I was working on a different topic for this week but didn’t quite finish, I ran out of time. So, that’s what this week’s SMILE is going to be about haha (yes, I just think I’m so~~ clever ^u^). Enjoy!

Simple Plan‘s Running Out Of Time (lyrics) is up first and deals with the frustration you feel when someone else just can’t keep up – particularly when it seems like they’re “stuck in the past” even though “times are changing.” Continue reading →

I’ve been catching up on my “game” of choice (Second Life) recently, and so I decided to do this week’s SMILE on video games. Yep… my inspiration’s really grand and awe-inspiring isn’t it xD Enjoy!

First up is Eiffel 65‘s My Console (lyrics). This song is pretty simple when it comes to lyrics, but it’s got a fun beat to dance to. I remember this song coming out in my teens when video games were like “the big thing”… I feel old now haha Continue reading →

I spent most of the day out with people and am now very sleepy. So!!! This will just be a quickie music post with a few of my newest favorite songs cause I want to got to bed ^^;; Enjoy!

First up is Vixx‘s first sub-unit, here’s VIXX LR‘s Beautiful Liar (lyrics)(Korean). It’s no secret that I adore Vixx, so yeah, I adore this song too. It really is beautifully tragic just as the title implies. The MV is also amazing well done, with lots of contrasting imagery. Continue reading →

Hello everyone, this week’s SMILE is dedicated to Sophie Lancaster. Sophie was murdered in the early hours of August 11, 2007. She was killed by a group of teen boys while walking with her boyfriend in a park in Lancashire, England. The group originally attacked her boyfriend and then turned on Sophie when she attempted to protect him. Police later stated that the injuries were so severe, it was impossible to tell which of them was male and which was female. This was a random, senseless, and extremely brutal murder that the group later bragged about. Why did they do it? Because Sophie and her boyfriend were part of the goth subculture. That’s it.

Five of the group were later given various prison sentences (two got life in prison), and in 2013, Manchester Police officially made such attacks hate crimes, adding cultural (or sub-cultural) identity to the list that includes things like sexuality and race. The Sophie Lancaster Foundation was set up in her name and works to stop the prejudice that is directed towards subcultures. World Goth Day (May 22nd) strongly supports this foundation on it’s own day, but it’s also important to remember Sophie as the individual she was, not just the icon she (unfortunately) became. So, here’s to you Sophie. Continue reading →

Yay, finally caught up enough to address the SMILE topic I got a few weeks ago! The question was, “Is jazz still relevant?” Not being a big jazz person myself, I went in search of what other people have to say on the topic and came across this thread on Reddit. There are a lot of good points made there, so certainly check it out if you’re curious for talking points, but this post is for the music! Enjoy!

First up is the song that was suggested to me: Gregg Karukas‘ The Night Shift (instrumental). I found a live version of this for the video; he is just having such a good time, and the song is so smooth… it’s really hard to listen to something like this and not be relaxed. Continue reading →

Still working on catching up after my computer decided to fail me, so I’m again pulling from my saved up list of ideas for this week. For this list, I included songs that incorporated black lights into their MV filming. Why? Because I like it ^^ Enjoy!

First up is my favorite on this list, MBLAQ‘s Smokey Girl (lyrics)(Korean). This song, by the group’s own (joking) admission, is about a cheap guy using a girl’s sadness to his benefit. Despite that, I adore this song, and I especially enjoy the use of black lights in conjunction with the overall use of color in the MV. Continue reading →

Originally, I planned to do this week’s SMILE on a different topic, but I forgot I had plans this weekend, so I didn’t have as much time as I thought I did to look into things. Good thing I keep a few lists on standby! ^^ Since my friends were doing an activity today that required a lot of strength, I decided to showcase songs that are all about being stronger than the person or obstacle in your path. Enjoy!

First up is an obvious choice, Christina Aguilera‘s Fighter (lyrics). Christina has always been one of my top five favorite artists, and she continues to amaze me to this day. When I first watched this video and heard this song, everything about it was love at first sight: strong vocals, a powerful message, dark imagery… ^u^ Continue reading →

One of the important things to know about me is that I sleep a lot… like, a lot a lot. I’m what is known as a long sleeper. Physically, there is nothing wrong with me, I just need an average of 10 hours of sleep every night in the same way a “normal” person needs 8; sometimes that number can be as high as 12 hours. Since sleep is such a big part of my life, I decided to do this week’s SMILE on the subject. Enjoy!

Let’s start things off with The Waterboys‘ The Girl Who Slept for Scotland (lyrics), which was inspired by a girl who was difficult to wake up. It’s meant as a lighthearted jab, “If there was an Olympic event for sleeping…”, but as I’m sure many people can relate: waking up is difficult! Continue reading →

These days, if an everyday person knows anything about Japanese culture, it’s that they like ‘cute’ things. But, while that is generally true, Japan is so~~ much more than just cute things and school-girl uniforms. Obviously, I’m only going to talk about their music here, since that’s the point of this blog post, but I encourage everyone to learn more about their culture in general because it’s very interesting ^^ As for their music, it’s as diverse as the American market (their market is also second only to America in sales). They have the usual rock, rap/hip-hop, pop, jazz, etc (in their own style, of course); but, they also have their own unique genres like visual kei and enka. I’m only going to showcase a few here today, but please take the time to look up more! Enjoy! Continue reading →