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Mental Health, Céline Dion, & Pepsi Bangers (with DJ John Michael)
138 Plays17 days ago
Get ready for a wild ride on this week’s episode of HOMOPHONIC! DJ John Michael is back — fresh from Miami Music Week — and we’re diving into everything from Britney’s iconic “Me Against The Music” remixes to Ricky Martin’s electrifying “I Don’t Care” and Ariana Grande’s “Brighter Days” deluxe edition of Eternal Sunshine.
The heart of the episode is a heartfelt celebration of Celine Dion, honoring her recent birthday with all the love she deserves. Plus, we’re getting real about the mental health, body image, and dating as I open up about a recent personal experience.
And of course, we can’t resist sharing our obsession with Pepsi anthems from Britney and Janet, as well as our excitement for Miley’s upcoming visual album Something Beautiful.
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Transcript
Chocolate Preferences
00:00:10
Speaker
That is an excellent question. I'm so happy that you asked me this. but I am 100% dark chocolate person. Really? Oh my God. that like So the chocolate chips that I'm eating right now yeah are 72%.
00:00:25
Speaker
And I'm obsessed. Are you a milk chocolate person? I am. Really? yeah I am. I don't know. I mean, I like dark chocolates in the chocolate chip cookies. Yes. But not to not normally just to eat on their own.
00:00:37
Speaker
Interesting. yeah Yeah, I'm dark chocolate all the way. i will eat milk chocolate if like, like, so once in a while, like, I'm not a big candy person. But like, once in a while, M&Ms just like hit that spot, right?
00:00:52
Speaker
Yeah. And so like, that's milk chocolate. Yeah. But I am 100% a dark chocolate person.
Candy Preferences and Introductions
00:00:59
Speaker
Okay. Wait, do you like licorice too? I don't like licorice. Okay.
00:01:03
Speaker
So was going to say, I feel like those sort of go together, but maybe not. Okay. Yeah. I don't like licorice. I'm trying to think of like, my sweet tooth definitely falls more in like, I'm an ice cream person. i love cookies. Yes.
00:01:15
Speaker
I'm not like, if cake is there, I'll eat it. I'm not like, but I don't go out of my way necessarily for cake. Truer words have never been said. Literally. higher here I'd rather have my cake get eaten. I'm just saying. I'd rather have my cake get frosted.
00:01:35
Speaker
What does Christina Aguilera say? Like, put your icing on my cake, you nasty naughty boy. um But yeah, but candy, i don't know. Like it's it it was a thing when I was a kid. I mean, I think all kids love candy. But then as I've gotten older, it's more I'm a baked good.
00:01:52
Speaker
ah See, and I'm just like the complete opposite. I'm like a sugar junkie. I want Pez. I want Pixie Stix. I want Fun Dip. I want anything that is pure sugar. Just like. My friend Michael loves gummies. And it's crazy because he has like this like he My friend Michael, he's stunning.
00:02:12
Speaker
And he has like this like beautiful, svelte, tiny little like bod. Right, and lives on candy. And lives on candy. Demon twink. Demon twink. I was like, I'm like, Michael, I'm like, i cause like, I will see, like we've been out and like, i will just, or we'll like watch like drag race together or whatever. And he's just like nipples on his candy.
00:02:32
Speaker
And I'm just like, I'm like, I would, ah you'd have to roll me out of here. Like, like Violet from right. I've got a blueberry for a daughter. Exactly. Very that.
00:02:43
Speaker
um So you, first of all, welcome back to Homophonic, everybody.
Meet the Hosts: Zach and John Michael
00:02:49
Speaker
hi e um For those of you that I've i've realized again, as ah as a host, i always get I always just assume that people just know who we are. Right.
00:02:59
Speaker
And just assume that like they're just dialing right in and they've been with us the whole time. Friends of the pod. Friends of the pod. Everyone's a friend of the pod these days. um But i my name is, I am Zach. My name is Zach. Some of you probably know me from a functioning gay on Instagram.
00:03:15
Speaker
um And then John Michael here, DJ extraordinaire. Hi, everybody. Hi. Like, I was gonna say, like, ah he he makes mixes. He does does. He works at Peloton. He DJs his own events.
00:03:27
Speaker
He just got back from Miami Music Week. He hasn't slept much. Yeah, he said bus, club, plane, next place. I hate that online they always cut it off before the end of that clip where she's like, no sleep.
00:03:39
Speaker
Nobody believed in me. I'm like, that's the part I need at the end. Yes. Nobody believed in me. Nobody believed in me. Exactly.
Musical Success and Surprises
00:03:47
Speaker
That's so real. But you just dropped, speaking of Peloton, you just dropped your remix on the platform for Major Lazer's Lean On.
00:03:54
Speaker
It's kind of crazy. I'm not even going to lie. Like when we were asked, I was very, very shocked. I don't know. I think I was also shocked because it's 10 years this month that the song came out, which is just absolute insanity. That blows my mind. It feels like yesterday. Oh my Wait, speaking of yesterday, i be before we go any further, yesterday I believe was the day that Rihanna's umbrella turned 18.
00:04:17
Speaker
she's legal she's legal to drink that she's legal to drink in canada maybe right oh oh yeah that's right no no she's legal to vote she's legal vote she can vote she can vote she can she can serve she's been serving but she can serve yes in the military she can take her umbrella to the voting booth that's right that's right yeah that crazy is nuts yeah wow yeah so it's it's it's kind of mad and i'm like uh I never really imagined doing a remix of that song. I think it's just one of those things that now has been so omnipresent in like the world. It's like over 2 billion streams on Spotify alone. It's like something really crazy like that.
00:04:52
Speaker
um But yeah, so like. It's crazy to think about because like I remember when that song came out, I never, it was some of those songs that I never hated, but I was never obsessed with either. Right, right. It just kind of like was like right there in the middle for me. I was like, I could take it or leave it. It feels like one day it showed up and then it was just everywhere and it's been everywhere since. It's been everywhere since and it's two, you so how many billion streams? Over two billion on Spotify alone.
00:05:15
Speaker
That's crazy. That is absolutely crazy. I would have, if you have would have told me that the song would have seen that much success, like when it first came out, I'd be like, right probably not. Right. and And I also read, um just because I was like going down a rabbit hole, that Diplo from Major Lazer had actually offered a slower, like more reggae version of this song to both Nicki Minaj and Rihanna, who turned it down.
00:05:36
Speaker
Yeah, well, you know, I was gonna bring that up because I remember reading part of that interview that he gave around the time that the song came out. And he apparently played her the song.
00:05:47
Speaker
And Rihanna's response was, i don't do house music. And I was, and I like laughed because I've made a meme about this and then people try to drag me being like, it's not house.
00:05:58
Speaker
But like house music is a form of dance music. And I was like, Brianna has many, many dance songs. So when she, mean so I was like, when you don't do house music, I was like, I was like, okay, so you just really shat on, ah don't stop the music.
Rihanna's Musical Journey
00:06:17
Speaker
Right. only girl we found love right right literally you're working with calvin harris what are you talking about yeah this is what you came for like you arguably your biggest hits i was like okay but like go off queen but isn't that crazy how these things work out though like it is it is and i feel like it's weird because like i hear like random stories about things like this in the industry sometimes and i'm like All right. You know, I would like to think that everybody sort of, I don't, I don't need everybody to understand all the sub genres of dance music.
00:06:46
Speaker
Not at all because there's too many and people are too particular about them, but yeah I don't know. I just imagine that someone like Rihanna would know the difference. Cause even if you hear that song originally, like this is like clearly Moonbaton, like this is not a, I mean, that's not a house song.
00:06:59
Speaker
Right. and And I love that you just mentioned Moonbaton because I have been, so the last two days, I have because, okay, so backtrack. As you know, i bought the deluxe version of Mayhem for the bonus tracks, specifically Can't Stop the High, which I then like a frantic person. So right behind my computer that i'm recording from, i have a an old desktop Mac that is from like 2011, 2012.
00:07:26
Speaker
Like it's, she's old. She's got a seat. So it's, I think the last time they had like the CD ROM. Yeah. She doesn't do house music anymore. She does not do house music. She doesn't do a lot. She doesn't do a lot. She kind of just sits there. she kind of looks at me.
00:07:39
Speaker
That might be my new line. She doesn't do house music anymore. She doesn't do house music anymore. i love that. And so long story
Zach's Music Uploads
00:07:49
Speaker
short, I was like, I need to put this song on my phone. How do I get this song on my phone?
00:07:56
Speaker
And one would think that like, oh, you just like plug your phone into your computer. Well, I have a I forget what generation this phone is, but that they're not very compatible. Right. And, and like this computer so old that like it it's on its, the final update, like it doesn't update any further. So anyway, but thank God for Apple and like with their magic or whatever, I was able to upload the song to my iCloud library, which then transfers to my Apple music. Thank God. So that said, once I learned how to do that,
00:08:23
Speaker
I have been uploading all the shit that I have. that She's ready. Oh my gosh. everything let's like Everything that's either like not on streaming, whether it's been officially released or like fan-made stuff, my own edits that I've made.
00:08:40
Speaker
And I have been crazy person. And it's funny, though, because it's not like... Again, it's it it works, but it takes a second. So like there are moments, and then there were moments throughout it where like I don't know what happened, but like it uploaded to my phone, but then everything was skipping, so I had to like remove it and then do it again. yeah but like I don't know if I'm going to show you really quick. I was laughing so hard, and Z Machine will probably appreciate this.
00:09:07
Speaker
um So again, everything that is just like not on streaming currently... including the plethora of remixes. We're scrolling here of me Britney Spears, me against the music.
00:09:22
Speaker
I mean, I think that right here, I want to say there's 23 remixes. And there's probably even more out there in the world. Yeah. Oh, for sure. these are the And these are just the official ones that I have. Right. Right. Like, and it's, and it's, and it doesn't even, it's not even everything. Like, it I don't have, like, what's missing is.
00:09:37
Speaker
Wait, do you want to hear the crazy stuff? Is that, ah so in Miami Music Week, there's a big record label called Injuni Beats and they are an Australian label and they do like very sort of like pretty trance, like usually very uplifting, like you would probably know a bunch of the artists.
00:09:50
Speaker
Anyway. Somebody had to couldn't make it down there, I think because of their visa. So they swapped in Gabriel and Dresden and they were going to jump in and take their set. And I saw them post about it on Instagram. And in my sick brain, my first thought, which I knew was completely incorrect, was like, huh, I wonder if they'll play them against the music remix.
00:10:10
Speaker
and Miami Music Week 2025. I'm not even kidding. Did they do it? no no, no, no. I have no idea. I mean, I didn't see the set. I was running around from Miami like a crazy person. That's funny. But it made me laugh so hard to myself. this is why this works. Because that's exactly where my brain went. I know. Immediately.
00:10:28
Speaker
Immediately. It's a great remix. It is. And but one of the one of my favorite club memories that I have from like the early 2000s is being at Limelight. I was seeing Gomi was spinning, um who, if you don't know Gomi, he was sort of like um one of the engineers that did a lot of remix work for Junior Vasquez and Frankie Nichols and whatever, and all these guys from then.
00:10:48
Speaker
And he was playing and he played that mix because I think it was new at the time. While he was playing, he had a four piece violin section come in and for about a half hour starting there, just played live over everything he was playing in the DJ booth from the floor looking up. at That is so cool. It was I had never seen anything like it. And every time I hear that song, but specifically that remix, that's exactly what it takes me back to. It's wild.
00:11:12
Speaker
that's um That's incredible. I love shit like that. yeah whenever i Whenever I see like live instrumentation paired with DJing, it's sick so cool. But these, like Me Against the Music remixes, like i ah again, a lot of these I have not revisited in a minute because they're not on streaming.
00:11:28
Speaker
There's this
Britney Spears' Remix Styles
00:11:31
Speaker
hip-hop inspired remix called the Dragon Man remix that that I absolutely love. that i And I have to say, you know what's interesting is that Me Against the Music is not one of my favorite Britney or Madonna songs in its original form.
00:11:47
Speaker
Okay. In its original form. But I appreciate it for what it is, but it's just not. but Sure. the re It's one of those songs where I'm like, these remixes. Wait, but which one is your favorite?
00:11:58
Speaker
Of the remixes? Yeah, because the gabriel the Gabriel and Dresden was the one that I used to play when it came out. I love that one the most. i So I was going to say, if we're talking about the club remixes, because again, there's several different styles. If we want to talk about dance music in different styles, yeah yeah this is a great remix EP to kind of talk about that. So we've got like the club, dance remixes.
00:12:20
Speaker
I would say what the gabel and ah Gabriel and Dresden club mix is more like Progressive House, I would say. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah, i at that time, yeah. um so that was one of my favorites but i also loved the breakbeat remix which was the terminal head mix loved that which which i think was only exclusive to like the like european audiences oh for sure i think it was on my it might have been on one of the import singles Yeah.
00:12:43
Speaker
And then, but then if we're talking about like the more hip hop urban leaning remixes, like you had, I think I would say the Dragon Man remix. I love the Rishi Rich.
00:12:54
Speaker
The Rishi Rich. The Rishi Rich. that which The Desi culture remix. I love that. Love that one. Where, where is he? Get him on the phone. Seriously. Paging Rishi Rich.
00:13:05
Speaker
but pay Literally, he did so many really cool remixes during that time period for different artists. I remember he did a remix for Craig David. He had a song called oh yeah Spanish that he did a remix for that was really good.
00:13:18
Speaker
um I want to say that he also did ah remix for... This is... Say it. I'm just laughing because again, this I love that we do this so much because I'm laughing because I was like, hey, do you want to record an episode about Celine Dion?
From Celine Dion to Unexpected Topics
00:13:35
Speaker
And yet we have not mentioned her once. And not once. yeah I'm sure we'll get to her. We will get to her. um But ah instead, and we're talking i was we're talking about Rishi Rich and I was going to say ah his remix of I Don't Care by Ricky Martin ah featuring Amory in that It's so good.
00:13:53
Speaker
It's so good. I was such a fan of that. I mean, I'm a fan of Ricky Martin in general, but I just, that one specifically, I thought really, that's a song we don't talk about enough. It really is a song that we don't talk about enough. It's like, for those of you that don't know Ricky Martin's I Don't Care, it's it was a Scott Storch production. So it's that very like Y2K, like Middle Eastern hip hop inspired leaning track.
00:14:18
Speaker
um It featured Amory. And fat Joe, I think. And there were, again, a plethora of remixes, including Rishi Rich. There were some dance remixes. There were some reggaeton remixes.
00:14:31
Speaker
It was banger. I loved it. And I want to say, did this song come out before after he came out? I want to say it was after. I think it was like right after. Right after, but he's still like cosplaying being straight. Right, right, right. And I'm just like, oh, he's an actor. He's playing a character. Exactly.
00:14:47
Speaker
And i remember the part where he's like, blow, blow, And the lyrics. You just made me spit my water. yeah But I just remember always just being like, blow, blow, blow. i mean i see you, Miss Martin. Exactly. I was like, don't have to tell me twice. Right.
00:15:07
Speaker
Oh, my God. I feel like he was like the first the first man that I can really remember like as i at a... um out blossoming gay man or in my teenage years that I was just like, I would throw it all away for you.
00:15:22
Speaker
I would throw everything away for you. And he's always, he's remained that man. I love him. I mean, I'm somewhere between Ricky Martin and Maluma. You can see that there's a type. Oh yeah. Yeah. yeah Yeah. Yeah.
00:15:34
Speaker
and Both can absolutely get it. Right. Like please. Absolutely. and we On their song too. Another great song just beyond that. Vente Paca. my I, you know what? I, I knew that they had a song.
00:15:46
Speaker
i don't know if I've ever actually listened to it. It's so good. Okay. It really, really is good. there's good remixes of it too. I need to dive into that. I need to dive into, maybe I'll have a little Ricky Martin moment later today. oh I am ready for that episode.
00:15:58
Speaker
And maybe like I need to look into, again, my archives and see what I have of his and see if I can transfer it to my phone. Because let me tell you, again, I was a crazy person this weekend. And it's just the some of the things that I found that were just so funny that to me that I was like, oh, this has to this has to go on my phone.
00:16:18
Speaker
like What am I going to do without the Johnny Rocks remix of? of ah anything. I'm not even kidding. What did I put on my phone was the Johnny Rocks remix of Cher's A Different Kind of Love Song.
00:16:30
Speaker
and Oh, and that's so good. it really is. And then just like, I mean, ah everything from that to um some like more like they're unofficial remixes, but they're really good. Like the Country Club Martini Crew remix. oh he does He just does great work.
00:16:47
Speaker
Great work. He really does. And it's like a really nice guy. His remixes of Sia's Move Your Body. ah Really good. so good um The entire remix package for Ariana Grande's Problem.
00:16:59
Speaker
Yep. um i like the remix all the remix packages for beyonce's like self-titled album like yeah who and partition uh bonus tracks from britney i mean just like everything and then like all little edits edits that i've made over the years and things like that and just like it was a lot of fun to like revisit i was i was having a blast I wish I was in Apple Music early and I feel like I really have to like get into that because it it does, even just like when you show your phone, like it looks just from an organizing perspective so much easier because like I've been on Dropbox for so long and that's where most of my stuff that's not on streaming lives.
00:17:36
Speaker
But it is a pain in the ass to go to Dropbox and do this because it's not meant to be a streaming service like that. I was going to say, when you go to Dropbox, are you just like listening straight I'm just listening to the file. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. It's just the file in my Dropbox. but Right. I mean, some of it is some of the stuff that I have is like really random ah and obscure. So it's like... Well, I mean, I'm always texting you being like, do you happen to have that? Like, you're the only person in the world that I know. I'm like yeah i think I do. Yeah, hold on. Yeah, I think I do. You do. And so, like, i like i asked you... well And again, another artist that I was laughing about that I revisited, I texted you about it over the weekend, weekend was...
00:18:09
Speaker
cello i think that's how you say his name, cello. think so. And his song, he was like a one-hit, and one-hit wonder is probably being gracious. At least in the English-speaking world.
00:18:20
Speaker
He had a song called Cha-Cha that was like this, I don't even know how you describe it. It's like a hip-hop blend Latin i Kind of like an old school, like swing style horn. It's Lou Bega adjacent.
00:18:37
Speaker
Yeah. Like, yeah. Like a more like cooler quote unquote version of Lou Beg. Right. Right. But like, i like I was obsessed with that song from like 2006. And so what like, I saw that and then like I had the the remixes by like Dave Aday and L.E.X.,
00:18:55
Speaker
which I was like, oh, these have to go on here. You know what else I just thought of? Now I got to look it up on Spotify in the moment because when when you say 2006 or whenever I think of 2006, like it was such an odd time in dance music, I feel.
00:19:08
Speaker
Yeah. Because like it was in that transitional moment where we were kind of like club life was changing. The clubs weren't being open in America's long radio formats were changing.
00:19:19
Speaker
And even the technology was changing before we got to like the straight up like David Guetta, kind of like madness of it all. Do you remember a song called No Strings by Lola? It was just one random track.
00:19:30
Speaker
No. Oh my I don't know that one. It's literally just, let me see. It doesn't even, doesn't look like it exists on Spotify. Yeah. Of course not. It was the song that came out. I feel like Dave O'Day might have been involved in it too. Maybe he did a remix, but I think it was Josh Harris was the remix that I like to play.
00:19:47
Speaker
It's totally a song about just casual sex and it's great. And you would absolutely love it and I'm going to find it. We love song. We love a song about casual sex. Right. can't believe it's not streaming. That sucks. Yeah, the only Lola's that I know... Well, there's three Lola's that I know.
00:20:00
Speaker
I know, obviously, Madonna's daughter, Lola. And then there is the song Lola, written by Lady Gaga, performed by Valeria. Yes. Which is, like, this random-ass song that I absolutely love. and And then there is...
00:20:17
Speaker
when JLo was kind of having one of her flop era moments uh-o and she had her alter ego Lola and she recorded it was her first pitbull collaboration fresh out the oven yes I love that one it's so good and it's produced Pharrell yes and want to say the music video was directed by Hype Williams I believe and it's not on streaming it should be on streaming It had a flawless remix package. It did.
00:20:48
Speaker
And that would, you remember that time when like, I want to say it was shortly after Beyonce came out with, i am Sasha fierce. And I feel like all the girls for like a split second had like an alter ego moment.
00:20:59
Speaker
Yes. Because like jeni Jennifer Lopez had Lola. I want to say, ah let's see, Brandy. Brandy had two. She was either B-Rocca or Brand New, which she was like rapping on a song.
00:21:12
Speaker
Mary J. Blige had Brooklyn. Right. what what Where was Madonna at this point? Is this MD&A? No, this was like 2008, 2009. Oh, this is, okay. So this would have been Hard Candy era and she was M-Dolla. M-Dolla.
00:21:26
Speaker
I mean, look, it's just saying when the girls are the girls and the girls are girling. The girls were girling. And God, I love, i love that time period. Yeah.
00:21:36
Speaker
Yeah. It was crazy. you imagine, but can you imagine if somebody like Celine Dion did something like that? What would her, if she was just like, call call me C-Dala. C-Dala. C-C Money.
00:21:48
Speaker
Right. Like, oh my
Celine Dion's Cross-Cultural Appeal
00:21:50
Speaker
gosh. and And she does a little rap. I mean, she don't put it past her. i mean, we've seen her rap before. she She would do it. She would do it. You know, Celine Dion, very big in the ah Caribbean community.
00:22:01
Speaker
Or I should say Caribbean, not Caribbean. That's how Billy Ocean says it. Is that because of um Treat Her Like a Lady? i don't think it's because of it.
00:22:13
Speaker
I don't think they heard that and was just like, this is the one. i it's Just every every Caribbean person I know goes so hard for Celine Dion. Even if you've seen, what is it, Desus from Desus and Miro?
00:22:24
Speaker
Have you ever seen them? No. They had a Showtime show back in the day, but Desus has talked about Celine Dion many times and how much he loves her and like big, big fan of her. um but yeah I love that. Oh my God. I love that. There is a like recording session of her recording Traitor Like a Lady.
00:22:42
Speaker
oh it's so good. It's so good. And it's so funny. Borderline parts may be a little, I don't want to say problematic, but it's just very of the time. Right. Where, like, there's one black man in the room, and as she's, like, working over the, looking over the lyrics, she, like, turns to him and is, like, doing, like, yo, yo, yo.
00:23:01
Speaker
It's just like, oh, Celine. so But it it's so funny. But, like, she then, like, goes on the mic and then Like my jaw hit the floor. Just slays it.
00:23:16
Speaker
Every take. One of my favorite videos to watch is the recording sessions for the Taking Chances album. That whole little doc about it. Ooh, I have not seen that.
00:23:28
Speaker
Zach, oh my God. That is your homework. Okay, that's my homework. It's fantastic. And it's got everybody's in it. Cara Diaguardia is in it. like There's like all the producers, the piano players. like It's so good. Umberto Catica is in it.
00:23:40
Speaker
ah Love. yeah Love. I mean, I'm glad that we're talking about her because she had a birthday this weekend. i mean Happy birthday. Happy birthday. I mean, Diva Week was last week. be Beyond. had We had birthdays slash so sa anniversaries for Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, i Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion,
00:24:05
Speaker
And there was another person whose birthday it was that I didn't realize. And I was just like, okay, who wasn't born? Right. And isn't that weird? and It was crazy. see I mean, that all of these iconic women.
00:24:17
Speaker
Wait, and I need to figure out, my friend Lauren sent it to me because somebody posted, it was somebody posted about Mariah Carey and her birthday last week. And when they posted the caption,
00:24:30
Speaker
Who was it? Oh, it was Vogue magazine. In Vogue magazine's thing, they actually put her age, the number. as My friend Lauren said to me, it was just like, someone is absolutely getting fired today.
00:24:42
Speaker
I was like, not the number. buyers I'm not even kidding. I know. Oh my God. Wild. Crazy. That's crazy. yeah But I mean, a great, a great time to celebrate all the girls. so Yeah. How, I mean, can we say it? Like, is she 59?
00:24:59
Speaker
She's 57. 56. Okay. I'm like, 56. 56, 56. I mean, she looks phenomenal. ah you're Honestly, 50s are the news ah the new 30s at this point. right Like, it's crazy. She looks phenomenal.
00:25:14
Speaker
Yes, i write I recognize that she has a glam team and she's probably had Botox. Yeah, I don't give don't care. Like, right. Like, because if you think that that's easy too, then you've never had glam before.
00:25:25
Speaker
Right. Yeah. Sorry. Like, I don't know what else to tell you. Yeah. And I mean, she looks amazing. I mean, her skin looks amazing. Right. Look, let me tell you, every, anytime I have done any type of like,
00:25:36
Speaker
Photo, video, whatever stuff for Peloton. Like, you always have time for glam. And even on me, like, I'm not getting makeup, but, like, it's a whole process. Like, when they want the best of these photos, these makeup artists, people I don't think realize.
00:25:48
Speaker
The girl that, the girl Lindsay that I work with, who's phenomenal, by the way, she will do a full-on, like, facial massage first to, like, get everything relaxed for the...
Celebrity Glam and Public Perception
00:25:58
Speaker
best application of the creams and the lotions to make your skin look good and do the whole skincare routine and do stuff for the beard and do the eyebrows. It's like, it's a whole thing just for me, let alone Mariah fucking Carrie.
00:26:12
Speaker
but Right. I'm jealous. I want to get that done. I mean, but it's, it's very, very rare that I do that, but it's like, yeah, it is a process and you know, sure. am I putting it on myself? No, but it is, it takes a minute and trust me, it's,
00:26:24
Speaker
Yeah, ah yeah it it is a lot And yeah, I mean all look amazing The girls need glam why are you going to argue about the glam? Yeah, it's what we want That's what we want is that's what they're doing it for right I watched an interview with Cher once And she said, you know She's like, I don't know how I win this game Because if I didn't do all of this Everybody would be like, oh, have you seen poor Cher? She's a toothless old hag But if I do it, then you're mad about that too Right.
00:26:49
Speaker
Yeah. It's like, what do you want? right It's the ageism is so crazy. I mean, someone yesterday on Twitter, I started responding and then I was like, Zach, stop responding to people who don't have their face showing on social media.
00:27:04
Speaker
Like it's just not worth it. Right. I don't care how big the account is. It is not worth it. Right. excuse me And someone shared ah fa ah that it was Celine Dion's birthday. And they were like, I thought she was in her 70s. I think cher or ah share ah Celine is also 56 or 57.
00:27:22
Speaker
And I was just kind of like, the way that they were like, I thought that she was in her 70s. I was just kind of like... You know, what is, again, to your point, what is Celine Dion or any woman, regardless if they're a pop star or not, right what are they supposed to do?
00:27:37
Speaker
like Like, if they get plastic surgery or Botox or get the glam or a mixture or whatever, right you criticize them for doing too much. Right. But then if they just let themselves age gracefully, you talk about how old they are. Right. And and and and it's not that they're old.
00:27:54
Speaker
The implication behind that is that they are ugly, undesirable, has-been. Yep. And you know what? i I watched an interview actually last night with ah Nikki Glaser, the comedian.
00:28:07
Speaker
Yeah. And I think she was on Jimmy Kimmel or – no, no, Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy Fallon. Yeah. And he was asking her about like Ozempic and like all this other like, you know, taking care of yourself and like doing so whatever.
00:28:18
Speaker
And she was just like, you know what? She's like, the only people that are mad about Ozempic are other thin people. She was like, they don't want you to be thin. She's like, because you have a dynamic personality and you're a good person. She was like, and that's being thin is all they have.
00:28:30
Speaker
Yeah. She's like, and now of a sudden all these thin people are like, but what about the medication when you've never cared about it before? and it was really Never cared about it before. ah yeah shit that I saw that same
Body Image and Societal Expectations
00:28:40
Speaker
interview. was so good. and But it is true, though.
00:28:43
Speaker
it It is true. and it It really got me thinking about people. It got me, you know what it got me thinking about pretty privilege.
00:28:55
Speaker
hu It got me thinking about pretty privilege and how there are so many people in this world who have had advantages based on how attractive they are. Which is often synonymous with being either thin or really fit, like, you know, kind of like the quote unquote lean muscular bod, right? That's like the idyllic body that everyone seems to kind of gravitate to.
00:29:22
Speaker
and I don't know. It's just fascinating because I think there's a lot of people who don't realize that that exists. ah We could go deep into this. Oh, yeah. yeah That's a whole different episode. We could go deep into this, but I guess the reason why I was thinking about it, because I've seen kind of both sides of it, because i was...
00:29:44
Speaker
ah naturally naturally I'm a heavier person so I grew up my entire life kind of being like the chubby kid and then going into high school early adult years I was like a ah I yo-yoed between that and like the quote unquote skinny fat if you will right And was constantly being ah criticized for my appearance, especially on like the dating apps.
00:30:11
Speaker
And then 2019, I went on a date with this guy who leading up to the date, we ah hit it off, like texting all the time, messages.
00:30:23
Speaker
like lots of really great conversations. We, I got to the date. The date was great. When I left and we were walking to the car, he glanced down and saw my stomach and the energy shift, it was like he saw a ghost.
00:30:38
Speaker
Stop it. I'm not even kidding. This was this was June 2019. It was like two weeks before my birthday. And I will never forget it. it was the It was the straw that broke the camel's back where I was like, I'm going to show you not only you, I'm going to show everyone. right And then that's where this came from.
00:30:55
Speaker
i was going to say, because I don't know how long you've looked like this. um It's only been since 2019. And let me you. That's crazy, girl. your but like Honestly, your body's ridiculous. like Good for you Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that.
00:31:10
Speaker
But it this is – I guess I just say all of this because it's like – because then – At that same time, though, that's when body positivity really took a turn into the mainstream.
00:31:24
Speaker
And so then all of the sudden, there's all this conversation about like being thicker is hot and all of this stuff. And then here I am losing weight. And actually back in 2020, I got probably a little too thin.
00:31:37
Speaker
But like, and then I was getting criticized for that. And you know what? And that's, I will say one of the blessings of working at a place like Peloton and being in this ecosystem is kind of seeing it firsthand and getting to the point now where I realized that, like what I was saying with Cher, like there is no real winning when it comes to this.
00:32:00
Speaker
So yeah you can't live your life for people online because what I also realize is that when I've been too much of either way, somebody has something to say, but the the reality is that Most of the people in my DMs, most of the people that I speak to say overwhelmingly positive things. Now, I've lost weight recently.
00:32:18
Speaker
And, you know, it's been a lot of work. I'm not going lie, but it's yeah one of the coaches, Christine, that I work with, she always says, and it you know, when you're around this stuff for so long, it starts to sink in.
00:32:29
Speaker
You know, she always says that you're so much bigger than a smaller pair of pants. and i love that. and it really is like sometimes like i know we think some of these things are hokey but like she said it and she always says it and i just it stuck in my head because it really is that like i would be right now where i'm at would be that sort of skinny fat weird whatever by sure i am so much happier Right now than I have been in a very, very long time.
00:32:53
Speaker
So I'm like, I don't, you can feel however you want about me. I don't actually care. I think I saw RuPaul say it. If you're not feeding me, financing me or fucking me, it doesn't really matter. Sorry, babe. Oh my God. yeah It has to be freeing. You have to let it go because really girl if there If they're not happy about the body you have right now, I'm sorry. Bitch, that's jealousy. It's – well, it's crazy just crazy. I mean, right I think that just now, I think that it's just kind of like – I don't know.
00:33:22
Speaker
Dating is just strange. Right, right. And like behind the scenes, I mean I haven't talked about it much on the podcast, but fuck it. I'll be vulnerable, but I'll be honest. And, you know, I recently was ghosted and by someone that I had been going out with for about five weeks. Now, granted, we never ah define the relationship.
00:33:38
Speaker
Sure. And for about two to three weeks after the fact, I won't lie. Like I was really fucked up in my head about like what the fuck happened.
00:33:50
Speaker
And it was never a physical thing. And ah bait because we did get in contact and we had a nice conversation after the fact. But he he stated that it was never like a physical thing. But that's where my brain immediately went.
00:34:04
Speaker
My brain immediately went when I was like, I was like, oh, it must have been that like I wasn't physically enough for him. Right. that's That's the way i always feels. Yeah. Or I wasn't masculine enough for him or whatever.
00:34:17
Speaker
Because that's another thing is that people will like message me and be like, and as we're talking, they'll be like, oh, sorry. you're you're They'll be like, I'm looking for some like someone who's masked.
00:34:27
Speaker
Right. And I'm like, what exact what about these photos of me right now? But not even that, and I'm sorry, like, not to be crude and crass on the pod, but you have sex with men. like they're Just saying. Like, I don't know what masculine you're looking for. like it's It's an aesthetic, I understand that. Like there's there's things, it's preferences people could be attracted to different, they sure, whatever, but it's like the mask thing really does get me because I'm like, if you're making out with a man and you're doing whatever, like by traditional standards, you're not masculine.
00:35:03
Speaker
Just saying, you know, if you want to define yourself by that binary, which was created by heterosexual people, that's up to you, boo. But yeah that's not masculinity is what you're looking for. It's a fetish. And that's totally fine. You can have a masculinity fetish, which yeah feels toxic to me.
00:35:20
Speaker
But that's not what masculinity is. So maybe this is the question for the social media audience. This is what i need to know. what Define masculine. Define masculine and define feminine. What does that actually mean?
00:35:34
Speaker
What does that actually mean? Because I guarantee – because I look – don't get me wrong. I mean you've seen my boots. You've seen my shoes. yeah You've seen my outfits. We all have seen my outfits, and I understand that, yes, I can look – fairly flamboyant at times and i love that and i live that's my but i'm living my best life and i don't really care what people think about that however i also look at a lot of my outfits and i look at the photos of myself and i'm like what exactly isn't masculine right like like help me understand because again these people i'm talking to on you know grinder or whatever and i'm like
00:36:12
Speaker
you're not hearing my voice. You're just seeing a photo of me. And to be honest, usually I'm not wearing a lot. Right. and Right. And so, so I'm like, what is what is, happening what are you seeing that you're like,
00:36:26
Speaker
I'm telling you right now, it's the clothes. People have a visceral reaction to clothing because you know what it is? I think when people talk about masculinity in this context, my take on it is that they want somebody who isn't clockable, like the girls would say, like the dolls would say They don't want to be clocked.
00:36:44
Speaker
They don't want to be in public. They don't want to have the attention. They're not comfortable with their own levels of masculine and feminine within themselves, but So the idea of being with somebody who would attract attention in a way in a public sphere to something what they can conceive to be negative is where I think this all derives from. Because I don't know what else it could possibly be. If you want to say, hey, you know what? You wear pink boots and I don't like pink boots. Well, I don't know what to tell you.
00:37:11
Speaker
I mean, ah they're just it's an article of clothing. Right. Like you're not yeah talking about me because when I'm with you and all the clothes come off, I'm very much a man. Right. I'm very much the pink boot. you i You're like, no, but actually. Actually, I take this all off and actually surprise. I'm a pink boot.
00:37:30
Speaker
And girl, we love you for it. And that's exactly the way that it should be. and but And yeah, and no, you're so right. And you know and i think I think the thing that kind of broke my heart a little bit about this whole situation is that the thing that I loved about this guy sorry, I shouldn't say loved. I mean, i when I say, well, I'm going say loved.
00:37:51
Speaker
I'm not, I was not in love. It was too short for that. But the thing that i really enjoyed was that he met me in one of my more flamboyant outfits. I was wearing god pink metallic pants with black combat boots.
00:38:07
Speaker
I was wearing a black corset and then this like, ah like cutouts, like fitted top underneath the corset. So like, i it was a statement and it was a moment.
00:38:17
Speaker
And this is the only time someone that I've ever been interested in, in in like a romantic sexual way that said, I love your vibe and was like all, and I like, and I think that's why it broke my heart so much because i was like, Oh my God, I think I just met someone that like loves me for me or like likes me for me, you know?
00:38:40
Speaker
And so i don't know. It was just one of those things where it was, it was really challenging because then of course, when the ghosting happened, then I like second guessed everything and you know,
00:38:52
Speaker
doesn't make it easier that like I'm approaching 40 and, and being all like, you know, ah in my head about that as well. And, and so anyway, it was just one of those moments of, right you know, it just makes you think about, it makes me think of,
00:39:08
Speaker
every ah Pretty privilege, age privilege, like all of these things. And yeah, just a wild time to be alive. It really
Breaking Gender Norms
00:39:16
Speaker
is. And <unk>s that's why I feel like I wish that people, I mean, we're recording this on Transgender Day of Visibility as it as it is. And I feel like people would sort of, I wish that they would drop that binary way of thinking because it really, it's patriarchy keeps us all trapped.
00:39:30
Speaker
It really does. But. Trapped, trapped, trapped. Yes. So what do you say to taking chances? You know what? We've covered a lot of mental health things today. We certainly have. And i have to say, what do I say to Taking Chances?
00:39:46
Speaker
That song will always hold a special place in my heart because that song came out when I first moved to Grand Rapids. Oh, work. So I want to say, like, I moved to Grand Rapids in the August of 2007.
00:39:59
Speaker
And so I forget when that single and album came out, but it was shortly around that. It was around that time, if not shortly after. And so I will always like think of first moving Grand Rapids and being like, what are you saying?
00:40:14
Speaker
Taking chances. It's so great. Like it hooks you immediately. It does. And I just love that like pop rock sound from that time period. So good. And and she nailed it. She really did. The production on this album is fantastic too.
00:40:29
Speaker
Fantastic. You're the one that pointed out, I remember i back on the Pop Theory ah show, you had mentioned, was it Shadow of Love? ah It's so good.
00:40:41
Speaker
it's such a banger. It really is Yeah. This is such a great album. And I really wish that like Eyes on Me had more of a moment. i know. I know. And actually, I'm not even going to lie. like Shadow of Love might be my song we don't talk about enough.
00:40:56
Speaker
I love that. Let's celebrate that. Yeah. I mean, I don't know. I could pick a lot because I feel like if we're doing a Celine thing, this is really hard to choose, but yeah. I will say, wait, I will say you, sir, when you put up your carousel for Celine, I was so excited for the inclusion of when the wrong one loves you. Right.
00:41:13
Speaker
That song it's fucking slaps. It's I'm sorry. Like it is such a good song. So that album, the a new day has come album. hmm. That album I have a soft spot for because I think that came out around the time that came out with 2002. So I, it came out right as I was going on spring break with my grandparents. So I just had this like, this a very special memory of traveling down to Florida with them and just listening to that album and just, it felt very spring. 1000%.
00:41:44
Speaker
um what thousand percent wait So what, what is your favorite track if you had to pick from that album? Ooh, that's a great question. i mean, mine is always sorry for love. I mean, I know I've talked about this 9,000 times on the podcast. Yeah, that's no and is and And there should be another 9,000 mentions. I would say sorry for love might also be my favorite. But I mean, when the long one, when the wrong, when the long one. Okay, Freudian slip. Okay, when the long one loves you right, let me tell you what.
00:42:16
Speaker
Oh my god Love that. um I mean, that one's a banger. Yeah. Love that one. I love, um and this is tough.
00:42:27
Speaker
I'll go ahead and for stakes purposes, I will say sorry for love as well. I'm going to be right there with you on that. The little quirky one and my friend, it always makes me think of my friend Phil, the rain tax. it' It's inevitable. It's so ridiculous.
00:42:38
Speaker
It's inevitable. That's exactly what we say.
Celine Dion's Musical Impact
00:42:42
Speaker
It's inevitable. It's so good. And then there's there's a song, 10 Days. yeah That's really good.
00:42:49
Speaker
And her cover of, um what is it at the end, Nature Boy? David Bowie. Nature Boy's great. I mean, the title track, A New Day Has Come, yeah ah is is so good. i'm Obviously, I'm Alive.
00:43:02
Speaker
um Johnny Rock's remixes of of I'm Alive. Love. This is a Johnny Rock Stan podcast. it really, really is. Get her on the horn. Where's she doing? What is she doing? She's probably collecting her rocks. Right, right. Looking looking for her rocks. um And then there was like is the this i'm trying to remember there were a couple bonus tracks but this all this album blends in with with one heart and i want to say some of the songs that ended up that were b sides to some of the singles ended up on one heart so i'm trying to remember what is a bonus track and what like ended up on one heart but there was a song shoot i don't remember the name of it now i'll have love is all we need
00:43:45
Speaker
Oh my God. i love that one. like Shout out to Max Martin and the production of that track. Cause that song is an absolute banger for those that don't know. ah Love is all we need. It's basically like Celine doing her best, like Brittany 2001 style type of production. It's so good. If you love, that's the way it is. You'll love love is all we need. yeah its very it's so good and i mean one heart is so fun too i mean i love the song one heart love the video yes i mean i drove all night is is easily in my top five most favorite saline songs ever yeah and the song i believe that you had mentioned again on pop theory and another in the past show uh reveal uh
00:44:30
Speaker
Like, honestly, Celine Dion, her her dance songs are so good. They really are. They're so good. you but You had mentioned on the previous show, like, you know, it's a it's a small window. She doesn't have ah have a ton of them.
00:44:46
Speaker
I feel like as she got older into her career, especially like with A New Day Has Come, that then they started sprinkling more into her albums. Oh, for sure. But yeah, I mean, she's known for her ballads.
00:44:57
Speaker
But I mean, like even like Miss Lead, even Unison, if you want to go back to Unison, like that's that's a pretty like standard pop banger from the ninety s Yeah. I mean, man, misled. That song was on We, our family had gotten, i mean, this is going to age us, me so bad, but this is back in the day of like when they would give like promotional CDs for your computer. yep And so I don't remember if we had gotten it with our family commute computer or if we'd gotten in the mail or something, but i it was this like enhanced CD shout out to enhanced CDs.
00:45:35
Speaker
And we popped it in. And I want to say it was from Sony Music. And it had like highlights of several artists on there. And you could watch their music videos. And so, and one of them was Misled by Celine Dion.
00:45:48
Speaker
your life changed forever. My life changed forever. i was just a page of my history. It's so good. I mean, and a producer that does not get enough love who was huge in this era of like the ninety s dance divas was Rick Wake.
00:46:07
Speaker
Oh, God, without a doubt. And he produced that song. his credits are crazy. It's nuts. I want to say that he also did, like he did work with J-Lo on like Love Don't Cost a Thing. yep Like he's done so much with the girls back then. Oh yeah. And really killed it.
00:46:25
Speaker
Talking about, I want to go back to the computer CD thing for a minute because I don't know if I've told this story on the podcast or if I've just told it on my own social media. So the very first CD that I ever owned was a free CD that came with a six pack of Coca-Cola because they were doing this thing where it was like,
00:46:41
Speaker
These three inch CDs that they would give out and they were as like six different volumes. Some were more pop, some were more maybe country or whatever. Yeah. And it was just like a random bunch of songs. But the first song on the one that I got was Celine Dion's Where Does My Heart Beat Now?
00:46:57
Speaker
And I was like, and the way I wore that CD out listening to that song. I'm obsessed with that. It is still, again, in my top five, one of my most favorite Celine Dion songs. The vocal on that. I mean, ah the thing that's crazy about Celine's career is that Whereas you think of like collaborations with other people or producers with other people, like, I feel like a lot of it gets talked about more because they're more like your typical pop girls. But like, I'm sorry, like for me, Celine has always been that girl.
00:47:28
Speaker
yeah Like, and I know that she's not giving you like, I'm a slave for you type pop, but like, right. She's worked with so many incredible people like with this tear that ballad by from Prince that he wrote that specifically for her like that's wild.
00:47:42
Speaker
Yeah, you know, like there are like really like amazing iconic people that she's worked with the Bee Gees and Yo Yo Ma and like whatever just like the craziest musicians and I just I just love her so much and she really like she deserves all the things.
00:47:55
Speaker
She really does. and like in To Love You More. i one of my i Maybe my favorite Celine Dion ballad. ah And the Tony Moran remixes. Tony Moran remixes. ah ah Talk about another, going back to the beginning of the episode where I, you know, the things that I was putting putting on my phone, I put those on my phone. um Actually, for one of our local drag queens, shout out to Gabriela Galore. She's lovely. Oh, what a great name.
00:48:20
Speaker
If you love like Jules from this season of Drag Race, you would love Gabriela. she's my favorite. Yeah, garie every time I see Jules, I think of Gabriella. It's like she is, i love Gabriella so much. She is such a lovely human being. So a shout out to her.
00:48:34
Speaker
But I, um months ago, i had ran into her at a restaurant and I went and um it was right after one of her performances. She performed ah to love you more at an event that I was at.
00:48:45
Speaker
And I was like, I just want to let you know that's one of my favorite Celine Dion songs. and I was like, did you know that there are dance remixes to that song? And she was like, no. And I was like, I was like, I have to do some digging, but let me hook you up with those remixes. yeah And so what I did, I took a step further. i made...
00:48:59
Speaker
several slow to fast edits for her to perform because I was like, you know, arc we love drama, right? We love drama. yeah And so i so I was like, let me not make just one or two, but here's four edits for you. i was like, have at it. have There's her side hustle.
00:49:15
Speaker
And I'm not even kidding. Like that, I would love to do that. If there are drag queens out there that want me make special edits for your performances, hit me up. And let me tell you, i really hope that somebody hears this and does, because if there was one thing that was always my gripe when I was working at ah Paradise down in Asbury Park,
00:49:31
Speaker
When the girls would come to perform and they would give me their music, some of it was the lowest quality things I've ever heard ripped from the internet. yeah And I'm like, I cannot. It sounds so painful on a club sound system that I would trust that any edit you make is going to be high quality. So please, if you are out there and you need some music, please reach out to Zach. Yeah.
00:49:51
Speaker
Please, please, please, please. But, um and to love you more, one thing that I like love so much is like the live performance version that's on you ah YouTube. but she is like I love when she ah brings in Taro Hakase and she goes, Taro Hakase.
00:50:05
Speaker
Yes.
00:50:08
Speaker
It's just so funny to me, just the way that she says it. And I'm just kind of like, I just love, I love that's i love that about Celine Dion. She's just so quirky and fun. And she's just, she's so herself.
00:50:20
Speaker
She's so herself and she's here to perform and she knows that. Right. she's She's so real and down to earth. Well, and then also an actual ally too. Like she did the whole ah gender non-conforming children's clothing line collaboration a few years ago.
00:50:33
Speaker
i did not know that. yeah. Yeah. Oh, my God. I think it's I think she worked with a Canadian company called Nunu. I want to say if I would get that right. But it was like a whole thing. And she did gave this whole interview about how she was taking her sons to Disney and they wanted.
00:50:48
Speaker
And she was like, you know, how come you you don't want to play with Mickey Mouse, but they were more interested in Minnie Mouse. And she's like, she thought it was weird. But then she's like, you know what? The children are going to tell you who they are. So let them be who they want to be.
00:50:59
Speaker
And I'm like, love that. You're my mom. my Like, mom, you're like you're just mother. Like, I like mother i love her. and really do just love her. She's so wonderful. And, yeah you know, it seems like she's doing well with her health.
Celine Dion's Health Update
00:51:11
Speaker
I am so happy about And so, yeah, I mean, who knows if she'll, you know, fully perform on, you know, a full concert again. But I mean, I i love i I just you know what?
00:51:23
Speaker
Again, 57. She's she's fifty seven she's living her life. and like i say, if you need to retire girl Retire. you've You've earned it. and like And like let us do the celebrating for you. Right. The catalog is strong.
00:51:40
Speaker
The catalog is strong. And we have got suggestions for reissues. Yes. Yes, we do. we can like celebrate that. And yeah, because she's... Yeah, I love her.
00:51:54
Speaker
Yeah. Think twice? Oh, my God. She could do whatever she wants once she gave us Think Twice, that song. yeah You could retire after that one for me, boo. I mean... Also, like, her most recent studio album, ah Courage. Incredible.
00:52:08
Speaker
Incredible. Flying on My Own. Incredible. Another incredible dance song. like Yes. Like, that song, when that came out, I was like, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. When did that come out? Was that 2019 or 2020? I'm actually, I'm looking right now. twenty nineteen 2019. 2019. That was the last concert that I saw literally, I think, two weeks before COVID shut us down. Oh.
00:52:31
Speaker
Went to go see that show and I think it was like the week after we were all done for. oh my gosh. That's crazy. Talk going out with a bang. Literally. Oh my God. And also wait, what was the the imperfections? That music video, the fashion icon. That's the other thing. Celine Dion, the fashion icon. Like, yeah where is that coffee table book?
00:52:53
Speaker
Right. Literally. Like that's the one that would be amazing. And I mean, and even with this like album photo shoot, I mean, and like the gold armor and things like that, like she was just giving and we, and thank you to law Roach yeah for just killing it every single time.
00:53:11
Speaker
If there was ever a meeting I would have loved to have been in, it was to put law Roach and Celine Dion in the same room and just let me watch. That. Oh my God. I can't eat the iconography. It's just too much. like It's too. No, I mean, I, I would be overstimulated and loving every second of it.
00:53:28
Speaker
It would just be so much. Oh, I can't even imagine. He was just ah on drag race again. ah just love. oh was he? Yeah. Oh my gosh. Just love. I have, I am so behind on drag race this season because only like watch it when I'm like going to like a social thing with friends. And so it's been like a few weeks since I've done one of those. And so like,
00:53:48
Speaker
did is Is it over now? Do they have to win? this is I think we're close. It's probably like two or two more episodes, maybe one or two, something like that. Okay. Yeah, I think we're down to final.
00:53:59
Speaker
No, because nobody went home this week. So next week, I think we'll probably be a double elimination and then the final one. who's Who's currently in the roster? Do you remember? It is. Let's see. I'm always bad at this. It's Jules, who is the one that I'm rooting for the most.
00:54:12
Speaker
I love Jules. Jules Sparkles, On Your Nerve. um ah Who else is still here? oh my Star. sorry Sam Star. Yes. I'm like, why can't I remember anybody's names? I know. I watch this every single week.
00:54:26
Speaker
I know. um And I'm drawing a blank. Okay. Yeah. No shade to any of those girls yeah whatsoever. Like, and I'm so sorry. drawn a b blank.
00:54:37
Speaker
Right. Drawing a blank. Yeah. No, I get that. I mean, like, that's kind of how I felt though, like watching it. Cause this is my first time watching it kind of like in real time. And I was like, it's really hard for me to keep up with who is who. there's so Right. There's so many names.
00:54:50
Speaker
And once I get to like my, my top three of who I like, I'm like, those are the ones that I tend to focus on. And I'm like, all right, we'll see how the rest goes. Yeah. But Jules like pretty much almost instantly. I was like her drag.
00:55:01
Speaker
I'm really into her drag. I mean, I love on your nerve and I think that she would also be a deserving winner. She's been hysterical, but, um, Oh, Susie toot and Lexi love. Oh, okay. So that's a pretty solid top. yeah Yeah. Yeah. So I feel like my top three is probably Jules sparkles, Lexi love and on your nerve.
00:55:22
Speaker
I love that. Yeah. Yeah. I i love Lexi. i Lexi reminds me so much of this girl that I hung out with in high school, or rather I should say this girl that I cut class in high school with i to go like smoke cigarettes. And I'm like, she reminds me so much of Lexi that I'm like, I love her. i just love her.
00:55:39
Speaker
Oh, yeah. so and And I hate how much, and lee i don't know if they're still doing this, but like earlier in the season they kept like alluding to how quote unquote old she is, and she's what, only 33. Right. I was like, we all need to stop.
00:55:50
Speaker
Yeah. I was like, you guys, 33 is not old. 30s are not old. but But you know what? I don't even recall being in my 20s thinking that 30s was old. No, not at all. is weird thing to me.
00:56:02
Speaker
that's what That's what I'm saying. It's like, it's strange that we've gotten to this point in time where like we are kind of considering 30s to be old. I'm like, even like 40s, like I don't necessarily like look at as being old per No, no. So it's it's like, come on, babe.
00:56:19
Speaker
Look, it ain't it ain't over until it's over. It ain't over till it's over. And I've seen a lot of 20 year olds who may or may not look like they're in their 30s and 40s. I'm just saying.
00:56:31
Speaker
I'm just saying. yeah i'm just saying that I do have to say there are a lot of people that I that i see that are like my quite literally my age. And like, sometimes i like I, I look at them and assume that they may be older than me considerably.
00:56:46
Speaker
And then when I learned that they are only like a year or two older than me or the same age, I'm like, oh, oh, like, I'm like, okay, okay, we've had different lives, right? We have different lives and different genetics. And that is a okay. this is Some of us are are are road hard and put away wet.
00:57:03
Speaker
and put away ah Put away dry, you know i would say. Very dry. oh my gosh. Yeah. But, you know, and and and not to like completely shift gears, ah something that came out today, i did not get a chance to listen to just yet, but is Miley Cyrus something beautiful? She's surprise release.
00:57:24
Speaker
i saw the I saw the social media clip. I didn't see the, I haven't listened to any of it yet. Yeah, I haven't listened to do it yet either. But yeah. I'm excited for this new visual album. very excited. Yeah. i think it'll be i think it'll be really good. I'm excited to see where where she goes. I'm kind of getting this, like, I'm kind of getting another rock vibe from her, which I feel like that's her sweet spot, which...
00:57:44
Speaker
Let's celebrate that. and Yeah, but it's like it's rock, but it's also like she's wearing Mugler. and it's like a whole like, yeah, yeah, let's do it all. I'm into it. I'm so into it. So I'm excited. I think she's going to have the most interesting career. Because like I was when I was coming home last night, um the girl Alex on my team, we were talking about the new deluxe tracks from Ariana and which ones we liked and everything. And I said, you know, I said, she really is going to be.
00:58:10
Speaker
I do believe one of the greatest, I think, performers or like pop stars of the generation. Like for sure. Like i think Miley or ah note Ariana. Ariana. Yeah. yeah But I also feel like Miley will too. But her career path, I think, is going to be so interesting.
00:58:28
Speaker
Yeah. You know, because I feel like she's going to want to do so many different outside of the box things. So I'm just I'm super excited to see what she's going to do Based on what I've seen, this is just based on the teasers, I don't think that she gives a fuck about commercial success with this. In the sense of like, in the sense of like a top 10 number one hit.
00:58:46
Speaker
Right. You know? um And I love that. I love when theyre pop when our pop girlies are getting experimental and trying something new. i'm I'm so ready for it. Well, and I think it's also like, it's it's kind of hard to follow up flowers Yeah, oh, for sure. I mean, that's this runaway song.
00:59:02
Speaker
that is like that that's a That's a song, a once-in-a-lifetime song. that just Can I also say, haven't heard it in a long time. I haven't either. Yeah. Haven't either.
00:59:13
Speaker
And. Literally broke records was like crazy. One Grammy. But I think that that's what happens is that I think that people don't necessarily realize this, but it's like, it gets played so much that it's what's going to happen. Similar to Despacito, Old Town Road and whatnot, that they, we like have to separate ourselves from it for a little bit. Yeah.
00:59:36
Speaker
And I would say probably in like maybe five, 10 years, then people will start probably start revisiting. Or probably before then, these are all going to be like classic wedding songs. These are going be songs that, you you know, you're going to go to a wedding and you're going to definitely hear it because everyone knows it. yep um And I think it's also why the industry does this like five-year anniversary, 10-year anniversary. Like think it's just sort of just to give themselves like more waves of like stuff on the music.
00:59:59
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, absolutely. Because I guarantee you we're going to get that five years from Flowers. Yeah. For sure. Because, I mean, Dua Lipa did that with Future Nostalgia, which she gave us that future the Troye Sivan remix of Physical. She's never letting that album go.
01:00:11
Speaker
see it's she's certainly not no She's certainly not. Nope, Nope. um Really quick before songs we don't talk about enough, um what did you think of the Brighter Days Deluxe?
01:00:22
Speaker
I absolutely love it. I think she sounds beautiful as always. The vocals are vocaling. And I mean, it's again, like she really like, if there's one thing, because I know that the Mariah and Ariana ah comparisons are always there. And again, within good reason. Yeah. But if there's one thing, because I don't actually believe that their voices are similar.
01:00:42
Speaker
no i I completely agree. But I think that she's such a student of Mariah, the producer and Mariah, the songwriter yeah that like, The background vocals, especially on this album, are so like the Mariah type layering and like just the trills and everything in the background. It's just decorated beautifully. And you know that that's Mariah's favorite part to do too.
01:01:04
Speaker
She's even said, I think she said in her master class that she, you know, she does lead vocals, but background vocals are her favorite because they give the texture and whatever.
Ariana Grande's Vocal Style
01:01:11
Speaker
But it's... Warm is obviously my favorite as a dance pop gay. I can't help it. Warm and Twilight Zone are probably my two favorites, but I love Hampstead.
01:01:20
Speaker
Yeah. It's like, it's not the easiest of listens to, but it's, it's, it's just stunning. She really. Yeah. 10 out of 10. Yeah. The short film. I still haven't watched it. I need to be in a safe space.
01:01:32
Speaker
It's, it's, yeah, it's cute. I, I, I thought it was a really kind of brilliant way to create a film while like filming different, ah visual aspects for the different songs that are featured in the film and then being able to tie it together all as one piece.
01:01:49
Speaker
I thought it was kind of a brilliant way to that they did that. yeah um And a very... yeah i i really liked it a lot and also there's like some nods to different films like x-men and things like that which is really cool um i'm with you my favorite tracks are also twilight zone and warm um the bonus tracks the short film the album as a whole so like you know the already stuff that we have i found that this is a hard album for me to listen to subject matter wise even though it's you know I say allegedly, I mean, we all kind of know that it's about her dissolved marriage from um her ex-husband and, you know, finding new love with Ethan.
01:02:25
Speaker
um Even though she's back and forth on like, whether it is ah about that or not. Um, But the way I interpret a lot of the songs is like about unrequited love.
01:02:38
Speaker
So even though maybe that's not necessarily what she's singing about. So like specifically like We Can't Be Friends. Right. um I Wish I Hated You. um The new song Twilight Zone.
01:02:48
Speaker
All of these things like for me because that's been a lot of my personal experience throughout my life. I love these songs. They're beautiful, but I have a very hard time listening to them. Right, right. And it's like true dancing, crying stuff. know that we all talk about that kind of type of songs, those types of songs. I love that.
01:03:10
Speaker
Yeah. That's like my favorite type of song. Yeah. But this is like one of those where I'm kind of like, this is challenging for me to actually listen to. You're like, i'm not I'm not dancing. I'm just crying. I'm just i like i'm just crying. And I'm like, i'm like i have enough depression to deal with.
01:03:26
Speaker
ah But yeah, congratulations, Ariana.
Ariana Grande's Future in Acting
01:03:28
Speaker
Seriously. I feel like this it seems like this might be the last project we'll get from her and as far as pop music goes for a little while. She's alluded to wanting to focus on acting. Do it.
01:03:37
Speaker
Do it. like i love that. like i don't like again like the catalog is really strong. Very strong. So let's go out with a bang and we'll see you in a few years. you know Yeah. Like, I mean, girl, and I will support you whatever it is that you want to do.
01:03:49
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Well, it's come to that famous segment of the show, Songs We Don't Talk About Enough, where we love to highlight a deep cut or bonus track or just a song that just doesn't get the love or the flowers that it deserves.
01:04:04
Speaker
John Michael, what is your song we don't talk about enough? I'm going to keep it with Celine and I'm going to pick one that's super random and... It's actually a song that I would listen to outside of the season because it's on her Christmas album.
01:04:18
Speaker
Love that. But Christmas Eve. Okay. Another upbeat bop from Celine Dion that we do not talk about enough. It's got everything that you need for Christmas, but it's also, it's got that sort of like 50s doo-wop-y kind of like, it almost feels like if you took whatever the music they're playing to the opening of Home Alone and put this song on top of it, it would absolutely work too.
01:04:41
Speaker
I love that.
Ideal Movie Soundtrack Songs
01:04:43
Speaker
It's good movie music. And if there's any movie people out there listening, like this would be a good, this is a perfect song for sync for your Christmas movie. I promise. It's so good. It's such a feel good movie. It's such a feel good song.
01:04:55
Speaker
And I, yeah, it's it's just perfect Celine vocals. She's, she has such a great Christmas album too. It's one of my favorites. Easily one of my favorites. God bless us everyone. Yeah.
01:05:06
Speaker
got Don't even get me started. i Oh my God. Don't make me peak. It's only March. I live. live. I live. It's so good. yeah um Fun fact. I brought this up on an earlier episode of the pod, but that song written by D Snyder of Twisted Sister. Let's celebrate that. The insanity.
01:05:26
Speaker
Crazy. The absolute insanity. um And also her doing like John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Happy Christmas War is Over. Would never have thought that that would have worked. It works phenomenally.
01:05:38
Speaker
Phenomenally. And even Felice Navidad. Yeah. Right? With her whole family. Yes. I'm like, her yes. Yes. Because nothing says, you know, Hispanic holidays like Celine Dion. Like 112 French Canadian family members in a room.
01:05:55
Speaker
Yeah. Exactly. oh that's so good. Yeah.
Janet Jackson's Pepsi Collaboration
01:06:00
Speaker
um I am going go. you This kind of sparked in my brain when you had brought up the the soda, like bonus CD type of thing earlier.
01:06:08
Speaker
um so I'm going to go with this. So back in the day, Pepsi would, especially in Europe, Pepsi did a lot of heavy promo with pop stars. yep and to the point where like star pop stars would write and perform original songs for their commercials.
01:06:25
Speaker
And Janet Jackson wrote a song called Ask for More. And I want to 1999. And there were that not only did it have its original version, which is like five minutes long.
01:06:38
Speaker
There's also a remix by Masters at Work. So let's celebrate that. don't this. Yep. So let's celebrate that. So that there was a like a special CD single. and i don't know how I don't own it. I would love to have it. I would love for it to get put on streaming.
01:06:52
Speaker
But like I, the song is a banger. the The original version is like three different genres in one. It like kind of shapeshifts throughout the song. um And then.
01:07:05
Speaker
Oh my God, you're absolutely right. I'm looking for it, right? I'm looking it up right now. Yep. And then there's a Masters at Work remix. Wow. yeah I'm like, the money, the budget that they put into this. There's even like, I want to say, I don't know if this is like an official version out on CD, but they also did a commercial, like a Spanglish version with, I think Ricky Martin does it with Janet on it as well.
01:07:27
Speaker
which Well, which makes sense because I'm looking it up now and it was written by Janet Jackson, Jimmy James and Terry Lewis and Renee Elizondo Yeah. Yep. So let's celebrate that. Wow. yeah This is wild, Zach. You got me.
01:07:41
Speaker
got me on this one. Yes. With ah with the little Louie Vega remix. Right. Hey. All right. Well, I'm going to find this and I will own it a week from now. There we go. and then And then you can play it the next time you DJ at Tavern or wherever.
01:07:54
Speaker
ai And we'll make sure that you have it on your phone. ah Please, please. cause i Because
Accessibility of Old Pop Hits
01:07:59
Speaker
i I don't think I have either of those files in high quality anymore. Oh, yeah. i had them back in the I had them back in the day and then I i lost them. What's crazy, too, is that it looks like it was released under Pepsi Music, which is something i was I'm unsure of. And I'm looking now and apparently this is something that Pepsi really did for quite some time. They have a whole like list of songs and artists that they've worked with around the world.
01:08:21
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, they did like the Britney jingles. i mean yeah I'm not kidding. Pepsi put the all of the Britney, Pepsi jingles on streaming. Please, please. Just the joy of Pepsi. I would be so excited. The joy of Pepsi. The um the the new millennium version that she did where it was like, come feel the joy all around. Yes. Like, oh my God. We Will Rock You cover?
01:08:45
Speaker
The real Rock You cover? Give me that. The European exclusive Right Now Taste the Victory. yes Like, put them on streaming. What are we doing?
01:08:56
Speaker
Yes. Oh, my God. See, this is how you can tell that there is not enough gays in the music industry. Right. There are, but they're not doing the right jobs. Exactly. Exactly. Because we need to get, we need the data gaze. The data gaze need to get in there and just start pulling strings from the tape libraries and being like, all right, let's get this up.
01:09:12
Speaker
Exactly. Get the nails out. I swear to God, in my next career, that's what it's going to be. There we go. Keeper of the keys. Keeper of the keys. as Well, with that said, thank you so much again for joining. you. This has been an absolute pleasure. Everyone stay safe out there.
01:09:27
Speaker
And until next time, peace out. Bye.