Wordless Wednesday : The Fox by Ylvis

Another epidemic?

Surprisingly, 

it's quite catchy 

and the music is good.

Makes me want to dance!

Therapeutic Tuesday : More To Life by Stacie Orrico

We all go about every day in our life in a fixed motion and pace. It all depend on yourself how to create the illusion of time to pass by; slowly or quickly. But for some people, they go about their life like zombies. Going through the same motion every day, consenting their life to be as mundane as they perceive it to be.

WE LOVE ASIA 2.0 @ SEPANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT

*THUMPA THUMPA*

Well, if I had known better, I would have really dragged my friends to this concert because it was AMAZING! Seriously. What I needed after all these time was an escapade. And this concert couldn't have come at a better time. I am so fucking grateful that I received two weekend pass for this concert (for free of course!), courtesy from Nuffnang. Honestly, thank you very much to Nuffnang and Mr. Darren Low for emailing to all the winners about our weekend passes.

Therapeutic Tuesday : Brave by Sara Bareilles

I've realized we haven't have any of these Tuesday post for a while now, what with all the screenings and all (again, thank you Nuffnang so much for the premiere screening tix!) and I had to make room for the reviews the day after the screening so that people could get some reviews on the movie before they actually went for the movie itself. And that is why I had to postpone these Tuesday post for quite some time already.

But let's catch up on our feel good song moment. Sometimes in life, be it professional or personal, there are just those moments that you wish it you could speak up your mind, be bold, and courageous enough to act upon your instinct. However, fear and shame always got the best of us, and we cower in our pants, too afraid to face the possible outcome and risk humiliation.

Lana Del Rey

Elizabeth Woolridge Grant or more recognized by her stage name, Lana Del Rey is a sexy vixen with the most enchanting voice that you might ever hear in your lifetime. Soft and husky, strong and mellow, all at the same time. And her songs are just simply amazing. I've started listening to her song after the exposure of her song titled 'Young And Beautiful' from the film 'The Great Gatsby'.

Therapeutic Tuesday : Heaven by DJ Sammy & Yanou featuring Do

Nothing else beats the great music back in those days. Not saying that the new generations songs' sucks, but there's a certain reason why the oldies and classic have much better values and meaning in their songs, and lasts longer. Even as decades goes by, these songs stand (stand?) strong and inspirational through time.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Israel 'IZ' Kamakawiwo'ole

Continuing the spirit from last week, we stop by the motion of our life's wave of destiny, stand still, open your arms wide, close your eyes, and feel your life passes by. Visualize the journey seeking for that something; be it a possession of love or affection from insignificant others, fulfillment of achievement in your life, or that destination at the end of the track, in you heart. Somewhere far, yet still reachable.

But every journey and destination has its hurdles and obstacles. Fret not of these blunders and misfortune but take a deep breath and keep going on. Because we all know, something good, something better, something wonderful is waiting for us at the other side. Take that leap of faith, believe in the possibilities that you dreamed of, and hope that you are moving closer and closer each day to that place just over the rainbow.

'Somewhere over the Rainbow' encourages us to adopt the optimist point of view and grasp the fact that there is something great, waiting in the distance. It is a journey in search for something good. It helps us believe in a place, where you will soon be happy. Whether literal of figurative, it all dependent on your own self. This song teaches us to follow our dreams and that nothing is impossible if you dream big.

Originally titled as 'Over the Rainbow' this beautiful ballad was written by E.Y. Harburg, musically composed by Harold Arlen, and originally performed by Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale for the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. Though this song is adapted so many time by various artistes, such as Eva Cassidy, Danielle Hope, Kylie Minogue and few others, this song retained its glory as Judy's signature song. In our hearts of hearts, this song embodies of what a great entertainer she was.

One particular version, sung by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole version, however stands out from the rest of the covers as his beautiful ukulele medley of this song and 'What a Wonderful World'. With the release of his album titled 'Facing Future', his single of this song topped and rise to many different charts and billboards, gaining popularity by melting a lot of the fan's hearts and moving them to tears. Though many disputes between Judy and Iz as the better performer for this song, they would all agree that both of these great performers are have their own beautiful presentation for the song and that they are happy, somewhere over the rainbow.

"Someday, I wish upon a star

Wake up where the clouds are far behind me

Where trouble melts like lemon drops

High above the chimney top

That's where'll you find me

Somewhere, over the rainbow

Bluebirds fly

And the dreams that you dare to

Oh why, oh why can't I?"

.::Rest In Peace::.

Judy Garland & Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Therapeutic Tuesday : Pure Shores by All Saints

In this hectic, fast paced world that revolves around speed and getting things done fast, have you ever stop for a while, and look at where you've been now? Yes, the world still spins around even as you stop, the world isn't centered around your own self, but it's really something to pause that moment in your life, evaluate what you have, what you're moving towards, and are you really happy the way you are now?

Every one yearns for something; money, fame, possession, love, equality, whatever it is that people want in this world. But getting what we want is never easy. They always says, "those that comes easily, goes away easily too". So, it's perfectly okay to reevaluate your journey so far when you take that immediate pause, and think about what you have been doing so far. Have you reached your destination? Have you claimed what is yours? Have you run far enough?

Take it into your reins, push away any obstacle, tear away the fear, take every risk, all for the sake of something that you want in your life. Be it someone who you love, a dream house you long to live in, a job you've been itching to have, or the life you've been wanting to recreate. Only hard work and strong spiritual/intellectual/physical motivation can bring you closer to what you want, not blindly going through the motion without direction or purpose.

Written by a member of the All Saints, Shaznay Lewis, and produced by William Orbit, Pure Shores is a dream pop song with elements of electronica and ambient music. On the surface interpretation, the song speaks about searching for a place for them to 'relax' and call their own. Maintaining for two weeks on top as number one on the UK Singles Chart, this song was critically praised for being a 'relaxing' song. Listen to this song as you sway by the electronic pop music bring you to a transient state of calm.

"Take me somewhere I can breathe,

I've got so much to see.

This is where I want to be,

In a place I can call mine."

- Shaznay Lewis

Therapeutic Tuesday : Sky High by Thomas Prime

Every one of us needed an escape. A world of endless possibilities, unlimited imagination, and infinite freedom. By channeling our stress and tension away into these escapades, we are able to flow with the melody, sway with the rhythm, and let go. Every one have their own way of escaping out of their distraught and fatigue. While some chooses to indulge in eating away their troubles, exhaling nicotine through their lungs, or going to spa for a lil bit of an R&R, I prefer the more pragmatic and salutary way of an escapade; music.

Our nerve system, react to music quite well. I don't know about scientifically proven or not (I'm a lil bit lazy to do research right now), but I am pretty sure all of you have experienced this moment before. That moment when the beat of the drums, the zing of the cymbal, the pluck of the guitar, the ping of the piano, the twinge of the violin, and the beautiful melodies created by instruments drowning away the 'screams' and 'shriek' of stress' astriction.

Don't find those heavy metal songs or those cheeky pop songs, those are good to cheer you up, but instrumental music are much of a better option to assuage the tension and stress you develop over times. Plug in your earphones, find some instrumental music (jazz, blues, keys, whatever your preferences are), close your eyes, and listen to the music as they take you away. As you all know, Yasunori Mitsuda is the one responsible for creating the hauntingly beautiful soundtracks for the game Chrono Cross. And the song for today was originally composed by Yasunori himself, titled Dreams of the Shore Near Another World.

Although the original title of the song is called Dreams of the Shore Near Another World, Thomas Prime, edited the soundtrack into a remix of the song, giving it a new name, Sky High. Hailing from London, England, Thomas Prime is a producer responsible for coming up with these powerful compilation of instrumental wonders, such as The Instrumental LP, Vol.2. He's known for his amazing work in Trip-Hop music (a fusion of hip-hop and electronica with the influences of soul, funk, and jazz). Check out more of his work here, give it a whirl, and hopefully his music can let you drift away and forget all the troubles you have been hurdling before.

Mr. Prime is the epitome of trip-hop; The Instrumental LP, Vol. 2 delves into a robust world of symphonic notes, other-worldly melodies and well-structured pieces to create a set of instrumentals for any fan of instrumental music, hip hop or not. - Source cited from here.

Chrono Cross - Radical Dreamers

Those who live gloriously in the 90s during their childhood would recognise how awesome this game is. The game is awesome, with chronologically twisted plot to boot, and insanely haunting soundtrack which will leave you with a big nostalgic gaping hole of your childhood. Exaggerating? I might be, but that's the truth. Just ask any of those gamers that appreciated the time spent on this game.

One of the particular song from that game which is called 'Radical Dreamers', have the most beautifully-written lyrics on it align with the serene melody composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, and sung by Noriko Mitose. Hauntingly beautiful to the ears of man, this song have been recognised well enough to the media's attention.

Anyhow, a lot of cover have been made as a tribute to this song and one particular youtuber did an English version with a slight difference in the lyrics of the song. I'm not sure whether he wrote the lyrics or it was from another source, but the lyrics fits perfectly into the song and the meaning was still there, albeit a little different. Seeing as how the original translation of the song lyrics (which was in Japanese) into English lyrics doesn't cope with the lengthy pull of Japanese katakana.

So, we had this crazy idea of trying to do a cover of the song, with the alternate English version lyrics of course. Well, it started out as a random thing, trying to sing along with the English lyrics, and somehow we had this silly idea of singing it. We recorded our singing and I edited it into a video which I uploaded in youtube. All I can say is, for some parts of the song, it was a-okay and not too shabby, but some parts are just so dreadful because of our lack of vocal skills such as pitching and breathing technique. It sounded more like those horny or angry cats in the alley, wailing, only to be shooed away by people by splashing cold water to them. Hahahaha.

Therapeutic Tuesday : Goodbye by Spice Girls

When someone have to leave, a 'goodbye' is the perfect word to capture it all. A 'goodbye' can mean a lot of things. A salutation to parting, a gesture to bid your leave, and a motion to signal the end of a moment. Goodbye, can be both good and bad, depending on the situation. But like a famous saying, 'if you love someone, you need to let them go,' it is a mature thing to do to let someone leave, or go, than stringing them along.

But that phrase more belongs to a lover's perspective. In the world of friendship, saying 'goodbye' to a friend is different. It is a different thing than the phrase 'see you later' or 'see you tomorrow'. When you know it's time to let go of a friend, it can be one of the sad moments in your life. But I shall quote another saying, 'friends come and go'. Although it may seemed cruel, do not take it to heart what it meant. Yes, friends come and go, but in our hearts, we shall keep them. Treasure them. Waiting for that one day, where we will soon be reunited.

Recently, we had to say goodbye to our dear Black Swan. I think I have been mentioning her for quite some time already but last Sunday (30th June), was the actual date when we finally said our goodbyes at the KLIA when she finally took flight to the Kangaroo Land. We wish all the best to her future endeavours. So, in the spirit of friendship, and departure, I would like to commemorate this song to all of you, who had to say 'goodbye' to your friends. Those who left you, those who had to leave, those who have forgotten about you, and those who no longer ceased to exist.

Written by Richard Stannard and Matt Rowe along with the four remaining Spice Girls (after Geri Halliwell's departure from the group), this song was about moving on and saying goodbye to the old Spice Girls. Although many fans assumed that this song symbolized the disbanding of the Spice Girls, and after being  assured that it was special tribute to Geri, the fans were right after all. In the spring of 2001, the Spice Girls disbanded to pursue their solo careers. Though it may have seemed that it was such a long time ago, in many of the group's fans' hearts, we all treasure they as they are. And that is why, even after their 'goodbye', Spice Girls, undoubtedly still lives in the hearts of their fan.

"Goodbye, my friend

(I know you're gone, you said you're gone)

(But I can still feel you here)

It's not the end

(Gotta keep it strong before the pain turns into fear)

So glad we made it,

time will never change it

no no no...."

-Spice Girls

Therapeutic Tuesday : A New Day Has Come by Celine Dion

Seasons change, the flowers bloom and wilt, and so does life. Every day is a new beginning and every beginning brings about change. In the events of recent development between my life and Faiz's life, we have been through some rough patches in our life; financially and personally. Recently, we were given an opportunity in life to tweak something in our life for the better.

Faiz was offered as a trainer position in his company, which help him out in a few ways that involve both financial crisis, and life-purpose sort of way. And soon, hopefully a good news will follow for him. As for myself, I've told you about my employment at the RLC. This is a new chapter to my life. One that involves personal development and character-changing paradigm.

So, for this week's Therapeutic Tuesday, a song that relish the mark of a new beginning would best befit the changes in our life. As our days go by, let not the bad things drag you back to the past, but instead embrace, A New Day.

Sang by Canadian singer, Celine Dion, A New Day Has Come was released by Sony Music Entertainment on March 22, 2002. This 'fresh' single by Dion garnered a lot of positive reviews, commenting on her exploration to a 'broader, more adventurous' range of pop music. Staying on top of the list for twenty-one weeks, this particular song which represents the birth of her child and also for those 'who has to find strength again', broke the record for most weeks at number one on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.

 

"It represent my child, because I gave life. And obviously, it also marks the  my return with a new album. But a new day has also come in the lives of other people because something bad has happened, because we've lost lives, because there's a scar on our world now." - Dion

Therapeutic Tuesday : Sugar Sugar by The Archies

Do you guys know how much a glorious age it is in 70s. They are known for its famous bubblegum pop music genre. The music is easy, fun and totally groovy. The lyrics aren't bullshit like most modern songs nowadays. And they emphasis on the message of optimism in their songs. Knowing how to have fun and lead a life with happiness. Besides, who would like to advertise misery?

Although I do understand the beauty of break-up and heartbreak songs, it sometimes make us more sad than we already are. It makes us think of all the bad things that had happened and revivifying the sadness and painful memories. So, let's take a break from all the emo songs and snap your fingers and move to the groove of the good old 70s.

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I think it'd pretty damn fucking stupid that people won't recognise this song. For those who've seen the cartoon itself, we were entertained by the witty and funny drama in it. This sugary bubblegum pop song was produced by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim, performed by The Archies, a band formed by a group of fictional teenagers in the television cartoon series itself, The Archie Show. This particular hit song made it stomp on the musical history by being the number one single of the year in 1969 and becoming one of the biggest hit of the bubblegum pop genre.

"Sugar, ah honey, honey,

You are my candy girl

And you got me wanting you

Honey, ah sugar, sugar

You are my candy girl

An you got me wanting you..."

Therapeutic Tuesday : Bada-Ya Dancing In September

Okay, let's hype up and relieve all the stress of work piling on your desk (if you're working) or chores that needed to be done, or homework that is making you scratch your head like a primate. Our selection for this week's song (chosen by Faiz, of course) is one of the all time favorite feel good music by Earth, Wind &  Fire, September.

The song was written by Allee Willis with the help of Maurice White and Al McKay from Earth Wind & Fire. Allee describes it as 'joyful music'. Maurice also said that he got the idea of the song from an unlikely place. Read more about the origin of this musical wonder here.

So, get your flare pants and bell bottoms from those closet gathering dust and sporting cobwebs accessories, dust them all off, and dance away your stress with this groovy "Bada-ya" song. It's time to relive the 70s with the far-out beats and jolly good lyrics of September.

"Ba da ya, say do you remember

Ba da ya, dancing in September

Ba da ya, never was a cloudy day

Ba duda, ba duda, ba duda, badu

Ba duda, bad, ba duda, ba du

Ba duda, badu, ba duda..."

- Maurice White

Therapeutic Tuesday : A new Tradition

My roommate which is also my best friend came up with the idea of this idea where I should post a song on a selected day, every week. Much like our famous Wordless Wednesday trend in our bloggersphere, we came up with Therapeutic Tuesday to cope with the aftermath of Monday blues which leaves much of the human souls in discontent. 

The sole purpose of this day is to help the people out there to embrace the pain and overcome with grace. Rise from the ashes, like the great phoenix. The songs selected will mostly be a mix of either R&B, Ballads, Pop, of Classical beauties that help us to turn the tables of our emotional roller coaster. Be it joy, warmth, sense of security, or self-worth, we hope that you could achieve it by listening to the music pierces your soul, and engross you with it's beautifully heart-wrenching lyrics.

And so we started the official debut of this new tradition with one of the classics.

Written by R. Kelly, this R&B wonder hold the records for the first song in the 37 year-long history in Billboard Hot 100 to debut at number one. Lovely and supple, the song produced by both R. Kelly and Micheal Jackson received a rainbows of comments ranging from the good to the bad.

"You are not alone

I am here with you

Though you're far away

I am here to stay

You are not alone

I am here with you

Though we're far apart

You're always in my heart."

- R. Kelly