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2011 Time Capsule: The Year of the Pop Diva and the Queer Anthem

2011 saw the release of an extraordinary number of legendary pop songs.

Photo by: Aron Visuals / Unsplash

2011 was a turbulent year, a year of the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street, of murdered dictators and earthquakes.

In terms of American pop culture, it was a time of great exuberance and energy. Female pop stars dominated the airwaves, as did the British Royal Wedding, as political unrest tangled with the public's desire for flashy distraction. Here are the pop culture highlights of 2011.

Music: Fridays and Queer Anthems

2011 was the year of the pop diva, and an almost unfathomable number of iconic hits by women hit the airwaves that year. Katy Perry and Adele dominated the charts, Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" became a queer anthem, Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" played perpetually, and Rihanna dropped her scandalous "S&M," the absolutely legendary "Man Down," and another song about Friday, "Cheers (Drink to That)".

Lady Gaga - Born This Waywww.youtube.com

Rihanna - Man Downwww.youtube.com

Avril Lavigne had us bopping along to "What the Hell" and Nicki Minaj had everyone learning the words to "Super Bass." Beyonce released "Love On Top" and "Who Run the World? (Girls)" and Jessie J. put out "Domino." Carly Rae, of course, dropped "Call Me Maybe."

Nicki Minaj - Super Basswww.youtube.com

Beyoncé - Run the World (Girls) (Video - Main Version)www.youtube.com

There were some sad bangers in the midst of all the girl power; Demi Lovato put out "Skyscraper" and Lana Del Rey dropped her mysterious amalgamation of found footage for "Video Games."

Lana Del Rey - Video Games (Official Music Video)www.youtube.com

And last but not least, Rebecca Black's "Friday" went super-viral and lodged itself in everyone's brains for eternity.

Rebecca Black - Fridaywww.youtube.com

Folky boys Conor Oberst, Wilco, and Jeff Magnum of Neutral Milk Hotel all had big years—the first two dropped great albums and the third reemerged from obscurity with a flood of unreleased gems. The ukulele also grew in popularity, taking center stage on the hit album w h o k i l l by tUnE-yArDs.

That year, we also tragically lost Amy Winehouse, who passed away at 27.

Movies: Franchises Come to a Close

2011's greatest hit was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, which smashed box office records. It was also a good year for the Twilight franchise; in Breaking Dawn, Part I, Jacob the werewolf imprinted (or fell eternally, irrevocably in love) with his former love interest's, Bella's, baby daughter.

Twilight 4 Breaking Dawn Part 1 Jacob imprints on Renesmee, the Cullens and the werewolves fight Ywww.youtube.com

Overall, it was a strange year for film. The Artist had everyone falling in love with an adorable dog; Drive polarized audiences, and so did The Descendants; and the heart-wrenching Like Crazy had everyone sobbing.

Las mejores escenas de Uggie ''The artist''www.youtube.com

TV: Escaping to Sweeter Times

Like the movies, television favored escapism, with shows like The Great British Bake-Off and Downton Abbey transporting viewers to other, sweeter times. Game of Thrones promised that "winter is coming," and South Park gave us "tween wave."

Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, Fringe, and other dramas gained continued success.

Entertainment: Kate and Pippa Middleton Make History

2011's biggest entertainment event may have been the Royal Wedding, which dominated America's hearts. Kate Middleton's dress went down in history.

Kate and William offer a wave from the balcony to the masses gathered at Buckingham Palace. Not visible: a handful of revelers who decided to splash around in a nearby fountain Britain Royal Wedding PicturesPhoto by Matt Dunham/AP/Shutterstock

In terms of viral trends, honey badgers and planking were huge. The year's top Twitter trends were:

It wasn't a great year for Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan, whose hard-partying habits (and lawsuits) made headlines constantly. Lady Gaga arrived to the Grammys in a giant egg. Kim K. and Kris Humphries married and got divorced. Beyonce announced she was pregnant. Justin Bieber debuted his relationship with Selena Gomez–and was also slammed with a paternity suit. Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher broke up. Anne Hathaway and James Franco hosted what was called "the worst Oscars ever."

That was 2011... A year of divas and distraction, chaos and comedy, and of course, the only 11/11/11 any of us will be alive for.

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Remembering Jimi Hendrix, 47 Years On

The late, great Jimi Hendrix died 47 years ago today, but his legacy has never faded.

Jimmy Hendrix

Photo by Freddy Kearney (Unsplash)

Jimi Hendrix was the kind of musician whose love for his craft outshone even his virtuosic skill.

His passion endowed everything he created with a kind of transcendent fire, and even now—nearly half a century after his death—you can still hear that ecstasy coming through each note of every one of his recordings.

James Marshall Hendrix died of asphyxia on September 18, 1970, after a whirlwind four-year career that would imprint him on music's legacy forever. He spoke frequently about the extent of his love for his craft, giving new meaning to musicianship and inspiring artists everywhere to pick up the guitar.

He was a major inspiration to guitarists like Elton John, Santana, Joe Satriani, and Orianthi. Freddie Mercury called Hendrix his idol, saying, "He sort of epitomizes, from his presentation on stage, the whole works of a rock star. There's no way you can compare him. You either have the magic or you don't. There's no way you can work up to it. There's nobody who can take his place."

Hendrix also made waves as a protest musician, giving voice to the rage and optimism that defined the 1970s. Perhaps most famously, his cover of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was powerful Vietnam protest and a cry of rage at the state of the nation, as well as a tribute to an America that never existed.

He had a tremendous amount of wisdom to give, too, and he knew how to bridge the gap between humility and liberation, between sadness and joy, between love and independence. "Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours," he once advised.

His style was iconic, emblematic of the counterculture movement's best aesthetics.

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He was also an incredible lyricist. His songs were about love, but they were also about pain, religion, and the passage of time; they bridged the gap between bone-deep weariness and hope. As he once said, "Imagination is the key to my lyrics. The rest is painted with a little science fiction."

Of course, when he started to play the guitar, nothing else compared.

What Makes Jimi Hendrix Such a Good Guitaristwww.youtube.com

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Breakout Star Cassian Releases 'Same Things' On Rose Avenue Label

It's funkalicious y'all

With support from RÜFÜS DU SOL's Rose Avenue record label, Australian producer Cassian released his latest single today, an electro-infused pop record titled " Same Things." The single, which features LA up-and-comer Gabrielle Current, combines the soul of American Indie with the unique electronic production that Cassian is known for. The DJ's first single off the Rose Avenue label, "Lafayette," was supported by Nora En Pure, Hayden James and RÜFÜS in their 2018 MIXMAG cover mix. Praised by What So Not, Hayden James and Alex Metric, Cassian is an upcoming act that has only grown in popularity since his debut.

The producer had a heavy hand in crafting RÜFÜS's SOLACE, as well as their sophomore record Bloom. He also supported the trio on all three of their sold out shows in LA's Shrine Expo Hall. Cassian will also be joining RÜFÜS on their forthcoming Australian tour dates.

Mackenzie Cummings-Grady is a creative writer who resides in the Brooklyn area. Mackenzie's work has previously appeared in The Boston Globe, Billboard, and Metropolis Magazine. Follow him on Twitter @mjcummingsgrady.

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Video Premiere and Exclusive Interview | Devin Hayes Shares His "Best Mistake"

You Saw it First on Popdust!

From YouTube to the world stage, Devin Hayes makes sparks fly with his new music video, "Best Mistake."

"Music is my diary, and it's amazing I get to share that with the world," Devin Hayes tells us in our exclusive interview with him (read more below)! Devin first started growing his online presence by live streaming at home. Viewers quickly fell in love with his voice and personality and eagerly searched for more places show support. Fast forward to today and Devin's more than a viral sensation; he's a certified pop star.

Less than two weeks ago, Hayes' new single "Best Mistake" hit the web, and without missing a beat, he fast-followed today with a killer visual featuring the lovely Carrington Durham.

In 2017, the social media hunk felt like he was hitting a sophomore slump, and began considering other paths. On the verge of giving up, Devin received an email that changed his life. ABC's reality series Boyband knew a star in the making when they saw one, and they wanted Devin on the show. His national television breakthrough got him all the way to the final nine contestants, and although he didn't win he knew he had what it takes to be the one.

Devin Hayes, strolling down memory lane

Earlier this year, Devin packed up his bags and headed for L.A. Focused, he began swinging at the music industry like never before. With the first punch, he landed himself on Jake Miller's aptly titled, nationwide "Hit and Run" tour. Then came the knockout: his debut album, The Mind's Diary, and of course, his newest single, "Best Mistake." What's the next horizon for Hayes? He tells us in his own words below!

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How I Went From Skeptic To Subscriber With This Language App

Photo by Philip Myrtorp on Unsplash

There are more than 6 billion people in the world speaking roughly 6,909 different languages. The ability to express ourselves using language is inherently what makes us human. We communicate to each other over the phone, text, email & yes, sometimes even in person. In today's globalized society it's almost imperative that we learn to speak several languages. For many, like me, it's been a challenge to travel and communicate with people for work or pleasure. I've missed out on business opportunities due to language barriers. Other times I've gotten lost and taken the wrong train due to misunderstanding someone. Learning a new language however, can be extremely difficult, full of boring textbook memorization and not to mention, can be extremely time consuming.

So, when I was talking to some of my buddies about presenting a case study in Spanish for an upcoming business trip, I was surprised to learn about Babbel. One of my friends promised that Babbel would help me learn and speak conversational Spanish in just a few weeks, but I was pretty skeptical. He explained how their revolutionary technology makes language learning simple and fun. With nowhere else to turn and not a lot of time, I decided to check them out.

Babbel is a language learning site that offers simple instruction across multiple languages - from beginner to advanced. This platform was developed by a team of over a 100 language experts from more than 40 nations around the world. A research study by City University of New York (CUNY) found that with Babbel, students could learn a semester's worth of Spanish in just three weeks. My trip was a few weeks away so I was hoping I'd be able to pick up some Spanish by then. I definitely had my work cut out for me, but I was up for the challenge.

Every morning, I selected a training with or without voice recognition depending on where I was. Each lesson asks you to study words and phrases with a voice-over teaching you how to pronounce every word so you can practice for real-life conversation. This was key, and I really felt like I was having a normal conversation with a person - not repeating the same phrase over and over again - like in 6th-grade Spanish class. I learned what to listen for and how to properly pronounce words, which was very practical and gave me confidence in speaking. In just a few weeks, I was having conversations and continued to use the app whenever I had a spare moment.

For many people, trying to learn a new language can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. To my surprise, Babbel helped me learn conversational Spanish in just a few weeks, something I wasn't able to do through 4 years of Spanish in high school and college. I even closed a business deal on my trip, which I don't think I could have done without Babbel- that alone was well worth the $7 a month. Babbelhas helped me connect with new people that I wouldn't have been able to speak to otherwise. I even made a few new Spanish-speaking friends along the way!

Update: The folks at Babbel are extending a special offer to our readers. Follow this link to get 1 month free! Use promocode Navigate2018