Divergent Series - Movie & Movie Soundtrack Review

You all are in for a treat today! A 2 for 1 review. 

I just barely finished reading the Divergent books, I'm a late adaptor to this series. I sometimes avoid books that are overly popular until all the hype is over. If people are still talking about them after that then I give them a try. This time however, I saw the movie before reading the books and that is what inspired me to read them. 

Divergent: The Movie

The previews for this movie did not do it justice and I had no desire to see it in theaters or rental, but after hearing over and over from friends how good it was I decided to give it a go. I loved it! 

Veronica Roth created a very unique dystopian world that translated to the screen perfectly. It was entertaining and thought-provoking and a good set-up for film number two. After seeing the movie I was dying to know what happened next so I rushed to read all three books. 

Divergent: The Movie Soundtrack

There were two artists that stood out to me from the film: Ellie Goulding and M83.

Ellie Goulding is really popular right now, especially her album Lights from 2011. I had no idea her album was that old since she has only recently been playing on the radio. I love the sound of her light voice, together with the electronic elements. She reminds me a bit of Natasha Bedingfield although Ellie seems a bit more restrained and soft in her vocals, but I'm certain she's capable of letting loose more than she does. Her song Lights caught me immediately. I think her popularity sparked from that single and her inclusion on the Hunger Games soundtrack with her song Mirror. 

Some of my favorites from her include:

Lights

Burn

The Writer

Explosions (from her 2013 Album)

And my new favorite - Beating Heart

M83 has been on my playlist for a while now, but I absolutley love their new single- I Need You!

Some of their songs bring back an 80's nostalgia, but in a good way. Funny enough, if you find the Couleurs album on itunes, it shows that "other listeners bought George Michael." Most of their songs though, like slowly for example, feel perfectly modern even though they came from 2001 and on. 

Some of my favorites from M83:

I Need You

Midnight City

We Own the Sky

Holograms

Midnight City

Extraordinary Female Artist - Yuna

I came across Yuna after listening to the "The Croods" sound track. She sings with Owl City on the song Shine Your Own Way. I liked that song and the sound of her voice so much I did some searching for more music from her.

This female singer is rising in popularity in the US right now. It's no wonder, she has an amazing blend of style and culture in her music with a very rich, smooth voice. She is a singer-songwriter from Malaysia, and she's just beautiful to listen to.

Some of my favorites from her include:
Mermaid
Live Your Life
Rescue (from her newest album)

Below is a statement from her website. Go check her out, you won't be sorry!

"I don't really like the idea of putting myself in any category now," she concludes. "But as a pop artist, I feel like it's easy for me to maneuver from one thing to another and try different things. To me, it's all just music, and if you have good lyrics and good melodies and good production, people won't care what you call it. I think that people are looking for music that's real and honest and that they can relate to emotionally. I think we've created that with Nocturnal. The whole project was a challenge for me, but I'm very happy with the way it turned out."

Two Female Music Artists- One you've heard, One You Haven't

Here are two female artists I love and have to share with you all

First is Cœur de pirate

I happened across this artist by serendipity a few years back on itunes and fell in love. She is a French pop artist and although I don’t speak French, I get it. Music has that mystical quality… you don’t need to hear or understand the words in order to feel the purpose and emotion of the song. I’m a fan of her more soulful, quiet tracks. She exposes a very softness in her tone and in her speech; it’s very soothing and comforting. And her beautiful piano tracks bring with it a dreamy nostalgia.

Her two albums are both a little older, so the songs are cheaper. Here’s some of my favorite songs:

Comme des enfants

Fondu au noir

Corbeau

Francis

C’etait salement romantique

Place de la republique

La petite mort

Go check her out, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Here is her website if you’re interested:

http://www.coeurdepirate.com/en/home/

Next up is Lorde

She only has one major song playing on the radio and it’s sad, she is an amazing artist. If you need a subtle dose of ego, self -confidence and realism, she’s your gal. She is down to earth and real as real in her lyrics. It’s not prettied up for anyone and you can tell she doesn’t care much what others think. Her confidence goes beyond the music and her beautiful magnetic voice is empowering.

Here’s a few of my favorites:

Team

Glory and Gore

A World Alone

Her website is genius, take a peek!

http://www.lorde.co.nz

Let Her Go - Passenger

Is it just me or does the singer from Passenger sound reminiscent of Tracy Chapman? Seriously, listen to both. I prefer Passenger and love their new song Let Her Go, but when I first heard the song I had a high school flash back. 

Thoughts??

Two Legends From Different Worlds - Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Josh Groban

I first heard the authentic sounds of Ladysmith Black Mambazo back in high school. Many years later I am still a fan. Take a listen..

I'm also a fan of Josh groan, especially his new song Brave. 

So image my delight when I recently found two songs meshing the two together, they are absolutely beautiful!

Weeping

My favorite... Lullaby

All of these songs can be found on iTunes

And for some reason these videos don't appear to be working from FB or on a mobile device, so here are the direct links..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLT7t-YYTb4&feature=player_embedded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McdMwOV0y6c&feature=player_embedded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eifJoOkII_Q&feature=player_embedded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS0OeLybo4Y&feature=player_embedded

Big News

I am so proud of my little brother, check out his exciting news for his band here!

He is releasing a super cool new album on I-tunes in a few weeks and has been signed with a label in Japan! You can also buy his music here in the meantime. Go check it out, you'll love it, too.