music Archives - So About What I Said

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

20 Years Later, Britney Spears Still Slays on “Oops!… I Did It Again”

I wrote a pretty important post yesterday, so I thought I’d balance things out a bit with a fun pop culture post today!! And it’s a fun topic, that’s for sure, friends! Where were you 20 years ago this month?? Well, I can pretty much guarantee that I was jamming out to Britney Spears and her classic second album “Oops!… I Did It Again”!!!

Can you believe that the iconic album came out 20 years ago?? I say this a lot, but 1999 and 2000 were hands-down the VERY BEST years in pop culture. Ever. And ever. It’s just a fact. And who was leading the teen charge back then? Britney herself with her catchy, poppy lyrics! That lyrical prowess was on full display throughout her sophomore jaunt. She told us how she was stronger than yesterday. She warned us not to go knocking on her door. She desperately pleaded not to be the last to know. And she sang a semi-autobiographical tale of woe about not being the lucky person everyone thought she was.

Of course, who can forget the title track? You know, the one where she dances around in that red catsuit in the music video and we all tried to memorize her expert choreography moves and grooves. What, you mean you didn’t do that? OK, well, maybe it was just me, but still…

Oh, yes, this was an album ripe with greatest hits for the ages — well, for my generation, at least. If you managed to miss Britney fever with “…Baby One More Time” and that iconic video and sound, then you certainly took notice when you couldn’t get the boppy songs on her second album out of your head. And trust me, I’ve got first-hand experience with this. “Oops!… I Did It Again” is the album that made me a Britney fan and it’s also the album that I listened to on repeat one October in 2001 when my mom and I drove to Alabama by ourselves after my grandmother had a stroke. Indeed, this album is one I hold very close to my heart. It’s become a symbol of my formative years, of a time gone by that I think about often.

So you know that I just had to celebrate with a selfie! I know, you’re probably surprised that I still own the actual CD — I mean, I know my mom is and she never misses an opportunity to tell me so! But you can’t part with greatness, can you? The fact is that this album, even two decades later, still holds up. It’s just as fresh and fun and fantastic as it was when I was 18. And for that, I am incredibly grateful.

Thank you, Britney!!! For the wonderful memories and bouncy songs. They made me smile then and they still make me smile today. Here’s to the album’s 20th anniversary and beyond… xoxo

P.S. Why Britney Spears will always be the Greatest Pop Queen on All Time and how she shaped a new generation of pop stars!

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Good Golly, Little Richard: An Ode to the Rock & Roll Icon

I woke up last weekend to the sad news that the one and only Little Richard had died. On top of a year that hasn’t exactly been on the happy side, 2020 continues to prove that it’s going to be a sad one with the death of everyone’s favorite piano-playing rock and roll power-player.

First of all, let’s just state the obvious: The singer’s name was a complete misnomer. Watch any video of him performing live and you can see right away that there was absolutely nothing “little” about Little Richard. He was a powerhouse, a force of musical nature and incredibly soulful in his delivery style. I mean, he was, perhaps, one of the most-recognizable voices of the ’50s and ’60s; when you hear a Little Richard song, you immediately know you’re hearing a Little Richard song, don’t you?

Not to mention, his songs were some of the greatest in an era marked by the likes of the British Invasion and Motown. We all have a favorite song of his, everything from classics like “Good Golly Miss Molly” to “Long Tall Sally,” and, honestly, his songs are the kind that make you want to tap your feet — that is, if you’re not already up and dancing!

There aren’t many musicians who have the kind of cross-generational appeal that Little Richard had. I vividly remember being around 7 or 8 and my dad setting up these flashing lights so my friends and I could dance around the living room to songs like “Tutti Frutti.” I had no idea what that song title even meant, but that didn’t matter. The song was electric, eclectic and pure exuding energy — just like Little Richard himself. We’d spend hours laughing as we danced around our little apartment, the lights off and the colors of those lights bouncing off the wall as frenetically as the music blaring from the speakers. Honestly, it’s still one of my all-time favorite childhood memories and even some 30 years later, I remember those days as vividly as if they’d just happened yesterday.

Perhaps that’s the mark of a truly great musician. Their music, whether you listened to it yesterday or decades ago, still feels fresh and new. There’s a timeless quality to it that transcends time and space; plus, it’s always there whenever you need it. And, thankfully, those memories are always right there too.

Indeed, music has lost a trailblazing icon. Thank you, Little Richard, for the memories and the music. And, of course, thank you for the moves. They were indeed smooth and timeless. What’s your favorite Little Richard song, friends?? xoxo

P.S. More of my musical favorites…

Thursday, February 6, 2020

In Which I Become Obsessed With the Dolly Parton Challenge

Very important question on this Thursday afternoon, friends: Did you do the Dolly Parton Challenge?? I’m pretty sure you did, considering everyone from your neighbor to celebrities were glued to their phones selecting just the right photos of themselves…

I’m totally guilty of being utterly obsessed with this fun internet sensation!! You all already know that I do tend to become obsessed with things pretty easily — lip balm, dinosaurs, Matthew Gray Gubler. You get the idea! So when I heard about this new-fangled challenge all the cool kids online were doing, well, I just couldn’t resist joining in all the merriment and fun and shenanigans. Of course, leave it to the Lady of Cool herself, Ms. Dolly Parton, to be the one to start the trend. Last month, she posted the memorable meme, which contained four “versions” of Dolly — LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Tinder — complete with the caption “Get you a woman who can do it all.”

It was such a clever nod to the different versions of ourselves that we present to the world. We humans are a complex creature and there are so many sides to our personality, you know? All it takes is a few swipes through your camera roll to see just how versatile and unique you really are — there’s your professional side, your family side, your fun side. All those sides add up to make you, well, YOU. I love that we have places online where we’re able to show off those many sides and be who we are.

It took me awhile to decide on the right photo for each “version” of myself, but I’m pretty in love with how mine turned out. What can I say?? I’m a very versatile lady!!! Which version of me do you like best?? Keep in mind that I’m drinking Mountain Dew in the Tinder photo, so you know I’m WILD.

Plus, here’s something extra to make you smile: I did the Dolly Parton Challenge for my mom!! Personally, her carefree Instagram look is my favorite!! And, yes, as you can see, I’m having way too much fun with these!!! Somebody stop me!!

Your turn: Did you do the Dolly Parton Challenge? What is your favorite aspect of your personality? Are you more Instagram? More Tinder? Or somewhere in the middle?? I’d love to see your photos, so drop them in the comments! xoxo

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Super Bowl Halftime Show: Can We Please Stop With The Super Double Standard?

We need to have a serious talk! And by serious, I mean super serious! Maybe I was naive to think that my blog post last year would be enough, but apparently, it’s not. Not nearly enough. How do I know this, you ask?? Well, it’s pretty obvious: We’re still applying such blatant double standards when it comes to the Super Bowl Halftime Show!!

The social media vitriol started shortly after Jennifer Lopez and Shakira took the stage at halftime for a rousing performance full of power and purpose. They commanded and owned that stadium — two strong women who were confident, electric and fierce. That’s exactly what their performance was, but judging from so many of the comments, not everyone saw it that way. I saw so many people complaining about how the Super Bowl Halftime Show was “not appropriate” and “needed more clothes.” Maybe there’s a rampant case of amnesia going around? Because people seemed fine with Adam Levine strutting on that stage with his shirt off last year. I mean, y’all were practically salivating at his toned abs! Y’all couldn’t get enough! I see you, soccer mom Karen from Nebraska — not a real person, though I’m sure there are plenty of Karens from Nebraska!

But I digress. I suppose my point is this: Why are we still having this conversation in 2020…? Why do we think we have any kind of say over women, their bodies and how they choose to live (and dance! and sing! and be all-around fabulous!) in those bodies? There was SO much pearl clutching and the hypocrisy was off the charts! Did y’all get carpal tunnel from all that pearl clutching? Here’s what you missed while you were too busy clutching those pearls and being uncomfortable — things like a beautiful statement about inclusion, complete with the Puerto Rico’s flag, and a not-so-subtle message about the border crisis, which, Karen from Nebraska, I bet you don’t even give much thought to, do you??

This is what the performance was actually about. It wasn’t about trying to be as overtly sexual as possible. It wasn’t about the shock value. Y’all made it about those things with your internalized misogyny. In fact, J.Lo herself shared these words about the show…

All I want my girls, the little girls on stage with me and all over the world to know is how to use their voices and be proud of everything they are. We are proud to recognize that all of us together are what makes this beautiful country truly great.

That’s why I was really disappointed to see so many women saying this after the Halftime Show yesterday. Why do women continue to be so unnecessarily cruel to each other? And why do we keep sending them these disgusting mixed messages?

We want women to love their bodies…just as long as they’re covered.

We want women to be anything they want to be…just as long as it’s acceptable.

We want women to be powerful and fierce…just as long as it doesn’t make us uncomfortable.

In another Instagram post, J.Lo gave this shout-out to Shakira: “Let’s show the world what two little Latin girls can do.”

J.Lo and Shakira brought the 2020 energy. THAT is what two little Latin girls did and I’m here for it. You should be too!

Did you watch the Super Bowl Halftime Show this year, friends?? What were your thoughts?? xoxo

Monday, January 27, 2020

Yes! Lizzo Is Making Us All Feel “Good As Hell”

Apparently, not everyone thinks Lizzo should feel good as hell — hi, Twitter trolls…we see you! It doesn’t matter, though, because she’s too busy feeling good as hell on the cover of Rolling Stone to even notice!

Oooooh, and don’t forget about those shiny Grammy trophies she won last night!

Following the singer tweeting that she was leaving the social media platform for awhile because of trolls, she isn’t holding anything back in her interview with the venerable music magazine. I’ve been thinking about the powerful meaning behind that Rolling Stone cover. It’s sending a message and one that the world needs to hear.

The message? That she’s #sorrynotsorry. That she’s going to exist and thrive whether you (read: trolls) like it or not. It’s as if she’s telling off the entire world and I’m here for all of it.

We live in a world that loves to comment on people’s weight, especially when it comes to women’s bodies. And not just comment — judge, criticize, rip apart, dissect, shame and insult. And yet, we don’t criticize men’s bodies in the same way — or even at all. In fact, we openly praise the Dad Bod trend. We love Dad Bods — we’ve even said how “hot” they are on celebrities.

The double standards and hypocrisy is never-ending, it seems. I’ve been called all the names, so I feel for Lizzo. The world isn’t kind to people who live outside the lines, who don’t fit society’s definition of pretty and who dare to be unapologetically themselves. And when those people are women? Society is extra vicious, especially online.

The body-shaming that women experience just for existing is harmful and doesn’t belong in 2020. Can this please be the year that we stop with the fatphobia? Better yet, let’s stop commenting on women’s bodies altogether. Let’s stop policing their very existence.

Because here’s the thing: People like Lizzo and myself…we don’t need your approval to feel good as hell about ourselves. We didn’t ask for your approval and we don’t want it. We love our bodies and we’re proud of our bodies. And we’re going to keep loving them whether you like it or not.

Women have the right to feel good as hell about themselves. Women have the right to celebrate their bodies. And women have the right to love themselves — just as they are. Lizzo is telling us that on the cover of Rolling Stone. Are we finally going to listen? Living well really is the best revenge and I’m here for all of Lizzo’s revenge!!!