Serge’s Selections 5.16

May 16, 2016Leave a comment

Oh MAY gawwwd. How is it the middle of May already?!

This week’s Serge’s Selections include lots of tours:

dvsn Announces ‘Debut Tour 2016’

Okay, why am I JUST finding out this Canadian duo is opening for Drake and Future on their ‘Summer Sixteen Tour’? Any who. They are if you weren’t aware either. Needless to say I’m pretty excited they’re going on a solo tour. I will more than likely look into tickets. dvsn will be stopping in LA June 13. Not sure where yet or how much tickets are, but they will go on sale this Friday.

Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour

Okay, talk about a MOVIE. Days away from Diddy’s 20th Bad Boy Reunion Anniversary this Friday in Brooklyn, Puff announced this morning the first-ever ‘Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour,’ and I have to be there. French Montana, Lil’ Kim, Ma$e, Faith Evans, 112, and more will be joining Diddy on the tour, and it will basically be reliving my hip-hop youth. I actually had the privilege of seeing this reunion come together last year at the BET Awards, and wow, it was honestly amazing.

Tickets go on sale this Friday the 20, again the same day as the reunion anniversary. The camp will be stopping in LA on October 4 at The Forum. Lit.

Sia Announces ‘Nostalgic for the Present Tour’ with Miguel

Another, majorrr tour alert. Sia, who I’ve never seen and probably someone you wouldn’t peg me to see, is going on her first tour in five years and the talented Miguel will be opening. What’s even more epic about this tour is that they will be performing at the Hollywood Bowl. But joke’s on me because I won’t even be in LA for this. I’ll be in New York with Mr. Chaddy! Yayyyy. But anyways, for those who plan on seeing her, tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am.

REMIX: Miguel ft. Travi$ Scott – ‘Waves’

January 27, 2016Leave a comment

Yooooo, now this is a banger. I already love Miguel’s song ‘Waves,’ but with the addition of Travy for a remix… fire. EVERYONE is on a wave right now. Last night Kanye had Twitter LIT. He changed the name of his album SWISH to Waves. So dang excited for this one.

But anywho, listen to that ‘Waves’ remix below!

Serge’s Selections 10.26.15

October 26, 2015October 26, 2015Leave a comment

Happy Monday, yinz!

I feel like I haven’t done ‘Serge’s Selections’ in a while, so let’s start that back up.

What did I do this weekend? It was pretty chill – my three roommates were up north running their butts off for the Ragnar Relay. Two hundred miles from San Fransico to Napa! They’re pretty epic. So I laid low, stayed in Long Beach, went to a beach bonfire, and was productive for my upcoming trip home. Oh, and I made a YouTube channel with someone I think you’ll all really like. So stay tuned for that.

And I’m super pumped for this week because one of my dearest friends from Westminster, Jamie, is getting married! So excited to be part of her special day. ❤ And it’s a short work week for me, so thank you, Jaim.

Back to the ‘Selections.’ I wish I could tell you I listened to some new music this past weekend, but considering it was Drake’s birthday on Saturday, that’s all I listened to.

I do have a Miguel video for you to watch if you haven’t already seen it. Off his latest album Wildheart, he released the visuals for ‘Waves.’ SUCH a good song. And the video is so vibrant, upbeat, and wild… just like Miguel. J. Cole and Wale make cameos in it as well, just for a hot second, but still! Dope to see other artists supporting one another.

And here is the video for Travi$ Scott’s hit ‘Antidote.’ While this video came out in the middle of September, I truly cannot stop listening to this song, so just thought I’d pass along the vid incase you haven’t watched. The video truly takes place at the night show. Watch below.

One more. I heard this yesterday on the radio for the first time in a (very) long time. The Kanye West remix to Lil Wayne’s ‘Lollipop.’ So good. Please listen if you haven’t – it’s a banger.

That’s all for today. Have a good one!

Feel Good Friday For Reals

October 9, 2015Leave a comment

Aside from being a little under the weather, I am in quite high spirits today. Not sure why, but it’s just a good day and it’s Friday. Here’s some music news for yinz!

‘Digital dash’

Major congratulations is in order for Mr. Drizzy Drake. According to SoundScan, a music information and sales tracking system, Drake has scored the top-selling digital album for the first three quarters of 2015 with his If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late album with 951,000 in sales. And I have to let the people know this is more than Taylor Swift’s 1989 digital album sales, which are 809,000. She does however have the top-selling physical album, but we are talking digital here, so move along. Again, congrats to The Boy!

miguel ‘simple things’ remix ft. chris brown x future

Holy smokes. I ‘world premiered’ this remix in my car this morning on my way to work. It gave me life! Miguel’s sweet, sweet voice with Chris Brown’s added serenade and a splash of Future’s trap sound is the perfect mix. And I don’t know why I haven’t wished for this mix of artists before. Listen below!

**the game’s the documentary 2 out now!**

While I don’t typically listen to The Game on a regular basis, I do peep his music every once in a while. I’ve also seen him perform at the House of Blues in LA, which is now closed (sad face), and let’s just say everyone was on 1. He also brought out Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, so that was dope. I digress. I started listening to the album on my way into work, and from what I can hear, it sounds like a pretty solid piece of work. Lots of features and epic beats. I really dig the Kendrick track, ‘On Me,’ and ‘Don’t Trip’ featuring Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and will.i.am. Game is also putting out The Documentary 2.5, which will be released October 16. Stream it below!

for the record…

Drake and Serena are not engaged. There was some speculation, not enough to have convinced me it was true, but these reports are false. A rep close to Drake told TMZ that the ‘rumor is completely untrue.’ Phew! You can read more deets about it here.

Have a good one, yinz!

Miguel or Frank Ocean?

July 6, 2015July 6, 2015Leave a comment

I’m torn! Miguel was very recently interviewed by the U.K.’s Sunday Times where he stated he believes he makes better music than Frank Ocean, who he actually ran into at a hotel bar in London during the interview (Kylie, he’s alive!).

Miguel is quoted saying, ‘To be completely honest—and no disrespect to anyone—I genuinely believe that I make better music, all the way around.”

I keep going back and forth in my head as to who I think makes better music. Miguel incorporates funk, hip hop, and edgy styles into his jams, while Ocean’s music features unconventional melodies that hover between speech and song.

Both are considered to be in the new wave of R&B and tend to sing about the same topics – love and nostalgia to name a few. And when they both hit that falsetto! I just can’t decide, you guys.

What do yinz think?!

Video: Miguel – Vevo GO Shows: ‘Coffee’

June 30, 20152 Comments

Remember that time my friend Mac and I attended a free Miguel concert in Venice Beach and took a selfie with him? If you don’t remember, see below.

Well, the official Vevo GO Show video is now available on YouTube, and you can spot Mac and I quite a few times throughout. Hashtag blessed I have girlfriends like Mackenzie who are down to do anything at basically anytime! Love ya, girl! And be sure to listen to Miguel’s new album WILDHEART, out now. Thank you again to Vevo for offering this very unique experience.

Mondays: Meek Mill, Miguel, & Moments

June 29, 2015Leave a comment

Although today started off pretty rough due to a very tiring and long (but epic!) mosh pit-filled day yesterday, there’s nothing like some new music to brighten up my day. Meek Mill (album art left) and Miguel’s (album art right) new albums dropped today and are available on Spotify.

I have yet to listen to each of the albums straight though, but here are some of my favorites thus far:

Dreams Worth More Than Money – Meek Mill
‘All Eyes On You’ ft. Chris Brown & Nicki Minaj – saw this performed live at the BET Awards!
‘R.I.C.O.’ ft. Drake (probably my favorite. shocker)
‘Pullin’ Up’ ft. The Weeknd
‘Bad For You’ ft. Nicki Minaj

Stream the album below:

WILDHEART – Miguel
‘coffee’
‘Hollywood Dreams’
‘face the sun’ ft. Lenny Kravitz

I can’t find the direct streaming of Wildheart, so you’ll just have to check it out for yourselves 🙂

Lots of listening to do!
____________________________________________

BET Awards | SO many epic moments at the BET Awards last night! Seeing all of the celebrities behind the scenes before they go out into the spotlight, watching the stage crew transform new sets in minutes, and just being so so close to the actual performances – truly so incredible and fascinating to me! If you were watching the awards, I was in the left mosh pit and in the back left corner, so I doubt that you could see me at all. Oh well!

My top performances of the night were definitely Diddy’s reunion of Bad Boy Entertainment. It was 10 minutes of pure 90s insanity, and I loved every minute of it. He brought out French Montana, Janelle Monae, and Chris Brown for the dance break, plus many others. If you want to be entertained, I suggest you watch it here. And no, I was not near Diddy when he fell on the stage. I actually didn’t even know that happened until I saw it online.

From Kendrick Lamar opening the show to The Weeknd and Alicia Keys performing Abel’s ‘Earned It’ together, it was all so so good. Janet Jackson entered the stage by the mosh pit I was in – Janet. Jackson. The sister of Michael Jackson. I die. Chris Brown, during one of the performances he was a part of, was standing so close to me, I could have reached out and grabbed his leg! Big Sean did an incredible job too. Even the Smokey Robinson tribute was wonderful! I truly just love being in those environments, and I wish phones were allowed because I would have live streamed it all for you guys. I just really want to help put on an event like the BET Awards or the GRAMMYs. That would be ultimate.

So on that note, I hope your weekend was filled with lots of amazing moments, as well! Happy Monday!

Sorry for the wait…

June 16, 2015June 17, 2015Leave a comment

Okay, so so many things to talk to yinz about! I’m going to (try and) make it quick though since I know most of our attention spans are quite small these days.

#6615
The graduation party of the year was a great success due to my mom’s very hard party planning work (starting over a year ago) and the help of her wonderful friends! From the fancy foods to the delicious donuts to my fun-loving family and friends, it was the perfect way to celebrate Anth’s accomplishments and wish him well on his next journey… college! #wishicouldgoback There was LOTS of dancing, shots of Limoncello, and laughter. It was also great seeing so many people who I haven’t seen in forever and probably won’t know the next time I’ll see them – lots of fun! Proud of ya, Anth!

#SMWLA (Social Media Week Los Angeles)
On June 4, I entered a Twitter contest (go figure) for the chance to win a free pass to attend SMWLA – you should really check it out to see if they’ll be stopping in your city if you’re passionate or want to learn more about social media trends and technologies. Passes normally range from $250-$350 for the whole week, allowing you to attend a multitude of panels featuring many different social media topics. After a simple retweet and positive vibes, I was notified by the PRSA-LA (Public Relations Society of America – LA Chapter) that I, among others, won – thank you, PRSA-LA! I want to say this was my first Twitter contest I won that wasn’t tickets for a rap/hip-hop concert. Being very fortunate in my current job position, I was allowed to attend as many panels as I wanted that would be of interest to me and also benefit my current role. I met some great people, learned a lot, and could envision myself being in a true social media work environment. Hope to attend next year!

MUSIC NEWS – Too many tours!
In honor of the fifth year anniversary of his Friday Night Lights mixtape, J.Cole announced his third annual ‘Dollar & A Dream Tour.’ The concert actually costs ONE DOLLAR to attend but is on a first-come, first-served basis. I can only imagine the line! He will perform the mixtape in its entirety, which is dope. Cole is only stopping in four cities, one being Los Angeles. Unfortunately, I cannot attend since I already have tickets to see Nicki Minaj perform at the BET Experience that evening – #concertgoerprobz.

Earlier this week, Miguel announced his North American summer tour. THIS I plan on going to. Stopping at over 25 cities, he will be wrapping up the tour in LA on Friday, September 4 at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Yes, it is an actual cemetery. I saw The Weeknd perform at this venue in May 2011, and it was epic! Not to mention he brought out Drake as a surprise guest for ‘Crew Love,’ and I nearly fell over. Tickets are general admission, and you are free to pillows, blankets, and picnics. It’s a really cool venue, so I recommend you check it out if you ever get the chance! They also host movie nights there, I want to say in the fall around Halloween time. Get it…. spooky setting for spooky movies.

Holy heck, and how could I forget. The BET Awards! That is like the ultimate concert on steroids, next to the GRAMMYs, that is. On Sunday, June 28, I will be attending the award show in my usual spot – the mosh pit. Unfortunately, I cannot bring in my cell phone, so 1. I will make sure I’m getting some camera time and 2. You will just have to tune in to see if I made it on TV. Sorry mom and other family members that will be watching this – you’ll probably completely disapprove of the music I’m listening to on the reg.

I do have more music news to write about, but I will save that for the ‘Weekly Wrap-Up.’ Lots of things I love happening in the music world this week!

Stay tuned…

UPDATE EXCLUSIVE: Miguel – ‘Wildheart’

June 15, 2015June 16, 2015Leave a comment

So I entered another Twitter contest (typical) earlier this week. This one was to attend an exclusive event in LA for Miguel’s new ‘WILDHEART’ album set to release at the end of this month. Although I didn’t win, I did get an email with a link to five unreleased tracks from the upcoming album. And since I love sharing new music with my friends and followers, here ya go. ~~Link here.~~

Like I said, the link was taken down. BUT, Miguel did release three tracks via YouTube that you can still enjoy below!

EXCLUSIVE: #MiguelMonday

May 19, 2015Leave a comment

So what did you do after work last night on Monday, May 18? Probably didn’t go to an impromptu FREE Miguel concert in Venice Beach. I still can’t even believe this was real. Let me explain.

Sunday night I see…

…which obviously meant I had to turn on his tweet notifications so I could be alerted the second he released the time and location.

Monday around 4:30pm…

Once I realized my roommate Kylie couldn’t come with me since she had #sports (a co-ed soccer game), I text the one person who is down for anything… Mac Bab. Conveniently enough, she was heading to Venice for the night already, so it worked out perfectly. Not knowing if we’d make it in time or if we would even get in, we said YOLO and went for it. Praise to the heavens we did. We were the first people there, so we grabbed a drink at the bar until a very kind man from Vevo told us what to expect and when to head downstairs.

We walked RIGHT up to the stage. It was a very tiny stage – we were in the basement of a pretty grungy (but epic) bar.

Not knowing what to expect and with a crowd of no more than 50 people, Miguel and his band walked on the stage. Now this is sorta when I went into a state of #celebushock* – might have blacked out a bit (and no mom, not from alcohol). Yes, he was that close. No, this is not zoomed in or filtered. I die.

His performance was part of Vevo’s #VevoGOShow – mini concerts/performances, normally a surprise with last minute locations and times that are filmed and posted on the Vevo YouTube channel. I’ll be sure to post the Miguel one once it’s up. But for now, you can check out the videos I took below and visit my YouTube page to see the rest of my footage!

It was truly one of my most memorable experiences yet, not only living in Los Angeles but in my life (and it was completely free!). Experiences like this just keep adding on years to my time spent in LA. 🙂

After his performance, he told the crowd all drinks were on him in the upstairs part of the bar so everyone should go hang with him, and that is exactly what Mac and I did. We got another picture with him, chatted for a bit, and left around 9:30pm. A solid Monday for sure. And if you aren’t that familiar with Miguel’s music, I highly suggest you check him out. He is so incredibly talented and not to mention so very nice which made me like and respect him even more as an artist and as a person. I cannot wait for his new album WILDHEART, dropping on June 30!

Oh, and thank you #VevoGOShow and my new friend Alex for the autographed Miguel poster. I look forward to more #VevoGOShows and more epic Mondays (or any day of the week really)!

*celebushock – when one enters a state of shock when coming within a few feet of a celebrity and you forget where you are and what occurred during that time but you know it was the best experience ever

Californyinz

Tag: miguel