For my third blog post I will be analyzing the song Fast Car in its original form by Tracy Chapman and the 2016 cover version of the song by Jonas Blue.  I would like to start this blog post by saying, although very different, both versions of the song are so great and I honestly can’t decide which one I like most!

The original version was written by Tracy Chapman in 1986 and launched her debut album ¹. The song is classified in the singer/songwriter genre but personally I feel it has a soft folk feel to it. I feel that the beauty in this song comes from the simple instrumentation, focusing on the chords of a single guitar. Tracy Chapman’s version of Fast Car is not elaborate or complex, it is more stripped back, putting on emphasis on the vocals.  I suppose that’s why it is considered singer/songwriter.  The track hit number 6 on the Billboard music charts and also won Chapman a Grammy ², its no wonder why so many artists choose to cover this song.

The recent cover done by Jonas Blue in 2016 also made the Billboard charts, peaking at spot 13 ³. Although this cover has the same lyrics to it, it has a completely different feel to it. This version would be considered in the dance or pop genre of music. It is also classified as “tropical house” ⁴ which is a genre I’d personally never heard of before.  Upon further research I discovered that tropical house can be defined as “a mix of catchy, melodic chimes and good vibes”⁵, which I would have to agree does sum up Blue’s version of Fast Car.

These two versions of the same song have so many differences I don’t even know where to begin analyzing.  As mentioned before, the lyrics of both theses songs are the same but I feel the message, the intended demographic and the overall feel of these songs could not be more opposite. One obvious difference is that the original song was released 32 years ago, so naturally this song is more popular to an older age demographic. For those super cool adolescents who do know the original version, it would be considered a classic to them. The Jonas Blue cover however was only released 2 years ago, attracting a younger age group of listeners. I bet a huge majority of people who have heard the Jonas Blue cover aren’t even aware that it is a cover song. With that being said, he made this song accessible to a whole new group of people by essentially bringing it back on to the charts so many years later. Another reason why the two version of this song resonates with such different audiences is due to their very different styles.  The original version is a slower more laid back tempo, the sound is simple. This is the kind of song I like to listen to when I am studying or winding down for the day. The cover version is the complete opposite. It is upbeat and complex and makes you want to dance, so much so that it is often played at the bars on a night out.  After listening to both, could you ever imagine Chapman’s version being played in a nightclub? Ya, me neither! So naturally, the two different sounds reach different people, not just due to age but also do to personal preferences in sound. One of my closest friends is a music enthusiast, who really appreciates the classics. When I asked him, he had never even heard of the new Jonas Blue version of Fast Car but at the same time he loves the original song.  On the other hand, my best friend and myself always sing the cover version when we are driving around together but she had no clue that it was a cover song from way back when.  They are both the same age, these differences were based solely on music preferences.

Lastly I think it is super cool how a song can have very different meanings even when there are no change in words. What I take away from both versions of this song is a feeling of reminiscing and wanting to escape your life for something different.  Chapman’s version feels almost sad, like she is remembering a time that left her heartbroken. When she says “I remember when we were driving in your car”it sounds like a blue memory that left her hurting. When she says “I want a ticket to anywhere” she sounds like she is unhappy with her life.  The cover version on the other hand makes you feel less like they want to run away and more like they want an adventure. When Jonas Blue says “I remember when we were driving in your car” he sounds like hes thinking back on a crazy fun adventure. Again, when he sings “I want a ticket to anywhere” it sounds more like he wants to go explore the world. The performance of these two songs in their music videos captures theses feelings as well. In Chapman’s music video she is portrayed alone, always being filmed in dark lighting with a slight shadow and her face looks sad, never showing a smile. In Blue’s video it shows two people taking an adventure around amazing scenery, living like wild adolescents. Overall the songs have a similar meaning behind them but the original comes off as a pessimistic view whereas the cover is more optimistic.  Now that is just what I take away from the songs. When I looked into it though Chapman does in fact state “It’s not really about a car at all… basically it’s about a relationship that doesn’t work out because it’s starting from the wrong place.”⁶ This statement would imply that I am not completely off track.

To conclude, I would just like to  reiterate that although I describe the original version as more dark and sad and the cover version as upbeat and happy, I do love them both equally. I have both songs on my phone and listen to them equally, just in different settings!

References:

¹ http://www.about-tracy-chapman.net/tracy-chapman-fast-car-meaning-fast-car-lyrics-fast-car-videos/
² https://www.billboard.com/music/tracy-chapman
³ https://www.billboard.com/music/jonas-blue/chart-history/hot-dance-airplay/song/961141
⁴ https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/fast-car-feat-dakota-radio-edit-single/1065675243
⁵ http://www.bassfeedsthesoul.com/tropical-house/
⁶ http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3603

Ed Sheeran is a 27-year-old singer-songwriter from the United Kingdom who has captured the attention of the world with his profound lyrics, authentic voice, and raw performance style. He rose to stardom in 2013 with the release of his first hit single, “The A-Team”, an acoustic song that came at a time when popular music was beginning to take on a slower pace. Songs like Sam Smith’s,“Stay With Me” and John Legend’s, “All of Me” were dominating the charts, showing people’s desire for slower songs with beautiful voices. Sheeran’s style catered to that change in tempo, leading him to become a popular artist that would eventually contribute to the changing style of popular music (Lipshutz, 2015).

Ed Sheeran began playing guitar and writing songs at a very young age, proving his natural artistic abilities. He worked hard for years before being discovered and signed with Atlantic Records in 2011. Sheeran put his writing skills to use in creating his debut album, “+” that same year and helping extremely famous artists such as One Direction and Taylor Swift write well-known songs (Biography.com, 2018).

In 2014, Ed Sheeran released his second studio album that contained chart-topping songs. The time of this album is when people really started to fall in love with Ed Sheeran and particularly his songs, “Don’t“, “Photograph“, and “Thinking Out Loud“. It was with this album he won his first and second Grammys and starting making his place in history when “Thinking Out Loud” was named Song of the Year and Best Solo Pop Performance (Biography.com, 2018).

Sheeran’s third album titled, “Divide” was released in 2017. This album features 16 tracks, each with moderate to extreme differences in sound and style than the one before. It, of course, has Sheeran’s classic ballads but also has songs that tap into different genres and cultures (Weatherby, 2017). The diversity of this album has brought something different into pop music and has the potential to influence the direction of popular music. It seems he isn’t afraid of drawing outside the lines and doesn’t care to only create the typical, commercially pleasing songs. Sheeran brings culture into his album with the Irish-influenced, “Galway Girl”, African-Influenced “Bibia Be Ye Ye”, and Spanish-influenced “Barcelona”. Through these songs, Ed has brought different cultures into popular music and penetrated the walls of mainstream pop music.

The Divide album resulted in Sheeran’s third and fourth Grammy with “Shape of You” winning Best Pop Solo Performance and the album winning Best Pop Vocal Album (Biography.com, 2018). Divide was declared the biggest album of 2017, which is no small feat considering that year included Taylor Swift’s comeback album, “Reputation” and Kendrick Lamar’s groundbreaking album, “DAMN” (McIntyre, 2018).

Ed Sheeran is categorized as a pop artist, but his repertoire goes far beyond traditional pop (Apple Music, 2018). Sheeran exhibits folk, hip-hop, and even rap styles in a lot of his music, showing his complexity as an artist. It takes pure talent to pull off so many different styles of music and Ed Sheeran pulls it off so effortlessly, making me believe he will be remembered for this talent far into the future.

Performance Style

Ed Sheeran’s performance style makes him unique as an artist. He does not use a band to accompany him, but rather uses a loop station to deliver his music one hundred percent by himself (Roy, 2017).  While researching Sheeran’s use of the loop station, I found quotes from Gary Dunne, the man who taught Sheeran how to use looping, and found that his perspective perfectly explained why Ed is so impressive for using this station. Dunne explained what Sheeran does on stage as having “complexity and vulnerability” to it considering if he presses one button even a fraction of a second too early, the whole song could fall out of beat (Chalk, 2017). His explanation made me realize how completely immersed in the music Sheeran is while on stage. This performance technique allows him to be the entire maker of his musical art, which is something a lot of artists today cannot say about themselves.

“It’s like watching a painter live paint a picture while doing something else at the same time – to a global TV audience. The pressure is insane!”- Gary Dunne

Sheeran’s raw performance style is another reason I believe he will be written about in textbooks. He’s managing to sell-out arenas and play to those large crowds with the confidence and sheer talent necessary to brave a crowd by himself. There are no theatrics involved nor can Sheeran abandon his looping pedal to run around the stage to engage his audience. It is solely up to his voice, his instruments, and his looping pedal to wow the crowds: a task he handles brilliantly. He will be remembered for this authentic and rare performance style that undoubtedly sets him apart from other pop stars of this generation.

“There are so many singer-songwriters who do what I do that play with a band. Everyone walks away from me and thinking, ‘I’ve never seen that before.’ As soon as you lose that element of ‘wow’ you’re just like everyone else.”- Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran’s Influence

The influence of Ed Sheeran is evident in popular music today. One of the biggest male pop stars, aside from Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran, is a singer-songwriter named Shawn Mendes. It could be argued that Mendes’s folksy, Ed Sheeran-like music is so popular because Sheeran led people to fall in love with this type of music by having them fall in love with his own music. He paved the way for artists such as Mendes to have a place in mainstream music (Lipshutz, 2015).  Not only has Sheeran influenced the sound of pop music, but he has also influenced the songs in pop music. Sheeran has written countless hit songs for other artists, taking his influence to new heights and securing him a place in history.

Work Cited:

Chalk, Interview Will. “The Man Who Taught Ed Sheeran How to Use a Loop Pedal – BBC Newsbeat.” BBC. June 27, 2017. Accessed August 11, 2018. http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/40418376/the-man-who-taught-ed-sheeran-how-to-use-a-loop-pedal.

Chesterton, George. “How Ed Sheeran Became the Biggest Male Popstar on the Planet.” GQ. September 11, 2017. Accessed August 11, 2018. https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/ed-sheeran-new-album-divide.

“Ed Sheeran.” Biography.com. June 30, 2018. Accessed August 11, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/ed-sheeran.

“‎Ed Sheeran on Apple Music.” Apple Music. Accessed August 11, 2018. https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/ed-sheeran/183313439

Lipshutz, Jason. “The Sheeran Effect: Observing The Beginnings of Ed Sheeran’s Influence on Pop.” Billboard. February 18, 2015. Accessed August 11, 2018. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6473105/ed-sheeran-influencing-pop-shawn-mendes-cody-simpson

McIntyre, Hugh. “Ed Sheeran’s ‘Divide’ Ends 2017 As The Biggest Album Of The Year.” Forbes. January 03, 2018. Accessed August 11, 2018. https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2018/01/03/ed-sheerans-divide-ends-2017-as-the-biggest-album-of-the-year/#75fe92c33f04.

Weatherby, Taylor. “Ed Sheeran’s ‘Divide’: Superlatives for All 16 Tracks on the Album.” Billboard. March 08, 2017. Accessed August 11, 2018. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7710111/ed-sheeran-divide-album-songs-superlatives.

Selena Quintanilla-Perez, most commonly known just as Selena took not only the Latin music world but the entire music industry by storm. Selena’s story begins as a young child when she was apart of band alongside her siblings called “Selena Y los Dinos” which translates simply to “Selena and The Boys” They were a Tejano musical group that played at their father’s restaurant. Singing mainly in Spanish, Selena had to learn to sing in Spanish and did so fairly quickly. [1]

For years Selena recorded and toured with her band.  They recorded their first album in 1984. From this moment on Selena was known as the “Queen of Tejano Music”and began winning many awards like the Tejano Music Award for “Best Female Vocalist” and “Best Female Performer” at the young age of 15. The band was greatly recognized in 1989 and was signed to Capital/EMI. [1]

Her success continued for about another 7 years. She married Chris Perez who was brought into the band later on in 1992 and also started her own company. Selena Etc. Inc, was the name of her very own boutique that sold her personal clothing line. [2]

Unfortunately Selena’s career was cut very short when she was killed in 1995. Her fan club manager Yolonda Saldivar shot Selena as she was walking out of a hotel. She died hours later at the age of 23. [2]

Even with her life quickly ending, Selena continued and still continues to shine. A few months after her death, Selena’s last recorded album “Dreaming of You” was released. The album quickly climbed the charts and topped the Billboard 200 Chart. Selling thousands of copies in its first day of release, Selena posthumously beat the female vocalist record. [2]

The influence Selena had on her fans and the entire music industry will never be forgotten. Over 20 years after her death, there are still releases under her name. The most recent being Lo Mejor de… Selena, which was released on the 20th anniversary of her death. [2]

Selena shone a bright light on Tejano music and helped create its success. Many say she brought the Latin community together and will be remembered for the impact she had it. She also opened many doors for other hispanic female artists when their wasn’t a lot of opportunities before her. Selena inspired her fans by showing that success is possible with hard work. She showed this through her musical success and her business success while remaining very humble. To this day she continues to influence.

Many current artists have spoken publicly about Selena’s influence on them. Jennifer Lopez is someone who was actually able to go into Selena’s shoes. As an up and coming actress, Lopez landed the role of Selena in a movie based on her life. Lopez explained in an interview that she felt Selena really influenced her own personal music career. She explained that Selena taught her to not “neglect parts of yourself and let people put you in a box because you’re an actress. You can do this, and you can also do that. Life is short, and you don’t know what’s going to happen. Go for your dreams and don’t let anyone hold you back.” Jennifer Lopez now has her own role in the Latin music community and has found great success. [3]

Beyonce, another very successful female artist also expressed her love for Selena and named her as one of her inspirations. Beyonce was actually able to meet Selena before her passing. She explained that she saw her across the room and was able to say hello. Beyonce also shared in an interview how Selena’s music, even though it was mainly Latin music, still influenced and had an impact on her as a young performer. [4]

Not only did Selena posthumously launch Jennifer Lopez’s career but she also had made other impacts on pop culture after her death. Selena has a very popular museum dedicated to her in Corpus Christi, Texas (her hometown) that is run by her family to this day for fans to visit. Also a very popular makeup company known as M.A.C released a cosmetic line named after Selena after a fan created a petition for it. [2]

Selena’s music is still celebrated today and as someone who actually has always very much enjoyed her music can say its worth the listen. My personal favourite song is one of her most popular hits, “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom What I love most about the song is how happy and uplifting it is. I think it really represents the kind of artist Selena really was. While listening you can her the Tenjano sound that we all know was her speciality. It contains a mixture of different sounds with a lot of rhythm. You can also her the drums throughout the entire song that keeps the beat.

Selena was mentioned in our textbook less than briefly. I really believe she should be discussed way more especially when talking about tejano music. She captured the essence of tejano music perfectly and really gave it a lot of success in America.

Sources:

[1] “Selena Biography.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. Accessed August 08, 2018. http://www.notablebiographies.com/Sc-St/Selena.html.

[2] “Selena.” Biography.com. November 08, 2017. Accessed August 08, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/selena-189149.

[3] Cobo, Leila. “Jennifer Lopez on Playing Selena: ‘She Had a Sense of Living in the Present & Following Her Heart’.” Billboard. March 31, 2018. Accessed August 08, 2018. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/7728858/jennifer-lopez-selena-film-anniversary-interview.

[4] Alvarez, Alex. “That One Time Beyoncé Met Selena.” BuzzFeed. Accessed August 08, 2018. https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexalvarez/memorieeees?utm_term=.fb1OpGdx1#.pfNaPMJXY.

The focus of this blog will be why I feel Led Zeppelin is a good choice of study as not only a talented seminal heavy metal band but one of the most influential of its time. The songs I’ll be using as examples of their talent and influence span their career, and appear on separate albums. The first song, Dazed and Confused, is off their eponymous 1969 debut album, Led Zeppelin. The second, When the Levee Breaks,  appears on their best-selling 1971 album, Led Zeppelin IV. The last song, Kashmir, is from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti.

The reason there is so much debate and discussion as to whether Led Zeppelin’s music was in fact heavy metal is due to the broad definition and characteristics, as well as the evolution that it and associated styles went through for the past almost half a century. Generally speaking, heavy metal music is characterized as loud and aggressive, with heavy distortion and riffs, with an electric guitar as the main instrument.[1] It typically has less syncopation and blues, more showmanship and brute force.[2] Its the fact that Led Zeppelin takes so much blues influence and plays such a diverse selection of music that fuels the debate. Other popular aspects of heavy metal are rapid, thrashing riffs, pounding, heavy drums and dark or aggressive vocals and themes.

As one of the groups earliest songs displays many of the characteristics of heavy metal. The echoing and sparse guitar chords sound spacey and solemn. They create a sound that can only be described as “dazed and confused”. The vocals are rough and high pitched simultaneously. The content of the lyrics, mostly relationship problems, isn’t particularly edgy but does help to augment the somber tone. Through out the song are eerie, dark riffs that flow in and out of the foreground and back into the background. It aims to create a sense or paranoia.

Midway through the song the tempo kicks up and breaks into a lighter jam where all the band members seem to just jam as fast and crazy as they want, then settles right back into the ominous ambiance of before. It really exemplifies the occult interests the band shared, and the image they aimed to portray. The loud screaming vocals sound almost tortured, yet energetic and excited at the same time. This track is an example of many of the trends that heavy metal music would embody in the coming years.

When the Levee breaks is another of Led Zeppelins song which contains many traits of metal music. The guitar is very sharp and heavily distorted, and there is long sections where it and the pounding drums take prominence, with no vocals. It is multi-sectional, and transitions through many different stages, leaving one as fast as another comes. The lyrics paint a picture of a tragedy about to happen; the rain keeps coming and the levee is going to break. However, although it shares traits with heavy metal songs, it also retains the blues form of singing and a slower tempo then most modern metal songs.

Kashmir’s heavy percussion and rhythm makes it sound like a march to war. The sound is dense  just has a sense of heaviness. Again, this song is long and multi-sectional, sometimes producing a lighter triumphant sound, and  its then back to business. The string riffs played briefly are extremely virtuosic and show a high level  of skill. Again, there is a lot of instrumental sections breaking up the verses. Once again however, there are elements that are arguably not typical of heavy metal. The blues style of singing, and the uplifting sections don’t share much with conventional metal. The arabic and indian inspired sounds also don’t have much connection to heavy metal.

In the course textbook, there are a number of differences stated that differentiate heavy metal from rock music. Some of them are shared by Zeppelin, while others aren’t. For example, distortion is very common, as is a tendency to be multi-sectional with many instrumental sections, and a great degree of virtuosic talent. Not all of the aspects of heavy metal are exemplified, which is why Led Zeppelin in my opinion is a seminal heavy metal band or a precursor to it. It was a different type of sound than other popular rock from the age, but not completely different.

So if you agree that Led Zeppelin is indeed heavy metal, or an important precursor to it there can be no greater band to mention regarding the development and mainstream understanding of the genre (maybe Black Sabbath). They sold more records than almost any other group of the time. Even today, they are still popular among those who weren’t born at the time, with 183 million streams across their Spotify catalog.[3] Theres no question when it comes to influence that Led Zeppelin reigns supreme.

Sources:

1. Estrella, Espie. “What Is Heavy Metal Music?” ThoughtCo. Accessed August 01, 2018. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-heavy-metal-p2-2456255.

2. Pareles, Jon. “HEAVY METAL, WEIGHTY WORDS.” The New York Times. July 10, 1988. Accessed August 01, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/10/magazine/heavy-metal-weighty-words.html?

3. “Just how popular are Led Zeppelin with streaming music users? Accessed August 01, 2018. http://musically.com/2015/02/25/led-zeppelin-streaming-music/.

          Johnny Cash performs a heart-wrenching cover of Nine Inch Nails 1994 song “Hurt”. Replacing the angry sound of the original with a tired melancholy Cash’s version “brought it to a huge new audience in 2003” (Minay). Personally, I believe that Cash’s version is best appreciated through its music video, filled with flashbacks from the past “we see the aging singer in the near-derelict ‘House of Cash’, where he had lived from 1968 onwards, with the lyrics evoking images of his life and losses” (Minay). Here we glimpse images of Cash’s empire of dirt, as everything he built falls into decay and ruin as the singer reaches the end of his life. A lesson to us that we all grow old, and all our accumulated possessions with us.

Johnny Cash Cover (Music Video)

          Lunney contrasts the two versions in her article Nine Inch Nails Vs Johnny Cash – Which Version of Hurt Is Best? saying “NIN’s version speaks primarily of self-loathing, self-harm, and drug addiction while Cash focuses on the universal feeling of pain and deep sadness that makes you hurt.” It is perhaps in this contrast that each song finds its audience, with Nine Inch Nail’s version resonating with those journeying through self-harm and drug addiction, while Cash’s version speaks to the melancholy that we all sometimes feel.

          One of the only changes to the lyrics I noticed in Cash’s version was removing the profanities and replacing them with Christian imagery, such as the transition from “crown of shit” to “crown of thorns”. This shift in imagery reflects Cash’s more hopeful sound as opposed to Nine Inch Nails more destructive sound. Cash draws on the Christian imagery common in his genre to leave listeners with a feeling that behind the hurt there might be a purpose and a chance for redemption. Through this the songs meaning changes from talking about a hopeless pain to a hopeful one, opening it up to resonate with a wider audience. We all feel pain though life, and we all look for hope in those moments, a part of the human experience that this song connects with.

          Personally, I appreciate both versions of the song, but find myself listening to Cash’s version more often. It’s the kind of song that I find I want to listen too on rainy days, through melancholy moods, or break up blues. Hurt is a song that plainly acknowledges that sometimes life hurts us, but Cash’s rendition leaves us with a peculiar sense of hope, that if we are listening to it we are alive and we still have time for things to get better. If Cash leaving us this song at the end of his life embodied anything it would be a stoic reflection on memento mori, the practice of remembering that we will all die so that while we are alive we use the time we have to truly live. This is a cover that I would recommend anyone have in their library, it is the song to listen to on the low days, reminding us that higher days are still coming. It’s a song about pain, that leaves us with a sense of hope. I first heard this song in 2014, and it is one that I have not forgotten.

Bibliography

Minay, Michael. “Johnny Cash’s ‘Hurt’ Remains A Timeless Classic With An Unforgettable Video.” LADbible. September 12, 2017. http://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/celebrity-music-johnny-cashs-hurt-remains-timeless-with-an-unforgettable-video-20170912.

“Nine Inch Nails Vs Johnny Cash – Which Version of Hurt Is Best?” Louder Than War. June 01, 2013. https://louderthanwar.com/nine-inch-nails-vs-johnny-cash-which-version-of-hurt-is-better/.

Posted by Daily Stoic on June 27, 2017. “”Memento Mori”: The Reminder We All Desperately Need.” Daily Stoic | Stoic Wisdom For Everyday Life. May 18, 2018. https://dailystoic.com/memento-mori/.

          Johnny Cash performs a heart-wrenching cover of Nine Inch Nails 1994 song “Hurt”. Replacing the angry sound of the original with a tired melancholy Cash’s version “brought it to a huge new audience in 2003” (Minay). Personally, I believe that Cash’s version is best appreciated through its music video, filled with flashbacks from the past “we see the aging singer in the near-derelict ‘House of Cash’, where he had lived from 1968 onwards, with the lyrics evoking images of his life and losses” (Minay). Here we glimpse images of Cash’s empire of dirt, as everything he built falls into decay and ruin as the singer reaches the end of his life. A lesson to us that we all grow old, and all our accumulated possessions with us.

Johnny Cash Cover (Music Video)

          Lunney contrasts the two versions in her article Nine Inch Nails Vs Johnny Cash – Which Version of Hurt Is Best? saying “NIN’s version speaks primarily of self-loathing, self-harm, and drug addiction while Cash focuses on the universal feeling of pain and deep sadness that makes you hurt.” It is perhaps in this contrast that each song finds its audience, with Nine Inch Nail’s version resonating with those journeying through self-harm and drug addiction, while Cash’s version speaks to the melancholy that we all sometimes feel.

          One of the only changes to the lyrics I noticed in Cash’s version was removing the profanities and replacing them with Christian imagery, such as the transition from “crown of shit” to “crown of thorns”. This shift in imagery reflects Cash’s more hopeful sound as opposed to Nine Inch Nails more destructive sound. Cash draws on the Christian imagery common in his genre to leave listeners with a feeling that behind the hurt there might be a purpose and a chance for redemption. Through this the songs meaning changes from talking about a hopeless pain to a hopeful one, opening it up to resonate with a wider audience. We all feel pain though life, and we all look for hope in those moments, a part of the human experience that this song connects with.

          Personally, I appreciate both versions of the song, but find myself listening to Cash’s version more often. It’s the kind of song that I find I want to listen too on rainy days, through melancholy moods, or break up blues. Hurt is a song that plainly acknowledges that sometimes life hurts us, but Cash’s rendition leaves us with a peculiar sense of hope, that if we are listening to it we are alive and we still have time for things to get better. If Cash leaving us this song at the end of his life embodied anything it would be a stoic reflection on memento mori, the practice of remembering that we will all die so that while we are alive we use the time we have to truly live. This is a cover that I would recommend anyone have in their library, it is the song to listen to on the low days, reminding us that higher days are still coming. It’s a song about pain, that leaves us with a sense of hope. I first heard this song in 2014, and it is one that I have not forgotten.

Bibliography

Minay, Michael. “Johnny Cash’s ‘Hurt’ Remains A Timeless Classic With An Unforgettable Video.” LADbible. September 12, 2017. http://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/celebrity-music-johnny-cashs-hurt-remains-timeless-with-an-unforgettable-video-20170912.

“Nine Inch Nails Vs Johnny Cash – Which Version of Hurt Is Best?” Louder Than War. June 01, 2013. https://louderthanwar.com/nine-inch-nails-vs-johnny-cash-which-version-of-hurt-is-better/.

Posted by Daily Stoic on June 27, 2017. “”Memento Mori”: The Reminder We All Desperately Need.” Daily Stoic | Stoic Wisdom For Everyday Life. May 18, 2018. https://dailystoic.com/memento-mori/.

SELENA

‘Queen of Tejano Music’

 Selena Quintanilla – Perez was born April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas. She was considered the ‘Queen of Tejano music’, she was also sometimes referred to as the ‘Mexican Madonna’ for her sexy outfits and dance moves. She began performing as a child with her family band around the age of 10. The family band featured her brother, Abraham, on bass guitar and her sister Suzette on the drums. Her father, Abraham, managed the family band after giving up his musical career. The family band took the name ‘Los Dinos’ after the father’s former band he was a member of. She grew up speaking English, but her father taught her how to sing in Spanish so she could connect with the Latino community. She learned the lyrics phonetically at first and eventually had to learn how to speak Spanish.

Selena and the ‘Los Dinos’ got their break with Tejano music in 1987, at the age of 15, she won the Tejano Music Award for Female Entertainer of that year. In 1989 she signed with EMI Latin where she realized her self-tittle debut album that same year. She had to break through some long-standing traditional barriers within the world of Latin music. She faced a lot of obstacles that a lot of women face in the recording industry; she was a woman in a very male-dominated industry. Particularly in the type of sound, she was doing, Tejano, it was a very male genre that no one could understand seeing a woman in. She was modernizing Tejano and making it more accessible to a younger audience.

In 1992 she loped with the guitarist, Chris Perez, and got married behind her fathers back. Her new husband was soon welcomed into the family, despite her father initial wishes. As a family worked behind the signs to help to build Selena’s success. On March 31, 1995, Selena was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldivar, her friend and former manager of her fan club and boutique.

Awards/ Accomplishments

• 1987- Selena won the Tejano Music Award for Best Female Vocalist running through 1987 to 1996. Winning 34 Tejano Music Awards
• 1985- she became a spokesperson for Coca-Cola
• Received 8 awards at Lo Nuestro Awards during her career
• 1990- her album was the first Tejano record to receive gold record states (sold over 500,000 copies)
• 1993- her album ‘live’ won the Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album
• 1994- Amor Prohibido was released and went gold

By July 1995, ‘Dreaming Of You’ became the fastest selling album by a female artist in pop history. Selling 400,000 copies in its first week-175,000 copies on its first day.

Her unexpected death shock the world and the music industry. Everything about her and what she did was carried on and remembered. It was turned around to be a memory in which you could celebrate. Selena has knocked down barriers and opening the door for female singers. She became a role model for many young women.

Selena influenced many individuals and artist to this day. Through her music, she was able to bring together the Latino community and make Latino music popular in America. Throughout the years she never let her flame change her. She continued to be this wonderful down to earth, kind spirit girl. Her voice, her spirit, and charisma influenced and inspired so many people like the artist today. Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato are a few iconic Latino singers that were influenced by her.

In 1997 a film was produced recreating Selena’s life, played by Jennifer Lopez. Since the film her career took off reaching unimaginable heights in the music and movie industry

She opened the gates for woman in Latino music, but continued in inspire all woman across the board.

Selena – La Carcacha

La Carcacha is wonderful song by Selena that demonstrates her vocal capability and wonderful latino sound of Tejano. Her music carries a wonderful melody and sound that captivates the audience. The sound of accordion is instrument dominant, but her vocals strength the songs. Her songs, like this one, have country music evident as it focuses on stories, which tells of love, and break heart. Much of her songs fill a person with such energy and emotion as she sings with the band in a perfect complimenting form. Selena’s capability of breaking into Tejano music and making top chart songs give evidence of why she should be in our textbooks. Her voice, and her songs made people recognize Tejano music, and made Latino music popular, allowing for more Latino artist to be inspired and become known today.

https://www.biography.com/people/selena-189149

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/latinmusicusa/legends/selena/