5 Things You Might Not Know About Me!

Hi, I'm Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland! Let's do a few updates:

-I got an iPhone last Tuesday (10/17!) It's a rose gold iPhone 7. It's the first phone I've ever had (I know, I'm really late to the party) and I LOVE it. I'm obviously not going to give out my phone number because, well, duh. I don't even have a reason for bringing it up, it's just that it's a big part of my life and I want to share my excitement on here.

-In slightly less serious news, I also got a giraffe onesie this week! It's what I'm going to wear for Halloween (I already wore it to this past Friday's Halloween-themed football game) and it's pretty much my favorite thing ever. It's ridiculous and impractical, but it makes me feel cute and cozy. I'm actually wearing it as I write this. I got it from Target, and here's a picture of it (though not of me, obviously):

Okay, now that those updates are out of the way, I'd like to say that I had a really hard time coming up with an idea for what to post. However, I did come up with something! This week's post is 5 things you might not know about me. These are things I have (as far as I can remember) never shared on Stellar in Neverland or the Brick Wall as well as things that people who aren't super-close to me might not know. I might do a sequel to this if I'm really bored but that's highly unlikely. I don't have much else to say for the intro to this so let's get just get this started.

#1. I went through a Webkinz phase in elementary school.
In case you're unfamiliar, Webkinz are stuffed animals that come with a secret code tag that you can enter on the Webkinz site and use to play with online. I got my first one for Christmas in 2006, and from that point to about 2014, an addiction was born. My brother and I were obsessed. We got as many as we could and we played with both our physical and virtual animals. We had hundreds of them yet still managed to remember every one of their names, we shipped them, and we even watched videos about them on YouTube. Seriously, Webkinz videos were how I got into YouTube in the first place, and I considered making my own Webkinz channel. I still have all of my Webkinz stored in my room and although I don't play with them much (occasionally I will if I'm feeling bored and want to relive the memories...shh, don't tell anyone!), I still will never want to part with them because of how much sentimental value they have to me.
#2. I'm a logophile.
You're probably wondering what a logophile is, and to be fair, I didn't know either until I looked it up. A logophile is, quite simply, a lover of words, and I am one. I'm fascinated by words and I'm very specific about ones I love and ones I hate. There isn’t any common pattern between words I love and words I hate, other than I would describe the words I love as “pretty” and the words I hate as “gross”. Some words I love are “symphony”, “rendezvous”, “wanderlust”, “vivid”, and, of course, “stellar”. A few words I hate are “chunky”, “boogie” (well that one’s not really gross, I just hate it), “crusty”, “absorb”, and “gurgle”. I have a large vocabulary and I’m weirdly great at spelling, so I can spell the majority of those words.
#3. I use some slang words ironically until it gets to the point where I can’t stop.
From one word-related fact to the next. This one’s pretty frivolous (another word I love), but I wanted  to mention it anyway. There have been quite a few instances where there’s a slang word that gets popular among teens. I start out thinking it’s ridiculous, just the stupidest thing ever, so I start saying it ironically amongst my friends. I mean it as a joke. After I’ve been saying it for a while, I end up becoming the kind of person I was making fun of, the kind of person who says these things seriously. There still is a hint of irony to my usage of the words, but I do say them unironically for the most part. Just so you know what I mean, a few examples of words I’ve done this with are “litty”, “yeet”, and "y'all". This applies to me dabbing as well: doing it ironically until I can't stop.
#4. I have quite a few dream jobs.
Whenever anyone asks me what I want to be when I grow up, I panic because I have multiple answers. The career path I'll most likely take is in education, specifically in high school. It's practical, realistic, and well-paying. Another job I've considered is a psychologist. I don't actually know much about it but I find it interesting. I've also thought about having a career in marketing. I'm a creative person and I think it would be cool to come up with ideas for marketing campaigns. My dream job (that is actually somewhat realistic) would be to work for a record label, but not as a performer. I'd specifically want to be a talent scout, looking for fresh artists to add to the label. I think that would be an amazing job, allowing me to deal with my passion for music even though I'm not that good of a musician. And speaking of being a not-good musician, that brings me to my absolute dream job that I will never have: a singer. In a perfect world I'd be a huge pop star, having an amazing voice and living a glamorous lifestyle. But alas, my singing voice sounds like a tone-deaf cat being strangled AND I'm unattractive (which matters, because looks/image is important to being a pop star, sadly), so I've accepted that this will never happen. Still, a girl can dream, can't she?
#5. I wrote the worst book of all time in fourth grade (and the worst sequel of all time in fifth grade).
I've always had a passion for writing, whether it be writing fiction, journal entries (despite me never being able to keep a journal), or blog posts. I wrote a lot of short stories in elementary school, and while most of them were pretty crappy (I've improved exponentially as a writer, thankfully!), one of them really sticks out as being just atrocious. On rainy days in fourth grade, a few friends and I would get together and made a fake news show (no, not that kind of fake news, I simply mean we pretended to have a news program). It was one of those things that was embarrassing in hindsight but fun while it lasted. When I was in fourth grade, I thought it was so much fun that I came up with the genius idea to write a book about it. The result was News To You, a "book" (if you can even call it that, it was only ten pages long or something) so dreadfully abhorrent you have to read it to even begin to comprehend the sheer amount of evil contained in those ten pages. (Not gonna lie, I'm really proud of that sentence.) It has unnecessary product placement for products I had never even used at the time of writing, plot holes up the yin yang, flat characters, embarrassing writing from a technical standpoint, predictability, and emphasis on what the characters are wearing instead of a coherent plot. I cannot emphasize just how much News To You sucks. I wrote a sequel in fifth grade that isn't any better. I think I might post the stories on here at some point so you all can experience the suckage for yourself.

So that's a little bit more about me, in case you were wondering. Hopefully you enjoyed that angry rant at the end. I'm proud of it. Once again, I have no idea what I'm going to write about, so you'll just have to see next Wednesday. In a few weeks, though (November 15), I'm gonna do another First Impressions on the new Taylor Swift album. I don't know why. I'm Stellar in Neverland, and I'll see you next week. Peace!

Stellar

Top 10 Just Dance Songs

Hi, I'm Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland. I don't have any updates for today, so I'll just get on with my regularly scheduled blogging. My original plan for this week's post was to do another First Impressions post almost exactly like last week's, but in the end I didn't think it was a good idea to do essentially the same post two weeks in a row. So what do I have planned for this week? My Top 10 Favorite Just Dance Songs! I'm not much of a gamer at all, but I've been playing the Just Dance games since Christmas 2011 when we first got Just Dance 3 with our Wii. The concept of the games is simple. There's an animated dancer on the screen and the player must mirror the dancer's moves in order to score points. It's a great game to casually play with your friends or solo, and it's a great workout. I always say that Just Dance is the only exercise I will willingly do.

I decided to do this post this week because I had been planning on writing it for a while and now just seemed like the perfect time. The new Just Dance 2018 game is coming out towards the end of this month and I'm really excited for it. I always like waiting to see which songs will be featured on each new edition of the game, and the soundtrack for this one looks really fun (You can dance to megahits like "24K Magic" by Bruno Mars, "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi ft Daddy Yankee, "Shape Of You" by Ed Sheeran, and "Side To Side" by Ariana Grande ft Nicki Minaj.) This brings us today's post, where I'm going to list my favorite songs to ever be featured on the series. The series has featured tons of songs over the years, many of which I absolutely love. This made it really hard to narrow it down to just ten, but somehow I was able to do it. The song selections were based on how much I like the actual song, how much enjoyment I get out of the gameplay, and how much sentimental value it has to me (or however much sentimental value a dance video game can have). I wouldn't dare try to rank these from best to worst, so they're just listed in order from the song that appeared on the oldest game to the newest. I'll try to keep this relatively short, but knowing me, that's highly unlikely. Finally, the links in the titles of each song are links so you can watch (and dance along) if you please. Let's get started!

1. "Hey Ya!" by Outkast (Appeared on Just Dance 2)

Just Dance 2 is the earliest game in the series that I own (I don't have the first one, and the only time I've ever played it was at a friend's house) and I got it in early 2012 with a Christmas gift card at Target. I got it shortly after I got Just Dance 3. I remember one day I was playing the game with my brother and I chose to do this song. His response was "Emma, why are you doing a nerd song?" And my response was, "Because the song is awesome." The song is a classic ("shake it like a Polaroid picture" is one of those lyrics that everyone knows) and it's very upbeat, making it fun to dance to. The character for this one is a nerd, but the nerd's got some pretty sweet moves. The choreography is dorky in the best way and a surprisingly good fit for the song. It's my favorite song on Just Dance 2.

2. "California Gurls" by Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg (Appeared on Just Dance 3)

Towards the end of last week's post, I went on a somewhat angry rant on Katy Perry, specifically her newer material. A big part of the reason why I don't like Katy Perry anymore is because she's made a bunch of amazing songs and her new stuff is just disappointing. Katy's music has been featured on most of the Just Dance games, and although most of them are pretty fun (I was tempted to choose "Birthday" from Just Dance 2015), I had to choose this one. "California Gurls" isn't super-deep or complex, but it's the perfect dumb-but-fun guilty pleasure pop song. The character is clearly modeled after Katy herself and she looks like the perfect California girl. The choreography fits the song perfectly, but what really stands out is the background. The dancing lime-green teddy bear in the background that starts dancing along around Snoop's verse is hilarious, and my brother and I used to try to copy his moves when we were little.

3. "Take On Me" by A-ha (Appeared on Just Dance 3)

When my youngest brother was about three years old, he thought it would be a great idea to cram a bunch of our Wii games into the console, including our copy of Just Dance 3. We got another, previously used Wii from our aunt and uncle since the old one was broken, and although most of the songs on Just Dance 3 still work, there are a few random songs we can't play without them crashing. Sadly, one of those is "Take On Me", which has always been one of my favorites. If I were asked to pick my favorite '80s song, this would probably be my pick, and Just Dance is a big part of the reason why. My mom used to play Just Dance with us, and we would always do this song. The dancer looks pretty cool and the whole dance looks like it's on the set of an '80s music video. The choreography is, again, a little dorky, but it manages to fit with the song. And of course, everyone knows the song. It's iconic, cheesy in the best way, and just awesome. I really miss being able to play this song, and I still haven't forgiven my brother for taking it away from me.

4. "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz (Appeared on Just Dance 3)

I selected three songs from Just Dance 3 for this list, more than any other game. It's not that the game was my favorite (I don't know which one is TBH), it just has a lot of sentimental value to me since it was the first one I got. I have a lot of fond memories of playing the game with my mom, and this song in particular was one of our favorites. I remember my mom and my aunt would always compete to see who could get the highest score, and it got pretty intense. The song itself is one that I've always loved since it first came out and it was a great choice for the game. It's a Dance Crew dance, which means there are four characters for you to choose from. The aesthetic of the dance is very clearly influenced from the 1920s and 1930s, and while it doesn't look like it fits the song (a dance-pop banger from 2010), it fits weirdly well. I always choose the female character in the blue who looks like a flapper. I love her design and I feel like she has a lot of sass in her movements. This one's really fun to do with a group.

5.  "Disturbia" by Rihanna (Appeared on Just Dance 4)

Rihanna is one of the current queens of R&B and pop music, so, like Katy Perry, her music has been featured on the Just Dance games many times. This is my favorite song by her and my favorite song in Just Dance 4 (which I actually think is my favorite, to be honest). It's spooky in the best way and you can bet I'll be listening to it come October 31st. The gameplay reflects the creepy quality of the song perfectly. The dancer's wearing this two-toned dress with spikes and matching hair, and she's got some intimidating eye makeup. She looks pretty freaking awesome. The choreography is also pretty eerie, with some moves that are clearly inspired by Michael Jackson's "Thriller", the ultimate Halloween song. Just Dance usually has one Halloween-themed song every game, and although this one isn't in-your-face-Halloween (no ghosts or pumpkins here), it's still the best spooky song on the game ever.

6. "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction (Appeared on Just Dance 4)

A good amount of these songs are solely on the list because of nostalgia, and this one is no exception. My mom, brother, and I would always play this song whenever we did Just Dance 4, and we always had a blast doing it. The characters are clearly modeled after the boys of One Direction, and although I like One Direction to some extent, I'm a little disappointed they never (to my knowledge) did full-on choreography like this. I always dance as the one second from the left in the cyan (I'm pretty sure he's supposed to be Zayn?). I always chose that one because that was my favorite color when I was younger (now it's pink) and it's sort of become a habit since then. The choreography is cheesy in the best way and it's fun to pretend I'm a part of a boy band. And allow me to repeat: WHY DON'T MODERN BOY BANDS DO MORE CHEESY CHOREOGRAPHY? It's entertaining. I like the song as well. It's more of a guilty pleasure but it's catchy and fun to dance to, making it the perfect type of song for the series.

7. "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga ft. Colby O'Donis (Appeared on Just Dance 2014)

It just wouldn't feel right to make this list without including the very song the franchise is named after. You'd probably expect the makers of the series to put this on from the very beginning, but for whatever reason, they decided to wait until Just Dance 2014 to include it. The wait was worth it, however. I've always loved the song, which is easily my favorite by Lady Gaga. It's just a remarkably catchy, fun, and memorable pop song. The dancer is somewhat modeled after Gaga herself, and she looks amazing. Her outfit is so cool. The choreography looks difficult the first time you do it, but it's surprisingly easy to learn. I've gotten five stars (the highest score) nearly every time I've done it. I also think the backgrounds are awesome. I couldn't find a picture of the specific background I'm referring to, but at one part, it looks like it's in a church with stained-glass windows decorated with characters from previous games (including "California Gurls", "Disturbia", and "Hey Ya", just to name a few from this list). It's a cool nod to the series' history that hardcore fans (like myself, don't judge me) will really appreciate.

8. "Get Low" by Dillon Francis ft. DJ Snake (Appeared on Just Dance 2015)

I've never really cared for Just Dance 2015 that much. I didn't know that many of the songs and there were only a few I really liked. Still, there were some gems, including this one. I actually discovered this song from the game, and I've liked it ever since. It's not anything deep (it only has, like, six words), but it's an absolute banger. It's a slightly insane-sounding song and the dance reflects the mania of it perfectly. The color scheme is very bright and the graphics are crazy. I love the pendulums in the background during the main drop (which you can see in the picture). The two dancers are really energetic and fun. They're on two separate platforms, and they have some interactions with each other that I find really cool. I usually choose the one on the right. The choreography is intense and pretty difficult (There's this one part...I'm not sure how to describe it, so I'll just put a picture at the bottom...that I've never been able to do), but it's exhilarating. This is a trap song, so naturally the moves are more hip-hop inspired. They're fun though! I don't know how to wrap this one up so I'll just end with a picture of the one move that I can't do. It goes way too far back!


9. "Want To Want Me" by Jason Derulo (Appeared on Just Dance 2016)

A common theme for this list is that most of the songs from the earlier games (2 to 4) are on the list because of nostalgia and the songs from the later games (2014 onward) are on more because I like the songs. That's definitely true for "Want To Want Me", my favorite song on Just Dance 2016. I have adored the song ever since I first heard it, and it even made my Top 15 Songs of 2015 list on my old blog (and it's one of the picks I don't regret!) I think that if I were to order that list, I'd actually put it at number 2, with only Walk the Moon's "Shut Up And Dance" ahead of it. I play this song pretty much every time I play Just Dance 2016 mostly because I like the song, but the actual gameplay is pretty cool too. I like the design of the character a lot. His outfit is pretty cool and flashy and I feel like it's how my brother would dress if he was rich. The aesthetic is awesome as well. I love the color scheme mainly consisting of red, white, gold, and black with some blue and purple mixed in (as you can see from the picture). There are random silhouettes of women in the background for some reason, and while I'm not sure why they're there, I still think it's cool. The choreography is somewhat difficult (meaning I have yet to get five stars on it) but it's still fun to do. Like the last song I've chosen for my list, I've danced to this song so many times mostly because I love the song so much. And speaking of that last song...

10.  "Into You" by Ariana Grande (Appeared on Just Dance 2017)

The last song I selected for this post is "Into You" by Ariana Grande. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned in a few posts how much I love Ariana, both as a singer and a person. She's one of, if not my favorite celebrities and I've loved her since her days on Victorious. Her music has appeared on a lot of the more recent songs on the game, and this is the best one. This isn't my absolute favorite song by her (there are a few deep cuts from her albums I love even more), but it's close, and it's by far the best single she's released. "Into You" is bar-none the song from Just Dance 2017  that I've played most. I don't even really like the choreography that much (the move the dancer does when Ari sings "Tell me what you came here for" is ridiculous), but the dancer herself is pretty and the backgrounds are astonishing. I LOVE the aesthetic of this dance. But in the end, I've done this song so many times because the song is pretty much perfect in my opinion. I could write an essay about everything I love about it (and probably will, since I'm planning to make my top 10 Ariana Grande songs at some point), and it's low-key what I want all pop music to sound like. This is one of my favorite songs of all time and the inclusion of it on Just Dance makes me really happy.

I was going to include a few honorable mentions, but this isn't a properly ranked top ten so I decided against it. These aren't the only songs from Just Dance that I love, so I'll probably make a sequel to this post at some point. As for next week's post, I have no idea what it'll be about (which is usually what happens with these) but you can find it next Wednesday! I'm Stellar in Neverland, and I'll see you then. Peace!

Stellar

First Impressions #1- Songs I Don't Know The Names Of (Apparently?)

Hi, it's Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland! I have one update that I guess I could do after the updates because it correlates to my post but I don't have any other updates so here you go.
-I'm starting a new series called FIRST IMPRESSIONS! I suppose "Life" and "Top Tens" could technically also count as series, but I like to think of this as my first. How it will work is I will listen to songs of my choosing I've most likely never heard before (that will usually have a common theme), write a little bit on what I think of them, give them a recommendation if I feel they deserve one (or if I remember to), and rate them on a scale of 1 to 10. I don't know how frequently I'll do this but I hope to make it a regular series on Stellar in Neverland.

So there's your explanation of what First Impressions is. One day I was just on YouTube and I saw this video called SONGS YOU DON'T KNOW THE NAME OF. I clicked on it, thinking it sounded pretty interesting. We've all had those songs where we've kept hearing it on a commercial or something and thought it was really cool and catchy but had no idea what song it was. I watched the video expecting it to be full of songs like that, but to my surprise, I didn't really know any of the songs! This inspired me to make the First Impressions series so I could listen to the songs and see if I could find any new jams to add to my playlist. So that's what I'm going to do. Friendly reminder: I don't know most of these songs so don't judge me if I say something stupid. Also this is just my opinion so if you disagree with me that's fine, just don't get butthurt about it.

1. "Younger Now" by Miley Cyrus
This song is by Miley Cyrus, who I'm pretty sure every single person reading this knows. I actually know this one because I watched the 2017 VMAs where Miley performed it (and had one of the few good performances, seriously the VMAs sucked this year). I like the vibe and the message of the lyrics about how she's not afraid of being herself. Only issues for me are that the chorus doesn't rhyme AT ALL and the intro is a little wonky, but those are nitpicks. If you like country-ish music, I would recommend it. 7.5/10
2. "Rainbow" by Kesha
I've always had a soft spot for Kesha's music, but her 2017 music has really been something special. This is unlike any other song I've heard from her. This song sounds like it could be used in a Disney movie (let's just ignore the fact that she uses the f-bomb a few times). It sounds GORGEOUS. Kesha's voice is so beautiful and emotional, and the lyrics are inspiring considering everything she's been through. If you think you'll hate this song because it's Kesha, you should still listen to it because it sounds nothing like her old stuff (which I still love, but I can get why someone wouldn't) and it's awe-inspiring. 9.5/10
3. "Silence" by Marshmello ft. Khalid
I don't know much about Marshmello, but I know Khalid from his song "Location", which I love. I really like Khalid's voice and I should probably get more into his music. This song is really good and I'm definitely adding it to my playlist. I love the beat drop and the buildup to it, and Khalid sounds really good. If you like EDM-pop like the Chainsmokers, you'll probably like this song (it's better than pretty much every Chainsmokers song I've heard btw). I can totally see it becoming a big hit. 8.5/10 
4. "Lonely Together" by Avicii ft. Rita Ora
This is my first time hearing this song, and the first impression is pretty positive. I'm surprised this one hasn't become a hit yet, because it just sounds like a #1 waiting to happen. I don't actually know that much of Rita Ora's songs, but she sounds fantastic here. The beat drop is also excellent and weirdly laid-back. This isn't my favorite song of all time, but I can see it becoming a massive hit, and I do like it a lot, so that's something. 8/10
5. "Rake It Up" by Yo Gotti ft. Nicki Minaj
I somewhat know this song, and even though I have a soft spot for dumb hip-hop like this, I can't get into this one at all. I can barely even tell what Yo Gotti's saying, and while that's normally not a problem for me, it is here. Nicki's probably the best thing about the song, but her verse is clearly not her best. She spends the first part rhyming "China" with "China", and it's one of my big pet peeves when people rhyme words with themselves. Even though I feel like I should like this song, I don't really care for it. 4/10
6. "Caught In The Middle" by Anastacia
I had never heard of Anastacia before this song so I didn't know what to expect from it. I guess it's pretty good, but I can't see myself listening to it over and over again. I like the strings in the instrumental. The chorus is pretty strong and the bridge is arguably even better. Anastacia's voice is unique in a good way. This is objectively a fantastic song, it's just not something I'm constantly going to be wanting to listen to. 7/10
7. "Marmalade" by Macklemore ft. Lil Yachty
Just from looking at these two artists, I can already tell that my brother (who really likes both of them) would LOVE this song. This one's got a pretty carefree pop-rap vibe and I can see it getting popular. The lyrics are cheesy but funny ("Watching Toy Story 3, that's a great f**kin' movie" made me laugh out loud). I also really like the piano beat. The big problem with it is the autotune, which I don't have a problem with normally, but here it's unnecessary and sounds sloppy. Still, Lil Yachty disses Donald Trump at the end of his verse so I can't hate this song too much. 6.5/10
8. "OMG" by Camila Cabello ft. Quavo
This song is by Camila Cabello, who was formerly a member of Fifth Harmony. I've never liked her voice, but she actually sounds nice here. The beat is really cool. The repeated sample of the choir has a chilling vibe, and the flute riff in the background is amazing. I wish it was featured more in the song. Quavo's rap verse is okay. The song would still be good without it but it's fine. Still, Camila has another song out called "Havana" that's way better. 7.5/10
9. "Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man
This is one of the songs on this list I know. It's gotten some radio airplay and I'm pretty sure it's on some commercials. And holy crap, I'm OBSESSED. The chorus of this song is probably the most infectious I've heard all year. Seriously, listen to it once and you'll be singing "ooh, I'm a rebel just for kicks" all day. I love how unique this song is from every other song to get popular this year. It has an indie vibe but it's really dancey and catchy. I hope more songs like this get popular. Also, Miley Cyrus did this song for her Lip Sync Battle on The Tonight Show and it is amazing so I thought I'd share it (it starts at 2:32). 10/10
10. "Fortune" by Krewella ft. Diskord
I'm letting you know right now that I didn't listen to these songs in the order they're listed and I only put them in that order because that's the order they are in the video. I bring this up because this is the last song I listened to. It's an EDM song like a lot of the ones I listened to, but it's quite different from the other ones. It's more dubstep-trap then the other, more tropical-inspired ones that permeate this list. It's not my personal favorite, but it's fine. If you like "Don't Let Me Down" by the Chainsmokers, you'll like this song since the two songs sound quite similar. 6.5/10
11. "Champion" by Fall Out Boy
Oh yikes, Fall Out Boy. Now don't go thinking I hate them (because I don't), it's just that last year I went through a phase where I practically worshipped them and I'm unable to listen to any of their music without thinking of those cringey times of my life. After last year's cringe-fest, I've pretty much stopped paying attention to them so this is the first of their new music I've heard. This one's okay, but it's disappointing considering that they've made some really good songs. The lyrics are really generic and lack the snarky Fall Out Boy charm I've come to expect from them, and the beat is more poppy than it should be considering FOB is a rock band. The vocals are really good, though, and the chorus is catchy, so I guess this one isn't a total waste of my time. 6.5/10
12. "Back To You" by Louis Tomlinson ft. Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals
This one is by Louis Tomlinson, who you probably know best as a former member of One Direction. All of the 1D boys have released solo music to varying results. This isn't my favorite former 1D member single ("Sign of the Times" by Harry Styles is), but I like it. I like how Louis and Bebe's voices fit together and the beat is pretty cool. This isn't my favorite song ever but I'd recommend it, I guess. 7/10
13. "A Lie" by French Montana ft. The Weeknd and Max B
This kind of song isn't for everybody, but I guess I like it. I really like the beat, it's interesting in a good way. The two rappers are okay, but The Weeknd is definitely the highlight for me. His hook is fantastic and pretty catchy. It's not my favorite, but it's pretty decent. I definitely prefer French Montana's other song from this year, "Unforgettable", though. 6.5/10
14. "Butterfly Effect" by Travis Scott
I like some hip-hop, so I expected to love this song, but I don't for some reason. It's not that it's HORRIBLE (although I can totally see someone who isn't into the genre thinking that), it's just not my favorite. The chorus is fine, but it feels like it just repeats without stopping. I don't actually think it's used that much, but it feels like it's just the same thing over and over again. The verses aren't memorable, and I probably won't be able to recall how they go unless I listen to the song again. The beat's pretty good, though. This isn't the worst song ever, I was just expecting a little more. 6.5/10
15. "Goodbye" by Echosmith
I know Echosmith from their songs "Cool Kids" and "Bright" and I thought they sort of faded away afterward. Now they're back with this new song "Goodbye" and I actually like it quite a bit. It's got more of a poppy vibe than the other two songs I know from them, and it's all the better for it. It's very chill and a nice song to listen to. I love the lead singer's voice. It's calming and really pretty. The lyrics are also pretty good. "You cover up the poison with poetry" is in particular a really good line. This is a good song. 7.5/10
16. "Rain" by The Script
I only know two songs by The Script ("Breakeven" and "Hall of Fame") and both are great. This one is pretty good too. The beat reminds me of "Shape Of You" by Ed Sheeran, but I like this song way more. The "oh-oh-oh"'s after the chorus are absolutely fantastic. This is a solid breakup song, too bad I don't have much else to say about it. 7.5/10
17. "Cash Out" by Calvin Harris ft. Schoolboy Q, PartyNextDoor, and D.R.A.M.
Calvin Harris really switched up his musical style this year, opting for a more groovy throwback sound. I loved both of his singles from this year ("Slide" and "Feels"), and this one's great too. It's funky and super-catchy. All of the featured guests do a great job and everybody sounds like they're having fun. Calvin Harris's production is really great as well. You could play this at a party and it would get everyone going. Plain and simply, this song is fun. 9/10
18. "Wonder Woman" by JoJo
Like a lot of the artists on this list, I'm somewhat familiar with JoJo. The two things I know about her are that she's been making music since she was, like, 12, and she's probably one of the best vocalists in modern music. Seriously, I've seen live videos of her, and she is AMAZING. She shows off those pipes here, but in a very sensual way. This song has a sexy R&B vibe, and despite me being picky about my R&B, I'm glad to say this one gets a pass from me. Even the rap verse JoJo does is pretty awesome. I'd totally add this to my playlist, except for the fact that IT'S NOT ON SPOTIFY AHHHH 8.5/10
19. "Secrets" by The Weeknd
I'm not sure exactly how I found this song but I've had it on repeat for the past few weeks. I actually really love pretty much every song by The Weeknd I've heard, which might surprise those who know me. This one reminds me a little bit of "Can't Feel My Face" since they have similar vibes, but I love this one even more. The hook is super-catchy and The Weeknd's vocal performance is particularly great. I'm not sure if this one's been released as a single, but if not, it really should be. This is one of the best songs I've heard from The Weeknd thus far and I hope it gets big. 10/10
20. "Disconnect" by Clean Bandit ft. Marina & the Diamonds
I know a few songs from both of the artists, and I really like pretty much everything I've heard from them. The beat is really pretty with the strings. The lyrics talk about the problems of technology and how everyone's so absorbed with it, and they're very relevant to today's society. Marina sounds great as usual. I should get more into her music because I love her voice. This is a really solid collaboration, combining the best qualities of both artists. I can see myself listening to it a lot in the future. 8.5/10
21. "Way Back" by TLC
I'm somewhat familiar with TLC (and by that, I mean I know they did the "don't go chasing waterfalls" song and they were huge in the '90s and pretty much nothing else.) This song definitely has a '90s-throwback vibe, which is appropriate considering the song is literally called "Way Back". I'm pretty sure it's about having a friend (or lover) who's had your back forever and how you're glad to have them. I love the beat with the horns and flute. I recommend this song if you like songs that are from the '90s, or just sound like they are. 7.5/10
22. "XO TOUR Llif3" by Lil Uzi Vert
I'm just assuming that people don't know the title of this song because it is literally unpronounceable, not because they don't know the song. I'm guessing most people just think it's called "I Don't Really Care If You Cry" or "All My Friends Are Dead" or something. I feel like I should like this song more, but Lil Uzi Vert's voice is low-key really annoying. I like the beat though, and the chorus is really catchy (which is funny considering how dark the lyrics are). If you're into trap music, you will probably like (actually screw "probably", you certainly already know) this song. If not, then you'll probably get nothing out of this, but that's okay. 6.5/10
23. "Passport Home" by JP Cooper
I had never heard of this song or artist before, but it's solid. It's a soulful ballad that reminds me of something Sam Smith would write. JP Cooper's voice is unique and I like the tone of it. The lyrics are also pretty good. I can't see myself listening to this song over and over again, but it's fine enough. 7/10
24. "Exposed" by Russ
This song is...angry. Right off the bat, Russ low-key sounds like he wants to murder me. I wasn't paying too much attention to the lyrics, but it sounds like he's trying to expose the industry for being fake or whatever. I don't get exactly what the context is, but "me, myself, and I, that's the holy f**kin' trinity" is something I'm totally going to say in regular conversation and steal as my own. (Just kidding about that last part.) My favorite thing about the song is the beat, which is gritty, intense, and, for lack of a better term, fire. I'm sure I'd enjoy this song a lot more if I knew what he was talking about, but I did get some enjoyment out of it, mainly from that amazing beat. 6.5/10
25. "My Love" by Wale ft. Major Lazer, Wizkid, and Dua Lipa
Do you ever just listen to a song and think, "This just feels like summer (or any other season)"? That's how this song is for me. It just feels like something you'd hear at a beach party on a tropical island. I could listen to this song in January and still think about warm weather. The song itself is pretty awesome and I'm going to add it to my playlist and listen to it whenever I need some summery vibes. Also, it's just a reminder that I really need to get more into Dua Lipa. I only know a few of her songs but I can tell that she's gonna be huge someday, probably in the near future. 9/10
26. "Broken Glass" by Rachel Platten
You might know Rachel Platten from her hits "Fight Song" and "Stand By You", which I, respectively, don't really like, and like quite a bit. I didn't know she had a new song, but I like this one better than both of her other songs. It's more upbeat and the lyrics are interesting. Rachel's voice is also really good here, especially the falsetto in the chorus. I didn't expect that from her. Overall this song is surprisingly strong, but I'm a little disappointed it's not the song of the same name from Victorious. God, I miss that show. 7.5/10
27. "Questions" by Chris Brown
First things first, I HATE Chris Brown's personality. He has done so many disgusting things I'd prefer not to get into, but you can look them up on your own time. I don't like most of his music either, although I really love his song "Forever". This one is unexpectedly decent. The chorus is catchy and the beat is fun and danceable with an island vibe. I also like the bridge. This song isn't bad at all, but Chris Brown is still a terrible person, so I can't say I like it too much because I don't want to support him. 7/10
28. "Reggaeton Lento (Remix)" by CNCO ft. Little Mix
I don't really know who CNCO are (I did some research and they're a Hispanic boy band, apparently), but I know Little Mix, and I think they're all really talented singers but their music isn't always my favorite. This is an interesting collaboration between the two acts and it reminds me a little bit of the "Despacito" remix in concept, although I don't like it as much. The girls from Little Mix sound really good and the harmonies are great. The chorus is also pretty catchy. I would recommend this if you're into Latin American music like "Despacito". 7/10
29. "Magnolia" by Playboi Carti
I've had to listen to quite a few hip-hop songs in preparation for this post, and based on what I said for all those songs, you know that I'm, surprisingly enough, a hip-hop fan. However, this is pretty much the exact kind of hip-hop that just doesn't appeal to me. I don't care about what the song's about, but the fact that I can't understand the lyrics without going on Genius and looking them up is a drawback. Playboi Carti's voice is boring and the beat isn't memorable. This song just sounds like any other trap-rap song out there. 5/10
30. "Strobelite" by Gorillaz
I've heard of Gorillaz, and I know that they're an animated band (cool!), but I know nothing else about them other than that. And my first impression is..."Wow, this is actually kind of awesome!" It's got a groovy throwback '80s vibe, which I'm always a fan of. If you're into those kinds of vibes, you'll probably like this song. The guy doing the lead vocals sounds like Aloe Blacc and his voice fits the song's atmosphere perfectly. This is a really good track. 8.5/10
31. "Bodak Yellow" by Cardi B
If you saw my post last week (link here), you would know that this is the official song of Banana_Elephants everywhere. This is actually the number one song in the country as I write this, which is surprising to me since I've only heard it a few times. It reminds me of something Nicki Minaj would make. It's okay, but my standards for this kind of song are way too high because of Nicki. The chorus is catchy though, and it gets in my head quite a bit. 6/10
32. "Rich Love" by OneRepublic ft. Seeb
This song is by OneRepublic, whom I only know a couple songs from but really enjoy. This one is different-sounding from the other songs I've heard from them since it has more of a tropical vibe to it. I like it quite a bit. The drop has an amazing groove and the lyrics are really good. This song has a pretty trendy sound and I can see it getting pretty big. 8/10
33. "Save As Draft" by Katy Perry
Oh, Katy Perry, what happened to you? Her first two albums were full of bops but after that, she's struggled. Her music just isn't as fun and catchy as it used to be, and she's really problematic. The only good thing she's done in the past three years is "Feels" with Calvin Harris. This current era of Katy Perry has been particularly weak. I have yet to hear a song from Witness I've liked, and this is probably her most uninteresting song to date. The beat is boring, it's not catchy, and the lyrics make no sense. I still love Katy's old music, but this is just weak and I know she can do better. 3.5/10
34. "Redbone" by Childish Gambino
We end with a meme. This song blew up this year because it, for whatever reason, the Internet decided to make it a meme (the Kermit the Frog cover is my favorite btw). However, unlike most songs that get popular because of memes (*cough* "CASH ME OUTSIDE" REMIX *cough*, "Redbone" isn't garbage! The song has a very sensual throwback R&B vibe with the instrumental and the vocals. The chorus with Childish Gambino screaming "stay woke" is pretty amazing. The outro is weird and kind of trippy but in a really good way. But in the end, I mostly like this song because of the memes. Best meme of the year, hands down. 9.5/10

OK, that was an...interesting ride. I put a lot of work into this post, since I had to listen to so many songs. Because of that, this is probably the post I'm most proud of to date (either this or the Top 10 Favorite Movies). I discovered some pretty great songs. There were some songs I wasn't really a fan of, but I'd say there were more that I liked than ones I didn't. I can see a lot of these songs becoming huge hits and getting played nonstop on the radio. Finally, if I were to single out one song that you need to listen to from this list, I'd say "Feel It Still". It took me about five days to listen to and rate all of these songs, and in between the new songs I hadn't heard, I listened to that song around 15 times. It's that addictive. I don't know what my next post will be. I'm pretty sure there's another "Songs You Don't Know The Name Of" video uploaded by that same user and I'd like to do another First Impressions post on that one, but I don't want to do First Impressions every week because that would get boring. I'll think of something in time for next Wednesday, and I'll see you then. I'm Stellar in Neverland signing off, peace!

Stellar

The Stellar in Neverland Homecoming Experience 2017!

Hi, it's me, Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland. Let's do some quick updates:

-I'm finally done with driver's ed! I took my temps test this past Friday and I passed, so now I can legally drive a car, which scares me, to be honest. Anyways, driver's ed made me feel really stressed out because it just meant I had less time to do everything I needed to in a day. Now that it's done I feel like I have a lot of weight off of my shoulders and can focus more on school and the blog. Of course, school will always be my top priority but I'm going to focus on the blog as well.

Today's post is basically a rundown of homecoming, specifically the dance on Saturday. I would say homecoming was overall pretty disappointing compared to last year's but there were some good things that happened. The dress-up days for Spirit Week weren't as good as last year's and somebody decided that the Homecoming Court should ONLY be seniors, which is so unbelievably stupid. I think that homecoming is about the school coming together and celebrating our awesomeness together, and our school is more than just the seniors. They also got rid of powderpuff, which was stupid because powderpuff is a tradition that a lot of people really liked and they really didn't have a good reason to get rid of it. Then there was the bonfire, which I didn't go to because it was the night before my temps test and I needed to study, but I heard it was pretty bad. Apparently they were having technical difficulties in various aspects and it rained throughout. I'm not the only one who thought it was disappointing this year, I've heard a lot of complaints from others too. I know my school was trying their best to make us happy but this year homecoming just fell flat and I hope they listen to our complaints and fix the issues next year.

However, Friday was a really, really good day, even with the lame pep rally. Even though I had to wake up really early for marching band rehearsal, it was still a great day. Aside from passing my temps test, I played the halftime show with the marching band (we did "Ex's and Oh's" by Elle King, "So What" by Pink, "Best Day Of My Life" by American Authors, "HandClap" by Fitz and the Tantrums, and the school song) and I was really proud of how we did. We sounded great and our movements looked sharp, even though I messed up in a few places. My school's team also won the game, which was awesome. The entire student section got to go out on the field and celebrate, which was really fun. It was the best day I had had in a while.

Friday was awesome yet exhausting, so I slept in late. I was supposed to be ready to go to my little brother's flag football game by 9:30, but I woke up a little after nine and I knew I wouldn't be able to get ready in time. My mom let me stay home and I ate a Pop Tart, went on the Internet, and watched That 70s Show. At 11:00, my mom and brother picked me up and we went to the local diner (which I'm not going to reveal the name of) for lunch. I had a barbecue bacon cheeseburger, which is what I always get there. It was great as I expected it to be.

After lunch, we went home and I proceeded to get pampered. My mom gave me a pedicure (OPI's To Eros Is Human was the base color and she did a flower design in OPI's Dancing in the Isles on my big toe, if you're REALLY curious, but I can't imagine why you would be). It took about 45 minutes to put on all of the coats or polish and dry. The next step in the pampering (for lack of a better term) was getting my hair done. My mom did my hair in curls with a small braid on the right side (I have no idea how to describe this, and I can't post pictures because I don't want to reveal my face). As she did my hair, my mom and I talked about, well, pretty much anything, but especially school, marching band, and life in general. We talked for about an hour and it was pretty nice. She then did my makeup, which was difficult because I had a cold and was sneezing and coughing. My makeup looked really good though. Mom didn't put on too much makeup, just enough so that I was able to look my best.

After the hair, makeup, and pedicure, I put on my dress. I wore a blush dress by the brand Speechless that I got from Macy's. I went to a wedding a few months ago and we bought the dress and another dress a few months ago for it. I was actually planning to wear my homecoming dress but it was light-colored and I got my...monthly gift...the day of the wedding so I chose to wear the navy dress. It was probably for the best, since the dress I wore for homecoming felt more like a homecoming dress than the one I wore to the wedding. I loved how I looked in the dress and I got compliments from quite a few people. Here is a picture of my dress if you want to see it (and also since I'm not good at describing things):

I wore the dress with nude Fioni Women's Prize Flat Sandals (yes, I looked up the exact name) that I got from Payless and wore to the wedding I mentioned before as well. They were really cute and fit with my dress perfectly. I also wore some dangly earrings my mom let me borrow and a cute bracelet I got from my grandma for Christmas a few years back. After I was fully dressed and ready for the dance, my mom took a few pictures of me in our backyard. My brother joined me for a few as well.

We then went to some gardens about twenty minutes away. Banana_Elephant was going to this girl in our grade's homecoming party and they both allowed me to tag along. We first took pictures at the gardens and I thought they turned out pretty good. I'd post them but I don't want to reveal my or my friends' faces. However there was this one part where this bee was practically on me and I was so scared. I stayed calm and stood still so it didn't hurt me, but it was still pretty scary. Next, we went to the girl who was hosting the party's house for Buffalo Wild Wings. I tried the garlic Parmesan wings for the first time and they were a little spicy but overall really good. I accidentally dropped some on my dress but thankfully the sauce was my same color as my dress so you couldn't tell. Everybody was required to bring a dish to pass so my mom made little ham and cheese sandwiches and fruit. After dinner we just hung out, talked, and checked our social media to see our classmates' homecoming pictures. The radio was on, and there was this one really awesome moment where "Bodak Yellow" by Cardi B started playing and Banana_Elephant (who really doesn't know ANYTHING about any music that isn't Hamilton or classical) was correctly able to identify that it was "the Cardi B song"! I was so proud of her.

Finally (after some struggling to get my seat belt on), the hostess's parents took us to school at about 7:15 to go to the dance! Our school has three gyms and usually the dance is in the small, crappy gym but this year it was in one of the good ones. We had to wait awhile to get into the school because of the long lines but we did get in. One of the students in the class ahead of me was the DJ. He DJ'd the dance last year and he did a really good job both years (although he didn't play "Get Low" by Lil Jon this year, which I'm pretty sure is committing a cardinal sin of school dances). Here are a few highlights:
-The DJ really didn't play that many currently popular songs from this year. Most of what he played was throwbacks to a few years ago that most of the people there knew the words to. Some of my favorites to scream the words to were "Titanium" by David Guetta, "Clarity" by Zedd, "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus (everybody got super into this song, it's a classic) and, of course, "Shut Up And Dance" by Walk The Moon (my favorite song ever).
-This year they gave us glow sticks to use during the dance and it was cool until I got one thrown at my forehead during Jason Derulo's "Want To Want Me". It wasn't fun. Oh well, I still love that song.
-The DJ just randomly told us to sit down halfway through the dance and everybody was confused. He asked us "What do you do when you sit down?" and we were still confused. Then he told us "you be humble!" and proceeded to play "Humble" by Kendrick Lamar. I've had that song on repeat for most of this year and it's a total banger so everybody got really into it. When it got to the part where Kendrick says "MY LEFT STROKE JUST WENT VIRAL" everybody screamed that line. It was great UNTIL HE CUT IT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SECOND VERSE WHICH IS THE PART I CAN ACTUALLY RAP AHH
-After "Humble" we did the Cupid Shuffle, which was fun. It's one of those songs that gets played at every wedding and school dance ever but you don't care.
-He also played "Location" by Khalid, which isn't really a "hype" song but everybody got excited when he started playing it. I've been listening to that song a lot lately so it was fun to groove along to.
-Banana_Elephant's brother was on the homecoming court and every year the seniors do this thing where they fake-strip and that song from Magic Mike that I don't know the name of plays. So yeah, she saw her brother pretend to strip and was absolutely mortified. I tried to film it but I couldn't get my camera to work in time. I was mainly just going to use it to embarrass her.
-I missed a group slow dance to "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran. That was probably for the best.
-There's this one Jay-Z and Kanye West song I really love and know all the words that I probably shouldn't say the title of since it has a...not-PG word in the title and they played it and I got so into it. I don't think Banana_Elephant (a Kanye hater) approved.
-About two-thirds of the way in, my group and I took a break and went outside for fresh air. My ears were ringing from the loud music and screaming. It obviously had had some effect on my brain since I said something about a "third ear". It was a mess.
-There was this one girl in my group who was just consistently going HAM to every song. Quidditch_Turtle and I were super-impressed.
-There was also this random guy I had never seen before (I don't think he goes to my school and I had no idea why he was there) but he was going pretty HAM too. Everybody seemed to know him except for me and my crew, who were totally oblivious.
-When the dance was almost over, I was complaining about how the DJ hadn't played "Yeah" by Usher, a school dance staple. Guess what the very next song played is?
-Not really a specific highlight but I was surprised by how many songs he played that I didn't know. There were these random trap-rap songs that everybody in the place seemed to know but I had never heard in my life. I pride myself on my great knowledge of music and the fact that I didn't know a few songs really made me angry. I guess I'll have to wait to go on Beat Shazam.
-Finally, the last song was "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey, an all-time classic that literally everybody in attendance knows the words to. We all got into a big circle and screamed the words.

At 11:00, the dance was finally over. My dad (who was at a football game with my brother all day) took me home and I took my dress and makeup off and my mom helped me undo my hair. I went to bed at about midnight, feeling satisfied and trying to process the amazing night I had had. I had thought the dance was disappointing at first but now that I'm writing it all down a few days later I realize just how much fun it was. I had a great time and I can't wait to do it all again next year.

Sorry this was long. If you read the whole thing you rock. I have no idea what I'm going to do for my next post, so you'll have to tune in next week to see. I'm Stellar in Neverland and I'll see you next time. Peace!

Stellar