Whitney Houston - The Voice

i've never seen a singer with more poise and grace, nor greater conviction in voice than Whitney. At her prime, no one came close to her, not even Mariah in my opinion. That voice is a gift from god, as many have said. That powerful voice can easily match a huge choir and any loud band. All the more impressive was how she made every switch in notes and octave, vibrato and falsetto, look so effortless. she's always in control of the song. And it's not just sheer power in her voice; there's rhythm, there's confidence, and more importantly there's soul. you almost believe every word she sings.

her recent comeback was one high-profile return. A guest stint at Oprah, in which she opened up like never before; a number 1 album that sees her reuniting with her industry father Clive Davis; performances at the AMA, GMA, France, X-factor, and touring across the states. some were painful to watch, as u see her struggle to hit the notes and rise above the song, with the occasional crack in her voice. This is one of the rare few performances in which she sang and sounded beautifully, with a sign of former glory in her poised body language and confidence (i think she moves more when she's comfortable, with all the hand signs and facial expressions). and of course, the sight of Oprah singing along and in tears of happiness at her friend's return was a stamp of approval of a successful comeback. everything Oprah touches is gold; she is like the golden standard to everything that is right in life. whatever Oprah approves, you know you can do no wrong.

i remember slamming her album when it first came out a few mths back. in a strange turn of events (and tt's how life is), i cant seem to stop listening to that album every day. the first 3 tracks are incredibly hooky. i hope Whitney can harness that new-found raspiness in her voice, the way Aretha and Joni Mitchell did when their voice quality changed, and evolve to become a greater singer. watching her past youtube clips, i wished i was born earlier so that i cld catch her in the 1990s. i wish one of these days, she'll be gd enough for me to say that i wana watch 1 of her concerts before i die.


circa 1996


circa 150909, Oprah Winfrey Show

Breakthrough

While reading Colbie Caillat's CD sleeve, the message on it's last page could not have been more resonant and timely for what I'm feeling and going through recently:

"Hi. These songs are about growing up, experiencing life, love, making mistakes, and learning from them. I recently learned something about myself. For a lot of us, when life gets hard to deal with and keep up with, it becomes easier to give up on and let go of. I found myself doing that alot and I was slowly falling apart. But... I woke up from it. I realized I wasn't happy settling for less or letting myself become someone I wasn't supposed to be due to laziness. I had to Breakthrough my fears, my insecurities and my self doubt. There are so many batt;es that we all have to go through in life that are for us to learn from; we grow strong from them. I just learned this. I want to remind myself and everyone out there that we have to Breakthrough all the little things we tell ourselves we can't do because we are scared, and just step up and do them. This record is about becoming the person you want to be, having will power and letting nothing hold you back. So try not to let great things pass you by, start making things happen that you really want in life! I hope these words help you, if you are in need of them..."


This is the reason why people make records. This, as well as global domination.

These are very simple words, and probably something that everyone knows. However, sometimes we just need that bit of reminder, that gentle push, that wake-up call, for us to gain perspective and to see it from another angle.



I was looking at the drawings from Bec's recent painting trip. It suddenly dawned on me that I wouldnt know what to draw. That's the extent of my draught. I need some creative juices. Soon. Fast.

HERE WE GO AGAIN!

"Goodbye, Wild Card round! Welcome to Hollywood Week, Ellen DeGeneres! And everyone mark your calendars for Feb. 23! Those were among the major bullet points released when Fox announced key dates and details for American Idol’s ninth season this afternoon.

Idol’s ninth season is slated to begin on Jan. 12 (8-10 p.m. EDT) focusing on the show’s Boston auditions, and will continue the following night (8-9:15) with a pit-stop in Atlanta. The remainder of the audition-show slate will include: Chicago (Jan. 19), Orlando (Jan. 20), Dallas (Jan. 26), Los Angeles (Jan. 27), Denver (Feb. 2), and a non-city-specific compilation of the remaining best-and-worst auditions called “The Road to Hollywood” (Feb. 3). During the tryouts, the Paula Abdul Memorial Chair will be occupied by a rotating roster of guest judges, including Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris, Joe Jonas, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, and Shania Twain.

On Feb. 9, Idol switches focus to the Hollywood round, and that’s where Abdul’s permanent replacement, Ellen DeGeneres, will make her first appearance. “Hell Week” episodes will continue on Feb. 10 and Feb. 16, and the Top 24 semifinalists will be announced on the Feb. 17 episode.

The 24-semifinalist format marks a return to the game-plan that Idol favored in seasons 4-7 — whereby female contestants perform for three consecutive Tuesdays, and males perform on three consecutive Wednesdays, with the two lowest vote-getters of each gender getting cut each Thursday until the show is left with 12 finalists. The ladies’ semifinal performance episodes will air on Feb. 23 (AKA Power to the Idoloonies Day), March 2, and March 9; men’s semifinal performances are slated for Feb. 24, March 3, and March 10; and the semifinal results shows will produce copious tears on Feb. 25, March 4, and March 11. Absent from the Fox release is any mention of a “Wild Card” round, a controversial tool producers used to put more power in the judges’ hands during the show’s first, second, third, and eighth seasons.

The competition obliterates its gender divide on March 16, when all the show’s finalists will take the stage for a two-hour episode, and one unlucky singer will receive the Vanessa Olivarez Award for the Season’s Hastiest Finalist Dismissal during the March 17 results show (9-10 p.m. EDT). As previously announced, Fox will air all one-hour Wednesday Idol episodes at 9 p.m. beginning Jan. 27.

Below is the full slate of Idol dates leading up to the first week of finals, as announced by Fox. (All times are ET/PT.)

Tuesday, Jan. 12 (8:00-10:00 PM) Boston Auditions Episode
Wednesday, Jan. 13 (8:00-9:15 PM) Atlanta Auditions Episode
Tuesday, Jan. 19 (8:00-9:00 PM) Chicago Auditions Episode
Wednesday, Jan. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM) Orlando Auditions Episode
Tuesday, Jan. 26 (8:00-9:00 PM) Dallas Auditions Episode
Wednesday, Jan. 27 (9:00-10:00 PM) Los Angeles Auditions Episode
Tuesday, Feb. 2 (8:00-9:00 PM) Denver Auditions Episode
Wednesday, Feb. 3 (9:00-10:00 PM) “The Road to Hollywood” Auditions Episode
Tuesday, Feb. 9 (8:00-9:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 1
Wednesday, Feb. 10 (9:00-10:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 2
Tuesday, Feb. 16 (8:00-9:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 3
Wednesday, Feb. 17 (9:00-10:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 4 (Top 24 Semifinalists Announced)
Tuesday, Feb. 23 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 12 Female Semifinalists Perform
Wednesday, Feb. 24 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 12 Male Semifinalists Perform
Thursday, Feb. 25 (8:00-9:00 PM) First Results Show (ET live/PT tape-delayed)
Tuesday, March 2 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 10 Female Semifinalists Perform
Wednesday, March 3 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 10 Male Semifinalists Perform
Thursday, March 4 (8:00-9:00 PM) Results Show (ET live/PT tape-delayed)
Tuesday, March 9 (8:00-9:00 PM) Top 8 Female Semifinalists Perform
Wednesday, March 10 (9:00-10:00 PM) Top 8 Male Semifinalists Perform
Thursday, March 11 (8:00-9:00 PM) Results Show (ET live/PT tape-delayed) (Top 12 revealed)
Tuesday, March 16 (8:00-10:00 PM) Finalists Perform (ET live/PT tape-delayed)
Wednesday, March 17 (9:00-10:00 PM) Results Show (ET live/PT tape-delayed)"
---Michael Slezak, www.ew.com

Here's To Life

Now that Proms are over, I officially have the time (at least for now) to do the things that's long been gathering at the back of my head, as well as in all corners of my room. i've seen 2 movies in the last few days, caught a few episodes of HK drama Rosy Business, got down to reading, and managed to take a walk along Orchard Road. Town looks like it's just received a complete makeover. new malls are popping up all over the place faster than i can say hello. everywhere, shopping malls are upgrading and renovating, all with glassy exterior and tall ceilings, LED lights flashing, and colourful exteriors. They all look so generic, and seem to have lost their sense of identity. the only place that sticks out like a sore thumb is Lucky Plaza, which, after all the closing and opening of different sex shops, still manage to remain the heart of foreign workers.






So here's to life
And all the joy it brings
Yes, here's to life
And dreamers and their dreams

May all your storms be weathered
And all that's good get better
Here's to life
Here's to love
Here's to you