The infamous illusion that is Harriet Curry, shares the stage with...

Now I must confess, Harriet Curry was a name that I had always been aware of but until now had never had the pleasure of seeing. I had also never been to what I can only describe as something out of F.R.I.E.N.D.S, when they are sat in the cafe listening to people play. Leaf was a venue I was highly unfamiliar with. I knew it's name and it's location but that was the extent of it. Leaf and Harriet where initially one in the same. I knew who she was, I knew what she looked like and I had a pretty good idea of her voice, but it was not until I saw her up on center floor (yes floor...but I will get into that), that I realised exactly what I had been missing out on.

The infamous illusion that was Harriet Curry. Yet another, highly talented BIMM student only this girl right here...surpasses any prior figments that you may conceive about her. If you asked someone the best way to describe Harriet without, using the word talented the only other way to describe her in the truest of forms would be small yet mighty.

Leaf Cafe, has a dedicated room downstairs for certain genre specific nights that are run. The night that happened to be the one in attendance was the RnB/Soul night that I had so willingly prepared for. Walking into what is known as "The Living Room Club" I had not expected such a comfortable and cosy room. Sofas, chairs, marble tables with tea lights sat in a glass candle house. The aesthetic was beautiful, fairylights hung from the ceiling and drooped down to the perfect length alongside the wall, which made the back drop of the "stage". All in all, you couldn't have walked into this room and not felt right at home.

Doors where at 7, and then 8 o' clock rolled around. After the 2 presenters of the evening where done with exciting the audience, it was time for Harriet and her band of merry men to play. Joining Harriet on stage for the first performance of the night was Viktorija Krivickaite (Backing Vocals), Ann Migichi (Keys), Eddie Lundell (Guitar), Josh Yeoh (Bass) and Charlie Morris (Drums). The first two songs that they played were RnB covers, and there were no complaints from my RnB enthusiast sat beside me, which is high praise when it comes to this genre for him. The other half of her set was originals. Catchy lyrics, alongside a resonating meaning behind them. To add to the lyricism, the drum beats were melodic, the guitar riffs and bass were dancey and the keys were constantly soaring throughout the songs, then the cherry on top was the killer harmonies from Viktorija and Harriet. As a whole, the set was energetic with very catchy dance moves coming from Viktorija and an overwhelming lot of talent.

To follow with equal amounts of beauty and talent was Melissa Jay, who knew how to get the vibes in the crowd pumping and was another talented artist that could resonate with the audience through her songs. By no means, was there boredom during this set like you find sometimes with more than one opening act. She kept everything "chill" and relaxed whilst keeping in touch with the audience.

Then to finish off the night was headliner Jermaine Peterson, the very heart and soul to the very core. With the steal metal drum as an underlining theme in the songs, you couldn't help but dance along with him and his incredible band. He shared himself with the audience and let them in on some dark times in his life, which explained meaning behind one or two of his original songs, and he let it be known at the end of the night that he is someone you want to keep your eye out for, since he doesn't have a social media unlike the prior acts. If he had been the first act of any gig, he would have been a very tough act to follow.

There was not a single musician that shared the floor this night, that didn't deserve to be there. From every cymbal struck, to every guitar and bass strum, to every single chord that beautifully caressed the room. An incredible night, with incredible talents and a night that I would happily revisit despite the fact I don't normally gravitate towards RnB, Neo Soul. 

TRACK OF THE WEEK - "Just Like A Pill" by P!nk

Metaphorical pills, contagious drum beats, a massive sense of resonating nostalgia and of-course the main ingredient...PINK (Stylised at P!NK).

P!nk (born as Alecia Beth Moore), American RnB/Pop Rock singer, songwriter, dancer and actress known for hits like "Get The Party Started", "Don't Let Me Get Me","Just Like A Pill" and "So What".  Her discography consisting of 7 albums, and more impressively Pink has sold over 42 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide. In America alone she has sold over 16 million albums.

Is Pink still relevant? Making her start actively in the industry in 1995, it is apparent that by the number of records she sells and how wide spread her music is, that indeed she is still relevant even in 2018. Even with albums like 'M!ssundaztood' which was released in 2001, her music is still vital in today's society because of how much of an influence she is to her audience, and to her daughter Willow Sage Hart.

'Just Like A Pill' a relatively moderate paced song with a major scale is a throwback track for sure. With a attention grabbing instrumental introduction, and a fading out end it is everything in between that makes the song. The strong sense of symbols, kicking in, as the song leads up to the chorus, which keeps the beat catchy and dancey. "I think I took too much"  from this song, as dancey and enjoyable as it is it also has the obvious metaphor of pills being taken however, Pink has used them as a way of describing her boyfriend at that current time. The relationship went sour, and she used the metaphor to signify how she felt; making the main theme of the song about a painful relationship and the sub theme about drug abuse as, it almost romanticises drugs. 

There is always a point in the week where "I...Run just as fast as I can" to listen to this song, as it is a song that resonates highly with the audience. For some, the song resonates with them as they have had similar experiences, whereas for others it is simply just a song of their choosing. "I swear you're just like a pill" because of how catchy this song is, and how it is a song that always leaves the audience member wanting to listen to more. 

Would I recommend this artist/song?

Pink is artist that I always go back to. Whenever anyone asks my favourite song or favourite artist my mind draws a blank, because I can't choose a favourite, much less have a favourite. However if I was asked atleast one of my favourites Pink would definitely be within the mix. Her music both earlier stuff and recent stuff are for a desired person but I would highly recommend Pink. Her songs are extremely deep and meaningful additionally they are a healthy mix of fast paced and slow paced songs and almost every song of hers, is a highly energetic dancey tune.

Would I recommend this song in particular? Yes. Who knows, after listening to this if you aren't already a fan, you could be. 

MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW - LET YOU LOVE ME BY RITA ORA

Feel like dancing? Like a little bit of RnB action? Or simply just want a decent tune, that is played fairly often on the the daily radio stations? Then Rita Ora has all of that!

Rita Ora, British singer, songwriter and actress. Known mainly for debut singles such as "R.I.P", "Hot Right Now", "How Do We Party" and "Shine Ya Light".  Additionally known for her recurring role on the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy as "Mia Grey".

The 27 year old, RnB, more recently expanding into the pop genre as well, has welcomed a new debut single "Let You Love Me". This track reflects the insecurities that she is feeling, which are causing problems within a relationship. Essentially, these insecurities are pushing her away from her partner, meaning that she is not letting him love her when that is what she really wants from him. However it is still unclear to fans on whether the song is from a personal experience or written on behalf of someone else's experience. Another way that this song can be perceived is the song, depicts a self-destructive relationship, singing over a set of  programmed drums and a group of atmospheric synths.

As a whole this song has arguably annoying classic pop conventions, with it's under laying beat however still initiates the typical Ora RnB sound. It is a memorable, catchy yet extremely dancey song, that includes a fast start and a averagely abrupt end. "I wish that I could"  express how much this song makes an audience member want to dance. For a RnB fan, this song would most likely be up their ally.

The music video for this tune, is a narrative perspective which Ora herself is playing the female protagonist, making her relatable to her audience and to the watcher; as they get to see what Ora looks like. Her style. As well as getting to feel connected with her as they are given someone to watch who they recognise.

In relation to mise-en-scene, there are primarily 3 locations used, with a couple of sub locations within 1 main location. This keeps the audiences attention, as the audience aren't fixating on one location, which after a short time could get boring for the audience to watch. Moreover the colours used within this video are muted, dark colours to fit with the theme of 'house party'. The lighting is averagely bright, so that the video can be seen by the audience however the light used is colour filtered so, that it fits with the mood of the song.

Parallel editing, can arguably be seen within the beginning of the video as strategically when the camera switches from Rita Ora to the male protagonist both locations, are circular making it feel like a seamless transition as it doesn't alter much. Apart from in terms of texture and character that the audience sees. Furthermore, product placement. It is worth noting that within this video, product placement has been used to create a personal relationship with certain audience members. Synergy. The media term for product placement, has been used by Ora, to expand the personal connection that she has to fans by introducing the use of Virtual Reality (VR) within the video. This deepens the connection with the audience, as they may feel drawn to this one detail. However it is also a way of marketing the product to her audience, thus creating the synergy; as an audience member may be intrigued enough to either buy the product or atleast research more in to it.

Finally, relating to Mise-en-scene Rita Ora's style stays the same throughout the video. From start to finish, Ora is wearing a plain white cropped top showing off her defined body, a pair of washed out blue denim, baggy, ripped jeans with a pair of black ankle high boots and a black mesh sleeved jacket. This can be relatable to the audience, as Ora's style is the depiction of her music genre as well as who she is as a person. Additionally, an audience member may be specifically drawn to her style, making it relatable and personal to the audience for several reasons; one being that they share the same or similar style. Moreover, her outfit can be seen through the use of the different shot variations but, the shot sequence in particular sticks to 3 main types of shots. Close ups, so that the audience can feel personally connected as they are able to see in more detail things like facial expression. Mid shots, so that the audience get some insight into the surroundings of the protagonists and lastly long shots, so that the audience can see more of the background and can get a feel for locations.