Romantic, Sexy, and Anti Valentine's Day Songs

So a couple of days ago I asked you guys for some romantic and sexy song ideas because I just couldn't find a single album by one artist that really did it for this romantic month of love. I feel like I am being overdosed with Valentine's Day stuff but the hopeless romantic in me still loves the idea of it. Not the media-crazed big red hearts and flowers and chocolates part, but just using the date - so symbolic of love - as an excuse to go the extra mile for someone to show how much they mean to you. So this is a list of songs for everyone on Valentine's Day, there are fun songs, sexy songs, romantic songs, and songs for people who just don't like this holiday and want to celebrate their awesome single selves. They are not in any particular order either, just categories - thanks so much for your help and I hope you enjoy it!

Romantic Songs 

Sea of Love - John Phillips
I love these classic songs, they just paint this picture of dancing in one of those gazebos by a moonlit lake with the car radio gently playing this song in the background. Recommended by Heather :)

All of Me - John Legend feat. Lindsay Stirling

I know a lot of people find this overly played and sappy but I genuinely love this song, to my ears it sounds heartfelt and genuine and with Lindsay Stirling's violin tugging on your heartstrings, it just makes the song that much sweeter.

My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
Ah, the classic and ultimate sappy love song in my opinion, still admittedly one of my favourites - I mean, really, how can you beat the way Celine Dion's voice and the music come together and bring you up and down as if you, yourself are Rose saying 'I'll never let go, Jack' are you carefully pluck each one of his cold, dead fingers from the door that we all know could have fit two. Sorry, that wasn't really romantic was it? I just wanted him to live!!

Right Here Waiting For You - Richard Marx
The heartbreaking yet hopeful 80s ballad for long-distance lovers.

Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle
This is such a beautiful song for fathers and daughters, or parents and children - a good reminder that Valentine's Day doesn't have to be just about lovers. I remember my dad dancing with me before I left for my 8th grade grad dance 'just in case those boys are too stupid to ask you to dance' (they were) - that is what this song reminds me of. Recommended by the lovely Patricia :)

I'd Rather Go Blind - Etta James
Etta James I feel is just one of the soulful voices that is the sound of love. 

Thinking out Loud - Ed Shereean

Honestly, the first time I hear this at the beginning I thought it was Michael Buble, but then I realized it was Ed Shereean - who I am finding is coming out with more and more of my favourite songs - I was just so happy. He seems like such a sweet person from the little I know of him and he seems like he just has one of the biggest hearts out there in celebrity land. Also, check out the video, he has some sick dancing skills! Thanks to Brittany for this one :)

Come and Get Your Love - Redbone
Guardian's of the Galaxy really re-awakened this song back into mainstream I think but I have always found it to be so happy and uplifting - which is how love should make you feel! Thank you Challice for this and the next two songs :) 

Call Me - Blondie
What a fierce, take control of what you want kind of song - eat your heart out Carly Rae ;)

Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen
This makes me want to do some head-bobbing, foot-tapping 80s dance around my apartment...actually I think I shall ;) 

Kiss From a Rose - Seal
I know it says rose, but I imagine standing in a field of sunflowers on a sunny, windy day when I hear this song. Also driving... a lot of songs remind me of driving. Thank you Janie for recommending this song :)

Truly, Madly, Deeply - Savage Garden
This song is in like my personal top 5 of favourite love songs, it is just so...90s perfect. Thank you Clayton for actually suggesting a legit romantic song. (mischievous 'brother in law')

Hanging by a Moment - Lifehouse
I feel like this is one of those under-appreciated, almost hidden love songs because it doesn't sound sappy. It's more like a crashing, unabashed declaration of emotion. Thanks to Clayton again.

Light Surrounding You
I had never heard this song before it was recommended to me by Melissa (thank you!) but it is really beautiful and a great song to feature on this list.

You and I - Ingrid Michaelson
This is such a cute song!! Thank you Heather MN lol 

Hero - Enrique Iglesias
This song was also suggested by Clayton but I probably would have put it up anyway because it is another one of my favourite love songs. The music video is so friggen dramatic though, that it almost makes me laugh.

Remember these bad-boys?

At Last - Etta James 
The lady of the songs of love strikes again with this timeless classic. I like pushing the button at the drugstore that plays this song - you know that board with 30 second song samples from CDs they are selling? (Reminds me of hit clips.)

You Go to My Head - Ella Fitzgerald
This is another song I hadn't heard before it was recommended but holy, does it ever remind me of something that would be playing at some elegant, swanky party filled with sparkle, laughter and beautiful gowns when two people, just meant for each other lock eyes from across the room. They don't know each other but they feel the attraction right away. It's all very James Bond when he confidently approaches and asks the lady for a dance. Thanks to Vikki for this and the next two songs :) 

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
This song just sounds so sad and heartbreaking but it is so beautiful and haunting...almost makes me want to cry. 

You Go to My Head - Louis Armstrong
Same swanky party, later in the night on a starlit balcony, looking in each others eyes and trying to figure what the other is thinking. I am imaging a young Sean Connery as James Bond across from the stunning Elizabeth Taylor.

Evergreen - Barbra Streisand
One of the other voices of my childhood, the lovely tunes of Barbra Streisand would fill the walls of my house on a Sunday - I miss those days, and this is a lovely song. Thanks to Star for this one and the next two.

Unchained Melody
My mom loves this song, I remember her telling me that she loved how that the title suits the song because no where in the song do they say 'unchained melody' - I know a lot of people will be reminded of the movie Ghost with Patrick Swayze when they hear this. Recently I had a mild obsession with this song so I put it on full blast and repeat and wandered around our small apartment singing along...loudly...I'm sorry neighbours.

I Cross My Heart - George Strait
A sweet country love song :)

Sleepwalk - Santo & Johnny
I absolutely adore these old songs they are just so classic and beautiful, it plucks my heartstrings. Thank you again Vikki for this one and the next three!

Romeo and Juliet Love Theme - Tchaikovski
The great composer put music to one one the oldest and most loved er...love stories of all time! Obviously this composition deserves a honoured position on this list

God Only Knows - Beach Boys
I love the Beach Boys :)

You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker
Forever and ever will this remind my of the little rascals. Thank you Vikki and Meggen

Amazed - Lonestar
I once killed this at karaoke...I mean, I completely murdered it...I destroyed this beautiful song of love because for the life of me I could not remember how it went. I'm sorry Jazzy...so, so sorry. Thank you Star for this suggestion.

Kiss Me - Sixpence None the Richer
YES! I love this song so much, makes me so happy in my 90s nostalgia :) Thank you Shawna

You Save Me - Kenny Cheseney
I do like these romantic country ballads :) Thank you Meggen for this and the next two :)

Alive - Adelitas Way
This song was such a wonderful and happy and hopeful song about love, it made me feel good to listen to it. :)

Suddenly - Billy Ocean
This was another song I never heard before but I really enjoyed it a lot, it was so lovely :)

So here are some more of my personal favourite love songs that I hope you guys enjoy as well:

I Will Always Love you - Whitney Houston
My mom bawled when Lorelai sang this to Luke...so did I. It was also one of my favourite songs when I was three...so there's that too.

Be My forever - Christina Perri and Ed Shereean
So happy :)

500 Miles - Proclaimers
Okay seriously, who doesn't love this song?


Sexy Songs - for uh...later.

Chicks Dig It - Chris Cagle
I was surprised by this lively country tune, but...I dig it :p Thank you Eric

Grind on Me - Pretty Ricky
Thanks Heather MN for this song, it made me laugh when I remembered this song but it is undoubtedly a very sexy song ;)

Into The Night - Chad Kroeger and Santana
Love that soulful guitar

Candy Shop - 50 Cent
Reminds me of 9th grade when I thought I was a bad-ass lol but still a damn sexy song filled with sugary innuendo lol Thanks Robin :)

Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake
Yep, it's sexy.

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark - Fallout Boy
Suggested by Janet, I have to agree that I don't know how or why but this song has a sexy feel... it is also a tad bad-assy.

Animals - Maroon 5
The songs is very sexy in my opinion - carnal and primitive which I like, but the video is hella creeps.

Bad Things - Jace Everett
Also the theme to True Blood, I still really enjoy this song :)

Bailamos - Enrique Iglesias
Scott and I danced to this in a thunderstorm once...it was nice ;)

Scream - Usher

One More Night - Maroon 5

Assassin's Tango - John Powell
I so desperately want to learn the tango...

I Put a Spell on You - Nina Simone

Sex and Candy - Marcy Playground

Anti Songs

Bye Bye Bye - N'SYNC

Blank Space - Taylor Swift
This song is hilarious and the video makes it just that much funnier.

Holding Out for a Hero - Jennifer Saunders
Now this song I completely rocked at karaoke... two Valentine's Days ago actually lol

What The Hell - Avril Lavigne

Bitch - Meredith Brooks

Roar - Katy Perry

Losing His Touch - Jack Off Jill

You Don't Own Me - Lesley Gore
Thanks Heather MN

Feel Good Drag - Anberlin

U+UR Hand - P!NK


Well that is all I have for now, I am sorry I didn't include all the the suggestions, I did try to do most of them. I also apologize for the diminished discussion blurbies - it was getting late. I am not going to give this list or these songs an actual rating because they are simply compiled for those who will enjoy them. If you have any more suggestions, let me know! :) Have a good one!

~Oriona

Picture credits are now linked through the pictures themselves

Points System

Okay, so this is how I am going to be rating the books, movies, and music albums I will be reviewing from now on. Each category is rated out of 5 and then totaled at the end for an overall rating.

Books:

Protagonist/Main Character: rated on likability and how well a reader could relate to them. They are also judged on how much character development happens over the course of the book and if they are an active participant of events - or does he/she just sit around letting all the other characters carry her through and basically does nothing but everything 'surrounds' that character. (I'm looking at you, Bella)

Antagonist: Basically judged on how good of a villain they are and how much they drove the plot. Could the story have still happened without them?

Support Characters: Do they give something extra to the book? How do they help the main character and how to they help make the story?

Addictive-ness: How hard was it to put down?

Classic Potential?: Could this book and its author stand the test of time and take a place next to the greats such as Shakespeare, Jane Austin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Homer?







Movies:

Will be rated like books with these changes:
There will be no addictive-ness rating

The Classic Potential will be compared to movies like Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, and other movies like that which could never really be remade or topped. Movies that will always be around and enjoyed for generations.

There will also be these categories:

Acting: Did the people playing the characters really make them come to life, or did you just see the actor?

Soundtrack: How well did the soundtrack capture the mood of the movie?

Special Effects (if applicable): Were they well done for the time period of the movies and were they believable?

*I can also foresee other categories coming up with different kinds of movies but I think these are good and can encompass most movies I will be reviewing.


Music Albums


Emotion: Does the album provoke any emotion from you?

BMR: Beat, Melody, and Rhythm - how are they? Does it suit the kind of music? Is it confusing?

Enjoyable? Could this on its own be entertainment? Would sitting in a room listening to this music be enough to entertain someone.

Creativity: How different is this from other music in the media? How did the artist take this genre and make it their own?

Message: Is the artist trying to say something with their music?


These are all I can think of that would cover just about anything, but if there is some other aspect that you would want me to talk about when I am reviewing something, let me know!

~Oriona

Picture Credits:

http://pixshark.com/open-book-magic.htm

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/classic-movies/images/582858/title/classic-movie-wallpaper-wallpaper

http://www.trickntrick.com/2014/03/easy-way-to-make-money-online-listening-to-music/

http://rockyourworld.co.za/inspired-through-experience/listen-to-the-words/

http://welltempered.wordpress.com/2014/02/08/classical-music-how-should-you-listen-try-these-four-ways-to-get-the-most-out-of-classical-music-then-tell-us-your-own/

Within Temptation - The Heart of Everything - Album Review

So I have revised my simple 'song review' to a whole album review. Getting this blog started as well as everything else going on this week has somewhat set me back from the schedule I want to maintain once I have everything up and running. I think this week I am starting with a Dark, Powerful, Female theme although I don't know why. I do however want the book, album, and movie I review each week to fit into a similar category. For future reference, I want it to be Sunday Book, Monday Movie, and Tuesday Tunes - all reviews and discussion and then a follow up video discussion all three in even more detail which I am hoping to post on Fridays or Saturdays. This week I have decided to review and discuss the album The Heart of Everything by Within Temptation.

Release Date: March 12, 2007

GUN Records

Genre: Gothic/ Alternative/ Symphonic Metal

The lead singer, Sharon, has a beautiful, feminine, and strong voice that is also haunting and really captures your attention within seconds of hitting play. Each piece evokes a lot of emotion, from the amazing rise and fall of the guitar and drums and the dramatic lulls in music that are brought back up so intensely - it really is art to my ears.

1. "The Howling"  
There are so many interpretations I can think of when I hear the lyrics, but the main thing I hear is that there is a battle being fought. That can be interpreted as a physical battle between two sides or an internal battle between two sides of a person. I have this visual of someone suffering from his or her own hubris and through the mistakes they have made they are dragging other people into the struggle and through it all he or she just wants it to end.

2. "What Have You Done" (featuring Mina Caputo)
This is definitely a song about two people who love each other but circumstances beyond their control are causing them to do things that pull them apart. Despite everything, there is a kind of hope that maybe they can get through it together.

3. "Frozen"
So this song is about someone who had to give up someone they loved or do something that hurt both of them but was ultimately better for the person they are singing about. At least that is the hope or whatever it was, the pain it caused would have been pointless. I think the "frozen" part is because the person singing had to be cold to the other in order to 'sacrifice' to save the other person.

4. "Our Solemn Hour"
This song right off sounds a lot (to me) of that song that Lord Frolo sang in Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. The chanting of "Sanctus Espiritus" throughout the whole song and basically asking for deliverance - to me it sounds like a prayer to God asking for guidance for humanity to show us a better way and lead us out of the dark place where we have put ourselves (supposedly).

5. "The Heart of Everything"
To me, this song is about freeing ourselves from the oppression from what society thinks we 'should' be and holding on to who we are. I think there is also a darker side to the song where someone who feels that they can't be who they are decides to just let it go. The most important thing is making sure you always hang on to who you are because without that you are lost.


6. "Hand of Sorrow"
This song reminds me of those Bard songs from Skyrim - it definitely tells the story of a man who is, as the lyrics say, "torn between his honor and the true love of his life" - now that could mean anything, but in my imagination he has to choose between the woman he loves and the oath he took to serve his king - and if I want to elaborate, maybe he isn't allowed to have a wife, or maybe has been ordered to kill her - intrigue. Anyway, in the end I think he decides to obey his "honor" but he still watches over his true love in secret.

7. "The Cross"
Okay, I really think that if this isn't a song comparing a relationship to Jesus, it is a song about Jesus talking to any person who hasn't converted to that faith. I mean, the chorus says, "Why have you waited to embrace me my dear/Cold is your silence, denying what is real/I'm still wondering why I'm still calling your name/and I wonder, oh I wonder ...    /In my heart I still hope you will open the door/You can purify it all, answer my call" - Christians say that 'giving your heart to Jesus and taking him as your saviour will cleanse your sins.' I think that is kind of what I feel it is about. And the song is called 'The Cross' - come on.

8. "Final Destination"
I really feel like this song is inspired by the movie of the same title. If I remember, it is about the main character finding out that Death is coming for him and he or she keeps trying to escape it, but you can't escape fate or death. Eventually they will both find you.

9. "All I Need"
Simply put, I think this song is about falling in love. Someone who has trust issues finally finds someone they want to open themselves up to and all they can say is 'don't tear me down for all I need'  Don't hurt me because I need you to love me like you say you do, and I am trusting you.

10. "The Truth Beneath the Rose"
Oh now this one is interesting, I never realized before reviewing this album more in depth but Within Temptation seems to make a lot of religious references in their music. Here I believe they are referencing the Knights Templar and anyone who has read the DaVinci Code by Dan Brown (or seen the movie) should know the reference to the Rose Line - which at the end of the book lead to the final resting place of the Holy Grail. The lyrics are pretty deep but I believe it is about seperating what is actually holy and what is just a greedy conquest of men for power.

11. "Forgiven"
It sounds a lot like someone singing to a loved one who has passed away. Such a beautiful, but sad melody - kind of reminds me of My Immortal by Evanescence. My advice is to not listen to this if you are already sad - this will make it worse.


Review:

The above song interpretations are just what I think they are about, I didn't do any research to see what the band said or what other people thought, I just listened to the lyrics and this is what I came up with. I think music is like any kind of art that has different meanings for different people.

Overall I give this album 8.5/10 Stars. I think they have a really good command of the genre and that their music is really what I need it to be while I am in the mood for it - edgy but almost with a spiritual element to it - maybe that's not the right word, but it is different. I like the different. Plus I have this part of me that really would like to have a great rock star moment on stage one day. I mean, all out with the awesome outfit, lights, smoke, the crowd going insane and me belting out a super bad ass song - These songs could make that happen. Sadly, as much as I enjoy heavy metal, I don't think I could pull off the vocals found in more mainstream Heavy Metal or Rock.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it and if you want to check out the band a little more, here is their website:
http://www.within-temptation.com/

Got any suggestions for Artists/Albums I should review in the future? Let me know!

~Oriona

PS

As I try to catch up and get on track, there wont be any posts this week, although I will try to upload the follow up video to go with this and my previous two posts. Next time I am looking to go into a completely new direction of genre so stay tuned!


Picture Credits:

http://wallpaper.metalship.org/en/wallpaper/The_Heart_of_Everything-34.html

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/within-temptation/images/15412488/title/wt-wallpaper