Star Sparkle Blog

This week's video is OKAY by Jackson Wang . He is a member of Korean boyband GOT7 (technically Korean/international boyband since there are several members from other countries, but they sing in Korean and Japanese). In my recent post on new K-pop releases I mentioned that he was currently taking a break from the group due to health issues. He was also not able to attend some promotions at the end of October due to the death of his grandad . Jackson is from Hong Kong and is set to release a solo album in China. He is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, Shanghainese, English, Korean and Japanese (wow!). He brought out his debut English single Papillion on 26th August, followed by Novoland: The Castle in the Sky, which is the theme song for a mobile game of the same name. Jackson attended the recent MTV Europe Music Awards. OKAY is his latest single. He's singing in English and Chinese. The video premiered today.

I've done round-up posts for music and TV (see below) and today I'm doing a round-up of all the dance themed posts on the blog. Some posts are listed are a couple of times if they fit under different headings. :) Belly Dance Bellydance Superstars (BDSS): Bellydance Superstats video: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2011/09/bellydance-superstars-video.html Jillina performance https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2011/11/jillina-performance.html Rania performance: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2011/11/rania-performance.html Another Jillina performance: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2011/12/another-jillina-performance.html Sonia performance: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/01/sonia-performance.html Ansuya performance: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2013/11/ansuya-peformance.html   Various: Belly Dance Videos: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/07/belly-dance-videos.html Dance Videos: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/11/dance-videos.

Today's video is Skintight by Mr Eazi featuring Efya . Mr Eazi (real name Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade) is a Nigerian singer who moved to Ghana in 2008 and founded Banku Music which is a mixture of Ghanaian and Nigerian music. He released his debut mixtape About to Blow in July 2013 and his second Life Is Eazi, Vol 1- Accra to Lagos in February this year. His most well known singles are probably Skintight and Leg Over. Skintight came out in summer 2015. The featured singer Efya is from Ghana and the lyrics include Ghanaian pidgin English . I saw the video for this a few weeks ago on an African music programme. For more on Mr Eazi visit his site: www.mreazi.com

Swedish/British singer Mabel released her debut mixtape  Ivy To Roses last month. I first listened to it a few weeks ago and included it in my last New Music/Videos post . I planned to do a specific post about the mixtape but hadn't got round to it yet, lol. So here it is now! Ivy to Roses consists of 9 songs-Come Over, Begging, Finders Keepers feat. Kojo Funds , Ivy, Low Key, Roses, Weapon, Passionfruit (a cover of Canadian rapper/singer Drake's song) and Finders Keepers Remix featuring Kojo Funds, Burna Boy and Don E . My favourite songs are Finders Keepers, Begging and Low Key. I already had Finders Keepers on Mabel's EP Bedroom (see below) and I recently bought the other two songs. I also like Come Over, Roses and Weapon. Passionfruit has a nice vibe as well. I tried finding the original one but on YouTube it just seems to bring up someone else's cover! I didn't like that many songs the first time I heard  Ivy to Roses, but I like more when I've list

This is Jennifer Lopez's new single Amor, Amor, Amor (Love, Love, Love in Spanish) featuring Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Wisin . It's completely in Spanish and as you can tell it's about love! I may have a go translating this fully in the future but I think the chorus goes something like this (partly used Google Translate!): Cuando hacemos el amor When we make love Amor, amor, amor Love, love, love Vuelvo a la vida, siento que vuelo I come to life, feel that flight Cuando hacemos el amor When we make love Amor, amor, amor Love, love, love Vuelvo a la vida cuando toco tu cuerpo I come to life when I touch your body Amor, Amor, Amor is the second single from Jennifer's upcoming Spanish language Por Primera Vez (For The First Time) and it was released on on 10th November. I think it's digital release only. No word on an album release date yet but I'll keep an eye out! :) J.Lo fan? Check out these links: http://starsparklex.blogsp

It's been a while I last did a post on new K-pop releases; it was back in April in fact! So it's time for a new one. :)  (Plus one J-pop release!). You can read the last post here: http://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/04/new-k-pop-releases.html GOT7- TURN UP GOT7 have a new single TURN UP.  It's from their upcoming Japanese language mini album of the same name which is due for release on 15th November. Member Jackson is currently taking a break from the group due to health issues.

Today's video is Mirage by Lindsey Stirling featuring Raja Kumari . The song/piece of music has an Indian fusion type vibe and it's from Lindsey's 3rd album Brave Enough. The Mirage video was uploaded to YouTube on 11th October but I don't think it's actually a single. Lindsey also released a Christmas album on 20th October called Warmer in the Winter. Check out another Lindsey video here:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/10/weekly-music-video_93.html

Latest music and videos I've been listening to and watching. :) Lee Gi Kwang- What You Like (K-pop) BTS- DNA (K-pop) Stefflon Don and French Montana- Hurtin' Me Demi Lovato- Sorry Not Sorry (It was released in July but I've been watching it more recently). Era Istrefi feat. French Montana- No I Love Yous PRETTYMUCH- Would You Mind Paloma Faith- Crybaby CNCO, Little Mix-  Reggateon Lento (Remix) Mabel's Ivy to Roses mixtape Listen here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK_AgtjK7R4&list=PLLPMESCK_QHbgHUWQAuJYZGSWcdKPqm0i K-pop GOT7 - You Are PENTAGON- Like This SF9- O Sole Mio  (SEVENTEEN) SVT HIPHOP TEAM- TRAUMA TWICE - LIKEY TRCNG- Spectrum (live on Simply K-pop) Jang Mi- Follow Me (live on Simply K-pop) JBJ- Fantasy (live) RAINZ- Juliette (live) UP10TION- Going Crazy (live) Mr Eazi feat. Efya- Skintight (Nigerian/Ghanaian) (New to me). Tiwa Savage feat. Wizkid and Spellz- Malo (Nigerian) (video) Camila Cabello (former Fi

This week's video is Tadap Tadap from the 2007 Bollywood film Darling . I mentioned it in my More Hallowe'en Films + TV post on Friday. The video features Aditya (Adit) (played by Fardeen Khan ) and his secretary Geeta ( Esha Deol , half sister of Bobby and Sunny Deol ) who he's having an affair with.  She haunts him after he accidentally kills her! The playback singers are Himesh Reshammiya and Tulsi Kumar . For another song from Darling visit this post: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2013/06/j-pop-vs-bollywood.html And if you're a Himesh fan then check out these posts for more songs which feature his singing: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2014/09/girls-vs-boys-bollywood.html https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/12/emraan-hashmi-songs.html