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fifth harmony

2014 MTV Video Music Awards- Who Will Win

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As sad as it is for me to say this, I was not invited to the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards that are happening tonight in Inglewood, California.  I repped Manhattan Digest to the fullest at last year’s show when they were held at Brooklyn’s very own Barclay Center, and gave us one of the most epic performances in VMA history- Miley Cyrus.  If you don’t know what happened then you have been living under a rock for the past year.  Needless to say, this year’s VMA’s is sure to be unpredictable and insane as it usually is.  The lineup of performances look sick, with the opening being pop divas Jessie J, Arianna Grande and hip-hop songstress Nicki Minaj doing their current top 10 single “Bang Bang”.  Other noteworthy performances of the night should be Taylor Swift, who will be performing her new hit “Shake It Off” from the much anticipated new album “1989” due out October 27th.  And of course, the lady of the night will be eight time nominee and already multiple VMA award winner Beyonce, who will be receiving the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award later in the evening.  This award has been bestowed on several legends in the industry, from Madonna, Janet Jackson, The Rolling Stones and most recently pop pioneers Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears.  Should be a performance of epic madness and one that I cannot wait to see.

So let’s breakdown the other thing that people are there to see- who will win each category at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards.  This year’s pack is stacked with some of the biggest artists and songs of the year, and is making it tough for this journalist to choose who will win and who should win.  It is still funny to me that MTV broadcasts something like this when I believe I was wearing JNCO Jeans the last time they actually aired a block of music videos, but it is the most highly anticipated award show of the season, so I can see why they keep it going each year.  Let’s breakdown each category, starting with the “Artist To Watch, Presented by Taco Bell”.

Artist to Watch, Presented By Taco Bell

5 Seconds Of Summer- “She Looks So Perfect”

Fifth Harmony- “Miss Moving On”

Sam Smith- “Stay With Me”

Schoolboy Q- “Man Of The Year”

Charli XCX- “Boom Clap”

Who Will Win- 5 Seconds Of Summer, Who Should Win- Sam Smith

5 Seconds Of Summer really came out of nowhere and has won the hearts of millions of adoring teens, who are the ones voting on this particular category for the most part.  They are One Direction with talent, drums and guitar for the most part, so I sure as heck see them easily winning this won as it is a fan based vote.  Fifth Harmony could’ve been a heavy contender for this if 5SOS wasn’t in it, but they won’t win this one.  Schoolboy Q is amazing, as well as Charli XCX’s song from “The fault In Our Stars” but not enough to garner this.  If Sam Smith doesn’t win this at the VMA’s, he sure as hell will win at the 2015 Grammys and several other prestigious awards.  His solo work this year on “Stay With Me” on top of his brilliant performances with other artists such as Disclosure and Naughty Boy prove what a threat this guy is to the industry, and I hope he gets some love on VMA night.

Best Rock Video-

Lorde- “Royals”

Linkin Park- “Until I’m Gone”

Imagine Dragons- “Demons”

Black Keys- “Fever”

Arctic Monkeys- “Do I Wanna Know?”

Who Will Win- Imagine Dragons.  Who Should Win- Black Keys.

Imagine Dragons have had a pretty awesome two years, and this was only the 2nd song released off of their amazing debut album.  “Royals” is not a rock song, so I don’t get why it is in this category.  Lorde has a better shot in other categories than this one, and sadly I don’t think Arctic Monkeys have a shot in this category either.  Black Keys should win as “Fever” is an amazing video, but no doubt Imagine Dragons will be the one taking this home tonight.

Best Pop Video-

Arianna Grande Featuring Iggy Azealea- “Problem”

Iggy Azalea Featuring Chari XCX- “Fancy”

Avicii Featuring Aloe Blacc- “Wake Me Up”

Jason DeRulo Featuring 2Chainz- “Talk Dirty”

Pharrell Williams- “Happy”

Who Will Win- Arianna Grande & Iggy.  Who Should Win- Pharrell.

This really has been the year for Arianna and Iggy, however I think because Arianna has a bigger tween and teen fanbase she should lock this one up.  “Wake Me Up” should be more in the clubland award than this one, and “Talk Dirty” just seems too urban for this as well, as is “Fancy”.  “Happy” is a freaking brilliant video that screams pop with a R&B flare, and should be the one to win in this.  But expect pop ingenue Arianna Grande to be leaving with not just one but a couple of VMA night.

Best Female Video-

Lorde- “Royals”

Beyonce- “Partition”

Arianna Grande Featuring Iggy Azalea- “Problem”

Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX- “Fancy”

Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J- “Dark Horse”

Who Will Win- “Royals”.  Who Should Win- “Dark Horse/Partition”

I think “Royals”, even though it is quite simple, kept my focus a lot more than the colorful pops that Iggy and Arianne presented in each of their videos, and the song is better than both so based off that it will and maybe should win.  I loved the video for “Dark Horse” as Katy keeps bringing us really unique and out there videos that she has done so well over the years.  “Partition” isn’t the best video from the Beyonce album, but the look and feel of it should really make her a good contender for this category tonight.

Best Male Video-

Ed Sheeran Featuring Pharrell Williams- “Sing”

Sam Smith- “Stay With Me”

John Legend- “All Of Me”

Eminem Featuring Rihanna- “Monster”

Pharrell Williams- “Happy”

Who Will Win- Ed Sheeran.  Who Should Win- All of them (Minus John Legend).

This is quite possibly the strongest category of the bunch this year, as all videos and songs are incredible in their own unique ways.  John’s song is amazing and is this generation’s new wedding song, however the video was basic and more of wedding video than an actual music video.  I happen to love Ed Sheeran’s vocals and video for “Sing” so that gets my vote easily.  I wouldn’t mind multiple VMA winner Eminem winning this for old times sake, however I think this is Ed’s to lose.

Best Hip-Hop Video-

Childish Gambino- “3005”

Drake Featuring Majid Jordan- “Hold On (We’re Going Home)”

Eminem- “Berserk”

Kanye West- “Black Skinhead”

Wiz Khalifa- “We Dem Boyz”

Who Will Win- Drake.  Who should win-  All of them.

Another really amazing category.  I have to say Drake will win just based off of how popular the video and song was, however Eminem might be knocking at Drake’s door for this so don’t be surprised if he pulls an upset.  Kanye’s video is one of his best ever with his own social message that makes this video and song one of the standouts off of his last album.  Wiz hasn’t really had the biggest success since “Black & Yellow”  however “We Dem Boyz” is a great video and keeps his street hustle going in the hip-hop game.  Childish Gambino deserves a lot more success than then man is given, and I am super pumped the “3005” got the nod this year.

Video Of The Year-

Sia- “Chandelier”

Pharrell Williams- “Happy”

Miley Cyrus- “Wrecking Ball”

Beyonce Featuring Jay-Z- “Drunk In Love”

Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX- “Fancy”

Who Will Win- Miley or Beyonce.  Who should win- SIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Chandelier” is such an AMAZING song and video that I really just want to see Sia make a public appearance and win this.  She’s like the female Daft Punk, you really never see her so I think it would make an AWESOME VMA moment if she won.  I don’t get why Iggy is in this, the video is great but not at this level, she’s too new.  As much as “Wrecking Ball” is a great video it is more 2013 than 2014, so I don’t think it deserves to win this.  “Happy” is amazing, but I fear Pharrell may be shut out due to the younger demographic.  Seeing as this is Beyonce’s night, expect her to win her second Video Of The Year trophy (done once before for “Single Ladies” back in 2009).  But this is quite the unpredictable category, so you never know.

Who do YOU think will win tonight?  Comment here and for a full list of nominees check out the official website for more info.

 

 

Z100’s Jingle Ball 2013- Great and Not So Great

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Mlley Twerked? Shocker z100, shocker.

As a lifelong New Yorker, I have consistently found myself zooming through each radio station to find the perfect song to jam out in the car with.  Just like an American classic like Peanut Butter and Jelly, I always know that no matter what, Z100 radio station will always find the right song for me to shake my groove thing to.  Yes my groove thing.  If you want to make fun of me or judge me, do it.  I’m awesome.  As long as I have listened to z100 I have also wanted to partake in their biggest event of the year, Jingle Ball.  This station always pulls in some of the biggest names in the industry jam packed with a ton of celebrities introducing them and this year was no exception.  Now partnered with the “iHeartRadio” with this event and more, the festivities took place last night at none other than the legendary Madison Square Garden.  The place itself was of course sold out, and as a 27 year old grown ass man I felt like I could’ve been some of these kids teen fathers, but nevertheless I had an awesome time and the whole show had a really nice vibe throughout the night.  There were some definite highlights and lowlights though, so lets take a look at who did best, and who mmmmmmmmmmmm not so much.

Lowlights-

Random, random, random celebrities.  Most of the acts got really awesome people to introduce them, such as my homegirl Jordin Sparks and the star of my new favorite movie “Pitch Perfect”, Anna Kendrick.  Then… there were others.  First the z100 crew were great, and I am a huge Elvis Duran fan as I have been since I was about 10 or 11.  But… Katie Holmes?  Really, girl?  The snarky side of me was hoping she was going to introduce a Tom Cruise lookalike and beat him up or something, but that would’ve been too much fun for even me to handle.  They introduced Travie McCoy who was somewhere in the crowd but it became more like “Where’s Waldo” in which I couldn’t find him.  Not that he was that important anyways.  Finally, and this was both a highlight and a lowlight- R. Kelly.  I don’t get what he is trying to do lately, honestly.  Is he trying to find a younger audience with doing shows like this, where most people don’t even know what his last hit record is because they weren’t born yet?  At the same time, I did find it pretty amazing that a decent portion of the crowd was jamming along to his 2000 hit “Ignition”, so that is where the odd lowlight became a highlight.  I still didn’t understand why he was there though.  Oh, and let’s not forget to mention Lindsay Lohan, who is back in trouble with the court for ordering a hit on Paris Hilton’s douchey brother.  One word- GIRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL.

Fifth Harmony & Austin Mahone.  Note that I didn’t include all the big teen acts in here, as the other ones were pretty much incredible.  These two, not so much.  Fifth Harmony is the girl equivalent to One Direction, in that Simon Cowell himself chose five random girls and placed them in a group.  These five made it to the final 3 on “X Factor”, a show that is crumbling in the ratings and that pretty much no one really watched last season (only for the Britney factor of course).  I felt kind of bad for them as they were legitimately on for 3 minutes.  They did their hit “Miss Moving On” and then some random song and it legit felt like they were doing “Night at the Apollo” and being rushed off the stage due to being booed.  Terrible.  Girl groups are way hard to market, and that formula really hasn’t worked in ages since the days of Destiny’s Child and Spice Girls.  Fifth Harmony really just looks like five random girls plopped together in a group and sing.  That’s pretty much it.

As for Austin Mahone, he’s got a great voice but my hope for him is that he is kind of like the Lorde to Miley, in that he’s the anti Bieber.  HE LOOKED AND SOUNDED AND DANCED EXACTLY LIKE HIM.  Great singer and all, but I think his marketing team should try to distance himself from the Bieber image so that there aren’t that many comparisons. Just saying.

Jason DeRulo- Nothing about his performance was a lowlight, Jason has a great look and voice to him.  He didn’t deserve to have the first opening slot, which in my opinion is the forgettable one.  He has been around for a long time now, and I was truly confused over who got to perform later than earlier.  Fifth Harmony should’ve been first, maybe even Enrique.  But not Jason.  z100 for the loss here, great performance.

Miley (Kind Of).  I have a love/hate type thing with Miley.  I get it, but there are times where oversaturation can come into play, and last night she continued to do so.  More twerking, more of the same.  You have a great voice, you don’t need to pull all these ridiculous shenanigans to get people to pay attention.  Just sing.  Take tips from Gaga on that.  She needs it.  Other than that, great job :).

Highlights-

Selena Gomez & Arianna Grande- These are two girls that are on their way to true superstardom, and are doing it in a way that isn’t forced and just the great reliability of their voices and looks (cough cough Miley).  Selena looked amazing in this form fitting red dress, and she performed a medley of her hits including “Love You Like A Long Song” and “Come and Get It”.  On top of that, she did some bomb ass choreography which really made her set a very flourished show.  As for Arianna, she just has that voice that really resonates of a younger Mariah Carey.  She did her own version of the popular WHAM song “Last Christmas”, and of course closed her set with her top 10 hit “The Way”.  Mac Miller sadly wasn’t there, but she made up for it by putting a simple performance and making it really great.  Good job girls!

Fall Out Boy & Paramore- Proving that alternative still has a place on top 40, these two in my opinion were the stand out bunches of the night.  Fall Out Boy, who should’ve never dismembered in the first place, put on a rousing rendition of several of their hits, my personal favorite being the closing one with “My Song Knows What You Did In the Dark”.  Really a superb performance.  I’m a big Hayley fan, and her and Paramore really did a great job with their set as well.

Pitbull- Pitbull proved last night why he is “Mr. International” because he put on the most electrifying performance of the night.  Fueled by his current chart topper “Timber” with Ke dollar sign Ha, he really got the crowd’s energy going.  Smart move by z100 by placing him somewhat in the middle of this because he really kept the crowd going for what was coming next.  His closing out song, “Give Me Everything”, was truly a spectacle to watch.  I give this dude credit for making it this long in the industry.  Well done.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis- This was their year, and this was their night.  I love these guys so much, and it was great to finally see them perform live.  My favorite is of course “Same Love” which is such a great message to many people that goes beyond homophobia.  Best of the night in my opinion.

Overall, I would give the concert at 7 out of 10.  Apparently One Direction was there last year, which makes me happy I didn’t go as I would probably need a hearing aid at this point from all the screaming that occurred.  The show was good, but nothing really spectacular that I felt left me hanging for more and more.  Some of the acts should’ve gotten more stage time, and some shouldn’t have.  What did you think?  Sound off here and check out more articles like this on Manhattan Digest!