In the Lonely Hour Tour feat. Sam Smith and Gavin James

Yes, Louis Tomlinson is going to be a dad and that Cara Delevingne interview actually did happen but how is any of that possibly important when I saw Sam Smith last night? Fact: it's not. I went to the In the Lonely Hour Tour and it was definitely an experience for the books. This guy can sing...but I'm sure you knew that, right? Believe me, if you were considering dropping the money on tickets to this show, it's well spent. Here's what went down...

First off I was pretty much just expecting to listen to some laid back, soulful sounds while people around me cry over past relationships. This was half true. Yes it was laid back, yes it was soulful but man was it actually one of the most rocking shows I've been to. I know that sounds weird because, hey, it's Sam Smith. Trust me. This guy knows how to party.

Starting with an incredible opening act whom I'd never even heard of, Gavin James made me want to melt into a puddle right there in my seat. His indie/alt sound was something fresh and his voice was just enough to drive you wild, reminding me a bit of Rixton frontman, Jake Roche. I'll definitely be looking into Gavin for my next music obsession.

Now for the main act...SAM.SMITH. This guy sort of came out of nowhere (at least on my radar). Sometimes I forget his Disclosure collab because "Stay With Me" put the spotlight directly on the man himself and still makes me have all the feels a year after its release. All of the classics were included in this tour including "Lay Me Down,"I'm Not the Only One," and my personal fave "Money on My Mind." There was a little bit of sultry, a little bit of sexy, and a whole lot of actual exciting fun to be had for everyone. Smith's band along with backup singers who are stars in their own rights, contributing exclusively to a mashup of Marvin Gaye's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and Amy Winehouse's "Tears Dry on Their Own," blew me away from beginning to end. They actually had a sold out stadium doing choreography. Needless to say, it was amazing.

What I really couldn't get over though was how genuinely happy this man is. The only pictures I took the entire time were actually of his reaction to the applause and praise from the crowd immediately after each number. Nowadays it's hard to pinpoint the stars who actually realize what's important - THE FANS! These are the people who got you where you are today. Without them, you would just be another starving artist looking for any opportunity to make a buck. That's what I like about Sam Smith. You can tell just by looking at him that he is the most appreciative person you'd ever be lucky enough to meet. He's doing what he loves and he knows this doesn't just happen to anyone. It's always nice to see this in someone who actually deserves it. His talent speaks for itself.

I've never seen someone so passionate about life's journey, overcoming obstacles, and learning from mistakes. The ability to turn something negative into such a positive message for people of all ages to relate to is truly an amazing feat and I applaud Sam Smith for being able to do this with such maturity  and eloquence. It's hard to believe he's only twenty-three. Bravo, Sam.

The In the Lonely Hour Tour is still going strong. Click here to check out the rest of the tour dates. I recommend this concert highly. Merch is a bit pricey but a great experience overall. Stay tuned for more concert reviews and music news. Check out a few videos below:

Sam Smith's newest Disclosure collab - "Omen"

Sam Smith - "Like I Can"

Keep up with Sam Smith!
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IN THE LONELY HOUR TOUR REVIEW ~ AS TOLD BY MADS
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Zayn Malik's Exit from One Direction and Why It Needed to Happen PLUS New Solo with Naughty Boy

It's the day no Directioner dared to think about. The day a member of One Direction decided to leave. Luckily for heartbroken Directioners everywhere, the band is continuing as a 4-piece. Let's have a round up of Zayn Malik's painful decision...

Zayn Malik and Lauren Richardson
pictured on his trip to Thailand

Last week, Zayn Malik quit the biggest boyband in the world. To the normal person this seems like a terrible decision. Right? The fame, the fortune. Who would want to give that up? Zayn's statement came weeks after he was pictured with his arm around Lauren Richardson on a trip in Thailand. This was around the same time his fiancée, Little Mix's Perrie Edwards, was pictured sans engagement ring. Zayn later made a statement to his fans saying "I'm sorry for what it looks like" while Perrie Edwards was reported saying her engagement ring was just at the cleaners. Um....? Basically all of this seemed a bit suspect to fans of the band.

It wasn't too long after that Malik announced he was stepping away from the band's world tour due to stress to spend some time with family back in the UK. If that wasn't enough, Malik soon announced his departure from the band altogether. He stated: "My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. I'd like to apologize to the fans if I've let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart." For most fans this decision came out of nowhere and immediately caused social media backfire along with an enormous amount of vines of fans crying, yelling, or just being generally confused.

One Direction's first performance as
a quartet last Wednesday in Jakarta

He was cited saying he just wants to be a "normal 22-year old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight." Unfortunately for Zayn, once in the One Direction spotlight, always in the One Direction spotlight. The band announced their respect for Zayn's decision and assured fans they would continue on as a 4-piece for the rest of their world tour as well as into the recording of their fifth album. Some fans doubt this is possible but others are holding on to any glimmer of hope that One Direction will still go on strong.

Zayn Malik and fiancée
Perrie Edwards

As for Zayn's career, this is possibly the best thing he could have done considering the situation. It isn't that surprising for someone to become burnt out. Four tours and 5 albums in 5 years along with daily media appearances are a lot for one person to handle. Zayn has always been a ridiculously talented singer but among the stress and stigma that is generally associated with One Direction, separating his name from the band might have been a big step for his career. Before this, no one apart from 1D fans even knew Malik's name. He was generally viewed as the brooding one, the bad boy, or simply "not Harry Styles."

Let's face it, apart from the views of dazed fangirls, One Direction is NOT in their prime. I would argue they were in their prime around late 2011/early 2012 even before they became part of a US preteen pop franchise. After One Direction lost the X Factor, fans waited quite a long time for their first single. It was a slow start that took off with sudden explosive momentum. I predict that the new 4-piece 1D is going to have to make some major adjustments to their musical sound. Despite some opinions, Zayn Malik was a very integral part of One Direction and his departure is going to affect them in more ways than one.

A picture of Zayn Malik and
Naughty Boy that caused
outrage among One Direction fans

If Zayn's leaving wasn't causing enough controversy, he apparently has a new solo track. A week after Malik's departure from One Direction, songwriter and producer, Naughty Boy, tweeted out a soundcloud link to Zayn's new track. This sent some fans into a fit of anger as they felt Zayn was betraying One Direction and had already gotten over the separation. Discontent was also explicitly expressed towards Naughty Boy as most thought his releasing of the song was insensitive. It even sparked a bit of a Twitter feud between Naughty Boy and Louis Tomlinson, a remaining member of One Direction. The song has been recently removed.

Zayn and Perrie were spotted today boarding a jet along with Zayn's mother and sisters. Their relationship seems to be intact even though many fans have been blaming Perrie for Zayn's decision to leave.

What do you think of all of this Zayn Malik drama? Did he make the right decision? What about that new solo track? Comment!




ZAYN MALIK'S EXIT FROM ONE DIRECTION~AS TOLD BY MADS
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Word Of Mouth Tour Review *Part One* feat. Cassio Monroe and Midnight Red

So. Finals are done. School is out. I'm free to blog, blog, blog. I was planning on writing this post last week but I was way too caught up in this show to focus on basically anything else. Last Thursday I traveled to Indianapolis to see The Wanted's Word of Mouth Tour. I haven't been to a good old-fashioned pop boyband show in a long while so it was actually a bit of a treat and completely exceeded my expectations. In fact it was so good that I'm splitting the review up into two parts. This first part will be all about the opening acts so enjoy!

MIDNIGHT RED:

Midnight Red: (clockwise from left) Colton
Rudloff, Thomas Augusto, Anthony Ladao,
Eric Secharia, Joey Diggs Jr. 

Midnight Red was my Pick of the Week way back when. Still love them. Still amazing. If you want to check out that post and learn more about who the heck Midnight Red is then click here. Now, I knew what Midnight Red was all about and I had a pretty good idea of what I could expect to see from them at the show. But let me just say this, you think you know Midnight Red…until you see them live. Sure they're crazy talented and hilarious guys through a computer screen or television but when you see them onstage or even face to face, it's surreal. It's so hard to understand how so much talent and charisma can go into one group of guys. They performed in front of tons of screaming girls and I would feel safe betting that they were having an even more fun time than the crowd. They clearly love what they do and they are so passionate and hard working. I mean, you don't get that good just by sitting around and saying you're in a band. Their vocals were some of the best I've heard and they didn't miss a beat when it came to choreography. They kept the crowd going with some of their fan favorites like "Body Talk" and "Hell Yeah." They also gave the crowd a chance to check out their impeccable vocals through performances of "Nothing Lasts Forever" as well as their covers of "Diamonds" and "Hold On, We're Going Home." I'm constantly amazed by these guys and hope to meet them again sometime soon. Midnight Red will be performing at Digifest July 7 in New York and July 14 in Toronto. Also, don't forget to check them out on Good Morning America on June 5th!

Midnight Red have recently teamed up with Sweety High to film a 5-part video series documenting their recent projects like the MTV Artist To Watch Tour and the Word of Mouth Tour. You can check out the most recent episode below:

              

Midnight Red's latest cover:

Keep up with Midnight Red!

Twitter: Midnight Red, Eric, Anthony, Colton, Thomas, Joey

Youtube

Facebook

CASSIO MONROE:

Cassio Monroe: (from left) Tripp Weir, Jeff Garrison

I'll be honest and say that I had no clue who these guys were before the show. They had a handful of dedicated fans ready to tell everyone what made this duo so amazing and I know that after seeing them perform I'm not the only one who's jumped on the Cassio Monroe train. This pop/rap duo made up of Tripp Weir and Jeff Garrison are Nashville natives signed to HitShop Records/Warner Music
Nashville. I was so impressed by the dynamic between these two. They seem at first glance to be on two completely opposite ends of the spectrum but their unique styles somehow mesh together perfectly. I don't know how it happens. I don't understand it but I love it. At first I thought Tripp's vocals were decent but something was missing. It turns out he's a pretty insane rapper. He didn't look much like a rapper but it is definitely clear to see that he was born to do just that. Paired with Jeff's indie/pop/folk (if that's a thing) sound, Cassio Monroe are a breath of fresh air. They remind me a bit of old school hip-hop meets modern feel-good singer/songwriter. Along with MKTO, Cassio Monroe might just be leading the way for a whole slew of up and coming rap/pop groups. This style of music seems to be picking up steam and I can definitely see these guys at the top of the game.

*You can vote for Cassio Monroe in Macy's iHeartRadio Rising Star Talent Search here.*

Cassio Monroe-"Under The Lights":

Check out Cassio Monroe!

Twitter: Cassio Monroe, Jeff, Tripp

Facebook

Website

Youtube

*Click here to read the second part of my Word of Mouth Tour review all about the main act: The Wanted!*

Pick of the Week--Artist You Should Know About: Room 94

So spring break is over and now it's back to the usual grind. *sigh* But the thing that has helped me get through this first week back is an AMAZING album I got recently. It's been on repeat since it came in the mail from that magical land across the pond and I thought it would only be right to feature it in this week's Pick of the Week! Check out Room 94…

Room 94 is a pop rock band made up of rockstar brothers Kieran, Sean, and Dean Lemon and their equally as amazing rockstar buddy Kit Tanton. They've been making music for a LONG time and have been on tour with the likes of Lawson and Union J. They are no stranger to crazy fans with their loyal following turning up to all of their shows and buying their debut album which was just released last week!

Room 94: (from left) Sean Lemon, Kieran Lemon,
Dean Lemon, Kit Tanton

The album, No Strings Attached, is #28 in the UK charts and my current #1 favorite. I can't wait to blast these songs when summer finally comes. The album features some of their previous hits like "Chasing The Summer," "The Morning After," and "Superstar." The band's latest single, "When I Was A Teenager," was the perfect precursor to the album. It perfectly reflects the crazy, party vibe these guys seem to have going on 24/7. The video for the single features them basically blowing their video budget on a giant house party which could not have been pulled off nearly as well without that classic Room 94 style.

The band is currently on their headlining No Strings Attached Tour across the UK and Poland *did I mention they are CRAZY popular in Poland? Random, but true*. They also held CD signings on select dates during the tour. If you weren't able to make it out to the tour or are helplessly separated by a massive body of water called the Atlantic Ocean *hmm*, the guys always keep their Youtube channel updated with tour footage, acoustics, and just random videos of Room 94 being, well, Room 94. They'll be wrapping up their tour on the second of April in Olsztyn so if you haven't gotten a chance to see them, there's still time!

There's not much I can't see these guys accomplishing. They are constantly moving up in the music world and I am so excited to see what's in store for them in the next year. Personally I'm hoping for a bit of a US break with maybe a tour…maybe? Maybe. We can all hope. No Strings Attached is available on iTunes worldwide and it is a definite must-have going into the summer months. The Room 94 guys have a unique style that ranges from pop and dance music to old school rock. There's really something for everyone on this album. Make sure to pick it up and keep these guys on your radar because I can guarantee that you will be seeing much more of them very soon.

Also make sure you check out Kieran and Dean's clothing line, Lemon Clothing! Shipping is worldwide!

Room 94's latest single "When I Was A Teenager":

Latest album signing tour update!

Keep up with everything Room 94!:
Twitter: Room 94, Kit, Dean, Kieran, Sean
Facebook
Website
Youtube
Get No Strings Attached here!


ARTIST YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT: ROOM 94~AS TOLD BY MADS
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