Sweet Summer Showstoppers

[Mel]

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 1 (July 2009).

Sweet Summer Showstoppers
By Katrina and Gidig

The summer of '09 is one of quick romances, hot days and sunburns. It's a summer of digging our toes into the sand, of cruises, of huge clouds, and of relaxing in general. Even more, the summer of '09 is one of sweet summer showstoppers, and the meaning behind these magnificent melodies!

"Second Chance" by Shinedown

"Even the man in the moon disappeared,
somewhere in the stratosphere."

At the beginning of the year 2007, the producer of this band asked the lead singer Brent Smith about his goals for Shinedown's upcoming album. Smith hoped that this album, The Sound of Madness, would be an album that far outlived even the members of the band. Second Chance in particular, which only became popular among radio lovers and young people in mid-April, has it's own incredibly unique story. This song is actually written about Smith's journey of leaving his hometown, country music central Knoxville, Tennessee, to pursue a career in the rock 'n roll genre Shinedown is now known for.

"The Climb" by Miley Cyrus

"[It] ain't about what's waiting on the other side,
it's the climb."

Miley Cyrus, forever known to our generation as teen pop sensation "Hannah Montana" was introduced to music at an early age from her father, Billy Ray Cyrus. Since then, as well as her debut to the celebrity world through the hit Disney Show "Hannah Montana," she has recorded a multitude of extremely popular and catchy songs. Her latest song, "The Climb," obviously refers to the trials and tribulations that life throws at all of us.

"Don't Trust Me" by 3Oh!3

"Black dress with the tights underneath,
I got the breath of the last cigarette on my teeth"

Though 3Oh!3 is not new to music, the band is definitely new to mainstream radio this summer! It's hit song "Don't Trust Me" is co-written by two of the members of the band, Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte. Motte says that this song is "one of two songs I co-produced with Benny Blanco, a phenomenal producer who our label hooked us up with. We sat down and started making that beat right when we [met up]. It came out sounding different than the other stuff but we were excited about it."

"Gives You Hell" by All-American Rejects

"Truth be told I miss you,
And truth be told I'm lying."

Written during a road trip, "Gives You Hell" is not your average All-American Rejects song. This song was number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on Pop 100 charts upon its debut. In the words of band member Tyson Ritter, "It's kind of this tongue-in-cheek way of looking at someone you hate, whether it's your mom, for some reason, or it's your teacher at school, or it's your boss at work. It's just someone who makes you struggle, and it's giving them the finger." It ended up getting released internationally and has been the major hit from AAR's album "When the World Comes Down".

"Love Game" by Lady Gaga

"Let's play a love game,
play a love game."

Lady Gaga's career only recently began to take off in 2008. This song is from her debut album, "The Fame," which also includes songs such as "Poker Face" and "Boys Boys Boys". "Love Game" was actually co-written by the Moroccan and Swedish producer RedOne, who also produced "Just Dance" and "Poker Face." As far as the promo goes, Lady Gaga explains, "I wanted to really bring forth the girl that I was four years ago, and I wanted to put it in the setting of the underground subway. I worked with [video director] Joseph Kahn, and he did an amazing job. He didn't just capture the fashion; he captured the artist."

"Halo" by Beyonce

"Everywhere I’m looking now
I’m surrounded by your embrace"

"Halo" was written by Ryan Tedder (who previously wrote "Bleeding Love") about a love so intense that it actually becomes heavenly. This song was actually written for Leona Lewis, but when she turned it down because she didn't have time, the duty was passed on to Beyonce. This made Simon Cowell, Leona Lewis's mentor and musical advisor, extremely angry. In the music video for "Halo," Beyonce gets very personal with 2 Fast 2 Furious and Seven Pounds actor Michael Ealy.