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Raw acoustic passion – interview with Megan Davies

By | Featured, Music

Megan Davies is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At 24, she recently graduated from Belmont University, where she studied songwriting and classical guitar. Spending her days in classes and her nights recording in her room, she has amassed dozens of demos culminating in the release of two EP’s: Writing On The Walls in 2008, a collection of acoustic songs written during high school, and Apartment Sessions in 2011 which consisted of demos recorded in her dorm room while studying at Belmont University.

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Tap a video title to open it in Creation 5.

In the summer of 2013, Megan began uploading covers to YouTube – collaborating with both her younger sister Jaclyn and other singer-songwriter friends in Nashville. Since then, she has amassed over ten million views and one hundred thousand subscribers. The Coffee House on XM Radio voted Megan and fellow artist Emily Hackett’s cover of Lorde’s Royals the Best Cover of 2013. Her covers have also been featured on websites such as RyanSecreast.com and Buzzfeed.

Lorde – Royals (Acoustic Cover)

Megan is inspired by everything from commercial pop to indie folk to experimental rock. Currently she is playing shows and working on writing and recording more songs. Most of which are posted on her SoundCloud and YouTube.

When did you first discover YouTube and how big of a part of your life has it become?
I’ve always been a fan of YouTube, way before I started posting videos. A lot of what I know on guitar came from watching my favorite players on YouTube and trying to learn what they were doing. It can be an incredible learning source for so many things. Nowadays it’s become a huge part of my life, in addition to adding this whole other visual component to what I do.

With almost 10.5 million video views, you’ve got yourself a huge internet fan base. Did you ever picture yourself taking off like this?
Never in a million years. I still remember being excited when Jaclyn and my mashup of Radioactive and Pumped Up Kicks hit 1,000 views.

Radioactive / Pumped Up Kicks (Mashup Cover)

Your sister Jaclyn can be seen in a lot of your videos singing with you. Were you two singing together growing up, or is this something you discovered later on?
Yeah we sang a lot together growing up. I was always writing songs and wanting her to sing them with me.

You’re currently living in Nashville, but originally from Pennsylvania. What sparked the move and how has Nashville living been treating you?
I originally came to Nashville to study guitar at Belmont University. I absolutely love the city. There are so many talented people around, it’s inspiring to live here as a young artist.

Along with posting videos to your channel, making music and everything else, you also do shows. Where can people go to catch one of your shows?
Right now the majority of my shows are in the Nashville area. However, I’m planning to do some out of state touring in 2015. The best place to stay up to date with those shows is on my Facebook.

Your enchanting song Dive In is a smooth mixture of melancholy piano, and heartfelt lyrics. Where did the inspiration for this song come from, and what came first; the words or the melody?
Thanks for the kind words. For that song the melody and lyrics came at the same time, which is a rare thing for me. But I think because I knew what I wanted to say, that made it a lot easier. The message is about taking risks and not fearing the unknown, which is something I’m trying to do more of these days.

Megan Davies – Dive In

If you could describe your own personal sound in three words, how would you describe it?
Raw, Passionate, Acoustic

Do you feel that your sound has fully formed with a strong, definite identity, or do you see yourself evolving?
Evolving, but towards a definitive identity. This past year has been the biggest growth for me musically. When you discover an audience, it gives you confidence to be who you are. You stop second guessing yourself, and you just create.

We love your new cover of Heroes (We Could Be) featuring Landon Austin. How did you two meet each other and can we expect more collaborations with him in the future?
Thanks. Landon and I actually went to the same school, though he was a few years ahead of me. Being the YouTube newbie I am, I reached out to him when my channel started growing just to get some advice. A few months later we did two covers together, one for each of our channels. It was a fun experience, and I hope there will be more in the future.

Alesso ft. Tove Lo – Heroes (We Could Be) (Acoustic Cover)

Who in the music industry has influenced you the most throughout your musical growth?
So many. Musically I love Imogen Heap, Radiohead, and more recently Ed Sheeran. Some of my favorite guitarists are Tommy Emmanuel, Jerry Reed, and Kaki King.

What can fans expect from Megan Davies in 2015?
Lots of new music!

Finally, looking back over 2014, what memories make you the happiest?
Working with friends. I love creating on my own, but everything is more fun with friends.

Megan Davies chose our Sunday Sessions this week. Click here for the playlist!

Follow Megan Davies on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Google+ or check out her work on YouTube and SoundCloud.

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Ricky Martin Live

By | Featured, Music

Ricky Martin Live at Viña del Mar, Chile, earlier this year, was a sensational show. The show was so good it’s one to keep in your collection – download it with Creation 5 and watch it when you’re traveling or off line.

Ricky opened the first day of the festival to an audience who were chanting, shouting, cheering – the atmosphere and anticipation was intense. Ricky did not disappoint with his performance – he had over 10 different costume changes, sang 18 hits and the choreography and lighting were absolutely brilliant.

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During this 2 hour show he performed all his latest hits, plus a few of his old chart toppers, performing 3 songs in English “Come with Me”, “She Bangs” and “Shake Your Bon-Bon”.

The 42-year old Puerto Rican star was actually quite disarming with his sensual dancing and had both men and women fawning over him. He won two awards at the festival, a Silver Seagull and the coveted Golden Gull award. The press called his performance ’triumphant’.

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The 55th International Festival of Viña del Mar, a town 120 kilometers northwest of Santiago, was transmitted to over 20 countries in Latin America by Chilevisión. Thanks to them we have this HD video to enjoy.

Set List
1-Come With Me
2-Shake Your Bon-Bon
3-It’s Alright
4-Vuelve
5-Livin’ la Vida Loca
6-She Bangs
7-Loaded
8-Fuego de noche nieve de día
9-María
10-Medley: El amor de mi vida / Fuego contra fuego / Te extraño te olvido te amo
11-Frío
12-Más
13-La Bomba / Lola, Lola
14-Pégate /Por Arriba, Por Abajo
15-The Cup of Life
16-Tu recuerdo
17-A medio vivir
18-Tal vez

Ricky Martin – Viña del Mar Performance 2014


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Biggest Fashion Turkeys

By | Featured, Music

Happy thanksgiving to our popstars that top the bill of delivering the biggest fashion turkeys of recent years…Check out the badly dressed line up of pop & rock princesses doing their worst in the style wars. It’s one thing to go on stage in some crazy get up but when you decide what you’re going to wear to an event (or are even styled in a certain way) it is quite incredible some of the outfits the stars convince themselves are a good idea!

Britney Spears

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Oh Britney, what did you do? This is one of her more demure outfit choices but it’s nasty and should never have happened.

Miley Cyrus

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There were literally SO many to choose from when it comes to our Miley, but this one – in keeping with the theme of feathered birds – caught our fashion faux pas eyes.

Nicki Minaj

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Yet another one of the music world’s fashion disasters who has supplied us with a whole host of outfit mishaps…however, we thought this one summed up her styling pretty well. This picture was taken at the MTV Music Awards in 2011.

Lady Gaga

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She’s so famous for her crazy outfits but this one just took the biscuit, put the icing on the cake and almost the meat on the barbie. Her outfits often leave a lot to be desired and not much to the imagination, and remember the meat dress? That was a different kettle of fish, HOWEVER we decided to go for a worse, yes worse, get up which is in tune with our thanksgiving theme. It’s just HORRIBLE and let’s not even talk about the beak!

Katy Perry

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Pop princess, popsicle type wardrobe…it’s just too sickly sweet. It was very, very hard to choose between these two, so we’ll leave this one for you to decide.

Kelis

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It’s hard to believe this is actually Kelis, she looks scary, shiny, spikey and those shoes are practically extra terrestrial. What were you thinking Kelis?

Jessie J

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She’s not the best when it comes to the style stakes, but this little number just hurts our eyes.

Madonna

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The most famous pop chameleon of all time, Madonna, has changed her look more times than the Pope has prayed but when it comes to dressing herself for an event, this recent get-up just made us wonder…why?

Ke$ha

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This one is classic. It’s neon, it’s a mess, it’s a horror story turned into an outfit and then dragged through a hedge backwards. Ke$ha; really? This looks like a Jane Fonda slasher movie gone wrong.

Rihanna

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Last and definitely least here is Rihanna showing off a little more than necessary. No, the stole does not cover anything!


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Jurassic World – First Trailer

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The long-awaited, first full trailer for Jurassic World has arrived! How do you protect the world from genetically modified dinosaurs? Send in a Star-Lord of course – well, Chris Pratt anyway. Released a couple of days early, the trailer for the fourth Jurassic Park film has notched up over 11 million views in just 24 hours!

(To watch this trailer in Creation 5, just tap here.)

The movie might not win awards for his scientific accuracy – its already facing tons of criticism from palaeontologists – but this sci-fi blockbuster does look like a thrilling ride. The sequel takes place 22 years after the events of the the very first Jurassic Park film, released in 1993. A new dinosaur safari park, Jurassic World, has been built out of the ruins of the original park on Isla Nublar.

As the trailer shows, visitors to the park can ‘enjoy’ all sorts of activities, like kayaking down a river with giant herbivores grazing on the banks, watch a Mosasaurus – an enormous prehistoric crocodile – eat dead sharks in a typical SeaWorld kind of show and ride around in ‘Gyroshperes’ allowing you to get real close to the dinosaurs.

Then it all starts to go terribly wrong when a genetically modified hybrid arrives. This lab-made creature is highly intelligent, can climb 40 foot walls and will kill anything that moves…As Chris Pratt’s character Owen says “You just went and made a new dinosaur? Probably not a good idea.”

Written and directed by Colin Trevorrow the film also stars The Help actress Bryce Dallas Howard. Steven Spielberg, who directed the first two films and was executive producer on the third, will executive produce this four-quel as well.

The Park is open June 12.

Fifth Harmony – Sledgehammer

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We’ve just been hit by a Sledgehammer and it felt pretty good! After weeks of waiting the American girl group, Fifth Harmony, have finally released a music video for their latest single. The girls enthusiasm is very infectious – and the song has to be one of the most joyful pop singles of the year.

(To watch the video in Creation 5, just tap here.)

The video is not quite as energetic as their Bo$$ music video but the girls – Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Lauren Jauregui, Camila Cabello and Dinah Jane – are obviously having a blast. Joining the 1990’s revival that has been in full swing for a while now, this video reminds us of the Spice Girls in their glory days. “It’s cool because we’ve never released a single that’s about love —a happy, cute love song,” Cabello told Billboard in a recent interview.

The 5 girls were brought together and mentored by Simon Cowell on the 2nd season of The X Factor USA in 2012, where they finished third. Following their time on the Fox talent show, Fifth Harmony signed a joint record deal with Cowell’s Syco label and LA Reid’s Epic.

The single is the second to be taken from their upcoming debut album Reflection, slated for a January 27, 2015 release.

Eminem – Guts Over Fear ft. Sia

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Eminem has just released a cinematic new music video for his empowering anthem Guts Over Fear which tells the story of a boxer on the path from poverty to redemption. Released yesterday it already has over 1.5 million views!

(To watch this video in Creation 5, just tap here.)

This past August Eminem released this triumphant single Guts Over Fear and now, with the release of this video, the track has the perfect visual counterpart. The Syndrome-directed clip chronicles the tale of a down-on-his-luck Michigan man who overcomes personal hurdles to become a professional boxer.

Model Winnie Harlow (born Chantelle Brown-Young) lip-synchs Sia’s vocals — a very touching move given that the former America’s Next Top Model contestant suffers from the rare disorder called vitiligo, which causes the skin to lose its pigment. She wears the blonde “Sia” bob as she shows how she relates to Marshall Mather’s tale of rising above all the odds that might come against you. It’s very inspirational.

Guts over Fear is currently at Nº22 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track is included on the just-released Shady XV and the 2 disc, 28-song compilation album celebrates the 15th anniversary of Shady Records. Included are some of the labels greatest hits plus new songs from Eminem, Slaughterhouse, Bad Meets Evil, D-12 and Yelawolf. Eminem also supplemented the release with the free, career-spanning mixtape Shady Classics, a 66-track collection curated by DJ Whoo Kid.

Beyoncé releases 13 new videos!

By | Featured, Music

It’s not even Christmas yet and Beyoncé is already dishing out presents – ALL the remaining 13 videos from her self titled album were uploaded to her YouTube channel last night! Also, to mark the release of her Platinum Edition of Beyoncé, she has made the repackaged collection available to stream on Spotify! This Platinum edition includes six extra tracks with collaborations from Nicki Minaj, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and the Mr Vegas remix of Beyoncé’s H&M track Standing on the Sun.

It was virtually a year ago when Beyoncé changed the game and shocked the music industry by releasing Beyoncé last December. Continuing in the same vein she has surprised us all again. There has been no promotion surrounding the release of these 13 music videos – no prior teasing or social media pumping up, Beyoncé has just put the videos on Vevo and lets her supportive fan base spur the publicity.

Taylor Swift caused controversy by removing her album from Spotify yet Beyoncé is very happy to have her entire record collection available online.

The special platinum edition box set is available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes.

To watch any of the videos in Creation 5 just tap the title of the video.

Beyoncé – Blow

Beyoncé – Blue ft. Blue Ivy

Beyoncé – Yoncé

Beyoncé – Superpower ft. Frank Ocean

Beyoncé – Ghost

Beyoncé – Rocket

Beyoncé – No Angel

Beyoncé – Grown Woman

Beyoncé – ***Flawless ft. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Beyoncé – Heaven

Beyoncé – Jealous

Beyoncé – Haunted

Beyoncé – Mine ft. Drake


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Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne – Real Love

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New in at Nº2 on the UK charts is Clean Bandit FT Jess Glynne with their disco-infused, up-tempo ode to the only thing that really matters in this life – Real Love.

Real Love is the second collaboration between Glynne and Clean Bandit, following their million-selling, worldwide chart-topper Rather Be. The songs are not unlike each other, with Real Love expanding on the theme of Rather Be by celebrating love and romance.

If you’ve been lucky enough to catch Clean Bandit on their US tour this year you will have heard this track. However, it doesn’t appear on their debut LP New Eyes, although the track is supposed to be included on an upcoming reissue of the album.

Jess Glynne has also had a terrific year with her chart topping hit My Love with Route 94 and her Top 10 Gorgon City-produced hit Right Here.

2014 American Music Awards

By | Featured, Music

“Get ready to celebrate” said Pitbull just before the AMAs kicked off last night in the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. His words were spot on because although it was an award show, it was the live performances that provided a fantastic entertainment spectacle. It was star-studded night for the music industry.

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If you missed the show last night, don’t worry, check out our list of the top 10 performances.

1. Taylor Swift – Blank Space

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This performance was amazing! Everyone is talking about it – it really was the most original performance in the show’s history. It was the first time Taylor Swift had performed the song live and she really nailed it. She dangled form the ceiling, fed poisoned apples to her boyfriend, played with fire and looked like an authentic psycho. It was an absolutely stunning performance, I guess you could say Taylor Swift: 100 and Haters: 0

Taylor Swift – Blank Space (Live at the 2014 AMAs)


Later in the evening she was presented the Dick Clark Award for Excellence by the legendary Diana Ross. “Tonight we are all honored to present this to a young woman who has taken the music industry by storm,” Ross said.

2. Lorde – Yellow Flicker Beat

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We love Lorde, she owns her own style and is the coolest dancer out there. It was her debut performance of the song and it started off just like a movie with her singing in the dark about “Silver and gold scars”. It was all about the music, and the dancing. She is just the coolest cat on the block. She might not have won any awards but alongside Taylor Swift, she was the star of the show.

3. Sam Smith – I’m Not the Only One

No theatrical sets, no gimmicks, just his gorgeous voice. Oh, and the trench coat of course. A$AP Rocky gave a helping hand on the vocals and dropped his verse into the mix. The standing ovation was well deserved.

Sam Smith – I’m Not The Only One (Live at the 2014 AMAs)

Sam Smith won the Favourite Male Artist for Rock/Pop and gave such an emotional speech – as heartfelt as his songs. “I didn’t think I was going to be winning this … thank you to my fan base. Last year, I wrote an album about being lonely, tonight, I couldn’t feel further from lonely,” he candidly said.

4. Mary. J.Blige – Therapy

Just like Sam Smith’s performance, this was without bells and whistles and put her amazing voice front stage. The song was co-written by Sam Smith and her jazzy, soulful rendition of it was stunning.

5. One Direction – Night Changes

One Direction gave a great live performance, they were one of the few of the night’s performers to sing without a backing track – and hat’s off to them, they did a brilliant job. It might not have been the most exciting cut from their Four album, but they did it justice.

One Direction – Night Changes (Live at the 2014 AMAs)

6. Ariana Grande & The Weekend – Problem/Break Free /Love Me Harder

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Not only did Ariana dazzle us with her lacy, black dress, she stunned us with her voice in a jazzy, big band rendition of Problem followed by Break Free and then a beautiful performance of Love Me Harder featuring the Weekend and his hair.

Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Problem/Break Free/Love Me Harder (Live at the 2014 AMAs)


Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Problem / Break… by uploaderdisney

7. Nicki Minaj ft. Skylar Grey – Bed of Lies

How refreshing it was to see Nicki Minaj let the song be the star – instead of some part of her anatomy. She stood by the piano in a an elegant ball gown and delivered the song without any theatrics.

Nicki Minaj – Bed of Lies ft. Skylar Grey

8. 5 Seconds of Summer – What I Like About You

We are not boy band fans here at Creation 5, but this performance has started to change our minds. Perhaps 5SOS aren’t a boy band any longer? Their cover of the immortal New Wave hit was the best rock performance of the night. Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Calum Hood, and Ashton Irwin truly rocked out, as did most of the audience.

5 Seconds of Summer – What I Like About You (Live at the 2014 AMAs)


5 Seconds of Summer – What I Like About You… by uploaderdisney

9. Charli XCX – Boom Clap / Break the Rules

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A great performance from Charli who sang the oh so sweet Boom Clap, dressed in a prom gown, which had the whole audience singing along. She then transitioned into a kick-ass performance of Break the Rules tearing off her sweet prom dress to reveal a tight leather skirt and top. A lollipop got smashed to bits at the end, proving that pop music can sometimes rock as hard as rock!

10. Iggy Azalea– Fancy / Beg For It

After a political-themed delivery of Fancy, Iggy transitioned to her latest single, Beg For It. She seemed to be having mic problems during the song which was a shame. Great showmanship nonetheless.
Iggy won the Favourite Artist Rap/Hip Hop and also Best Hip Hop Album for The New Classic. You might think that Iggy has loads of Awards already, but not so, this was her first one, ever!. “This award is the first award I’ve ever won in my whole life.”  Well congratulations! Let’s hope for many more!

Iggy Azalea – Fancy & Beg For It ft. MØ (Live at the 2014 AMAs)


Iggy Azalea – Fancy & Beg For It (feat MØ… by IdolxMuzic

And the winners are:

Artist Of The Year
One Direction

Favorite Album – Country
Brantley Gilbert, Just As I Am

Favorite Artist – Rap/Hip-Hop
Iggy Azalea

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New Artist Of The Year Presented By Kohl’s
5 Seconds of Summer

Favorite Artist – Alternative Rock
Katy Perry

Favorite Album – Pop/Rock
One Direction, Midnight Memories

Favorite Male Artist – Country
Luke Bryan

Favorite Male Artist – Pop/Rock
Sam Smith

Favorite Artist – Latin
Enrique Iglesias

Favorite Album – Rap/Hip-Hop
Iggy Azalea, The New Classic

Favorite Band, Duo Or Group – Pop/Rock
One Direction

Single Of The Year
Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J, Dark Horse

Favorite Female Artist – Country
Carrie Underwood

Favorite Band, Duo Or Group – Country
Florida Georgia Line

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Favorite Male Artist – Soul/R&B
John Legend

Favorite Female Artist – Soul/R&B
Beyoncé

Favorite Album – Soul/R&B
Beyoncé, Beyoncé

Favorite Artist – Adult Contemporary
Katy Perry

Favorite Artist – Contemporary Inspirational
Casting Crowns

Favorite Artist – Electronic Dance Music (EDM)
Calvin Harris

Top Soundtrack
Frozen


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UNICEF Imagine Project

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UNICEF, in collaboration with David Guetta and Yoko Ono, are bringing the world together to create the largest sing-along ever, to cover John Lennon’s beloved Imagine in order to raise awareness and funds for children’s rights globally. They are calling it the Imagine Project.

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child this #IMAGINE Project has brought global stars together to add their voice. In this video you can see Katy Perry, Will.i.am, MAGIC!, Nicole Scherzinger, Adam Lambert, Cody Simpson, Idris Elba, Lance Bass and others, as well as actors, athletes and dignitaries.

The fun part of it is that anyone can add their voice. All you have to do is download the TouchCast app and sing your own version of Imagine. You voice will then be a part of a new David Guetta ‘world version’ of Imagine for UNICEF, which will be released just in time for New Year’s Eve 2014. It will certainly be a unique moment in music history that will also highlight the tremendous challenges children face the world over.

Every child counts. #EVERYVOICECOUNTS. Find out more on the UNICEF #IMAGINE website: imagine.unicef.org/en