THE BIRTH OF NORTHERN SOUL

First things first, I would like to apologise for the lack of posts

this October. I've been a very busy girl what with my college work & uni applications

and yadda yadda yah. 

Plus I haven't felt very inspired lately....

But, that changed today whilst I was scouring through the music channels this early
morning and I stumbled across one video, and then another, and then
that special thing called a brainwave took place
in the depths of my cranium and fused the two together and I came up with
this idea and it look very promising: the birth of white soul.

Now I hear you ask, what on earth are you on about,
what videos? Well I shall reveal all to you now.

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The first video was:

JOHN NEWMAN
Cheating
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The second was:

JAMES ARTHUR
You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
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At first these two new artists may seem completely unrelated to one another,

but in actual fact, they have many things in common

in regards to the kind of artists they are, their voices, their style, influences

and the kind of music they are spearheading into

the charts and the national radio waves.

We've known of John Newman's voice since Rudimental's 2012 chart smasher

'Feel The Love' and its successor 'Not Giving In', and therefore we

had a taste of his gravelly, soulful, rich tone before

he went out on his own, armed with some real gems 

like number one hit 'Love Me Again'.

In all honesty, I genuinely thought he was a black man when I first

heard his voice. It was so derivative of the Motown era,

it had that gorgeous, enticing black soul that is so hard to replicate unless

you're truly blessed with the gift of having it yourself.

So it knocked me out of the water

when I found out he was a white kid from the depths of Yorkshire moors.

Now on to James Arthur,

king of X Factor 2012, we were again aware of a gravelly,

rich, soulful tone to his voice, like that of John Newman, and his take on

Shontelle's, 'Impossible' was utterly gorgeous. 

He added a depth and

soul to it that wasn't there before -if you've heard his cover of

twerkaholic Miley Cyrus' 'Wrecking Ball' you'll see

what I mean- and he showed

some real promise of breaking the X Factor mold.

Everyone, whether they care to admit it or not,

wanted to hear just what he would come out with for his first single.

Would it be any good? Would he lose his style?

Would they strip away all he was and replace it with something

completely unoriginal?

Well the relieving result is no.

New single, 'You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You'

is nothing like the typical cheesy pop you would expect from an X Factor winner.

It's got substance, it's got some mean brass and beats and most

importantly: It's got soul, and not that cheap

manufactured crap.

No, no, no, it's the real stuff, the soul that money can't buy.

You've either got it or you've not.

And like John Newman, James Arthur certainly does.

And with one artist spearheading the idea of white soul, 

a certain John Newman, that's all very exciting and commendable,

and you've got to hold your hands up to the man.

Look what he's managed to achieve off his own back.

He created a new genre

in which he was  the only inhabitant, he took a risk,

he raised a bench mark, and went out there.

The public hadn't heard anything like him before,

yet they lapped him up like a cat pouncing on a dish of rich, silky cream.

A public so accustomed and tuned into rap,

r&b, dubstep, electronica, pop, got the soulful 'Love Me Again' and album

'Tribute' to number one.

John Newman has begun something.

A change in direction for the music industry.

But he can't do it alone, he needed people to start following

his example, holding up the torch for good old

rich soul, and lucky for him,

a certain X Factor winner has jumped on the bandwagon

and is following in his wake.

It's a very exciting time for the music industry.

As little as two years ago, the idea of bringing back soul and those

beautiful Motown vibes seemed impossible or at the least,

unlikely. It wasn't the right time, yet look at where we are now.

And like with r&b, hip hop et al,

could this be the start of a new genre taking the reigns and steering

the course of music?

Will we see more undiscovered soul stars emerging from the shadows,

will artists begin to incorporate elements of soul into

their music?

It seems like we're on the cusp of a new type of soul altogther:

it's white, it's British, it's modern, and it's so very, very cool.

Newman's doing it old school, Arthur's introducing it to the world of pop,

what will the artists of tomorrow be doing?

Stay tuned....

A TRIBUTE TO CORY MONTEITH

So as most of you will know, Cory Monteith, best known for his role as Finn Hudson on hit show Glee, 

sadly passed away this weekend aged 31.

We don't know how yet, but I'm sure you can appreciate the sadness his passing brings

to millions of people across the world, not to mention of course his family, friends and girlfriend.

He was a much loved actor and singer who managed to reach out to millions of young people worldwide through his character Finn Hudson on Glee and there is no doubt at all that he will be sorely missed.

I obviously did not know Cory personally, but there is something to be said if I, like millions of other people, could manage to see his beautiful, kind, sweet personality shine through only photos, videos and music alone.

If I had been lucky enough to meet him, let alone know him, I'm sure I would 

have no doubt been proven right and been enamored by his beautiful personality.

You only have to look at a photo of him with girlfriend Lea Michele, watch an episode of Glee, listen to one of his songs and it will quickly become apparent how genuine Cory was.

I should say 'he seemed' or 'I bet he was', as I didn't really know him, but I do know that I am right in saying he was a beautiful human being, kind hearted, a gentle giant, loyal, loving without even having met or known him personally.

You can't fake those things, and if you are of that nature, it will always shine through.

Always.

And Cory was, without doubt.

When I found out about his passing, I was in complete and utter shock.
I thought it was a hoax, a terrible PR stunt, and to be honest, a part of me still does, although I know I'm wrong in believing this. 

After ten minutes or so, it did begin to sink in, and before I knew it, I was in floods of tears, I feel tearful writing this now, and I just couldn't stop. 

Normally I don't cry at the death of a celebrity, although obviously I feel sadness and send my prayers to their loved ones. But Cory was different. 

I suppose it's partly to do with having watched him on Glee, as the whole format of television makes you feel like you really do know these people on the screen before you, and Glee was no exception.

 It connected to so many people, in such a personal way, that the characters  really did become 

friends of sorts.

You would turn on the TV at 9pm on a Monday and Finn, Rachel, Kurt, Artie, Quinn, Mr Schuh etc. would be there waiting for you and for an hour your worries would disperse. 

I will always be thankful for that, and Cory's character in particular was especially important, as Finn represented many key messages that young people ought to know.

He represented following your dreams, being whoever it is you want to be, believing in yourself, ignoring what other people think or say about you and living your life exactly how you want to live it.

Even if they do throw grape slushees in your face from time to time.

Aside from that, I believe the other reasons why I cried so much, are that in losing Cory, this world has lost one of the most beautiful, kindest, loveliest souls. A truly beautiful person.

Everyone who met him says he was one of, if not the, loveliest person they have ever met.
And I cried for them too, all those that knew him, because I cannot even begin to imagine or comprehend the awful grief, sadness and loss that they are feeling right now. My heart and prayers really go out to them.

In his short time on this earth, he managed to touch the lives of so many  people both personally and moreover through his character of Finn, he managed to connect with an even bigger audience, and I think that's a wonderful legacy to leave behind.

He represents hope, determination, bravery, as he chose to face and overcome his own personal struggles and live the life he wanted to, fulfill his dreams, find true love.  

As fans of Cory and Glee, we are lucky to have such an inspiring idol.

We are lucky to have had the chance to see the man he was through Glee, the music he created, his relationship with Lea, his many friends and supporters. 

And for those who really did know him and saw all that we saw but with their own two eyes instead of from behind a screen, they should comfort themselves with the knowledge that their love, support, friendship 

 helped make Cory the man he was. 

He left this world loved by so many and will always continue to be loved. 

I really hope he's peaceful and happy up in heaven, dancing and singing away.

If anyone was going to heaven, it would be Cory, and of course he went far to soon, but he achieved so much on this earth, and I bet you anything that he is watching over and protecting his loved ones from way up above. 

God bless you Cory.

Rest in peace.

xxx