It's all too easy to compare any up-and-coming female artist with a strong voice to Adele. And although she finds it flattering, comparing Swedish singer/songwriter Miriam Bryant would just be a cop out. Sure... she possesses a powerful voice but her single "Finders Keepers" has that "something." In fact, since our interview, she's been named an MTV "Artist of the Week," which is an enormous deal for any artist, but especially when you only have one single out. And what a single.
It starts with a soulful, gut wrenching melody and builds up to an intense ending with electrical overtones that hint at dubstep. The combo works in a powerful way. We think Miss Bryant is going to have to soon face her fear of flying because this chick is about to take off in a major way. Popcosmo rapped with Miriam recently to find out more about her singing/songwriting with her childhood friend Victor Rådström and what inspires her.
Age: 21
Always has: a lot of things going on
Proudest of: little brother
Is thankful for: life in general
Wants to: be cool and noisy
Is afraid of: planes
Believes everyone should: be cool and noisy
Is embarrassed by: nothing at all
My style is: my own
When did you first start singing and writing songs? Singing has always been a big part of my personality and it´s my way of expressing myself. I first started writing my own songs in November 2011. It´s something that´s still very new to me and it makes me happy and I love it.
How has your life affected your music? In every way possible.
Who inspires you musically? Nobody in particular, inspiration is so random. Friends, family, situations in life, everything around me inspires me... When I grew up I listened to The Backstreet boys and I pretended that they were all in love with me. I had posters of them all over my walls!
You've been compared vocally to Adele. Do comparisons bother you or do you take it as a compliment? Adele has a stunning voice and I take it as a compliment to be compared to someone so talented.
What's it like working with Victor? What sort of dynamic do you have? We always have a great time, we're close friends. He is extremely talented and we never set any rules at all. Usually I write all the lyrics, he writes all the music, and we do the melodies together, but as I said, we don't like to set any rules!
I read that you are fearful of flying. With your career taking off (no pun intended!) how do you plan to conquer your fear? I guess I'll just have to get over it. Life is short, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, and I don't wanna have any regrets in life. Think I will be flying to Germany next month!
What is your favorite thing about performing? Everything about it is awesome... When you’re sort of in it and you forget where you are and you just mean every word.
Do you prefer the performing aspect or the creative process of writing music? Both, in different ways! Performing is giving and writing is taking. When I perform I give bits and pieces of myself to the audience, and when I write I take bits and pieces of myself and my surroundings and try and make a song/lyrics about what I feel, or see. Writing is therapy, and at the same time it's a puzzle.
What advice would you give young women today? Follow your impulses. Be your amazing self. Never let anyone tell you how you should live your life.
Although she might have appeared on the music radar of the world from Gothenburg Sweden after coming out-of-nowhere, we expect to see and hear a lot more from Miriam Bryant... hopefully very soon! Follow here to stay up to date: http://www.facebook.com/miriambryantmusic
A back-to-school playlist with songs about high school helps with the big questions, like what outfit should I wear on the first day? Earphones or headphones, curl my hair or wear it straight? Backpack on both shoulders or hanging loose on one, is it shameless or savvy to loudly call dibs on the new hot guy? Like it or not, it's the time of year that those questions are starting to push past the nothingness in your summertime mind and take over your entire being. While you're busy with your plan of attack, put on these songs about high school playlist for inspiration....
Simple. One guitar, one voice, one hot guy singing about school. If that doesn't make you want to throw on your backpack and wait for the bus, I don't know what will.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKfD8d3XJok
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgjkth6BRRY
Yep...celebrity gossip is kinda like high school...and Reese Witherspoon does look like a Homecoming Queen. Definitely in our "songs about high school ultimate playlist" list!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrxI_euTX4A
Can I go to this high school? Please? I'll borrow my mom's 80's clothes. I'll fit right in. (Bonus...Rent the movie by the same name for your back-to-school party. Wonderful 80's cheesiness!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5vh0QHUA1w
For those of you headed off to college. Or those of you when that day can't get here fast enough...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmAi_qJoPbU
Here's the one that started it all...RIP MCA!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBShN8qT4lk
With lyrics taken from the 1964 teen advice book Penny's Guide to Teen-Age Charm and Popularity and sung in a deadpan voice with a sprinkle of bitterness, this song is hilarious. Remember ladies...wash your hair at least once every 2 weeks and tell Johnny Football Hero that he had a great game!
Nada Surf- Popular
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNc45FTenhg
Great pump-up song from the girl who taught us all how to spell bananas!
Gwen Stefani- Hollaback Girl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgjkth6BRRY
But wait! There's more for your songs about high school ultimate playlist...
Popcosmo loves discovering up-and-coming new artists and teen singer/songwriter Justine Dorsey recently made her way onto our radar in a big way! "Mature" is not a word generally used to describe songs sung by teens about teen "stuff" but that is exactly what she manages to do. Justine's songs connect to the very soul of teen girls and even made this 30-something "teen" nostalgic with her folksy ballad about things left "Unsaid."
In her short 16 years she has already guest-starred on a T.V. show (Brothers and Sisters) and is a second time nominee for LA Music Awards Best Female Singer/Songwriter and Hot Adult Contemporary Single. Her first song, "English Rose" even earned her a nomination for the Los Angeles Music Awards Singer/Songwriter of the year at the tender age of 13, making her the youngest nominee ever for that award. We recently had the opportunity to girl-talk with singer/songwriter Justine Dorsey and hear her dish about her life in the ever-growing spotlight.
Age: 16- nearly 17!
Always has: Loved books.
Proudest of: The songs I’ve written.
Is thankful for: My lovely, supportive family.
Wants to: Live in a cottage by the English seaside.
Is afraid of: Um… pretty much everything that can be labeled as “frightening”. I’m a big scaredy-cat.
Believes everyone should: Travel.
Is embarrassed by: Myself. I can be very awkward sometimes.
My style is: Eclectic. Sometimes I feel J Crew-preppy, other times I feel Free People-bohemian. I love experimenting and becoming different characters through my clothes.
Pet peeve: Bad grammar! It drives me nuts. Especially when people confuse your and you’re, or there, their, and they’re. It’s really not that hard, people!
1. When did you realize you liked singing? Around seven, I think. I knew I wanted to be a songwriter when I was thirteen, and since then, that need and that love for doing it as a career has only become stronger.
2. What inspires you as a songwriter? Anything and everything inspires me. A memory, a person, a tree, a book, a quote, a painting, a doorknob… It’s exciting, because I never know when the inspiration will hit, or where it’ll come from! (No really, I get inspired by weird things like doorknobs.)
3. Who are your influences? What artists/bands do you look up to? I’m inspired/influenced by/in awe of Ingrid Michaelson, KT Tunstall, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, the Beatles, Damien Rice, Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, Adele, Mumford & Sons, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran… The list goes on. It’s always growing and changing!
4. I’m sure the comparisons are there between you, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus or any other young female artist. What sets you apart? Ah, I’m not terribly good at saying “what sets me apart” because I think on some level that involves insulting the other artists’ work… I’m just writing what I honestly feel and what I connect to, and hopefully that comes across.
5. Do you prefer acting or singing? I love both. I am focusing on my music more, though. My sister is an actor and sings too, but acting is more of her focus. So we both have our own thing going on, which I think is nice.
6. I read that you have a crush on the Holden Caulfield character from Catcher in the Rye. One of my favorite characters as well! Any other books that you're crazy about or reading right now? I’m so happy you asked this question! If you love The Catcher in the Rye, just please read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It’s so stunning. (And the movie looks like it’s going to live up to the book, which I’m so happy about!! Fingers crossed, right?) I also loved How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff and Just Kids by Patti Smith. These are the types of books that shape the person you are, I think. Oh! I just finished Girls Like Us by Sheila Weller- it’s the biographies of Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Carly Simon, and the effect they had on the women of the 60s and 70s. It’s perfect and I was dreading the end. I’m a huge Potterhead too. I have a couple books lined up to read next, so I’m trying to decide!
7. What do you like to do when you're not acting or singing? Well, I read a lot, obviously. I love going to the beach and watching movies with my sister, and being a goofball with my best friends. And I love cooking and baking.
8. You tested out of high school and are already in college. That is amazing! Any regrets?Do you feel like you missed out on anything? Thank you! I don’t really have any regrets, or feel like I missed out. Every once in awhile, I’ll watch a high school movie, and feel a little wistful, and then I remember how much movies glorify the high school years. In real life, it’s a lot of stress and test-taking. There are good parts, but I feel like I still get to experience those moments with my friends outside of the school environment. So yeah- no regrets!
9. How is your music changing as you get older? I’ve noticed that I’m exploring new worlds musically, challenging myself on the guitar, and my songs are getting a little more complex. It’s very exciting! And of course, my lyrics are maturing as I’m getting older, because I’m having new experiences and moments! I think it’ll be really cool to look back on my musical journey when I’m older, and see how it’s changed and evolved.
10. What’s the weirdest thing that has ever happened to you at a show? I haven’t had too many weird moments yet, luckily- but once I was playing a show and I was wearing a dress made out of a slippery material, and my guitar strap slid off. I’m sure a brief spasm of terror flitted across my face because I was so scared my guitar was going to fall and break!!
11. What are your plans for the future? I’m working with a few licensing companies right now, so hopefully one of my songs will get placed on a TV show or a commercial! I just finished a song in the studio that I’m planning to release sometime soon. I have a couple projects in the works that are under wraps for now, but I’m very excited about them!
12. What advice would you give teen girls wanting to break into singing/acting? You’ve got to really want it. I know that seems obvious, but you really have to, because it’s not all fun and games- it’s meetings and rejection and lots of hard work. And you have to keep working and growing, even when the going gets tough. I read this Katherine Hepburn biography and in it she says something along the lines of, “I never gave up because there was always the question of, what if I stopped one day, and the very next day a part came along that I was meant to get?” I always keep that in mind.
It's that time of the week... our favorite videos! And this week has some fun ones - One Direction like you've never heard them played before. Promise. And some ridiculousness and more. Have fun and enjoy!
How many guys does it take to play a piano?
LOL!
I can think of a few people who this would be perfect for... you know, who always have to push buttons.
To answer the question that comes to mind... "well, why not!"
Jacob Latimore may have first come to your attention on Radio Disney, or you may have heard his single with Diggy Simmons "Like 'Em All" or you could have seen Jacob Latimore in the movie Vanishing on 7th Street. Perhaps you saw Jacob Latimore on Tyler Perry's House of Payne, or One Tree Hill, Reed Between the Lines,So Random, or... well, whew!!
If you have somehow missed out on this amazing talent, then Popcosmo would like to officially introduce you to Jacob Latimore. This BET YoungStars nominated hottie is blowing up in a major way. Actor...singer...dancer. Is there anything he CAN'T do? We sat down with Jacob while he is on the Mindless Behavior "#1 Girl Tour" to find out.
Thanks for meeting with us! After flying in from NYC yesterday for the release of your video to the HOT new single that's climbing the charts,"You Come First," available for download on iTunes, we should start off with our quick questions:
Age: 15
Always has: My laptop
Proudest of: Being on my 3rd tour (Scream Tour, Diggy Simmons Tour, #1 Girl Tour)
Thankful for: A good team
Wants to: Skydive
Afraid of: Might sound weird, but I don't like squirrels
Believes everyone should: Be positive and follow their dreams
My style is: A variety, because I mean, I don't really have one style. I try things on and if I like it.... I'm more of a winter and fall dresser. I love boots, scarves, skullcaps, trench coats.
Pet peeve: I hate when people come in my room and don't clean up after themselves.
"You Come First"
Tell us some of your favorites: Favorite color - red, favorite movie - Home Alone 3, favorite food - Grandma's soul food, like macaroni & cheese, yams, meatloaf. She makes it for me when I go visit her.
What's the hardest part about being so famous? When I'm tired! But the best part is seeing the fans and being on tour. I love doing this... being on the road and seeing the fans. It runs in the family. My Dad and my Uncle sing, it goes back to my Grandfather and great-Grandfather. It was meant to be.
Have you ever been starstruck? I was starstruck by Eddie Murphy -- he had a vibe, star power. I saw him at BET pre-show party. He was there and swagged out. And if I ran into Justin Timberlake he would make me starstruck.
Are you going to be doing any more movies? Yes, I'm doing a few auditions and can't say too much more. Acting is something I want to balance out with my singing career.
How do you get ready to go out and perform? I sit down and meditate and I'm like a zombie. People talk to me and I don't hear them. I think about the show and get in the zone and pray and stretch.
Worst onstage experience? A long time ago, before I was signed to a record label, I sang the wrong words, so I just started dancing and nobody even noticed!
Best experience onstage? Every show!
Your "OMG I've made it" moment? Yesterday [at the You Come First video premier in New York City]. I feel like You Come First is like "wow,this is really happening." I love my fans, and I think this song can reach so many more people beyond my fanbase.
What do you see in the future for your career? I see being one of the best entertainers because performing is something that I want to perfect and make sure it's right. People buy tickets to see you, so you want to give it your all. I want to get into writing songs, and producing, and playing all kinds of instruments and doing things on the acting side also.
Do you have a signature dance move? I just dance how I feel....
Are you into sports? I love sports. I love football and the Bears are my team.
We enjoyed chatting with Jacob, and were awed by the concert with dancing reminiscent of Michael Jackson, on-stage charisma that gave us goose-bumps, and devoted fans that could rival Justin Bieber's. While Jacob Latimore has been called a triple threat for his exceptional acting, singing and dancing ability, we disagree. He's all that and more. He's got stage presence that oozes star power. That "it" that takes your breath away. The ear-piercing screams from the fans at "#1 Girl Tour" would prove our point, but one look at him on stage and it's obvious that entertaining is in his blood. We are not sure if it's genetic, or if it's his grandmother's good soul-food that's got some magic entertaining sparkle in it; but whatever it is, we recommend that you do not miss an opportunity to see Jacob perform live! He'll leave you starstruck.
"Nothing on Me": The dance video everyone still talks about!
#1 Girl Tour Schedule Starring Mindless Behavior with Special Guests Jacob Latimore and Lil' Twist, with Kayla Brianna on select dates.
July 20 - Nashville, TN
July 21 - Southaven, MS
July 22 - St. Louis, MO
July 26 - Detroit, MI
July 28 - Chicago, IL
August 1 - Birmingham, AL
August 2 - Augusta, GA
August 3 - Columbia, SC
August 4 - Atlanta, GA
August 9 - Baton Rouge, LA
August 10 - New Orleans, LA
August 11 - Houston, TX
August 12 - Dallas, TX
August 16 - Las Vegas, NV
August 17 - Los Angeles, CA
August 18 - Oakland, CA
Summer Music Festivals are going strong and we are lucky enough that Forecastle Festival is a summer music festival that's held in our own backyard. Our favorite part of summer music festivals is not only the music: the fashion show on the field is as much a feast for the eyes as the music is for the ears. The Forecastle Festival is billed as one of the "Top 15 Outdoor Festivals in the Country" and is attended by more than 30,000 people. The layout was perfect, and made it easy to music-hop among all the artists without ever feeling rushed or crowded. And speaking of the crowd... we reveled in the fab fashion and unique style. It was a non-stop show for the senses from the moment we arrived, and the playful attitude and fun-seeking attendees were entertaining and entertained. Everyone was at Forecastle just to have fun and everyone was in a great mood -- be sure to put it on your calendar for next year!
One fashion theme of the day was adorable dresses and wearable shoes, whether boots to avoid the mud or tenny shoes to be comfortable. Wearing a cute dress, vintage or new, neon or subdued, made each of these girls stand out in the crowd.
Anna Roeder, wearing a vintage floral dress and her artsy blog PrettyTheFool.blogspot.com is just as striking.
Kristen from New York City looking chic.
Another notable trend was flowers in your hair. Whether bringing out boho vibes or expressing a fun-loving music attitude, a crown of flowers was an accessory of choice to add color and and a smile.
Olivia and Saba visited Forecastle from New York City and Los Angeles - above and below.
Becca & Kiera keeping it bright and cheery.
These teens make fashion for summer music festivals look simple: casual and cute, comfy and chic!
Olivia, Tess, Megan, Cat are ready to rock out to Scarlet Smile, a rock band that captivated the crowd and got everyone in the mood for a day of non-stop music, food and fun!
Elizabeth & Lexie taking a break. Both are wearing the hottest trend of the day: boots to avoid the mud and high-waisted skirts or shorts.
Marnie, who was visiting from Free People in Nashville, perfectly matched her dip-dye hair to her barrette!
Michelle's wearing black & white maxi skirt by American Apparel. The crop top keeps it hip, and the maxi skirt means no worrying about holding down your skirt as your dance the night away!
So, as you see, there is no one summer music festival style. Whatever style you enjoy goes, just keep it comfortable and fun!
