The Voice

Song of the Week: “Stay With Me”

By Courtney Thomas
February 10, 2015

“Stay with Me” by Sam Smith won Song of the Year at the 2015 Grammy Awards, and Smith also won the Best New Artist. The song was released on April 14, as a single from the album “In the Lonely Hour.” The music video is very cliche, starting with Smith walking down an empty street and lip syncing terribly. While the music video is cliche and horribly done, the song itself is catchy and still playing all over the radios across the world. The song peaked at number one on 14 different charts and has had over 200 million views. Check out the music video below.

Song of the Week: “I Lived”

By Courtney Thomas
February 3, 2015

The music video for the song “I Lived” by One Republic was released Sept. 25, 2014. It features 15-year-old Bryan Warnecke, a super fan, who suffers from cystic fibrosis and him talking about how he just wants to live his life because his life expectancy is only 36 years old. The music video is home movies of Warnecke’s life and everything he has done in order to live his life to the fullest. “I Lived” was released on the album “Native” and was the sixth single from the album. One Republic dedicated the video to Warnecke and the many people around the world suffering with cystic fibrosis. Ryan Tedder, the lead singer, wrote this song for his 4-year-old son, Copeland.

Song of the Week: Cigarette Daydreams

By Courtney Thomas
January 26, 2015

The song “Cigarette Daydreams,” recorded by Cage the Elephant, was released as a single Aug. 26, 2014. The song to me is about a daydream that the singer has while smoking a cigarette, about someone he lost. In the music video, he is recalling all of the memories he has of her. The music video is a mix between black and white and color, which I think makes the song even more beautiful. “Cigarette Daydreams” just makes me think of all the happy moments in life and all of the tragic ones. It reminds me that while you do not have all of the answers right now, sometimes you do not need them to be happy and that is one of the greatest messages I have ever gotten out of a song.

Fall Out Boy album review : American Beauty/American Psycho

By Courtney Thomas
January 25, 2015

all Out Boy’s newest album, “American Beauty/American Psycho” was released Jan. 16. “Centuries” was the first single released from the album...

Song of the Week: Hero

By Courtney Thomas
January 22, 2015

The song “Hero” by Family of the Year is a song that kind of just fell into my lap. While struggling to find a song for this week, this song came up in my YouTube feed and I watched it. I do not think I stopped smiling the whole song. I had never heard the song before, but now, I cannot stop singing it. There are two music videos for the song and it also took some time to figure out the reason for that. The first video is the official music video (the black and white one). The song itself was released in 2012 on the album “Loma Vista” and following the release of the album was the music video. Recently, the movie “Boyhood” was released and this song was basically the theme song for the video. The second music video includes clips from the movie and is in color.

Song of the Week: Thinking Out Loud

By Courtney Thomas
January 12, 2015

Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” was released Aug. 24, 2014 on his album “X”. The first time I heard this song, I pictured a couple’s first dance at their wedding. The music video, which was released in Oct., reached over 2 million views on YouTube in the first 16 hours it had been out. The music video is Sheeran and dancer, Brittany Cherry, dancing alone in a huge ballroom. The dancing itself was flawless and so well put together to go to every beat of the song. I cannot stop singing this song out loud, and I know you will do the same if you listen to the song as well.

Song of the Week: “Dominick the Donkey”

By Courtney Thomas
December 15, 2014

[S]ong “Dominick the Donkey” by Ray Allen, Sam Saltzberg and Wandra Merrell, was released in 1960. It is an Italian song about a donkey who helps Santa bring toys to all the Italian children. The song reached number 14 on Billboard's Bubbling under the Hot 100 in December of 1960. It is a hilarious song with a very catchy song that will have you whistling the tune all day long.

Song of the Week: Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24

By Courtney Thomas
December 9, 2014

The song “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24,” by Trans Siberian Orchestra was released in 1996. It is an instrumental mash-up of “Carol of the Bells” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and is the single greatest jam-out Christmas song out there. It is the rock and roll version of two very low key songs and always makes me want to head bang. The song depicts a lonely cello player in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, playing a forgotten Christmas carol. The song charted at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The song is highly popular at houses such as the one in the video.

Song of the Week: Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

By Courtney Thomas
December 1, 2014

In December of 1958, Brenda Lee, who was 13 years old at the time, released “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Over 30 people have recorded covers of her song and the song had its peak in December of 1965 when it reached number three on the Billboard’s Christmas Singles chart. This song is my favorite Christmas song and always puts me in the best of moods. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was featured in the 1990 movie, Home Alone, when Kevin blares the music, pretending there is a Christmas party at his house. Christmas is 23 short days away!

Song of The Week: “Sweater Weather”

By Courtney Thomas
November 12, 2014

The song “Sweater Weather” seems very appropriate considering the weather lately. The song was released Dec. 3, 2012, close to two years ago by indie rock band called The Neighbourhood. The song reached number one on the alternative songs chart last June and was number one for 11 non-consecutive weeks. The song reminds me of the winter because of sweaters, but at the same time, it makes me think of summer because they refer to high-waisted shorts. Sweater Weather makes me want to sit in front of the fireplace with my hot chocolate and slippers, in the middle of summer, and I love it. I think you will too.

1989 album review: Taylor Swift

By Courtney Thomas
October 29, 2014

or most people, the name Taylor Swift brings a sour taste to their mouth, but for the few 70 million of us who are die-hard fans, she is one of the few...

Song of the Week: “Unwritten”

By Courtney Thomas
October 27, 2014

“Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield had its 10 year anniversary Sept. 6 this year. I have been hearing it on the radio a lot lately and it is just a fun song. I can not help but belt it every time it comes on on the radio. “Unwritten” talks about how you are the only one who can change your life and you have got to get up and do it whether you succeed or fail. It is a song everyone can relate to in the sense that all you know is now and “the rest is still unwritten.”