...like a russian roulette...

I'm back to talk about the new videos launched in the last couple of days. First, is Chris Brown's "Crawl", which shows a new face of him and how he is grown up and tries to release himself from the Rihanna incident at the beginning of this year. I must say that the video is powerful and meaningful and I'm glad that Chris shows us that he can do more than the "i love you boo/shorty" stuff. He actually states for MTV that this video and lyrics really are about his relation with Rihanna and it seems that he is trying really hard to be forgiven and to move on:

"So being able to express the feelings, it was like, probably one of the best [records I've done.] But it was more than me trying to do a record that meant crawl to love, crawl back to love. Meaning whether it's from your negative situations, whether it's from any problems you've dealt with, like anybody's situation," he told MTV."Mine being my personal situation with shorty, but for anybody, for being inspired as far it being the war or a death in the family, whether it's anything, anybody just crawl back to love. 'Cause love conquers everything. Love, at the end of the day, makes everybody happy."



On the other hand, Rihanna launched her new video as well, "Russian Roulette", which also seems to speak about the issues that she and Chris Brown had. The song is strong and shocking and it shows a hurt and vulnerable Rihanna, farther and farther from the happy, shiny "Pon De Replay" girl. It's a sense of lost innocence in the whole video. She also interviewed on 20/20, talking about her relationship with Chris Brown and the fact that she is embarrassed that she once went back to him:

The most encapsulating moment, shown during the Good Morning America preview of the interview, was Rihanna's declaration that it was "embarrassing" that she fell in love and went back to Brown. It was impressive how emotionally honest Rihanna was during the entire piece, discussing the universal feelings of the abused, from blaming herself to trying to ignore that the incident ever took place. She also spoke starkly about the events of the night, saying Brown had no "soul" in his eyes.
Rihanna claimed her ultimate reason for leaving Brown was to be a good role model for other women in similar situations, "Even if Chris never hit me again, who is to say that [another girl's] boyfriend won't?" It's a resonant message, made more striking by her impressive resolve. ("The Rap Up")


Russian Roulette

Rihanna | MySpace Music Videos

New Songs

Well, it's been a while since my last post due to the fact that I have been very busy with school, projects and stuff like that. So...now I'm back. For today I didn't prepare a themed post, like the ones before. This one will be about the songs and videos I have been addicted to, lately. Enjoy!

Alexandra Burke feat. Flo Rida, "Bad Boys" - powerful and catchy; look out for the wild red- black boots and for the moment at around minute 2:50 :D


Alexandra Burke - "Bad Boys" Feat Flo Rida

Alexandra Burke | MySpace Video

Black Eyed Peas, "Meet Me Halfway" - worth watching more for Fergie's chorus and for her hypostasis as a wood's fairy than for the lyrics :D



One Republic, "All the Right Moves" - dizzy video with pretty confusing lyrics and addictive rhythm; love the masks and the masked ball atmosphere :D



Cheryl Cole, "Fight for This Love" - powerful song and really great video; seems that she can do well all by herself, even without Girls Aloud


Cheryl Cole - Fight For This Love (Music Video)

Lewis Canavan | MySpace Video

Leona Lewis, "Happy" - seems like Leona simply doesn't want to stop. Her new single is already a hit. Her voice is as astonishing as always.

A little bit of country music...

It's been a while since a song gave me goosebumps. Well, that happened to me when I first listened to Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" a couple of weeks ago. The song literally gives you shivers down your spine.
First of all who is, better who ARE "Lady Antebellum"? They are a rather new country trio with Charles Kelley as lead vocals, Dave Haywood at background vocals, guitar and mandolin, and the beautiful Hillary Scott as lead and background vocals.
Their lyrics are soft and deep and the three voices melt together in a mixture of ups and downs joined together with the classic country guitar. The result? Some really charming songs :)

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now


Lady Antebellum - I Run to You

Our Man, Leonard Cohen

Haven't you heard of Leonard Cohen? Haven't you listened to his songs? Then all your musical experience equals with nothing. Because Leonard is indeed an experience. His voice scratches its way through to your core. Literally. The hoarsing sound of his voice moves you deep down to your soul after 10 seconds. Few can express the tortures and the longings of the human being in a more beautiful way than him. You can't be the same after listening "I'm Your Man" (which is one of the most beautiful and excruciating love declarations ever made) or "Dance Me to the End of Love" or "Suzanne".
At his 71 years, with his unmistakable black hat, I would dare to say that he looks even more attractive than he did in his youth. This summer, Leonard concerted in Bucharest for the second time. I regret missing that. Even more, after I found out that he would like to retire. On one hand, due to his shaky health, that made him faint during a concert in Barcelona, and on the other hand due to the fact that he is huge debt. Hearing that was one of the saddest things I have ever heard. But he can't do that.Because being Leonard is an irreplaceable phenomenon that can't disappear like that. It would leave a hole way too big to fill up.
If you listen carefully to his songs, you will realize that Leonard Cohen is a singing poet. He published his new book of poems called "The Book of Longing". Even though I don't think we will find it in Romania, I recommend anyone who has the chance to have it in his/her hands to never let it go.
Another thing: a beautiful documentary about Leonard Cohen: "I'm Your Man".
Here are two of the songs I mentioned before:




"My reputation as a ladies' man was a joke. It caused me to laugh bitterly through the 10 000 nights I spent alone."

"The Voice" is back!

I was so happy to find out that one of the voices of my childhood is really back. And I'm talking of course about one of the greatest comebacks in musical history: Whitney Houston. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is as good as ever in her new album and her two new videos: "I Look To You" and "Million Dollar Bill". The album " I Look To You" landed on Billboard's #1 spot right on its day of launching: 31st August and everyone is thrilled to find out that her voice hasn't changed at all and that she looks as well as in her twenties.
Whitney's downfall began shortly after marrying the former rapper Bobby Brown, a real trouble-maker. Soon enough the rumors about Bobby beating her and convincing her to take drugs started. Even if Whitney denied at first all the accusations, it was easy to see that she wasn't the same: the good girl began to look thinner and thinner and she even canceled some of her concerts because her voice was damaged.
Gladly, she eventually divorced Bobby Brown in 2007, gaining full custody of her daughter and did some rehab sessions. She now seems to be back in shape and hopefully she will stay this way for a long time.
The new album has her same well-known style: sometimes powerful, inspired from gospel songs, with a strong voice,and sometimes playful and joyful.



"I Look To You" is obviously biographical. A very strong and powerful song, probably about her faith in God.



"Million Dollar Bill" is a danceable song, really catchy, more modern, but its still written 'Whitney Houston" all over it.

Why Do I Read Esquire?

- because it's written by men for men
- because it's written by women for men
- because talk about women in a way that any of us would like to be talk about
- because it teaches men to be exactly like we want them to: smart, well-dressed, polite, funny, sexy, well-informed, with a little devilish side
- because its articles are way better than the ones in women's magazines and you actually learn something from them
- because the articles aren't about "Barbie For One Day In Bucuresti"(?!?)
- because its pictorials with beautiful women have a lot of written space
- because it has less ads
- because has articles like "Women We Love" and "10 Things You Don't Know About Women"(written in a funny and witty way by actresses, singers, models and so on)
- because it's ironic, funny, captivating

La Mome Piaf (The Little Sparrow)

You can say you know nothing about music if you haven't heard of Edith Piaf. She is considered France's greatest popular singer and her chansonettes are regarded as emblematic for the French lifestyle. Her nickname - La Mome Piaf - refers to her height (she was only 1.42m tall) and her unmistakable voice. It was said that her songs were Paris itself. In her melodies, Edith's voice is sometimes as high as the Eiffel Tower and sometimes as low as the outskirts and brothels in which she grew up. She sings about love, happiness, melancholy, sadness, prostitutes' life... there's something for everyone in her songs. She once said: "I want to make people cry even when they don't understand my words." And she made it. She sang in the USA and she was successful even if no one understood one word. Later she translated some of the songs in English, but they don't sound the same. Another thing she was famous for were her beautiful hands with very long fingernails. Even if she wasn't a very pretty woman, she had impressive blue-violet eyes.
"Non, Je ne Regrette Rien"

"La Vie En Rose"

I must confess that I grew fond of Edith Piaf and her songs since I saw, about a year ago, the movie about her called ironically " La Vie En Rose". I said "ironically" because her life was anything but pink. Then again, she had such moments of extreme happiness that some of us only dream of. The movie is "brutally candid" as stated on IMDb and Marion Cotillard does a wonderful job playing Edith, for which she truly deserved an Oscar. I had heard of her and I had listened to her songs before seeing the movie, but I became more interested in her life after that.

And one more thing: if you love Marion as i have loved her in this movie, you will be delighted to hear that now she is the icon for Dior's new campaign and she is starring in their new commercial called "The Lady Noire Affair" inspired by Hitchcock's black-and-white movies.
P.s.: Look out for her astonishing sandals :D