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'Midnight' by Coldplay

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Over the last few days, Coldplay has been teasing fans with clips from a new video. In a move that shocked everyone today, they dropped a music video for their new song 'Midnight'. Following up their most recent release 'Mylo Xyloto' which spawned the hits 'Paradise' and 'Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall', the new track is a huge departure in sound. 'Midnight' is going more the route of Bon Iver than anything else, and I quite like it. It's not a huge anthemic arena tune like the boys are known for, but it's relaxing and sonically beautiful. Chris Martin's vocals are giving me Björk-realness here with the atmospheric wails and coos. There's no word yet on whether a new album is coming, but I'll take what I can get when it comes to Coldplay.


RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6: RuPaul's Big Opening

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Well, kittens, it's finally here! The sixth season of the critically acclaimed and cult-favorite RuPaul's Drag Race premiered last night with a plethora of sickening looks, competitive spirits, and twists that made us gag. Season 6 promises to be the best with an incredible collection of queens that rival Season 4 in terms of diversity. Season 5 was a bit disappointing, in my opinion, so I'm hoping Ru took some notes and improved this season. I have so many favorites this season that it's hard to keep up, but with a major twist Ru made it a bit easier. Let's get to it, shall we?

As always, we start with the girls' entrances into the iconic You Better Work-room. Adore Delano, self-proclaimed mermaid, is the first to enter. You may remember her as Danny Noriega from American Idol a few years ago (a fact that the show doesn't let us forget). BenDeLaCreme is next and makes one of the most entertaining entrances I've seen. Then comes Gia Gunn with her knock-off purse and her annoying voice. But thankfully my palette is cleansed when Laganja Estranja, of the famed House of Edwards, enters with a death drop. Seriously, could she be more perfect? Then we have April Carrión in her Boy Scouts attire (which is not too appealing) followed by Kelly Mantle in '60s pin-up realness. And then we get the most bizarre (and funny) entrance from club kid Vivacious. Complete with Ornacia on the top of her head, Vivacious hits a snag with her zipper before announcing "Mother has arrived." With that, Ru interrupts with a special She Mail, confusing the girls.
With only seven girls having arrived, RuPaul makes his first entrance to tell the girls some very important information: this year there will not be one but TWO premieres. This is in an effort for the audience to get to know the queens better before the competition gets going. The first seven queens will compete this week with one going home, and then next week the other seven will arrive with one being eliminated so that for the third episode we'll kick things off with only 12 queens and hopefully be more familiar with them. I love this idea, and think it's going to work well. So Ru also gives the girls their first mini-challenge which is of course a photoshoot with world-renowned photographer Mike Ruiz.

The first queen to take to the challenge was Adore. Basically the queens had to jump off a platform and strike their most sickening pose in the air. Adore served face but unfortunately she didn't quite get her limbs to cooperate.

BenDeLaCreme was easily my second favorite and could have easily won the mini-challenge. After getting corrections, she gave a beautiful pose mid-air and werked the camera.

Gia didn't get quite enough leverage and sort of just plopped down. It felt kind of awkward and like a three year old was trying to do a cannonball into the pool.

Up next was Laganja, and did she turn it out. Her first try didn't yield great results, but the second time around she gave what was probably the best pose and extended her limbs to the fullest. She was the clear winner in my opinion.

Kelly was completely out of her element here. She couldn't get a nice pout on her face making her look uncomfortable, and then her pose was non-existent. She looked like she was trying to be Superman.

April was another favorite of mine. She struck quite a nice pose and showed off her gorgeous legs. The face wasn't quite there, but otherwise it came out well.

Rounding out the photoshoots is Vivacious, although Ornacia was really the star of the show here. Vivacious really had no concept of posing so she just kind of jumped out there and tried to make it work.
After reviewing the photos, Ru announced that Laganja was (quite rightly) the winner of the first mini-challenge. After leading the girls to a warehouse where a Ru-Haul pulled up, Ru unveiled boxes that contained junk relating to a certain TV show. Since she won the challenge, Laganja had the pleasure of assigning the girls to their respective TV shows. In usual premiere episode fashion, the girls have to craft a couture outfit from the pre-chosen junk.

Gia Gunn
First to hit the runway was Gia representing Keeping Up With the Kardashians. If there was anyone who could pull off this look it was Gia. She showed off legs for days, and although I didn't care for the fringe skirt, I have to say that she turned it out. She probably came the closest to representing her show. But it's her attitude that really turns me off and seems to be turning the judges off too.

April Carrión
Our Puerto Rican queen is the next to hit the stage, and I have to say that she's really won me over. She was one I hadn't been keeping an eye on during the lead up to the show, but she's proven herself to be very likeable and quite talented. She unfortunately got stuck with Duck Dynasty, but I think she did a good job. It reminded me a lot of the first challenge of Season 4. Plus, the fact that Adam Lambert quite clearly wanted to fuck her was quite amusing.

Laganja Estranja
Coming from the House of Edwards I was expecting more from Laganja. She chose Dancing With the Stars for herself, but the outfit just wasn't doing it for me. The train was a mess and I didn't like the collar. But her runway walk was pure pageant queen and I lived for it. I really hope she brings it in two weeks.

Kelly Mantle
Poor, Kelly. I really like her and was rooting for her, but she failed on many counts this week. She got Downton Abbey which was probably the easiest thing to translate into couture but her outfit turned out to be very basic. The flower petals were a terrible decision on her chest, and don't even get me started on the shake-and-go wig. I expected more.

Adore Delano
Adore clearly is not one to sew outfits, and from the Work-room we saw she had some difficulties. Working with Here Comes Honey Boo Boo could easily be fun and I think she captured that, but the outfit was very elementary. Thankfully her personality is infectious and she has the sense of humor to sell the garment. She's clearly being set up as the dark horse of the competition this season so I'm expecting some big things from her.

Vivacious
My love for Vivacious has been growing over the weeks, and having seen her this week I am officially a fan. Her Game of Thrones inspired outfit was quite disastrous, although it had good potential. It was her runway walk though that had me living. I've never seen a walk like that before, but it made me a huge fan. She definitely deserved to be in the Bottom Two though.

BenDeLaCreme
BenDeLaCreme completely surprised me this week. She's a talented queen and I love her, but her runway outfit was out of this world. For not having sewed a stitch, the dress was immaculately created and shaped to her curvy body. It was colorful and and made the Golden Girls proud. I'm hoping she can make it pretty far in this competition.
It was clear that BenDeLaCreme was the winner of this week's main challenge. Everything she did was pure perfection. Kelly and Vivacious found themselves in the Bottom Two, competing in the dreaded first Lip Sync For Your Life of the season. In a not so shocking result, Kelly Mantle became the first queen of Season 6 told to sashay away. Next week the second batch of seven queens will make their debut and with the high caliber of queens in that group I'd say we should prepare for some gag-worthy moments.

'Born Naked' by RuPaul Album Review

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Supermodel of the World RuPaul has dabbled her fingers in just about everything from television, to books, to a fragrance, and more, but it's her music that always strikes a chord with me. She released her first album back in 1993, and two decades later she has just released her sixth studio album. Her previous two albums have all been done under the tutelage of producer Lucian Piane who has crafted mega-hits for the supreme goddess. Born Naked is the third collaboration between the two, and having listened to it half a dozen times by now I can safely say that this is Ru's best album to date. While she does stick to the classic dance-pop sound for many of the tracks, Born Naked is her most adventurous to date as it features New Orleans bounce, a beautiful acoustic track, and a nice '80s rock track. Also, the lyrics and emotions of this album are much more mature than her previous releases only adding to the greatness of this effort. RuPaul can do anything, but she's a huge inspiration to me and no music in the world has ever affected as much as hers.


1. Freaky Money (feat. Big Freedia) - 7/10

Kicking off our listening experience is the New Orleans bounce track featuring Big Freedia who collaborated with Ru on her Phi Phi O'Hara-inspired track 'Peanut Butter'. 'Freaky Money' is a fun booty shakin' tune that chronicles Ru's obsession with strippers and prostitutes. Everyone can earn a bit of freaky money if they try.

2. Sissy Dat Walk - 9/10

Currently the runway walk song and one of my favorites on the record is this one here. Inspired by the phrase Ru coined when describing Penny Tration's first and only runway walk last season, 'Sissy Dat Walk' is this huge dance track that breaks down into this insane beat after Ru says "now sissy dat walk." He also throws in his phrase "pay them bitches no mind" which are truly words to live by. You just can't help by dancing along and showing your friends your best runway stomp when this one comes on.

3. Geronimo (feat. Lucian Piane) - 8/10

I've already written about 'Geronimo' as it's the first single from the album, but it's one to note. Capitalizing on the New Orleans bounce sound that was present in 'Freaky Money' but ramping it up 10 notches, Ru brings out his inner glamazon and spits some serious rhymes. How could you not "make your booty bounce" after this one?

4. Dance With U - 9/10

'Dance With U' is a contender for my favorite track on this album. It's a massive Euro-pop club banger that is euphoric and pumps throughout your body. Ru's vocals slide like butter across the beat and I can't help but get lost in the music. This could be released on radio and the public would eat it up. Your faves could never.

5. Adrenaline (feat. Myah Marie) - 8/10

Myah Marie is probably most known as the background vocalist for Britney Spears, and she has been under fire by people claiming she sings for Britney at times. I don't believe those rumors, but 'Adrenaline' basically sounds like Ru couldn't pay to get Britney to be featured on the song so he got the next best thing. During the chorus it sounds exactly like the Pop Princess, but it makes for a hot track either way. With a pulverizing beat and a 'Gasoline'-eqsue vibe, 'Adrenaline' is a fun power tune.

6. Can I Get An Amen (feat. Martha Wash) - 10/10

Halfway through, Ru slows things down with his first acoustic track, and here's a warning: you may cry. 'Can I Get An Amen' was featured on last season's Drag Race, but here Ru has taken the song and turned it into a gorgeous mid-tempo. Accompanying Ru is one of his idols, Martha Walsh. Their vocals mesh together so well, and combined with the deep heart-gouging lyrics I feel broken and shattered inside. But at the same time it's very uplifting.

7. Fly Tonight (feat. Frankmusik) - 10/10

Getting back to our bangas, Ru teams up with electro-pop superstar Frankmusik for one of my favorites on the album. 'Fly Tonight' is one of those songs that make you feel so good and happy inside. It's a euphoric track where Ru and Frankmusik make beautiful chemistry on top of a punching beat that lifts us to the sky with every passing moment.

8. Modern Love - 10/10

'Modern Love' is easily the best song on the album. It gives the listener a view into Ru's life that we don't usually get, including a powerful monologue in the middle of the track from the queen herself. It's emotionally charged and the lyrics are so profound they make me weep. Don't let the hot bombastic beat fool you though. This is Ru at his most emotional. This song rattles every nerve in my body, and that's what good music should do.

9. Let The Music Play (feat. Michelle Visage) - 10/10

At long last we finally get a collaboration between RuPaul and his best squirrel friend and Drag Race judge, Michelle Visage. 'Let the Music Play' is also another one of Ru's infamous sayings, but he took that and wrote a song about the relationship he has with Michelle. This should be the anthem for friends all over the world. It's a very '80s Madonna feel-good acoustic guitar-driven dance tune with a real sense of beauty and love underneath the beat. You can literally feel the love these two have for each other while listening to this song and that's what makes it so damn good.

10. Born Naked (feat. Clairy Browne) - 9/10

Closing out the album is the title track with Clairy Browne. Ru dabbles in '80s pop rock (maybe even a bit Disney Channel-reminiscent) for a song about his ultimate mantra: we're all born naked and the rest is drag. It's a song about just being yourself, and to pay them bitches no mind if they criticize you for what you wear or how you present yourself. It's the perfect self-empowerment anthem.

Tracks to Check Out: 'Sissy Dat Walk', 'Can I Get An Amen', 'Fly High', 'Modern Love', 'Let the Music Play'

Overall Rating: 9/10

'Celebrate the Rain' by Sidney Samson featuring Eva Simons

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It pains me to say this, but dance queen diva Eva Simons still has not released a debut album. Despite her 2009 hit 'Silly Boy' and last year's 'Chemistry' among others, Eva is still just floating around as a featured vocalist which is a huge shame. But at least we're getting a new track from the Dutch songstress.
Sidney Samson is a newer DJ trying to break out among Afrojack and Tiesto, and this may be the tune to do it. 'Celebrate the Rain' is a massive EDM banger that will rattle you to your core. The song builds into a thumper that'll fit right in at clubs as Eva croons over this electro-house piece of magnificence. While the lyrics may be bizarre at times, this is sure to be a hit that'll impact radio stations globally.

'Back to California' Music Video by Steve Grand

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'All-American Boy' Steve Grand made a splash over the summer coming out as the first gay country artist, and since then he released an equally touching and powerful tune 'Stay' all while working on the independent release of his debut album All-American Boy.


Today, Steve released a brand new song and video, the third offering off his album. 'Back to California' is another love song, but this time it's about friendship. In the video, Steve meets up with his former gal pal who shows him her engagement ring, and as they're catching up over coffee scenes of them in middle and high school are interspersed. They have a very touching relationship, and it's interesting to see how they drift apart over the years. I can relate to this whole-heartedly and so I connect with Steve.
When it comes to the song, though, I can't decide if I like it. It's less country than his previous releases and more atmospheric which is a nice touch - I love the more orchestral backing. I'm just not a fan of the way he's singing on this track. He has a very powerful voice, but this seemed to make him sound weaker than he actually is. The hushed tones and slurred notes were jarring. That being said, the lyrics are powerful and I could feel the pain in every note he sang. I'm a huge fan of Steve and I want nothing but to see him succeed in his career. If you haven't already, make sure you go to his Kickstarter page and donate so that we can finally hear All-American Boy which I'm sure is a labor of love.

'Eliminated' Music Video by Kelly Mantle featuring Bownce

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Kelly Mantle was the poor unfortunate soul who was told to sashay away on the very first episode of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6. Taking a cue from Manila and Latrice's saddening exit from All Stars, Kelly has retaliated with a brand new song and video. Kelly is a great comedienne and songstress, and this actually makes me quite sad because she has so much potential.
Her aptly-titled single 'Eliminated' basically makes fun of her time on the show, and it's quite hilarious. She of course makes many references to her "bacon" dress, even taking a jab at Kevin Bacon. My favorite moment though was when she read Santino the house down. She goes all in, claws and all, and doesn't hold back. Rapper Bownce shows up for a few rhymes, but the queen of all Ms. Tammie Brown makes an appearance. I live for Tammie so her unexpected arrival made the video ten times better. It's sad to see Kelly go, but there's still hope she could be brought back later in the season.

'Beating Heart' by Ellie Goulding

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Ellie Goulding revealed a few weeks ago that she has been closely working on the Divergent soundtrack. Her vocals will actually be intertwined with the score which I'm so excited to hear. She is also featured heavily on the compilation soundtrack for the film, although all but one of the songs are from her most recent Halcyon Days album.

The only original track was just released and boy is it beautiful. 'Beating Heart' follows Ellie's euphoric electro synth pop style and meshes very mature lyrics to create a gorgeous piece of sonic delight. I also really like that she changes up her vocals and sings in a lower register for most of the song. It provides a nice contrast and really gives the song substance. Divergent is set to be the new The Hunger Games, and I can only hope they will do the books justice.

'Magic' by Coldplay

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Following the release of mysterious buzz single 'Midnight' the other day, Coldplay have finally unveiled what they've been working on. The English band's upcoming studio album Ghost Stories is due out May 19th, and with the album going up for pre-order on iTunes the group have released the first single.

'Magic' is much more the usual Coldplay than 'Midnight' was, but at the same time it's quite different than what they crafted for Mylo Xyloto. 'Magic' is a much more tangible, and earthy sound relying on guitars and drums to carry the song. But the song isn't without a mystical element to it that makes it uniquely anthemic in true Coldplay fashion. This sounds very '90s easy rock which I love so I'm excited to see what this new album has in store for us.


'Face' Music Video by BeBe Zahara Benet

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BeBe Zahara Benet is known around the world as the original America's Next Drag Superstar having won the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Over the years she has grown in her craft and released song after song. After having finished up her latest Off Broadway show, BeBe is finally back with her latest single.

Capitalizing off her winning rap on RuPaul's 'Cover Girl' which was part of the music video challenge during the last week of the competition, BeBe has crafted the delightfully catchy tune 'Face'. Over an awesome construction of tribal dance beats (CAMEROOOON, anyone?), BeBe purrs and coos in her seductive voice telling us just how perfect her face is. She is the true definition of a glamazon, and she's not letting anyone forget that she is killer. Her face alone will slay all the basic bitches out there. Having seen her perform at my school's drag competition, I can safely say that BeBe is one of the most sickening queens out there and I am a huge fan.

'Raging Fire' by Phillip Phillips

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Phillip Phillips came off a massive win on the eleventh season of American Idol as he had his Winner's Single 'Home' featured as the official theme song for the summer Olympics. Side Note: 'Home' has gone on to be the best-selling Winner's single in the history of the show. His debut album was a solid effort, and then he had a string of successful singles which I've heard on the radio often. He's the most successful Idol winner we've had in a few years. Thankfully he has a new single out now.

Phillip's new song 'Raging Fire' may just be the best thing he's ever released. I doubted he could top 'Home', but I may be eating my words. The new song is his typical mainstream blue grass alt rock style which is quite popular these days, and includes a roaring hook and a great anthemic sound reminiscent of Coldplay. It shows enough growth from 'Home' that it stands out but it's definitely signature P-squared. I can see this being everyone from commercials to ads this summer, and I'm expecting it to blow up.

'Fancy' Music Video by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX

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Iggy Azalea's new album The New Classic is finally being released in a few weeks, and I could not be more ready for the rap queen to finally get her music out there. A couple weeks ago the Australian goddess released a new collaboration with Charli XCX, and it is easily one of Iggy's best. Now we've got the video, and Iggy has once again topped herself.

The smash collabo 'Fancy' is Iggy at her finest, and for the video she went the distance and gave us one to remember. Paying tribute to the cult classic film Clueless, Iggy and Charli go back to high school, Iggy sporting a very cute preppy look, and they basically traverse the school struttin' their stuff (Miley reference, anyone?). Full of bright colors and legs for days on Iggy's part, the video is an instant hit and will make Clueless fans all over the world very happy.

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6: RuPaul's Big Opening, Pt. 2

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Last week the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race made it's long-awaited debut, but it could not have been complete without a crazy twist. The premiere was split in two, and the first set of seven queens competed. Unfortunately, Kelly Mantle was the first one told to sashay away. This week, the remaining seven queens make their debut and compete for the first time before merging with the other six queens next week. Let's get to it!

After coming back to the workroom and discussing the elimination over cupcakes and champagne, Ru pops out and tells the queens that company is arriving in the morning and that they need to get to bed. Morning comes and the next set of seven girls make their memorable entrances. First is the legendary Bianca Del Rio who is already a fan favorite, especially after her mind-blowing performance at the NYC premiere party. She's an insult comic, and based on her confessionals she's got a lot of shade to throw around this season and I'm living for it. Next in is Trinity Kardashian Bonet and I'm already annoyed with her. She's a beautiful queen but her personality gets on my nerves. Following Trinity is Joslyn Fox who's a fishy queen but obviously is fodder. Following her is the sickening Courtney Act who stuns with her beauty. Pencil-nosed Magnolia Crawford enters next and it's clear she has a strong personality. Following her is the queen that has become a fan favorite, and is my personal favorite of the competition: Milk. And finally we have the two tons of fun, Miss Darienne Lake, drag momma to the legendary Pandora Boxx.
For the first mini-challenge, the girls (obviously) have a photo shoot with the world-renowned Mike Ruiz. The theme this week is a bedroom pillow fight which is nice because the new Pit Crew are involved which makes for some sexy eye candy fun.

Bianca kicks things off, and turns out a pretty stunning photo. If it weren't for the one feather in the middle of her chin the photo would have been perfect.

Trinity hits the bed next and strikes a gorgeous pose. She obviously knows how to work the camera. It's no wonder she is the winner of the challenge.

Joslyn is next, but she gets lost in the feathers. She was probably too enamored with Shawn to keep her attention focused on the camera.

Courtney Act was of course perfect, and it's almost surprising that she didn't win the challenge. She was also the most fun to watch because she knows what she's doing but also knows how to have fun.

Magnolia was out of her element here and it shows. Like Joslyn, the feathers ate her up.

Despite having a hard time getting situated on the bed because she stands at 8 feet tall when in drag, Milk figured it out and actually turned out a pretty fierce photo.

Darienne Lake was having so much fun during the photo shoot which translated through the screen. She was probably the only one who actually looked like she was having a pillow fight in bed.

For the main challenge, Ru tasks the girls with taking a party-themed box of scraps, and creating a couture look to present on the runway. Because she won the mini-challenge, Trinity assigns the boxes and the girls get to work. Joslyn, Darienne and Magnolia seem like they're struggling to come up with concepts and piece their outfits together. Milk makes it clear she's going balls-to-the-wall with this challenge by wearing a beard. The other queens think it's crazy, but I'm all for it. It's time things get switched up on Drag Race and different aesthetics are shown.

Trinity K. Bonet
I was really not expecting Trinity to be all that great, but she turned it out this week. She has a futuristic geisha look going on and it's everything. The paint is done flawlessly, and I love the outfit. I'm always in the mood for sparkles! I agree with the judges that the satellite dish on her shoulders was a bit much though.

Bianca Del Rio
Bianca got the Luau box, and being a seamstress she took what she got and crafted a gorgeous gown. The fact that Ru says she'd wear it is a huge compliment. Out of all the looks, Bianca's was definitely the most polished and well thought out.

Darienne Lake
I really love me some Darienne, but the outfit was just not the best. I liked the top but the skirt thing was very strange. However, she is painted for the gods and I don't think I've ever seen a big girl look so stunning. Between her she-larious attitude and paint skills, I can see Darienne making it very far in this competition.

Magnolia Crawford
Magnolia completely dropped the ball on this one. The dress wasn't poorly constructed, but she needed to camp it up to pull it off. However, it was her piss poor attitude and snapping at the judges that turned me off. She tried defending herself and it came off as bitchy. Send her packing!

Joslyn Fox
Is there anything you didn't put on your body that was in your box, Joslyn? This outfit reminds me a lot of Jade Jolie's first runway look and unfortunately the judges didn't like it either. She could have pulled it off had she toned it down a bit.

Courtney Act
Our Aussie queen, in terms of the runway, is giving me major Willam vibes as she obviously has a great body and loves showing it off. I know Courtney has better looks than this so I'm excited to see what she brings in the future.

Milk
And capping off the runway tonight is Milk who is giving me everything with this look. She's so different than anyone who's ever been on this show, even freakier than Sharon Needles (but much more polished). I personally loved the look, and she actually pulled off the pants. I don't know why the judges were reading her for the beard though because bearded queens are a growing branch of drag and we all know that the make-up goddess Mathu Anderson rocks a fabulous beard. I think Milk is serving billy goat gruff realness here, and I'm only hoping she's going to last a while. And if anyone objects...

It's clear that Bianca is the winner of the challenge this week, but picking the Bottom Two is a bit more difficult. Obviously Magnolia will lip sync, but it's between Darienne and Joslyn to fill that second spot. Sadly, Darienne finds herself in the bottom but she wisely takes Courtney's advice, "If you're gonna be in the bottom then make sure you're a power bottom," and completely slays the lip sync. Magnolia is told to sashay away and takes her horrible attitude with her. The show ends on a cliffhanger as the two groups face off in the workroom.
Untucked was actually exciting this week. Last year's Untucked was absolutely dreadful, but this one gave me hope as it was on par with the legendary Untuckeds that Season 4 gave us. There was lots of talk about having sex in drag, but the main contention came when Magnolia declared that she was only on the show for exposure. It rightfully pissed off all the queens. There are hundreds of other queens who would have killed to be in her place, and it was basically a huge F-U to them. Thankfully she's gone though.

Thanks for tuning in for another one of my Ru-caps! Now...

'Easy' by Son Lux featuring Lorde

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Lorde's career has exploded over the last few months, and she even had the honor of performing at the GRAMMYs this year. She may not be everyone's cup of tea (she's actually losing a lot of my attention), but there's no doubt she's a talented artist. She keeps popping up in the most likely of places, and this may be the most bizarre yet.

NYC-based post-rock artist Son Lux has crafted her own take on the song 'Easy' and Lorde provides the vocals. To say this is a weird song is an understatement. It's hard to even define what genre this is: it may be trip-hop but who's really to say? The fact of the matter is that this creepy synth-driven tune fits Lorde's emotionally dark persona in the most perfect way possible as her somber vocals accompany the popping beat of the drums. It's frightening, but I can't get enough of it.


'I Luh Ya Papi' by Jennifer Lopez featuring French Montana

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I was beginning to worry about J-Lo, not gonna lie. She progressed from her smash dance pop hits like 'Live It Up' and 'Dance Again' to more of a return to her urban roots with 'Girls' and 'Same Girl'. Her new stuff has been good, but it just hasn't quite situated itself with me properly. Thankfully, Jenny released a new song yesterday and it's a breath of fresh air.
Jennifer's new song 'I Luh Ya Papi' is a breezy R&B/pop tune that's going to be a perfect springtime jam. With a popping electronic beat, J-Lo coos how much she loves her man aided by a rap from French Montana. At least it's different from what she's been doing and this sounds so much more natural. The single cover may be the best thing she's done this era, but I hope she can up her game and give us the return of a more mature Jenny from the Block with her new album. And let's just pray that Flopbull stays far away from this project.

'Gaycation' Music Video by Detox, Willam and Vicky Vox

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DWV don't make us wait inbetween releases and that's a good thing because I seriously cannot get enough of these girls. Detox, Willam and Vicky Vox's last release was the super hilarious Christmas jingle 'That Christmas Song', and just in time for Spring Break they've released a new track to get you in that vacation spirit.

'Gaycation' is the definition of camp, reminding me of the Eating Out films mixed with the classic '60s beach party films and music. The girls travel to Key West, Florida and have a gaycation getting drunk and having fun with lots of naked men. I'd also like to point out that their styles are constantly evolving and I don't think they've ever looked better. While it's not my favorite release of theirs, it certainly is another she-larious tune to jam out to, and it couldn't have been released on a more beautiful day than today in NYC.


'Sparks' by Kylie Minogue

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Kylie Minogue's single 'Into the Blue' off her upcoming album Kiss Me Once was officially released in the U.K. today, and thankfully the Australian goddess decided to add a B-Side to the single which is a rarity in this day and age.

'Sparks' is a much different tune than 'Into the Blue' but fits quite nicely with it. It's got a lush tribal beat laid throughout that is warm and bouncy, but yet it has a throbbing club beat laid over the top very reminiscent of its acoustic counterpart. Kylie's sweet vocals drive home an infectious melody that will have you dancing and singing along. Kylie once again meshes opposing sounds and crafts an addictive tune.

'The Moss' by Cosmo Sheldrake

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This is a gem that I'm so excited to share with all of you. Cosmo Sheldrake is a 24-year old London-based artist who's trying to break into the industry, and he's officially releasing his debut single in April. He's taking electro pop and mixing it with the folksy sound of Mumford & Sons all while being a brilliant writer with so many pop culture allusions that it makes my head spin.

Cosmo's debut single 'The Moss' is an "ode to nonsense" as he calls it, as he sings about many of the nonsense characters that appear throughout literature. He sings a mile a minute and so it's an effort just to keep up, but when you do it's one of the most rewarding things. From jabberwockys to the man who drank too much this song is chock full of references that make a literary mind like myself go crazy. Plus, he does it all over this incredible beat, sometimes even dropping out and going completely acapella. Cosmo has mastered the art of music and turned it on its head, and its brilliant compositions like these that make listening to music worth every moment.

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6: Scream Queens

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After last week's elimination of Magnolia Crawford, the two groups of girls finally got to meet, and it's the moment we've been waiting for. All 12 queens are united in one room, and tensions are only beginning to mount. For the mini-challenge, the queens have to pair up with one girl from the other group and then choose one person to be the "bottom" and one to be the "top." They then create one person as they lip sync and twirl their legs about. This creates some pretty hilarious moments as DeLa and Darienne pair up, as well as Laganja and Courtney. But it was Milk and Adore who stole the show and the won the mini-challenge. I'd attribute the win to Milk's bulge but that's neither here nor there.
Ru then tasks the girls to create a horror film, Drag Race Me to Hell, one group taking on the '60s "original" and the '80s "remake." Milk gets the '60s while Adore gets the '80s, and as team captains they get to choose their teams. It comes as no surprise that the girls stick to their original groups from the premiere episodes. Will it pay off? Ru has his doubts.
As they begin filming their scenes, it's clear that Team Milk are going to win. They have their dialogue down, and they look like naturals. You would have thought that Bianca and Courtney had known each other for years with their chemistry. Darienne as the talking head was perfect. Team Adore, however, floundered, and that's not a fish that Gia wants to be known as. None of them knew their lines, and they were unprepared. Gia was annoying (as usual) and Trinity didn't understand the concept of facing the camera. It was all basic stuff, but they couldn't pull it together.

Bianca Del Rio
The runway theme this week is the queens' "Best Drag" and they pull out all the stops. Bianca comes out in this stunning black ensemble. It's clear that she's going to be a standout on the runway each week. She's so polished, and she toned the make-up down per Michelle's critique and she looks even more gorgeous.

Courtney Act
Repping her home, Courtney comes out in a patriotic Australian flag dress which is snatched to her body. This is more of what I was expecting from her than that boring two-piece she wore last week. Between her comedic timing and her stunning beauty, she's gonna go far.

Joslyn Fox
Who's Joslyn again? Every episode I forget she exists. She was very blah this episode, and this runway look is nothing to rave about. Did she steal Honey Mahogany's caftan? Girl needs to step it up or she's the next to go.

Trinity K. Bonet
I don't like her personality, but you have to give her props for her look. She knew she was atrocious in the acting challenge so she pulled out the ball gown and stunned on the runway. She just needs to back up the talent with the goods.

Milk
MILK. Once again, her runway blew me away. Last week a beard and this week a Pinocchio nose (or was she paying homage to her departed sister Magnolia?). She's not afraid to redefine what drag is, and I'm so happy she goes for these crazy looks. She is the #1 fan favorite, and I sincerely hope she sticks around for weeks to come because the show will be boring without her.

Darienne Lake
Darienne proved this week that she could steal the show just being a head in a box. She is who I remember the most from the main challenge, and then on the runway she turned out this gorgeous silver dress complete with a cape which she whipped around fiercely. And not to mention her mug is beat. Darienne was a major standout this week.

April Carrión
I really like April and I'm rooting for her, but she keeps getting the short end of the stick. The first week she got Duck Dynasty and this week she had to play the butch character. I believe she has so much more talent in her that we're not getting to see. I'm not too keen on her runway look though. The whole umbrella thing is a bit much.

Laganja Estranja
Even though I'm #TeamGanja, I'm glad she wasn't featured prominently in this episode. Her personality is going to wear thin soon, so hopefully the producers took note and are easing us into it. However, I like how her runway this week is much different than I would expect from her. It's soft and mature and I like that.

Gia Gunn
Please, send her home already. She's so annoying I simply can't stand it anymore. And the fact that she dismisses all kinds of drag except being fishy pisses me off. It takes more work to do what Milk does than it takes to do what you do sweetheart.

Adore Delano
I expected more from Adore this week, and she let me down. She was meant to own this challenge but she fizzled. I love the runway however as she's wearing her red RiRi head and dominatrix dress.

BenDeLaCreme
It's a shame DeLa was on Team Adore because if she wasn't she would have won the challenge. She stole the show, and she was the only thing keeping Team Adore afloat. And her kitty outfit on the runway this week was so much fun. She makes me terminally delightful.

Vivacious
Vivacious let the pressure get to her and she crumbled. She literally did nothing with her part as the head in the box. She played it serious and that was a huge mistake. I absolutely adore her runway look though, and that walk: YAS mama!
It came as no surprise that Ru declared Team Milk the winner, and Darienne won the overall challenge which was well deserved. Thankfully Ru shredded Team Adore to pieces which will hopefully motivate them next week. It was hard to choose a Bottom Two this week, but ultimately Vivacious and April had to lip sync for their lives. To be honest, they both slayed the performance and I had no idea who Ru was going to eliminate. Sadly, Vivacious was told to sashay away. Next week is going to be all about Adore and Courtney as they go head to head in the show's first ever musical theater challenge.

And I hope you all didn't miss this gem at the end. Looks like Courtney made an exception for dairy ;)

'Mmm Yeah' Music Video by Austin Mahone featuring Pitbull

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Austin Mahone released the Latin-twinged 'Mmm Yeah' a while back (which precedes his Valentine's single 'U'), and after an excruciating wait we have finally gotten the music video for it. And yes, it does feature Flopbull so watch at your own discretion.
The video is actually a lot of fun, and I think it's my favorite video of his so far. It's very space-age/futuristic as he's in this white room with gorgeous blocked purple lights appearing everywhere. The cool thing is that the floor of the room is a giant conveyor belt so throughout the entire video everyone is constantly moving. Nothing is static. It's like they've taken a Britney Spears catwalk and amped it up a notch. And of course Austin is as cute as ever, and he knows how to play up the charm. His debut album at this time has still yet to be announced.

'Sirens' by Cher Lloyd

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Cher Lloyd is easily the artist I've championed the most from The X Factor UK because she's a superstar. A petite girl with nerves of steel and wit to match who raps with the best of them is a winning combination. Thankfully she's back with a new single after many woes and fights with L.A. Reid, and it may be her best release yet.

Following the release of her debut album Sticks + Stones in 2011, Cher released the catchy pop/R&B tune 'I Wish' which was my jam for a while. The second single from her upcoming album premiered today, and it showcases Cher in a whole new light. 'Sirens' is a massive mid-tempo which contains no rapping, but is chock full of Cher's booming vocals as she wails over a Kelly Clarkson-esque guitar strum. It's gorgeous and mature, and I think this could be a huge moment in her career. Cher's second album Sorry I'm Late is due out later this year.

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