Nostalgia: Ricky Martin

Hello Lovies!

Today is the first installment in the series of Nostalgia posts. What are Nostalgia posts, you ask? They are what happens after you and your friends sit around talking and someone says, "Hey, remember...?" Then all of a sudden you're hurling down memory lane being pummeled with all sorts of good and bad memories as well as thoughts of 'what the fuck was I thinking when I wore that?' (Denim hat with the big ass sunflower on it a la Blossom, I'm looking at you!!! Whoa!).

Anyletstalkhotsexylatinmen, the subject of today's post is Ricky Martin. Let me first say that I am too young to know Menudo (liar) but my first vivid memory of Ricky Martin was when he performed The Cup Of Life at the 1999 Grammy Awards. Holy Fuck! That man was fuckhotsexy!

We were in my living room having our annual Grammy Viewing party and when we heard the horns and the drums started beating, we were like wha...salsa on the Grammys? Then cut to the fuckhotsexy man in his black leather (okay probably pleather) pants swiveling his hips to this sultry beat...HOLA! Seriously, by the time he reached the refrain "Do You Really Want It?" we all answered "Yeah!" If you need a refresher of that performance, I found a relatively clear version on the YT see below.

Isn't he pretty?! Did you see the standing ovation? Okay true confession time, we taped the Grammys that year and as soon as it was over we rewound the tape and watched Ricky's performance over and over again dancing to the song and yelling out "Do You Really Want It? Yeah!" and then counting in English, Spanish and French. #TrueFax. Ah Good Times.

The next day all anyone could talk about was Ricky Martin. How sexy he was, how he moved those hips, how he looked like he was genuinely having such a good time performing and just how totally unexpectedly awesome his performance was. He got a fucking standing ovation!

Who could have known that there were bigger and better things to come from him now that he had successfully crossed over into the 'English-speaking' market? Another confession, I was a member of the BMG CD Club and that right there is how I satisfied my Ricky Martin addiction. I started ordering his shit in Spanish...which I couldn't speak that well then (not much better today, sadly) but I didn't care, because I discovered that apart from being fuckhotsexy, Ricky Martin had an awesome voice...especially in those ballads. Dear God. I think I had one of my very first orgasms to a Ricky Martin song...not going to tell you which one. #TMFIOvershare.

Listen to the longing in his voice...guh. Beautiful.

Listen to the passion in his voice:

That brings us to the zenith of Ricky's career. Three of the best songs ever:

She Bangs (please ignore the feathered side-swept bangs)

Shake Your Bon Bon: Best lyric ever "Up in the Himalayas, Come on I wanna lay ya"

Livin' La Vida Loca: Seriously, you CANNOT listen to this song without swiveling your hips and thinking that you have become an honorary latina shaking your ass all over the place. Sadly, this was me, back in the day. (and right now as I write this post) #Sadface. One of my all time favorite songs.

So, thank you Ricky Martin for introducing me to Latin music. It was because of you that I broadened my musical horizons. That lead to world music appreciation. That lead to Enrique Iglesias (pre-mole removal...yeah I'm bitter about that). It also lead to JLo, and THAT I'm holding against you.

I love Ricky Martin.

Nostalgia; it's a beautiful thing.

Dazz

Lady GaGa & Adam Lambert? Yes, please!

Okay, I just had a major thought (this is what happens when the insomnia kicks in at 5a.m.):

So Live Nation announced the cancellation of the Jackass and Lady GaGa's joint tour 'Fame Kills'. We all know the real reason, two gigantic egos insisting that they each should have top billing, no one budging, Fuck you, tour canceled and each artiste goes their separate ways. Then the Jackass will go off to 'rehab'. I sure hope he won't have his Mac Boob Air in there with him, or if he does I hope the fucking Caps Lock key is Broken!!

Lady GaGa has said that she will go on tour by herself, but I had a crazy thought; she should have Adam Lambert be her opening act! Totally! I would shell out money to see their tour instead of her and the Jackass. That would be the BEST concert ever. Adam has to sing some of the songs he sang on AI specifically these:

Ring Of Fire
Mad World
Tracks Of My Tears
Born To Be Wild
Cryin'
One
Bohemian Rhapsody

Then of course I want to hear his original songs from his upcoming album. I think this would be a great move for the both of them. It would get Adam back in the spotlight, as his presence has faded since AI wrapped and Lady GaGa will benefit from the thousands of people who want to see him. Win win for the both of them. I hope they can make this happen!

I love Adam Lambert, voted for him until I couldn't feel my fucking fingers and I still can't believe he didn't win! Anyway, I know that we'll be talking about him and his great music and his thriving career 10 years from now while the AI winner wallows in obscurity like Taylor Hicks before him. What a travesty that year was too; Taylor Hicks wins while Chris Daughtry gets eliminated. What The Fuck?? But Chris got the last laugh...he is awesome, his voice is awesome and he is fucking talented and so is Adam Lambert.

Adam dude, rock out with your cock out, you got to perform with KISS, fucking KISS!! You are fuck talented and will be remembered for so much more than some lame TV talent show.

Dazz

Divas? Not So Much.

So, Divas...I know that they are trying to move away from the 'so-called negative' connotation of this word...but guess what? Aretha Franklin? Original Diva! Donna Summer? Diva! Celine Dion? Diva! Mariah Carey? Diva! Whitney Houston? Diva! Bette Midler? Diva! Barbra Streisand? Diva! Mary J. Blige? Diva! Miley Fucking Cyrus??? Uh, how do I say this delicately...HELL NO! What was VH1 thinking? I could see Leona Lewis, Adele, Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson being at that level years from now as long as their careers have the longevity and success I think they will. Alicia Keys? Diva! (Where was she?) P!nk? Definite Diva! (Where the fuck was she VH1, did you not experience this chick's voice and performance at the VMAs?) It kills me that they would have Jordin Sparks who won American Idol and then was dropped by her record company on this show, but no P!ink! What.The.Fuck.

That said, the performances were okay, if I had to say I would pick JHud, Kelly and Adele as having the best performances. Bottom line there was no one on tonight's roster who qualifies as a Diva...yet.

To Paula Abdul, if this was the best gig that you could get after AI, then I kinda feel bad for you. Somehow, I'm hoping that them letting you go and hiring Ellen as your replacement is still a big fake-out publicity stunt and you will be back in the judge's chair for the AI season premiere.

To Cheryl Crowe, how the fuck do you let Miley Fucking Cyrus out-sing you on your own fucking song? Travesty, I am so unchecking your songs on my IPod.

By far the best performance of the night: Kelly Clarkson and Melissa Etheridge! Their voices together; fucking amazing!

If I had to put this show together here's what my line-up would be:

P!nk
Alicia Keys
Bette Midler
Melissa Etheridge
Syleena Johnson (Google her, this chick has a wicked voice! Check out her CD The Voice)
Toni Braxton (she's still got the pipes!)
Celine Dion
Mary J. Blige

Dazz

Lady GaGa - The Joke Is On Us

So, I've been reading all the hate and snark directed at Lady GaGa for months and really haven't had a opinion one way or the other. I mean I knew of her because I love those Just Dance and Poker Face songs and that she had my love Alexander Skarsgard in her Paparazzi video, so I really didn't understand why she was so universally loathed. So I started paying attention to her. I listened to her music, watched some interviews she gave and looked at photos of her fashions.

I have to say though, that she is talented. She plays the piano, she has a strong, pure, interesting voice, she writes her own music, she's written for others and she has her own sense of style/fashion and SHE SINGS LIVE! Kudos to her for not being like everyone else.

I like her and she killed it with her performance at the VMAs and totally deserved the Moonman for Best New Artist; I mean she's who we've been talking about all year!

See, while we've been mocking her and laughing at her and saying how overrated and over the top she is, she's been making music and converting haters into fans. The joke really is on us, cause the lady is laughing all the way to the bank while wearing her poker face. Love it!

Dazz