YOU STRAIGHT IN THE NOSE WITH A TRACK LIKE THIS. I am dead. On the floor. I just wanna skank. These vocal chants have killed me. I mean that chorus is OUCHHHHH - "still got scars on my back from your knife" - shots are FIRED. This song alone will fill STADIUMS. lit fuck every """friend""" that turned their back on me lmaooooo.

SECRET MESSAGE: she/made/friends/and/enemies

(photo creds: @taylorswift13)

TRACK 9: WILDEST DREAMS

Define sweeping ballad. Maybe they got a bit confuddled over at the place where they mix CDs, because surely this is a Lana Del Rey track? Without You is one of my favourite songs, and this Taylor rip-off is beyond belief, I am seriously heart eye emoji rn. This encompasses how the percussion and synths of this album are astronomical. It's like you can feel her heartbeat? WOAAAAAHHHH "his hands are in my hair / his clothes are in my room" I think I just died and went to lyric heaven ???mayb??? Don't abandon ship yet, the desperate heartache from her previous albums is STILL HERE!

SECRET MESSAGE: he/only/saw/her/in/his/dreams

TRACK 10: HOW YOU GET THE GIRL

ACOUSTIC GUITARS ARE BACK OH BLESS THE LORD. Stay strong, country roots. Is this the wild younger sister of Girl At Home? okay Taylor has done it again - she has captured the universal feelings of the female species: we don't like games, boys. BE HONEST W/ US. I feel resurrected and renewed; it's so reminiscent of her old stuff...with an incredibly pop edge.

SECRET MESSAGE: then/one/day/he/came/back

TRACK 11: THIS LOVE

Metaphor and symbolism game still strong I see. I feel whisked away, this is the Taylor Swift trance record I have always hoped for. This is what I wished for after hearing a remix of the acoustic version of State of Grace: I am FULFILLED. This has to be acoustic live though, and maybe it will set the world record for most spines simultaneously chilled. It's almost, but not quite, All Too Well. Will there ever be another All Too Well though? That's a huge precedent to live up to.

SECRET MESSAGE: timing/is/a/funny/thing

TRACK 12: I KNOW PLACES

fuck ma lyyyyyyyfffff, I thought this was gonna be some twisted version of Mine and I was about to DROP DEAD. This would work wonders as a piano version (and where is the piano version of I Knew You Were Trouble please??????? i deserve that). The progression from a really encompassing and dark evil (lmao 1d fangirls) to a sunnier, surging intoxication is impressive even though it shouldn't be. oiiiiiii the lit student in me is reading to much into this but could it be a reflection of Mine because this guy really is the best thing that's ever been hers ???? au revoir

SECRET MESSAGE: and/everyone/was/watching

TRACK 13: CLEAN

That stuttering tho, bravo Imogen. The simplistic production is magical - it's Taylor but it's also brand new. This is the best example of her reinvention. God these lyrics are HARSH and angry ??? Hitting home like....something that hit homes v hard lol. That vocal range BAAAABE! "I think I am finally clean" are sublime final lyrics.

SECRET MESSAGE: she/lost/him/but/she/found/herself/and/somehow/that/was/everything

just when you think it's all over...BONUS TRACKS

TRACK 14: WONDERLAND

the lit nerd that I am is obsessed with the Lewis Carroll-ness of this. This is literally Taylor on acid: it's rowdy, raucous, and over the top but it works so well.

TRACK 15: YOU ARE IN LOVE

Reminds me of candle-lit nights, or that scene in Tangled (you know da one). This is definitely how the narrator of Clean feels when she's warm and safe. I don't know if I'm crazy about the melody but the lyrics are RELATIONSHIP GOALS and oh mY gdo "one night / he wakes / strange look / on his face / pauses / then says / you're my / best friend" - best lyric of the album by far. Lol did she just say fuck??!!! That was very nice.

TRACK 16: NEW ROMANTICS

Completely reminds me of Sky Ferreira's early synth-pop stuff. Easily the more realistic version of the utterly candified life of 22. Oh jeeeeez, can you say Foster the People??!!?! "heartbreak is the national anthem" haha Taylor trusssss. Set in an urban landscape, she's lost like the hoards of teenagers growing up with her. If this song isn't played during my first clubbing experience I s2g turnin around and GIVING UP ON LIFE.

(photo creds: Michael Buckner)

FINAL WORDS - 1989 makes you read between the lines. At first, there may be a crippling nostalgia flooding you like all that bloody water she talks about in these lyrics, because you want the old Taylor who can universally speak to the hearts and minds of teenage girls. It may not be my favourite Taylor album ever but 1989 is the album for a new age. Her collection of songs can't all be Bibles for Breakups - 1989 is our chapter for growing up and facing the world head on independently. Sure at one point, much like in Taylor's life which often can run so parallel with our own, life is all about stupid boys who don't scrub up to our expectations and who, quite frankly, treat us like shit. But with this new wave of feminism enlightening the lives of our generation, we've had to learn that boys will always treat us badly and the only person we can rely on is ourself. I think that's the message that she's trying to portray. Be beautiful, independent individuals, surround yourself with healthy people, and your life will be filled with sunshine and ecstasy.

Love, Miley, Party // review of the Bangerz Tour - The O2, 6th May

for fans of: Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Iggy Azalea

(photo creds: Evening Standard)

"I'm not going down without a motherfucking fight!" the world's most controversial human, the iridescent Miley Cyrus, screams and solidifies this title as she rockets down a giant tongue slide and reemerges back on the Bangerz Tour. After a health scare last month, which the singer assures the fans was not a drug overdose *phew* and actually due to "bitch ass nurses", the 21-year-old Tennessee native has refused to come back without the biggest spectacle your eyes will ever behold.

Miley's performance followed a set from the ever-cool Californian rocker Sky Ferreira. I was blessed enough to be seeing Sky perform live for the third time lucky that night and, as always, one of the most talented female artists in the game did not disappoint. Though my friends and I were the only ones in our section going absolutely chicken-oriental mental, Sky shined. Despite the dodgy sound technicians and oh-so ironically messing up the start of 'Everything is Embarassing', her performance was collected and enviably chic as she showcased the stand-outs from her acclaimed debut album 'Night Time, My Time' (one of my albums of the year).

As soon as Miss Cyrus burst onto the stage in a hullabaloo, the F-bombs began to fly all over the place. Parents around me looked shocked and disgusted, but how could you be? Reportedly, The O2 has received an ocean of complaints about Bangerz Tour for its profanities and provocative nature. I'm sorry, but what else would you expect from a Miley Cyrus concert? Inevitably, you have seen her infamous antics such as her VMA performance and her array of music videos: Hannah Montana this ain't! That's about as idiotic as me rocking up to Starbucks with a coffee allergy and ordering a latte. Blame yourselves for exposing your children to what you deem as inappropriate instead of pushing the fault onto her for taking this step in her artistry. Besides, have you not listened to her album before you purchased tickets? Obviously the six year old behind me had as she was sassily screaming the lyrics to the Pharrell masterwork '#GETITRIGHT' (I been layin' in this bed / All night long / Don't you think it's time / To get it on?) as Miley was rolling around a bed imitating an orgy. Disturbing on the parent's part, to say the least.

(photo creds: Evening Standard)

Cyrus mixed the trash glam of Rihanna with the less-polished theatrics of Lady Gaga with the crazy cartoonisms of Katy Perry to create chaos. One of the slightly more... eccentric parts of the show was her worshiping and grinding up against a kind of Sphinx-style 30 foot blow up of her dead dog... I mean, that's when it got a bit too weird. Twerking midgets, twerking chickens, a surprisingly little amount of twerking by Miley herself. Bonkerz and utterly insane. Like a carnival on LSD. Her costume game, however, was out in full force: though she pretty much shoved her vagina into the audience's face while riding a ghetto fab gold car during the Hip-Hop jam anthem 'Love, Money, Party', her money-clad leotard was cause for serious envy.

And, honestly? Miley doesn't display the plastic, bonafide transparency that many starlets seem to exude; she has charm and charisma, and her between-song banter is indisputably genuine - even when she was rambling about the health benefits of weed and encouraging the audience to get stoned. Speaking from my own experiences as someone who isn't easily influenced by other and can easily resist peer pressures and such (thanks mum x), I can see how easily impressionable kids could get swayed by these kind of talks and perhaps it's not the greatest thing in the world to encourage your fans to be in possession of Class B drugs... But she also uses her position in a positive way and is an advocate for a multitude of causes such as animal rights, however in this show she preached to her fans about the importance of equality and being yourself. Usually the young and famous are perceived as thoughtless dummies, but I honestly think Miley is smart. She's judged purely on the basis of how she sexualises her body and talent in order to sell records, and maybe she does, but is she not garnering the attention that's she's so cleverly set out to achieve? She identifies herself, and rightly so, as "one of the biggest feminists" and that was emphasied in her speech about being yourself after her hit ballad 'Adore You' as she encouraged the audience to celebrate the LGBT society. Let's be fair, it's fantastic that there's a pop culture figurehead to shine this guiding light for her fans to be educated and beautifully intellectual young men and women who embrace feminism and are accepting of those from whatever background in which they come from. Preach!

(photo creds: nydailynews)

The highlight of the show was not, in fact, Miley straddling a giant hotdog while flying over the audience singing 'Someone Else' (yes! really!), but was her performance on the 'B' stage. Here she acoustically performed the sensual 'Rooting For My Baby', as well as a whopping four covers: cool points for the wholly appropriate Arctic Monkey's 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?', a beautiful rendition of 'You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go' by Bob Dylan, her Radio 1 Live Lounge of Lana Del Rey's 'Summertime Sadness', and her godmother Dolly Parton's classic 'Jolene' - which is probably the first time ever that Jolene has been called a C U Next Tuesday! This is another indication of Miley's smartness as it's unlikely that anyone, without seeing her perform live, would believe that she is hugely talented and has a wicked sense of humour. The tone of her voice is sweet but strong, and acoustically the audience really feels her country music roots and her sheer delight to be back onstage, keenly lapping up every second.

She closed her whopping 21 song set with a string of her biggest hits. Surprisingly, 'We Can't Stop' lacked the fireworks that the infamous 'Wrecking Ball' ballad set off, before she closed her return to the stage in a Union Jack leotard for the pop classic (we will be singing this for generations to come) 'Party in the USA'. The frankly rather adorable Miley Cyrus performs for the shock factor, and I think that's why people don't understand her. Once that fades, we'll see the emergence of an icon. Until then, she'll shock us until our eyes are raw.

(photo creds: nydailynews)

♡ listen and love: Mindspeak - Holychild ♡

for fans of: Marina & the Diamonds, Smallpools, Charli XCX, Is Tropical, Tweens

Extra, extra read all about it! Music is fun again!

(photo creds Liz Nistico's SXSW diary for BlackBook)

Hey, The Smiths can be great, don't get me wrong, and we all love to rock out sadly to a bit of Drenge contemplating our feelings of destructiveness but sometimes it seems like everyone is just so sad all the time. What happened to happiness? Even New Order's 'Ceremony' is deemed to be wonderfully uplifting by some people (which I don't quite understand... seeing as it was written by Ian Curtis... and released after his death... maybe it's a you-have-to-be-a-die-hard-fan-to-get-it kind of thing...), yet it's so sad. Never when I walk with a spring in my step have I thought to myself, yo, how about some Nick Drake to mark this occasion! That's like saying "oh man, I'm feeling really down today... Might read some Sylvia Plath to cheer me up..." Enough! What bright ray of sunshine can come and cure our sorrow before we're doomed into eternal darkness?

Cue Holychild: serious Barbie-fied bubblegum pop on steroids. Their sound is simultaneously ferocious and sugary sweet, much like a kitten tiger: lovable on the outside but don't underestimate their bite. Don't let their tropical synth-pop beats fool you, as underneath the very 'Contra'-esque hooks lies... what's this? A message? In pop music? Never...

In relation to my previous blog post and its an overwhelming response - thank you so much for all your lovely comments, they made my heart smile

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Holychild not only capture the pure sunniness of happiness better than any current chart topping platinum selling single did, but also embody an issue very near and dear to me: (you guessed it) FEMINISM! *rainbows suddenly fill the sky* *angels sing* *baby animals do the cha cha* *etc*

And, no! Before you ask, they're not a girlband so any "well, they're female, what can you expect" excuses just don't count. Liz Nistico (vocals) and Louie Diller (instrumentalist and producer) are the brains behind the LA "brat pop" project and signed to Glassnote Records in January, home to their polar opposites Mumford & Sons and Childish Gambino.

In an interview with Stereogum, Nistico reveals how she and Diller intertwined the politics and sheer importance of feminism into their happy-go-lucky sound:

"The three videos that make up MINDSPEAK portray the contradictions I see existing around the objectification of women. Essentially I felt like a hypocrite, saying, ’down with objectification!’ But at the same, I feel ashamed if I am not objectified nor desired.

The more I thought about it, the more I saw certain layers around this concept that I wanted to reveal. The first video, “Happy With Me,” shows the power females can have by being objectified. In the second video, “Every Time I Fall,” the girls allow the men to judge them and they lose the power. In the final video, “Pretend Believe,” the men have the power, and the girls are broken and angry at themselves for perpetuating the situation.

No matter how one views it, I wanted to leave the film open to interpretation. Specifically I wanted to strike a feeling of nostalgia on one hand, but challenge the audience and make them uncomfortable on the other. Ultimately it’s all an autobiographical account of extreme contemplation on our culture."

ACCIOMIXTAPE DECONSTRUCTS 'MINDSPEAK': EP TRACK-BY-TRACK

Though maybe put off at first by the rather in-your-face hooks and 90's girrrrrrrl power vocals, after a few listens Holychild become unrestricted to all listeners regardless of their preferable genre as their toes begin to tap and they surrender to their sudden urge to have a pillow fight.

• Lead track 'Happy With Me' reminds me very much of what a 'Fancy'/'Diplomat's Son' smoothie would sound like yet Nistico's pleading vocals are reminiscent of a desperate yearning despite the song's sparkly, cheerful vibe. And it demonstrates perfectly why Holychild are so clever.
• Though not part of the all-important feminist message video trilogy, 'Playboy Girl' still has a weighty message of its own: don't let the strive for perfection define you! Channeling early Lady Gaga with elements of teeny-bop 1D pop it, quite frankly, makes me feel like a princess.
• Bigger and grander synths are tied in with infectious vocals for 'Every Time I Fall' still manages to continue their patented relentless joy.
• 'Pretend Believe' is more of an example of the pair's experimental pop label, and perhaps it is that which gives this song a more glamorous and glittering edge.

(photo creds Shervin Lainez)

♡ The Mindspeak EP is hot off the press and has gained a release just in time for Summer. It can be found on iTunes US ♡

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