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'The Phoenix' Music Video by Fall Out Boy

March 25, 2013, 11:48 am
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Fall Out Boy are pulling out all the stops to ramp up their long-awaited return to the music scene. In preparation for the release of the album, the band will be releasing a video for each song on the album creating a 12-video long story which began with the video for 'My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light 'Em Up)'. The video for 'The Phoenix' was just released today, and it shows how the band ended up bound in the back of the truck in the 'Light 'Em Up' video which was released a few weeks ago. The band have a suitcase filled with something important and valuable, and so lead singer Patrick Stump handcuffs it to his wrist. He is then abducted, and a woman chops his hand off and sends it to Pete Wentz as a warning, but the woman Pete is sleeping with is undercover and abducts him as well. This is a great marketing ploy, and it already has me hooked. Can't wait to see the story unfold. As for the song, it's fantastic and I'm going to have it on replay. It's the traditional angst-ridden sound mixed with a grand orchestral backing which gives it the umph and urgency it delivers. I'm in love and I can't wait for the 'Save Rock and Roll' album to be released.

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'Chemistry' by Eva Simons

March 26, 2013, 6:32 pm
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Eva Simons has had a rough time trying to launch her career, but I think she has finally found the opportunity of a lifetime. Eva will be the opening act for Beyoncé on her The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in the Netherlands, and to promote this, the official sponsor of the tour, Pepsi, had Eva release a new song for their new ad campaign. The new song 'Chemistry' is Eva's signature pop-electro sound, but I think it's a bit weaker than her past hits. It's a good song and has a great beat, but it feels a bit underwhelming. I absolutely love Eva's voice and her signature aesthetic, and I really want her to earn international success and finally release an album which is long overdue.

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'If I Lose Myself' by One Republic

March 29, 2013, 9:42 am
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So I've been totally out of the loop with One Republic recently, and since I very rarely listen to the radio while I'm at school I've totally missed out on this gem of a song. One Republic just released their new album Native, and the official first single from the album was actually released back in January. 'If I Lose Myself' was finally brought to my attention when I watched the American Idol results show last night when the band performed the song, and had Season 5's runner-up and star of Smash, Katharine McPhee, join them. I was sucked in immediately by the song, and having Katharine sing on it was the cherry on top. The song is this light, electro infused sound that makes them stand out and yet fit right in with the current music scene. It's very Coldplay-esque in many respects. The song entrances me. 'If I Lose Myself' is actually about Ryan Tedder's fear of flying, and he's on a plane that's hurtling towards the ground, but he finds hope and solace in looking to his side and seeing the woman he loves sitting next to him going through what he's going through. It's a beautiful song, and is my new Springtime jam!


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Happy Easter!

March 31, 2013, 3:53 pm
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Another year, another holiday. Happy Easter, everyone! I hope you all got to spend some quality time with family and friends munching on food and just having fun. I had a fantastic weekend in Connecticut visiting relatives. It was a two-day extravaganza with a 50th birthday party for my aunt, and then Easter brunch with the whole Carenza clan. I couldn't have asked for anymore. Have fun enjoying the rest of the day!
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'Scent of a Drag Queen' by RuPaul's Drag Race

April 1, 2013, 3:39 pm
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This week the queens were put to the test and had to show off their marketing skills. If there's one thing a queen must be good at in this business it's that they have to be the best self-promoter they can be. If you can't brand yourself and market yourself to the general public then you'll be left in the dust. Where're Rebecca Glascock or Nicole Paige Brooks now? Queens like Manila and Sharon are prime examples of why this episode is so crucial to the show. Let's get to it, shall we?
Let's just come right out and say it: this week's mini-challenge was the best in the history of the show. I dare you to argue with that. For the mini-challenge, Ru brought in underwear designer Andrew Christian (who supplies the Pit Crew with their weekly fashions) and a whole slew of half-naked Andrew Christian models. You may recognize a few of them, such as the adorable Colby Melvin and my personal favorite Sean Paul Lockhart (who you may know as Brent Corrigan...). The boys were split up in two groups, and the queens had to match one guy from one side to the guy who was wearing the matching underwear on the other side. It's your classic memory game, just played in a more fun and entertaining fashion. In the end, Miss Ivyyyyyyy Winterrrsssssss won the mini-challenge and won a phone call home.
For the main challenge, the queens must create and market their very own fragrance. The queens actually sit down with an array of scents and work to create a fragrance that represents who they are. They also must create a commercial spot for their fragrance. It's clear that some queens like Alaska and Detox are going to excel while Ivy, Alyssa and Roxxxy are having a more difficult time. This task requires brains and creativity, and it's no easy feat for any of the girls.

Coco's first huge mistake was naming her perfume after RuPaul. Why would you do that when you're trying to represent yourself and your individuality? Then, the fact that her background was the same as her outfit was stupid because it was way too much cheetah print. Coco completely missed the mark with her fragrance ad.

Alaska was the star of the show this week. Her perfume, by far, had the most clever title and concept. I mean, you don't get much better than "Red: For Filth." Plus, her ad was hilarious and actually made me want to buy the fragrance. It was the most marketable of the seven.

Detox completely slayed this competition, and was definitely my second favorite. I think out of all the contestants, her fragrance was the best representation of who Detox is. "Heroine" plays off of her name as well as being a heroine. And let's face it, her ad was a parody of real fragrance adds which made it 10x funnier with the soft, spoken word angle that she took.

Alyssa fell short this week. She did not have a concept at all so she basically came up with "Alyssa's Secret" in an effort to make it seem like she had a concept. Her ad was a mess, and it was just bad. I love Alyssa, but she needs to pick it up if she wants to stay in the competition any longer.

I absolutely loved Jinkx's ad and fragrance. She stuck to her guns and went the camp route, and it payed off. Yeah, it may have been a bit bawdy, but the dirtiness was missing this week so it fit in perfectly. Jinkx is going to have a long career after this show. And it's also good to note that Jinkx is the only contestant in Drag Race herstory to be in the Top every single week. Are we looking at the Season 5 winner?

This was one of Roxxxy's worst weeks while being at Drag Race. She was not funny, she was not creative, and she just wasn't good. This seemed very predictable for her, and she also seemed out of it. It definitely seems like she's given up which is a shame because in the beginning she was a huge contender for the crown.

Oh, Ivy...what was that? Everything about her fragrance ad was atrocious. This is where the performance queens are separated from the pack, and sadly Ivy is one of those middle-pack contestants that has officially overstayed her welcome. She didn't have a clear vision, and that hurt her. I absolutely adore Ivy, but it's time for her to go.

Coco Montrese
Coco's runway look I actually liked a lot and was one of her better looks, and I think this saved her from being in the Bottom Two. I'm so done with Coco, as I think the rest of the viewers are. She takes offense at everything, and can't just get along with everyone. I'm tired of watching the Coco-show every week.

Alaska
Alaska finally listened to the judges and gave us something different. This is exactly what she needed to revitalize herself in the competition. With this fierce look and her amazing commercial, there's no doubt she'll finally win a main challenge.

Detox
I definitely think this is one of Detox's weaker looks, but I don't think it was as horrible as some people thought it was. It looked a bit rough around the edges, but it was different and edgy. I like Detox because she's different and stands out, and that's exactly what this look did: it made a statement.

Alyssa Edwards
Alyssa is serving Sue Ellen realness. If any of you have watched the 1980's prime time soap opera Dallas then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I think this look was great for her, and definitely gave her a few brownie points that were missing from her awful fragrance ad.

Jinkx Monsoon
I am in love with Jinkx's look this week. It's a little bit of everything that makes her special. She is definitely a front-runner in this competition, and I would actually die to see a comedy queen snatch the title of America's Next Drag Superstar. If there's anyone who could do it, Jinkx is the (wo)man for the job.

Roxxxy Andrews
Roxxxy's runway look this week is horrible. I don't know what she was thinking when she chose to wear this. It did nothing for her body and just looked tacky. Please Roxxxy, step it up! I want you to be here for a few more weeks.

Ivy Winters
This is by far the worst look Ivy has brought to the main stage. I don't know what this look had to do with her fragrance campaign at all. It was just bad, and sadly, I think this is the end of Ivy.
Alaska rightfully won this challenge, finally getting her first win. Alyssa and Ivy fell into the Bottom Two and had to lip sync for their lives. Both did a good job, but Alyssa made the runway her bitch and outshone Ivy. Ivy was finally told to sashay away which is sad but was bound to happen soon enough.
This week's Untucked was largely uneventful. It started off with a war between Coco and Jinkx as Coco insulted her which got all the queens to come to Jinkx's defense. Other than that, it was a Coco-centric episode with her getting a video message from her husband which was touching. Other than that, nothing happened. Next week the girls get an acting challenge as they have to act in a Spanish telanovela!
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'High School' Music Video by Nicki Minaj featuring Lil' Wayne

April 2, 2013, 4:02 pm
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This morning, Nicki Minaj released the music video for the latest single off her re-release album The Re-Up, and it's a huge change. With 2013 came Nicki redefining her image as a more sophisticated and elegant woman which he have seen week-in and week-out on American Idol, and now it's showing in her art. This video is a complete 180 from her 'The Boys' music video. Nicki's sporting her flat, platinum blonde hair and designer clothing. I personally love seeing Nicki looking more mature because, let's face it, she's building an empire and shouldn't resort to some of the hideous things she has worn in the past. In the video, Nicki is the plaything of the drug lord until she falls in love with Lil Wayne who show up at the mansion one day. The two cavort in the bedroom, and decide to rob El Jefe and run off in his private helicopter. Nicki sports an array of outfits in which she looks stunningly gorgeous and sexy. It was kind of weird to see her and Weezy getting it on since in real life he's almost more of a father figure to her. But otherwise it was a great video, and now we just need to get her to perform this on Idol and all will be right in the world.

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'Ashtrays and Heartbreaks' by Snoop Lion featuring Miley Cyrus

April 3, 2013, 3:00 pm
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Snoop Dogg, who now goes by the name Snoop Lion after he underwent a "spiritual transformation" and decided he is now a reggae artist (please tell me you can hear the sarcasm dripping from my lips), has just released the first single off his upcoming album Reincarnated, and it features none other than pop music diva Miley Cyrus. Miley is hard at work on her third album, but to tide us over she did this little collaboration. The song 'Ashtrays and Heartbreaks' is about reminiscing about all that you've lost. The song is a dancehall record produced by the phenomenal Major Lazer, and it's great to finally hear some new music from the one and only Miley. This is a very Gwen Stefani-esque sound for her and it's a nice change of pace. But I'm ready for her to come back later this year and slay us all with new music. The reign of Miley is just around the corner people...


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Beyoncé Lives for Now

April 4, 2013, 12:14 pm
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We all know Beyoncé basically runs the world at this point in time. It actually wouldn't surprise me if her and Jay-Z just simply took over the world one day. I doubt anyone would try to stop them. Anyhow, today Beyoncé gave us the first glimpse of her new image and our first taste of new music with her Pepsi commercial. She still has yet to release her first single or announce her album, but this will tide us over for a while longer. In the video, Beyoncé is in a dance studio working her butt off and then begins seeing herself at different stages in her career in the mirrors. You have the early days of Dangerously In Love to the iconic 'Single Ladies' outfit and more, and then Bey gives us a dance-off with all of them and finally ends it with an epic explosion of the mirrors behind her. Mrs. Carter is looking as fierce as ever, and she's ready to blow us all away again. The song that we hear in the background is 'Grown Woman' and if it's any indication of what the album's going to sound like it should be a good mix of 4 and I Am...Sasha Fierce which I am more than ready for.

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'Come & Get It' by Selena Gomez

April 6, 2013, 4:55 pm
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Selena Gomez has really wowed me over recently, and it's safe to say that I'm a fan of hers. Selena will be releasing her new album this summer, and just today the first single leaked. 'Come & Get It' is a much different sound than Selena's played with before, but it's very good. The song is a big, dark heavily-dubstep fueled track with Middle Eastern musical hints. Selena also invokes some Rihanna vocal stylings in the verses that up the ante. I can see this being a huge smash on the radio in the coming weeks, and it's safe to say that with her recent starring role in Spring Breakers, Selena is going to be a huge pop sensation this summer.

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'Drama Queens' by RuPaul's Drag Race

April 7, 2013, 11:25 am
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This week on RuPaul's Drag Race the girls go loca as they star in telenovelas and show off their acting chops. With only six contestants left the competition is heating up, and only the all-around polished queens remain. In this week's mini-challenge, the girls get in a circle and cry on cue the best they can. Alyssa, Jinkx and Alaska totally killed the challenge. They were cracking me up unlike any other episode. Alyssa was probably my favorite just because it was so real, as if it could have actually been on an episode of Real Housewives. The big moment came when Detox was up and she told Ru that she couldn't act because it was bringing up real emotions. Detox told everyone that she lost her boyfriend a few years back and it still pains her everyday. In the end, Ru chose Detox and Alyssa as winners.
For the main challenge, Ru told the girls they would be acting in a Spanish telenovela in two teams of three. Detox reunited RoLaskaTox, and so Alyssa chose Jinkx and Coco. The girls got to work, perfecting their Spanish accents and their melodrama. It's clear that Alaska and Jinkx are going to be the stars of the episode. They're the comedy queens and they are by far the best actors in the group. Coco and Alyssa don't look like they're going to do so well. Alyssa's acting was actually sending me into hysterical fits of laughter because she was so flipping hilarious. I love her so much and I really don't want her to leave anytime soon. After speaking to Ru, the groups pull themselves together and go to film their telenovelas.

Casa de Locas:


Ella No Es Dama:


Detox
Detox this week could have been all-around funnier, although I did really enjoy it. You all know Detox is my favorite of this season, but I feel like she isn't living up to her potential this. She has so much more to offer and it's a shame that she isn't pulling out all the stops. I absolutely loved her runway look this week. I thought it was elegant and sophisticated, and yet the sombrero pushes it over the edge into the realm of the drag. Detox looked fantastic.

Roxxxy Andrews
Roxxxy finally brought it this week in all aspects. I've been complaining that she's been letting me down for the past few weeks, and so she finally stepped it up and showed that she has more to give. I was surprised at how good of an actor she is, showing she is more talented than we've seen. I loved her overall aesthetic this week as well because it's completely different from what she's given us throughout the entire competition. She toned down the make-up and gave us a new face. And I think the outfit is one of her best. Roxxxy is back, ya'll!

Coco Montrese
Coco was incredibly weak in the telenovela. She only had a few lines to begin with, but her delivery was terrible. She is in the Bottom Two for sure this week. I did like her outfit on the runway, although I'm not really sure how it's Spanish related. It worked well on her, and you just knew she wore it because it would work to her advantage in the lip sync.

Alaska
Alaska was one of the stars of this week's episode. Her performance as the mother in the telenovela was hilarious. Her facial expressions were on point, and she kept the RoLaskaTox team afloat. I liked her outfit on the main stage, but I did think it was cheap looking and the judges should have read her for it a bit more. Otherwise, Alaska was overall great this weak.

Alyssa Edwards
Alyssa was shockingly bad in the acting challenge which is a shame because she is naturally funny. Her Spanish accent was unbelievably hard to understand at times, and her orgasms were atrocious. Since Jinkx was so phenomenal Alyssa was overshadowed. On the runway, Alyssa doomed herself with her outfit. It was not a good outfit to begin with, and then Santino went in on her and said it was the worst outfit to ever grace the main stage in Drag Race herstory. I don't agree at all, but it wasn't good either.

Jinkx Monsoon
The undisputed winner of the week, Jinkx Monsoon swept the floor with the competition. She was by far the best actress out of the two telenovelas, her orgasms in particular stealing the show. She ruled that challenge. And then she took a catastrophic risk with her runway look, but it worked in her favor. She went for a Dia de los Muertos look and killed it. I think this has to be in my Top 3 all-time favorite Drag Race outfits that have ever been on the show. Jinkx is the girl to beat so she better watch her back in the coming weeks.
This gif sums up my reactions to both the winner and the eliminated contestant. Unsurprisingly, Jinkx won the challenge and is the first queen to win two challenges this season. The gif is basically in appreciation of her, and it's also sarcastic. Coco and Alyssa both fell into the Bottom Two, and I think this is the moment Ru (and America) has been waiting for all season. This is the moment that puts the feud to rest. Both girls lip sync their tits off and give us another a phenomenal lip sync that will be remembered as one of the best. I mean c'mon, that twirl in the air into a split that Alyssa did? Gurl, that was flawless! Unfortunately, Ru sent Alyssa home which I think was the complete wrong decision. We're all sick of Coco and her stirring-of-the-pot attitude. Alyssa should have stuck around. But at least now we don't have to watch anymore of the tension between the two. Untucked was boring as all get out again, except for the fantastic Jessica Wild of Season 2 sending in a video message for all the girls. Next week on Drag Race is the make-over challenge, and this time the girls will be given gay former-military men that they have to turn into their drag sisters. Let's see how this one turns out!
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A New Milestone for The Magic Critique

April 13, 2013, 4:08 pm
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Just yesterday the blog finally hit 100,000 views, a huge milestone that I am so thankful for. It's been two years now that I started the blog, and it's become my passion. I spend a bunch of time every week updating the blog and I'm proud of what it has become. It's great to see so many people viewing the blog, and enjoying it. My review of Sharon Needles' album PG-13 is actually being featured in a student's end of year project. This blog has become a huge part of my life and it's going to continue for the foreseeable future. Hopefully this summer I can get my best friend and supreme fashion blogger Amber from Amberlee Tea to create a new design for the blog ;) Thanks for all the continued support, and here's to another 100,000 views!
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'Without Me' by Fantasia featuring Kelly Rowland & Missy Elliott

April 13, 2013, 4:17 pm
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Fantasia Barrino was one of the few American Idol contestants I never really liked, and she still has not grown on me. She will be releasing her new album on April 23rd. The second single from the album was just released today, and it features Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliott so naturally I had to listen to it. And to my surprise I really liked it! It's this really great old school R&B jam with a hot beat. Kelly Rowland's vocals flow effortlessly over the beat, and heightens the level of sexiness. Then Missy comes in and gives another fantastic rap raising the stakes. It's an overall sexy, groovy jam that's going on my spring playlist despite the fact it's a Fantasia song.

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'A Little Party' by Fergie featuring Q-Tip & GoonRock

April 16, 2013, 10:28 am
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The Great Gatsby's soundtrack is easily the most anticipated film soundtrack of the year, being executive produced by the one and only Jay-Z. Since the movie is a Baz Luhrmann creation (who is one of my idols in the world of film) this isn't your typical score for a film. The soundtrack includes music from Beyoncé, Lana Del Ray, Jay-Z, Florence + The Machine, Sia and Fergie. Fergie's song is the first to be released to promote the film, and here we have it. Fergie is one of my faves, and this song is a lot of fun. It's a big electronic track with a hard beat, and some nice brassy instruments thrown in. The song has some jazzy influences, but then gets thrown on its head when GoonRock comes blasting in. This soundtrack is gonna be flawless, and I can't wait to hear the rest of it.

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'Over the Love' by Florence + The Machine

April 17, 2013, 11:43 am
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Yesterday I brought you the first track from the upcoming The Great Gatsby soundtrack, Fergie's party track, and today we have the new song from Florence + The Machine. Florence Welch has a voice unlike no other, and this track shows off her immense talent. 'Over the Love' is one of the more unique tracks off the album because it actually makes reference to the film, and seems to be written from Daisy Buchanan's perspective. It's a hauntingly beautiful song, with emotion and pain dripping off of Florence's tongue with every word she boasts. It's a light song, until the very end where it really picks up and reaches that level of power that Florence always brings to her music. It's a phenomenal song and makes the anticipation for the album that much more painful.


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'Super Troopers' by RuPaul's Drag Race

April 18, 2013, 2:40 pm
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This week on Drag Race is the Top 5 challenge that resurfaces every year: the queens have to take men and put them in drag (Season 1 was actually butch women). A true test of a drag queen's skills is having them transform someone else into a woman because it's no easy feat. For the mini-challenge a personal trainer, Storm, is brought in and the girls have to do a series of exercises similar to the Season 1 mini-challenge. Coco, Roxxxy and Detox go out pretty quickly, and Jinkx and Alaska are left to fight it out. In the end, Alaska is the strongest (physically) contestant, and wins the challenge.
After the mini-challenge, five military men walk in and line-up awaiting their sentencing. We are told these men are former military members who also happen to be gay. As her reward for winning the challenge, Alaska gets to pair the girls up with their military man. She decides to be fair, and since "everything happens for a reason" she simply goes down the line and pairs everyone with their opposite. Jinkx gets stuck with the older man and Roxxxy gets the bear, while Detox gets the pretty boy and Alaska gets her identical twin. It should be interesting to see how this all plays out. In addition to transforming the men, the duos also have to perform a color guard routine.

Jinkx and Fortuna Monsoon
Everyone always thinks the girl who gets stuck with the older man is going to fail, but everyone always seems to contradict that in the end. Remember Raven in Season 2? She killed it, and Jinkx did so too. Fortuna was a great person, and I don't think anyone was expecting him to say that he may have killed Judy Garland. It's also great to have the "wise gay" on the show. I love Jinkx's concept for the mother/daughter duo, and I loved their runway looks. Jinkx turned it out!

Alaska and Nebraska
Nebraska was a great canvas to work with, and I think Alaska could have done so much more with her. I don't mind when the queens make them look like their twin, but I just didn't care for it being so obvious. I think the problem was that Nebraska looked so much like Alaska that it didn't seem like Alaska really tried. She just sort of phoned it in. And the padding was a mess. Nebraska's ass looked horrible. I loved their runway shtick, but it wasn't enough to get them the win in my eyes.

Roxxxy and Isabella Andrews
Roxxxy did a fantastic job turning this bear into her sister. Even though they wore the same outfit, unlike Alaska, Roxxxy's man was the complete opposite of her and so she had a huge challenge in front of her. I think her challenge was the second hardest behind Jinkx's. Although Isabella isn't the fishiest, Roxxxy turned her out and turned her into a presentable queen. Roxxxy deserves more credit than she's getting on this show.

Detox and Beth Adone
Detox and Beth Adone were my favorite of the week. Beth was a cutie and was a natural in drag. He could easily walk out there tomorrow and kill it in the clubs. Detox got lucky and had it easy this week, but I think it was her flag routine that did her in, as well as Beth's dress. I love Detox's dress, but Beth's just isn't that flattering. Detox's attitude in the flag routine kind of turned me off which is saying something because I live for Detox like no other.

Coco and Horchata Montrese
Go home, Coco! I'm so over you. You don't deserve to be in the Top 5 with that horrible attitude. And what did you do to Horchata?! Her face looks horrendous. Coco obviously doesn't know how to paint other queen's faces, and for that alone she should be sent home. Also, like one of the judges said, it looked like Coco gave Horchata her left over dress scraps. Coco may be a fierce performer, but she can't do much else...

As expected, Coco and Detox fell into the Bottom Two while Roxxxy became the second queen this season to win two challenges. Roxxxy's picking it up here at the end after quite a few less than stellar weeks. Detox lip syncs against Coco, and seeing as it's Coco's fourth time in the Bottom Two I think we all know who's going home. Coco really seemed desperate while performing which was a turn off. Detox completely slayed that song, and it was great to hear Ru tell her to shanté.
Untucked was great this week because Detox finally got a video message from her dad, twin brother and mom. It was great seeing that she has such a supportive family, and that she is so loved. It made me think of my relationship with my family so it really struck a chord with me. Nothing's better than a Detox-centric episode! Next week the Top 4 do their annual Ball episode, and this year the theme is candy. Get ready for some delicious outfits!
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'RuPaulogize' Music Video by Willam featuring Sharon Needles

April 19, 2013, 5:58 pm
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Willam Belli was a force to be reckoned with on RuPaul's Drag Race until her shocking elimination, and ever since then she has taken the world by storm with her many projects, making her one of the most versatile queens out there. Willam was the first Drag Race contestant to release a full length album spawning many hits such as 'Love You Like a Big Schlong' and 'Trouble', and now Willam has released her latest single which features none other than her fellow contestant and winner of Season 4, Sharon Needles! 'RuPaulogize' is a parody of One Republic's smash hit 'Apologize' which Willam turns into a party track. The video takes place in a roller rink (remember those days?) where Willam skates around accompanied by two rugged macho men and a very busted-looking Alaska. Season 3 winner Raja makes an appearance as well as the best friend to all the queens, Chanel. Sharon, however, steels the show with her impersonation of Mama Ru. She dons the signature blonde wig and the make-up is an exact replica of Ru's flawless paint. I think this is one of Willam's best videos to date, and if she doesn't get selected for Season 2 of All Stars then there's something wrong with the world.

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'Carry You' by Union J

April 22, 2013, 11:45 am
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Union J are a fresh new boy band who competed on last season of The X Factor UK and came in fourth place. They were one of my favorites, and I'm sure they are going to make a huge mark in the pop scene. These four boys have a great range of distinct voices, my favorite being Jaymi (on the far right) who has a very powerful and beautiful voice. The boy band released their first single 'Carry You' this morning. 'Carry You' is a fun dance track that I'm sure will do very well on the charts, but it's not unique and great enough to prove that they are a real threat to the likes of One Direction and The Wanted. The song is very repetitive and generic. I know they have much more in them, and hopefully they'll have better songs on their debut album.

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'Jerk Ribs' by Kelis

April 23, 2013, 10:43 am
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'Milkshake' songstress Kelis is making a big return to music this year, taking everyone by storm. I love Kelis so much, and she has been one of my favorite artists for years. Back in the day she was an R&B artist, and then migrated to dance/house music with Fleshtone and her collaborations with Skream and Clavin Harris, and now she's making another radical departure. Kelis is going the indie route this year, signing to the Federal Prism label, and she'll be releasing not one but TWO albums this year! The first single off her first album of 2013 just arrived, and it's much different than anything you've ever heard from her. 'Jerk Ribs' has huge percussion and brass instrumentation that simmers over a mid-tempo beat, letting the groove and Kelis' smoky vocals do all the work. It's very retro and I'm loving every second of it. I can't wait to hear what else Kelis has in store for us, and since she's releasing two albums then maybe the second will be dance which she pulls off so well. One can hope!

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'Sugar Ball' by RuPaul's Drag Race

April 23, 2013, 1:19 pm
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The race for the crown could not be any tighter at this point in the competition as the final four queens battle it out to become America's Next Drag Superstar. I think that this is possibly the best Top 4 in Drag Race herstory. In my opinion, all four of the girls could win and I'd be happy. Season 3 is the only other season where I feel like the Top 4 were just as strong. Season 4 is different because I love Chad, but I really did not want to see her win, and plus she won All Stars so I guess it all balances out. This week the girls take on puppets and candy!
For this week's mini-challenge, Ru brings back the puppet reading challenge that made its debut on Season 4. Each girl picks a puppet which represents one of her fellow contestants. They then have to drag it up and put on a show. Detox got Alaska and she was really funny. She nailed Alaska's whiny voice. Jinkx got Detox, and while it wasn't the best it was still pretty darn funny. Roxxxy got Jinkx, and she totally destroyed Jinkx but not in a nice way. I like Roxxxy, but she was so bitchy, and most of what she said was completely uncalled for. Finally, Alaska took on Roxxxy and put on one of the funniest puppet shows I've ever seen. Alaska had me rolling in fits of laughter. She got Roxxxy's attitude 100% correct, and the wig-underneath-a-wig and the three tearaways were so perfect. Rightfully, Alaska won the challenge.
For the main challenge, Ru tasks the girls to create three outfits for the runway presentation: Sweet 16 Party Girl, Executive Realness, and Candy Couture. Roxxxy is ecstatic because the queens finally have a sewing challenge where she can finally shine. None of the other girls can sew so this should be interesting. It's clear that Detox and Jinkx are having a hard time creating their candy-inspired look. Tensions run high, and once again the whole episode becomes about Roxxxy bullying Jinkx. I love Roxxxy as a pageant queen, but she was completely nasty and rude to the point where I wanted to turn the TV off. It's obvious that Roxxxy is still insecure about herself, but I really hope she learns from this experience and blossoms into an even stronger queen.

Sweet 16 Party Girl

Alaska
Alaska killed it with this look. It's sweet and simple, and it's a more demure side of Alaska that we haven't seen too much of in this competition. It's always nice to see a schtick character go for the fishy look and see how they fare.

Jinkx Monsoon
We all know that Jinkx Monsoon is a MILF, so when she went for her party girl look she chose to dress as a 16 year old back in the sixties. I like it for her character, but compared to the other queens it's very weak. She pulls of the flower child vibe, but it left me wanting more.

Roxxxy Andrews
I thought Roxxxy looked great in this look, although I do see where the judges were coming from when they said she looked like a slutty 20-something. But, she was the only one to incorporate candy into this outfit so she should be commended for that.

Detox
Detox is an '80s girl, and that's one of the things I love about her. I really liked her party girl look this week and didn't think it was as bad as all the judges made it out to be. Out of the two time-warp outfits on the runway, I think Detox pulled it off better than Jinkx.

Executive Realness

Alaska
Alaska's executive realness look is by far my favorite I've ever seen on this show. Alaska thought outside of the box, and she dressed as a construction work manager complete with her hardhat and blueprint plans in her hand. She looked hot as hell, and committed to the character. Flawless!

Jinkx Monsoon
Jinkx went for another retro look, very Mad Men-esque, and I loved it. I thought it was fun and campy, and really spoke volumes about her as an entertainer. It was one of the weaker executive realness looks, but I still really enjoyed it.

Roxxxy Andrews
Another tear-away cape? Yes, I'm as sick of it as you are, but Roxxxy pulls it off like no other. And what's underneath is what counts! I highly doubt any female executive would wear something like that as it was very slutty, but Roxxxy looked sickening. Once again she was the only one to incorporate candy into her outfit.

Detox
I've been waiting to see Detox wear this outfit all season. Any Detox fan will recognize this outfit as her signature look, one she performs all the time with her unforgettable lip sync style. She rocked that runway with this look, and it was my favorite behind Alaska's.

Candy Couture

Alaska
Alaska slayed the candy couture look, coming out on top. Her outfit screamed candy, and she werked it down the runway. It reminded me a lot of Raja's hair outfit from Season 3 which is definitely not a bad thing as that was Raja's best look. Alaska, for me, had the three best outfits of the night.

Jinkx Monsoon
I'm glad Jinkx scrapped the hoop skirt because she made her outfit a lot less unfortunate than it would have been. I liked the overall appearance of the look, but it really didn't have a lot of candy thus making her basically fail the challenge. This is just not Jinkx's week.

Roxxxy Andrews
I live for this look. This candy outfit is one of the best dresses I've ever seen on the show, and it just goes to show that Roxxxy is extremely talented. She killed the runway this week, but I have to give the edge to Alaska.

Detox
I love me some Detox, but her candy couture look was a travesty. I don't have a problem with queens buying their clothes off the rack, but you also have to be creative enough to make your own looks. There was nothing "candy" about this, and it just really looked bad. Detox missed the mark this week.
To no one's surprise, Alaska was victorious and became the third one to win two challenges. Detox and Jinkx fell into the Bottom Two and had to lip sync for their lives. This was Detox's third time in the bottom, and the song choice was geared more towards Jinkx so it was clear Detox was going to go home. I have to say though, with the strangest song choice in the history of the show, Detox held her own and gave Jinkx a run for her money. But alas, Detox was told to sashay away. I was very upset this week, but with Detox's underwhelming performances throughout the season I wasn't surprised. Untucked was largely forgettable again this week, but the girls got to play with puppets of the three judges which made for some good fun. Next week, the Final Three film the music video for RuPaul's fabulous song 'The Beginning,' and lip sync for the final time as they fight to become America's Next Drag Superstar.
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Mrs. Carter Is Teasing Us

April 25, 2013, 1:36 pm
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After her huge performance at the Super Bowl, fans were expecting new music to be released soon afterwards from Beyoncé. But it's now the end of April and all we've gotten is the buzz track 'Bow Down' and the snippet of 'Grown Woman' that was used in her Pepsi commercial. We still have no idea what the first single is, when it will debut, or even the title of the album even though Bey has already begun her world tour. It's a very odd marketing strategy, but I'm sure Beyoncé is in full control and knows what she's doing. Today, the video for Bey's collaboration with H&M debuted, and it's basically just a music video for her new track 'Standing On the Sun'. Mrs. Carter plays in the sand and in the ocean with enough hair flips to last us for years. Bey looks as sexy as ever, and shows off a plethora of looks. Suffice it to say, H&M is going to be raking in the money. Also, Beyoncé performed 'Grown Woman' at her concert in Paris last night, thus making it the first new track to be debuted and performed in full. Bey really needs to hurry things along because I'm falling into her trap. By the sounds of things, this new album is going to be very tropical island-y sounding, reminiscent of Rihanna's early work. It's shaping up to be the perfect summer album.


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