A Kesha Concert at UMass: Comebacks and Cleaner Images

In an attempt to salvage their reputations, it is a funny coincidence that UMass Amherst and Kesha are working together to do so.

Rumors have been circulating over the past week that the university was planning a free concert the day of the infamous Blarney Blowout to curtail students from gathering and partying throughout the town. Although the University of Massachusetts Amherst has yet to confirm the event, a member of the Student Government Association announced to the Amherst Wire that a free concert will be hosted at the Mullins Center for students March 7. The article states that the stars performing will be Kesha and Juicy J, with a third entertainer yet to be announced. With the annual pre-St. Patrick’s Day celebration just over a week away, this is the first information released that has been confirmed by a source.

After last year’s event making international headlines and resulting in dozens of arrests and property damage, the university hired former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis to review affairs and publish a report of recommendations for the school and police departments. UMass Amherst administration has taken his advice and shifted into high gear to prevent another public-relations disaster weekend from occurring again. A free on-campus concert with popular artists during the time of the day-drinking fest seems to be a smart alternative to prevent riotous behaviors that notoriously headline news.

Interestingly enough, one of the artists set to play, Kesha, has had her own legal troubles and negative reputation to deal with, and is in the midst of transforming her image as well.

Despite her songs about drinking, clubbing, and boys, Kesha is actually “incredibly responsible”, she says about herself, and was once a diligent student. Last year she went to rehab for an eating disorder, not excess partying as some mistakenly believed. Since leaving rehab, Kesha has dropped the “$” sign from her name, removed the glitter and grills she would occasionally fashion, and changed her wardrobe to more elegant, simple dress. The party-girl image she once had is not the real Kesha Sebert and she wants the world to know it.

Ke$ha: Before

Kesha: After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UMass Amherst, one of the highest-ranked public research institutions in the country, holds the nickname “ZooMass”, a moniker the administration is all too eager to shed. Despite the school’s advancements and achievements, events like Blarney Blowout attract negative attention and create an unfavorable image for the school, similar to how Kesha’s previous facade inaccurately portrayed her.

The question is, are UMass’ and Kesha’s last ditch efforts to make good impressions effective enough?

The university is banning non-UMass students from parking on campus or staying as guests in the dorms, and prohibiting local bars from advertising about the event. A similar guest policy was enacted during  Super Bowl weekend in February, which prevented anyone from entering Southwest-area residence halls in which they did not live.

Policy changes like this have angered many students, and pose problems for friends who have already made plans and bought travel tickets to visit the weekend of March 7. Hosting a concert is a fun plan that students could surely enjoy, but as of right now there is a severe lack of communication between administration and students, and the money used for this concert could go to myriad other things throughout the university.

As for Kesha, news broke last year that she was suing her producer Dr. Luke for sexual assault and battery, claiming that abuse lasted for over a decade and he contributed to her eating disorder. Dr. Luke retaliated, countersuing her and her mother and starting a smear campaign against the artist. Little news has been released on the status of this legal battle, leaving us to wonder who’s really telling the truth.

Although Kesha is working on new music, she hasn’t released an album since 2012, making her practically irrelevant in Hollywood years. Until new information breaks for the artist, either a win in court against Dr. Luke or a hit new single, non-dollar-sign-Kesha will continue to pale in comparison to “Crazy Kid” Ke$ha.

With another story breaking that a UMass student is suing Amherst Police for his arrest at last year’s Blarney Blowout,the University is putting all their eggs into this concert basket in hopes of a public relations success. While the student body awaits news of the surprise third guest, and any updates from the university at all really, UMass Amherst and Kesha await the comebacks and clean images they truly need.

Another One Bites the Dust

BREAKING NEWS: Rapper Iggy Azalea announced Thursday that she is quitting social media.

According to her Twitter account, Ms. Azalea has decided the evils of social media have once and for all become too much for her to handle, and her management will be running her social media presence from now on.

Celebrities, especially female ones, are no strangers to massive public scrutiny. Ever since Iggy joined the spotlight, though, she seemed to be the target a bit more often and harsher than normal. With an ongoing feud with similarly-named Azalea Banks accusing her of cultural appropriation and ripping off other artists, being named one of the worst dressed at this year’s GRAMMY awards, and even Snoop Dogg attacking her looks and starting a Twitter/Instagram battle between the two, Iggy has finally thrown in the towel after bikini pictures from a romantic vacation in Hawaii leaked.

The catalyst of the Dogg-Azalea feud.

Iggy is not afraid to speak her mind and address the trash-talk she receives, but has mentioned on her Twitter account that it is affecting her mood and health, especially after recently being diagnosed with TMJ. With infamous moments like Britney Spears shaving her head, Amanda Bynes’ schizophrenic episodes and Demi Lovato’s battle with bi-polar and eating disorders, it is no surprise how media attention can affect a star’s personal health. Although almost every female celebrity is subject to “unflattering” pictures, or judged for having cellulite, or their love lives are constantly probed, something about Iggy’s hate goes above that, becoming flat-out bullying.

As a female, white rapper, the artist seems to transcend across multiple levels of criticism.

In Azalea Banks’ beef with Iggy, she is offended by overall racial issues of white people taking ownership of black culture. The message white children receive, she says, “is, ‘You’re great. You’re amazing. You can do whatever you put your mind to.’ And it says to black kids, ‘You don’t have s**t. You don’t own s**t, not even the s**t you created yourself.’”

This isn’t the first time a young white female artist has received this type of criticism. Remember when 2013 was deemed the year of Miley Cyrus? The singer made headlines, stirred controversy, and angered many with her twerking. Cyrus’ behaviors that year proved that for some artists, in order to get attention, it has to be negative. Iggy, similarly outspoken, is the new white female target accused of cultural appropriation. Even Taylor Swift was not spared when her Shake It Off video was convicted of being offensive for its black hip-hop backup dancers.

I can’t say Iggy’s music is anything to be highly regarded, but attacking her to the point of causing health problems and forcing her to swear off the Internet is completely past the point of acceptable. When women are still only making 78 cents to a man’s dollar, shouldn’t we be heralding any women nominated for multiple Grammy awards? Shouldn’t we breathe relief when women are empowered enough to speak their minds, when just last century women couldn’t even vote?

In the small minority that is in defense of Iggy Azalea, supporters claim that she is ignorant of being racist, and that she is just working in a genre she has loved since growing up in a small Australian town.

With that being said, can’t we just be thankful that more women are breaking through and succeeding in the majority man’s world of hip hop music?

The only woman on iTunes’ Rap/Hip-Hop Top 20 songs besides Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea is just being herself, which, beginning today, is now controlled online by her management.

The GRAMMY Awards: A Time for Talent, Not Entertainment

Deemed a “snooze-fest” to many who watched it, the 57th annual GRAMMY Awards hosted many a performance which decided to take slower, more emotional approaches rather than throwing a dance party in the Los Angeles Staples Center. There was something different about this year’s program as well- artists used their stage time to inspire political action.

Last Sunday’s GRAMMYs were met with disapproval. The lowest rated in years, with Twitter abuzz with complaints of the show being boring, disappointment of “old” acts like ACDC, confusion of who Beck is (and anger that he “stole” Beyonce’s award) and the repeated question, why so many ballads? Viewers were more interested in entertainment than social justice.

Hey, everyone- enough with the laments.

Yes, us consumers wish to be entertained when we dedicate three-and-a-half hours of our time to watch a program that only airs once a year. But the artists showcased at this telecast have something they must prove: that they are worthy of winning such a prestigious award. If viewers crave amusement, they can turn to a radio station or watch a music video. They can, and should, use this one night a year to respect pure talent and artistry. Complainers of this year’s show should at least be thankful that they were spared of any potentially “boring” performances, like jazz, new age or classical, which win GRAMMYs, too.

Artists like Pharrell, Beyonce, and Common used their time in the limelight to remind the audience of the #BlackLivesMatter campaign.

Pharrell, singing his award-winning song Happy, juxtaposed his, well, happy song with background dancers emerging in black hoodies reminiscent of what Trayvon Martin was wearing when he was shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. At one point, the dancers all froze and posed with their hands up, tributing the Hands Up, Don’t Shoot gesture. Pharrell, dressed as a bellhop, also had a choir dressed in white robes perform and, ending with his hands clasped in prayer in front of him, he said, looking up, “I’m at your service, Lord”. Here is the video below:

Beyonce, in closing out the GRAMMY Awards, performed her rendition of gospel song “Take My Hand, Precious Lord”. The song and background singers all had political importance, as Beyonce chose the song because her mother used to sing it, reflecting the struggles her family had faced. As for choosing her singers, Beyonce says, “I wanted to find real men that have lived that have struggled, cried. Have a life and spirit about them. I felt like this is an opportunity to show the strength and vulnerability in black people.”

Her performance segued into Common and John Legend’s performance of the “Glory”, the song featured in the Civil Rights movie Selma, where Common assumes the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” position.

Prince, when presenting Album of the Year, claimed, “Just like books and black lives, albums still matter.”

Katy Perry’s performance had a political edge as well, and quite the emotional one. President Barack Obama spoke in a video urging men to prevent domestic violence, advocating all to get involved with ItsOnUs.org. After he spoke, domestic abuse survivor and activist Brooke Axtell gave an inspiring spoken word piece, and the piano for Perry’s relationship recovery ballad “By The Grace of God” began.

So yes, the GRAMMY Awards weren’t a party. But in light of all the events of the past year, from violence in Ferguson to the Ray Rice scandal, it is encouraging to see such influential artists use their status to inspire social change and not just to broadcast their fame.

Welcome back, Missy Elliott

As we shake ourselves out of our post-Super Bowl comas, let’s refocus our attention on the return of a true legend: Missy Elliott.

Despite some youngsters watching the Halftime show who believed Elliott was a breakout artist, the rapper/songwriter/producer has been around for decades, winning five Grammy’s and having six platinum albums, one of which went 2x platinum.

Elliott has been laying low the past 10 years, writing and producing for other artists and battling Graves’ Disease with symptoms so challenging she sometimes couldn’t hold a pen. Sunday’s performance was the comeback of the century, which Katy Perry fully warned us about: “jaws will drop and faces will melt” she said when the  “old school” guest appears on stage.

Although the surprise was ruined when information leaked that Missy Elliott would be Perry’s other performer, Elliott’s return was no less appreciated. In fact, bringing Elliott back into the spotlight proved how much pop music missed and needed her back. A week hasn’t even passed since the Halftime Show and Elliott has already seen a 2500% increase in sales. With rumors that the rapper will be featured in a song with Jack U (comprised of DJs Diplo and Skrillex) we’re hoping we are going to see much more Missy in our future.

So why do we need an icon like Missy Elliott back in our lives, and ears? Because she is someone who can “get her freak on” without taking her clothes off.

Juxtaposed next to Perry, clad in a bright, tight dress, Missy Elliott rolls out in a leather jumpsuit and steals the show. Although still looking badass and fabulous, Elliott doesn’t wear formfitting or revealing outfits, ever. Rocking sideways hats, jerseys, and color coordinated sweatsuits, the rapper dresses more like her male counterparts than any other Top 40 female star we’re used to seeing.

During Elliott’s hiatus the past few years, Nicki Minaj has emerged as one of hip hop’s most prominent artists, her curves included. We need Missy back because she oozes the same confidence and produces the same quality songs without making it about her sexual image.

This time in music shows an impressive number of powerful, talented, successful women like Perry and Minaj, with others like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Rihanna in their ranks. As inspiring as it is for girls to look up to these artists and see that they can achieve success like them, it is clear to see that a significant portion of their career is reliant upon their looks- how they dress, hair and make up, how much skin they show, how photoshopped they are in photographs, what plastic surgery they may or may not have gotten. While these women may be lauded as feminist role models for their ownership of their bodies, when it comes down to it, there are pressures on looks women face that men simply just don’t.

So, when Missy Elliott appeared at University of Phoenix stadium in her leather jumpsuit, she more than just made a musical comeback. Her presence made a statement to all that you can be a successful female artist and sing about confidence and sex, while dressing like a male star instead of one of his cheerleaders.

Katy Perry and Surprise Guest: Buckets of Money

Did you know the NFL Super Bowl is this Sunday? Did you know Katy Perry is performing for the Pepsi Halftime Show?

By now, you probably have not only knowledge of both, but have been bombarded by commercials, promotions, interviews, and are so caught up on the scandals and speculations that you never want to hear the phrases “deflated balls” or “surprise guest” ever again. Regardless if you’re a New England Patriots or Seattle Seahawks fan, or if you don’t even like football, you’re going to be celebrating America’s holiest of holidays, Super Bowl Sunday. If not, you’re un-American.

Thankfully for those of you less football-inclined, the NFL has peppered their program with the highest of quality commercials and throws the most elaborate, high-profile performance of the year during the game’s halftime. This year’s performer to knock the socks off 100 million audience members? Katy Perry.

“Who’s that?” none of you ask. Currently the most followed person on Twitter, pop star Perry will be joining the ranks of Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Justin Timberlake, and Madonna, to name a few of the halftime show’s most prominent performers.

Will Perry join the list of performers who’ve stirred up controversy? Probably not, as she explains that she has run through costumes to prevent wardrobe malfunctions, has rehearsed her performance over 30 times, and remains in close contact with the NFL for their stamp of approval. So although there likely won’t be any nip slips in her 12.5 minutes, there will be things far more important: dollar signs.

Although Perry refused to pay the NFL to play the halftime show, the multibillion dollar organization can predict to gross impressive numbers from its expected record-breaking audience number. For the first time, the Super Bowl will be streamed on computers, tablets, and smartphones in addition to TV, allowing as many people as possible to indulge in consumerism.

As the Pepsi Halftime Show performer, Perry has been involved in far more promotion than any other previous musician, talking in interviews and press conferences, posting on her Twitter, acting in ads with various themed outfits, and giving away one of her featured guests.

Katy Perry is no stranger to non-music business ventures, with her own perfume line, flavor of PopChips, eyeliner line with Eyelure, jewelry collection at Claire’s, a partnership with Covergirl, and her movie, Katy Perry: Part of Me. A candid, bubbly, chatty woman, Perry has no problem expressing her involvements and the Halftime Show is the Mecca of all of them. “I feel like I’ve out dreamt my dream,” she’s said.

Perry is using the opportunity to make some cash of her own, too. She will be selling branded merchandise on YouTube, Twitter, and connected devices during her live performance, creating the first “shopping enabled” Super Bowl show.

New media technology and a savvy, omnipresent superstar are exactly what the NFL need to remain high in the black and out of scrutiny, especially after the past year of scandals the organization has faced.

Personally, Perry is rooting for the Seahawks to win, but overall she wants to prove she can bring a damn good halftime show. “I want to bring the humor, I want to bring the color, I want to bring the sass and I want to bring the incredible joy.”