Monday, June 10, 2019

Review of QuirkCon 2019


 Me and NerdGirlMax™ were so excited to attend the inaugural year of QuirkCon almost two weeks ago. QuirkCon is a conference where nerds, gamers and quirky people can come together and enjoy a weekend of anime, cosplay, gaming, k-pop, fandom and so much more.

The event was located in Durham, North Carolina and it lasted between May 31st to June 2nd. There was an opening party featured DJ Awesomus Prime that lasted from 7pm to 10pm.


On Saturday, we went to a panel called Diary Of An Alt Black Girl with Neka Wright and Drew Disaster at 3:30pm on the Main Stage.





Drew told the audience a little bit more about herself. From her personal life and her struggles with anxiety to how she was inspired by other YouTubers to make videos about beauty, style and more.
I even had the privilege to ask her how long has she been posting videos on Youtube and she answered, "In May of this year, I have been posting videos on Youtube for 10 years now".


Then afterwards,  A Chat with Miles Jai, Hippy Potter and Devdoee started at 4pm.

               





Each one of the guys introduced themselves to the audience and talked about their careers and even their personal lives. Miles Jai talked about his life as a gay man and being a part of the community. Then, we learned that Devdoee is going to be in season two of the FX show Pose. And, Hippy Potter was once featured in Teen Vogue and People Magazine. So, I am very proud of all these guys accomplishments that they had achieved this year.
               

At 5, Adorned by Chi hosted a Pretty Girls Like Anime panel that featured Black Girls Anime, Cocoa Chronicles, L.A.N. Party and Destiny Senpai.










They held a short Q&A session with the panel and the audience. Along with that, there was a quiz to test everyone's knowledge on anime and the characters from the Adorned by Chi manga.


After Pretty Girls Like Anime was over with it, they switched over to a Girl Gamers Happy Hour featuring L.A.N. Party.


We all played a Jeopardy game that featured different categories like video games, anime and more.

We also attended the 1st Annual Cosplayer Awards hosted by Miles Jai. The awards ceremony was originally supposed to start at 7:30pm, but instead it started at 8:30pm. Plus, they were a little bit disorganized when it came to announcing the nominees and the winners.


We went to an Anime & Trap Music Party with DJ Awesomus Prime at 10pm. Afterwards, the Unicorn Lounge hosted a Late Night Cereal & Cartoons for everyone at 12am.


On Sunday, we went to buy a Quirk It Out from Toni Johnson who has online shop called FRC. On the main stage, She Saves The Day panel was going forth with guest speakers CC The Geek, Neka Wright, Jay Cosplay from the Urban Anime Lounge, Charlie Rocket and Talynn Kel.






I really loved what Jay said about there is nothing wrong with making mistakes and how Charlie mentioned that you should stop comparing yourself to others. That was inspiring for me as a person to hear. 


In the Unicorn Lounge, a K-Pop dance contest was getting ready to start and I decided to participate in the contest where I won in third place. I also got a signed by DJ Dante.

From 5pm to 7pm, the Party Activation Room had a closing party featuring DJ Gemynii. Before we left the party, I met Miles Jai for the first time!! He was super nice to me and I even got the chance to take picture with him.

Overall, QuirkCon was such an empowering experience because I had a chance to meet so many nice and also down to earth people who were just like me. Some of them were quirky and fun while others talked about subjects like the LGBTQ community, diversity, and even mental health.

 CC The Greek did an excellent job with creating and hosting such an awesome conference like QuirkCon for people like me. I absolutely can't wait for QuirkCon 2020.

 You can follow all of these wonderful people on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and more.

Drew Disaster:




Miles Jai:



Neka Wright:




Hippy Potter:


Devdoee:


CC The Geek:


Charlie Rocket:





Jay Wright:


Talynn Kel:



DJ Awesomus Prime:




Toni Johnson:


Also, make sure that you go and check out Adorned By Chi's website. They have some really awesome on their page from manga books to makeup pouches and so much more.


And let's not forget Black Girls Anime as well:



One more thing. If you're into listening to podcasts like me, then you're gonna want to check out L.A.N. Party and Cocoa Chronicles' podcast while you're at it.

Cocoa Chronicles:


L.A.N. Party:





 
Update: After a successful '19 run, Quirkcon has just announced their 2020 ticket presale today for next year's conference today!!
 
Go to www.quirkcon.com for more information and get your early bird tickets for only $35.
Trust me, my friends, you do not want to miss out on an opportunity like this again.
 
 
 

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Shawn Mendes If I Can't Have You review



If I Can't Have You is a song by Canadian singer Shawn Mendes that was released on May 3, 2019, through Island Records.
 
The music video was released on the same day on the singer's Vevo channel on Youtube. The lyric video for the song was uploaded three days ago.
 
If I Can't Have You is a 1975 inspired track that talks about how Mendes can't stop thinking about his lover, despite keeping his distance from her.
 
He opens up the song with,
 
I can't write one song that's not about you
Can't drink without thinking about you
Is it too late to tell you that
Everything means nothing if I can't have you?
 
Then, Shawn moves to the first verse singing,
 
I'm in Toronto and I got this view
But I might as well be in a hotel room (Yeah)
It doesn't matter 'cause I'm so consumed
Spending all my nights reading texts from you
 
 
Before he continues on the pre-chorus with the lyrics,
 
Oh, I'm good at keeping my distance
I know that you're the feeling I'm missing
You know that I hate to admit it
But everything means nothing if I can't have you
 
I just love Shawn Mendes' If I Can't Have You. And the music video for it is awesome. I absolutely can't wait for him to drop his fourth studio album. I give this single a 10/10. Until then, make sure that you get Shawn's single on streaming platforms everywhere.
 
Apple Music:
 
Google Play:
 
Amazon Music:
 
Spotify:
 
Pandora:
 
 
 

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Sabrina Carpenter Exhale review


Exhale is a song by Sabrina Carpenter that was released on May 3, 2019, through Hollywood Records. It is the second single from her upcoming album Singular Act II.

Exhale is an emotional ballad that finds Carpenter confessing about how she is dealing with too much pressure with her personal and professional life. 

On the first verse, she sings,

Who put the baby in charge?
It's already hard to buy all the parts and learn to use them
Who put the world on my back and not in my hands
Just give me a chance

Then, Sabrina continues with,

Listen to my mama, listen to my dad
Listen to my sisters, everyone relax
Everybody answers s**t I didn't ask
Think I'm reaching my limit

She moves on to the chorus with the lyrics,

Can I exhale for a minute?
Can I get this out in the open?
Can I sit down for a second?
Can I breathe?
Can I exhale for a minute?
Can we talk it out? I don't get it
Can I calm down for a moment?
Can I breathe for just one second?

I enjoy listening to Exhale. The lyrics were very personal and I felt like I hear a more emotional to Sabrina than ever before. This song speaks on so much many levels from the singer.

Purchase, stream or listen to Exhale on Spotify, Apple Music and more:






You can watch the music video of Exhale on these platforms:



Friday, April 26, 2019

Taylor Swift ME! featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco review


Me! (stylized in all caps) is a song by singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco, that was released on April 26, 2019, through Republic Records. It serves as the lead single to Swift's upcoming seventh studio album.

On April 13th, the singer unveiled a countdown to midnight on April 26th appeared on Swift's website. 

On April 25, Swift was interviewed by Robin Roberts during the NFL Draft and confirmed the song's title, the feature with Brendon Urie and that music video will be released along with the song at midnight. 

Me! is a bubblegum pop song that talks about embracing your individuality and really owning it. 

Swift opens up the song with,

I promise that you'll never find another like me 

Before singing on the first verse,

I know that I'm a handful baby, uh
I know I never think before I jump
And you're the kind of guy the ladies want
(And there's a lot of cool chicks out there)

Then, she see herself like the colors of a rainbow with the lyrics,

But one of these things is not like the others
Like a rainbow with all of the colors
Baby doll when it comes to a lover
I promise that you'll never find another like

Before going into the catchy chorus with,

Me, ooh
I'm the only one of me
Baby that's the fun of me
Me, ooh
You're the only one of you
Baby that's the fun of you
And I promise that nobody's gonna love you like me

Brendon exchanges his verse singing,

I know I tend to make it about me
I know you never get just what you see
But I will never bore you baby
(And there's a lot of lame guys out there)

And when we had that fight out in the rain
You ran after me and called my name
I never want to see you walk away
(And there's a lot of lame guys out there)

Afterwards Swift and Urie tries to school the listeners with a little bit of spelling saying,

Hey kids
Spelling is fun

Girl there ain't no "I" in team
But you know there is a "Me"
Strike the band up 1, 2, 3
I promise that you'll never find another like me

Girl there ain't no "I" in team
But you know there is a "Me"
And you can't spell awesome without me


I don't care what anybody has to say about Taylor Swift's new song ME! In my opinion, I absolutely this song and the powerful message that's behind it. The music video is also very fun and filled with lots of colors. 

Buy ME! on all streaming platforms available:



You can also check out the music video for ME! right here:


Thursday, April 25, 2019

Demi Lovato Simply Complicated review



Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated is a 2017 documentary film about the life and career of singer, songwriter and actress Demi Lovato, that was released on October 17, 2017 through YouTube Originals, in support of her sixth album Tell Me You Love Me.

The film begins with the recording of Tell Me You Love Me along with events in Demi's life and career that she hasn't previously discussed. Like the beginning of her career on Disney Channel or dealing with various personal struggles such as bipolar disorder and addiction.

Here is the official trailer for the doc if you're interested:



You will also get a chance to see never-before-seen videos of the singer when she was a little girl. Plus, exclusive appearances from Demi's family and friends.


I watched Simply Complicated on my tablet three months ago and I was completely blown away by how raw, honest and personal Demi got when talking about her ups and downs in her life. From the time when she was a child star on Barney & Friends to where she was at now in the year 2017.

She also covered on so many different topics like her sexuality, an eating disorder, drug and alcohol addiction, and etc.

When you watch Simply Complicated from beginning to end, you're going to find yourself smiling, laughing, gasping and also crying.

Fun Fact: Demi is working on some new scenes for the sequel of her 2017 documentary titled More Complicated.

I can't wait for her to release More Complicated when it's time. Until then, you can watch Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated on YouTube right here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWTlL_w8cRA

Or watch the director's cut or bonus content of the film using YouTube Premium:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9T4DQ3sZ_A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed6GtM19e3Q

One more thing. You can also watch intimate performance of Demi singing her hit songs to her fans:

                                                                        Get Back: Simply Complicated

 
 
 
Father Live
 
 
 
Catch Me Live
 
 
 
Sorry Not Sorry: Live In Studio
 


FKA Twigs Cellophane review

 
Cellophane is a song by English singer FKA twigs that was released on April 24, 2019, through Young Turks. It serves as a promotional single for twigs' upcoming studio album, LP2.
 
This track is the first release from the singer in three years since her 2016 song Good To Love.
 
Lyrically, the word cellophane, a common packaging material, is being used as a metaphor to paint a picture of a tainted love.
 
Here's what twigs had to say about the background story for this song via Instagram:
 
 
when I wrote cellophane over a year ago a visual narrative came to me immediately, I knew I had to learn how to pole-dance to bring it to life, and so that’s what I did. thank you
@Andrew_T_Huang, for elevating my vision beyond words. you are a visionary.
 
Over the piano, she sings on the first verse,
 
Didn't I do it for you?
Why don’t I do it for you?
Why won't you do it for me
When all I do is for you?
 
Then, twigs moves on to the pre-chorus with,
 
They want to see us, want to see us alone
They want to see us, want to see us apart
They want to see us, want to see us alone
They want to see us, want to see us apart
 
Before going into the chorus with the lyrics,
 
And I, just want to feel you're there
And I don't want to have to share our love
I try but I get overwhelmed
All wrapped in cellophane, the feelings that we had
 
 
Alongside the release of her song, she unveiled the music video for Cellophane on the same day. The video was directed by Andre Thomas Huang.
 
 
In the video, twigs can be seen walking in metallic heels, before taking center stage and showing off her pole-dancing skills.
 
 
Overall, I love the song and the video for Cellophane by FKA twigs. This single is considered as her comeback to the music scene. I absolutely can't wait to hear more from me and the release of  LP2.
 
Buy or stream Cellophane on all music platforms available:
 
 
 
 You can check out the video for Cellophane right here:
 

Lana Del Rey - Text Book Review

Text Book is a song by singer Lana Del Rey that was released on May 20, 2021. This is the third and final of the surprise release singles fr...