In case you missed it, Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge’s wedding was flawless. The prancing around the south of France in multiple Chanel gowns is a dream, no matter how unattainable it may be. And now it seems like the internet is obsessed with wedding details.
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Music Lists

Harry Styles' 8 Best Covers

The former One Direction member is the musical chameleon we don't deserve.

Harry Styles - Juice (Lizzo cover) in the Live Lounge

With his two solo albums, Harry Styles has proven that he was always One Direction's strongest link.

The boy band's final performance in 2015 opened the doors for Styles to come into his own. Turns out, his solo artistic persona is pretty chameleonic. He channels classic rock as easily as he does pop and R&B. He can deliver soaring ballads with the same energy he devotes to high-energy barnburners. All of this is to say: Styles is a singular talent with a versatile voice and an undeniable charisma that multiplies his appeal.

Though his original work is typically great, Styles has also performed numerous impressive renditions of other artists' hits. From '70s folk to modern hits, we've rounded up the ex-1D member's best covers.

Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi”

Joni Mitchell's biggest hit got another breath of life when it was covered by Counting Crows in 2002. Though the band gave the environmentally-conscious tune a more adult alternative spin, Styles takes it back to its singer-songwriter origins with a fully acoustic setup. The harmony during the chorus adds a special touch.

MUSIC

Get in to Lena Stone's 'Personal Space'

The pop-country singer is beginning her year by opening up.

Photo by Logen Christopher

Lena Stone is a singer-songwriter who knows how to let you in.

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MUSIC

From Lizzo's Tiny Purse to Selena Gomez's Shaky Return: The Internet's Hottest AMA Takes

In terms of memes, the AMAs didn't disappoint. In other respects, of course it disappointed. It's the AMAs.

Billie and Dua Lipa at the AMAs 2019 #billieeilish #dualipa #shorts

As we know, the Internet is the world's most accurate and knowledgeable arbiter of talent, and Twitter users and entertainment bloggers are the definitive arbiters of taste and quality.

Also, the AMAs are notorious for selecting top-tier talent, never catering to the whims of the music industry and their own moneyed interests, but rather elevating the voices of artists who deserve to be honored...That said, here's what the Internet had to say about the AMAs.

1. Selena Gomez's performance was off-key—but it wasn't her fault

After nearly two years away from the stage, Selena Gomez returned to perform her new song "Lose You to Love Me." The Internet immediately responded with harsh criticism, calling her performance off-key, but many leapt to her defense, arguing that nerves and her long absence from performing played a role.

Apparently, the performance was plagued by technical difficulties from start to finish, and Gomez also had a "panic attack" before the show, according to E! News. Fortunately, Gomez seemed to be doing well later in the night, and, after hearing about the technical difficulties, fans have swarmed to her defense.

2. Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello gave us more of the same

Heterosexual icons Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello are milking their "Señorita" success for all it's worth, and they brought the same recipe to the AMAs. Unfortunately, the repetition caused fans to actually listen to the song instead of being mesmerized by Cabello's hair and Mendes' biceps, which caused some confusion and doubts.


3. Lizzo's purse was the best part of the entire show

Lizzo's tiny purse made headlines in TIME magazine, CNN, Harper's Bazaar, Jezebel, Buzzfeed, and many other major news sources, many of which argued that the purse was "the best part of the entire show," so if anything, that ought to tell you something about the show. It also inspired a flurry of delicious memes.

Admittedly, the purse was pretty iconic. Maybe we can all resolve to belch extra-tiny amounts of fossil fuels into the atmosphere next.


4. Taylor Swift "avoided controversy"

Taylor Swift won Artist of the Decade at the AMAs and, after asking the entire Internet for help and gaining sympathy and support from everyone from Elizabeth Warren to Cher, it turned out that she was able to triumph over adversity in order to perform her old hits. She also won all five of the awards she was nominated for and became the most awarded artist in the history of the AMAs.

5. Post Malone is adorable

Post Malone won the award for Favorite Rap/Hip Hop album for Hollywood's Bleeding, but he also won the award for king of good vibes when the camera caught him dancing along to Shania Twain's medley.

All in all, Posty had a great night. He performed with Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott, and during his album acceptance speech, he solidified his place in awards show history with a peculiar closing line. Just as he was finishing up, he said, "We love you very much and I love grapes."

This sparked a flurry of speculation about the meaning of that cryptic phrase and also caused the Internet to conclude that Post Malone is someone who would be really fun to have a beer with. Maybe we should just elect Post Malone for president; after all, the mark of a great elected official is how fun they'd be to have a beer with. Right?



6. BTS won big, and the ARMY can sleep well tonight

The K-pop powerhouse group won all three of the categories they were nominated in, taking home the awards for Favorite Social Artist, Tour of the Year, and Favorite Duo or Group. Fans were ecstatic, especially since BTS has been slighted by awards shows (cough, the Grammys) in the past.



7. Kesha, Green Day, and Shania Twain returned

The AMAs provided plenty of nostalgia to tug on the heartstrings of their older viewers. Kesha returned to blow everyone away with her hit "Tik Tok"; Green Day celebrated the 25th anniversary of the release of their album Dookie and reinvigorated emo with their performance; and Shania Twain blew everyone (most of all Post Malone) out of the water.9. Halsey threw shade at the Grammys

We all know that the AMAs are just a somehow more watered-down Grammys, and Halsey reminded us that though she won the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Song for her smash hit "Without Me," she's bitter over her Grammys snub and disillusioned with the trappings of fame and awards on the whole.

In spite of her speech, most people were impressed with her performance.

8.Lil Nas X made everyone emotional

Despite being 20 years old and set for life thanks to the success of his very first single, the wunderkind (clad in an instantly iconic neon green suit) reminded everyone that it's never too late to shine.


9. Ciara and Megan Thee Stallion invented knees

Ciara hosted, performed her new single "Melanin," rocked every one of her looks, received her first platinum plaque as a music label owner, twerked with Megan Thee Stallion (who also delivered some priceless moments), and cemented her place as an eternal star and a person entirely immune to the passage of time.





10. Billie Eilish is really scary and very talented—but she's not alt-rock

I don't think I'm alone in saying Billie Eilish is the embodiment of everything that terrifies and amazes me about Gen Z teen girls. During her first awards show performance, she literally lit the stage on fire.

Despite her talent, viewers were quick to criticize the category she won in (alt-rock).

Then again, music is perpetually changing, genre is just about as real as gender (which is to say it's not real and was created by capitalism), and all of us old folk who don't understand how Billie Eilish won for alt-rock will be dead soon or relegated to the dusty attics of "Ok Boomer" land soon enough anyway.


11. We're all going to be telling our kids about this someday

Apparently nobody's sticking to their vow not to have kids until we stop the climate crisis, because almost every performance in the AMAs become the subject of a "gonna tell my kids" meme. Poor kids.








MUSIC

Justine Blazer: The Country Rock Diva Everyone Should Be Talking About

Her new album deserves Kacey Musgraves' level attention.

We're past due to add a new name to the pantheon of female country rockers.

It's been a few years since we've had a Shania or a Clarkson come along and give us a good kick in the teeth. With the arrival of Justine Blazer's debut album, Pioneer Soul Shaker, however, we might have a fix for you. Featuring rocking guitar riffs, stretched out solos, vocal finesse, and lyrics that'd feel right at home on CMR, it feels like we've just won country rock bingo. Add the fact that Blazer self-produced the entire affair, and the stage is set for something truly fresh and original.

We jump in at "No Tomorrow," which has a blustery early Kelly Clarkson feel. Edgy guitar snarks fill out the sound as Justine sings an ode to dance-fueled nights of escapism. A pounding drumbeat with synth currents gives it flow and carries us safely in to the world of her album. From there we move in to the titular "Pioneer Soul Shaker." This opens with the slow swagger of drums and classic rock guitars dominating the airwaves. It almost has an Alanis Morisette feel, though the lyrics are definitely more country than grunge. As her sound starts to coalesce, positive echoes of the 90s keep reverberating. Between expansive guitar solos and hard drum kicks, it's all there.

Next, she takes things down a notch with "Cigarettes and Secrets," the most radio-friendly of the album's fare. Mustangs, good girls being bad (but not that bad), and heartbreak make up the subject matter, creating a song that's fit for any Nashville highway. It's a pretty sexy slow jam, and there's probably a great acoustic cover out there for the taking. Then the album really starts to find its groove.

"Can't Buy Free" is badass. With banjo reminiscent of Jack Lawrence on a couple of Raconteurs tracks, a braggadocious guitar riff that'd make AC/DC envious, and a drumbeat Steve Tyler would strut to, this has all the elements of a solid anthem. The more Blazer plays her hand, the more we like her. Back in slower territory we have "Girl in the Lights." Here, Blazer frames herself as the girl you could have had. It's a revenge pop ballad with surging synth pulls and lyrics that exceed expectations. It's well-worn territory, but Blazer puts enough of her own spin on it to stand out among the crowd.

"Good Luck With That" is Blazer's girl power rock show: another drum kick, another power chord riff, and another session guitar solo. It's pretty intense, cementing the album's statement that Blazer is a country rock diva. The track is followed immediately by "Broken Girls Don't Cry, and the title tells you everything you need to know. Blazer is your tough country rocker chick. She's pissed you left her, so she's going to drink whiskey, kick back at you, and be sad, but she's not going to cry.

On "Replay" we get into something different and fresh. This track almost has a dance feel. You could play this at a club and get the crowd jumping. It blends bright jumping synths with summery rock vibes to create a bona fide ear worm. "Get Dirty" does the same. A scuzzy guitar lick intros the track, followed by lyrics and vocal rasp that sound like Shania when she wants to get nasty. It's a song that could define a movie soundtrack, and if there's any justice in the world, it's only a matter of time.

We slow down once more at "Heartbreak Prison," which is, for a change, piano-driven. It's a solid ballad, lyrically interesting, and well put together, if a little standard in subject matter. We then move in to "Been Around," the last of the originals on the album. Here, Blazer seems to be channelling pop punk at the edges, the core of the song is still solid 90s rock. It's a great penultimate track; with its punchy lyrics, it's the best solo on the album, just crying out to be a karaoke favorite.

Blazer finishes off with a slowed down cover of "Sweet Child of Mine." It's well-conducted, emotional, and familiar. She uniquely layers her vocals and adds pre-shocks and echoes that elevate it above just being another cover. It's a sweet, melancholy way to close out an album, but it's still a bold finish.

All in all, this is a strong showing for a first album. "Can't Buy Free," "Replay," and "Been Around" bring the fun in a way that a lot of country songs forgets to. The album also never drags, which is a trap for a lot of country rock. Each track stands out with its own style; and, most importantly, the record is never too wrapped up in its own self-importance. This album is an achievement for Blazer as a singer, songwriter, and producer. As a whole, it might beg for a little variation, but it's damn good fun, and there's a long way to go before Blazer wears out her welcome.

Pioneer Soul Shaker

Top Stories

Bastian Baker Hits Up Le Poisson Rouge, NYC

#ShaniaNOW is over, so what's next for the Swiss Army Musician?

Bastian Baker had a great 2018

He released a staggering self-titled album, opened for Shania Twain all over the world, and (most importantly) got a good write-up on PopDust. This now begs the question… what next? Barely stopping to catch his breath, Baker has an answer for the world: he's getting right back on the road. For his first show, he returned to New York City to hit up Le Poisson Rouge. Naturally, he did not disappoint.

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