ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Zendaya

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Credit: Hollywood Records

Credit: Hollywood Records

Rarely does an artist catch our eye like Hollywood Records’ Zendaya has. At the age of only 17, the teen-star has done more than anyone her age could even begin to dream of. She was the star in a major Disney Channel hit show, Shake It Up, was a finalist in the ABC Primetime show Dancing With The Stars, and has already embarked on an extremely promising music career.

Zendaya’s debut single “Replay” was released in July, 2013. The song instantly went into the Top 40, and was pushed to radio stations across the country. “Replay” even went RIAA Certified Platinum in January, 2014. 

Credit: Hollywood Records

Credit: Hollywood Records

Zendaya’s debut album “Zendaya” was released in September of that year, and was well-received by critics and fans worldwide. Many times when an artist releases their first album, you see many things that are wrong or need to be improved; not the case with “Zendaya.” Splattered with dance-pop anthems like “Replay” and “Fireflies,” her self-titled album also has smooth and catchy songs like “Bottle You Up” and “Love You Forever”. Zendaya also proves she isn’t only about pop with the hip-hop track “My Baby.”

Another note about Zendaya: her voice is absolutely incredible. There’s been an abundance of stars in the industry with decent voices, but her's is unparalleled. Her voice may sound processed in some of the her recorded tracks, but listening to the acoustic versions, it’s obvious that she actually does have an amazing voice, no processing required. 

 

We can only hope Zendaya is working on her second album and will go out on tour soon!

Want to win a SIGNED copy of “Zendaya?” Enter for your chance to win below:


CONCERT REVIEW: Plain White T's Gives Crowd What They Want

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Plain White T's performing at Merrimack College. Photo by Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up.

Plain White T's performing at Merrimack College. Photo by Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up.

Friday night was Merrimack College’s Spring Concert, and this year brought none other than the Plain White T’s, and the crowd was definitely content with the college's decision to have them.

Throughout the one-hour performance, there was never a dull moment in the audience. Everyone in the arena knew every word to every song they sang, regardless of how old they were. 

Plain White T's performing at Merrimack College. Photo by Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up.

Plain White T's performing at Merrimack College. Photo by Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up.

Something I really love to see at concerts, and that I unfortunately don’t see too much, is the artists connecting with their audience. The T’s certainly fit this bill. The band even stopped between songs to comment on the posters that some of the girls in the audience made for them (which made those girls go insane).

The Hollywood Records-signed band played a variety of their hits throughout the night, like “The Giving Tree,” “1, 2, 3, 4,” and more. My favorite performances of the night were the two closing songs, “Hey There Delilah,” and the extremely catchy “Rhythm of Love.” Both had the the crowd going crazy, belting out every word.

Check out the below gallery featuring all the photos from the night:  


CONCERT REVIEW: Cher Proves She Is Still #1 At "D2K Tour"

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Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up

Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up

On Wednesday, April 9th, ‘pop goddess’ Cher brought her highly-anticipated “D2K (Dressed 2 Kill) Tour” to the TD Garden in Boston.

Cher opened the show with a new single of hers, “Women’s World,” where she stood high above the crowd on a shimmering pedestal, making the crowd go absolutely insane. 

Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up

Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up

After the first two songs. Cher went on a seemingly long rant about how her crew only gives her Dr. Pepper. However the crowd didn’t care, and seemed to love every word that came out of her mouth.  The thing that really seemed to bother the crowd though, and rightfully so, with a round of “boo”s, the “Believe” singer's announcement that this would actually be her final “farewell” tour. In case you didn’t know, Cher has been doing these “farewell” tours since 2002, so I’m sure a good number of fans didn’t take her too seriously.

It was during songs like “Take It Like A Man” where Cher truly defied her age. Dancing around the stage in a gold armor-like dress, Cher shook her hips and danced like she was in her 20’s. Hard to believe she is almost 68!

One of the most amazing feats of the night was the plethora of costume changes, almost between every song. Cher donned her typical feather costume and diamond hair for many of the numbers. Even more impressive, the energy stayed alive during these 2-3 minute changes. Throughout each set/costume change there was always something to keep the crowd busy. Whether it was a throwback video to “Sonny and Cher” or a circus performance by the amazing dancers, the energy never faded .

Whether or not this was actually Cher’s farewell tour, it was still an unforgettable night, made even better by her extensive past. Surviving a career in the music industry for a few years is extremely difficult and tiring, so the fact that 25 albums and 50 years later Cher is still killing it, is something to be admired by all.

Check out more photos from the show below:


Calvin Harris Releases Video for "Summer"

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"Summer" is nothing new from Calvin Harris, but boy is it catchy.  As far as EDM goes, "Summer" is hardly distinguishable from the pack.  Admittedly, Harris has lost the youthful charm and character that helped gain him his international fame.  However, it seems like he was built for this kind of music; he simply keeps churning out hit after hit.  While the kid we used to know is long gone, the signature Calvin Harris voice remains.  Take a listen for yourself, and see if you can get those smokey vocals out of your head: