Month: April 2018

Bright Ones debut album from Bethel Music Kids Shines a bright star from talent so young

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

Bethel Music is a household name in worship music but they also have a group of nine kids that write and produce worship music relaunching as Bright Ones but still with the same magnified amount of talent.

Hard to believe the kids featured are only between the ages of 12 and 16.

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Young or old, Bright Ones will remind you of the light within you, who you reflect, and cause to dance and sing in reverent worship.

 

Song by Song Review

Bright Ones:  EDM-musicality mixed with lyrics that remind the listener that God’s love shines from within us.

 

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Get Your Hopes Up:  Based on Psalm 30:5, reminding all who believe that they are living in the goodness that he brings

 

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You’re Gonna Be OK: A strong musical letter to all those going through various battles reminding those facing feelings of depression and anxiety who goes before them, and you’re gonna be ok.

No Longer Slaves: An EDM style to the popular acoustic Bethel Music worship song.

We Dance: My favorite song on the album because it’s got a dancy feel to it, and it creates an image of the worshipper dancing with the Lord instead of just dancing for our Great King.

Let My Life: A worship piano ballad that switches to an EDM dance jam that cries for the believer’s life always be a reflection of your love, Lord.

Never Gonna Stop: A worship song about God’s love chases after our hearts relentlessly, and even through the wild parts of our life story.

Spirit Move: A worship song making the listener aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the midst of their day to day life.

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Magnetic: An in-depth musical moment that uses imagery of God’s love being a magnet pulling us closer to him the more we believe in it

He Loves Me All The Time: A song that revels in the fact of God’s unconditional Romans 8:38-39 love for each of his children, and nothing can change that fact for all time.

Who You Are: Based on Isaiah 9:6, we can thank God for all he is in our lives through Jesus.

For The One: A song that reminds the believer they are a beacon of light pointing others to God & His relentless love for them.

Tell The Nations: A great conclusion to a strong debut from young people who are wholeheartedly passionate about spreading the good news about how Jesus saves.

 

#NationalPoetryMonth .@langleav’s poetry is a siren song for good in #Lullabies

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

Lang Leav returns with a second book of poetry that is made to sit beside your bed on the nightstand almost like a sort of dream-catcher to sing you to sleep when sleep is hard to come by.

Lullabies showcases a stronger writer as Leav’s poetry in this collection is very melancholy but highly emotive.

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One of my favorites in this collection is Her Words because it is a poem about a girl who writes, need I say more.

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#NationalPoetryMonth .@LangLeav ‘s #loveandmisadventure is a siren song for love lost and the hope of a future love that lasts

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

When I was a junior in college, I finally had my own room for the first time in my life.

Naturally, I was excited for how I would decorate my sacred dwelling since the choice was solely mine.

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I decided I wanted to have a poetry wall in one corner of my room and who’s poetry was showcased along the long wall near my door but the Tumblr poet, Lang Leav. Soon after this, I found out she was publishing her first poetry book and I was totally stoked for her as I had followed her literary career from the ground up.

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Boasting hand-drawn artwork and poetry from the author, Love & Misadventure is a book anyone who is hopeful for love despite all their misadventures and mistakes in love should own, and wants to reminisce every emotion that entails.

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#NationalPoetryMonth: Don’t Resist the Rebellion that engulfs you while reading Nikita Gill’s #WildEmbers

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

I admit to Instagram stalking Nikita Gill and her poetry.

The first time I ever read a poem by Ms. Gill I was in awe.

Then, a few months later, NetGalley sent me an email blast to tease new books

Normally, I delete them without reading because I have a queue of 80 books, do I really need anymore books?

The voice in my head always whispers, “Yes!”

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This time I was glad I opened it as I had the chance to read Nikita Gill’s book Wild Embers.

Since this National Poetry Month, I figured this was the perfect time to share my review and reaction to Wild Embers.

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Basically, it is a well-rounded book of poetry. There was only like five poems I did not read but skim so that to me says that the sparks I was ingesting lit a fire within me that I felt the burn within each sinew of my bones.

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And I remembered my identity: a supernova burning bright to discover pathways and planets uncharted, in order to make a new way for those that come after me.

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My absolute favorite poem in the collection was this one because it made me cry which sometimes leads to a clearer perspective:

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With Rupi Kaur’s second poetry collection, she is the Sun and we, her flowers #NationalPoetryMonth

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

I’ll be honest, I’m not Rupi Kaur’s biggest fan

BUT

I definitely came around to seeing her talent more so with her second poetry collection The Sun and Her Flowers

With this collection, Rupi discusses some of the relationship she delved into in Milk and Honey but in more of a metaphorical way with talking between the lines about the aftershocks of love (especially love that doesn’t last) instead of a literal way with imagery of sex.

It is apparent that Kaur believes sex equals love in some shape or form, but she does do a fantastic job of discussing society’s perception of using sex to get someone to love you, when they are all wrong for you.

Discussed in this poetry collection are themes of love, grief, self-abandonment, honoring one’s roots, and empowering oneself.

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My favorite poem in the entire collection was “What Love Looks Like” because of the word choice Kaur uses to poetic describe love by using dialogue she may or may have actually had within the walls of a therapist’s office.

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So many women have daddy issues because their dad didn’t give them love in a healthy way which makes young girls go out for looking for love in all the wrong faces, and almost becoming society’s biggest joke because of it.

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Love sometimes gives us all rose-colored glasses but the worst part of heartbreak is having to remove them and come to terms with the reality that you fell in love with an idea of someone who didn’t really exist. And that hurts you more than them because you almost feel as though you can’t trust your own judgement anymore for a while.

 

 

 

#MusicReview: Skillet’s Girl Drummer Jen Ledger steps out and has something to say with new six song EP

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

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Known for her unique vocals and powerful stage presence, Ledger has been working ardently in preparation for her solo launch, enlisting the talent of Skillet’s Korey Cooper along with GRAMMY Award winning songwriter and producer Seth Mosley to produce the six-song project.

 

Ledger co-wrote each of the songs on the project from a raw and vulnerable place, inspired by her own personal experiences with love, heartache, anxiety and “the fight – to not let these things hold us back and stop us from living.” As her cardinal endeavor, LEDGER is a collection of songs that personify the tension between fear and boldness. [To listen to the entire EP, click the hyperlinked name above]

Song By Song Review

I’m Not Dead Yet: With trademark versatile Christian heavy rock musicality and powerhouse vocals, Ledger is screaming for the enemy to realize every tactic that he brings against her is not valid, and challenges him with a fiery chorus and anthem like lyrics:

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Jen has said the song is about overcoming one’s hardest challenges and showing the world that you are strong. She wrote this because of the anxiety and panic attacks that had suddenly started happening to her in the past few years.

Warrior ft. John Cooper: 

The musicality and figher-like anthems on this album make it a great accompaniment for any workout or just a pump up song before doing something you thought you could never possibly do. Remember, you can do all things through Christ, friend!

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Bold: My favorite song on the album because I feel it fits who I am as a person and all I relate to the lyrics about remembering who my identity is in, and that I am called to be bold in Him:

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Foreigner: A song that details that feeling of not belonging that follows those within the faith because many are called but few are chosen. It’s because this Earth is only a temporary dwelling while heaven is our home.

Ruins: A piano ballad that showcases how broken you feel when a love ends, and the heartache that sets in after that, and how we must bring our ruins to the one who mends them back together.

Iconic: A rock ballad that will shake you from head to toe about how God’s love shakes you up for the better, and his love is practically so unthinkable it is iconic.

All in all, I am honored to have the chance to listen to Ledger because it encapsulates every moment within my faith journey where I had to decide if I was going to give into fear or continue the fight.

Ledger EP is available everywhere today April 13. Pick it up if you need an empowering pick-me-up.

 

#NationalPoetryMonth: La La Love by Katie Lewington Book Review

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

Subjectivity is poetry’s secret talent. Whether or not you find the words on the paper poetry, if a poet labels it poetry, no one can argue that it isn’t because poetry unlike fiction is more for the free-spirited and those who are exploring it’s free range in the field of writing.

For example, my favorite poet is Lang Leav and my sisters are die-hard Rupi Kaur fans.

Poetry has to use the right combination of imagery and emotion, and has to make me feel like I read something that was between the lines on the page. Few people can achieve the knock me off my feet feeling with their poetry but for me, Lang Leav comes pretty darn close.

With La La Love, Katie Lewington is in a league all her own. All poems within the chapbook showcase the different levels of vulnerability love unravels in us as we experience it within a relationship or develop the feelings.

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Picture this was one of my favorites because it reads like a spoken word poem. It has rhythm, cadence, and an overall musicality that could be performed. This also further proved that Lewington’s talent for poetry was multi-faceted, and although her book was themed with love poems, she could have you in a crowded pub or restaurant aware of every sound or gesture made by the people that were inhabiting the space between the walls.

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Katie Lewington was recently featured in a poetry anthology called

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It is a book of mental health themed poetry with proceeds that are going toward the mental health charity out of the UK, Mind. Click the image above in order to purchase the anthology.

 

#NationalPoetryMonth: An interview with Poet and Author, Mercy Jane Ballesteros

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

Today, I sit down and ask a few quick questions of poet and author Mercy Jane Ballesteros, she is the author of recently reviewed “Love In Between” which you can check out more about here.

How did you realize your love of writing?

Mercy: I started writing at the age of seven and from then on it has been my passion as well as a part of my life.

I noticed that you are only 21 years young. As someone who published her first two novels myself while still in high school, what motivates you to be so young and ambitious? Did you notice that people criticized you for being young and published?

 

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What inspires the writings in Love In Between?

Mercy: Most of the short stories are about my experiences since I got sick at thirteen and through writing I can pour out my emotions best. I am a homeschooled student since 2010 and I seldom go out so whenever I meet someone I will write poems about them or may it be songs as long as I am inspired it [and] it comes naturally.  

I noticed even your short stories read like poetry because they are so eloquent in word choice and syntax. What do you love writing more: poetry or prose?

Mercy: Poetry. I love writing it better than prose. 

What inspired “The Last Days of My Life” piece within Love In Between?

I fell into depression and got sick at thirteen. I wrote that as if I was going to die due to the agony I felt but “The Last Days of My Life” also narrates how I accepted my illness and I know that I am loved, and I am satisfied of what was given to me.

You are currently studying Marketing in college. What are your goals with your degree once you complete it?

Mercy: I am on my 4th year and will graduate on 2019. I am a stock market and foreign exchange trader, so I will continue to trade and seek investors for my future company. I will also focus on my writing career and continue improving my writing style. 

Would you say being from the Philippines finds its way into the heart of your work?

Mercy: Yes. My country is my pride.

If you could chat with one person living or dead, who would it be and why?

Mercy: My Dear Lord Jesus Christ. He gave me life and loved me unconditionally. He is my guide, my light. He never left my side. I love My Lord. 

Do you have any other books out or projects forthcoming? How can readers connect with you best?

I am currently writing another novel and an autobiography. Through the books I’ve written, I wanted to inspire the readers by stories that would captivate their hearts. With every word perceived, the reader and I, somehow, we have and through those pages, met.

Any advice for a young amateur or someone who has an idea but isn’t sure it will survive the cutthroat market?

Every successful person will advise every dreamer to never give up, never give in and never let go. I may not be successful yet, but If I were to ready someone I would utter the same words as I believe that success begins with a fellow’s will.

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