Monday, April 17, 2017

Favorite songs from 'GIRLS'


One thing I love most about GIRLS is their songs. They're never pretentious, and they feature a variety of genre, from the most mainstream pop and RNB songs of Ariana Grande, Kanye, Rihanna and Beyonce, to classics of Brenda Lee, Frankie Valli and Joni Mitchell, to songs I've never heard of before. Now that GIRLS has wrapped up, I look back to some of my favorite songs from this terrific show.

"Dancing On My Own" - Robyn
Season 1, Episode 3 - All Adventurous Women Do
Definitely the most memorable song in GIRLS. This started playing when Hannah tweeted "All adventurous women do", and her and Marnie started dancing in their room. It's not on top of my favorites but you can't make a playlist for this show without this song.



"I Don't Love Anyone" - Belle and Sebastian
Season 1, Episode 5 - Hard Being Easy
End credits after we see Marnie have sex with Charlie, and while Hannah watches Adam jerk off. It's a good song!



"Montezuma" - Fleet Foxes
Season 1, Episode 6 - The Return
Played when Hannah returned to her hometown in Michigan. I remember this vividly being nostalgic and sad. It basically has the sound of being at home.



"Don't Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas)" - Regina Spektor
Season 2, Episode 4 - It's a Shame About Ray
Fun song played in a fun scene where Hannah prepared a mini soiree party in their small unit in NYC. The shady conversation between Marnie and Charlie's gf then was hilarious!



"Bobby, King of Boys Town" - Cass McCombs
Season 2, Episode 9 - On All Fours
It's basically a song in the background while Hannah and Adam were talking outside a party. Its sweet melody caught my ear.



"Sight of the Sun" - Fun.
Season 2, Episode 10 - Together
One of my favorite songs from GIRLS. It played during the montage of the girls in season 2 finale. Girls is, most of the time, dark, so I didn't find it corny or cliche when it took a different turn by being romcom-ish. I found this rather refreshing, sweet and uplifting.



"Completely Not Me" - Jenny Lewis
Season 3, Episode 2 - Truth or Dare
The lyrics for this song is like the epitome of what the girls are in this series. Iconic.



"Good Times" - Matt Costa
Season 3, Episode 5 - Only Child
Only Child ended with Adam and Hannah fighting because of Caroline. After Adam shut the door on Hannah, there's a few seconds of silence, end credits rolled with this song in the background. So distinct and perfect.



"Blue Moon" - Beck
Season 3, Episode 10 - Role-play
Beck is amazing, and so is Blue Moon, and so is this episode.



"We Belong" - RAC Ft. Katie Herzig
Season 4, Episode 4 - Cubbies
This is one of those songs that's so in-sync with the scene and it's also probably because of its climactic nature. Desi tells Marnie he loves her, and they begin to have sex and then Hannah, with a smile, returns from Iowa to her apartment in Manhattan only to be welcomed by a stranger who turns out be Adam's new girlfriend.



"Fool for Love" - Lord Huron
Season 5, Episode 1 - Wedding Day
Also one of my favorite songs. I thank this show for introducing me to Lord Huron. Their songs are amazing! Listen to 'Time to Run'. Also, it's a perfect song to cap Manie's wedding.



"No The End is Not Near" - Benny Hester
Season 5, Episode 1 - Wedding Day
This song was playing when Marnie was having a meltdown over her make-up. lol



"Roll Up Your Sleeves" - Meg Mac
Season 5, Episode 2 - Good Man
Like Completely Not Me, this is also one of the most iconic Girls songs for me, mainly for its lyrics.  These girls must roll up their sleeves and face their neverending issues.



"Tied Up" - Casey Veggies Ft. DeJ Loaf
Season 5, Episode 6 - The Panic in Central Park
First of, The Panic in Central Park is my favorite Girls episode ever and I personally have an affection to this song because of Marnie and Charlie. It's great seeing them back together having fun despite being way more mature than the last time we saw Charlie. And this song gives a carefree, romantic vibe which highlights Marnie and Charlie's party scene together.



"Little Marriage" - Lia Ices
Season 5, Episode 6 - The Panic in Central Park
This played in the scene where we're already deep into Marnie and Charlie's escapade in Central Park, that we start to think that it's too good to be true. This song creates a dreamy and eery vibe which again lifts the scene's mood higher.



"Curse" - Viktor Taiwo
Season 5, Episode 7 - Hello Kitty
A heartbreaking song after a heartbreaking episode. Hannah and Fran see Jessa and Adam walking away together after a play. This song is so good, though.



"Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" - Frankie Valli
Season 5, Episode 10 - I Love You Baby
Now this is one of those songs that I actually knew before hearing in Girls but it was so perfectly used that I repeated this for hours. I think I even played this on loop while working out.



"Amsterdam" - Gregory Alan Isakov
Season 6, Episode 1 - All I Ever Wanted
This song is so light which perfectly captured Hannah in the beach. The whole Season 6 premiere was so lighthearted that it's scary.



"Weathered" - Jack Garratt
Season 6, Episode 4 - Painful Evacuation
The choir at the beginning of the song is a great background when we find out that Hermie's dead. It's emotional and amazing.



"Crowded Places" - Banks
Season 6, Episode 9 - Goodbye Tour
;_; Played in one of the most tearjerking scenes of Girls. :( We find out that Hannah is leaving the city away from her friends, and she was being mature, and it's sad because we're actually going to miss  the trainwreck that we love to hate.


THANK YOU LENA DUNHAM! THANK YOU MANISH RAVAL! We love your songs as much as we love your show.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Top 20 'Your Face Sounds Familiar' Performances


What makes a great Your Face Sounds Familiar performance? For me, it varies in different aspects! Some contestants are born with talent and skills, some do uncanny impression, and some are just unforgettably explosive. So here's a list of the 20 best Your Face Sounds Familiar performances!!

20.
Kakai Bautista as Eva Eugenio
Kakai got 8 pts for her Julie Andrews, but I thought this was her best performance. Underrated.

19.
Sam Shoaf as MC Hammer
Exhilarating performance! Kulit ng batang 'to, just like MC Hammer.

18.
Denise Laurel as Beyoncé
It might not be the best Beyoncé impression there is, but it's one of the most explosive performance of the show. Denise showed that she deserves to win with this performance.

17.
Jay R as Alanis Morissette
Jay R is top tier in his season, and his Alanis Morissette is unforgettable.

16.
KZ Tandingan as Jessie J
KZ is a late bloomer in her season but when she's great, she's all caps GREAT. This is first of her many mind-blowing performances in season two.

15.
Jay R as Stevie Wonder
He might not look like Stevie Wonder, but his voice is spot on. SPOT ON!! Jay R is an underappreciated singer of our generation.

14.
Elha Nympha as Dolly Parton
Simply beautiful! I think she's even better than Dolly Parton here.

13.
KZ Tandingan as Tina Turner
Whether or not she's imitating Tina Turner, this is a brilliant number.

12.
Edgar Allan Guzman as Daniel Padilla
Even Karla Estrada approves.

11.
Sam Concepcion as Eminem
Sam has plenty of great performances but this one is the uncanniest. Sam has the complete package but doesn't always get the imitation part. His Eminem, minus the face, is perfect.

10.
Nyoy as Sylvia La Torre
Nyoy is the most versatile contestant in YFSF, and dare I say that they also gave him some of the hardest icons to mimic. His Sylvia La Torre is just pure brilliance! Mad skills, Nyoy!

9.
Awra Briguela as Mommy Dionesia
Awra's best performance

8.
KZ Tandingan as Amy Winehouse
She killed it! Entertained to the core. She may not look like Amy Winehouse, but at least she looks like Ethel Booba.

7.
Xia Vigor as Taylor Swift
Xia went viral for a reason. CUTIEST.THING.EVER!

6.
Myrtle Sarrosa as Mystika
Those tears of hard work paid off. Like Denise, Myrtle is underrated in her season. Her Mystika is definitely one of my top 5 favorites in the world.

5.
AC Bonifacio as Sarah Geronimo
If we base the results solely on performance, AC must be the first winner of YFSF Kids.

4.
Elha Nympha as Sharon Cuneta
I doubted YFSF Kids at first because I didn't believe that these kids have the chops to imitate way older icons, but this performance proved me wrong. Way to go, Elha! Amazing voice control. 

3.
Erik Nicolas as Willy Revillame
His first impression lasts. Erik's one and only outstanding performance in his season, is also one of the best in the show's history.

2.
Denise Laurel as Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga is Lea Salonga, but Denise's version is surprisingly great that it's a crime she didn't win that week. This is the first week Denise truly impressed me, and despite winning the second season, she's one of the most underrated contestants of this show.

1.
Melai Cantiveros as Elizabeth Ramsey
I expected Melai's Elizabeth Ramsey impersonation to be funny, but it ended up being poignant. If there's a term, "on poignant", this is it.

All videos from ABS CBN Entertainment and Your Face Sounds Familiar.