Taylor Swift's Album Review

Known as one of youngest country singers to every make it big at the age of sixteen, Taylor Swift has been able to accomplish the unimaginable. Taylor Swift is a country singer-songwriter and a guitarist, who has become a triple platinum artist. Born on December 13, 1989 in Reading Pennsylvania Swift has always has a passion for music. Even though she is considered a recent musician to the American Public, Swift has been performing for almost her whole life.
Taylor Swift’s first album was a huge success and made its way to becoming a 3x Multi-Platinum record. Her second album which some would agree to be even better, has become to be an even bigger success. Fearless, her second album was released in November of 2008. The Nielsen SoundScan has rated Swifts album as the highest-selling album in the United States with net sales of more than four million albums. Writing all of her songs, Taylor Swift is considered to be one of the most successful country artists.
During the release of the album, Fearless spent eleven weeks on the Billboard top two hundred chart . Within this decade, Taylor Swift is considered the top female artists having produced over forty successful songs. Based on all of her album sales this year, Forbes names Taylor Swift the 69th most powerful celebrity, with earnings over $18 million.
Fearless has been one of Swift’s most powerful and inspirational albums she has made yet. Taylor called this album Fearless to express all of the doubts and fears that she has experienced, “To me fearless is not the absence of fear. It’s not being completely unafraid. To me, fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts”. With songs like Fifteen, White Horse, You’re Not Sorry, and Tell Me Why, Swift sophisticatedly expresses the pain she has experienced from past memories. Along with the gloomy emotions expressed by Swift, the album also shows feelings of happiness and uplifting moments as revealed in Love Story and Forever and Always. Taylor Swift has come a long way from being a small town girl in Pennsylvania, and her success is expected to keep on rising.

Someone Else's Star

Every person, at some point in their life, will have the dream to find that special someone that makes them feel complete. Just like every other person, Bryan White tells his story of misfortunes he has with finding the right person, in the song, “Someone Else’s Star”. Bryan White is a multitalented country singer who over the years has become a multi-platinum artist. The uniqueness of his songs tells stories about White’s life experiences that help bring the listener closer to him as a person. Bryan White is a “master stylist” who is determined to build on his career and success. “Someone Else’s Star” is a heartfelt single that describes the success other people have finding their lifelong partner, while the artist seems to have the worst luck out of everyone. Bryan White incorporates the literary devices of imagery and alliteration to enhance the song as a whole.

“Someone else’s star” revolves around the theme of never receiving what you want regardless of how hard one may try. The entire song is an allusion to the nursery rhyme of wishing upon a shooting star. The man keeps wishing on the bright stars, “Oh I wish I may/And I wish with all my might”, but every time he seems to wish on a star another person, besides him, seems to fall in love. Imagery is used throughout the song to enhance the song, and allow the reader to fully imagine what Bryan White is trying to portray. While looking at the sky, “the stars are shining bright” is showing the setting of the night as he stares up at the sky. The night is dark and lonesome but the stars give a twinkle and a sense of hope for Bryan to try and find love again. At another instance “I sit here in the dark/and stare up at the sky”, the listener of the song would picture the great outdoors on a cloudless night to fully grasp the song content. The use of the imagery adds a sense of creativity and vividness to the theme of the song. Bryan White makes the song more artistic by adding alliteration throughout the song. While still outside the singer looks up to see that the “stars are shining” all over the dark sky. The repetition of the constant sounds helps to give the song a little bit of rhythm.

Bryan White is an artist that writes about personal experiences and hardships he has faced and overcome. “Someone else’s star” is a great song to show the emotions that writers experience while trying to write a particular song. White is going through pain in the song and he expresses the pain of loneliness throughout. The artist tells his story of wishing upon stars but never seeing any progress. As he wishes on the stars his friends seem to be the lucky ones. Bryan shows distraught when wishing to be someone else that is able to find the type of love that he is looking for. It is seen as lucky to wish upon a star when you want something, but Bryan is receiving the opposite of what he wants, pain.

Alone again tonight

without someone to love

The stars are shining bright

So one more wish goes up

Oh I wish I may

And I wish with all my might

For the love I'm dreamin of

And missin in my life

You'd think that I could find

A true love of my own

It happens all the time

To people that I know

Their wishes all come true

So I've got to believe

There's still someone out there

Who was meant for only me

I guess I must be wishin on someone else's star

It seems like someone else keeps gettin what I'm wishin for

Why can't I be as lucky as those other people are

I guess I must be wishin on someone else's star

I sit here in the dark

And stare up at the sky

I can't my heart

One good reason why

Everywhere I look

It's lovers that I see

Seems like everyone's in love

Everyone but me

I guess I must be wishin on someone else's star
It seems like someone else keeps gettin what I'm wishin for
Why can't I be as lucky as those other people are
I guess I must be wishin on someone else's star

Why can't I be as lucky as those other people are
I guess I must be wishin on someone else's star

Reflection

On the billboard top 100 chart, “Throw It In the Bag” by Fabolous and The-Dream is ranked at number nineteen. The content of the song is based mainly on the idea of money. The two singers/rappers sing about the idea of no limits on money. They buy what they want when they want regardless of price. In a way the rappers are showing signs of haughtiness, by saying price tags are not for them, “I’m the one with them ones/ F*** the price tag, just throw it in the bag”, money sets no limitations for the two rappers, because of the amount that they make. The fact that this song is ranked at number nineteen shows that America is materialistic. We favor songs that talk about nice clothes, cars, and houses even though many people do not have that particular lifestyle, “I keep her in Louboutin, Louis Vuitton/Gucci down to her feet, yup, just like me”. Gucci and Louie Vuitton are extremely expensive brands; dressing in the clothes is a way of showing materialism by needing the top of the line clothing. In this song the gender role plays an important part. The rappers sing about how they earn the money, and how they spend it on the women. It shows that they go along with the theory of men being the provider of the household. In this particular song success is not measured by how many record one sells, but by the amount of money that they make singing. The song is written in first person, it is a story of how the narrator spends money on unnecessary items, to flaunt that he has money.
The second song that I choose is also on the billboard top one hundred songs. “Good Girls Go Bad” by Cobra Starship and Leighton Meester made it’s was to number twenty-two on the charts. The song is a stereotype of rich girls who fall for the bad guy “I know your type/You’re daddy’s little girl”. There are two singers, a boy and a girl, who each give their opinion of the night and each other. The song is sung in first person, by both of the people. In one of the lines Cobra Starship uses the alliteration to show that he can make any girl like him not matter the type of girl, “She was so shy”. The girl was so shy but he is going to make her become a bad girl by the end of the night. In this song as well as “Throw it in the Bag” gender plays a big role. The song is sung mostly by Cobra Starship, a male, who believes that since he is a considered a bad boy he can get any girl. The idea that America has voted this song number twenty-two shows that as a population, we enjoy songs that tell a story. The song tells the story about a shy girl who plays by the rules. She is sitting with her friends, when this troublesome guy walks up to her and makes her bad for the night.
“Already Gone” by Kelly Clarkson has made its way to number twenty-three on the billboard top one hundred songs. The song is about a relationship that went bad. Everything in the relationship seemed well, but it was not working out for one person. Kelly Clarkson loves the man she was with, she loves him enough to give him away, “Looking at you makes it harder/But I know that you’ll find another/That doesn’t always make you want to cry”. This song shows that America enjoys listening to songs about love and hardships. The gender of Kelly Clarkson plays a somewhat important role in the song. Because Kelly Clarkson is a woman it shows that women are just as likely to make hard decisions in their lives as well as men. Women are just as likely to end a relationship if they feel as if there is a disconnection between their partner and themselves. The repletion of the line “already gone” is used to show that nothing can change her mind. She is already out of the relationship and nothing is going to bring her back into a relationship that will not work out.

God Must Be Busy by Brooks and Dunn

That anchor man

says the fight began

somewhere in the Middle East.

The world prays for peace.

There's a single mom

just got laid off when she lost a job

to some foreign hands

in some faraway land.

Last night in Oklahoma

some twister took thirteen

and they're praying that they find

the missing three.

God must be busy.

That highway sign

went from slow ahead

to traffic's dead.

Thought it couldn't get worse

than that Amber Alert.

They say she's 4,

Colorado plates, headed out-of-state

in a Chevy van.

It's hard to understand.

You can see it in the faces

of all those highway strangers,

they're praying that God

keeps that girl from danger.

God must be busy.

And I know in the big picture

I'm just a speck of sand

and God's got better things to do

than look out for one man.

I know he's heard my prayers

cause he hears everything,

he just ain't answered back

or he'd bring you back to me.

God must be busy.

That evening news,

Ain't much changed

pretty much the same

since I left home.

Yeah that war's still on.

They found that little girl.

She was soaking wet,

half scared to death

on the side of some road.

Them prayers work, you know.

And the Bloods and Cripps are at it,

and theres a killer drought down south,

and old folks can't afford the drugs

they can't live with out.

God must be busy.

And I know in the big picture

I'm just a speck of sand

and God's got better things to do

than look out for one man.

I know he's heard my prayers

cause he hears everything,

he just ain't answered back

or he'd bring you back to me.

God must be busy.

That anchorman,

says the fightings worse,

cities burn in the Middle East.

[The] world prays for peace

There are many talented country singers in the world today, but together Brooks and Dunn have come together to form one great country music dynamic duo that beat out all the rest. Leon Eric Brooks is an energetic man that runs the stage and plays the guitar, where as Ronnie Gene Dunn has the quiet personality but loud and unbelievable vocals. Over the years Brooks and Dunn have written and produced many hit songs that have made their way to be number one on the charts, one of these including “My Maria”, which spent six weeks at the number one spot. Along with their single songs placing at number one, Brooks and Dunns album Red Dirt Road instantly became a chart topper and earned the two a Grammy nomination. One of the more emotional songs, “God Must Be Busy”, incorporates the use of many poetic devices, which ultimately strengthens the song as a whole.
“God Must Be Busy” reveals the problems in the world, and the idea that they will happen no matter how hard we try to avoid them, it is just the way of life. The song incorporates many examples of alliteration that help to enhance the message behind the song. Brooks and Dunn involve the war in the middle east by saying “the world prays for peace”. Praying for peace is the alliteration which aids in describing how people feel about the war. In hope to end the war people will be praying for the soldiers to come home, and most often the prayers will be directed toward god. The song also talks about world disasters that are non preventable, “twister took thirteen”. Brooks and Dunn are playing with the alliteration to make the song more artistic to look at and listen too. Natural disasters cannot be prevented, they have no mercy and take lives when they want to. The country singers talk about god being busy because all of the prayers are not being answered. They do not want to sound selfish, but it seems hard when they feel neglected from the one person they tell everything to. “Speck of sand” is used to describe how small they feel in gods world due to everyother person on earth that prays to god for answers. The alliterations in the song make it more interesting to listen to. They create a sense of creativity that helps listeners to understand what is really meant by the song on a deeper level.
Along with alliterations, point of view is integrated to develop the story of the song. Throughout the song, Brooks and Dunn mostly tell the song from first person point of view. They use I because they song is about one person and their feelings about the world. The singer knows god is there, he just does not have time for everyone, “I Know he hears my prayers”. The narrator believes that god hears how he feels, but god has to much going on to reply to everyone at once. Refeering again to oneself, the narrator say, “I know in the big picture I’m just a speck of sand”, looking at god and hoping for the best, even though he understands everything god has to deal with. Having the song in first person point of view, allows for the song to have more emotion pertaining to how the narrator is feeling.

Brooks and Dunn are extremely talented producers and singers, that use poetic devises only to make their songs better. The narrator of the song is feeling pain for the natural disasters that go on around the world. Most people blame what happens on god if something goes wrong when really it is not his fault. The singer is in pain because he believes that things happen because god is too busy to listen to what he has to say. Instead of questioning god and feeling pain, the singer should realize life is going to do something’s people do not always agree with, but instead of blaming god trust in him.

Photos of Stevie Wonder

You Are the Sunshine of My Life

You are the sunshine of my life
That's why I'll always be around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart

I feel like this is the beginning,
Though I've loved you for a million years,
And if I thought our love was ending,
I'd find myself drowning in my own tears

You are the sunshine of my life,
That's why I'll always stay around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart

You must have known that I was lonely,
Because you came to my rescue,
And I know that this must be heaven,
How could so much love be inside of you?

You are the sunshine of my life, yeah,
That's why I'll always stay around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart
[Background] Love has joined us,


Love has joined us,
Let's think sweet love

http://vodpod.com/watch/26248-stevie-wonder-you-are-the-sunshine-of-my-life

Short Essay:
Stevie Wonder formerly known as Steveland Judkins, is one of the most talented people in the music industry of all time. Stevie Wonder is known today for his talents as a singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. Born a blind prodigy Stevie Wonder overcame hardships and released his first single called “Fingertips” when he was only twelve years old. Stevie’s song reached the charts, making him the youngest solo singer to ever do so. Stevie Wonder has nine United States number one songs, and has sold over seventy million copies of his albums. As a writer Stevie Wonder made it look easy to succeed in the music industry. During his career he has had over thirty top ten hits and has won over twenty Grammys.
Due to Stevie Wonder being blind, he had to write and sing everything only by listening to the beats and rhythms. Stevie Wonder believed music to be “a transformational force” that changed how people listened to sounds. Stevie Wonder was one of the best musical artists of his time that knew how to blend different types of sounds together to form a new creation of music. As an artist Stevie Wonder was able to write and sing all different styles from, classical, to R&B, and to hip/hop. In the late 1980’s Stevie Wonder was said to be one of the most important American artists. Stevie Wonder was able to put things together in songs that people had never before imagined of doing. Stevie Wonder has greatly changed the music world, and his work has greatly influenced the work of other artists.

Song Analysis:
Stevie Wonder is said to be one of the most inventive musical figures of the 20th century. Born a child prodigy, Stevie Wonder is a talented multi-instrumentalist being able to play, the piano, organ, harmonica, and drums. Winning over twenty Grammy awards throughout his life, Stevie Wonder has been able to change the art and history of music. Born blind was not a setback for Stevie, instead it kept him pushing forward and allowed him to release his first single at the age of twelve years old. Stevie Wonder has worked throughout his life to help redefine the music genres of R&B and classical. “You are the Sunshine of my Life” by Stevie Wonder includes various poetic devices which demonstrates the talent in Stevie as a song writer.
Throughout Stevie Wonder’s career he has written and sung many songs, one of the more popular is, “You are the Sunshine of my Life”. Although the song is rather short in length, Stevie Wonder adds the use of hyperbole to express the emotions he is feeling towards his lover. While talking about his love he sings about the length of time having loved someone, “Though I’ve loved you for a million years”. Exaggerating the length of time shows that love can last forever, and as time goes on the love for this woman intensifies. Thinking about leaving this woman gives Stevie the feeling that he would die, “I’d find myself drowning in my own tears”, a person cannot literally drown in their own tears, but Stevie Wonder incorporates hyperbole to tell how strong his feeling of sadness would be if this woman were to leave him. Stevie Wonder uses hyperbole mostly to illustrate how true his love for this person is. Exaggerating his emotions gives the feeling that words cannot and will not be able to express how strong his love is for this one person.
As a songwriter and singer, Stevie Wonder uses multiple poetic devices in his lyrics to enhance the strength of his songs. “You are the Sunshine of my Life” involves mostly the use of hyperbole in order to express his feelings about his lover to the reader. As one of the first African-American singers/songwriters Stevie Wonder evolved the art of music. Stevie Wonder surpassed many artists and was given the chance to record over thirty top hit songs, and was given the opportunity to be inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame.

TIMELINE:
May 13, 1950: Stevie Wonder is born
· August 10 1963: At 12 years old Little Stevie Wonder, receives number one song on the pop charts for “Fingertips”
· 1968: Graduated with honors from the Michigan School for the Blind, and released four albums
· 1969: Receive the “Distinguished Service Award” from President Nixon
· 1970: Married Syreeta
· 1972: Stevie Wonder and Syreeta divorce
· 1973: Gets into a car accident that leaves him in a Coma for 10 days
· 1974: Hits #1 on the charts for “You Haven’t Done Nothin” and #8 for “Living for the City”, also receives 5 Grammies
· 1975: Hits #3 on the charts for “Boogie on Reggae Woman”, Receives 5 more Grammies
· April 1975: Yolanda Simmons gives birth to Stevie Wonders first child, Aisha
· 1977: Stevie Wonder receives 4 Grammies
· October 4, 1980: the tribute song “Master Blaster” to Bob Marley enters the R&B chart where it stayed for seven weeks and topped off at #5
· 1980: “Hotter Than July” peaked #1 on the R&b charts, #3 on the pop charts, and #2 in the UK
· 1984: Receives his first UK #1 single
· 1985: Gets an Oscar award for “I Just Called to Say”
· 1986: Won another Grammy for “That’s What Friends are for”
· 1987: Characters album reached #1 for R&B
· 1989: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
· 1991: the release of Jungle Fever Motion Picture Soundtrack charted at #1 for R&B
· 1996: Wins 2 Grammy awards for “For Your Love”, also awarded the NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award
· 1999: Receives 2 more Grammy awards for the work on the Hancock album
· 2001: gets the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award
· 2002: Stevie is awarded the Songwriters Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award
· 2004: He receives the Billboard Century Award for Lifetime Achievement
· 2006: Stevie’s mother passes away and he receives the National Artistic Achievement Award
· 2008: receives the NAACP Hall of Fame Award

INTERESING FACTS:
1. Stevie Wonder became blind from being placed in an incubator at birth, the incubator
contained too much oxygen which caused cataracts to grow in his eyes, leaving him to be blind
2. At birth his real name was Steveland Hardaway Judkins
3. At the age of 12 Stevie Wonder signed with Motown and was called “Little Stevie Wonder”
4. When Stevie Wonder was 13 years old he released his first U.S number 1 hit, which is still the youngest artist to have a number one single.
5. Stevie Wonder is the first black person to win a Grammy award for best album of the year, which he repeated for 3 consecutive albums
6. In 1969 he received the “Distinguished Service Award” from president Nixon
7. Was in a coma for 10 days due to a car accident in 1973
8. 1974 November 18th is declared Stevie Wonder Day in Los Angeles
9. He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
10. 2008 he received the NAACP Hall of Fame Award
11. Throughout his career has won 22 Grammy awards, an all time record for a solo artist
12. Has won 2 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song