Recently, I turned the radio to a Country station and someone asked “Are you listening to Country?” Then proceeded to say how annoyed she got because of all these people who listen to Country Music and have never even been on a horse. I’m not sure what riding a horse has to do with liking an entire genre of music, but it just goes to show that you don’t have to meet a specific mold to enjoy what Country Music has to offer.
Hawaiian native, JoLivi would probably agree! There probably isn’t a whole lot of Country influence on the islands, but that hasn’t stopped her from resonating with the music and turning it into a career. JoLivi wants to make music for everyone and for every occasion. Her soulful new single “Vinyl” (written and produced by Mark McKee), is playful and has all the makings of a hit song. Her vocals are strong, the beat is catchy and the song is carefree and relatable.
JoLivi told Variety Beat about the inspiration behind the song:
‘“Vinyl” is about experiencing moments that are classic and unfiltered. There is something romantic about a jukebox and watching a record physically play on the turntable. Also, just having fun.. leaving all your worries behind and getting lost in time.”
Born and raised in the Hawaii Islands, JoLivi’s love for country music started at a young age. While some may not correlate country music and the aloha state, the rural landscapes and laid-back lifestyle emulate everything we love about the genre. JoLivi caught the music bug at a young age and quickly began singing wherever she had a chance. After graduating with a Theatre degree from Colorado State, JoLivi decided it was time to make the move to LA to pursue her music career full time.
While in LA, Jo Livi had the opportunity to open for artists including Andy Grammar, Gavin DeGraw, Lindsey Stirling and more alongside the release of four singles garnering more than 670Kviews on YouTube and 20K streams on Spotify. Her vocal chops turned critics heads with Perez Hilton stating she possessed ‘star potential’ and alt radio stations around the US spinning her singles.
Now residing in Nashville and working closely with Johnny Garcia (Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood), JoLivi has released two country singles “Take a Shot” and “Crooked Crown” with the music video for “Crooked Crown” in regular rotation on The Country Network. With ‘the contemporary appeal of Maren Morris, vocal strength and uniqueness of Melissa Etheridge and the grit of Bonnie Rait’ (Country Music Tattle Tale), JoLivi is gearing up to release her brand new single entitled “Vinyl” on March 9th.
Taylor Swift has just released her fourth promotional song off her 6th studio album Reputation coming out November 10! “Call It What You Want” quickly reached #1 on iTunes and Reputation has reached over 400,000 presale copies, more than double it’s predecessor 1989 which sold almost 1.3 million copies the first week of sales.
“Call It What You Want” is track #14 on the album and it is a beautiful love song. One of the fans who attended the secret sessions and has heard the album in its entirety stated that the album is about how Swift has been feeling the last few years, but that the last two songs on the album, (tracks 14 + 15) are how she feels right now.
“While this album is how I’ve been feeling over the last two years, these last two songs are how I feel now.”
Swift also told a fan (who thought maybe “Call It What You Want” was the perfect wedding song), that track 15 would actually be a better choice! So there’s at least one more great love song on the album!
“Want” has a much slower pace than the previous three singles released and instead of being driven by production and beats, it’s driven by lyrics.
Listen to the song and read below as we break down the lyrics to “Call It What You Want”
“My castle crumbled overnight I brought a knife to a gunfight”
Remember back when Swift was a crumbled up piece of paper laying there (“All Too Well”) and when she could build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at her (“New Romantics”)? Now that armor has fallen down and she was not as prepared as she thought she was. That’s what the next line suggests, by bringing a knife to a gunfight.
“They took the crown but it’s alright”
They took her crown – everything she had built up. With 1989, she was at such a happy place. She won album of the year, every media outlet was singing her praises. They loved how happy she was in her relationship and stopped calling her a man-eating whore. She had her good name back, and they took it away. This is not playing the victim, these are facts. People will say anything to make a headline or get attention, no matter how inaccurate and false it may be. But it’s alright, you know why? She’s doing better than she ever was.
“All the liars are calling me one
Nobody’s heard from me in months
I’m doing better than I ever was.”
This is so heartbreaking but freeing at the same time. That she had to get out of the public eye and not be seen or photographed in order to finally get peace and be happy. But now she is and she’s a happy little hermit!
“Cause my baby’s fit like a daydream Walking with his head down I’m the one he’s walking to So call it what you want yeah, call it what you want to My baby’s fly like a jet stream High above the whole scene Loves me like I’m brand new So call it what you want yeah, call it what you want to”
While the initial tone of the song seems sad, it just makes her appreciate everything so much more. All of that doesn’t matter because she has so much happiness and love in her life. She has this handsome man she gets to spend all her time with so she doesn’t care what anyone else has to say because he makes her feel worth it. He makes her feel like the her that she truly is. The her, her fans wish they could make her believe she is. We are always going to be our own worse enemy. So now she feels brand new, she’s able to disregard what lies are being said about her and just smile all the time. Isn’t love wonderful?
“All my flowers grew back as thorns Windows boarded back up after the storm He built a fire just to keep me warm”
Remember in “Clean” when the flowers died of thirst, and the sky turned black like a perfect storm and the rain came pouring down AND she punched a hole in the roof to let the flood carry away all the pictures of him? Taylor was clean, she wasn’t going to risk it… the flowers grew back with thorns, (she got a little stronger, got a little harder) and now she’s rebuilt what was torn down. She wasn’t completely whole, boarded up windows aren’t new and secure windows, but still, she had someone there to make the best of it. To make her feel safe and loved and do everything he could to help her trust and love again.
“All the drama queens taking swings All the jokers dressing up as kings They fade to nothing when I look at him”
These are really great lines. They are so accurate and even after this song came out, the media and others still continued to attack her. They are still taking their swings. And those people who are rude and unkind make themselves look so important, but again, all of that doesn’t affect her because she’s in a wonderful place right now, with her man who makes her so happy. That is love!
“And I know I make the same mistakes every time Bridges burn, I never learn At least I did one thing right, I did one thing right”
Personally, I love these verses because they can be taken from their original meaning and applied to so many situations. While here, Swift can be talking about past relationships as well as friendships. I know I’ve personally made the same mistakes over and over with friends that have pushed people away. Here she is talking about those mistakes, about no longer having contact with those people she’s hurt and who have hurt her, but she did one thing right, which is him! He makes everything better. She got this relationship right. So even though she has lost so much, she has also gained everything.
“I’m laughing with my lover Making forts under covers Trust him like a brother Yeah you know I did one thing right Starry eyes sparking up my darkest night”
Doesn’t it sound like they have the best time together? That, ultimately is what makes a lasting relationship. Someone you can be a complete goofball with, someone you trust more than anyone in the world, someone who makes you laugh and still gives you butterflies.
I want to wear his initial on a chain around my neck Chainround my neck Not because he owns me But ’cause he really knows me
These lines are especially cute because Swift has been wearing a necklace since last year with the initial “J” on it. She’s so proud to be his girl, in a completely nonposessive way. He gets her.
I recall late November Holding my breath, slowly I said “you don’t need to save me But would you run away with me?” Yes
Last November was also the last time we really saw Swift out in about, not hiding behind an umbrella or ducking from the cameras. Knowing her life, and how documented it was, she probably asked Joe Alwyn, if he would be her lover away from the limelight. He didn’t care, he wasn’t seeking attention, he just wanted to be with her. The media didn’t find out about the relationship for at least 6 months, allowing them to really get to know each other away from the headlines.
It looks like she found her Romeo after all and maybe the next one saying “Yes” will be her.” 🙂
Fun fact in Swift’s hit song “Love Story” has a secret code spelled out in the lyrics that say “Someday I’ll find this.” While she sings lines like “Romeo save me, I’ve been feeling so alone.” “Take me somewhere we can be alone, I’ll be waiting, all there’s left to do is run” “It’s a love story, baby just say yes.”
Now she’s found it and she’s truly happy and ultimately that’s what really matters.
Swift shared a personal video of her singing the song on social media! Check it out!
Taylor Alison Swift just dropped a new song off her album Reputation and it’s safe to say we weren’t “…Ready For It?” Swift first posted a hint about the song, (that no one realized was a hint at the time) when she posted about “Look What You Made Me Do” being out! I MEAN IT WAS JUST SITTING RIGHT THERE, AS PLAIN AS THE NOSE ON MY FACE!
She captioned it “…ready for it?” New single #LookWhatYouMadeMeDo out now.”
LISTEN TO “…READY FOR IT?” NOW AND CHECK OUT THE LYRICS/ANALYSIS
“…Ready For It?” starts off with a loud booming bass sound…. you know that sound, when you’re standing front row at a concert and you can’t even really hear what the artist is singing because you just get the bass in your ears and then you can’t hear anything once the concert is over? Yeah, that sound!
After Swift clears her throat, she prepares for her Pop/Rap song. Let’s get into the lyrics, a song we believe to be about her relationship with actor Joe Alwyn, whom she has been dating for over 10 months. <3
To watch this article in video format see video here:
Lyrics for “…Ready For It?” *Parts in bold are explanations*
[Verse 1]
Knew he was a killer
First time that I saw him
*Swift first saw Alwyn in 2016. The pair had at least previously met in October during a private concert for Kings of Leon. Alwyn was seen entering the same after party behind model Martha Hunt, BFF of Taylor Swift. Killer here could also just mean good looking. 🙂
Wonder how many girls he had loved and left haunted
But if he’s a ghost then I can be a phantom
Holdin’ him for ransom
*This line seems to be thoughts Swift had when she first saw him, as continuing on from her opening lines. She probably knew very little about him, so it’s natural to wonder if he is single, or taken, what his love history has been like. He is an actor after all, but Swift has also had her fair share of heart break and knows what the pain of that is like. Sometimes, when you go through really bad breakups, they take parts of you away. People can be left emotionless and it takes a very long time to break through that wall. So if he isn’t capable of much love at the moment, she would totally understand because she has also been through the ringer. (I can be a phantom). But she won’t let that get in the way, she’s going to be there no matter how long it takes to break through that wall he may have up (holdin’ him for ransom).
Some, some boys are tryin’ too hard
He don’t try at all though
Younger than my exes but he act like such a man, so
*These lines are everything. People may try to impress her, whether it be lavish gifts, jet-setting around the world, private planes. Alwyn is just himself, a boy standing in front of a girl, asking her to love him. <3 (Ok, we added that last part in). Although Alwyn isn’t the youngest ex (Conor Kennedy, Harry Styles and Taylor Lautner have him beat), he’s still younger than her past two, Calvin Harris and Tom Hiddleston. Even though he is younger than them, he acts like how a man should act. Not like a boy, not childish (cough Harris). Sometimes it takes men longer than women to grow up. A lot of times females can be ready for a committed relationship at a younger age, but it takes some males longer to get there. They need more time to mature.
I see nothing better, I keep him forever
Like a vendetta-ta
*Here, the meaning would appear to be that he is really the best man to have come along. Like when you think you’ve truly known what love is, when you’re in high school and you tell your parents you’re in love, but they really know better. During that time though, that’s all the love you’ve known, there isn’t much to compare it to, but as you age and you realize what’s important and how hard relationships can be when you don’t get to see the person every day out of convenience (like going to the same school) and how jobs and life just get in the way. Anyway, tangent over. She’s keeping him like a vendetta (which pretty much never ends since feuds/revenge will always continue).
[Pre-Chorus]
I-I-I see how this is gonna go
Touch me, and you’ll never be alone
*This line is particularly sad and disguised to the average person who doesn’t understand what is being said here. Swift knows all too well about the media attraction her dating life gets. In fact, after Harry Styles, she didn’t date anyone for two years. It’s hard to date her, it’s probably why most of her relationships have failed. So here, she is saying that as soon as they get together (touch me), he’ll never be left alone. There will be paparazzi following him, taking his pictures, interviewers asking about their relationship. He will be thrust into the limelight.
I-Island breeze and lights down low
No one has to know
*Islands are symbolic of a place that is generally more secluded and harder to get to. So here, although she could mean that they have been on vacations together, I think the more symbolic meaning is that they are going to be keeping their relationship on the down low. A little more secluded and out of the limelight (lights down low). In fact, the media didn’t know about their relationship for at least 6 months, and to this date they still don’t have any actual pictures of them together (minus one very grainy picture/or them hiding behind umbrellas).
[Chorus]
In the middle of the night, in my dreams
You should see the things we do, baby
In the middle of the night, in my dreams
I know I’m gonna be with you
So I take my time
*A lot of people think these lines are about sex, and although they can be, it could also just be about the way she is dreaming about their life together. The future, maybe a wedding, children, a life away from the media. She seems to be saying that she knows they are going to be together (I know I’m gonna be with you), so there is no need to rush the relationship (So I take my time).
(Are you ready for it?)
Then she asks the infamous question, “Are you ready for it?” Meaning, all the attention and new fame that comes with dating her. She goes on to explain in the next verse.
[Verse 2]
Me, I was a robber
First time that he saw me
Stealing hearts and running off and never saying sorry
*Here Swift switches gears and talks about how Alwyn must have perceived her the first time he saw her. Saying she was a robber is referring to hearts and past relationships. Basically, he only knew the media version of her, not the real version. In the media version of her, she just dates guys for a few months and then breaks up with them, after getting material for new music. That she doesn’t really care about these men (never saying sorry).
But if I’m a thief then
He can join the heist
*So here Swift is saying that if all the things the media says about her are true, and she’s just a robber of hearts (a thief) he can join in on it because the reward is their love.
And we’ll move to an island-and
He can be my jailer
*They are going to keep their relationship private (not actually move to an island, but who knows that could happen someday) and he’ll be the one to keep her (jailer) out of the limelight. She doesn’t care because she believes in their relationship.
Burton to this Taylor
*Richard Burton was married to Elizabeth Taylor so Alwyn can be the Burton to this Taylor (Swift). Elizabeth Taylor was married 8 times and Swift has 8 exes! But despite that, their love spans across a decade. Elizabeth had lost her youth in early fame (much like Swift) and when she got together with Burton, he also took off. He was talented and a success, but was taken to the next level of fame due to their union (It’s no doubt Alwyn is talented and successful on his own, but like Swift said earlier, now he’ll never be alone). Together they made it big and always loved each other.
Every love I’ve known in comparison is a failure
I forget their names now
*Can we take a moment to laugh at how great this line is?! Her past relationships, as great as they may seem don’t add up to what she has now. SO MUCH, THAT SHE DOESN’T EVEN GIVE THEM A SECOND THOUGHT, SHE HAS FORGOTTEN THEIR NAMES! lol
I’m so very tame now
Never be the same now, now
*Swift is not the boy crazy, dating machine the media makes her out to be. She’s ready to really give love a chance, to keep her private life private. She’s not the same person she was before him, and now that she has seen so much that has failed, she’s going to protect what she has. There’s no need for show boating, lavish expenses or anything even close. Like she said earlier, he doesn’t even have to try (to impress her).
[Pre-Chorus]
I-I-I see how this is gonna go
Touch me and you’ll never be alone
I-Island breeze and lights down low
No one has to know
(No one has to know)
[Chorus]
In the middle of the night, in my dreams
You should see the things we do, baby
In the middle of the night in my dreams
I know I’m gonna be with you
So I take my time
(Are you ready for it?)
(Ooh, are you ready for it?)
Post-Chorus]
Baby, let the games begin
Let the games begin
Let the games begin
Baby, let the games begin
Let the games begin
Let the games begin
*This is the only other lines that are new for the rest of the song. Let the games begin, let everything that comes with dating her come their way. Again, she is asking are you ready for it? We think he is. 🙂
[Bridge]
I-I-I see how this is gonna go
Touch me and you’ll never be alone
I-Island breeze and lights down low
No one has to know
[Chorus]
In the middle of the night, in my dreams
You should see the things we do, baby
In the middle of the night, in my dreams
I know I’m gonna be with you
So I take my time
In the middle of the night
[Post-Chorus]
Baby, let the games begin
Let the games begin
Let the games begin
(Are you ready for it?)
Baby, let the games begin
Let the games begin
Let the games begin
(Are you ready for it?)
This is only the second song off Reputation and we can’t wait for the rest!!
Fans are wondering if the next song will be called “A Second Glance” or now that we’ve caught on to Swift’s trickery is she trying to out play us?
Taylor Swift is back and she is not holding back in her first single “Look What You Made Me Do” off her highly anticipated 6th studio album Reputation. While many might have thought her new album would talk about her romance with Calvin Harris whom she dated for over a year, the song actually swipes back at (mostly) the Kanye West and Kim Kardashian beef.
This was obvious from her promo with the snakes since that’s the whole reason she was being called one. She fully embracing the criticism, so much so that’s she’s selling snake merchandise! There’s one way to turn a negative into a positive.
LISTEN TO TAYLOR SWIFT’S NEW SINGLE “LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO”
The song was written by Taylor Swift with co-writes by Jack Antonoff and Right Said Fred even earned credit whose song was sampled “I’m Too Sexy.”
Let’s take a look at the lyrics!
Lyrics:
I don’t like your little games
Don’t like your tilted stage
The role you made me play
Of the fool, no, I don’t like you
I don’t like your perfect crime
How you laugh when you lie
You said the gun was mine
Isn’t cool, no, I don’t like you (oh!)
*Note* It feels like in the first verse she is definitely swiping at Kimye. His titled tour stage, the fact he called her a “Bitch” in his song and Kim releases secretly recorded phone calls but not the entire thing (made her look like a fool). It’s a pretty good mix of half West and half Kardashian in the first verse.
[Pre-Chorus]
But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time
Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time
I’ve got a list of names and yours is in red underlined
I check it once, then I check it twice, oh!
*Note* The pre-chorus seems like a warning of what’s to come. She rose up from the dead, and does it all the time. How many times has she been attacked in the media? Dragged by countless verified twitter users and other influential people? Then the last two lines of the pre-chorus mentions there is a list of names, so it’s not just 1-2 people here who have hurt her, abused her, used her and betrayed her. But West already hurt her once, when he stormed the stage during the 2009 VMAs. CHeck one. They made up and then he releases a vulgar song about her. Check two (mate).
[Chorus]
Ooh, look what you made me do
Look what you made me do
Look what you just made me do
Look what you just made me do
Ooh, look what you made me do
Look what you made me do
Look what you just made me do
Look what you just made me do
[Verse 2]
I don’t like your kingdom keys
They once belonged to me
You ask me for a place to sleep
Locked me out and threw a feast (what?)
The world goes on, another day, another drama, drama
But not for me, not for me, all I think about is karma
And then the world moves on, but one thing’s for sure
Maybe I got mine, but you’ll all get yours
*Note* Verse 2 might enter a completely different occurrence with different people/person. Could it be about her past romance? It would seem justifiable. Or could it be about other friends who have betrayed her? It could collectively be about multiple people, Swift does love a little mystery.
Here’s a fun tidbit though. Swift samples the song “Operate” from Peaches which is a song that also plays in the movie Mean Girls. Let’s not forget Katy Perry once tweeted not to trust the “Regina George in sheep’s clothing” in reference to Swift.
As Swift points out, Karma is real.
Taylor was once called “Regina George in sheep’s clothing” and her new song uses the beat from this scene in Mean Girls. 👀 pic.twitter.com/lpRCCIIk1w
That’s why this song isn’t necessarily just about one person. It’s a warning of things to come. There are 15 tracks on this album and it’s clear Swift isn’t in sheep’s clothing anymore.
[Bridge]
I don’t trust nobody and nobody trusts me
I’ll be the actress, starring in your bad dreams
I don’t trust nobody and nobody trusts me
I’ll be the actress, starring in your bad dreams
I don’t trust nobody and nobody trusts me
I’ll be the actress, starring in your bad dreams
I don’t trust nobody and nobody trusts me
I’ll be the actress, starring in your bad dreams
(Look what you made me do)
(Look what you made me do)
“I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now.”
“Why?”
“Oh ’cause she’s dead!”
Look out world. She’s coming and she doesn’t care what you think.
Buy “Look What You Made Me Do” wherever music is sold! It already shot to #1 within hours!
The wonderful part about Country Duo, Smithfieldis that they are comprised of both a male and female. There is something so powerful about having both a male and female voice in a song. There’s chemistry and harmony and that offers a lot more than the many solo artists out there right now.
Smithfield’s vocals blend smoothly and flow over each other like butter on warm biscuits. Their new single “When You’re Gone” is no exception.
Check out the lyrics below and listen to the new single!
You’re as fine as the wine that you’ve been sipping on
When your hair’s down and you’re dancing around to every song
I love what you do when you’ve had too many
Hard to believe that you’re coming home with me
This drink ain’t the only thing that’s coming on strong
You get me going when you’re gone
Girl, you get me going when you’re gone
LISTEN TO SMITHFIELD’S NEW SINGLE “WHEN YOU’RE GONE”
