Gig #90: Sypha presents … Poptimism (édition féminine): Miley Cyrus, Azelia Banks, Jessie J, Destiny’s Child, Rihanna, Cibo Matto, Kylie Minogue, Ai Otsuka, Madonna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Sheena Easton, Nelly Furtado, Fergie, Nicki Minaj, Paris Hilton, Ke$ha, Gwen Stefani, Cher, Utada Hikaru, Ashlee Simpson

 

 

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Miley Cyrus Adore You
‘Miley Cyrus’s song “Adore You,” the first track on her Bangerz album, was not originally intended for the pop star. Soul singer-songwriter Stacy Barthe penned the ballad for herself, and planned to include it on one of her projects, but Cyrus was determined to record the ballad. “It was supposed to be the first track on [my EP] P.S. I Love, and when Miley heard it she was like, ‘Um, I need that,’” Barthe explains during an exclusive interview with Yahoo Music. “And then I was like, ‘Babe, it’s the first song on my EP.’ So she doubled back with the producer, they cut it on their own, and she let me hear it. And she was like, ‘Before you shoot me down, just hear it.’ And she killed it, so I was like, ‘Anybody who’s going to go through that much trouble to get the song, babe, you can have it.”’ — Yahoo Music

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Azalea Banks 212
‘This year’s Summer Jam is at MetLife Stadium, where the Giants and Jets play, and Banks’ set time is early, out on a side stage in the parking lot. From one perspective, this is about right: “212,” her single that has more than 24 million views on YouTube — at least one of those views belonging to Karl Lagerfeld, who invited Banks to perform the song at his house in Paris this past January — recently cracked HOT 97’s rotation, albeit very occasionally. Banks is a New York–born rapper who, at 21, has been asked to play one of the most revered and significant events in the history of New York rap. From another perspective, her inclusion on the Summer Jam bill is hard to fathom. Later that same day, Banks will host and perform at Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom for the Mermaid Ball, a drag-competition-cum-showcase of her own invention for a series of acts — House of LaDosha, Tigga Calore, Maluca — who, in the long, languorous drift of time, will never be played on a commercial rap radio station like HOT 97.’ — Spin

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Jessie J, feat. Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj Bang Bang
‘English singer Jessie J has shared “Bang Bang”, the first single from her forthcoming album, which is out this fall. It features Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande, and was produced by Swedish pop Svengali Max Martin with Savan Kotecha and Ilya, the team behind Grande’s “Problem”. The song will also appear on the deluxe edition of Grande’s forthcoming album, My Everything.‘ — Pitchfork

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Destiny’s Child Bootylicious
‘”Bootylicious” is a song by American R&B; group Destiny’s Child. It was written and produced by Rob Fusari, Melissa Hinz, and group member Beyoncé Knowles for the band’s third studio album Survivor (2001). The song contains a prominent sample from Stevie Nicks’s 1981 single “Edge of Seventeen”. The track was released as the album’s second single from the album in 2001 and became the band’s fourth U.S. consecutive number-one single. It also reached the top five in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. A “Rockwilder Remix” of the song featured Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott and appeared on the soundtrack of the 2001 musical Carmen: A Hip Hopera and the 2002 compilation This Is the Remix. Although the term “bootylicious” was first used in song by rapper Snoop Dogg in 1992, the popularity of this track caused the slang word to become widespread and it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary (defined as “(of a woman) sexually attractive”) in 2004.’ — collaged

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Rihanna What Now
‘Rihanna is joining an elite group of Stance’s brand ambassadors, called “Punks & Poets,” which includes the likes of Haim, Allen Iverson, Bambi Northwood-Blyth and more. The singer will design a signature women’s collection of socks for multiple seasons through her partnership with the
label. Her first limited-edition styles, which are in a mixed-media print called “Murder Rih Wrote,” come in crew height for both men and women, as well as an over-the-knee version. The crew sets — which are available now on Stance’s website for all of you Rihanna super-fans — come with three socks apiece and are individually numbered, with only 1,500 sets in production. This is only the first of many designs that Stance promises from the Rihanna partnership, and her first full collection will be available in September. We never thought we’d say this, but it looks like Rob Kardashian now has some serious competition in the celebrity sock designer department.’ — Fashionista

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Cibo Matto Flowers
‘Cibo Matto’s eagerly anticipated second album, Stereo Type A, reflects growth and change in the band’s lineup and sound. Joining the core duo of Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori are new band member Sean Lennon and guests like Arto Lindsay, Caetano Veloso, Sebastian Steinberg of Soul Coughing, and John Medeski and Billy Martin of Medeski, Martin & Wood. The new additions reflect the changing sound of Cibo Matto: Relying less on samples and more on their latent funk and jazz elements, Stereo Type A sounds like summer in New York — eclectic, hot, and funky. Hatori’s vocals are her most fluid and assured yet, and Honda’s harmonies, particularly on “Moonchild,” add a dreamy undercurrent to the sound. Though the hip-hop of “Sci-Fi Wasabi” and filmic quality of “Spoon” (which originally appeared on the Super Relax EP) hearken back to old-school Cibo Matto, Stereotype A’s overall sound is more direct and less fanciful than of their debut album Viva! La Woman. Tracks like “Flowers” and “Morning” reflect a nice fusion of the group’s old and new sounds, while the brassy “Speechless” and thrash metal of “Blue Train” round out a delightfully sunny collection from this diverse group.’ — Allmusic

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Kylie Minogue Sexy Love (live)
‘Kylie Minogue is back. And she’s still as wild. The “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” singer has a succulent new album, dripping with sex and baked in charm. Kiss Me Once proves that this experienced singer is also an experienced lover, as it is heavy with the imagery and seductive with its trajectory. My prized track on the album is the disco-pop single “Sexy Love.” It’s got the youthful appeal of an Abercrombie & Fitch store track list but the raunchiness of a dark corner in an upscale bar. But am I the only one that’s not as impressed and more concerned? This Aussie is slaying the competition in my eyes when it comes to her younger predecessors, but the album boasts lots of sex, and that can’t be all this once-actress has to offer, can it? Maybe I’m thinking too hard. Maybe she’s just method-singing and taking her theme to the extreme. Rather than overanalyzing it and getting lost in speculation, I would much prefer losing myself in “Sexy Love” (literally, too). Need a pregaming track for the next ladies’ night? Want a way to get fired up before you go on the prowl? This is the song you need in your life. She’s got a lethal mix here. She entices with an unexpected innocence but knows the game she’s playing. She divulges the conflicting emotions that you could relate to if you’ve ever had a heated dance session with a lustful partner. I can appreciate Minogue’s style because she’s got the appeal of a Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, or Cassie; yet, her art of seduction is not uncomfortably raunchy. She’s not over the top. Well, besides the fact her entire album is devoted to sex, ha!’ — Sheknows

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Ai Otsuka Smily
‘It took me a while to adapt to her ballads, but I am slowly starting to become fond of them. I still think she has a better voice for happy jpop, though. Maybe I am just liking the PV’s more than the song. 😆 She looks STUNNING in Heart. ** i dont think her voice not suitable with ballad songs but her attitude fits happy songs the most. ** I agree with that. Think her voice is okay to do ballads. But she’s more the happy genki type, so the Happy songs are more her I guess. ** Yeah, no kidding. If I ever saw a girl like her at a bar looking at me like that, I know what I’d do. Owwwww yeah. That’s right, I’d be far too intimidated to even make eye contact, let alone approach her, and I’d go home and cry myself to sleep about it. High five, bro! ** Yeah, she doesn’t get too sexified that often, so when she does it’s hard to not take notice. The full version of Pocket was posted today, and she is, as always, beautiful looking in it, even if fully clothed. And I agree about the other artist. Ayu is too old to be doing things like that. Surely you don’t mean Kuuchan. She can’t wear clothes. It would defy the hotness laws of science!’ — Stage 18

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Madonna Angel
‘Madonna “wouldn’t have survived that fall” during her performance at the Brit awards if she had not been in good shape, she has said. In an interview with the New York Times, the singer attributed her remaining relatively unscathed to her knowing how to fall as a result of riding horses, and to something a little less earthly. “I have core strength, and I know that saved me,” she said. “That and my guardian angels. I believe that there’s the physical world and the metaphysical world and I do believe that they are intertwined – as above, so below. So I think both were at work in the protection of me.” Madonna did not clarify whether, when talking of being saved and of having “survived”, she believed her fall down three steps at the Brits, when she was pulled backwards by a dancer when her cape failed to open, was life-threatening. She said the fall itself was painless at the time. “I didn’t feel anything when it happened,” she said. “I just remember falling backward, and I hit the back of my head. But I had so much adrenaline pumping, and I was so taken by surprise that I just was, OK, I have to keep going. So I just got back onstage and I just kept going.”’ — The Guardian

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Britney Spears I’m A Slave 4 U
‘After binging on the “Pretty Girls” video about a dozen times, I took a visual trip back in time to rewatch Britney Spears’ 2001 “I’m A Slave 4 U” music video. It’d been a while since I’ve seen it in its entirety, but what I do remember is a lot of gyrating, dancers grinding all up on one another, and plenty of sexy sweating. By that, I don’t mean the drenching “I just ran three miles on a treadmill” sweat, either — but that subtly glistening sweat that formed after a production assistant applied baby oil on Spears and the crew just before the director yelled “action!” Anyway, something else that comes to mind when I think of the “I’m A Slave 4 U” video is all of the choreography that sort of resembled one huge dancin
g orgy. Oh, and how could anyone forget about those super-low hip-huggers that nobody could wear quite like Spears? It was all so amazing and so early ’00s — after all, there’s a reason the video and song won a ton of awards, as well as inspired that unforgettable 2001 MTV Video Music Awards performance where she hoisted that huge yellow python on her shoulders.’ — Bustle

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Lady Gaga (with RuPaul) Fashion (live)
‘Lady Gaga and the Muppets’ Holiday Spectacular is a Thanksgiving television special featuring Lady Gaga and The Muppets. The 90-minute program aired on ABC on November 28, 2013 and featured guest stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elton John and RuPaul, with an appearance by Kristen Bell. Lady Gaga and the Muppets’ Holiday Spectacular is the second of Lady Gaga’s Thanksgiving television specials, following A Very Gaga Thanksgiving, which aired on ABC in 2011. Gaga and The Muppets have collaborated in the past. In 2009, Kermit the Frog was her date to the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Gaga also featured Jim Henson’s Creature Shop pieces in The Monster Ball Tour.’ — collaged

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Sheena Easton Strut
‘You know how sometimes you’ll just be, um, strutting down the street and the most random song pops in your head? Well, that’s exactly what happened with today’s kickstarter groove, the music runway werkin’, “Strut,” by the fabulous, Sheena Easton. Maybe the song popped into my head because I had just finished a killer workout, or maybe I’m just patiently waiting for winter for strut its ass on out of here so we can get down with some springtime weather. Whatever the case may be…I’m certainly glad “Strut” popped into my music brain. Sheena’s ’84 tune is also the perfect hump day treat, as we all prepare to strut right into the end of the week. For those that know this sexy sonnet, enjoy! For those that don’t, turn it up and work it out….you’ll be glad you did.’ — Philly Mix Tape

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Nelly Furtado Maneater
‘To understand why Nelly’s comeback was such a big deal, you have to look at her full story. The Canadian-born star’s early work had a much more folky sound than the music that would eventually give her the biggest hits of her career. After big success with early singles “I’m Like A Bird” and “Turn Off The Light”, Nelly got a reputation as someone whose songs had a message. Nelly had something to say and wasn’t afraid of using music to get that point across – but all in the nicest way possible. She had hits from 2001–2004 and then kind of drifted away… She still had a career to be proud of, but most people could be forgiven there’d be no more from Nelly. And then she hooked up with the production genius that is Timbaland to formulate a comeback that was very much a “wow”, whether you liked the tunes or not. As we say, nobody was expecting Nelly to come back in such a big way, and with a song like this. “Maneater “was brash, raw and tough – its stark beat and oppressive synths seeming at odds with Nelly’s previously gentle image. Nelly soon shoved all that to one side in the video, where the star goes looking for her dog (bear with us) only to discover an underground dance party. Old Nelly would’ve flown like a bird, but new Nelly busts out her best moves and shows them how it’s done. And then she finds her dog. Win win.’ — Official Charts

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Fergie London Bridge
‘We hope you’re sitting down for this, readers: the new smash hit from Fergie is NOT about a bridge in London; nor does it refer to a nursery rhyme. Evidently, “London Bridge” refers to a sexual act of some sort. Yes, Jack Nicholson would be proud of the member of The Black Eyed Peas. The song, which is included on her debut solo album The Dutchess, refers to when two women and two men have sex and form a position to make a “bridge.” We’re having trouble picturing that, too, don’t worry. Despite writing about the racy subject, Fergie insists she has never participated in the act. “Have I ever been involved in one? No I don’t think I ever have actually. No, no I haven’t,” the singer said. “But I’m definitely touching on issues that aren’t childlike!”‘ — The Hollywood Gossip

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Nicki Minaj Anaconda
‘A Unilever thermometer factory in the Indian town of Kodaikanal has been accused of poisoning workers and illegally dumping toxic mercury waste into a nearby scrapyard for 14 years. The factory closed in 2001, but according to the New Indian Express, forty-five of the people who worked there, and twelve of their children, have died from causes related to mercury poisoning, and locals continue to suffer from high rates of neurological and reproductive health issues, including heart disease and miscarriages. Hindustan Unilever has confirmed it shut the factory after Greenpeace made it aware that tons of mercury-contaminated glass from the plant were sold to a scrap dealer in Kodaikanal; it has denied claims from former workers, however, that their health has been impacted by exposure to mercury. Activists have been protesting at Unilever’s Indian headquarters in Mumbai, asking the company take responsibility for the alleged poisonings and clean up the river and forest surrounding the old site of the factory. Sofia Ashraf, a socially conscious rapper originally from Chennai who took on another chemical company in 2008 with the song “Don’t Work For Dow,” recently released “Kodaikanal Won’t,” a heart-wrenching, powerful parody of Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” that takes on the alleged toxic dumping.’ — MTV

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Paris Hilton Stars Are Blind
‘Paris Hilton is back with “Good Time,” a new, Lil Wayne-assisted single that serves as the first offering from her Cash Money Records debut. Hilton’s forthcoming album isn’t her first, of course — back in 2006, the “Simple Life” star issued her first full-length, Paris, which spawned the the shimmering pop hit, “Stars Are Blind.” During her recent stop by Billboard’s New York studio, Hilton talked to Billboard’s Andrew Hampp about her “iconic” first single, its music video and the first time she heard the song on the radio, as part of Pop Shop’s ‘Remember The Time’ series. Co-produced by Lady Gaga collaborator Fernando Garibay, “Stars Are Blind” peaked at No. 18 on the Hot 100 chart, and has sold 563,000 downloads to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan. “Shooting the music video was so much fun, and I had the best time doing it, and was so proud when it came out and e
veryone loved it so much,” says Hilton.’ — Billboard

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Ke$ha Blow
‘For all we know, Ke$ha’s “Blow” is literally about having fun with one’s friends while sipping the Kool-Aid she mentions shortly after drinking something out of a champagne flute in the video; if you party really hard you say that you’re blowing the roof off, right? Her only drug is love. (One sometimes has to drink the Kool-Aid in multiple senses.) And the white unicorns cavorting in the background of the video and getting licked by Ke-dollar-sign-Ha are simply a representation of the way mythological creatures can manifest at a really great party. The kind of party where people bring you tiny bits of entertainment on a silver platter, and people go blah blah blah about their wild successes, and maybe you get to fight-flirt with a dude who totes looks like James Van Der Beek. So therefore for no reason at all I’m going to devote the rest of this week’s column to a few notable popular songs of the past that conflate cocaine with various pale equine creatures.’ — fuse

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Gwen Stefani Wind It Up
‘”Wind It Up” is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani. Originally written for inclusion on Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005, the song was later recorded for her second solo studio album, The Sweet Escape (2006), due to favorable reception. The track contains an interpolation of The Sound of Music song “The Lonely Goatherd”. “Wind It Up” was negatively received by music critics, who criticized the song’s use of yodeling and found the track to be over the top. It was released as the album’s lead single on October 31, 2006 and reached the top 20 in most music markets. The accompanying music video, which became popular on stations such as Total Request Live, was directed by Sophie Muller and takes influence from The Sound of Music.’ — Wikipedia

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Cher Lovers Forever
‘A while ago, I saw a Wikipedia article titled “Unreleased Cher Songs.” The article listed most of the known Cher tracks that remain unreleased, and from what era and album session in which they were recorded. Under the Not.com.mercial album, my favorite Cher record, a couple of unreleased songs were listed “Obviously Caucasian,” and “Lovers Forever.” The title “Lovers Forever” intrigued me. Reading about it, Wikipedia stated that Cher co-wrote this song with Shirley Eikhard, who, by herself wrote “Born With the Hunger” for the same album. However, the article stated that Eikhard recorded the track “Lovers Forever” for one of her own albums called “Pop”. Cher revealed recently that both “Born with the Hunger” and “Lovers Forever” were written for the 1994 film “Interview With the Vampire,” but were rejected. Cher also says that her vampire love song that she is including on the new album Closer to the Truth is indeed “Lovers Forever.” I am so interested in this track, but I can’t find the wiki article any longer, and there are no youtube videos for Eikhard’s version of “Lovers Forever,” and I’d really like to hear it. This is probably the track I am most excited for on CTTT. I am really happy that Cher is featuring a track in which she co-wrote, because I really believe Cher is a great songwriter, and should showcase her talent for it more often. I hope at least one more track from CTTT credits Cher as a co-writer!!’ — cher.yuku

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Utada Hikaru Keep Tryin’
“Keep Tryin'” is a song by Hikaru Utada. It was released as her 16th Japanese single on February 22, 2006. The song was the first promotional song (January – April 2006) for Lismo! au Listen Mobile Service. It first aired on radio on January 30, 2006 and the music video was first broadcast on February 15, 2006. On December 20, 2006 iTunes Japan released a list of top downloaded singles and albums; “Keep Tryin'” ranked as #1 making it the most downloaded song for 2006.’ — Wikipedia

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Ashlee Simpson Burning Up
‘While in rehearsals for her upcoming tour, launching later this month, Ashlee Simpson has been working on adding a few cover songs to her set. Fans can expect to hear her renditions of Madonna’s “Burning Up,” Blondie’s “Call Me” and the Pretenders’ “Brass in Pocket” at the shows, the singer/actress announced on “TRL” on Monday (February 7).’ — All About Madonna

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p.s. Hey. So, if I’m remembering right, Steevee suggested that I do a Poptimism gig, and I felt unqualified, and then I think … _Black_Acrylic (?) tossed out the names of Sypha or Misanthrope as seemingly qualified dudes who might want to host such a gig, and I said, ‘If you guys want to do it, just send me a list of songs, and I’ll do the rest’, and Sypha raised his hand and ponied up, and he decided to make it a females-only gig, and this is it. So, that’s why something that might seem unexpected in the context of DC’s and vis-à-vis my usual gig posts happened, and I’m very happy about it, and I’m guessing you are too, even if some of you won’t admit it publicly? Thank you very much, Sypha! ** David Ehrenstein, Ha ha, that’s the most horrific? Well, I just don’t know. That is good news. ** Tomkendall, Hi, Tom. Sorry to be slow with email. It’s coming very soon. Berrigan’s a great poet, yep. Highly recommended. You’re brave. I don’t think I could do the fire therapy thing. Wait, maybe. I don’t know. Did your day end with a new chapter finished? My weekend: Eileen Myles is in Paris. I’m gonna to hang out with her today. And work on the script. And tonight Eileen, her traveling companion/pal Jill, Zac, and I are going together to see ‘The Ventriloquists Convention’. My friend/ collaborator Ishmael Houston-Jones is in town too ‘cos he’s performing in a piece by Miguel Gutierrez at the Pompidou right now, and I’ll likely see him tomorrow sometime and also work more on the script and then go see ‘TVC’ in the evening. That’s probably my weekend. Your weekend sounds pretty nice. Peruvian food is super-super-meaty. Or it was when I was kid. Still? ** Bill, Thanks, Bill. I hadn’t seen that lovely thing, no. Lovely it is. Everyone, Add a bit more fire to your taste for fire by taking up Bill on his suggestion to watch ‘A Tornado of Fire Filmed in Slow Motion’ and you will be glad. Do what I just described by clicking this. I vote for reviving that fire project. I love your new piece. The piece in the video. It’s awesome, I really love it! Rescheduled to when? ** Etc etc etc, Hi, C
asey. Thanks. No, I honestly have spent my near-whole life not giving a shit about Thanksgiving, so its lack was A-okay. I’m cool enough with Houellebecq, I’m just not so driven to read him again, I guess. Like I said, over here it’s not like reading the new novel by an interesting writer, it’s more like reading the new book by a provocation-hungry celebrity. Probably one of these days I’ll get back into his stuff. ** _Black_Acrylic, Right, awesome, good news about the far-along state of Art101 and the upcoming day set aside for the polishing! That ID-98 thing looks interesting and curious in small images and in theory. ** S., Hi. Oh, I hate vegetarian stuff that’s made/flavored to resemble actual meat. Or maybe I hate when it’s titled to resemble meat. A phobia of mine. Eek. Burzum is really in your head, huh? I know people whose heads are like that. Interesting people, to a one. Oh, that kind of helps me understand who Hanuman was. Or if he’s a deity, does that mean he still is? Is … extant? I’m really an ignoramus about that kind of stuff, sorry. Krishna makes good food. Or I mean his followers do. Applying Lacan is no picnic. From what I know. From what I know about Laconians who’ve tried to apply it. Weekend love, Dennis. ** Misanthrope, Hi, G. So, I’m guessing your male half of the Poptimism thing isn’t happening, right? No big if it isn’t. Just asking so I’ll know what to do blogwise. That little girl caught fire before my eyes when I was, like, 8 years old or something. I think I’m over it psychologically now, but who the fuck knows. Spoiler: she makes a cameo appearance in ‘Like Cattle Towards Glow’. So to speak. Oh, god, I don’t want think about Anderson Cooper’s asshole. The imagination can be really treacherous. Words are powerful things. They should be used carefully. I guess Black Friday is an example. I like the name, actually. I just wish the day could live up to it. Wouldn’t it be awesome if there a Friday once a year when everything turned black — the sky, every object, the ground, you, me. That’s an idea for a really bad novel. Or maybe a really good, really short story. They have Black Friday here in France too. It’s just that, like I said, every day has been Black Friday of late, so yesterday was just a needle in the haystack. I have an Ad Blocker thing on Facebook. It’s called FB Purity. It works, in terms of blocking ads, but it has this annoying glitch where, every time you go on Facebook, it announces sometimes up to a hundred friends who have defriended you, none of whom have actually defriended you. But it blocks all ads, so it’s worth it. ** Okay. Now it is suggested by Sypha and me that you spend your local time this weekend listening to and, in many cases, watching the song styling of a bunch of pop stars past and present, so why don’t you do that and then tell everyone and me honestly what you thought of the whole shebang or of individual parts of the shebang? Pretty simple. Try it. See you on Monday.