Audio: "Standing on The Sun," Beyonce

Last April, Beyoncé shared a dose of her unreleased track “Standing On The Sun” in a television commercial for H&M’s 2013 summer collection. The full-length reggae-infused anthem now debuts with a  high-quality release.The song is decked with summertime accents and equatorial rhythm patterns to accompany Bey’s effortless vocal spans.

Co-written by Sia and Greg Kurstin, Yonce also drops a hence of rap bars spiced with Espanol’ word-stock.

Morganne Nikole
Original Article Published at Saint Heron: http://bit.ly/1sAWeZp

Peep the track below and unwind with Bey in her tropical atmosphere:

VIDEO: "Pretty Hurts" Beyonce

To correspond with her TIME “100 Most Influential People” cover, Beyoncé releases her heartrending visual to “Pretty Hurts.” The “Drunk in Love” singer portrays the role of a beauty pageant contestant through documentary style cinematics, unmasking impractical societal standards of beauty. She invites viewers into the demoralizing side of beauty pageants, while draped in her notorious “Miss 3rd Ward” sash. Through tactful imagery, Beyoncé exposes the harsh realities of eating disorders, diet pills, and the desire for external perfection. Her vulnerability shifts into themes of self-empowerment when she ruptures the trophy display at the end of the video, symbolizing that self-worth cannot be validated with physical keepsakes.

In an interview with Vulture, “Pretty Hurts,” director Melina Matsoukas revealed the concept behind the visuals:

“She told me what she wanted to do with the pageant world and I obviously like to take it there. I was like, Lets get into the toxic world and what we really do that is so damaging to ourselves, and use it as a microcosm for our society. Obviously, those ideas don’t just live in the pageant world; they live in our world. And that’s what the song is about.”

In Beyoncé’s noble pursuit to improve female morale, she wants to know how you define pretty. Join the conversation by uploading a photo or video to Instagram tagged #WhatIsPretty. Relish in the visuals below and visit WhatIsPretty.com for additional details.

Morganne Nikole

Original Article Published at Saint Heron: http://bit.ly/1vftmKn

Audio: BOOTS ft.Beyonce "Dreams" & "A Day In The Life of Jordan Asher"

Jordy Asher, known under the pseudonym BOOTS, has reunited with Beyoncé for a quixotic new single titled, “Dreams.” Prior to this release, BOOTS existed as Beyoncé’s “mystery muse,” responsible for approximately 85 percent of her self-titled fifth album, Beyoncé. While the internet retreated to discovering BOOTS’ identity, the Roc Nation signee began unveiling his musical genius via Facebook.

His past February release of “Dust” marked the genesis of his solo excursion; resembling the cartilaginous-themed tones found within B’s “Haunted,” single. Adjoining the song release and official visuals for the track, BOOTS introduced listeners to a bi weekly release of two new tracks taken from his forthcoming mixtape WinterSpringSummerFall.

 BOOTS dropped architectonic rock track “HOWL,” accompanied by the rap-centered vibrations of “Autumn (Lude 1)” finessed with Kelela’s soul-enriched vocals. In addition to the song release, Boots also dropped self-directed visuals juiced with multicolored saturation. He followed and released a spacious ballad with fluid synths on the track “Ride Ride Ride.” On the contrary, “Alright,” highlights his lyrical capabilities over an experimental production with jazz–like interjections. BOOTS then switched up style with “My Heart Is A Stone Today (Unharmed).” Through a melancholic approach, Boots accompanies his hazy vocals with piano instrumentation before transitioning into upbeat electronic sounds with indie rock influences. In contrast, “Sheep/Lookin Muthafucka (Lude II)” contains digital ornamentation that eclipse into a monotonous flow similar to Nicki Minaj’s “Lookin Ass Nigga,” multi-syllabic bars.

 April 11th, he officially released his WinterSpringSummerFall mixtape tracklist. Comprised of 16 songs, the last single on the project reminded listeners of BOOTS unconventional ways. Posted via Facebook, BOOTS released his revelation for “Dreams”:

 So this is the last song on my mixtape. My friend and I recorded it recently and while we were trying to figure out what to do with it, we had an idea. A while back I promised myself that if I ever had the opportunity to help others, or give back in some way, I would seize it. A friend recently told me about a non-profit organization called 

“Day One” here in NYC. In their words, 

“Day One is the only organization in New York City solely devoted to the issue of teen dating violence.” I feel that protecting women from these horrible and unthinkable acts should take precedence in our society. 

I feel passionate about this because if more women knew that safe places existed from the turmoil they experience, it could possibly prevent these situations from occurring or reoccurring. ­ Every cent made from this song will go directly to dayoneny.org

 It’s hard to put into words how thankful I am for everything and everyone who helped get this together. I’ve experienced a lot in my life. Good and bad. But through it all, I’m certain every one of those things had to happen to get me right where I am today. I feel very fortunate for that. Thanks for all of your love and support.

 “Dreams” is a romantic mid-tempo ballad blended with sensual melodies and hypnotic delicacies. BOOTS’ soft-spoken melodies contrasts perfectly with Queen B’s vigorous vocal zig-zags. Although we may not know everything about the American producer/singer/rapper/songwriter/musician, we can conclude that his unconventional approach pays homage to his musical genius. ­Peep his track below, along with “A Day In The Life of Jordan Asher,” and be on the lookout for his mixtape WinterSpringSummerFall. 

Morganne Nikole
Original Article Published at Saint Heron:http://bit.ly/QQBpwR