October Favourites ❤

This month has come to an end which means it's time for me

to write another blogpost on my favourite things from October.

October has been a great month for me as so much has happened.

I hope you've had a good month too, if not, I hope November is better. 

'Shoutout To My Ex' - Little Mix

Little Mix's latest single, 'Shoutout To My Ex', is probably one of their best yet. Despite only being released over two weeks ago, it's already sitting in the number one spot in the Official Charts. It's an feel good anthem for those who have gone through a break up and are need of cheering up. This is definitely a confident come back for Little Mix who are about to release their fourth album, Glory Days, next month. In this song, the foursome prove that there's no point wallowing in sadness after going through a break-up as they sing about how they're 'all the way up' and that their ex 'will never bring me down'. After the girls performed this hit on The X Factor (the show that they won almost five years ago), they, unfortunately, received criticism on their choice of costume and were branded too 'slutty' for the show. However, these negative comments didn't bring them down as they stated that there's a double standard and that if a male singer were to perform topless, they would be praised but if a female were to show any bit of skin they'd be shamed. I think that Little Mix looked amazing and their performance on the show was brilliant. I'm so proud of these four girls because they've come so far and made so many achievements since winning The X Factor in 2011.

'Our World' by Little Mix

Not only have Little Mix released a single, announced a new album and tour but they've also published a new book, 'Our World'. In this, their hugely anticipated second book (the first being Ready To Fly published in 2012), the girls provide an insight into life as the world's hottest girl group. Sharing their most personal experiences, they talk about friendship, reveal the truth about their relationships and all the lessons they've learned on their incredible journey to superstardom. So far, I've really enjoyed reading this. The book consists of nine different chapters including: The Beginning; A Little Dream, A Lot Of Love; DNA; We Are Who We Are; Little Me; About The Boy; Different Beat; Change Your Life and The End. In each chapter, the girls talk about different aspects of their life including growing up, personal issues, their first relationships, their experience on The X Factor and the success they've received since. Most people would think that those who are in the spotlight have a perfect life but, in Our World, the girls prove that it isn't all glitz and glamour. For example, after Little Mix won the show, Jesy Nelson received a lot of cyber bullying about her weight and appearance. She explains that this made her feel incredibly insecure but, fortunately, with the help of her fellow bandmates and fans, she has now grown into a confident and happy young woman. I'd definitely recommend this book even if you're not a fan of Little Mix as you see a whole other side to them and a deep insight into what it's really like being in one of the biggest girl groups in the world.

'Where Am I Now?' by Mara Wilson

If, like me, you watched Matilda as a child then you may recognise the little girl on the front cover of this book. Her name is Mara Wilson and she portrayed the title character in 1996 adaptation of Roald Dahl's book. It's still one of my favourite films to this day and I've wondered for a long time what happened to the young actress who played her. Not only did she play Matilda but she also appeared in other films as well: in 1993, she appeared in Mrs. Doubtfire alongside Robin Williams as his daughter, Natalie; a year later, in 1994, she played Susan in Miracle On 34th Street alongside Richard Attenborough; in 1997, she portrayed Anabel in A Simple Wish with Martin Short and, in 2000, she appeared as Lily in Thomas and the Magic Railroad which also starred Alec Baldwin. These were some of my favourite films as a child and, it was after making The Magic Railroad, that Mara decided to quit acting at the age of 13 and focus on writing. In this book, she describes that there was a lot of pressure to remain the cute actress that she was known as in the 1990s. Mara also talks about what it was like working alongside great actors such as the late Robin Williams and how the two ended up meeting almost a decade after working on Mrs. Doubtfire. Many people may remember her for playing the title character in Matilda and Mara also gives in an insight to what it was like working on that film and alongside Danny DeVito. Of course, these are all the positive aspects of her life but she has also had some struggles along the way too. Whilst working on Matilda, she, sadly, lost her mother to breast cancer when she was only nine years old. Mara also bravely opens up about her experience with anxiety and depression. Even if you've never seen any of Mara's films, it's definitely worth a read. As a child, I wanted Mara to be in more films because I liked all of her other films, especially Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire but, now that we're both adults, I respect in her decision in quitting acting and focusing on what she really wanted to do which was to write.

The Girl On The Train

I recently read the book last month and thought it was a thrilling read so I was very much looking forward to the film which starred Emily Blunt as the title character, Rachel. Fortunately, it didn't disappoint. However, shortly after its release, it received a lot of criticism. I think that this was because most people were expecting something among the lines of Gone Girl which was a thriller adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel released in 2014. I didn't think that The Girl On The Train would be like Gone Girl because the only thing they have in common is that they're both dramatic films about mysteries. I think that this is a great adaptation of Paula Hawkin's bestseller novel, which was published in early 2015. Blunt's performance was spot-on as Rachel who is an alcoholic and is obsessed with riding the same train just to see two houses, one of which is her old home which she used to share with her, now ex, husband, Tom who is now married and has a daughter with Anna. The second home is owned by a couple, Megan and Scott, who Rachel thinks are the 'embodiment of true love'. However, after riding the same train on Friday morning, Rachel sees something that she wasn't expecting to see and is filled with anger. Suddenly, it's Saturday morning and she has woken up with a hangover and no recollection of the previous night and she soon learns that Megan is missing. Now, Rachel becomes caught up in this shocking mystery and is determined to find out what happened to Megan. I think that this is one of the most original films we've had this year. It's not a sequel or a remake (not that they are bad, we've just had too many of them) and features strong performances from the whole cast and a great twist. If you'd like to read my full review, click here.

Highlight of the Month - Meeting Emma Blackery (24/10/16)

If you know me, you'll know that I'm a fan of Emma Blackery's and have been watching her videos since 2013. I thought that her videos were really funny, creative and original. I liked how her videos were more focused on entertaining her viewers. I immediately subscribed and I soon discovered that she wrote and sung her own songs. Her most popular song, The Promise, really made me emotional and I respected her a lot for writing a song aimed at those who suffer from urges to self-harm, suicidal thoughts and depression. I do think that if you are currently struggling you should listen to The Promise. Despite it being a slow and sad ballad, the lyrics are incredibly uplifting including 'I promise that you are so beautiful' and 'just believe in yourself when nobody is listening'. I was fortunate enough to see Emma on Busted's 'Pigs Can Fly' tour in June and, despite suffering from a cold, she was still amazing. I bought myself a general admission ticket and a VIP Upgrade to Emma's gig at Sound Control in Manchester. I was so excited because I was finally meeting Emma after supporting her for over three years. I met Emma at about 7pm and she greeted me with a hug and was just as nice as you'd expect her to be. I've written a blogpost on this day, if you'd like to read it, click here.

So those were my highlights from October.

I really hoped you enjoyed reading it.

Every view does mean a lot to me so thank you for reading it.

❤

Meeting Emma Blackery - 24/10/16

*WARNING - This blogpost contains spoilers for Emma's setlist, if you're going to her tour and want to be surprised, don't read this.*

If you know me, you'll know I am a fan of Emma Blackery and have been supporting her since 2013. I think that her videos on YouTube are really funny and original and she also talks about serious topics in a honest way which I admire. I soon discovered that Emma is also a singer and songwriter and fell in love with her songs. Since discovering Emma in 2013, I've had eight tweets and several likes from her which may not mean much to some people but to me they mean a lot. 

When Emma announced she was going on tour and she was coming to Manchester, I couldn't have been more happier. I got myself a ticket and a VIP Upgrade which meant I was going to finally meeting Emma after supporting her for three years. Despite being really excited to meet her, I was also a bit nervous. I was attending the concert and queueing by myself which I've done before lots of times but it still makes me anxious especially when I'm the only one by myself. I got to the Sound Control venue in Manchester at about 5pm and, of course, there was a big queue of people. I went to the back and waited patiently. At about 6pm, those with a VIP Upgrade were let in and, after being handed a VIP laminate and a signed poster, we waited in a room in a queue. At about 6:20pm, Emma's tour manager showed up and explained the rules of the meet and greet. No selfies or videos were allowed but he would take a picture of us with Emma. And, at 6:30pm, I saw Emma walk down the stairs and the excitement started to creep in. I waited about half an hour in the queue and, at about 7pm, I met Emma! 

Emma greeted me with a hug and was like 'Nice top' because I was wearing her top I bought from the merchandise stand at the Busted gig. I told her I wore it specifically for tonight and I handed my two tickets for her to sign and told her that I saw her at the Busted gig in Manchester and that she was amazing and she was like 'thank you so much!'. We then posed for the picture and we hugged again and I said 'see you tonight!' and I walked up the stairs feeling like the happiest girl alive.

At 8pm, the support act, Arthur Walwin, performed a few of his original songs and was amazing and really got the audience jumping. Arthur is a friend of Emma's and has produced some of her songs and also features in her song, Next To You. If you ever get the chance to see him, you should go because he is a brilliant performer. 

 Emma came on stage at 9pm and her opening song was 'Sucks To Be You' which is a single from her latest EP of the same name. This is definitely my favourite song of hers as the main theme of the song is getting over an ex and telling them that it 'sucks to be you'. It's very catchy and lively and I'm sure a lot of people will be able to relate to the lyrics in this song. This was written by Emma and she sings about how one of her exes tried to get back in touch with her after she started making it big on YouTube.
Her next song was 'Go The Distance' which was one of the first songs she released in 2013. This song is completely different to STBY as it's about being in love with someone and thinking that you'll 'go the distance' with them. It's a pop song that, again, I'm sure a lot of people who are in love or in a relationship will be able to relate to. The whole audience was singing along as this is one of her best known songs. 

'Look What You Made Me Do', which also features on Emma's latest EP, was her next song that she performed. This is my favourite song from her latest EP as it's a pop/rock song about being in love and waiting for that person to notice you which is something I, and a lot of people, can definitely relate to. 
In 2014, Emma released her 'Perfect' EP which features a song called 'Pictures' and this was Emma's next song. This is very similar to 'Go The Distance' as they're both about being in a happy and loving relationship with someone. A lot of couples tend to take a lot of selfies and pictures which is cute but in this song Emma says that she and her partner aren't taking pictures as they're too busy having 'fun fun fun fun fun'. This is definitely one of her most upbeat and energetic songs. She then performed 'Perfect' which is a song she wrote for her viewers and tells them that despite the imperfections, we're all the same, we're only human and tells us that 'you're perfect the way you are'. If you ever feel insecure, I recommend listening to this song as it will improve your mood and make you feel a lot better about yourself. 
I mentioned earlier that Arthur Walwin, Emma's friend and support act, featured on one of her songs, 'Next To You', which was the next song Emma performed. This is a sweet and slow song about how happy you are waking up next to your partner. 

A few months ago, Emma announced she had ended her relationship with Luke Cutforth who she had been dating for over three years after they met through YouTube (he's also a YouTuber). Last month, Emma uploaded a video of her singing an original song she'd written called 'Instead' which is about someone who is finding it difficult to get over an ex-partner. Emma notes that her ex is 'kissing her' and she feels that he should be 'kissing me instead'. It's a really beautiful but sad song and really shows off Emma's vocals really well.
I think that the song that Emma will always be remembered for is 'The Promise' which was the song she performed after 'Instead'. Emma wrote this song for anyone who has struggled with depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and/or negative feelings toward themselves. This is her best song because it's so honest and heartfelt and will help a lot of people going through a dark time right now. A lot of people in the audience, including me, began crying as it's a song many people will be able to relate to. If you haven't listened to 'The Promise' yet, I highly recommend that you do especially if you're struggling. 
Not all relationships are perfect. Unfortunately, many partners cheat on their other half which leads to the relationship ending. Emma's next song 'Lies' is about her being in a new relationship but her ex-boyfriend is trying to get her back by saying he won't cheat but he continues to do so: "You said you wouldn't cheat anymore, you lied". 

When Emma first began dating Luke, the pair kept their relationship private and, it wasn't until October in 2014, that the two announced in a video that they'd been dating. When I found out, I was a bit surprised as I thought they were just friends. However, I couldn't have been more happier for them. The next song that Emma performed was 'Undercover Lover' which is about how she didn't want to be an 'undercover lover' and 'dirty little secret'. This is my favourite song from her 'Perfect' EP.
The final song from Emma's 'Sucks To Be You' EP, 'Let Me Be', was her next song. This song takes place after a break-up and her ex-boyfriend prefers the girls that 'live in limousines' and that he can 'go and party but that shit ain't me'. Emma also can't get her ex-boyfriend's new song out of her head and just wants him to 'let me be'. This song is very similar to the sounds of her other two songs on the 'Sucks To Be You' EP.

Emma then went off stage and, after the audience chanted 'One More Song', she came back on stage and jokingly said that she considered leaving her band on stage for ten minutes for a prank as they wouldn't have known what to do which made the audience laugh. The penultimate song Emma performed was 'Don't Come Home' which is a slow and sad song about the end of a relationship. During the slow songs, the audience used their phones' lights and waved them which she found beautiful and made her tear up a bit. Her final song was 'Fear The Future' which is a song from her 'The Promise' ep. This was a slow ballad about not fearing the future when you're in a relationship with someone. It was a great song to end the gig with and, after thanking the audience for coming and her band, she went off stage. 
Overall, this was, by far, one of the best nights of my life and best gigs I've ever been to. Despite Emma's worries that she might be suffering from a cold last week, she managed to perform every song perfectly and was full of energy throughout. At various points in the gig, she jumped down to the barrier and sung to fans in the audience which I loved as it showed how much she loves her fans.
If you ever get the chance to see Emma Blackery perform live, I'd highly recommend that you go as you won't regret it. I promise (pun not intended).

Thank you, Emma Blackery, for an incredible night.

And thank you for reading this blogpost, 

I hope you enjoyed reading it.

❤