Childrens services in West Sussex will be run by an independent trust after a Department for Education report found there had been inadequate and ineffective leadership from the county council.

On the back of the report from commissioner John Coughlan, Becky Shaw, the chief executive officer at East Sussex will also take over the running of West Sussex.

In his report, Mr Coughlan said: The conditions required to support the essential sustainable improvement in West Sussex childrens services, regrettably, do not currently exist within the county council.

Further, the extent of the current malaise in the organisation strongly indicates that those conditions will probably not reliably exist for some considerable time.

Mr Coughlan, who is also chief executive of Hampshire County Council, will lead the process for the next 12 months, with his council acting as an improvement partner to drive forward the improvements needed.

The report was published by the Department for Education less than one hour before it was due to be discussed at County Hall today (Tuesday December 17).

Members spoke of their shame at the contents, with leader Paul Marshall saying it was not pleasant reading.

The work of Mr Marshall, in his then role as cabinet member for childrens services, and John Readman, interim director of childrens services, was arguably the only highlight of the report.

The rest spoke of a local authority that had not only lost its way on this matter but was not interested in hearing that things had gone wrong.

Mr Coughlans report spoke of a lack of organisational self-awareness and a refusal to accept criticism or bad

news and then to address problems.

He describeddisturbingly low levels of awareness of what good social work practice looks like, a perception among current and former staff of a significant bullying problem and a systemic and prolonged failure of childrens services in the county.

Some 150 detailed interviews with staff were carried out while the final report was being prepared.

When it came to former chief executive Nathan Elvery, Mr Coughlans report said the over-arching theme of his submissionwas less anargument about some of the findings of this report and more a contention about where the cause or blame may lay for those findings.

The lack of stability among senior management has long been cause for concern and was described as alarming by Mr Coughlan.

In her submission to his report,former leader Louise Goldsmithimplied that blaming herself and other politicians for any recruitment and retention issues is unjust and solely intended to damage her character.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that, as of October 15, eight positions within the children and families leadership team were only being filled on an interim basis at a median rate of 800 a day.

Mr Readman himself will be leaving the council in January to take up a post at Cumbria County Council.

A spokesman said the search for a permanent replacement had already started.

Mr Marshall said: The Department for Education report is painful to read and shows the scale of the problems we face. We acknowledge and fully accept the recommendations.

I apologise to the children and families we support and council staff right across the authority for failing to create the environment where our childrens services can run well and effectively.

I want to personally thank our staff in particular our childrens services staff for their professionalism and dedication to our residents during what has been an uncertain time.

We accept and understand the secretary of states decision. I want what is best for the children we support in West Sussex.

The rest is here:
Childrens services in West Sussex will be run by an independent trust - Chichester Observer

caption Major artists released both excellent and lackluster singles in 2019. source Aidan Cullen / Maroon 5/YouTube

2019 was an incredible year for music especially for women, as it was peppered by career highlights from artists like Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Halsey, and Dua Lipa (honorable mentions include Selena Gomezs comeback ballad Lose You to Love Me, Rosalas eclectic stream of singles, and excellent albums from Charli XCX and FKA Twigs).

Other songs, however, marred the years reputation. Respected artists like Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, and Maroon 5 had some major missteps.

Keep reading for Insiders roundup of the highs and lows from the past year in chronological order, starting with the very best.

Needy is one of the most arresting and moving songs in Ariana Grandes catalogue. The sparkling, synth-laden ballad is the tender heart of Thank U, Next, Grandes best and most personal album to date.

The intimate song evokes the impending doom of a failing relationship: apologies sent via text, going to bed without saying goodnight, the lonely echo of an empty apartment. It clocks in at under three minutes, and yet manages to synthesize a veritable feast of emotions: longing, guilt, resentment, desire, quiet dread. Put simply, Needy is mesmerizing, acting as both confession and catharsis.

Sucker was the perfect comeback song for this centurys most beloved trio. After an agonizing six-year breakup, the Jonas Brothers couldve released any kind of catchy radio hit or Burnin Up knockoff and it wouldve been embraced by fans. Instead, they returned with a delightfully weird, tropical pop-rock banger and triumphantly asserted their dominant role in 2019 as more than a nostalgic fluke.

This is one of the rare times that an artists song one that wasnt even released as a lead single for her album, one that she actually thought people would hate has eclipsed the one that made her famous.

Bad Guy has become Billie Eilishs defining anthem, illustrating the unconventional spooky pop that has made her so beloved.

Released just before we head into the next decade, Bad Guy already feels like something well remember as the inspiration behind many copycats, as a song that paved the way for a new kind of radio hit and perhaps as more than Eilishs defining anthem, but a generations. Insider previously ranked it as the 41st best song of the 2010s decade.

Earfquake is best heard within the context of Igor, Tyler, the Creators best and most cohesive album to date. As with many albums that, in the words of Pitchforks Matthew Strauss, succeed in communicating mood as their own sense of logic, the song elevates and is elevated by the songs that surround it.

However, as the albums lead single, Earfquake also stood on its own before it existed within the context of Igor and it clearly succeeded, having become Tylers best-selling and highest-charting song to date.

Earfquake introduced us to Tylers newest alter-ego and, after 2017s Flower Boy was hailed as his most mature album yet, proved that hes nowhere near done evolving.

Earfquake illustrates Tylers talent for innovation and artistic growth, especially as hes the sole producer and only one of two writers on the song. His pitched-up falsetto, gliding through the songs mutating, colorful chords, make listening to Earfquake feel like a surrealist experience (in Tylers own words, the harmonies sound like a cloud melting).

Lover already feels like an indispensable addition to Taylor Swifts discography. The dreamy, Mazzy Star-esque ballad, written entirely by Swift herself, has been nominated for song of the year at the 2020 Grammys and was ranked by Insider as one of the best songs of the 2010s decade.

After years of singing about love stories based in fantasy and embellishing the details of failed courtships, Lover sees Swift grow into herself. She writes with striking maturity but maintains her characteristic flair for drama, beautifully capturing the atmosphere within a lasting love a place of security and frustration and comfort and understanding and persistent, abiding, Ill-run-away-with-you-if-you-ask passion.

Its extraordinarily difficult to pick a best song from Lana Del Reys enchanting album Norman Fing Rockwell! her most poetic, consistent, and critically acclaimed to date.

That being said: Godd manchild, you fed me so good that I almost said, I love you.' If that isnt an ingenious way to open an album, then I dont know what is. Most artists dont achieve momentary, transcendental brilliance like that ever, let alone within the first 45 seconds of track one.

Halsey is as much a writer, if not more so, than a singer or hitmaker. She often describes her onstage career as a way to ensure that people listen to her words and understand her emotions a drive thats never been more apparent than on Clementine, an intimate, glittering ode to self-awareness that started off as a poem about having a black eye.

The spare production allows Halseys theatrical charisma to take center stage: When my hair stands on end its saluting you is a standout line, as well as the songs central refrain: I dont need anyone, I just need everyone and then some. The latter is echoed by pouts and wails in the background (I dont need anyone! I dont need anyone!), giving the song a weird, slightly unhinged quality that makes it all the more brilliant.

Dua Lipas disco-infused single Dont Start Now maximizes everything the pop star does best.

Lipa reunited with the team behind her formidable, catchy breakthrough hit New Rules, but Dont Start Now takes her sound to a higher level, Rolling Stones Brittany Spanos wrote. Above one of the years strongest bass lines, Lipa vocally struts her way through a Studio 54 fantasy. With biting sass, she tells a lover who has left her scorned that she has happily moved on.

The song is the peak of pop catharsis: it unfolds into one of the years most glamorous new tunes. You wish you could see Bianca Jagger ride into the club on a white horse as this song plays in the distance.

When Insiders entertainment team ranked every solo song Harry Styles has released, rating each song on a scale from 1-10 and then averaging the scores, we near-unanimously decided that Cherry is his best song yet. Courteney Larocca gave it an immediate 10/10 after one listen, while Paige DiFiore and I both ignored the 1-10 rule to come up with a 100/10 and 11/10, respectively.

As Larocca wrote, Theres a tenderness in Styles vocals on Cherry that, along with the Camille Rowe voice note at the end, helps drive home the beautifully melancholic tone.

With lyrics like, I, I confessI can tell that you areat your best / Im selfish so Im hating it, and Does he take you walking round his parents gallery? Styles leans into his jealous side, crafting the most powerful moment on Fine Line,' she wrote. Cherry is an instant classic that elevated Styles artistry to new heights.

This soulless, phoned-in pop song tries so hard to be a female empowerment anthem, but mostly just feels like fodder for the Avril Lavigne was replaced with a body double conspiracy theory. I refuse to believe the emo queen of my childhood, the punk-rock genius who brought us Complicated and My Happy Ending, also brought us Dumb Blonde.

Not for nothing, it was also a weird choice for Nicki Minaj to cosign a song that prominently features the lyric I aint no dumb blonde / I aint no stupid Barbie doll when she has spent her entire career creatively reclaiming the Barbie image (her fans literally call themselves Barbz).

First of all, theres already a dance track from a DJ called Light It Up and its way better. Marshmellos is empty and colorless. Second of all, has Tygas voice always sounded so nasally and weird?

Thirdly and most importantly, as Ive noted before, nobody benefits from Chris Browns continued presence in the music industry. Considering his growing list of disturbing accusations over the years including but not limited to assault, abuse, and rape its a mystery and a disgrace that artists continue to insist on collaborating with him.

Earlier this year, Insiders own Courteney Larocca listed Me! among Taylor Swifts worst songs ever.

Longtime fans know Swifts lead singles tend to be red herrings, and Me! might be the best example of a leading track expertly masking the overall feel of the album its meant to promote, she wrote. But on what has been described as Swifts most indie-leaning record to date, Me! is a sugary, too-sweet outlier fit for the Frozen demographic and not much else.

Of the six songs on Miley Cyrus eclectic EP, as Idolators Mike Nied wrote, Cattitude is her most glaring stumble. But the song isnt just the worst of the small bunch its downright unlistenable. Put next to some of Cyrus most enticingly edgy music in years (Mothers Daugher, Unholy), its even more cringey.

Cattitude is proudly unserious, but its also kind of embarrassing. Turn up your gratitude, turn down your attitude / I love my pussy, that means I got cattitude packs the energy of a self-help slogan and a rejected Lizzo track, Pitchforks Anna Gaca wrote. Cattitude is entertaining, sure, but whos being entertained?

If theres a worst song on Iggy Azaleas terrible album In My Defense, Clap Back comes pretty close. It sees Azalea addressing hatin broke h whove accused her of cultural appropriation with super sophisticated insights like, Cause I talk like this and my a fat / They be saying Iggy tryna act black. Um, right!

As Dani Blum wrote for Pitchfork, the song offers only a garish caricature of rap music: They call me racist / Only thing I like is green and blue faces, she sneers, managing to corrode and embarrass herself in one line.

Hot Girl Bummer isnt just a transparent attempt to ride the coattails of Megan Thee Stallions motto-turned-anthem, Hot Girl Summer (giving something a name thats similar to an already-popular search phrase is an easy way to get extra eyeballs or, in this case, ears, on it). Its also just an inauthentic song with a gimmicky, uber-repetitive hook.

At least Girls Like You was catchy and featured a Cardi B verse. But Maroon 5s newest single Memories is desperately generic. Theres just nothing to it; no meat, no intrigue.

Although its very touching that Adam Levine dedicated the music video to Jordan Feldstein, the bands manager who died in 2017, the actual song doesnt contain any touching details or any specificity at all, preferring to parrot tiresome clichs.

Its hard to believe the man behind lyrical masterpieces like Black Skinhead and Runaway actually wrote and released a song thats all about comparing his iconic wife to Chick-fil-A.

Its nice that Kanye West feels like hes found his purpose, but did that mean he had to become such a mediocre songwriter? Some of Wests best songs (Jesus Walks, Ultralight Beam) are gospel-heavy records, directly inspired by his religious devotion, so Im not sure what his excuse is for such a weak and, honestly, offensively deficient metaphor. (Kim Kardashian West is an effective prison reform advocate and business mogul whos changed the fabric of fame as we know it. Chick-fil-A is a fast food joint thats best known worldwide for being owned by a homophobe. Spot the disparity?)

Even aside from the songs central references to fried chicken and lemonade, theres nothing here of interest.

Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A / Hold the selfies, put the gram away / Get your family, yall, hold hands and pray, West recites lazily, sounding like hes even boring himself. Thats your life-changing insight, Ye? Yikes.

Aside from being a baseline bad song, Both Ways the 10th track on Liam Paynes new solo album is a pretty gross depiction of women being attracted to other women.

Lovin the way that shes turning you on / Switching the lanes like a Bugatti Sport / Nothing but luck that she got me involved, yeah / Flipping that body, go head, I go tails, Payne sings in the songs refrain. He also brags that he wont judge and that his girls sexuality makes every day feel like his birthday.

The lyrics have drawn heavy criticism from the LGBTQ community. As explained by Cosmo UKs sex and relationships editor, Paisley Gilmour: Bisexual women and femme-presenting people are so often subjected to this kind of fetishization the idea that their sexuality exists to arouse straight, cis dudes. Its a misconception that contributes to bisexual erasure (when bisexual peoples sexuality is repeatedly ignored, denied existence or just plain questioned).

Original post:
The 9 best and 9 worst songs of the year - Business Insider

* Cole Lauterbach at the Center Square on Mayor Lori Lightfoots unsuccessful veto session bid to change the state gaming law to help Chicago land a casino

But her lobbying efforts hit a roadblock when news broke that a state lawmaker had been arrested for allegedly offering a state senator who had been wearing a federal wiretap a series of bribes in exchange for supporting another piece of gambling legislation.

It didnt help that, on the very first day of veto session, there was a criminal charge announced of a legislator around gaming, Lightfoot told the Economic Club of Chicago. I felt like at that point we may not even be in the conversation.

As the veto session came to a close, it became clear that Lightfoot would come up short. She revealed Tuesday just how close it was.

By our whip count, we had fifty-five votes in the House and we needed sixty so we were close despite those odds, she said.

One of the difficulties she said her team ran up against was a legislative effort to add what she called tinsel to the Christmas tree, or markup the bill with add-ons they wanted.

They saw this piece of legislation, particularly around casinos, as their one opportunity to get something that they felt they were promised, she said. People came out of the woodwork with their letters to Santa.

The impetus for the change in the already passed gambling legislation was a report that said the tax and fee structure for a Chicago casino was too high to attract a developer.

Lightfoot said she was confident an agreement could be reached when lawmakers return to Springfield in 2020.

Legislators were, indeed, asking for a lot of stuff. Some thought they had an agreement with the mayor and then others jumped in when they saw goodies being passed out.

Its never easy to pass a gaming bill, particularly a stand-alone bill like this one which the mayor tried to muscle through in a hurry.

Adding Some good points here

Yep.

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Your Illinois News Radar Lightfoot on gaming bill failure: People came out of the woodwork with their 'letters to Santa' - The Capitol Fax Blog

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Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SQtYC8Gw2Q

Questions about love and sex in the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids area can be submitted to dearkiki@littlevillagemag.com, or anonymously using this form. Questions may be edited for clarity and length, and may appear either in print or online.

Dear Kiki,

I was hoping you might shed some light on a situation Ive found myself in. Over the past four years Ive been in a relationship with my bf. The first year was great, but after I moved in with him and his roommates, another couple moved into the house as well. There was a chick who tried to break us up. It soured me on my trust and appreciation for him to stand up for us, since I was being taken advantage of and we were disrespected, but I couldnt say anything because all the housemates worked at the same workplace and I didnt.

My bf and I moved into our own place after a year of that, and our relationship continued to decline. I called my mom daily for a breath of normalcy, as I lived in a tiny college town far away from home. Fast forward two years and he and I have moved in with his parents so we could save to move closer to my family specifically, my mom.

Well, mom passed away about a month ago. I had started talking to a couple of guys I met while gaming, and they gave me support and the attention I needed while I stayed in the hospital and hospice with Mom as she passed. My bf stayed at the hospital a few of those nights and shared the experience. However, while he wasnt there, I was receiving four-hour-long phone calls from one of those guys every night and texts from the other guy (Ryan). Ryan invited me to visit him for a sort of vacation and touristy-sightseeing trip to his hometown of Las Vegas (would be my first time) when it was all said and done.

Moms illness was terminal. I was the only one present at her death. She had been my best friend. It shook me.

I decided after weeks of being back at my bfs parents house and playing every night for hours with Ryan that I wanted to meet him. Our conversations got serious, sexual, happy, ridiculous but he never made me feel like I was wasting his time. Granted, I quit my job to stay with my mom and have yet to feel comfortable getting a new job. Ryan is temporarily unemployed as well. Be that as it may, I made the trip.

We fell in love; it was like a dream. He has invited me to stay for two and a half weeks at the end of this month and has already bought my roundtrip boarding passes. Now I dont know what to do. I still love my bf and he doesnt know, but its killing me that Ive cheated for the first time in my life. My mom only wanted me to be happy and safe. I had gotten to show her a picture of Ryan before she passed, and she said he was cute. That was before he and I even fell as hard as we did for each other. She was upset with my bf for mistreating me in the past. But that was before he stayed in the hospital with me to support me supporting her. I feel like that was a breakthrough for us. But I found someone who treats me well. So far at least. Im so lost. I wouldnt have gotten into this had I been able to run it by my mom from the start.

Ive been an emotional wreck for two months. I cant even stay with my dad and sister because the absence of my mom haunts me so much. I would usually ask her for her help, but seeing as thats not an option and my counselor isnt taking sides, I turn to you. I know its unlikely youll even see this, but I could really use some advice. Thank you.

Replacing One Type of Love with Another

Dear Replacing,

First, let me offer you my deepest sympathies on the loss of your mother. My mom passed away when I was in my early 20s, and on top of the grief, it makes so many little things so much harder. Even now, years later, I think of things at least once a week sometimes once a day that I wish I could ask her. I commend you for having the self-awareness to reach out elsewhere for advice. I was not that wise that quickly!

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Its not typically smart to make big life decisions when youre grieving. But, Replacing, you have backed yourself into a corner, and you may have to. You mention a counselor, a father and a sister I urge you to let all of them know once you have decided to pursue a course of action with your romances. You will need someone to lean on, someone who knows whats up someone who can physically be there to support you.

It is entirely possible to love more than one person at once. There is no value in disparaging or dismissing the things you feel just because they cant work out pragmatically. Its entirely possible that you do still love your boyfriend and you do love Ryan but unless all three of you are polyamorous, it is not possible to make that work. The logistics of maintaining multiple romantic relationships are daunting, even when all parties are on board. Its not something you can do on your own, through backchannels, using deception. Thats exhausting, not to mention unethical.

But you also need to accept that the choice may not be yours to make. Your boyfriend, regardless of the ups and downs of your relationship, is still a complete human being with agency, and he deserves the right to make an informed choice about where you go from here.

Tell him that you cheated, Replacing. And, while youre at it, be honest with Ryan about the fact that you still have feelings for your boyfriend and about the status of that relationship. It might be ugly, on both counts but unless youre in physical danger from one or both of them, you need to rip off the bandage. The way they each react will inform your choices moving forward.

You cant control their reaction, but you can control who you are in relation to it. Commit to accepting the choices they make with respect. Commit to living with integrity and self-awareness going forward. Commit to honoring your grief and growing from it. The more wisdom and grace you can offer yourself, the stronger all of your relationships will be in the future, even if neither of these make the cut.

And, Replacing, I know its hard to imagine moving home, with all the reminders of your mom around. But think of it as a chance to maintain the thread of connection to her. It will hurt, but just being present with her absence may be the grounding in reality that you need to get through this.

xoxo, Kiki

See original here:
Dear Kiki: I have a boyfriend, but fell in love with another man while grieving my mother. Now I don't know what to do. - Little Village

It felt like one long internet secret was spilling onto a real-life stage at Canton Hall on Tuesday night. Full of inside jokes and layers of aesthetic plucked from moments in pop history, Kero Kero Bonito played a confident set opened by the equally strong Negative Gemini.

Formed on a message board in the tweens, Kero Kero Bonito is an aggressively playful act that began as a predominantly electronic project. KKB then morphed into a rock band, complete with the straddle-pose guitarist sound-checking with a Pantera riff between songs. They can go from comedic to heartfelt on a whim, which is not an uncomplicated skill. On Tuesday, their set was a balance between 2016s electronic-dominant Bonito Generation, and 2018s rock album, Time n Place, along with some singles thrown in.

Negative Gemini has also become more guitar-oriented since starting a label called 100% Electronica, one of the star-makers of the current iteration of the Vaporwave movement. The most famous merchandise booth staffer in Dallas last night had to be George Clanton, who runs the record label with Negative Gemini. He was not performing, but he is also a musician, regularly selling out shows with a signature minimal L.E.D. screen setup that probably has many bands kicking themselves for not thinking of the idea first. He says its his first night on the tour as he sells records, cassettes, and profane keychains.

This next song goes out to anyone whos ever been fucked over, says Negative Gemini, a.k.a. Lindsey French, before performing You Werent There Anymore. Living up to the name, the songs are often about things that are not, rather than areshe opened with another declaration of spiritual absence, You Never Knew. Using enormous beats that probably should have never resurfaced after 1995 or so, Negative Gemini is one of the most profoundly original acts in contemporary music. Growling over a little bit of Enya mixed with straining radio-pop melodies and a trip-hop undercurrent should be a disaster of misguided genre splicing. And yet, it all works. A recent collaboration with Adult Swim has helped to raise the artists profile beyond a dedicated online following.

Her last two shows in North Texas were both at local art museums and without a full band. While the pared down setup works best in that somewhat sterile environment, the addition of a rhythm section changes Negative Geminis live performance. The jumping and finger-pointing that marks Frenchs movements is now accompanied by a weapons cache of noise. She almost knocks a sampler off of a keyboard stand twice. There are also moments so relaxed that you may not notice the chorus to a song is, Dont Worry Bout the Fuck Im Doing. While its unclear whether French alone, or the entire ensemble is Negative Gemini, she closes the set by saying, Were Negative Gemini.

Kero Kero Bonito never goes anywhere near the depths of Negative Gemini, but instead played an upbeat and often hilarious set that seemed to change styles mid-sentence. Like many an overseas-touring-act before them, they professed their love for the Buc-ees gas station chain. Founding member Gus Lobban also dedicated the first song to Mark Cuban. And the next. And the next. It was a joke that went from good to bad and back again, and was met with increasingly enthusiastic applause.

While Kero Kero Bonitos humor and shape-shifting approach to any particular sound may border on novelty for some listeners, there is a self-awareness to their music so sophisticated that its difficult to parse how serious they are being at any given moment. Lines like, I thought I was only acting set to an uncomfortably Weezer-like backing track is worth experiencing in a live setting, if only to put some faces with the expression. So is seeing a group so confident that they can cover late-period U22004s strategically tepid Vertigowithout so much as a smirk.

There were also props. A white flag waved early in the set, and finally, a baton, which singer Sarah Midori Perry used to conduct the audiences participation. That would prove to be of little challenge. Kero Kero Bonitos fans are so enamored with this group that they would have done anything they asked. An entirely rowdy crowd leaped in place and smacked into one another while mouthing lyrics both in English and Japanese.

When the lights came up, a MIDI version of John Denvers Take Me Home, Country Roads played on the PA speakers. The crowd began to sing along and find partners for an impromptu hoedown. Why did they know the words? Perhaps it on some meme that was popular for half an hour. Whatever the reason, it was great to witness.

Excerpt from:
Internet Sensations Kero Kero Bonito and Negative Gemini Live Up to the Hype - D Magazine

Gaby Blade/Contributing

Donning a green crayon costume, Clairo brought her brand of bedroom pop to Variety Playhouse in Little Five Points on Halloween night. Combining intimate lyrics with authenticity, Clairo showcased her youth and charm by exuding self-awareness throughout the show.

Claire Cottrill, known by her stage name Clairo, grew up in Carlisle, Mass., where she began recording music at a young age. After posting music on YouTube, Bandcamp and SoundCloud, she first gained attention when her single Pretty Girl went viral in 2017. Earlier this year at the age of 20, Clairo released her debut album, Immunity, which reached No. 51 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The release of Immunity propelled Clairo into mainstream recognition, and in October, Pitchfork named her single Bags one of their top 200 songs from the decade.

The first delicate piano chords to her opening song Alewife echoed throughout the room. Clairo sauntered onto the stage, her presence met by emphatic chants from the audience. Clairo was not the only one who had dressed up for the holiday; the crowd was saturated with bright costumes and makeup. One concertgoer was adorned in a flower crown as Dani from Midsommar while another wore a bear costume. Halloween created a unique environment for the concert, encouraging audience engagement and inclusivity.

Clairo has largely been considered part of the recent rise in bedroom pop, a subgenre of pop characterized by minimally processed, do-it-yourself music that could be produced in a bedroom. Typical of the bedroom-pop style, much of Clairos music opts for gritty, lo-fi vocals. Songs like Flaming Hot Cheetos showcases hushed vocals layered over a minimal, looping beat. Get With U and 2 Hold U follow a similar formula, juxtaposing gentle lyrics with gauzy synth backing. The environment of the concert seemed to mimic the musical style. Grainy, home movie-esque landscape videos filled the half-moon backdrop, and lighting changes were kept to a minimum. Though her music is lo-fi, Clairo impressed the audience with her live vocal prowess.

Early in the set, Clairo performed Bubble Gum, switching out the ukulele from the recorded version for subtle guitar chords. Here she stood softly by the microphone and glided through the verses, adding melodic runs that punctuated her vocal talent throughout the performance. Although still largely dominated by the bedroom-pop aesthetic, Immunity also contains songs with higher production value. I Wouldnt Ask You, the albums most powerful track, is broken up into two parts. The beginning starts slowly, with piano highlighting Clairos minimal lyrics. As the song progresses, the tempo speeds up, transitioning into a more upbeat R&B cadence. Ultimately, the singles off of Immunity combine glossy, DIY aesthetics with higher production value, creating deeply moving moments like I Wouldnt Ask You.

Typical of the genre, Clairos lyrics reflect a contemplative relatability. Many of her songs revolve around the uncertainty that comes in the period between adolescence and adulthood. In songs like Impossible, Clairo explores the temptation of connecting with an ex-partner, admitting, I just wanted to hear your voice so clear. Recently coming out as not straight, several of the singles from Immunity explore queer relationships. Clairo cried, Give it to me! as she broke into her hit single Bags. The audience obliged, singing along enthusiastically, I cant read you, but if you want, the pleasures all mine. Immediately after Bags, as the first few drum beats of Sofia began, the crowd erupted into the loudest cheers of the night. A sacchrine and romantic song, Sofia explores first crushes and the stigma of queer relationships, urging, Sofia, know that you and I/ Shouldnt feel like a crime. Bags considers similar themes to Sofia, examining uncertainty in first-time queer relationships. Her music feels like thoughts from a diary, giving the audience an intimate relationship with the singer.

As the show came to a close, Clairo brought a stool to the front of the stage, announcing that she had one last song, a new song she had written while on tour. The room fell quiet as she crooned with an undeniable tenderness. The song came to an end, and the audiences cheers were deafening. Clairo lowered her guitar, holding her face in her hands as she broke into tears, seemingly overwhelmed by the audience. She held the mic close and whispered a soft Thank you before leaving the stage.

After a moment, the singer waltzed back on stage for the encore, performing RACECAR, 4EVER, Pretty Girl and I Dont Think I Can Do This Again. During Pretty Girl, the music video was projected onto the backdrop, featuring a young Clairo singing along to the song, sporting pigtails and a sweatshirt. In this moment, with her younger self projected behind her, Clairo was her most personable, laughing at her own cheesy dancing and awkwardness. Throughout the show, she possessed an unquestionable star quality, completely captivating the young crowd. And yet, she seemed approachable and knowable. Clairo built an intimate relationship with the audience, so much so that it felt like we were watching a close friend perform in front of us.

As the final song I Dont Think I Can Do This Again ended, Clairo took a moment to look across the audience.

She stepped close to the mic. Ill never forget this show, she whispered. Thank you.

I am certain I will never forget this show either.

View original post here:
Clairo Combines Charm and Clear Sincerity - The Emory Wheel

Ever since joining the Real Housewives of Orange County in season 13, Emily Simpson has been in the news constantly.

Or rather, Emily and her marriage to Shane have been in the news constantly.

Shane has made many unsavory appearances on the show, especially in season 14. Hes often shown belittling Emily, mocking her, and ignoring her. Quite frankly, he comes off as a jerk.

Of course, fans have attacked Shane and rumors of their divorce are constantly swirling.

Unfortunately, most of these comments arent coming out of love and concern for Emily, but rather out of the pure love for gossip.

Emily has been extremely open about the struggles shes faced in her marriage. In a confessional on the show, she said,

Its hard because for 10 years, Ive always had a problem with the way he talks to. Thats what Im dealing with every single day, and I have little kids! This is really hard.

But according to Emily, Shane has made a huge effort to change his ways since the show aired. Emily told People TV,

When you have the opportunity to watch yourself, sometimes the self-awareness that you get is just an entirely different perspective.

She added,

[Shane] really saw and heard everything everybody was saying and really took it to heart. He watched with the intent from learning from it, and he learned a lot.

Emily has also shared images on Instagram of her husband standing by her side as she recovers from hip replacement surgery.

At the end of the day, viewers only see a very small, edited version of their marriage. And its nobodys place to judge someone elses relationship from the outside.

All we can do is wish the best for Emily, whether thats with Shane or without him. Emily is a good-hearted person who deserves to be treated well. And if Shane is doing that, then thats all that should matter.

Real Housewives; Luann de Lesseps Clears Up All Those Rumors About Her Sobriety

Feature Photo: Phillip Faraone / Bravo

Lena Finkel is the Editor and Founder of Femestella. Prior to starting Femestella, she worked at People, InStyle, and Tiger Beat. Her favorite Housewife is Bethenny Frankel and when shes not watching RHONY, you can probably find her obsessing over her tuxedo cat Tom or hoarding drugstore lipsticks.

See the article here:
'RHOC': We All Need to Lay Off Emily Simpson And Her Marriage With Shane - Femestella

Erika Hurt, a mom who officially swore off drugs three years ago, has completely turned it around ever since police photographed her overdosing in a car in Hope, IN, in 2016. While the viral image of Erika at rock bottom is certainly disturbing, the most upsetting part was that her 10-month-old son, Parker, was in the back seat of the car at the time. After going to prison and getting the help she needed, Erika is now three years clean. To celebrate her sobriety and motherhood, she set up a photo shoot with Parker and enlisted photographer Ali Elizabeth to illustrate how far she's come.

"Today marks THREE ENTIRE YEARS of sobriety for me! Y'all already know, but allow me to recap," she wrote in an emotional Facebook post. "Three years ago I was receiving Narcan to bring me back to life after I had overdosed on heroin; all while my son, my mom, and her wife stood and watched. While those are such emotional moments for my family to recall, that's really not what is MOST important today."

"I was unable to hold a job due to my attendance. I was a liar, and a thief. I was homeless. I was depressed."

Because of just how serious Erika's addiction was at the time, there was nothing that could stop her from getting a fix, including her family. It wasn't until she overdosed and received Narcan - a medication that can help to stop an opioid overdose - that she knew she needed to seek treatment once and for all. "What is really important today, is the fact that Narcan saved my life. Narcan kept me alive until I wanted to live," she said. "While I can admit that my son was unfortunately NOT enough to keep me sober then, he is my motivation today. Had Narcan not been available to me; or had someone who felt that I DIDN'T DESERVE Narcan been there that day, I would have NEVER had the chance to get sober and my son would be growing up without ever knowing his mom."

Like many people who get sucked into opioid addiction, Erika's downward spiral began with a prescription. After she got a staph infection on her face at 15, Erika's doctor prescribed her an antibiotic and hydrocodone for the pain. By the age of 19, she was using heroin.

"I used drugs for a total of 10 years. I was unable to hold a job due to my attendance. I was a liar, and a thief. I was homeless. I was depressed. I became a felon," she told POPSUGAR. "I could not perform normal motherly duties to my son because I was dope sick and searching for my next high. My mental development was stunted and my financial health was depleted. I ruined my credit, and burned many bridges with family."

Now, as a mom with a few years of sobriety under her belt, Erika is thankful for how much her life has changed. "My life is SO different. First and foremost, my son and I share an inseparable bond," she said. "I provide 100 percent for him. I am honest and trustworthy. I am responsible and I am dependable. I am making progress financially and mentally. I have wonderful self-awareness and I can accept criticism."

As for any other parents who may be struggling with addiction? Erika recommends getting help as soon as possible. "My suggestion to parents who are struggling with addiction is to link up with a local small group and connect with a core group of healthy sober people working a 12-step program," she said. "Please don't make the same mistake I did."

Scroll ahead to get a look at Erika's celebratory photo shoot, because three years clean is a huge deal.

Originally posted here:
This Mom's Been Sober For 3 Years, and Her Celebratory Photo Shoot With Her Son Is Everything - msnNOW

Does anyone actually read the terms and conditions before agreeing to them? Based on the plot of the horror movie Countdown, perhaps they should.

Countdown, written and directed by Justin Dec, features demons and an app that can tell a person when they are going to die, all within a 90-minute runtime. While the characters can be annoying and the plot laughable at times, Countdown is filled with jump scares that create a truly terrifying experience.

The film opens with a high school party that features a few mediocre actors. Tired stereotypes of high school behavior set up the film for disaster. However, many of the characters in the first scene are irrelevant to the rest of the film, and the introduction is rather quick.

Individuals at the party download an app called Countdown onto their phones, and, after accepting the user agreement without reading them the app tells the user how long they have until theyre going to die. The app is viewed as a joke, and characters laugh off their countdowns. The app tells Courtney (Anne Winters), a girl at the party, that she will die in just a few hours. While trying to evade her death, Courtney receives a notification that she had broken the apps terms and conditions, and she dies soon after.

The app is purposefully portrayed as gimmicky, making loud noises that are startling but not scary. When a user breaks the apps terms and conditions agreement, a dark creature comes to drive the user to madness until their time of death arrives. Though the creature is never really seen, it exists as a darkness that intensifies the films scariness.

Courtneys boyfriend, Evan (Dillon Lane), introduces the app to hospital staff members after being admitted for injuries related to a car accident, and the audience finally gets to know the main character, Quinn Harris (Elizabeth Lail). Lail portrays Quinn as an average, likable and smart character, but nothing about her stands out.

When Quinn downloads the app and sees that she will die in just a few days, she decides to go to an electronics store for a new phone when the app will not delete. This is where she meets Matt Monroe (Jordan Calloway), who is also desperately trying to remove the app from his phone.

Calloways portrayal of Matt makes him a character one cannot help but adore. Hes kind, funny and complementary to the high-strung Quinn. Talitha Bateman plays Jordan Harris, Quinns younger sister, and also balances Quinns personality with her sassy nature. These three main characters are the focus of the film. They fit well together and prove to be an entertaining trio.

The characters are not overly complex, which is ideal for the nature of the film. The storyline feels secondary to the films purpose to make the audience jump. Countdown is not a conceptually scary film. The poorly developed demon storyline, which is revealed by an especially ungodly, goofy priest, is crude at best. It feels like a thin rope that barely strings together scary scenes.

However, Countdown excels in its jump scares. As Quinn, Matt and Jordan desperately try and survive past their deemed death hours and beat the app, the demon lurks every time the lights are low, punishing them for failing to adhere to the terms and conditions. The film does not drag a viewer along a creepy, complex storyline but instead spontaneously elevates audience members heart rates when the main characters turn a corner. The jump scares are well placed and at times unexpected, creating a successful scary viewing experience.

Countdown is mildly thought-provoking. It encourages self-awareness in this age of technology, featuring Death? Theres an app for that on its posters. Among a predatorial doctor, an intentional overdose and a deceased mother, Countdown has a mismatched plot in which, while lacking real scares, is involved enough to keep viewers engaged in the film.

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Review: Horror movie's devilish scares are well-calculated - The Ithacan