The Opposite of Loneliness 8:33 AM

Marina Keegan died in a crash at the age of 22. She's part of the 2012 graduating class of Yale University.

The piece below was written by her, distributed at the 2012 Yale University Commencement Exercises.

I must say, this piece is very moving.

We don’t have a word for the opposite of loneliness, but if we did, I could say that’s what I want in life. What I’m grateful and thankful to have found at Yale, and what I’m scared of losing when we wake up tomorrow and leave this place.
It’s not quite love and it’s not quite community; it’s just this feeling that there are people, an abundance of people, who are in this together. Who are on your team. When the check is paid and you stay at the table. When it’s four a.m. and no one goes to bed. That night with the guitar. That night we can’t remember. That time we did, we went, we saw, we laughed, we felt. The hats.
Yale is full of tiny circles we pull around ourselves. A cappella groups, sports teams, houses, societies, clubs. These tiny groups that make us feel loved and safe and part of something even on our loneliest nights when we stumble home to our computers — partner-less, tired, awake. We won’t have those next year. We won’t live on the same block as all our friends. We won’t have a bunch of group-texts.
This scares me. More than finding the right job or city or spouse – I’m scared of losing this web we’re in. This elusive, indefinable, opposite of loneliness. This feeling I feel right now.
But let us get one thing straight: the best years of our lives are not behind us. They’re part of us and they are set for repetition as we grow up and move to New York and away from New York and wish we did or didn’t live in New York. I plan on having parties when I’m 30. I plan on having fun when I’m old. Any notion of THE BEST years comes from clichéd “should haves...” “if I’d...” “wish I’d...”
Of course, there are things we wished we did: our readings, that boy across the hall. We’re our own hardest critics and it’s easy to let ourselves down. Sleeping too late. Procrastinating. Cutting corners. More than once I’ve looked back on my High School self and thought: how did I do that? How did I work so hard? Our private insecurities follow us and will always follow us.
But the thing is, we’re all like that. Nobody wakes up when they want to. Nobody did all of their reading (except maybe the crazy people who win the prizes…) We have these impossibly high standards and we’ll probably never live up to our perfect fantasies of our future selves. But I feel like that’s okay.
We’re so young. We’re so young. We’re twenty-two years old. We have so much time. There’s this sentiment I sometimes sense, creeping in our collective conscious as we lay alone after a party, or pack up our books when we give in and go out – that it is somehow too late. That others are somehow ahead. More accomplished, more specialized. More on the path to somehow saving the world, somehow creating or inventing or improving. That it’s too late now to BEGIN a beginning and we must settle for continuance, for commencement.
When we came to Yale, there was this sense of possibility. This immense and indefinable potential energy – and it’s easy to feel like that’s slipped away. We never had to choose and suddenly we’ve had to. Some of us have focused ourselves. Some of us know exactly what we want and are on the path to get it; already going to med school, working at the perfect NGO, doing research. To you I say both congratulations and you suck.
For most of us, however, we’re somewhat lost in this sea of liberal arts. Not quite sure what road we’re on and whether we should have taken it. If only I had majored in biology…if only I’d gotten involved in journalism as a freshman…if only I’d thought to apply for this or for that…
What we have to remember is that we can still do anything. We can change our minds. We can start over. Get a post-bac or try writing for the first time. The notion that it’s too late to do anything is comical. It’s hilarious. We’re graduating college. We’re so young. We can’t, we MUST not lose this sense of possibility because in the end, it’s all we have.
In the heart of a winter Friday night my freshman year, I was dazed and confused when I got a call from my friends to meet them at EST EST EST. Dazedly and confusedly, I began trudging to SSS, probably the point on campus farthest away. Remarkably, it wasn’t until I arrived at the door that I questioned how and why exactly my friends were partying in Yale’s administrative building. Of course, they weren’t. But it was cold and my ID somehow worked so I went inside SSS to pull out my phone. It was quiet, the old wood creaking and the snow barely visible outside the stained glass. And I sat down. And I looked up. At this giant room I was in. At this place where thousands of people had sat before me. And alone, at night, in the middle of a New Haven storm, I felt so remarkably, unbelievably safe.
We don’t have a word for the opposite of loneliness, but if we did, I’d say that’s how I feel at Yale. How I feel right now. Here. With all of you. In love, impressed, humbled, scared. And we don’t have to lose that.
We’re in this together, 2012. Let’s make something happen to this world.

My heart goes to those who are closest to Marina and to the 2012 Yale University batch as well.

Source: www.yaledailynews.com

The Truth About Alice, Right Now 9:31 PM

I feel as if I am a less-striking version of that GIF right now.

When dreams crash, it's easier to see them on the ground than realizing they aren't bouncing up.

Whoever said that life is hard, probably just said the understatement of the century.

Back when Alice was younger, the only thing that bothered her was how the hell she ended up wounded inside that damned PLDT manhole. Growing up, she thought that the hardest question she'll ask herself was how the hell did she survive the first 10 years of her life without having their own radio.

But she ended up so wrong about that.

Never in a million years did she think that she'll ever see herself repeatedly starting over, trying to figure out where she wants to go or if that place is where she's supposed to be.

Did she believe in fate?

Did she believe in signs?

She listened to her childhood superhero, Superman. You control your destiny and all the crap. So, she pushed through the direction she had in mind, although she wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do.

Then, came nothing.

It was finally time to cut the Superman crap and accept reality.

Not all dreams come true.

Or at least when they do, it's usually a hard slap of reality that a dream is just a bitter, melting realization that they aren't what you've pictured them to be.

Or whatever.

At the end of the day, someone usually ends up with teary eyes and an uncertain future; or a crushed self-esteem.

When dreams crash, someone always ends up hurt.

When dreams crash, someone always ends up having nothing at all.

They say no dream is too big or small or that David defeated Goliath with a stone but tell that to someone who cares.

When dreams crash, they usually just crash, giving you a tight feeling in the gut that makes you want to regret every single decision that left you where you stand at that moment - with nothing but your shattered dreams.

Alice doesn't regret ever taking her feet off the ground - or at least that's the lie she tells herself everytime she wakes up in the morning. It's a constant battle with pride or a truth she didn't want to admit.

That's the one, constant thing she keeps telling herself as she goes through an entire day of absolutely nothing but hating the fact that she's given up for the first time in her life.

They call it withdrawal.

Or whatever excuse people give these days.

She struts and smiles and rants about how she hates the TV show that told her dreams can come true.

But Alice is not fine, no matter how many times she says she is.

Why Jessica Sanchez SHOULD win American Idol 5:46 AM

On Group A: Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood  and Jordin Sparks

On Group B: Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze and Scotty McCreery

I hope you see the huge difference here.

American Idol Season 11 is coming to a close and in just a matter of days, Ryan Seacrest will all grace us with the kind of announcement he'd been doing for a decade now. From 13, we're down to two.

It could be Jessica Sanchez or it could be Phillip Phillips.

The past four seasons of American Idol have flaunted the illusion that white guys who play guitar will most likely be the last man standing at the end of the day.

Yet, the success of the Idol ladies has proven that American Idol can produce legitimate artists - the ones who can last in the industry; the ones who can win ACM Entertainer of the Year twice; the ones who can sell two million digital copies of a song about having no air; and the ones who can beat a record that was once held by The Beatles.

Sure, American Idol has had its taste of ups and downs - and that doesn't include Randy Jackson's "Yo!" at the start of his every sentence - but we all don't need to debate about the fact that Idol's credibility is mostly donned by its female winners.

That makes me put all my taxes on 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez.

Jessica Sanchez, 16

San Diego, California

She got my attention when she performed Whitney Houston's toughest song, I Will Always Love You.

 

But she won me over when she so-creatively repackaged Beyonce's Sweet Dreams.

At 16 years old, the girl sure knows how to sing.

Let's be real here, even Jennifer Lopez - who critiques America's best singers yet sings on auto tune every damn time - wouldn't be able to pull off a clean falsetto the way Sanchez perfectly does, every single time.

Sure, the girl couldn't pull off a Queen performance good enough for the judges or her Tina Turner seemed a bit slutty but despite her flaws, listen to her voice.

Really. Listen. To. It.

 Jessica Sanchez - Everybody Has A Dream

Other singers work their whole lives to get their pitches as perfect as hers or to learn to growl majorly without sounding like a hungry wolf. Yet, Jessica Sanchez is 16 years old and she does that almost effortlessly.

Her skills are beyond her years. Can you imagine how much she had to work hard to get her voice on that shape, at 16 years old?

Where were you when you were 16?

Other artists could only wish they could sing like her and yes, Rebecca Black, I was talking about you.

She reminds me of a younger Charice - the one prior the blonde hair and tattoo. You see her there, smiling like a freaking unicorn and you just have to ask yourself - where on Earth did she get her talents from?

Don't get me started on her vibrato. Some singers die without learning to perfect theirs and Sanchez just nails it whenever she wants to.

I may sound like a total fangirl here but what I really like the most about Sanchez is that she doesn't need to hit big notes to make an impression. Her rendition of Jazmine Sullivan's less popular song "Stuttering" proved that.

Jessica Sanchez - Stuttering

That's the reason Joshua Ledet never worked for me. I mean...

Going back to business.

Lastly, I'd give it to Jessica's versatility. It is something other contestants in this batch didn't have.

Sure, Phillip Phillips took on different artists but he had to redo the song to make it sound like him. While that is admirable, it doesn't present flavor - and that's Jessica Sanchez for you.

Flavorful.

We've heard her take on songs of artists from different generations yet, she always managed to give it justice; like every song is a tribute.

Sure, Joshua Ledet was good. He had moments but let's get real here, imagine his album and we all know we'd hear the same thing - big notes and all. His material is good but it is exhausting.

Again, that's Jessica Sanchez for you.

Variety.

On another note...

I'll take myself back to reality.

There's been an endless debate whether American Idol is a talent show or a popularity contest. I admit, cultural differences are quite a factor here.

Phillip Phillips is a white, good-looking all-American guy who has the ability to make you swoon when he sings and plays the guitar. (I know for sure. I'm on Team Jay all the way but he did make me swoon more than once.)

And Jessica is a half-Filipina, half-Mexican girl who's only qualified as American because she was born in the US.

Votes-wise, we'll have to rally and horde the voting lines to get the girl up there.

Before someone reacts, those are facts. Some will not understand this but this factors matter.

I just hope for once that people will vote because they believe in talent.

I do.

And I am voting for Jessica.

 

American Idol Season 11 Finale: Jessica vs Phillip 9:45 AM

Two different people, two different music styles - one dream.

American Idol Season 11 had seen such great talents. It might as well be dubbed as the most competitive batch ever but as they say it, no matter who have come and gone, the finale boils down to two.

Left: Phillip Phillips; Right: Jessica Sanchez

It's guitar-playing, Savannah, Georgia-native Phillip Phillips versus the 16-year-old, Chula Vista, California-born Jessica Sanchez.

Everyone had seen great performances from both contestants, making them the two most loved finalists of the season.

Who will ever forget Jessica Sanchez' "I Will Always Love You"?

Or Phillip Phillips rendition of "U Got It Bad"?

Many have questioned the show's credibility when Joshua Ledet - the contestant that has the most number of standing O's from the judges - bid goodbye to his American Idol dream to make way for the Jessica-Phillip finale.

For the past four seasons of American Idol, the world has witnessed how guys dominated the show. Lee DeWyze, David Cook, Kris Allen and reigning American Idol Scotty McCreery have proven that white guys who play guitars are most likely to win the critically-acclaimed show.

Given the four-season pattern, it looks like Phillip Phillips is a shoo-in.

 

But it has been a popular knowledge that the girls who won the title seasons ago, are the more successful ones in the business even years after they've dominated the Idol stage. Kelly Clarkson - two-time Grammy Award winner and reknowned performer - and Carrie Underwood - two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year and multi-platinum selling artist - prove just how the Idol ladies come farther in their careers after winning the competition.

This fact makes the spectators wish for a female winner this year.

It could be Phillip, whose charm just might capture hearts or it could be Jessica, whose raw talent might move America.

Both contestants have solid fan bases, which was proven when they came back to their hometowns on the Top 3 round of the competition. Their Twitter accounts have almost the same number of followers, with Sanchez leading by approximately 50,000 followers.

Follow the contestants on Twitter:

When you cast your votes, make sure to vote for the best.

The next big thing in the music industry has their future in your hands.

Jessica Sanchez

Stuttering

Dance With My Father

 

Sweet Dreams

Phillip Phillips

Midnight Hour

Beggin'

Fat Bottomed Girls

ZZ Ward's "Eleven Roses": Why You Must Have It 11:25 PM

Whoever said that contemporary hip-hop can never work with alternative blues, they probably haven't heard ZZ Ward.

I was watching the official trailer of Pretty Little Liars two days ago and then, it featured this song that immediately caught my attention. It's probably the authentic beats of contemporary hip-hop or it could be the voice but I found myself searching the artist behind it.

View the Pretty Little Liars trailer here.

Thank God for YouTube [and Pretty Little Liars] because they introduced me to the music of ZZ Ward.

So, I've learned that the track I've heard on the trailer is called "'Till The Casket Drops" and I swear if you listen to it, you'll get captivated as well. (The comments on trailer itself were talking about the song and not the show itself, as awkward as that is.)

Listen to 'Til The Casket Drops

And upon research, I figured that the Roseburg, Oregon native blues singer just made her Eleven Roses mixtape available for free download.

ZZ Ward's debut mixtape features eight tracks of genius music - the raw yet elegant combination of blues and hip-hop plus the undeniably flawless voice of ZZ Ward plus the brutal and beautiful lyrics of every song; it is an overall win. 

The third track "Overdue" made me think that she's actually the love child of Adele and BoB or the second coming of Fiona Apple. This track is brutally honest and it's arrangement made you feel every single bit of it's honesty.

Watch the official music video of Overdue

"Better Off Dead" and "Got It Bad", the first and second single off the mixtape, just showed why ZZ Ward's music deserves an applause. It's the type you'd listen to after a long day because aside from laughter, good music just makes everything okay.

My personal favorite would be "Morphine". It has that music video vibe that when you listen to it while walking down the street, you'd feel as badass as the song itself.

The entire mixtape is a consistent mix of honest words and raw beats from track one to track eight.

The two acoustic tracks just showed off ZZ Ward's amazing vocals that will make you think she was standing in front of the line when God showered singing talents to humanity.

Raw, elegant, beautiful - three words to describe this record.

Rating:

Learn more about ZZ Ward through the following links:

ZZ Ward | Official Website

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