29/06/2018

My Thought on FATM's Album 'High As Hope'!


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Hey future anna! How’s it going? At Midnight last night Florence and the Machine released their new album High As Hope which I am super excited to listen to, so I also thought I would document my journey through the songs here/give my mini review as I do. This will be the third album I have done this for, and I really enjoy the process as it means I can properly sit and listen to an album without interruptions so that I can hear and feel the whole story. I was gonna break up all the music inspired posts I have been doing with a tv one but then this album came out so….. I guess the tv post will come out next week! So let’s listen to this album!

p.s. like normal, I will listen to each song and give my opinion as I listen to it and then I will listen to the album again and give my overall opinion along with my song recommendations. I haven’t heard any of the album apart from the songs Hunger and Big God! Enjoy!

JUNE
Ooh a nice quiet and peaceful intro. It’s so delicate. ‘Those heavy days in June’ yes yes yes!!! Wow the song has really broken open and exploded into a beautiful message of literal hope and togetherness. I love the beat – it’s gritty and powerful but still so delicate with the layers of voices. I think this song completely sums up the rest of the album: ‘I’m so high’, ‘Hold onto each other’, etc, Florence really is giving people hope and telling people how to get to it. A state of complete bliss and freedom. Frickin love the abrupt end and how it goes straight into hunger, like this is the prologue, and then she is going to tell the story.

HUNGER
So, I have heard this one as it was the main single they released to push the new album and the OOOHSS at the beginning get me EVERY SINGLE TIME!! This song truly demonstrates how Florence’s voice can completely take care and control a song and create such an emotion without being too overpowering. ‘How could anything bad ever happen to you?’ this is one of my favourite lyrics, this song really is an incredible masterpiece. It’s so calm yet alive, it slows and then you can jump and dance to it. I love it. This is gonna be a BOP live!

SOUTH LONDON FOREVER
Oh, what’s this? It’s light and airy and ethereal. I am moving to South London later this year so when I saw a song was named after the place I was so excited to hear it. She really respects where she has come from and everything she has learnt along the way. ‘The world is at your fingertips’ this actually means so much to me right now. Oh yes a new beat, it’s peaceful and inviting, it’s so full of truth yet still feels like a fantasy. Wow. Wow.

BIG GOD
Ok, I have also heard Big God as it was the second single to be released from the album and can we PLEASE TAKE A SECOND to appreciate how (insert an incredible word here because I cannot sum up my emotions) it is! Yes! It’s so strong and angry yet loving and really shows off Florence’s voice. I guess the title of the album suggests there may be a little God referenced, but the way it is done is so cinematic and dramatic and whole. You get me? It’s like a big carb-y meal you get at the local pub, I feel like that whilst listening to it. I feel full. That’s a lil weirddd but I don’t know how to describe it otherwise hahah! I really do love this one.

SKY FULL OF SONG
This is beautiful. You can tell that Florence truly puts her all into her words without holding anything back. ‘I can hear the sirens, but I cannot walk away’ wow. It’s scary in how she is talking about death and things that are going wrong, but she really is putting across how tired she is with everything going on and still hope is placed a solution to it all.  (Just adding to this now, but this song was the first single released from this album, I didn’t know haha! Sorry if any confusion was caused!)

GRACE
Bit of piano. This is incredible. I love how Florence tells her stories, so much. She really doesn’t hold any of the truth back and is willing to spill everything. ‘This is the only thing I’ve ever had any faith in’ – I don’t know if she is talking to someone called Grace or is looking for grace or has named the person she is talking to after Grace, but this song really is graceful, whatever the meaning behind it is. ‘I hope on hope’ – forgiveness is all she is asking, pleading, for. She truly is sorry for everything that went wrong. I really like this one. For me, I think this has been the most vulnerable song on the album yet and I love how Florence does vulnerable. It’s so real.

PATRICIA
Oh HELLO! I thought Patricia was gonna be a friend who turned into an enemy, but no, Patricia is someone who Florence sees hope in. Genuinely have SO MUCH love for this track. ‘You’ve always been my North star’ – I am obsessed with this line. This Patricia gal has always led Florence in the right direction, even if it’s been a dark night where no hope is seen, hope is always there. I love how this song builds up to become this incredible and powerful musical piece and then suddenly stops. Wow, I think this is my favourite.

100 YEARS
Sweet and powerless and then BOOM hello to this beat. I love how Florence’s voice is still so present yet it’s like the volume has been taken down slightly and the claps and new beats are placed on top instead of being played below. I really like that. Wow I feel like I am at a wicked barn dance, it’s so dramatic yet down to earth. HOW DOES SHE DO IT?!?! ‘How does it feel when you scratch that itch?’ – everything is too much, she doesn’t want to be there but will always be there.

THE END OF LOVE
We’re back to something delicate. The idea of the flood is a beautiful metaphor. The layers of Florence’s voice are phenomenal. Considering so much stuff has happened in the lyrics, hope is still being found, and I think that’s a beautiful outlook on life to have. I love how simple the song is. There are layers of voices and piano and clicks and it just works so well together. It creates such an atmosphere. That would be a beautiful end to the album, so let’s see why No Choir was chosen…

NO CHOIR
This song is HOPE. It doesn’t matter what gets thrown around, there will always be moments of happiness and hope, even if tomorrow doesn’t look so good. I love how simple it is, yet it is so full of power. What the freakin heck I just sat and listened to it and yep, this was an incredible one to end on. We live in a world where badness will always be present, but we can be so grateful for these small moments of hope that keep us going.

Left: High As Hope album cover // Right: Florence performing (Let me know if this is your image so i can credit you!)

So that is High As Hope. Florence and the Machine NEVER disappoint, and I was so intrigued to see the path they would follow after releasing HBHBHB. I feel that this path of hope was an incredible choice to go with. After listening to the album in full a second time, it really highlights that this world isn’t always great, whether caused by natural disasters, awful people, or even ourselves, but in ALL these situations, hope is found. Whether through forgiveness, being home, accepting who we are, Florence really does make us feel that we can be as high as hope, that good in the world isn’t unattainable, and I think that’s an incredible feeling to have and to give.

I truly recommend listening to this album, it’s warm and safe yet still fresh and new, and would be lovely to listen to whilst walking or even cooking. If you don’t have to time listen to it all, I recommend: Hunger, Big God, Patricia, 100 Years, and No Choir. I was literally gonna write the whole tracklist there but had to be hard on myself hahah!

Once again, Florence and the Machine have created a beautiful album, that shines with so much peace and hope, whilst still addressing issues we face every day. It sticks with their well known music choices and feels, yet is more grown up and wise, wanting to show others how hope can be found. Well done.

I hope that you liked my review of each song and then the album overall, and if any of your favourite artists have released singles or albums or are going to soon, lemme know so I can listen to them and possibly write about them! Have a lovely day, keep listening to music future anna!

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21/06/2018

GO (see) HAIM (at Ally Pally) OR GO HOME

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alright future anna! in about 30 minutes i am leaving to go to liverpool so i can see katy perry there tomorrow, and last saturday i went to see haim! i love haim so much and was so happy when my friend hollie said that she could get tickets! anyway, here is my lil review...

So after walking to Ally Pally (yeah walking up that hill), getting into the venue, buying a Pepsi and finding a spot in the great hall, Maggie Rogers, the support act came onto the stage. To be completely honest, i didn't know who the support act was going to be for the show until we arrived and we saw a few of her products at the merch stand. I didn't know any of her songs as her name didn't ring a bell but was excited to hear her stuff. LOVE going to support the support! Anyway, she began her set and i thought she was wicked! She had this energy about her that bought the songs she sang to life. I adored the use of lighting and how it flowed with each beat of the drum and the changing rhythm of the songs. You could tell she put her all into each performance because she was so out of breath when talking to the audience between each song. About 2 thirds of the way through, she introduced a song, explaining that it was all about equality and that tonight was a safe space, that there would be no hate, and so much girl power. I loved her for standing up for her truths and what she believes in, not backing down or staying shy about it. Added a few of her songs to my playlists so i am excited to hear more of her in the future!

Between Maggie and Haim, I went to get some chips and my friend Hollie, who i had gone with, got a waffle. It was a great mini feast.

When we had finished eating we headed a little closer into the crowd and waited for the lights to go down.

Red smoke started to fill the stage and the crowd awoke, screaming with excitement. Each Haim sister separately walked on the stage, ending in a bright white spotlight. Danielle began playing the drums, Alana and Este then joined her. Together they created an unmistakable sound which made the people throughout the building go wild. Wow.

The drums stopped, the lights dropped, and the spotlights behind the sisters began to flicker. The girls picked up their instruments and went straight into playing Falling. The words echoed throughout the crowd with people screaming and shouting along, not letting any care in the world stop them from dancing. It was magical to be part of.



One of the next songs they played was Don't Save Me which is one of the first Haim songs i ever heard. The room was flooded with blue light, and no one seemed to stop moving for the whole evening. Danielle pointed to the crowd to sing with iconic line 'So baby, don't save me' with her which was an absolute dream. The girls couldn't seem to stop smiling, completely amazed that they had achieved this success, apart from Este who stayed in bass face mode for most of the evening which was incredible to see in person.

The setlist then led us to Little Of Your Love which is an absolute BOP.



In between these songs, Alana seemed to take the lead in talking to the audience whether it was her just staying how "fucking grateful" she was to be there or give the audience a twirl to show off her outfit which made her feel like Rihanna.

One of my favourite chatty sections and probably the most iconic from the night was when they were chatting just before playing Want You Back. Alana began by saying how this song was her idea and that her 2 sisters didn't like it, but she put her baby foot down and made it happen. Este wasn't happy with this, and said Haim would be nothing without her older sister guidance. Finally Danielle stood up and said that she was the one in charge because she was the middle sister. It was so lovely to see their sister bond and that they were completely making the most of their tour being called The Sister Sister Sister Tour. The crowd went insane when Want You Back started and i think each person in that building knew all the words. Each person around me was having the time of their life and i was living for it!



The setlist then slowed down, and to highlight this, they moved to a smaller, more intimate stage and hollie said that now would possibly be a good time to move to the back so that we could see better, but then i had a great idea... how about me move towards the front? because everyone had moved to the smaller stage, we were able to get to the barrier. WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK?!?! We were so happy, and ready to dance when the sisters went back to the main stage. 

Alana came down to the crowd for one song and i just couldn't believe how close we were. what an actual dream hey!



The sisters finished their song and gathered around the drums at the back, finishing their show just as they had started. Again, the drum beats were unforgettable and couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. You could see and hear the passion in the playing and i didn't want it to end. The final hit, the light brightened. The Haim sisters gathered to the front of the stage to bow to the sold-out room. It was over.


I fell in love with the idea of the Sister Sister Sister tour as soon as they announced it and was so happy i was able to go. No one wanted to leave after the confetti had finished falling so everyone stayed and danced. It was a wonderful, uniting feeling. We were all leaving a strangers, but we had all been equal friends for just a short while.


Wow future anna if you get to see Haim again PLEASE GO! You will not regret it! It's now actually a lot later and i am in Liverpool rather than sat stressing on my bed at home about this post not going up earlier, but nevermind, there's always next time! Enjoy the Katy show in Liverpool future anna!

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12/06/2018

My Thoughts on Lily Allen's Album 'No Shame'

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hey future anna! how's it hanging? Anyway, on Friday 8th June (last Friday), Lily Allen released her new album No Shame.

I love Lily and listened to her so much whilst growing up. Although I never really listened to her albums in full, just the songs I heard on the radio or ones I heard as part of film soundtracks. After leaving the music scene for a while after her 2008 album 'It's Not Me, It's You' was released, to spend time with family, she released the album ‘Sheezus’, and to be completely honest, I haven’t ever listened to any of the songs on it apart from ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ which was introduced to me through the John Lewis Christmas advert. I wanted to give her another chance (not that anything was done that made me stop listening to her in the first place), and with her new album being released, I thought now would be a good time to start.

Like my previous album review, I am gonna listen to the album in order and comment on each song as they play. I will then listen to the album a second time and give an overall review!

Just so you know, I am playing the album straight through (no distractions!!!), I have headphones on, and I haven’t listened to any of the songs on the album before! Ok, let’s gooooo!

COME ON THEN
Feel like a beat from the trainspotting films, oh YES LILY I LOVE YOU. I haven’t listened to her in so long, but her voice just makes me feel so nostalgic! OH YES. Omg this is actually incredible. Straight away she has NO SHAME in telling the world exactly how she feels and what’s up with her life. I am obsessed with these lyrics, she really isn’t scared to write down and sing the truth. The pre-chorus is actually fantastic. So many people have said things about her online over the years and I love how she addresses it. Ok this is headed straight onto my Gals Gals Gals playlist and possibly my chill one!

TRIGGER BANG (FT. GIGGS)
Oh hey there Giggs, I don’t know who you are but loving this vibe. I can imagine this being an awesome song to walk down the street to. THAT’S WHY I CAN’T HANG WITH THE COOL GANG yes wow her lyrics are incredible. I love how she throws back to old songs and old stories and that she is still the same person and always will be. It’s so alive and hard hitting yet so chill and wow I love this album so far.

WHAT YOU WAITING FOR?
OK THIS IS GONNA BE PLAYED IN THE CLUB. I love how she has grown from pop to creating her own electric sound. It’s nostalgic and warm and homey, yet it’s been hit out of the park and is something so new and unfamiliar. Living for the vibes of this one! Ok I don’t know which of these songs are/are gonna be singles but I have a feeling this is one.

YOUR CHOICE (FT. BURNA BOY)
Oh I feel throwbacks to a few older tracks she’s done, just with the lyrics/story she’s telling but then it is completely refreshed with Burna Boy rapping. It’s like a holiday beach chill exotic flying to paradise kinda song and I am living for it. I think out of the 4 I’ve heard from the album so far, this is my least favourite, but I still really love it, I just don’t normally listen to this kind of song. I am gonna show it to my sister though because I bet she will be obsessed and will be rapping along in no time! Haha!

LOST MY MIND
Ok when I read this title I thought of Billie Eilish, and when it started playing it immediately sounded like something she would create. Pop-y yet quiet, I really love this. Enjoying this tune so much, it’s upsetting, but the way it’s been sung and bought to life is so different to what it’s talking about. Juxtaposition innit! Added this to my Gals Gals Gals playlist because I really love it. Really appreciate the sudden ending to. It just breaks it up rather than staying fade-y and dream-like like the rest of the song.

HIGHER
Oh this is a little different. It’s still dreamy but Lily is now awake and accusing the other person of losing their mind rather than commenting on her own mindlessness like in the previous song. Some parts are sung higher, and it makes it seem like Lily is having 2 thoughts about the situation and is trying to decide what’s best to do. Adding this to my Chill playlist ASAP. Obsessed with the outro, this guitar is the perfect instrument for this song.

FAMILY MAN
Wow electricity and then into a stunning selection of lyrics that are so real and heart-breaking. Ok yes, these drums. I don’t know what to say. It’s just so raw and beautiful. She really has done well with this album, it’s an incredible story, it’s beautiful art. I can imagine this being sung in a jazz club, I don’t know haha! So different from the rest of the album yet so perfect. I love this one.

APPLES
This feels so innocent yet is full of explicit truths. It’s so stripped back, she really is sorry for what happened in a previous relationship and would rather just lay out the truth then live behind a sugar-glossed song that doesn’t mean anything to her. Love the use of the phrase ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’, it’s just been used so well and puts so much more meaning into it. Wow.

THREE
A similar style to Apples yet it has a more mature feel to it. We really are seeing a stripped back side to Lily, and although she has never been one to hide who she really is, I feel this album is just full of the gritty truth which is so refreshing to hear. This is hauntingly beautiful, added to my Chill playlist.

EVERYTHING TO FEEL SOMETHING
So we’re still hearing the more emotional side to Lily but we’ve jumped back to a similar sound to the start of the album and I am just obsessed with the fact that she really is showing NO SHAME in every situation. She isn’t scared to be happy, be herself, say sorry, tell the truth and I really appreciate that, especially when social media is full of people telling celebrities what to do and how they should be. Another really raw song that is just so beautifully written and produced, I love it.

WASTE (FT. LADY CHANN)
Oooh hello this is different. What the heck this is fantastic. Another holiday beachy paradise exotic tune that will be played all over the place this summer. Imagine sitting in the sun with a drink in hand watching someone prepare burgers on the BBQ, yep this is the tune for that. YES LADY CHANN LAY DOWN THE TRUTH. Mate this is actually incredible wow if you just listen to one song on this album, I think this is the one you NEED to go with!!

MY ONE
Ok we back being chill and I am just floating around dancing on my chair. It isn’t how I imagined this song would sound but this is a good replacement. It’s so lovely and actually makes me feel special listening to it. Love the DUN DUN to finish it!

PUSHING UP DAISIES
Ooh throwback to Summer 2013 am I right??? I love how the who album is down to earth and real yet feels so dreamy. I DON’T WANNA FREAK YOU OUT BUT I’M PROBABLY GONNA FREAK YOU OUT. She’s beautifully describing a hazy love that she’s trying to push on someone wow ok there is like a cool choir in the background hey. Her voice really is wicked.

CAKE
Ok we’re back with the electric beat. HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT! Ok this is a fab song to end on. It really is just emphasising the idea of NO SHAME. She really doesn’t care and is happy being her, no matter what anyone else is saying. Heck I love this song!!

Right: Lily performing (please let me know if this is your image so i can credit you!)  //  Left: No Shame album cover

Ok, so I’ve listened to the album twice now, and after doing a kinda real-time review for each song, let’s look at the album as a whole!

Like I said, I haven’t properly listened to Lily Allen for years, but she really has bought it with this album. As soon as she started singing I was hit with a wonderful nostalgia of hearing her songs on the radio and trying to sing the songs, and then realising the meaning behind the songs and being scared to sing them in the car in front of my parents haha! The album has a great strong start, really powering through emotions like nobody’s business and spilling that tea in a fresh and funky way. A few songs in, we get so the slow section of the album, really diving deep into Lily’s world and exploring her past and relationships and feelings with absolutely nothing held back. As the album comes to a close, it sticks with these gritty lyrics yet becomes slightly more electric and positive with the beat which shows us how things do get Lily down, but she can always bounce back and have a fabulous comeback argument to prove it.

Even though I felt a lot of the songs sounded similar and were all quite dreamy, I actually really liked the overall feel of the album and that each song kinda linked to show the story of Lily and the shame she hasn’t ever had in telling her stories. I know that a few of these songs are gonna be on Summer playlists, and others might never be heard unless people listen to the album, but she really has created a great piece of art which I am sure she is really proud of.

I definitely recommend listening to the whole album, but if you just want a few songs to delve into, I recommend: Come on Then, Trigger Bang, Lost My Mind, Family Man, and Waste.

I really enjoyed listening to this album, and as we have seen I have added quite a few tracks to a few playlists but will now properly spend time listening to her other albums to see what they’re all about!
I am really loving this music review blogging thing so if you know of any artists releasing things (songs, albums, music vids, anything!), let me know as I would love to write my thoughts down about them!

See you around future anna, keep supporting Lily!

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10/06/2018

My Favourite Memories of Being 19!

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happy birthday future anna! well, it will only be your birthday if you read this on june 10th each year, but hey ho! haha! right, i thought it would be nice to look back at some of my favourite moments from the past year! i have chosen one moment from each month which has been difficult, but i needed to narrow it down or we would be here for a while haha! so let's start...

june 2017
ok, so the day before i turned 19 last year, katy perry released her 4th album WITNESS! It was an amazing start to my birthday and it was incredible spending most of june witnessing katy and letting her witness us. I can't believe that album came out a year ago, AND I SEE KATY LIVE 4 TIMES IN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS AHHH!! june last year was so good!

july 2017
ok so now we enter july! in may i went to the bastille gig at unon chapel and met 2 best friends hannah and hollie in the queue! hannah was in the hospital so i went down to london for 3 days to visit her! during my visit i stayed with my cousin and one night we went to a lil free gig in london and dan smith, the lead singer of bastille, was there! i still can't believe it! it was so lovely to be able to talk to another human about twin peaks and them actually getting it haha! one of my favourite moments from the past year and it was SO LOVELY to spend so much time with hannah!

august 2017
in august to celebrate my friend beth's birthday, 4 of us went up snowdon! it's always been something i've wanted to do so to do it with some amazing people made it so much fun! i loved the train journey, the climb, eating in spoons after, the whole day! i really hope we can do it again one day!!
read more about it here: http://annasnothere.blogspot.com/2017/08/there-is-signal-up-snowdon.html

september 2017
in september i went to one of my favourite shows that i have ever been too! i saw lorde live in manchester with my sister and friend nikki! SHE WAS INCREDIBLE! the whole show was electric and everyone was dancing all night. it was pure magic. i didn't want to leave, and shoved so much of the star confetti into my pockets as it fell over the crowd during green light.
i wrote a little piece about it and you can read that here if you want: https://twitter.com/spacegiraffe_/status/913372241311780864

october 2017
in october I BOUGHT MY FIRST CAR AHHH! i still can't really believe it! i had passed my test earlier on in the year and i had found a job that looked cool but it was a 30 minute drive away so i kinda needed a car. since passing my test we had always been on the look out for something but had never found anything right! about a week before my interview at the job, we saw the perfect car on ebay, went to visit it, i bought it and then drove to the interview! how perfect! one of my proudest moments because it meant i was slowly becoming an adult, and you can read more about it here if you wish: http://annasnothere.blogspot.com/2017/10/i-guess-i-have-car.html


november 2017
in november my cousin asked if i wanted to go and see pvris with her! we had seen them at leeds festival in 2015 and she wanted to go and see them again! i said yes and loved the evening so much!! we arrived in manchester, went to spoons to have a drink and some food, and then we headed to the venue! it was such a fun evening!!
i blogged about it here: http://annasnothere.blogspot.com/2017/11/on-phone-with-pvris.html

december 2017
i don't have a specific moment from december that was my favourite, but i would say that from christmas eve to new years day was all pretty good! i loved spending time with different family members and eating loads of food and just having a great time!

january 2018
so to start 2018, i was accepted onto a bfi screenwriting course which was incredible! before the proper week course started, we had an introductory weekend in january which was so much fun! i met some incredible people, ate some great food, learnt so much, and laughed SO MUCH too!
i won't go into loads of detail, so if you wanna read more, click here: http://annasnothere.blogspot.com/2018/02/bfi-screenwriting-residential.html but one of my favourite parts of the whole weekend was playing charades on the saturday night! it got super funny and we all laughed so much!

february 2018
in february i finally got to create my dream room. since moving to our house 2 years ago, i had never properly loved my room so wanted to go to ikea to get some new furniture! i bought a new desk (yes a proper grown up one ayyy), a cube display thing ya know the ones they do, and a new shelf setup where i can put my cameras! i also got a frame for a picture i'd bought a while ago! my room is finally what i want it to be!! and i am so happy because of it!

march 2018
Then we got to March, and i really enjoyed this month. One of my favourite days was celebrating women's world day of prayer with my mum and her friends at a beautiful church. I had attended the service and meal last year and was really hoping i could go this year too because i had enjoyed it so much! It was so lovely to see so many people together and i hope that i can celebrate the day next year too! If you want to support women from around the world and hear their stories, try and find an event near you!

april 2018
April was a big month because of Bastille's reorchestrated tour! I was so lucky yo be able to get tickets to 3 shows and spend 2 weeks visiting friends and family all around the uk! I truly truly loved april and the 2 weeks i spent on tour, it was just a magical time with magical people and magical music!
If you wanna watch more, check out the major vlog for the shows here: https://youtu.be/BUY-3BNo7L0

may 2018
Ahhh we're in the second to last mmonth now amd one of my favourite moments of may was going to telford with giulia and libby, 2 girls i work with and who have bbecome incredible friends of mine. We had wanted to buy a bbirthday present for someone else we work with, but the nearest zara shop was in telford. After a long, funny, sing-a-long drive, we arrived and just had the BEST day! I hope we can do another one of these trips soon!

june 2018
so now it's june! i have just got back from seeing so many family members at my gran and grandads house to go out for a big lunch! it was my grandads birthday on the 5th so he wanted to treat as many family members as possible to a lovely lunch and it just so happened to fall on my birthday! it's been so lovely to see so many people and i can't wait to see them all again! i guess what i'm looking forward to this month is seeing katy perry 4 times, haim and loads of friends and family like i did when i followed bastille for a few shows! i can't wait to see what my 20s bring me, so let's GO!! fingers crossed it all goes kinda smoothly for ya future anna!

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p.s. i made a video which sums up my past year so i will leave it here:

08/06/2018

My Thoughts on Jorja Smith's Debut Album

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Hey future anna, it’s anna! Well, obviously! Anyway, sorry I haven’t posted on here in a longgg time, I just haven’t had anything to talk about. BUT that is going to change. I really enjoy writing about films and music and I’ve done that a little bit here, but now I wanna do it a little bit more! So, if there’s a new album out or a concert or a film I love, I’m gonna blog about it right here! Don’t worry, I will still get a little personal with ya at times! Hahah!

Today, I wanna listen to and give you my first reaction/opinion of Jorja Smith’s debut album ‘Lost & Found’ which came out today! I love Jorja’s stuff and have quite a few of her songs in a few of my playlists. I really enjoy her sound and the stories she tells, so today I wanna hear the whole story and let you know my thoughts.

Okay, we’re gonna lay my first reactions out first, and I am gonna listen to the song and randomly type how I feel. After listening to the whole album and spilling the tea, I will listen a second time and then give my overall thoughts and personal recommendations! Sound good? Ok cool, let’s begin!

(p.s. I am listening with headphones on. The only song I have properly listened to on the album is lue Lights and haven’t heard any of the others apart from Teenage Fantasy but haven’t listened to it in a while!)

LOST & FOUND
Oooh dreamy, I feel like I’m in a bathroom at a party. Yeah Jorja it does sound cool. Might add this to my ‘Chill’ playlist. It’s a classic beat but it’s so fresh. It feels warm. Ok, 1 minute 30 seconds in and no words, wait there are words now. Such a strong and powerful voice, wow. It reminds me of an Amy Winehouse style of jazz, ya get me? Ok no offense but it’s only like half way through and I think I want it to end. It’s nice and really introduces the album well, I just feel it could’ve been cut shorter. In fact, scrap that previous comment, it has about 30 seconds left and I’m actually really liking that it’s long. It’s going on my ‘Chill’ playlist.

TEENAGE FANTASY
Crackles. Hey hey hey genie in a bottle smooth idk but these vibes are a mood. Loving how real and raw these lyrics are. This chorus is preaching the TRUTH! Her whole vibe is very dreamy, so I am loving this. If Audrey Horne from Twin Peaks were here she’d be having a dance. Jorja is so effortless and real and it just all works so well. Really like how it fades at the end and it feels all dreamy and not real and then she brings it straight back to reality.

WHERE DID I GO?
Oooh yes, loving the beat of this one. I don’t know if this is a single or not but I feel it should be one. Obsessed with these lyrics. I think this has been my favourite song so far. Jorja’s style is just so dreamy yet city yet hazy yet down to earth, I can’t explain it but it’s the perfect amount of chill for me.

FEBRUARY 3RD
Listened to this a little when she released it a few days ago, just remembered! Again, real deep hitting lyrics but so easy to listen to and get lost in. She mixes in a range of highly sung notes really well, it fits so well with this. I feel like she’s portrayed as innocent through her doing this and is trying to get across to the other person that they’re in the wrong. Ok ok, she’s speaking now and I love how the whole idea of being lost and being found is being dripped throughout the album so far and not just in the title track. A bit of an abrupt ending but it works well.

ON YOUR OWN
Yes, we got some drums going on here. OH DAMN GIRL OH I AM LOVING THIS. It’s still really chill yet so much more awake from the rest of the album, like she’s been shaken up and her music is coming to life because of it. I love it. She’s laying down how she feels on the line and the person she is speaking to has to deal with it. They’re on their own tonight.

THE ONE
VIOLINS. Crackle. Yes. How beautiful are these lyrics! Ok you know I said that Audrey Horne would be dancing to that song, yeah well, she would be dancing to the whole album. Really loving how it builds up and then falls and then builds and then stops and then POW. It’s cinematic and heavenly, wow. One of my favourites I think. Nah, I KNOW it’s one of my favourites!

WANDERING ROMANCE
OH YES. Wow. They’ve had an incredible play with this one and there are so many elements creating the beat. Wow 1 minute in where there are lots of voices yeah that’s awesome. It’s slow and creamy yet so raw and attacking. She really is laying it all out and not hiding who she is or what she’s been through. This song is just so full of power and release, I really love the style of this one. So much.

BLUE LIGHTS
Here we go, I don’t know when this song was released but it was the second one I heard from Jorja after listening to Let Me Down which isn’t on the album. To be honest, I didn’t really like it at first because of all the electronic keyboard action and it just didn’t sound right but now I love it. It’s just so different and really takes general pop songs into a new experimental place. The lyrics and story of the song is just so real and gritty, she has captured this feeling of helplessness and worry SO WELL.

LIFEBOATS (FREESTYLE)
CRACKLE AGAIN! Love a bit of crackly rain feedback to get me in the mood haha! Wow ok um I love this. When I saw that this was a freestyle piece, I was super excited to hear it. I would love to know a little more of the behind the scenes to this song and how it came about. Yes, she is laying out the truth mmm hmm gal!

GOODBYES
1, 2, 3. This is beautiful. She really does have a true talent and I am so glad she is sharing it with the world. Stunning. That’s all I can say.

TOMORROW
HEAVENLY WOW OK UM HELLO. I adore that she speaks nothing but the truth on all her songs. She really is someone to watch out for. If this is on her first album, imagine what she is gonna do on her next.

DON’T WATCH ME CRY
Ok, last song, let’s hit it! Little baby, Jorja it will all be ok. Wow. Phenomenal. Wow, her words are so real and relatable and mature. Like a previous song, I love how it builds and builds and then she gives her all. Like Tomorrow, if this is what she can create right now, imagine what she’ll be able to create in just a few years. An incredible end to an incredible album.

Right: Jorja performing (If this is your image, please let me know so I can give credit!) // Left: Lost & Found album cover

Ok ok ok. Jorja wow wow wow. I have just listened to the album in full a second time, and I am actually in love. Here is my full album review:
Jorja Smith is able to put you in a dream-like mood, where you could sit and sway and just watch the rain. It’s the kind of album you could have on repeat for the whole evening and never get bored. Each song puts together part of this puzzle of being lost but ultimately always being found. Whether that’s finding yourself or having someone else find you, good or bad. I love how hazy it feels, and if I closed my eyes, I would think I have this album playing on a record player. It has vibes of 90s RnB, church choirs, heavenly melodies, gritty police chases. It doesn’t feel real yet it feels like the most real thing I’ve ever heard. Jorja’s words and ways of telling stories is magical and powerful, and if she is able to create this piece of art for her first album, I cannot wait to see what she brings to the table next!

So that was my real-time (I guess) review of Jorja Smith’s debut album Lost & Found. I truly recommend listening to the full album (maybe read my song reviews as you listen!), whilst you’re having a bath or eating your tea, as it really is so lovely. If you don’t wanna listen to the whole thing, I recommend: Where Did I Go?, The One, Wandering Romance, Lifeboats (Freestyle), and Tomorrow. Enjoy the album, so follow Jorja to listen to more of her music, and I will see you next time I blog, whether that’s me talking about music, films or me! Bye future anna, I hope Jorja’s doing well when you read this!

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