(no subject)
I know I hardly ever use this journal anymore (I still have stuff I want to update about, like my last two amazing summers) but right now I just absolutely need to talk about how much I love Matthew Schuler on The Voice. Which is a show I don't even really watch! Or didn't until I saw his performance of Florence + The Machine's "Cosmic Love".
(note that I also love Will, the other guy in that knockout and think his performance is fantastic too. They're probably my two favourites in the competition, along with Kat who got eliminated last week and I'm digging Tessanne more and more. but I digress.)
I hadn't been keeping up with The Voice or the X-Factor at all the last couple seasons, but I happened to check out MJ's Blog - which for those that don't know recaps and posts videos of the various competition shows - a couple days after that performance aired and was just completely blown away. Not only is his voice incredible, but he has such passion and PRESENCE that so many of the performers on these shows lack that it was just a breath of fresh air.
Then I watched his audition:
and just loved him more and more. In that performance in particular I love seeing his pure joy while he performs. But it also highlighted another thing he has a lot of competitors in these competitions lack, which is excellent song selection. Not only is he picking songs that are just good in and of themselves, not only do they showcase his voice, but they're actually unique and not ridiculously overdone. They're just frankly hip. But even beyond that, he's done a good job establishing himself and his musical identity. And that itself is awesome, too, because he's breaking the mold in a beautiful way. I'm a big fan of the indie rock spectrum, but one thing that bothers me is the lack of, well, colour. We need more women, too. And Matthew even addressed this in one of his interviews, specifically mentioning how people probably wouldn't expect an African American male to choose the songs he was performing. So I admire him even more for being himself.
And then he does a song like Hallelujah and it's so much more subdued than those performances but still so hauntingly beautiful and showcases just how multifacted a person and talent he is and basically you guys I just love him okay I can't help it.
(also omfg the falsetto at the end ♥_♥)
.... seriously though I can't stop watching Cosmic Love. I've had to have watched it at least 20 times now, many of those back to back. He's a fucking force of nature in that performance.
Click to view(note that I also love Will, the other guy in that knockout and think his performance is fantastic too. They're probably my two favourites in the competition, along with Kat who got eliminated last week and I'm digging Tessanne more and more. but I digress.)
I hadn't been keeping up with The Voice or the X-Factor at all the last couple seasons, but I happened to check out MJ's Blog - which for those that don't know recaps and posts videos of the various competition shows - a couple days after that performance aired and was just completely blown away. Not only is his voice incredible, but he has such passion and PRESENCE that so many of the performers on these shows lack that it was just a breath of fresh air.
Then I watched his audition:
and just loved him more and more. In that performance in particular I love seeing his pure joy while he performs. But it also highlighted another thing he has a lot of competitors in these competitions lack, which is excellent song selection. Not only is he picking songs that are just good in and of themselves, not only do they showcase his voice, but they're actually unique and not ridiculously overdone. They're just frankly hip. But even beyond that, he's done a good job establishing himself and his musical identity. And that itself is awesome, too, because he's breaking the mold in a beautiful way. I'm a big fan of the indie rock spectrum, but one thing that bothers me is the lack of, well, colour. We need more women, too. And Matthew even addressed this in one of his interviews, specifically mentioning how people probably wouldn't expect an African American male to choose the songs he was performing. So I admire him even more for being himself.
And then he does a song like Hallelujah and it's so much more subdued than those performances but still so hauntingly beautiful and showcases just how multifacted a person and talent he is and basically you guys I just love him okay I can't help it.
(also omfg the falsetto at the end ♥_♥)
.... seriously though I can't stop watching Cosmic Love. I've had to have watched it at least 20 times now, many of those back to back. He's a fucking force of nature in that performance.