Year 8, Day 31

Hey guys. Today's song is You Gotta Be by Des'ree.

So Des'ree is the stage name for Desiree Weekes, an English pop singer active since 1991. After having her boyfriend send a demo to a label, she got signed and released her debut single in 1991, before releasing her debut album in 1992. This song was released in 1994 and became a huge hit which bolstered the sales of her next album released that same year. She then toured with Seal in 1995, before being featured singing a song in Romeo + Juliet the film. In 1997 she did some songs on other people's albums, then released another album in 1998, then earning a Brit Award the following year. She then took a break from music, focusing on her private life, although a compilation album was released in 2000. In the following years she tended to collaborate to create one song, but otherwise remained dormant in the industry. She released an album in 2003, but it wasn't successful leading to her label dropping her and Des'ree going back on hiatus. She came back in 2008 and has done some benefit performances, and some featuring this song. She also announced a new album in 2019, one that she had been working on since 2012. In between actually singing, she has also been credited as co-writing a fair amount of songs if you want to look those up. I'll admit I don't know much of her music, but I do remember this one and when I heard it again I knew I wanted to share it with you guys. Hope you enjoy it.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 30

Hey guys. Today's song is A-O-K by Tai Verdes.

Photo by: Egeltzer

Tai Verdes is the stage name for Tyler Colon, active since 2020. Which is honestly shocking to me because I swear I've heard his music before that, but I guess that was just a fever dream? Truly I am so thrown by this. Anyway, he made his first breakthrough when his first single went huge on TikTok, which led to him making some other singles and then releasing his debut album in 2021 which is where this song is from. He's officially signed with a label now, and has released more singles since so go check those out. He apparently tried out for American Idol and The Voice in the past and never got on, which just goes to show that those TV talent spots are already irrelevant. Though I'll let you decide.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 29

Hey guys. Today's song is My Prerogative by Bobby Brown. 

Photo from: Sister Circle Live

Bobby Brown was a singer and dancer active since 1978. As a solo artist over his career he released five studio albums in 1986, 1988, 1992, 1997, and 2012. Before that though he had been in a group with Michael Bivins, Ricky Bell, Ralph Tresvant, and Ronnie DeVoe called The New Edition. They had four albums as a group released in 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1996 (at least as a group that Bobby Brown was involved with. He had been kicked out of the group in 1986 by the management, and that was when his solo career started. In addition to music, he has also done some acting stints, including an appearance in a Ghostbusters movie which is an interesting choice, but then again he did do some songs for the franchise so why not? He also like many other artists has substance abuse issues, leading to a great many legal battles over issues with that and other things. He's considered to be a pioneer of a specific type of music referred to as new jack swing, which is a mix of R&B and hip hop which kind of makes sense when you listen to this song. He is still around. I remember seeing him on The Masked Singer for awhile although he didn't last for long, but I'm always excited when I know and can peg who the voice is. Who knows, maybe you guys are the same way.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 28

Hey guys. Today's song is Sinnerman by Nina Simone.

Photo by: Ron Kroon, Restored by: Bammesk

Just a fair warning today guys: this song a long one. So Nina Simone is the stage name of Eunice Waymon who was active from 1954 until 2002. She originally wanted to be a concert pianist, and went to Julliard for music before auditioning for the Curtis Institute of Music, although she was rejected and always maintained it was due to racism. She instead took lessons from a professor from the school, paying for it by singing and playing at a bar. In 1954 she adopted the stage name in a bid to hide from her family who accused her of playing the devil's music. In 1958 she recorded a Gershwin song, which became a Billboard hit, and she released her debt album in 1959. But she signed over the rights and lost out on a small fortune. Afterwards she went to a different label and released a live album. In 1964 with a new label, she fully addressed racial inequality, creating what has become a protest song since. It wasn't her only one, and she remained a vocal supporter of civil rights, advocating for a more violent revolution rather than the non-violent approach of Martin Luther King Jr. In 1970 after having her records boycotted by many in the industry, she moved to Barbados, after remained there when she was wanted by police in the States for unpaid taxes while protesting the Vietnam War. After that she went to Liberia, and reunited briefly with her daughter, but was abusive causing her daughter to leave. After learning this I no longer really cared about her, because no matter what hardships you've had, there is no excuse for being abusive to your kid. She lived all over, and started having problems playing shows, sometimes being too drunk to even perform, before moving to the Netherlands and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In 1991 she moved to Amsterdam, then to France in 1993 before eventually passing away in 2003. Her daughter has also gone into the industry, doing singing and acting, and even appearing on Broadway. Nina Simone has many albums and accolades that you can look into, and even an autobiography, but that's up to you to look for if you're interested.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 27

Hey guys. Today's song is Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee.

So Elton John started life as Reginald Dwight and started his musical career when he was 17. He played piano since he was younger, able to pick out songs by ear which is pretty tough to do. He started formal piano lessons at 7, and won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at 11. He did well at the academy, but he was so naturally talented that he pretty much didn't need to practice and somewhat resented being there. His mother and stepfather helped him get a gig playing piano at a pub when he was 15. In 1962 he and his friends made a band called Bluesology, so he split his time between performing alone and with the group. The band successfully became a touring band for a bunch of groups and by 1966 became the supporting band for Long John Baldry. In 1967, he answered an ad for a record label, and went in to add music to lyrics written by Bernie Taupin, and they signed together as songwriters to a label. The same year he took the stage name Elton John, which is an homage to Long John Baldry, and the saxophonist in Bluesology Elton Dean. He ended up legally changing his name to that in 1972. His debut album came out in 1969, followed by five more albums by 1971. He kept making albums, then started his own label in 1974. In 1975 he released an autobiographical album, which became the first album ever to debut at number 1. I've barely cracked his discography and this is already getting pretty long, so I'm going to cut it off here and continue next time I feature another of his songs. Kiki Dee was the stage name of Pauline Mathews, whose been active since 1960. She got signed in 1963, and over he career has released three EPs and twelve different albums, the most recent being in 2019. She's also done musical theatre, starring in Pump Boys and Dinettes in 1984 and 1985, before then starring in Blood Brother in 1988, and earning an Olivier nomination for it. This song with Elton John released in 1973 is her biggest hit, and was actually supposed to be sung by Dusty Springfield, but she was suffering from an illness and the time and got replaced with Kiki. Fun Fact: when Kiki first started her career, she used to sing backup vocals for Dusty, so that's probably how Kiki's name came up as a possible replacement. Anyway enjoy the song, and give her career a look if you're curious. 

Peace.

Year 8, Day 26

Hey guys. Today's song is Our Time Has Come by James Ingram and Carnie Wilson.

So this song is from a movie I used to watch all the time as a kid, but one that none of my friends ever acknowledged existed, so it feels a little bit like a secret gem of my youth. Cats Don't Dance because of that was then classified as in the same vein as Ferngully, The Secrets of Nimh, and the Swan Princess in my brain. So the film was released in 1997 and is set in 1939 where it follows the main characters who are anthropomorphic animals trying to break into acting in Hollywood. That description makes it sound strange, but it's really good, and the music is fantastic. Steve Goldstein did most of the score, while Randy Newman composed a bunch of the songs. This one though was written by Martin Page and sung by James Ingram and Carnie Wilson. James Ingram was an American singer active from 1973 until passing away in 2019. He released five studio albums over his career, as well as two compilation albums, and won two Grammy's. Carnie Wilson is an American singer/ TV Personality active since 1989. You might recognize her voice from the time I featured Wilson Phillips, which is a group shoe co-founded with her sister and best friend. They did two albums as a group before disbanding, then she did an album with her sister, and an album with her sister and their father before trying out a solo career. The solo album never got released, and instead she went back to Wilson Phillips, releasing another album. She did do some albums on her own eventually, one of lullabies, and a Christmas album, before starring with the other band members in their own reality show. Since then she's done a number of TV guest spots, and opened a commercial production bakery with a business partner. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the song and if you like it, give the movie a watch.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 25

Hey guys. Today's song is What Is Love by Haddaway.

Photo by: Stefan Rittershaus

Everyone probably knows this song, but not necessarily because they know the artist so today you get a little bit of an education. So Haddaway is Nester Haddaway, a singer born in Trinidad, but from Germany. He's been active in the music industry since 1987, getting signed in 1992 and released this song in 1993, which obviously became huge. It was the lead single on his debut album released the same year, followed by a second album in 1995. He released two more albums in 1998 and 2001, but these marked a significant decline in popularity. He was featured on a German television show in 2004, then was part of a UK television show in 2005 which increased his popularity a bit. He released another album in 2005 and had one song that charted. In 2008 he collaborated on a single with Dr. Alban, then in 2009 a remix of today's song charted. It also became a sound bite in other music, used by Eminem and Lil Wayne in 2010. He released another album in 2011 and was still performing, but mostly doing so in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Siberia. He was supposed to star in a movie and this type of music, referred to as Eurodance, but ultimately that was never released. Nowadays he's still making singles, with some as recently released as 2021, and is living is Austria where he sponsors and also plays for a baseball team. So he's still around. If you're curious to see what his music was like after this first song you should go check out his other stuff.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 24

Hey guys. Today's song is Call On Me by Eric Prydz.

Photo from: Swimfinfan

Eric Prydz is a musician who has been active since 2001, and over that time has used so many different monikers/projects including AxEr, A&P Project, Cirez D, Dukes of Sluca, Groove System, Hardform, Pryda, Moo, Sheridan, Tonja Holma, and Fiol Lasse. This song is arguably his biggest hit, released in 2004 and has since reached guilty pleasure level for most people. But in a bid to get away from this song and it's pigeon holing nature, he stopped playing it in shows. In 2008 he released a pretty popular single, and flirted with the idea of joining the informal group (at the time) of Swedish House Mafia, but ultimately didn't, but he did work with some of the guys under his other names. He released some more stuff in 2009 before releasing his debut album in 2012, that was actually three discs of content. In 2014 he did some different EPs before releasing another album in 2016. The EPs from before and after have been done in celebration of milestones for his label which had been started in 2004. He's still around so if you're curious about the different in sound from this one, go look up some of his other stuff.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 23

Hey guys. Today's song is Bailando by Paradisio featuring Maria Garcia & Dj Patrick Samoy.

So Paradisio is a Belgian group active from 1994 to 1998, then from 1999 to 2003, then again since 2009. And I think this is our first group from there so give it up for Belgium today! Current members only list Patrick Samoy and Raquel Rodriguez, but past members include Luc Rigaux, Maria Garcia, Maria del Rio, Sandra De Gregorio, and Shelby Diaz. They had three albums overall, two from 1997, the first being where this song is from, and another released in 2011 after their most recent comeback. Anyway I wanted something kinda happy and boppy today, so I hope you enjoy.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 22

Hey guys. Today's song is Take My Time by Junior Senior.

This is a Danish group active from 1998 to 2008, made up of Jesper Mortensen and Jeppe Laursen. The two had been in a band before called Ludo-X, but the had broken up in 1995. Junior Senior got signed to a label, then released their debut album in 2002. Some of their songs have been used in video games, TV shows, and movies. Their next album was released in 2005, and in 2006 they had a fan contest to appear in a music video of theirs. The group parted ways in 2008 so they could each pursue solo careers, with Laursen releasing an EP in 2009, and Mortenson releasing a single under the Moniker I Scream Ice Cream before forming a group called MAKE OUT in 2010. So if you want to look more into those, you should. I haven't yet so what you find really will be a mystery. 

Peace.

Year 8, Day 21

Hey guys. Today's song is Honeypie by JAWNY.

JAWNY is the new moniker for Jacob Lee-Nicholas Sullenger, active since 2016. He started out as Johnny Utah, which is a reference to a 1991 movie character, releasing two EPs in 2018. This song was released in 2019 and was kind of his break out single. He got signed in 2020, changing his stage name and moving to Los Angeles. The same year he released a mixtape, with one single hitting pretty high on the charts by 2021. He's had a couple of singles since then, but nothing so far that I can find this year so I guess we'll see. 

Peace.

Year 8, Day 20

Hey guys. Today's song is Saturday by Twenty One Pilots.

Photo by: Drew de F Fawkes

Again another group I've featured before, and a very popular one at that, so I'm sure you've probably heard of them before. Twenty One Pilots started in 2009 as a band made up of Tyler Joseph, Nick Thomas, and Chris Salih. They released a self titled album the same year before Thomas and Salih left in 2011 to focus on schooling and work respectively. It was Salih who introduced Josh Dun into the lineup as his replacement, and since then it's been Josh and Tyler. There was an album released in 2011, followed by more in 2013, 2015, 2018, and a new one in 2021 that they plan on touring for this year. So keep an eye out for that.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 19

Hey guys. Today's song is No Lullaby by SIAMES.

I've featured these guys before, so they should sound familiar to you. This is an Argentinian group active since 2013 when Guillermo Stölzing and Manuel Kokollo teamed up. They added some more members, currently also including Gonzo Rooster, Tish Planes, Walter C, Lucas Hernandez, Hutter Von Fonk and Barbie Williams. They released their first album in 2016 before their next album in 2020. It doesn't sound like a lot but this truly is a very promising group so I hope you do check it out.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 18

Hey guys. Today's song is Wake Up In The Morning by Siine featuring Zorro.

Siine is another artist that I found because of Epidemic Sound, and the only stuff I know about them is what I learned from their bio there. Basically, they are a Swedish duo that started playing around Stockholm before switching to more of a production side than performing, and releasing a couple singles in 2018. They've done a bunch more songs since then, with this being one of their more recent ones, released in 2022. Zorro is also on Epidemic Sound, but there is no bio to look at and honestly I've found a couple different people using the moniker so I would rather put nothing at all rather than the wrong information. So for now just enjoy the music.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 17

Hey guys. Today's song is Say We're Sorry by Loving Caliber.

So I've featured Loving Caliber before and I'm definitely going to be showing them again, so we're gonna go through this fast. This is a Swedish group made up of Michael Stenmark, Linda Stenmark and Anders Lystell. They've been around as a group in 2013, but got really popular with one of their singles in 2016. As of 2020, Michael has become the face of the group, and they've continued to make great music. So watch for more as it comes on here.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 16

Hey guys. Today's song is John Hughes Movie by Maisie Peters.

Photo by: Rich Viola

Maisie Peters is an English singer active since 2015. She started out on YouTube, releasing her debut singles in 2017. In 2018 her career started to pick up and she got signed to a label, releasing her debut EP at the end of the year. She released a couple singles in 2019, followed by another EP, before one of her songs got used for the Birds of Prey album in 2020. In 2021 she switched labels and released her debut album, and had also been writing a soundtrack album for an Apple TV series. So far this year she released a single which was an inside joke among her friends and ended up sparking dating rumors that she had to shut down. But that's just how inside jokes work, they are always something that gets misinterpreted so that's very relatable. I have more music from her to show you later so hope you enjoy this and look forward to that. 

Peace.

Year 8, Day 15

Hey guys. Today's song is Gym Song by HONEYMOAN.

This is a South African group from Cape Town formed in 2017 and made up of Alison Rachel, Skye MacInnes, Josh Berry, and Kenan Tatt. They have four different EPs listed on bandcamp, the first one released in 2018. This song is from their 2019 EP, and is listed as being recorded in the home studio of Josh Berry. Their other EPs came in 2020 and 2021 respectively, so they are still going strong and consistently so I'm sure we'll see more soon. Enjoy.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 14

Hey guys. Today's song is Thank You Anxiety by Avenue Beat. 

Avenue Beat is a band with a short-lived career (so far). Made up of Sami Bearden, Savana Santos, and Sam Backoff, the group released an EP in 2019 before one of their videos went viral on Tik Tok in 2020 leading to them making a full song of it. They released their only album in 2021 before they officially disbanded because one of the members wanted to stop. The others have said that once Sami realized she didn't like what the industry was and didn't want to pursue a music career, that they didn't want to go forward without her. It's a little sad since they barely got started, but I support Sami for knowing this wasn't for her, and I also support the other two for not just replacing her and moving on. I do hope to see them continue music in some capacity if that's what they want, but for now I'm glad for the little gems they gave us while they were around.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 13

Hey guys. Today's song is That Funny Feeling by Bo Burnham.

So again this one doesn't count as country, but the acoustic take with the forest and fire vibe really cements it's place as a bookend of the country-esque music. I think I've mentioned it before, but if you haven't seen Bo Burnham's special that this song is from you should watch it. It's phenomenal. I will tell you though the same thing I told all my relatives that I recommended it to: be in a good mind space before you watch it. As much as I love it I knew I would have to wait to watch until my own mental health was a little more stable and I think that was the right choice. So enjoy this song from it for now, but if you're mentally ready for it, I definitely would recommend watching Inside.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 12

Hey guys. Today's song is I Love You More by Avery Anna.

Alright, so Avery Anna is still a new enough artist that I can't find any official bio on her. There are only singles listed started in 2021 and onward with no EPs or albums yet, but I kind of love that. I enjoy finding artists so early in their career so I can introduce others to them for the first time and watch as their careers grow. And I think hers will. So hopefully you enjoy the song today and if you do, make sure to spread it around to earn her some more new fans.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 11

Hey guys. Today's song is Dear August by PJ Harding and Noah Cyrus.

I've featured Noah Cyrus before so for now we're gonna focus on PJ Harding. He is an Australian songwriter/producer, and has worked with a lot of big names in that respect, even being nominated in 2017 for an APRA Songwriting Award. He and Noah met in 2018 at a songwriting summer camp, and though never technically working together at the camp, he did contribute some guitar to one of her songs and wanted to work with her. Obviously that did end up happening, with them writing four songs together and ending up singing them together as well. They were for Noah's 2020 EP, which they managed to work on and record throughout the pandemic. Now the last time I featured Noah, her sound was a lot different than this and I was pleasantly surprised to find her songs sitting in the country vein, so I knew I had to feature her this week, so I hope you enjoy.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 10

 Hey guys. Today's song is I'm Falling In Love by Wildflowers featuring Emmi.

You guys have probably figured out that I spend a majority of my time listening to Epidemic's music channels on YouTube now. The artists that they have on their platforms are awesome and I have a bunch saved, including the two today. So Wildflowers has an album released in 2019, and a bunch of EPs listed through Apple Music that you can check out. It's hard to be sure that I have the right person, but if I am then Emmi is Emily Green, a British/Australian singer active since 2015. She has an EP from 2018 and a bunch of her own singles, plus has been featured on other songs like this one. So you can go check out her stuff or some of the Epidemic Sound channels for more artists. 

Peace.

Year 8, Day 9

 Hey guys. Today's song is Boot Scootin' Boogie by Brooks & Dunn.

Photo by: Keith Hinkle

This is an older one, a group that I remember listening to when I was a kid. So Brooks & Dunn is a duo made up of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn who were active from 1990 until 2010, then again since 2015. They both started off as solo artists, writing and recording before being put together by Tim Dubois, first as a songwriting duo and then as an actual group. This song came out in 1992 and helped popularize line dancing in the States. They released ten studio albums, five compilation albums, and a Christmas album throughout the 90's and 2000's before they decided to retire as a group. Instead they both focused more on their solo stuff. They came back in 2015, performing some shows with Reba, and actually released a new album in 2019 so you guys can look that up if you're curious.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 8

 Hey guys. Today's song is This Is The Life by Amy MacDonald.

Photo by: Harald Krichel

It seems really abrupt and too soon, but because I came back at a different time than I used to it's already Stampede week here! Now if you've been with me for awhile you know that I never actually do anything for Stampede. I got really into it when I was a kid and am kind of over at this point, so it's more for visitors to the city while I hide in my house and dodge pancake breakfasts. That being said, I use the opportunity to feature my more country/acoustic songs that are on deck, starting with this one. Now this is an acoustic version with the normal one here. So Amy MacDonald is a Scottish singer active since 2006. She taught herself guitar and started writing music, performing in coffee shops before sending in a demo, earning a recording contract in 2007. She released her debut album that year, of which this is the title song. She released her second album in 2010, and her third in 2012. She started writing for her next album in 2014, recording through 2015 before the album was ultimately finished in 2016 and released in 2017. The next year she released a Greatest Hits album before going on a European tour. She had been working on her next album when COVID hit, but managed to release it in 2020. She's got a nice long career, but she was new to me so I'm thinking she may be new to you as well, so I hope you give her a chance.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 7

Hey guys. Today's song is If You Know That I'm Lonely by Fur.

So I don't really know much about these guys. All I know is they are a UK band made up of four people and that they seems to have at least two albums, one of them released recently which is probably where this song is from. It's easy to see a mellow British four piece and say they remind you of the Beatles, but it's true. At the same time they make me think of the Paper Lions stylistically a bit as well. So check them out and see if this is your kind of thing.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 6

Hey guys. Today's song is The Adults Are Talking by The Strokes.

Photo from: Raph_PH

The Strokes are a rock band active since 1998 and made up of Julian Casablancas, Nikolai Fraiture, Albert Hammond Jr, Fabrizio Moretti, and Nick Valensi. It started with Casablancas, Valensi, and Moretti playing together, then they brought in the other two. They started in clubs before making a demo that started a label bidding war for them, before releasing their debut album in 2001. Since then they've released five more albums, with the most recent out in 2020 after not doing on since 2013. They spent most of the time between 2013 and 2017 on various tours, before taking a two year break and coming back in 2019. Since their album release in 2020, they've mostly been doing performances in support of various American political candidates, which is kind of an interesting segway for a band. I can't say I'm surprised given the insanity that has been American politics as of that, but it's interesting to see non-political people getting more politically active publicly. Anyways, hope you enjoy today's song! 

Peace.

Year 8, Day 5

Hey guys. Today's song is Help! by The Beatles.

Photo by: Eric Koch

 So The Beatles was a British band made up of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The group only lasted ten years, from 1960 until 1970, but they all did solo stuff as well. In the early formation of the band there were other members that didn't last, and those people are Pete Best, Stuart Sutcliffe, Chas Newby, Norman Chapman, and Tommy Moore; plus one touring drummer named Jimmie Nicol. The Beatles led the British Invasion (of music). The British invasion basically means that in America suddenly British culture was becoming popular. The same thing happened a few years ago when suddenly the American music market was flooded with Raggaeton music from artists popular in Latin America. The British Invasion though was huge and unheard of at the time. Over the decade, the Beatles released 13 albums and one compilation album, and most of those songs are still popular today. They are the best-selling band in history and basically set every possible record there is, which have only in recent years started to get surpassed by others. You probably already know this song, but let's enjoy it today anyway.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 4

Hey guys. Today's song is Cringe by Matt Maeson.

So the version I'm showing of this song is the stripped down one, but there is an official one here if you want it. Matt Maeson is a singer active since 2016 when his debut single, this song, came out. He's a bit of a legacy performer, as his parents were in Christian metal bands. After his single, he released an EP in 2017, followed by another in 2018, before his debut album came out in 2019. That year was also when this song started to hit the top of the charts, going gold in 2020. He got featured on Illenium's album in 2021, but other than that there hasn't been anything too recent so we'll see what happens. 

Peace.

Year 8, Day 3

Hey guys. Today's song is Fools by Lauren Aquilina.

Photo from: POPDUST

Lauren Aquilina is an English singer, active since 2011. She started with some recording of her performing at an open mic night, which earned her a manager, then a cover song done for charity, followed by her first EP released in 2012, of which this is the title song. She first did a little tour in Norway before touring in the UK in 2013. She released three EP's total before being signed in 2014, working on and releasing her debut album in 2016. That same year the album was followed by an announcement that she was done writing and performing, and that it would be her last album. She took a two year mental health break before getting inspired to rejoin the music industry in 2018, releasing a song from her upcoming EP, which was released in full in 2020 along with many other singles and another EP. She's released at least one more single so far this year, so she's still going, and I hope you give her stuff a shot. 

 Peace.

Year 8, Day 2

Hey guys. Today's song is My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion.

Photo from: Yoyo76300

The song yesterday mentioned it, so I though why not put up some Celine Dion today since I somehow haven't featured this song yet. Now basically everyone should already know this one, since it was so famously used in the Titanic movie from James Cameron (which was made so well that I still am kinda terrified to be on a boat in the ocean), but for those not familiar with the singer (beyond name only) we'll do a little recap of her career so far. She's from Quebec and started her career as a french singer, releasing her first album in 1981, which her manager funded by mortgaging his house. It was a big success, and the next year she got started internationally by winning awards at the Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo. She won several other awards before then being chosen to represent Switzerland in Eurovision in 1988, which she also won. And if you're sitting there wondering why a Canadian was singing for Switzerland, there is actually no rule saying a representative needs to be from that given country. Unfortunately the next year she injured her vocal chords and had to take some time to recuperate her voice. She released eight albums in french before making her english debut in 1990 with her ninth album. She has always claimed though to be a french artist, and actually turned down an english artist of the year award in 1991. This song came out in 1997 and won her two more Grammy awards, as well as an Academy Award and Golden Globe for the songwriters James Horner and Will Jennings. She released 13 albums throughout the 90's before taking a hiatus when her husband/manager received a cancer diagnosis, but she returned after the 9/11 attacks, ending a three year break. For most of the 2000's she was doing shows in Vegas which was considered risky for her career but ultimately earned her millions. She returned to the usual (album and touring) for awhile in 2007 before returning to the Vegas show scene in 2011 until 2014 when she indefinitely postponed the shows due to her husband's condition worsening, and cancelled outright after he passed away in 2016. She has been back since then with more albums, more tours, and more shows, though the fate of the latter is in flux currently because of her own health concerns. I left a lot out so this didn't go on forever, but her career as a whole is huge so if you're curious go check her out.

Peace.

Year 8, Day 1

Hey everybody. Today's song is Canadian, Please by Julia Bentley & Andrew Gunadie.

I know it's been awhile, probably one of the longest breaks that I've taken, but if you had been keeping up with me last year you'll know that it was very much needed. I can't say that things have gotten much better since then, more deaths in the family, more drama that I've been dragged into, but I'm trying to push forward and better myself with a daily routine, and I figured now is as good a time as any to comeback and throw a song up everyday as part of that. So here we go: Since today is Canada Day, I decided to go with an oldie but a goodie that I've had saved for literal years to put up. As with most things, some of the lines used are accurate and some are based off a Canadian stereotype, but as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics closing ceremony shows, Canadians lean in to the stereotypes so it works out. And considering that the entire world is going absolutely batshit right now (I'm looking at you Putin and US Congress) I'm feeling mighty proud to live where I do right now despite some of our own issues. I can at least take heart that efforts are being made by a lot of different people to try and rectify the past, which can't be said for a lot of other situations right now. Anyway, this video is up of Andrew's YouTube channel gunnarolla, and Julia has her own channel as well called honeychip if you want to check out more of their stuff.

Peace.