5 things i love right now

1. this song, "your dog," by soccer mommy



i first discovered soccer mommy (real name sophie allison) by way of her song "try" on my spotify discover weekly playlist. of course, probably because of the name, i imagined a fellow early 30-something woman singing it and was SHOCKED to discover she's 20 years old. ugh, the youth, i know. but she's really good and her lyrics are wise beyond her years and she's like a liz phair for the next generation (fingers crossed). this tune in particular, from her excellent new album clean, just stuck with me. to quote her instagram bio, it's "chill but kinda sad" bedroom pop, which we all need sometimes.

2. chris d'elia's instagram 

given my immense love for chris, i'm not sure why i wasn't following him until a few weeks ago, but it was probably because i avoid following most celebrities since i find them annoying and spammy. however, i've been missing out on some amazing content. it's the captions that really make it:

3. this guy, cade foehner, on the american idol reboot




you guys all know that i was quite probably the last person in the entire world watching the original incarnation of idol (something about it just makes me all warm and fuzzy and happy, unlike the weirdly soulless and hollow quality of the voice #shade), so it shouldn't be any surprise that i took a chance on the new version. however, i'm pretty shocked to say that even without simon and randy and the "pitchy, dawg"s and the making fun of people, i'm really into this take on it. even katy perry, who usually annoys me, has an amusing dynamic with lionel richie and luke bryan.

anyway. i was watching the other night and this guy just blew me away with his raw, bluesy rendition of "feel it still" by portugal. the man (singing starts at 1:08). he has it all: a great voice, commanding stage presence, and a fucking dreamcatcher on his guitar. calling it now that he's going to be in the top 5. side note: i was home for easter while watching it and my mom just started laughing as soon as he came on screen and goes "there's your guy!" my immediate response: "i just know there is a southern, long-haired, lanky, age-appropriate man out there for me and i will not rest until i find him!"

4. this thrift store sweatshirt i barely resisted 

so it wasn't this exact one, but it had the california raisins and it just said "raisin hell." after milling around the store, not being able to stop thinking about it, i marched up to the counter.


"i need to know. how much is that california raisins sweatshirt in the window?"
"40 bucks."
"maaaan...."
(guy smirks) "i know. i know."

i've been thinking about it every day since. being a responsible, grown-ass woman is truly the worst!

5. this podcast, style your mind

i love me some inspirational podcasts, and this is probably the best one i've found. it's just for ladies (sorry, dudes), and hosted by a woman who worked a corporate job she hated until quitting to start her own business in her 30s. a new episode drops every monday, and it's chock-full of practical tips for pursuing your dreams, manifesting your desires, and adding a little luxury to every day. it just puts you in a darn good mood and makes you feel like you can conquer the world. because you can, man.

love in the idol line: american idol's sexiest performances

it's baaaaaack! well, next week, anyways. as someone who's only voluntarily stopped watching during two seasons (the fantasia fail and the lee dewyze disaster) i will forever love american idol no matter what any haters say, because it's pure entertainment at its best. there are sob stories, success stories, seacrest wearing fake beards, steven tyler making up nonsensical phrases, randy saying "pitchy, dawg" and all sorts of other whimsy and wonder. my previous roommate had never watched before last season, but by the end of it she was proclaiming her love for ryan seacrest and voting feverishly.

forget "glee"...no other show has the power to make me download a clay aiken rendition of "don't let the sun go down on me" and revisit youtube clips years later. speaking of which, there have been some sexified performances that the fangirl within me will never forget (um, not by clay aiken, though). i give you, fine people, the top 3 sexiest idol performances of all time....OF ALL TIME!

3. david cook (season 7) - "daytripper"

i had a mostly hate relationship with david cook, mainly because he seemed super-arrogant during his season. but he brought out the voicebox for this performance and reduced me to a teenybopping mess with his bedroom eyes. ugh.

2. scott dangerfield (season 10) - "dreamin'"

this dude dropped out of the competition before hollywood week because he was a student teacher (aw!) but...DAMN. coulda won the whole thing. this whole clip is fantastic, but steven and randy's reaction at 1:05 is spot-on. love this man.

1. ace young (season 5) - "father figure"

i still remember sitting and watching this with my suitemates during my sophomore year of college. we were chatting and not really paying much attention, but all of a sudden we were all...."whoa. WHOA. why do we feel dirty in a good way?" and proceeded to watch it about 20x on youtube the next day. as someone in the comments section so beautifully summarized: "this song is so bizarre and sexual but hot damn when he sings it.." YEP!

"a red apple in a pile of green apples, y'know?"

weirdo 16 year-old redheaded floridian child auditioning for american idol? naturally he has won my heart. also....he seriously sounds like a soulful black woman. i can't get over it. you go, brett loewenstern!

p.s. steven tyler is making me LOL so much this season. "to my melodic sensibilities....that was delicious." WHO SAYS THAT?!