Album Review: Demi by Demi Lovato

            If Taylor Swift is the popular senior that I idolize, Demi Lovato is the cool girl in my grade that I am desperate to be friends with. While I see Taylor as a God-like figure and practically worship her, I see Demi as my slightly cooler, exponentially more talented best friend.

Me when I look at Demi.    

            Demi’s out-of-this-world voice, incredible edgy style, and awesome sense of humor are enough to make me fantasize about befriending her. But on top of all that, Demi uses her fame to provide a voice for anyone struggling with issues such as eating disorders, self-harming, or mental illness. After Demi was in rehab for many months, she could have easily lied to the media and dubbed the cause for her stay as “exhaustion” or some other overused Hollywood excuse. Instead,

An example of her edgy and cool style.

Demi was extremely honest about her reason for her stay. After struggling with bulimia and self-harming, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. While many people would be embarrassed by this, Demi openly talks about it and in turn has become a spokesperson for recovery. I admire the fact that Demi has used her tumultuous journey towards happiness to become an inspiration for others going through similar things.

            Any avid Demi follower, also known as “Lovatics,” can see just how happy Demi is these days. She is so full of life on all of her TV appearances and always tweets about how grateful she is for her life. This happiness is not unwarranted. Aside from signing on to return as a judge for The X Factor, Demi has just released her fourth studio album, simply named Demi. She explains the self-titled album as a true expression of where she is in her life.

            I have been a fan of Demi since her Don’t Forget days. With each subsequent album, I am more and more impressed by her voice and her musical style. Demi is no exception. I was absolutely blown away by this 13-track album. After reading its not-so-great (and totally unjustified) iTunes review I decided to write my own. I hope that I can do Demi some justice (and that this will make her want to be friends with me.)

 

Album artwork from Demi.

            Demi starts out with the successful single, “Heart Attack.” The fast-paced song mixes rock and pop, which is a perfect tribute to Demi’s style. The bridge where she sings “You make me glow / but I cover up / won’t let it show” with minimal background music makes me melt every time. The song also has super-relatable lyrics, involving a girl that is afraid to let her guard down for a boy. Without a doubt, “Heart Attack” starts the album off strongly.

            Next, the album moves into “Made in the USA.” The song is rumored to be her next single, and after a listen, it is evident why. The track is a cross between a singer-songwriter-with-a-country-twang vibe and a pop anthem. I personally am hoping that this is her single because it has radio appeal and showcases her amazing voice.

            While “Without the Love” and “Neon Lights” are both infectious tunes, I prefer the former. I do enjoy “Neon Lights” as a party song, but I think the dub-step/electro-pop movement is getting old. I was surprised that Demi included this track on her album because I distinctly remember her saying in an interview

X Factor auditions

that she feels the same way. I also don’t think the lyrics have much substance. Nonetheless, the song is fun and would be great for a party. On the other hand, “Without the Love” is everything “Neon Lights” isn't. The lyrics cleverly compare a boy to a DJ, one who is playing her a “love song without the love,” in particular. The song is original and relatable for any girl who is frustrated with their relationship. On top of that, it has a great beat and is sure to be stuck in your head for days.

            The amazing songwriting continues with “Two Pieces,” a sad-yet-happy tale of a broken boy and an equally broken girl, who complete each other. The song draws you in with the lyric “there’s a boy lost his way / looking for someone to play / there’s a girl in the window / tears running down her face.” The ultimate message of the song is that the two “fit together like two pieces of a broken heart.” The song is both emotional and uplifting.

            The album then takes an even more emotional turn. Demi has said in interviews and tweeted that she is most proud of the song “Nightingale.” The song features Demi asking someone to “be her nightingale” by singing her to sleep and making their presence known. I loved the song before I even knew what it was about. Her voice is strong and pure and she shows off her impressive range. However, after I learned the story behind the song, it became one of my favorites. I originally thought the song was about a boy she liked. When I found out it was about her friend who passed away when they were 13, it completely changed my perspective and interpretation of the song. Demi is singing about her friend as if he is her guardian angel that helps her find her way when she is lost. The song really hits home for me because I too lost a friend when we were 13. I can completely relate to lyrics such as “I never see the forest for the trees / I could really use your melody / baby I’m a little blind / I think it’s time / for you to find me.”

            Next is “In Case.” I can’t even with this song. I just can’t. The lyrics. Her voice. The melody. Everything. Is. Perfect. I think you just need to listen for yourself to fully understand the magic that is this song. (Side note: her voice literally brings me to tears starting at 2:20.)

            The album then picks up some energy, with a string of upbeat, catchy songs. “Really Don’t Care” featuring Cher Lloyd, “”Fire Starter,” “Something That We’re Not,” and “Never Been Hurt” are all driving-with-the-windows-down-screaming-along-with-your-friends songs. “Fire Starter” is a great song if you ever need to be pumped up or encouraged. For example, it's perfect to listen to before a job interview or an exam. “Something That We’re Not” is my second favorite song on the album. It is unbelievably catchy and is guaranteed to have you dancing, singing, and looking like an idiot.

Another day of X Factor auditions

            Demi then does something she rarely does, which is open up about her biological father. While the details have never been discussed, her and her biological dad have a very flawed relationship. It seems that he is a mostly absentee father with a drinking problem. Demi expresses her frustration with him in the song “Shouldn’t Come Back.” If this heart wrenching song doesn’t evoke any emotion, you do not have a soul. The song is basically Demi telling her dad that he should stop trying to be in her life. The most powerful line that is repeated throughout the song is “stop right now / you’ll only let me down.” Apparently, Demi had herself and everyone in the studio sobbing when recording this song and will probably have you crying after you give it a listen.

            Finally, we come to the much-anticipated song Warrior. Before they even heard it, Lovatics knew this song would be powerful. Not only is it the last song on the album, it has an incredibly fierce name. I thought that it would be an anthem much like her last album’s title track “Unbroken.” I was surprised when I first played it and realized that it was slow. But just because it is slower does not mean it’s not powerful. Demi sings about overcoming an unspecified obstacle and coming out on the other side as a “warrior.” It is presumed that Demi was sexually abused, mostly because of the line “there’s a part of me I can’t get back / a little girl grew up too fast / all it took was once / I’ll never be the same.” Even though this song is about a horrible topic, it ultimately gives an uplifting vibe. Demi describes her post-incident self by singing “now I’m a warrior / now I’ve got thicker skin / I’m a warrior / I’m stronger than I’ve ever been / and my armor is made of steel / you can’t get in.” Demi ends her most personal album yet with the line “you can never hurt me again,” which must feel pretty damn good.

            After listening to Demi probably more times than is healthy, I can conclude that Demi’s voice is unmatched any other, she continues to grow and improve as a songwriter, and I am now even more desperate for her to be my friend. 

The Summer Dilemma

                    From ages 13-18, the word “summer” has a magical connotation. Being out of school for three months gives you the chance to reinvent yourself, find summer love, and frolic with your friends who share your majestic summer sentiment. Maybe you have a job to earn some extra cash, but your main priority is meeting boys on the boardwalk.

                    But summers in college are different. This is when summers stop being polite and start getting real. (Or maybe that’s the Real World tagline, but it’s applicable nonetheless.) Summers are no longer the time to make bracelets and tan on your front lawn all day.

                    Instead, it’s time to “make moves” regarding your life. But in terms of making said moves, there are multiple options. From my observations, there are three respectable and effective ways of spending your college summers. They are as follows:

1. Interning

Every person with any remote professional knowledge will tell you the same thing about internships; do them. In the past, internships were more of an optional career step. Today, they are basically necessary. In order to find a job post-grad, most professions and companies require internship experience. Even though the word “internship” is often a euphemism for “bitch work,” having one is an integral part of one’s professional career. It is at these often-undesirable-and-unpaid internships that students gain valuable experience and priceless networking opportunities. From what I have seen, the majority of internships are not paid. In general, the only interns that are paid are those in the science or engineering field. That leaves us non-science people broke. However, interning is often regarded as “paying your dues,” and will put you at an advantage among competitors once you enter the real world (not to be confused with the aforementioned Real World).

Girls' Hannah finally gets the nerve to ask for a paid position at her internship and promptly gets fired.

2. Having an actual paying job

Unless you’re an engineer, while internships add immeasurable value to your résumé, they just don’t cut it when it comes to bringing home the bacon. Most college students don’t work during the school year. It is very difficult to balance classes, homework, extracurricular activities, AND a job when school is in session. This means many students, including me, rely on El Banco de Los Padres (also known as mommy and daddy’s wallet). Mom and Dad provide enough money for students to eat and survive, but they usually don’t dish out extra funds for shopping or concert tickets. This means that summer is the time to rake up some funds to add to your ever-dwindling savings account. Even though this may mean taking a dull or degrading job such as an office assistant or a mascot at an amusement park, it is worth it to save up some money for the coming school year. You’ll be thanking yourself when all of your friends are eating Ramen and you are ordering some new clothes from Forever21.com.

3. Taking a summer class

Summer is the perfect time to get ahead in credits. Even if you are perfectly on track when it comes to classes, it is nice to have some extra credits. This often allows you to register for classes earlier and gives you the option to take fewer credits during the school year. Also, since many summer classes are taken at community colleges, the classes are often easier than they would be at school. If there is a class you have been dreading taking at school and there is a community college equivalent, I would highly recommend you take it over the summer. Also, summer classes typically only require a “C” or above to gain credit and most often do not affect your GPA. This allows you to be more relaxed towards the class than you would be on campus. While summer classes may not seem ideal at the time, the 3-6 hours a week will help you out in the long run.

                    Even though there are three suitable and feasible ways to spend the summer, this creates something I have dubbed “The Summer Dilemma.” Ideally, I would do all three. I would have an internship to gain experience and to put on my résumé, I would have a job to make the money I so desperately need, and I would get Accounting out of the way at the community college by my house. But how am I supposed to do all three at the same time? When it comes to my summer, I have come to accept that I am only human. There is simply not enough time to intern, have a job, and take a class. I have decided to focus on my awesome internship and occasionally babysit so my bank account balance is no longer negative. Even though I would like to take a class as well, I want to maintain some of that summer magic. I want to be able to go to the beach for long weekends, waste time tanning with my friends, and going on aimless iced coffee runs. After all, I am not yet a full-blown “real person” and I think I have a few more magical summers in me. 

Nothing beats this.
Margate City, NJ

The Spring Festival

             I think I have made it clear that I am not a morning person. Getting up before 12 p.m. is an exceptional struggle. So, one can imagine the horror I felt when I found out I had to be in Philadelphia at 8 a.m. for The Spring Festival.

            When my phone started ringing at 6:50 a.m. (I like to sleep until the last possible second) it felt more like a bomb than an alarm. Somehow, most likely with the help of a higher power, I got up and made it to the city by 8:05. (The extra five minutes came from my much-needed Dunkin Donuts stop.) 

            Once I arrived in Philadelphia and found the vendor parking spots, it was go-time. My boss introduced me to a pleasant and knowledgeable lady named Phyllis, who was running the logistics of the event. She had all the supplies and sent us on missions to deliver them to their respective businesses. Each business had a tent and the tents spanned down Walnut Street from Broad St. to 19^th St.

            Just as I was wondering how exactly we were going to get these heavy supplies such as charcoal bags and piles of linens all down Walnut Street, I saw something that lit up my world. Suddenly, it didn’t feel like it was 8 a.m. and I was about to work an all-day festival. Instead, I felt like my dreams were coming true. In front of me, were three golf carts. With the keys inside. I felt like a kid on Christmas.

            Why were three golf carts so exciting to me? Ever since I was around 15, it has been one of my bucket list items to drive one of those bad boys. I think back then it was because I didn’t have a license and it was the only vehicle I could operate. But there I was, 3 years post-license, and practically doing cartwheels over the possibility of driving one. Little did I know at the time, I would develop a love/hate relationship with that seemingly harmless machine.

My foot and I riding on the back of a cart pre-festival.

            On my first supply delivery, another volunteer around my age drove the cart. I tried to subtly let it slip that I had always wanted to drive one, and she took the bait. She offered to let me drive on the way back and unknowingly helped me fulfill one of my life goals. Driving a golf cart around a closed-down street through Center City Philadelphia at 8 a.m. was an experience to say the least. There were a bunch of obstacles such as tents and police cars and I felt like I was playing real-life Mario Kart.

            I was then sent on a crazy mission to go buy twenty hand soaps and twenty hand sanitizers at CVS for the hand-washing stations. Have you ever heard of anyone spending almost $90 on soap? Well, now you have. I took the golf cart on this expedition, which meant I had to drive it on streets with actual moving traffic. I even asked a cop if I was allowed to do so, and he responded with a coy smile and “I’m not going to look.”

            After casually checking off an item on my “list of things to do in life,” I continued to help with the supplies. People were asking me questions about supplies and about the event in general because I had a radio, which made me look very official.

Me being legit.

            Before I knew it, the event had begun. My job was to help out at the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board tent. There was a wine tasting at this station. In the past, there had been “spill buckets” which patrons would spill their unwanted wine into. My job was supposed to be to dump out these buckets when necessary and keep the event clean and flowing smoothly. However, the woman in charge of the event had forgotten to bring the spill buckets this year. I offered to go buy some at the CVS I had been to earlier. I was instructed to get 5 large baskets. I figured that I would not be able to carry them four blocks, so I decided to take the golf cart. (Also, I really wanted to drive it again.)

            This turned out to be the biggest mistake of the day. While driving the cart in the morning when the street was relatively empty was a dream, trying to navigate through Walnut Street while the festival was in full swing was a nightmare. I could barely get through the hoards of people and many of them were not willing to make room. I guess this was a good sign for the festival because a lot of people were in attendance, but it was horrible for someone trying to drive a golf cart through it. At one point, a homeless man tried to stick his cane in the cart as I was attempting to drive down the street, if that’s any indication of how this was going.

            Getting to CVS took exponentially longer than it should have, and I began to get nervous that the wine tasting was being ruined due to lack of spill buckets. To my dismay, CVS didn’t have anything even remotely close to buckets or bins. I went to the market down the street (still in the golf cart) and settled on getting four Tupperware containers.

            The drive back to the PLCB tent was even worse than the drive to CVS. When I was a few blocks away from Walnut St., these kids that looked around my age jokingly asked for a ride. I shrugged, laughed it off, and kept driving. Around 30 seconds later, I heard a voice say “nice day.” I turned around and the kids had jumped on the back and hitched a ride without me knowing. At that point, all I could do was laugh.

The deathtrap in action.

            After I dropped the hitchhikers off, I decided to drive on the sidewalk to avoid all of the people. I saw that it would be a tight squeeze in between the tents and the stores, but I thought I could make it through. Even though passing by the first tent was snug and difficult, I did it. The next tent appeared to have more room between the poles and the store. Piece of cake, I thought. Wrong. There was a door-stopper sticking out of the sidewalk that wedged me between the wall and the tent pole. I was completely stuck. I started to draw a crowd. A kind, saintly gentleman, whose two kids I think I scarred both by almost running them over and cursing in front of them, benevolently led me out. People were staring and it was horrible. Just as I reversed out of the trap and began to cheer and celebrate, I backed into a tent. No damage was done, except to my dignity.

            I finally got back to the PLCB tent and triumphantly handed the manager the containers. She promptly told me she didn’t think they needed them anymore and I promptly wanted to scream and cry. Instead, I returned the deathtrap (known to some as a golf cart) to its rightful place.

            Because I was no longer needed at the wine tasting, my boss told another volunteer and me that we weren’t needed until teardown. We walked around and observed the festival. I was surprised by the amount of people and vendors there. Looking around, it was evident that the event was a huge success.

           

The Festival in full swing.

Since I had about two hours to kill, I invited my dad to come check it out. He took a while to get there, so I hung out in the VIP section with my coworkers. It was a good sign that we had time to relax and have fun, because that meant that there were no crises or disasters that needed handling.

            Once my dad arrived, I showed him around the festival. Before I knew it, it was time to start teardown. My job was to take down and collect the signs at each tent. My lovely father helped me and together we completed the job relatively quickly. My coworkers were very appreciative (and emotional) about my dad helping and “how good” I was. Soon, I was released and able to go home.

            If I learned anything at The Spring Festival it’s that tons of effort and planning is worth it to make your event run like a well-oiled machine, and to never drive a golf cart through a festival. 

My Week in Event Purgatory

            This week has been a blur. A stressful, surreal blur, much like Cady Herron’s first day of high school. Why? Because I have been in event purgatory.

An accurate representation of my feelings this week.        

           “What is event purgatory?” you ask?            

            Event purgatory is a very scientific term that I just made up. This week, Gloss PR has two of their biggest events, the first being the Spring Festival Preview Party, the second being the actual Spring Festival. The week in between is what I deemed "event purgatory."

            The Spring Festival basically involves a bunch of Rittenhouse Row businesses setting up tents on Walnut Street. Businesses typically offer food or merchandise at their tents. The street is closed down so that pedestrians and vendors can fill the area. This is what Rittenhouse Row’s website has to say about the event (which I’m 99% positive my boss wrote):

            Each year more than 50,000 people converge on Walnut Street from Broad to 19th Streets, for Philadelphia’s most upscale festival. The event features food, entertainment, shopping and family fun. This is the only event where Walnut Street is closed to automotive traffic. Pedestrians stroll Walnut and 18th Streets and explore 120 booths.

            The Festival is a huge deal for Gloss. Before the actual festival, which is this Saturday, is the Spring Festival Preview Party. While the Festival is open to the public, the Preview Party is much more exclusive. The invite-only event features food and drinks from some of the higher-end festival participants. There is also a silent auction, which includes items from festival participants as well. Some of the items are very valuable, such as gift card packages to Stephen Starr restaurants and Roberto Cavalli sunglasses.

            The Preview Party was this past Monday. Even though the event took place from 6-9 p.m., my day started at 8 a.m. After struggling to get out of bed and put myself together, I arrived in Philadelphia around 9:45 a.m. I was nonstop moving from then until the end of the night. All day, I was running around the city collecting items for the silent auction. Most businesses had the item ready and I was in, out, and on to the next one. However, a few places had no idea what I was talking about. This made me have to wait around while they contacted their managers. Despite these few blips, I picked up all of the items I was assigned.

            During the actual event, I worked registration. Besides not having the guest list printed out until 15 minutes before the event started, a lot of alleged guests not being on the list, and being hit on by the security guy, it went relatively smoothly.

            I then had to check out the guests who won items at the silent auction using the credit card processing system called Intuit. Even though the system was a little spotty, I figured it out. After the event was over and we cleaned up, I finally headed home at 10 p.m. Needless to say, after 12 hours I was exhausted.

            Even though I worked all day on Monday, I still had to go into the office Tuesday and Wednesday, which are my normal hours. To say these days were crazy would be an understatement. I had to help wrap things up from The Preview Party AND get things ready for The Spring Festival. For example, I had to call people that won things at the silent auction but did not claim their winnings. This entailed getting their payment information and address. If the item they one was a package, I had to hand deliver it. This meant driving all over Philadelphia, which is not something I like doing. It’s not that I don’t love being in the city, it’s that I hate finding a place to park and navigating my way through the one-way streets.

            By the time Wednesday rolled around, I was mentally done. I felt I had put so many hours into work this week (for no money) and that I was being asked to do a lot. While I did do what I was asked, I was overwhelmed. There was a lot to be done at the office this week, and I felt a lot of the slack was dumped on me. As the day was ending on Wednesday and I overheard talks of what had to be done, I couldn’t help but think, not my problem.

            But then, my boss realized how much they needed some extra hands around the office. She offered to pay me if I came in for an extra day on Thursday. As much as I felt exhausted and overworked, I wanted to be an outstanding intern and I wanted to help my boss in her time of need. I agreed and went into the office the next day. After a crazy week and only one emotional breakdown (which started with me getting lost and stuck in traffic for an hour and a half after an already rough day and ended with me hysterically crying on the highway) I somehow made it through.

            Today was a much-needed day off. However, tomorrow is the Festival and I have to be in the city at 8 a.m. I am probably facing a 10-hour-or-more-day, but I am okay with that because:

1. It is my job.
2. It’s going to be an awesome event.
3. I will gain valuable experience.
4. After, my week in event purgatory will be over.

The poster for the Spring Festival, which I distributed all over the city.

            

Why I Hate Lauren Conrad

            When I say hate, I mean girl hate. This basically means I am both obsessed with and jealous of her. Not only did Lauren Conrad get to live out my dream of being on my not-so-guilty-pleasure that is Laguna Beach, she is perfect on all levels.

            But no one is perfect, you say.

            Wrong.

            How is “LC” perfect? Let me count thy ways.

Seriously?

1. As if being the nice, pretty girl on Laguna Beach wasn’t enough, after the show (tragically) ended, Lauren got her own spinoff show called The Hills. Even though it was later revealed to be fake, she still provided America with juicy entertainment, all while living a fabulous life and looking incredible.

2.  Her hair. I cannot put the jealously I feel towards her ombré into words. She has the perfect honey shade, which subtly yet beautifully transforms into a more platinum blonde towards the ends. As a girl with super curly brown hair, I can only dream of hair like this. Not only is her color on point, it is always beautifully styled. I have spent (and wasted) many nights in front of the mirror trying to emulate her signature braid, to no avail.

3. Her Pinterest is out of this world. With boards such as “wear”, “primp”, “smile”, and “grow”, Lauren sorts through the best of the best when it comes to a glamorous life. Her Pinterest account is also attached to her website, which is equally perfect. The site includes style and beauty tips, wedding ideas, life advice, DIY activities, and more. Oh, and, no shocker, it looks beautiful too.

4. Lauren's Pinterest is not the only aesthetically perfect social media account attached to the Lauren Conrad image. Her Instagram account is somehow both beautifully uniform and unique. The pictures are often of simple things, yet she magically makes them look artsy and wonderful. She also Instagrams snapshots from her lavish escapades. To create a signature look and build her brand, it seems as though Lauren uses the same filter on all of her pictures (my best guess is Rise). A look at her Instagram is sure to make even the biggest LC hater jealous.

5. Her style. And two clothing lines (LC Lauren Conrad and Paper Crown).

Clothes from LC Lauren Conrad

6. And finally, the number one reason I hate Lauren Conrad: her eyeliner. That’s right. The amount of time I have spent trying to copy her braid is NOTHING compared to the hours upon hours of agonizing attempts to get her look. Those wings. That cat-eye. It’s perfect. After many failed attempts to get my makeup looking even remotely like hers, I reassured myself by concluding that it must be done by a professional. But then I stumbled upon (aka googled how to get Lauren Conrad’s eyeliner) the video below. To my dismay, LC does her eyeliner herself. In under two minutes. And makes it look easy. After much thought, I think I have come up with the only conclusion that makes Lauren Conrad’s perfection make sense; she is a robot. A famous, fabulous, perfectly styled and made-up, robot who I wish I could be.

Ps. Bonus points for hooking up with this.