Idol Recap! "Songs By Your Favorite Artists"

Ok, children. American Idol has returned to my heart. I'm watching. I'm recapping. You betta read, covergurls.

So, Lauren Alaina is a country girl at heart and she loves Shania Twain. I also love Shania Twain but cannot for the life of me figure out why people keep doing "Any Man Of Mine" Why can't they do "Party For Two"? Any way, the singing was a little kareoke and even shouty at parts. But she's really spunky. Unlike Mary Tyler Moore's boss, I like spunk.

Next up is the man with the magic beard - Casey Abrams. His idol is Joe Cocker, and he is singing "A Little Help From My Friends." The song does nothing for me, but his vocals are gritty and growly and kinda cool.

Ashton Jones has the Diana Ross hair going on, so it's not surprising she picks the Supreme singer as her fave. But her vocals were a little shrill, I'm not sure she should have gone so high. And J.Lo's not the only one that didn't know this song, I only know it from when the Idols did a charity recording of it in Carrie Underwood's season.

J.Lo also hadn't heard of Ryan Adams. I think most of America will be hearing his songs for the first time via Paul McDonald. I only know his song "Stars Go Blue" - as covered by Tim McGraw (and The Corrs) but this one has a nice alt country vibe and his vocals go well in that sound. His jacket is very Coldplay, and his moves are very Chris Martin via Thom Yorke.

Pia Toscano has THE VOICE! She sounds very much like her Idol Celine. She done sang "All By Myself" but I don't get anything from her besides vocal gymnastics. Which is all good for now, but I need more as the weeks go by.

James Durbin loves wearing his chains. And Paul McCartney. His vocals are off the chain, though. His restrain barely holds together, which is very rock n roll. His voice just wants to bust out!

A LeeAnn Rimes fan, Haley Reinhart is singing "Blue" and while she has a pretty voice, it isn't up to the challenge of that yodelly song.

Jacob Lusk loves R. Kelly, I hope he's not also a fan of alleged pederasty and water sports. And Holy Fuddruckers, that run at the end of "I Believe I Can Fly" was off the hook! So full of vocal energy and craziness.

I think Thia Megia is such a little cutie, but I concur with the judges that she was better on the first half of the song. I really want to hear more from her!

I thought Stefano Langone's "Lately" was subpar. He seemed out of his league in parts. He's cute, though, and he managed to make it work towards the end.

Oh, Karen Rodriguez! I wanted her to be awesome doing her idol Selena's "I Could Fall In Love" and she wasn't. Her vocals couldn't handle the lower notes, and even the higher ones seemed shaky. But I have a feeling she will have a strong Latino voting bloc and will stick around for a while yet.

Scotty McCreary sang Garth Brooks. Nothing about that shocks me. He does what he does well, but it's not for me.

Niama Adedapo is completely unique. Her reggae/rap breakdown in the middle of "Umbrella" brought fresh fire to a song that has become part of the American Songbook. I can't wait to hear what she does next, after a fast jazz take on "Summertime" last week she's the only one I look forward to. Also, she looks like Boy George. Which is to say: AWESOME!

Nothing Compares 2 U Crying On Camera

In the pantheon of emotional trickery in music videos, nothing beats a camera closeup that captures the tear streaked face of a (usually young, pretty) woman. Let's take a look...

Of course, the granddaddy of all close up cry shots is Sinéad O'Connor's MTV Video of the Year winning clip for "Nothing Compares 2 U" The shot is so powerful, you forget the rest of the video exists.


Kelly Clarkson's video for "Because Of You" has more plot than the others, but the shots of a blond Clarkson singing into the mirror are more interesting than the "TV movie of the week" action scenes with the little girl. She acts quite well in some of them, but just before the bridge we see the emotion welling up and she cries real tears with that ugly scrunched up cry face that Amber Tamblyn does so well.


Meanwhile, Duffy uses the crying game to distract for the sleepiness of her single "Warwick Avenue." It's a very pretty cry, her mascara running like a drag queen doing a dramatic lipsync. I don't mean to make fun, but it's a little obvious that it's meant to tug at heartstrings. Watch here.

Janelle Monáe does an almost direct homage to Sinead's weepies on "Cold War" - down to the way the shot is framed for much of the video making her seem bald. But when she has her first well of emotion, she goes nuts with a head tremble that turns into the shakes. It's another minute before the real, glistening tear rolls out and streaks her youthful cheeks. Girl knows how to do it!

Why Is Justin Bieber The Most Bullied Teen In The World?

I'm not going to even pretend that I am a Bielieber. I don't have Bieber Fever, but I do respect that he does know how to play drums and other instruments. His songs are catchy, and his voice is a little high pitched but so was Micheal Jackson's as his age.

I am as guilty as the next guy at poking fun at the pint sized pop star. But I started noticing a disturbing trend on my Facebook feed. There is a meme of starting pages to "like" on the social network with names like: "God, take Justin Bieber and give us back _____" The blank can filled with any number of dead rock stars, from MJ to Elvis to Kurt Cobain to Dimebag Darrell to 2Pac to Biggie to The Rev. While I'm sure fans of these people would love to have them back, to see them performing and recording again, I don't see this as a tribute to a beloved icon as much as an attack on a teenage boy.

Yes, Justin is cocky sometimes and his music is as overplayed as any other hit on the radio. But why do so many people, even in jest, wish him dead?

And the hate is everywhere. After a concert goer threw a water bottle at him, a video of the event went viral - getting reposted and remixed over and over. Tee shirts with hateful slogans are available all over the Internet. His sexuality is frequently questioned. After Justin appeared on tv show CSI for the second time, the video of him being shot by cops also went viral, being viewed 17 million times.

Do people genuinely hate Justin Bieber, or this just the normal backlash against a popular musician?

It comes down, in part at least, to misogyny, male posturing and hetero-sexism. Girls like him and have basically created his fame, so therefore he is threat to the male-dominated music industry. He looks girly sometimes, wearing purple and a unisex hairstyle, so he must be gay and therefore bad. He doesn't follow "male" norms - treating girls badly and just looking for poon. He must be gay and therefore bad. And if girls like him, he can't be any good? Noticed no one is making "God, you can take Justin Bieber, just give us back Janis Joplin [or Left-Eye Lopes]"

Justin seems to take it all in stride: after the jokes about his "lesbian" haircut led to website dedicated to lesbians that look like him, he told Chelsea Handler that he thought it was funny. He appeared on the cover of Love magazine's Androgyny issue with the title "Justin Bieber - The Beautiful One" under his striking eyes and full lips - clearly the boy is not ashamed of being androgynous.

Which is partially why preteen girls love him. He doesn't seem threatening or fully sexualized, he's just sweet and cute and not so different from her girl friends, only a boy.

I don't have the answers, but I do know that in a world where bullying is increasing and hate is too easy to find we really shouldn't be dissing someone that just makes girls smile. Viva la Bieber!

Sermon Rewind: "Shine A Light"

A sermon from Febuary, in text form.

We have our rituals. Our morning routines, designed to get ourselves ready for the day in a timely manner. For me, a work day ritual involves hitting snooze only twice, gathering my clothing and heading straight to the bathroom for the same cleansing routine every morning. If I feel lazy or have an extra stop on my way to work I know I can skip shaving for one day. I know how much time I can spend checking Facebook, and which route to take to work. I have it down pat, even if I am barely awake I can get myself together.

When I get to work, I know my routine there. One day a few weeks ago my battery died and I had to wait for my sister to come jump it. I was 25 minutes late, I arrived only 5 minutes before I had to open the store. I knew my routine well enough to streamline it in my head on my drive, what tasks were urgent and what I could put off until after I opened the doors. I clocked in while archiving sales, I hit the lights as I flew past them. I was a model of efficiency that morning. I had the store open by 9 AM.

Years of almost mindless repetition had made each task part of my body, I didn’t have the think at all - which made opening the store easy. But when have I made my spiritual life a routine? Do I go through the motions so often that I don’t even think about what I’m doing or who I’m doing it for?

In Isaiah’s time, the people of Israel had created a routine. They knew when they sinned, they just had to fast and pray and BAM! Forgiven, God’s favor shines, all is well. They didn’t want to think about what God wanted from them. Just skip a day of food, maybe throw on some sackcloth and itch a little. It’s cool.

Nearly every major religion makes use of fasting to some extent, In Catholicism, there are fasts on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and the practice of giving up meat during Lent. Many Protestant denominations have similar Lenten fasts. In Islam, the month of Ramadan is spent abstaining from food, drink and sex during daylight hours. And the Jewish faith have seven full days of fasting, including Yom Kippur.

The passage from Isaiah this morning appears to be referring to Yom Kippur, The Day Of Atonement. On the Day of Atonement, besides abstaining from eating and drinking, there is no bathing, no using perfumes or lotions, no wearing leather shoes and no marital relations. It also included animal sacrifices.

Fasting is a way to sacrifice, to give up something we need as a reminder of God’s sacrifices. As a way to remove a barrier to spiritual communion with God. A tool to teach us patience and self control. But it can also become a routine, just another ritual to go through to get what we want from God.

And that is what the people of Isaiah’s time were doing. Instead of treating each other with respect, treating their employees well, giving to the poor and hungry they just went through the motions, continuing on with their rituals.

But God was not looking for routines and rituals. God says:

“Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loosen the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh? Then your light will break forth like the dawn…”

God is looking for us to give up our selfishness and our greed. God is not satisfied by rote repetition of spiritual practices. God is pleased when we fast and pray, when we bow before our Maker. But not when it becomes a replacement to following God’s commands.

We are called to be God’s light into the dark places of the world. We are called to stop injustice when we see it. We are called to share our food with the hungry. We are called to provide the wanderer with shelter.

We can’t hide inside church walls, behind the liturgy and tradition when there is a world that needs our light.

In Matthew, Jesus tells us we are the salt of the world. In ancient times, salt was highly valuable. The Greeks called it divine. It was a common food preservative, it keeps food from spoiling. It also increases the flavor of food.

What does it mean to be the salt of the earth? It means that we are here to preserve it. To keep the world, and the people of it, whole, healthy, unspoiled. And like the flavor of meat and vegetables are enhanced and brightened by salt, Jesus has tasked us with adding flavor and meaning to this world. To be the one to show the deeper layers of life. To say, there is more than just what is going on in my own little head. Saltiness is one of the 5 flavors our taste buds can detect, and salt distracts from bitter edges of some flavors making them seem sweeter. That is one of our roles as the salt of the earth. To bring sweetness, goodness and joy to the forefront.

Jesus also tells us that we are the light of the world. Just like a city on a hill cannot be hidden, people do not put a light under a bushel. Now, most of us probably think of a candle tucked under a bushel basket when we hear this passage, but the kind of bushel used in Jesus day was an earthenware bowl. So instead of merely hiding a light, the lamp would be snuffed out by the lack of air.

If we are to be the light of the world, we cannot hide ourselves until we lose our light, we must shine proudly. We must “Shine our light before all, that they may see our good works and glorify our Parent in heaven.”

We cannot hide within these walls. If we are to be light shining in the dark places of this world, we cannot stay contained within our church. We cannot circle the wagons, creating a smaller society of Christ followers that have no impact on the outside world.

Since I was a small child, I have seen churches and their members attempt to isolate themselves. To make a separate community, one where Christians and non-Christians do not mix. There are Christian banks, Christian business groups, attempts made to create Christian only housing developments. There is nothing wrong with wanting to interact with other Christians, but our intent must never be to hide.

God has given us a light to shine, but if we hide it away we will smother it. It is no use to us if we do not shine, to go into the world and show God’s love, compassion and mercy to the world.

We must do our part. Feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, caring for the outcasts of society. We are not put on this earth to rubber stamp approval onto the status quo, to turn a blind eye the atrocities humans inflict on each other. We are to be rebels, revolutionize the world leaving it better than we found. Brighter. Saltier.

For too long the church has cast off its role, leaving governments and businesses to care for the ailing and the destitute. We don’t like what we see, the homelessness and hungry in so much need. But so often we have expected someone else to take care of it.

How is that being salt and light? How are we shining a light into a dark place? This world is filled with darkness, children taken as soldiers in Africa or sold as sexual objects in Asia. Whole families going to bed hungry in the US and around the world. People dying of Malaria in Africa. As long is there is social injustice, inhumane practices and hate, anger and fear in this world, we must shine a light.

We have each been given a skill set, are we using those skills to leave this world a better place? Are we enhancing the world around us?

There is nothing wrong with fasting. With prayers and ceremonies, traditions and rituals. These are ways to draw close to God, to absorb the spiritual energy that God provides. There is nothing wrong with Christian fellowship. These things are good and wholesome. They are designed to fuel our fire, not to be the be all and end all of our existence. If we think that is the extent of our spiritual journey, that is where it goes wrong.

In James chapter 2, the Apostle says this: “What good is it if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them “Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed” but does nothing about the physical needs, what good is it?”

First off, if someone says “Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed” with the knowledge that this person doesn’t have the means to do so, that person is kind of a jerk. Jerk stands in for a lot of other words that I couldn’t use this morning.

But, furthermore, that person is doing the very thing Isaiah was prophesying about some 700 years before. It seems that people never change. We go through the motions of following God, but don’t always want to do the work.

Notice what is says above the door way as you walk out of this sanctuary. “What does the Lord require of you? To do Justice. And to love Mercy. And to walk Humbly with our God.”

That is the light we have to share with the world. Justice. Mercy. Humility.

We want the rewards, like God owes us something. We want God to forgive us, so we can go do the same thing again. We have to change, we have to become salt and light and impact our community and that is not easy. There is so much darkness in the world, where can you shine your light?

Girls Like Us: Kelly Clarkson, P!nk & the Max Martin Factor (Pt 2)

Yesterday I introduced two artists that have to potential to be Girls Like Us. Here is the rest of the story:

After Kelly's massive success with Max Martin/Dr Luke penned singles "Since U Been Gone" and "Behind These Hazel Eyes" Pink was the next female star to hook up with the hit making duo. Her next disc, 2006's I'm Not Dead opened with the single "Stupid Girls" - a scathing indictment of fame-chasing celebutants. While the song was controversial, with a video clearly lampooning Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and the Olsen twins, it didn't translate into the massive hit. Releasing the song was the start of her very public political side. Lyrics like "What happened to the dream of a girl president/she's dancing in the video next to 50 Cent" are hard hitting and bold.

She followed that single with a slow rising track "Who Knew" - a powerful ballad co-written with Martin and Luke. Exploring the themes of a lover who leaves after promising to never go was more universal than the bratty woman-child of her previous albums. The song never fully explains the reason for leaving, the video suggests drug use caused a rift but it could be interpreted as a lover dying. "If someone said three years from now/you'd be long gone/I'd stand up and punch that mouth/'cuz they're all wrong/I know better/'cuz you said forever/who knew" is a powerful lyric that resonates with so many.

She also showcased her political side with a protest song "Dear Mr. President" - an open letter to an already vastly unpopular president. She takes him to task on his views on gay rights and a lack of compassion for the poor.

While Pink was racking up hit singles with Max Martin's catchy pop formula's, Kelly Clarkson was riding high on her ASCAP win for Songwriter Of The Year. Ignore her label head, legend Clive Davis, she wanted to co-write all the songs for her next album. The result was 2007's commercial flop My December.

The difference between between her hits with Martin and Luke songwriting team and her own compositions was minimal at first glance. Her songs were angry pop/rock in some places, while others were slow burning ballads. The whole album was a unified artistic statement, a story of a young woman burned yet again by love. From the sweeping sadness of "Sober" - "three months and I'm still breathing/been a long road since those hands I left my tears in" to the bitter ex of "Never Again" - "I hope the ring you gave her turns her finger green/I would never wish bad things but I don't wish you well" to the most heartbreaking moment of her career.

"Irvine" was written while burnt out and exhausted, after trying to remove people from her life that were bringing her down. It's a prayer born out of pain, it's almost suicidal. Yes, American Idol's original sweetheart asks God "Can you feel how cold I am? Do you cry like I do? Are you lonely up there by yourself? Like I have felt all my life?" and "Are you there watching me/As I lie here on this floor? Do you cry with me/cry with me tonight?" It's heart breaking and beautiful.

While the album failed to create the singles and sales that Breakaway did, it's vastly more personal. Both Kelly and Pink have continued to work with Max Martin and Dr Luke (as have other hit making chicas like Avril Lavigne, The Veronicas and Katy Perry) and they have created some major hits. But the difference between those hits and the hits of Carole King or Joni Mitchell is that they aren't always their own words, their own stories. In the pop world it is hard to sell your own voice, but it's how you make that connection.

Post Script: Kelly Clarkson worked with a new songwriting giant Ryan Tedder on a track for her All I Ever Wanted called "Already Gone" It is great example of how a singer/songwriter can be paired with a songwriting producer and create a masterpiece. If only Tedder hadn't used a similar track for a Beyonce single a few months later. Lyrically, Kelly explores the pain of breaking up with someone who loves you but you know you are not able to love back in the right way. It's something that I know about, and something people I know have really related to.

Pink released her Greatest Hits... So Far!! with new singles written with Max Martin and his newest collaborator Shellback. Both "Raise Your Glass" and "Fuckin' Perfect" shows the political Pink, finding her siding once again with the underdogs and bullied of the world. Collaboration can create fine music.

These are the songs that make Kelly and Pink Girls Like Us:

"Irvine" (from Kelly's My December)


"Who Knew" (from Pink's I'm Not Dead)


"Already Gone" (from Kelly's All I Ever Wanted)


"Fuckin' Perfect" [uncensored version] (from Pink's Greatest Hits... So Far!!)

Pink - Fuckin Perfect - Official Music Video found on Pop

Girls Like Us: Kelly Clarkson, P!nk & the Max Martin Factor (Pt 1)

In many ways, I've felt like Kelly Clarkson sings my life. Just like Taylor Swift yesterday, Kelly Clarkson has sung so many songs that tell my story and tell the story of so many young women and men. That could make her one of the Girls Like Us. I also would posit that Pink could make the same claim.

Kelly made a splashy entrance into the pop world with her win on the inaugural season of rating juggernaut American Idol in 2002. Her debut album was the usual pop fare, with 16 producer credits and 26 writers (including Clarkson herself on 4 tracks.) It produced a couple of decent singles, including the smash "Miss Independent" which was originally written with Christina Aguilera in mind. While the result was pleasant pop/rock music with r&b undertones the only saving grace was Kelly amazing voice.

In a similar vein Pink released her debut album Can't Take Me Home in 2000. Like Kelly's debut, the album had a strong theme but didn't seem connected to the artist in any way. With 8 producers and one song alone boasting 9 writers, it was a standard pop release with very little artistic aim. One way Pink did put her stamp on it was with her brash attitude, which would remain a recurring theme on her later releases.

In 2001 Pink released her sophomore disc M!ssundaztood. This time the young pop star took more control, contacting Linda Perry of 4 Non-Blondes out of the blue to ask her to produce some songs. The album had a blend of pop, rock and r&b influences but seemed to be the work of one artist. Pink's attitude bloomed fully, with angry tracks like "Don't Let Me Get Me" and "Just Like A Pill" showing a self-destructive side that would resonate with an increasingly angry young America. Pink also showed the vulnerable side that would underscore the basis for such anger, with the tender ballad "Family Portrait" about the aftermath of her parent's divorce.

Pink would go all the way around the bend to rock on the lead single for her third commercially disastrous album Try This. "Trouble" has the singer in full bad-ass mode, but it's somewhat noticeable that her heart wasn't in it. Follow up single "God Is A DJ" is more fun, but the personal side of Pink wasn't carried over from the prior release.

Meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson headed to Sweden to record a song written for her by pop masterminds Max Martin and Dr. Luke. Kelly had hoped to expand her songwriting skills on her sophomore album, but "Since U Been Gone" was non-negotiable. Despite the fact she didn't write the song, it will forever be her defining hit. She sings the angry rock song like she means it, which puts her in a league of master song-interpreters.

She did get to put her songwriting skills to the test for Breakaway, though. She co-wrote the single "Behind These Hazel Eyes" with Martin and Luke, resulting in a blistering attack song that shows the fury of a woman scorned. She slowed it down for the most personal song of her career, "Because Of You" The ballad relays the pain that resulted from her parents divorce and her strained relationship with her mother when she was 16. It's one of the songs that resonates most with me, and I would imagine with anyone who has felt leaned on too much by a parent.

"Because Of You" would net Clarkson an ASCAP award for songwriter of the year and would be remade by Clarkson and country legend Reba as a duet.

Pink's star rises again, Kelly's falters: tomorrow in Part 2.

These are the songs that make Pink and Kelly Girls Like Us:
"Family Portrait" (from Pink's M!ssundaztood)


"Don't Let Me Get Me" (from Pink's M!ssundaztood)


"Because Of You" (from Kelly's Breakaway)


"Behind These Hazel Eyes" (from Kelly's Breakaway)

Girls Like Us: Taylor Swift

Anyone who knows me knew that Taylor Swift was going to be one my modern day Girls Like Us. Despite being just 21, Taylor has been telling the stories of every young woman's life.

Bursting onto the country scene in 2006 with an debut album co-written by Swift with Lisa Rose. The album featured plenty of songs about young loves won and lost. Her first single, despite being named after country superstar Tim McGraw, is a universal tale of music transporting people back to place of romance.

But it was the follow up single, "Teardrops On My Guitar" that really took her onto the mainstream radar. A tragic tale of unrequited love, "Teardrops" tells the story of Taylor's crush on Drew. What could have been sappy and immature was instead, once again, universal and heart wrenching. Even as a 24-year-old man I knew exactly what she was talking about. "He says he's so in love, he's finally got it right. I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night." Who among us hasn't felt the sting of nonreciprocated emotion and knows that place Taylor is coming from.

Of Sheila Weller's Girls Like Us, Taylor reminds me most of Carly Simon. Not just because she has dated a series of Hollywood hotties like Taylor Lautner, Jake Gyllenhal and Joe Jonas, but because she's not afraid to use her back story to create art. When her heart is broken, she writes angry songs like "Should've Said No" and "Forever And Always" or sad ones like "You're Not Sorry." When she's in love, beautiful emotion rolls off songs like "Love Story" and "Our Song." When she's secretly crushing, songs like "Teardrops" or "You Belong With Me" she speaks the same language as the rest of us - hurt, disbelief, hope and fear.

But even though she is so young, songs like "Back To December" show a mature woman realizing the mistakes she's made in a relationship, "White Horse" has her rejecting old stirrings brought on by a careless ex-lover in a startling grownup way and "Fifteen" finds Taylor counseling a young person to anticipate that things are not always what they seem in your youth - "in your life you'll do greater things than dating the boy on the football team, I didn't know it at fifteen."

I've said it before somewhat facetiously, but I actually mean it. Taylor Swift sings our lives. Like Loretta Lynn or Dolly Parton before, Taylor embodies what country music can do greatly - tell true stories about real life that we all know.

These are the songs of a Girl Like Us:
"White Horse" (from Fearless)


"Teardrops On My Guitar" (from Taylor Swift)


"Back To December" (from Speak Now)