Don't be scurred to love it just because it's popular.

I know a lot of us are "elitists" and music fanatics. Especially the people I surround myself with, and that's the best, really.  But I dislike it when people smirk at the fact that I love Justin Bieber, Paramore, and 30 Seconds to Mars, for example. Yes they're huge. Yes, they seem generic.  Yes, they're the kind of music you make fun of your friends for liking, but I really only think it's out of Elitist Habit. People are inherently scared to genuinely like music for what it is created for - to be enjoyed. HOW you enjoy it us up to you, of course. Maybe some people listen to Bieber and get misty eyed, I know I don't. I just happen to enjoy his singing and dancing.


I think people are also missing some of the humor in pop music, as well. Katy Perry is pretty funny. Who else puts THIS in their music video?

She makes me laugh. There's so many stories of her being a total goofball.  I can't even pick just ONE funny animated gif of her, so here's a couple more.

(omg she's so FAT! lol.)

Katy's probably the kind of chick I would like to have as a friend after seeing her in California Girls (featuring Snoop Dogg, by the way! If the Boss thinks she's cool, because I'm pretty sure he doesn't need the money.... I surely do.) Also, for fun, if you wanna see the 15 most sexually suggestive Katy Perry gifs you can follow the link! 


So animated gifs aside (although I know we all love them), her music is just ...okay.  I can dance to it, and she makes me happy. That's what Katy Perry is supposed to do. I don't know anyone who finds her iconic or deep, but that doesn't really matter when I'm just looking for music to listen to for dancing while I clean, or cute music videos that make me smile, right?  But I happen to think that personality goes a long way, where she WINS. And that also counts for Justin Bieber. I think his break into stardom stems from having genuine personality.


Yeah I said it, and I'm gonna talk about him.


Justin Bieber gets my respect (yes, I said respect) because that kid was yoinked out of Canada at age 13 and into a crazy pop star life that he deserves. He was singing and playing his acoustic guitar on youtube, videos posted by his own mother, and had millions of fans already when a Mr. Braun (who works with Usher) clicked on one of Bieber's videos by accident and went through all kinds of crap to get JB down to Atlanta, GA to record some demos. (Bieber's mother is a Christian and a very religious person, so it took some finesse, evidently. She even had to pray with the elders of her church before deciding that it was okay to let him go record music. "God, I gave him to you. You could send me a Christian man, a Christian label!" she was quoted as saying in an interview when she recalled praying to God... Wow. Hey Ma, you like MILLIONS OF DOLLARS? Thanks see ya later now where's the airport.)


He was 13 when he flew to the US to record those demos in 2008, and a year later, he was a fucking superstar.


People want to make fun of him, I know, it's really easy. He's the dreamy teen boy pop icon. His songs are about school dances and holding hands.  However, I'm unapologetic about loving Justin Bieber anymore, because it makes me feel like a kid to listen to him, and I'm not mad about it.  I can't say I own even ONE of his albums, but that's okay, I'm happy with the singles.


Somebody To Love, ft. Usher is my favorite.  If you like to dance at all, this is your tune.  I'm pretty sure Justin doesn't really need somebody to love at 16 years old, but hell, he's a Christian, what do you want. He isn't gonna sing about poking chicks and getting blow jobs in limos until he's well over 18 and mom can't yell at him anymore. Give the kid a break. He's got talent, which is undeniable. Even if he's not your "brand" of music. 


Besides, are you a female and unable to resist the urge to pinch his cheeks?

That's what I thought. 
He's 16, don't worry, it's legal in most states to AT LEAST pinch his cheeks....


Don't pretend that it's all about the music. Image is a HUGE part of music, and anyone who plays it knows it.  Justin's appeal stemmed from the millions of people who already loved him on youtube. There's no way I can fault someone for building a following and THEN getting a record deal. He just happened to be motivated and loved playing music. Justin gets that respect I spoke of before because he did it the right way - he used his talent for singing and playing instruments (that he taught himself to play!) to garner fans, he seems genuinely in love with all his fans, and he isn't some carbon copy pop star. Which is what I think people think of him. He wasn't created - he created it for himself.

Speaking of image, that leads me me to my last band in this entry.

30 Seconds to Mars.

I could go on and on about 30STM. I've always been a fan of Jared Leto, but when I heard he had a band, I smirked and said "Fucking movie stars don't know how to just be actors. They want to do EVERYTHING." There's several actors who have bands, but none had the success of Jared Leto.  My friend Gregg links me to a video one night, it's The Kill (Bury Me). 

This is a PERFECT example of how a video can win me over.  But I'm pretty sure that requires an entire blog all on it's own, because bands who are clever, have a sense of humor, or have a dramatic vision (like Leto does) capture my heart.

Okay, okay. I'll ADMIT that the homoerotic hallway scene kind of made my girl parts tingle...

Whatever, Leto is the only man alive who makes me quite literally swoon. I'm sure it's a biological thing...

swoon

   [swoon]  Show IPA

–verb (used without object)

1.

to faint; lose consciousness.

2.

to enter a state of hysterical rapture or ecstasy

But that aside, after hearing The Kill, at a musician friend's recommendation, I changed my mind about 30STM pretty quickly. I got the album, A Beautiful Lie,  and I'm quite attached to it. I decided this isn't just some jerk-off music project he does in his off time to keep himself in the spotlight.  He genuinely enjoys recording and performing. He loves his fans, he loves being in front of a crowd, and he loves his music...

...And his bright pink (sorry, Jared - pomegranate) -colored mohawk.  

( May 15 2010, when we went to the show in LA)

I feel like I should STILL be ashamed for loving them for some reason. I mean, I literally feel like a total fucking fangirl faggot for loving this band as much as I do.  

The band was formed in 1998 in LA. It's composed of three members, one of which is Leto's brother, Shannon. (The gene pool didn't extend as far as Shannon in the looks department, trust me, I checked on that.)

(yeah we were at this one! weeeee)

At any rate, Anthony is a good boyfriend and he sat through me being completely starfucked & swoony for an entire day. We won tickets to a 30STM show in Los Angeles through KROQ that included a meet & greet and private performance before the show. (Thank you KROQ - I'm pretty sure that I never would've never gotten the chance to touch him if you hadn't hooked it up, I'm still kind of giddy about it.)  Besides the fact that i was already a fan and I locked up as SOON as I laid eyes on him about 15 feet in front of me... well, what I'm about to tell you is what really sold me on them.

(another May 15 meet & greet photo)

Jared Leto was sick, "with ebola or something horrible," he said, "And Shannon's being a little bitch so he won't come out." (Lawls.)  He still put forth a ridiculous little performance, just for the 40 of us who got those special tickets. He got a little kid on stage and let him play piano with him, and this kid was totally HIGH on that for hours afterwards. (I swear to god my heart broke a little when the kid said outside of the venue, "Mom now no one can make fun of me at school anymore, I sang on stage with 30 Seconds To Mars!" awwwww!.... awwww. *sad face*)  

(this kid was so fuckin cute)

It was completely heart warming, to the say the least. He made that kid's LIFE. Then he took pictures with everyone.... which I will never see because KROQ wrote my email address down wrong. Sad day right? Anyway, I digress. I have TONS of pictures of him that I took myself anyways!

Leto was sick, but the show that night was ALSO sick.  The thing is, Jared Leto is an ACTOR at heart.  He loves the drama in everything. He likes to make a show of it, He took the Rock Star persona, put that suit on, and found out that it fit him quite well with very little tailoring.  30 Seconds To Mars is certainly a phenomenal stage show to look at - Jared never stops moving, the band is all decked out in awesome rock gear, and the light show is out of this fucking world.

(I have tons of show photos, but I'll spare you those & just post my favorite one I took that night)

The music, bitch, talk about the music! you say. 

Yes, I'm getting there, I swear. This all leads up to it.

I don't think I would have liked their new album if I hadn't gone to the show. I don't think I would have liked myself as a FAN if I hadn't gone. But they create this family atmosphere that i think a lot of people (not just teenagers) respond to. 

But their video for Closer To The Edge pretty much shows you what we saw that night -

Jared doesn't fuck around.  Hate him if you will, but dude ALSO has talent. He plays guitar, he sings (very well, actually), and their music is a tribute to the legendary-huge sound and drama that to myself seems to resemble a very Queen-like feel that I think most modern rock bands have left behind.  Queen really loved performing for the masses as well, and it shows.  

Their album This Is War didn't do much for me at first. Yes it's so epic sounding, and it's very well produced... but something about it didn't feel right to me. It was almost ...corny. Overdone.

But after seeing their stage show, the video for Closer To The Edge, and the environment and atmosphere they create where their fans feel so included... makes my heart explode a little. The music isn't BAD, it's just supposed to accompany a feeling. They want you to feel important and special. 30STM makes everything so grandiose and sensational, and they include me in it every step of the way... I can't ignore it.  I love drama (in the theater sense, dickheads) and I love the fan inclusion.  I even had my picture taken by their "people" to go in the DVD cover (that they were filming for at the show), so let's hope my pretty face makes it in there.

And to think... there's people who came to know Jared Leto as a singer and rock performer, and NOT as the heroin addict Harry who had a gangrenous arm in Requiem For A Dream.  (I'd still do him, for the record, even with an arm off... shit, even with that arm ON, I think.)  

I often wonder if teen fan-girls of 30 Seconds To Mars stumble across this movie with Leto in it, and say "OH YAY! A movie with Jared in it, let's get it!" and then are scarred for life.

Well, I'll be honest.... I've oft hoped that happens. 

Some of my buddies think he should have just not even bothered. My BFF Paul's infamous quote is, "Queermo shoulda stuck to what he knew! He just had a good agent."  hahah... even if he IS a queermo, well, I dunno about you... but can I get that agent's number? His band's pretty successful and loved.  (Paul, you know we'd all be awesome rock stars.)

That being said, I think A Beautiful Lie is still the superior album, as much as I like This Is War for the rock opera feel.

Now. Who can tell me what we've learned today?


A. I have a huge boner for Jared Leto. (Shut up.)
B. Justin Bieber worked for what he has and deserves it.
C. Katy Perry is at least a riot... her music doesn't have to be moving. I wanna hug her.
D. Popular music doesn't have to be scary - you just have to admit to yourself that you like it and if someone else doesn't, that's their loss and your gain. Love it ANYWAY, even if someone gives you shit for it.
E. All of the above.


Did you really make it through this blog?
Here's your banana sticker. I love you.