Fangirl Stuff

This is where I'll be posting reactions and other fangirl related bits and bobs. Enjoy!

[peachyfangirl86]

My first thoughts on Baylee Littrell (son of BSB's Brian) auditioning for Idol

So, in case you haven't heard, Brian Littrell's son Baylee just announced that he's auditioned for American Idol. If you had asked me my thoughts on this while I was actively watching it every season, I would've only felt excitement because he's finally getting the recognition he deserves. HOWEVER, while I'm still happy for him, I don't watch Idol anymore and probably never will again because of how unfairly they treat their artists. With that being said, my anxiety and fear far overshadows any excitement. I mean, I'm sure he's a strong young man with a good head on his shoulders and thick skin just like Brian, but idk I'm just quaking in my shoes just thinking about it. Maybe I will watch this season for Baylee and for Baylee only, but at the first instant, AND I DO MEAN THE VERY FIRST INSTANT, that they lay a mean finger on or speak a single ill word of him, I'm out! Am I being harsh? Maybe. But I wish he'd gone with The Voice instead. They don't eliminatye people for the smallest mistakes, and there's no drama on-camera.

[peachyfangirl86]

way late to the party, but happy belated anniversary, 1D!

All these Facebook posts about One Direction got me thinking about the last fourteen years (five of them spent together).

I remember I didn't use to stan them bc they were being compared to Justin Bieber, whom I'm totally not a fan of. I used to avoid them like the plague. I didn't ever actively anti them, but I started out preferring The Wanted.

And then one of my FB friends started going off about what a great album UAN was. Then the following weekend, WMYB debuted on American Top 40, and I was wowed by their vocals. I couldn't resist the temptation, so I looked them up on Wiki at least to find out their names. Yes, I fall under that stereotype of "I just wanted to learn their names". lol

Anyway, I immediately gravitated towards Niall bc of his blond hair, good looks, and Irish charm. Nowadays, he's my favorite 1D solo, too. So I went down a rabbit hole and ended up downloading UAN. I guess the people who were comparing them to Bieber must've been antis or something bc they sang so much better than him!

The following year, I went to my first 1D concert and lost my voice from screaming so much. I was hooked!

When Zayn left and they went on hiatus, I cried like a baby for like a week straight. (not literally, but you get it lol) ngl I still can't listen to History without bawling my eyes out knowing that they'd basically lied to us ("This is not the end" my eye!) and disbanded/went solo. If they do reunite and come back, though, that would be so wonderful!

[peachyfangirl86]

Ashton Irwin is coming "Straight to Your Heart"! (and mine!)

The 5SOS drummer has released the first half of his second album Blood on the Drums, and it's FIRE so far! It's a lot more energetic than his first album Superbloom - not that Superbloom is bad per se, I just prefer this one. Its sound kind of reminds me of All Time Low. If you're a fan of pop punk, I definitely recommend this album!

[peachyfangirl86]

Zayn ate and left no crumbs!

The Pillowtalk singer has finally, finally, FINALLY released album #4, Room Under the Stairs, and he is EATING UP! This albums is very different from his other material, but one thing remains the same - his ethereal high notes! If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Dreamin, but I love the whole album!

[peachyfangirl86]

Let me be radically optimistic for a minute

as I react to Dua Lipa's latest album, Radical Optimism!

Okay, so this album has absolutely ZERO skips. There's not one song on it that I don't like! It is pretty much the same EDM sound as her last two albums, but I love that EDM sound. 10/10 would totally recommend!

[peachyfangirl86]

BTS Jin is being discharged next month!

and idk about you, but I'm PUMPED! I'm amazed at how fast the time flew by. It seems like just yesterday he was showing off his buzz, and now he's coming back! I miss our Worldwide Handsome so freaking much - you don't even know! He was my first ult bias, so this really means a lot to me.

[kiwibomb]

hyungwon icons!!! please like or reblog if you save it!!! 🦊

[peachyfangirl86]

THE TOP MIDDLE!!! uwuwuwuwuwuwu

[peachyfangirl86]

Keep CALM (or don’t lol) and listen to 5 Seconds of Summer’s new album!

Yep, you read that right!  5 Seconds of Summer’s fourth studio album is HERE!  All twelve of those tracks are absolute BOPS, and you can tell they’ve put a hell of a lot of time and effort into it! (Well, they always have, but this one especially) I love the diversity - you’ve got upbeat pop-punk tunes, tracks you can just chill to, and everything in between!  My favorites are No Shame, Wildflower, Lover of Mine, and Thin White Lies.  Definitely buy/stream/download this one!

[peachyfangirl86]

It’s officially Heartbreak Weather! (album reaction)

If you’ve been following Niall Horan for the past month or so, you know that he’s been teasing us with track titles and stuff for his new album, Heartbreak Weather, by imitating a weatherman, and I gotta say, he was pretty fracking good at it!  And the album is FINALLY HERE!

This album is even better than Niall’s last effort, Flicker, in that the songs are catchier and there are more upbeat tracks.  My favorites are Small Talk, Cross Your Mind, Dear Patience, and Still.  I even got my roommate listening to it, and she says her favorite so far is Bend the Rules!

[peachyfangirl86]

There’s a new boy band in town, and its name is New Hope Club!

The English band New Hope Club was formed in 2015 and consists of three members: Reece Bibby, George Smith, and Blake Richardson.  They released two EPs (Welcome to the Club Pts. 1 and 2) before finally putting out their self-titled debut album.

And I’m here to react to that album!

As a whole, the album is pretty much worthy of a Grammy, or even a Grammy nod would do!  Okay, maybe Grammy is pushing it, but I feel like they should win SOME kind of award for this.  Anyway, the album is reminiscent of 5 Seconds of Summer, one of my favorite bands ever, so if you’re a 5SOS fan I totally recommend!  Here’s my track-by-track analysis:

Love Again – catchy!

Give Me Time – this song is giving me 5SOS vibes, and that’s not a bad thing!

Karma* – probably my favorite!

You and I* – sounds very earworm-worthy!  Definitely a song you can dance to.

Let Me Down Slow (feat. R3hab) – this reminds me of a Lauv song, and I love Lauv!

Let Me Down Slow – I can totally feel the emotion in this song!  Great job, you three!

Know Me Too Well* – love the Latin flavor in this track!  Reminds me of Havana by Camila Cabello.

Serious – love the finger snaps!

Medicine – head-bobber!

Why Oh Why – see Love Again

Permission – I love the falsetto in this song!  Great message, too!

Fixed – see Medicine

Crazy – see Give Me Time

[peachyfangirl86]

How I feel about In Real Life’s split

I know what you’re thinking upon reading the title of this blog - “Please say sike!” But unfortunately, I can’t.  Yesterday, on January 20th, 2020 at 3:01 pm, In Real Life tweeted “Love you guys” with a screenshot of a long, heartfelt social media post explaining their breakup, followed by two group pics.  I’m struggling just to write this.

In case you didn’t know, In Real Life was a boy band put together by Nick from the Backstreet Boys (among others) on the talent competition “Boy Band” back in ‘17, where they’d eventually win the whole thing.  They then went on to release several singles before finally putting out their full-length debut, “She Do”, in July of ‘19.  And now, barely a year later, they’ve gone to Splitsville.

At first, I was pissed because this was the exact same way One Direction announced their breakup, minus the sugarcoating of calling it a hiatus and releasing a song promising they’d come back.  But I was still pissed.  After all, I’ve also been through ‘N Sync’s and the Jonas Brothers’ disbandment in 2002 and 2013, respectively - why shouldn’t I be pissed? (I know full well JB got back together, but that’s besides the point)

After the anger wore off, I was heartbroken.  I retweeted In Real Life’s announcement to my dad with a heartbreak emoji, and he called me back so we could talk it out.  I then decided to crash for the night, and surprisingly I managed to get all of 6 1/2 hours of sleep!

Now, the morning after, I’m still heartbroken.  I want to get over it, but when you’ve been a fan of a certain band literally since day one, the band in question announcing their split kinda hits you like a ton of bricks.  And I know there are other boy bands I can stan like BTS and Why Don’t We, but... it hurts, you know???

If you’ve made it this far in reading this blog, I congratulate you; you have thicker skin than I do! :)

[peachyfangirl86]

Reaction 2 of 2 - Tullahoma by Dustin Lynch (+ a short biography)

In this second reaction, I’ll be talking about Dustin Lynch’s new album, Tullahoma!  For those of you who don’t know, Dustin is a country singer born in - you guessed it - Tullahoma, Tennessee, and he has three other great albums under his belt (all of which I also recommend).  A fun fact about him is that he would’ve gone to med school if it weren’t for music... and I sure am glad he picked music! lol

Anyway, back to the album.  If you love quality country music, you’ve come to the right place!  Everything is on-point, from the twangy guitars to Dustin’s vocals to... well, everything!  And if you’re new to country music, this is a great album to start with.

Track-by-track analysis (favorites are starred):

Momma’s House – okay, now I’m even more in love with Dustin; momma’s boys are so sexy!

Dirt Road* – this is totally going on my “autobiographical songs” playlist!

Thinking ‘Bout You (feat. Lauren Alaina)* – if he didn’t have eight or nine years on Lauren, I’d totally ship these two!  The harmony is so on-point here! (but then, Nick and Priyanka Jonas are ten years apart, so maybe it COULD happen!)

Ridin’ Roads – I’m a real sucker for country artists using their lower register, and this is no exception!

Old Country Song – I can see somebody and their partner making out to this song

The World Ain’t Mine and Yours – from the title, I was expecting a sad song about the current state of the world, but I’m pleasantly surprised to see that I was completely wrong! I love me a good love song!

Country Star* – if this isn’t already a single, it should be!

Workin’ On You* – see Country Star

Little Town Livin* – this is a real head-bobber!

Red Dirt, Blue Eyes* – see Little Town Livin’

Good Girl – I was lowkey hoping this was a Carrie Underwood cover, but then I think that about every song title shared with another song!  Still a bop!

[peachyfangirl86]

Reaction 1 of 2 - Manic by Halsey

As you can tell by the title, I’m doing not one, but TWO reactions today because TWO of my favorite artists have just released albums - Halsey and Dustin Lynch! (more on Dustin in the next blog)

I think Manic just may be Halsey’s best album to beat, and I’m not just saying that because “OOH, shiny new album!” I truly believe she’s really outdone herself here!  My only complaint is that I don’t see Nightmare ANYWHERE on the album - lowkey upset about that.  But here’s my track-by-track analysis.  As usual, I’ve skipped songs we’ve already heard and starred my favorites.

Ashley – nice message!

Clementine* – this song had me swaying through the whole thing!  I can totally see her asking fans at concerts to put their flashlights up for this performance.

You Should Be Sad* - this song seems to have country undertones, but that’s a good thing bc I love country!

Forever (Is a Long Time) – I could probably do my yoga to this song – so relaxing!

Dominic’s Interlude – no idea who Dominic is, but great song!

I Hate Everybody – see Ashley

3am* - one of my favorites, especially the line “please pick up the fucking phone!”

Finally, Beautiful Stranger* – this is very chill, but very singable.  I can see somebody coving this on The Voice.

Alanis’ Interlude* – Halsey and Alanis go together like peanut butter and jelly – the perfect pairing!

Killing Boys – love the monologue at the beginning!

More – I love a good ballad!

929 – see Killing Boys

Still Learning – this gives me Colbie-Caillat-with-an-electric-guitar vibes!

[peachyfangirl86]

Selena Gomez “Rare” Album Reaction!

So, Selena Gomez just released her third solo album, Rare, and y’all, this album is AMAZING!  It’s the perfect mix of “chill” and “upbeat”; I’d totally recommend it.  Here’s my track-by-track analysis (I’ve starred my faves):

Crowded Room (feat. 6LACK) & Vulnerable – sounds like a great song to relax to!

Let Me Get Me – nice rhythm!

Fun – just what the title says: fun!

Rare* – I can see this song frequently stuck in my head; it’s that good!  If this isn’t already a single, it should be!

People You Know – Another earworm song!  I love it!

Kinda Crazy – this gives me Ariana vibes, but I love Ariana, so that’s a good thing!

Dance Again* – dance floor hit?  I think so!

A Sweeter Place (feat. Kid Cudi) – see LMGM

Cut You Off* – this reminds me of NBTS by Camila, but great song nonetheless!

Ring* – one word: BOP!

[peachyfangirl86]

Reflecting on four years without One Direction

Today marks four whole years from the day they kicked off their hiatus (or broke up, depends on how you look at it)... and I’m actually... fine with it?  Like, I still miss them and everything, but all five seem really happy solo.  I did compare it at first to ‘N Sync’s breakup in 2002 after Justin went solo, but now I realize the two events aren’t all that identical.  Both bands promised to make a comeback (I remember reading a magazine article back in the day about ‘N Sync and their fourth album that turned out to never be), both bands had somebody leave, but all of ‘N Sync but Justin fell off the face of the earth, whereas the guys from 1D are still thriving as solo artists.  I’m happy that they’re happy.

[peachyfangirl86]

Harry Styles’ Fine Line is HERE!

And just in time for the four-year mark on 1D’s hiatus (yay!). lol But if you came here expecting a rave review like I always give, well...sorry ‘bout your luck this time. lol I mean, I don’t HATE it... it just wasn’t what I was expecting.  Harry seems more reserved and less open on this album compared to his debut. idk it’s just not a favorite (yet).  I’m sure I’ll get used to it, though; I do tend to need time to adjust to a new sound from one of my faves.

[peachyfangirl86]

Directioner Reviews Liam Payne’s Debut Album! (finally!)

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months or so (or just don’t follow what goes on behind the scenes), Liam Payne had planned to release his debut solo album last September, but it never happened because he wasn’t happy with the result.  Well, the wait is FINALLY OVER, and it was completely worth it, because this album is full of bops, including a Christmas song!  If that’s not our Christmas present from Liam...!  But yeah, I’d definitely recommend, even if it wasn’t a Liam Payne album - it’s that good!

Anyway, here’s my track-by-track review of the album!  I’ve skipped the songs we’ve already heard and starred my favorites.

Remember* – I could see 1D singing this together, but that’s not a bad thing!  So catchy!

Heart Meet Break – Who broke his heart???

Hips Don’t Lie – Once again, Payno didn’t disappoint!  I was bobbing my head the whole way through! (I was lowkey hoping for a Shakira cover, though)

Tell Your Friends* – Did he just RAP in the hook?!?  Love it!

Say It All – Another head-bobber!  Reminds me of Zayn – did Liam take inspiration?

Rude Hours* – My mouth was wide open for the whole song.  One Direction really did hold him back!

Live Forever (feat. Cheat Codes) – Another catchy one from the king of bops!  Cheat Codes put out a rad beat for it, too!

Weekend – This song gives me some Drake-meets-the-Chainsmokers vibes, but I’m not complaining because this is Liam Payne!

Both Ways – Very Bieber-esque, but I like it!

All I Want (for Christmas) – OMG this song is SO TOUCHING!  When you get to this song, you’d better have tissues available, just saying.