Janoskians

Reviewed by The North Star

In this day and age YouTube is where people spend a lot of their time watching music videos, comedy shows and sometimes even mini-series.  I spend a lot of time on YouTube looking for new videos to watch and be entertained by.  I have the regular channels that I watch when they put out new videos every week such as Jenna Marbles, Tyler Oakley and KurtHugoSchneider.  One day I saw my sister watching a video on YouTube and she was laughing her head off and so I asked her what it was and she told me that it was a group of 5 Australian boys who made comedy videos.  I went on my laptop and looked them up and then for the next 24 hours I devoted my time to watching every video they ever put up.

(From right to left) Daniel "Skip", Luke, Beau, Jai, James

The Janoskians are basically 5  attractive Australian teenage boys who decided they didn't have anything else better to do so they made comedy videos.  The five boys are Beau, Jai, Luke, Daniel "Skip" and James.  Beau, Jai and Luke are all brothers (Jai and Luke are twins) and Skip and James are just their two best friends.  In the majority of their comedy videos they pull public pranks and stunts and tape peoples reactions.  For example in one of their videos called Baby Annabelle they walk around with a fake baby in a stroller and start doing random things like dropping the baby in the trash and leaving it in the middle of the street to see how others react.  These guys have absolutely no limit to what they will and won't do.  In some of their videos they dare each other to do random things and they NEVER back down from a dare.  Daniel "Skip" actually walks around the mall in just his underwear because Beau dares him to.
The thing that I really like about the Janoskians is that they actually seem really nice.  Some people on YouTube have let their fame get to them and in their newer videos they aren't as crazy or outgoing as before.    Although the Janoskians aren't household names yet they are still extremely popular but they are still the same guys that they were in their first video.  They are also really good to the their fans in the way that they recognize them and always talk about how they love their fans just as much as the fans love them.  For example, the Janoskians are REALLY big on Twitter.  Most celebrities on Twitter only follow other celebrities or never retweet or respond to their fans.  The Janoskians are constantly retweeting their fans, replying to their questions if they tweet at them and follow a lot of their fans.  I love the fact that they do this because then the fans can feel special saying that someone they really admire has followed them and it is a way for the group to keep the fame from getting to their heads.
The other thing about them and Twitter is that the fans always tweet during and after any live event/seeing them on the street about what great people they are and how kind they are! I was not surprised to hear this but it was such a great thing to hear because nowadays celebrities seem to be really mean in person unless they are forced to be nice.  My friend met Anne Hathaway at a gathering one time and said that she was not very nice at all and she asked other people and I guess this wasn't the first time she had been rude to everyone she came in contact with.  It stinks when I hear stories like this because if I was a super fan of Anne Hathaway (which I'm not) I would be over the moon if I knew I was going to meet her.  If I met her and she was a complete jerk to me then I would be crushed that she didn't want to even waste her breath on me.  Now, I am just using Anne Hathaway as an example, there are plenty of celebrities that do this too that I just haven't named.  In short, whenever I hear someone talk, see someone tweet or tell others about how kind and sweet someone is in real life it brightens my day and makes me want to meet this person just that much more.
In conclusion, if you have not heard of the Janoskians then you should head over to their YouTube channel right now (http://www.youtube.com/user/janoskians?feature=results_main) and watch any of their videos.  I'm 99% sure that you will enjoy them as much as I did but sometimes something are just not your cup of tea which is fine too.  Personally I really like the Janoskians and every time a new video comes out I watch it right away.  They also have a second channel called DareSundays which is when they do all sorts of crazy dares (http://www.youtube.com/user/daresundays?feature=results_main) which is very entertaining as well.  Finally they have a third channel which is their blog channel and anything and everything goes on this channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/janoskiansblog?feature=results_main).  Hopefully you love these boys as much as I do and I can't wait to watch the next video!

Real Teen Rating ~ I will be a loyal fan until the very end/ Next big thing

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Katy Perry- Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection

Reviewed by The North Star
Song Time: 1 hour and 17 minutes

The Complete Confection
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Teenage Dream- 9/10- This song is at least 2 years old but for some reason I still listen to it when it comes on the radio singing along in the car and I am not a big Katy Perry fan.  The song is weirdly catchy and I always have it stuck in my head.  It is going to go down as one of those legendary songs that when our generation is older it will be played on the "oldies" station.  This is one of those songs that it is really hard to not sing along to in the car.  If you are reading this and you haven't listened to the Glee version of this song then go look it right now.  I am not going to deny that Glee has had its problems recently but this is back when Glee was watchable and the songs were well thought out.  If you haven't heard this song, despite your feelings about Katy Perry or newer age music you should still listen to it because it will be one of the biggest songs of the decade.    


Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)- 6/10 - I am not crazy about this song but I will admit that it is catchy and I often find myself humming it wherever I go.  This song reminds me a little too much of Rebecca Black's song Friday.  Not much about this song is appealing to me.  The lyrics are not well thought out the beat/rhythm of the song sounds very similar to almost every other song on the radio.   One of the only things I like about this song happens to be the music video.  It is fun and fits the song perfectly but a separate review on that will come soon.  Back to the actual song, when it comes on in the car I almost always change the station but the second I get out of the car the song is stuck in my head so I guess the rhythm is catchy. Other than that the song doesn't have much going for it, especially the weird chanting towards the end of the song.     

California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg)- 6/10 - The original song was originally off a previous CD but for this release they redid a lot of songs with various celebrities.  When the original song came out I remember it was HUGE and you could not go ANYWHERE without hearing this song at least 6 times.  It got to the point that most people could recite the lyrics perfectly without any music playing.  I haven't heard this song in a while because newer songs have come along but I think that I can still recite the lyrics without any help.  As for my opinion of the song, I am not that crazy about it.  To me it sounds just like every other Katy Perry song with the exception of a few songs.  At first I did like the song but then it became overplayed and then I started hating it.  I don't think that it sends a good message at all, to the younger generation that is listening to the song and singing at the top of their lungs at school dances.  I wish the lyrics were more meaningful but I guess you have to have a fun meaningless song every once and a while.  Snoop Dogg also does not add much to the song and his part is kind of pointless.  In short, listen to the song if you haven't heard it (which would be nearly impossible) but don't expect genius.


Firework- 8.5/10- For some reason I really enjoy this song.  Every time I hear it I feel the urge to just starting singing as loud as I can along with the lyrics.  I'm not sure if it is the message or how it was composed but I really like it.  The message of the song is basically that you are who you are meant to be and that is all anyone can really ask for and to not worry because everyone is special at something you just have to find out what that is.  I think that is one of the most important messages to send to kids, especially ones who in this generation tend to feel less special.  Just everything about this song works and I don't think that is the greatest singer in the world but on this song she sounds really great.  When she was at a radio concert a couple of years ago this was her best song and it seemed like she really got into the emotions of the song and believed in the lyrics that she was singing.  One of the better Katy Perry songs.


Peacock- 3/10- I REALLY do not like this song.  The whole point of this song is that a girl wants to see a man's blank.  It is very inappropriate and instead of coming out and saying the actual word she says peacock but brakes it up so you definitely get the point.  The song is not funny, well produced or well written.  When I first heard this song I skipped over it after the first line because I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  Then when I finally listened to the whole song I wish that I could have unheard it because all of the lyrics are obscene and I do not want to know what drove someone to write this song, let alone record it.  If I were Katy Perry I would not have recorded it.  The only somewhat redeeming quality is that at points if you aren't listening to the lyrics the arrangement in the background is nice.  This is only though if you can get past the rest of this awful song.  It is labeled explicit for a reason.


Circle the Drain- 7/10- This is one of those songs that the second that you start listening to it you know that this is one of those songs that you would hear a club and people would love because of the hard bass and beat.  I cannot see this being one of the popular Katy Perry songs that is played on the radio 24/7.  I'm sure people love this song just for that reason alone but for me it really is not my cup of tea.  It isn't that I don't love this song but it is very high energy and in your face so unless I was at a club or going for a workout this song is kind of weird to listen to.  So if you love in your face music that gets you pumped up then I would say to check out this song because you will most likely like it. :)


The One That Got Away- 6.5/10-  When I first heard this song, I HATED it.  I remember talking to Dream and asking if she had heard the new Katy Perry song and just going on and on about how much I hated this song.  As I was forced to hear this song more and more I started to like the more and more every time that I heard it.  With most Katy Perry songs this seems to be the case.  I hate them the first time I hear it, love it after a while and then end up hating it after I have heard the song 15 million times. This song is OK.  It isn't great and it is awful.  There is nothing bad in the song which is a refreshing change and there isn't anything substantially profound.  The good thing about this song is that a lot of people can relate to it and think of that one person that they wish things had gone different with.  On that note the song is relatable but there is nothing then what you hear on the first time through. The one thing that I will say is that give it a few tries because maybe you will be like me and like a lot more the more you hear, just make sure you don't overplay it with yourself.   


E.T.- 2/10- I cannot stand this song.  At the concert where we saw Katy Perry she was trying out the song on our audience to see if we liked it before she released it.  When she started singing I became confused because it was SO different from everything else that she sings.  I remember thinking to myself that there was NO way that this song was going to become popular.  A couple of months later I was in the car and I heard this song and could not believe it! No matter how much I hear this song I will never ever like it.  There is absolutely no point and I really don't why people like listening to it....I really really don't.  I could go on for ages about my hatred for this song but I am going to leave it with never look up this song and listen to it you will want the 3 minutes of your laugh back.


Who Am I Living For?- 10/10- I had never heard of this song before I bought the decided to listen to the entire CD.  When I saw the title I was expecting to hate the song because I was expecting it to be really cheesy but it is the exact opposite.  It is more about someone's inner battle with themselves to define who they are.  Although this premise of a song also sounds cheesy it is not at all.  The song is all synthesizers, which in some cases works, but it is all very electronic and really like how it is strong it comes across.  This different approach to a very common song topic made me really have a new respect for Katy Perry but also gave me a song that I really ended up liking.  Even the lyrics to the song are great. I can feel a phoenix inside of me; As I march alone to a different beat; Slowly swallowing down my fear.  Those are the opening lyrics to this song and it really creates the whole feel of the entire song. I would highly recommend buying this song and just appreciating a really good song.  


Pearl- 6/10- This is one of Katy Perry's slower songs.  I have mixed emotions about this song.  At points I really like this song and then at other points I could really care less about it and would rather turn it off.  One bad thing about this song is that her vocals on this song don't sound the greatest.  It always seems like she is a little off.  Another thing is that the chorus is completely awful.  It is one of those parts that I just keep wishing was over.  It feels as if it doesn't know whether it wants to be a ballad or a techno song.  The versus' are really what carry this song all the way through.  If the whole song was like the versus' then this would be a great song but unfortunately the song wasn't written that way and that stinks.  Another good thing about this song is the message.  This song is basically about a girl that was pure and sheltered but then she meets someone who completely messes her up and tears her down but how she rises up from that and she realizes that she is worth more than he made her feel.  I think that is a great message to send especially for people that went through something like that or for any friend who knows someone going through something like that.  I just wish actually listening to the recording of the song was as strong as the lyrics.        


Hummingbird Heartbeat- 7.5/10- This the perfect example to show where sometimes I think Katy Perry needs to hire a new lyricist.  "Let's pollinate to create a family tree; This evolution with you comes naturally; Some call it science, we call it chemistry; This is the story of the birds and the bees."  I think when people read the title to this song they realize that it is going to be about birds, the lyrics do not need to be so literal.  Lyrics aside though, this song is catchy.  After reviewing this song I'm sure I will have the chorus stuck in my head for a good hour.  I would not be surprised in the least bit if this is the next single off of her album.  I can just picture everyone singing this song while walking down the hallways and in the car.  It is only a matter of time until this song is everywhere.        



Not Like the Movies- 7/10- This is probably the slowest song of Katy Perry's next to Thinking of You. When I first listened to this song I was very surprised that it hadn't already been on the radio.  This is exactly the song that teenagers love and love to relate to.  It is all about how relationships should be like all the romantic movies because romantic movies always have the perfect relationships.  If this song was on the radio I know that it would be extremely popular and every teenage girl would download it and have it on their iPod for when they encounter a break-up.  To me, this song is just OK.  The lyrics are average and same with the tune and composition of the song.  As I said above if you are a teenage girl then download this song because I'm sure that it will come in handy one day.  :)


The One That Got Away (Acoustic)- 7.5/10- This is the same song as above but instead of all the synthesizers in the background it is just Katy Perry and a guitar singing the song.  I like this version so much more because it is a stripped down version of the song which is really nice and it just sounds so much better.  Although this song isn't very deep for some reason the acoustic version makes the song sound really meaningful.  If you were looking at buying the CD and didn't know which version to pick, I would say to pick this version because it is so much more heartfelt and connects more to something that isn't quite there.  I often listen to this version and I don't often listen to the other version.  This one is definitely worth the $1.29.


Part of Me- 6/10- I don't really care for this song.  I am in the third stage of popular Katy Perry songs which is that now I am just sick of it and how overplayed it is.  This song is about not letting anyone bring you down and that you need to always stick up for yourself.  This is a great thing to sing about because it is an important thing for people to realize about themselves and to apply to every day life.  Again though, this song sounds like every other popular Katy Perry song.  If you try and dig deep and look for meaning in the lyrics then you probably won't find anything there.  One of the Katy Perry classics but not necessarily a great song that is to be remembered.


Wide Awake- 9.5/10-  This is Katy Perry's newest single that is played all over the radio.  Just like the One That Got Away when I first heard this song I did not like it at all.  Again, I heard it more and more and now I am in the middle stage of really liking the song.  Every time I hear it I turn up the volume and start singing my heart out.  I believe that this song is about someone coming off of a high of some kind and explaining what it feels like coming off of that high.  It is never really established completely what the high comes from which I really like.  This way if you listen to this song you could take it to mean whatever is more personal for you.  For whatever reason I really really like this song and so if you are buying the album, don't forget to buy this one.  It is a really good song.

Dressin' Up- 5/10- It seems like this whole album is divided into two very separate parts. One half is the club songs that are very electronic and the other is the popular pop stuff that gets played on the radio.  Then there are the couple random songs that don't seem to fit in either category.  This song falls in the very electronic group.  Since this song was probably expected to play in clubs they didn't really focus on lyrics so they are really silly and pointless.  In a club or at a party everyone would be so busy with their own stuff that they wouldn't even notice the lyrics so they don't need to be great.  For a party this would be a great song but just for listening when you are trying to do your homework or read it probably isn't the greatest.


E.T. (feat. Kanye West)-1/10- Read review above of the original song.  The only difference is that this version is worse because it envolves unnecessary rapping.


Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) [feat. Missy Elliott]- 3/10- I think this song is a lot worse than the original and I wasn't even that crazy about the original.  It is basically the same song except for every time there is a versus then Missy Elliott takes over and does her little rap and then when it gets to the chorus Katy Perry takes back over.  Also at random points in the song Missy Elliott will add a word or phrase.  To me it doesn't seem like they should have wasted the time rereleasing the song for just adding a few lines that actually make the song worse.  Not worth ANY of your time or money.


Tommie Sunshine's Megasix Smash-up- 8.5/10-  To start off this song is 7 minutes long.  A DJ basically took his favorite six Katy Perry songs and made a great track for a party.  I almost never like remixes of songs just for whatever reason but I really like this mash-up.  If I were ever to have a party this would be the number one song on the playlist because the way that Tommie Sunshine mixed the songs made everything sounds really great together.  Even the Katy Perry songs that I don't like sound really good in this song (like E.T).  If you are looking for a song with a great beat then this is definitely one to check out.

Real Teen Rating~ D+: Only a handful of songs worth listening to


Real Teen Download: Wide Awake, Teenage Dream & Tommie Sunshine's Megasix Smash-up

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