Friday Video: Bad Guy

I'm late to the Billie Eilish party. She's arguably the biggest name in music right now with everyone from Dave Grohl to Julia Roberts to Queens Of The Stoneage frontman Josh Homme to Tyler, the Creator among her fans. I really don't know many her songs (yet) other than Bad Guy which is currently one of the top songs in the country. There's also a remix with Justin Bieber. This version (without Bieber) is much better.

Friday Video: Snow

It seems like almost everyday, there is some news or story that is pretty unbelievable. Things that you can’t imagine are happening. Although there are still seven months remaining this year, I’m not sure that anything will astonish me more than the fact that Snow is part of hit song in 2019.

Let’s go back to 1992 when Canadian rapper Snow had a #1 song, Informer.



At least in my world, this song was everywhere. Snow rapped so fast that you really couldn’t understand what he was saying expect for "a licky boom boom down," which didn’t make any sense but seemed cool. Then, the tide started to turn against Snow, and (at least in my mind) he was done after In Living Color (hi Jim Carrey!) did a sketch making fun of him.



Fast-forward to 2017. The biggest song in the world was Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee (not to be confused with Derek Jeter) featuring Justin Bieber. Although Daddy Yankee was a huge star in Puerto Rico and had some success on the mainland, Despacito catapulted him to nearly A-level status in the US. Now, Daddy Yankee has a song called Con Calma with Snow, who he seemingly brought out of retirement.



The song certainly had (and is having) success around the world (see below), but Daddy Yankee and Snow themselves didn't get the song massive radio airplay on most English stations. Enter Katy Perry on the remix.



Sadly, Snow did not appear on American Idol in this performance by Daddy Yankee and Perry.



Apparently, according to this fascinating Rolling Stone article, Snow can't enter the US:

Snow also appears in the video for “Con Calma,” but his part had to be filmed separately in Canada. Thanks to his past legal issues, including an assault conviction in 1995, Snow is currently unable to enter the U.S. without a waiver, which would have allowed him to apply for a work visa. “You’re supposed to renew the waiver and he didn’t,” says Farberman. “It’s a technical matter.”

I guess that's why he on American Idol. Anyway, Con Calma is currently in the top 40 in the US, and I wouldn't be surprised if it moves into the top 20 or even top 10 by the end of the summer. Meanwhile, according to Wikipedia, the song reached #1 in Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, and reached the top five in Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, and Slovenia.

Please let me know if you find a story more unbelievable than Snow being part of a top 5 song in Poland and Slovenia in 2019!

Ariana and Me

In November 2018, Ariana Grande released the song Thank U, Next. The song was Grande’s first number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in 12 countries. Basically, this was a massive hit. The reason I bring up this up today is because of the song’s first line:

Thought I'd end up with Sean / But he wasn't a match.

I’ve received constant requests from media and paparazzi to comment on this sentence, but I have refused since I feel like my relationship with Ariana should remain private. That changes today.

After Grande’s performance at Coachella which included a guest appearance by Justin Bieber, many people criticized Toronto Maple Leafs’ biggest fan (but not fan favorite) since he appeared to be lip-syncing.

From Vulture:

Grande swept in and came to Bieber’s defense in a series of now-deleted tweets, saying, “People are so lost. One day everybody that works at all them blogs will realize how unfulfilled they are and purposeless what they’re doing is and hopefully shift their focus elsewhere. That’s gonna be a beautiful ass day for them! I can’t wait for them to feel lit inside.”

This is really a shot at me. I’m not sure why Grande brings this up now. I’ve respected her privacy and wish her nothing but the best. Going back to Thank U, Next, it’s true that we weren’t a match. We were (and still are) in different stages of our lives. She was immature when we were together, and she didn't like that I preferred to stay home and avoid the spotlight. Grande also knows that I'm passionate about my writing, so I'm disappointed that she feels that my writing of Sean's Ramblings is unfulfilling and purposeless. I feel lit inside as it is (though perhaps that's heartburn).

In case you're wondering, I'm not going to comment on my relationship with Ariana any further. I've probably said enough already, and again, I wish Ariana nothing but happiness and success.

You're Welcome, Previous!


Photo of Grande at Coachella by Getty / Kevin Mazur.

Rascal Flatts Singer In Hilton Head

I spent the past week on vacation in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and while I may write a post about the trip (or multiple posts since I'm sure you want to hear about two 13-hour drives with three kids and how four year old Pedro Tulo fell asleep at Cracker Barrel), I wanted to highlight one part. Gregg Russell is a Hilton Head legend who has performed for over 40 years. Not to take anything away from Russell's musical ability, but he basically leads a Kids Say the Darndest Things concert. He's had the same lines and jokes for years, and he is a master at working the crowd. People come to see him year after year and across generations and are never disappointed. Here's a sample:



You get the idea. Oh, he used that same Justin Bieber joke when we saw him two years ago. Anyway, as part of his July 4th show, he welcomed three kids to the stage to sing a song. Then, he introduced at least one of the kid's father, who just happened to be the lead singer of Rascal Flatts, Jay DeMarcus. I heard that DeMarcus had a guest appearance in Hilton Head just days before I saw Russell two years ago, so I wasn't stunned to see him return. It was still cool seeing a singer who regularly plays arenas engaging with a much smaller crowd.

Some videos of DeMarcus are below. There is not video of the fireworks after Russell's show ended with Pedro Tulo's commentary (That was red; Those are beautiful).

When you are in Harbor Town @hiltonheadsc watching local legend #GregRussell and @JayDeMarcus of @rascalflatts grabs a guitar! #NoBigDeal pic.twitter.com/RULHDmoK86

— Sean (@sezshwon) July 5, 2018

Brand New Sean Analyzes Song Lyrics

My friend Sista K recently posted on Facebook that Meghan Trainor's No "is my current jammmmm." Although we have similar taste in music, I have to disagree with Sista K on this one. This also seems like the perfect opportunity to bring back the Sean Analyzes Song Lyrics series.

One Call Away by Charlie Puth

I'm only one call away
I'll be there to save the day
Superman got nothing on me
I'm only one call away

Superman can fly, has X-ray vision, is faster than a speeding bullet, can leap tall buildings in a single bound, and is basically the greatest superhero of all time. However, apparently he has nothing on Charlie Puth. I guess Puth can do all this and is resistant to kryptonite.

No by Meghan Trainor (The reason behind this post.)

My name is no,

That's an unusual name. Is it short for a Nor'easter?

My sign is no,

Who even asks about signs anymore? Anyway, I'm familiar with the Zodiac system, and there's no such sign as no.

My number is no

Now this could be clever. No can be short for number like "This song is not going to be No. 1." I'm guessing that's not what Meghan is going for meaning that, like the Zodiac signs, no is not a number.

You need to let it go, you need to let it go

Oh, let go. I get enough "no" responses from my toddler.

Work by Rihanna

Work, work, work, work, work, work
You see me I be work, work, work, work, work, work
You see me do me dirt, dirt, dirt, dirt, dirt, dirt
There's something 'bout that work, work, work, work, work, work
When you a gon' learn, learn, learn, learn, learn, learn
Me na care if me tired, tired, tired, tired, tired, tired

When I typed Work Rihanna Lyrics into Bing, this is what appears. There is no way this is correct. Rihanna is incoherent by the end. It honestly just sounds like she's babbling. I need to let it go.

Love Yourself by Justin Bieber

For all the times that you rain on my parade
And all the clubs you get in using my name
You think you broke my heart, oh girl for goodness sake
You think I'm crying, oh my oh, well I ain't

I hate giving Justin Bieber credit, but this is a well written song. Except for one tiny thing. I can't get past ain't. It's not like sake and ain't rhyme. "I'm not" would work just fine here instead.

Cake in the Ocean by DNCE

I'll be Diddy, you'll be Naomi, whoa

I assume this is a reference to Naomi Campbell and not Naomi Watts or Naomi Judd, right? I guess there was something between Diddy and Campbell? If there was, it certainly wasn't as newsworthy (or song lyric worthy) as Diddy and J-Lo.

So what are your thoughts on Trainor's song? Yes or no?

Sean Analyzes Song Lyrics - Fall 2015 Edition

Welcome to the latest edition of Sean analyzing song lyrics where I tackle lyrics of some of the biggest current pop songs.

Adele - Hello

Hello from the other side
I must've called a thousand times
To tell you I'm sorry for everything that I've done
But when I call you never seem to be home

I'll take the under. There is no chance Adele called 1,000 times. She must have sent some text or e-mails too. Plus, after maybe 20 or 30 calls, wouldn't you leave a message? I'm sure the person she called has caller ID and would get really upset at seeing hundreds of missed calls. That's probably the point when you change your phone number.

Demi Lovato - Cool for the Summer

Take me down into your paradise
Don't be scared cause I'm your body type

I'd like to think that I teach my children values and lessons. Saying please and thank you are important. Not tackling your brother is something we're still working on too. However, one thing that I learned this summer that I hope to instill in my kids is not to be scared of people that are your body type.

Justin Bieber - What Do You Mean?

When you nod your head yes
But you wanna say no
What do you mean? Hey
When you don’t want me to move
But you tell me to go
What do you mean?
Oh, what do you mean?
Said we’re running out of time
What do you mean?
Oh oh oh what do you mean?
Better make up your mind
What do you mean?

I'm sorry, but I can't take Justin Bieber asking questions seriously. I mean, this is the guy who was arrested and received probation for throwing eggs at his neighbor. Plus, he wore this when meeting now former Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.

Silento - Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae)

You already know who it is

No, I don't know who it is. Oh wait, are you Cali Swag District of Teach Me How To Dougie? No. Are you the Harlem Shake guy? No. Well, I knew Los Del Rio of Macarena fame. Los Del Rio were friends of mine. You're no Los Del Rio.

Charlie Puth featuring Meghan Trainor - Marvin Gaye

Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on.

Look, I enjoy listening to pop music. I even like that Justin Bieber song up there. However, this is just a terrible song with terrible lyrics. When I think of this song, I think of the awesome kids' book, The Gruffalo. Why? The Gruffalo features a line that "He has terrible tusks and terrible claws and terrible teeth and terrible jaws." Notice how often terrible is used? Just like this "Marvin Gaye" song. Terrible.



Click here to see previous versions of Sean analyzing song lyrics.

Friday Links & Videos

I haven't shared links or videos for some time, so I hope that you enjoy these even if some links aren't very current.

- The A-Z guide of jumping on the Pittsburgh Pirates bandwagon. [ESPN.com]

- Zoltan bonding brings Pirates fans together [Pirates Prospects]

- Mr. Brame took his son to his first professional baseball game. I'm looking forward to doing the same thing with my son in a few years. [Mr. Brame's Blog]

- This is a little dated, but Vice President Joe Biden danced the Hora. Sadly (or we're very grateful), there does not appear to be a video of this. [DCist]

- Video #1: I saw the musical 1776 a few months ago. If you've ever wanted to see the song "Lees of Old Virginia" from this show performed by My Little Pony, here's your chance:



h/t A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago

- Pitt Script, the runner-up in this year's Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament is no longer. Fortunately, the guys at Pitt Script aren't going away completely as they're joining another fine Pitt blog, Cardiac Hill. [Pitt Script]

- One of my favorite writers, Drew Magary, interviewed Justin Bieber. [GQ] & [Deadspin for the outtakes]

- Finally, if I ever create a bucket list, attending a live Australian Rules football game would be near the top. I just hope that the game I see has this much excitement.



h/t [Deadspin]

The 11 Year Light Bulb

Philips deserves a lot of credit. I needed to buy some light bulbs last night and the package for the Philips EnergySaver light bulb states that it will last 11 years. That is not a typo. Take a moment to think about 11 years. 11 years ago, the Supreme Court made its decision on Bush vs. Gore. 11 years ago, Mario Lemieux was about to make his NHL comeback. 11 years ago, Justin Bieber was 6 years old (yes, I looked this up). 11 years from now, my child will be in junior high/middle school. The 2022 Winter Olympics will take place 11 years from now, though the winning bid won’t be announced for another four years. 11 years from now, I’ll have even less hair. (Of course, I’ll probably have less hair 11 days from now!)



Back to the light bulb. Naturally, I bought the Philips bulb partially because of the “lasts 11 years” claim. It was a difficult process removing the light fixture where the bulb went out, so I don’t want to repeat the process anytime this decade. Let’s take a look at the 11-year claim and limited warranty for this bulb:

Based on a reasonable household usage, when used in accordance with package and bulb directions, if this bulb does not last for 11 years (based on approximately 3 hours average usage per day/7 days per week). Philips will send you a replacement bulb upon receipt of the returned bulb, register receipt, and proof of purchase.

Let’s say that you light bulb lasts 9 years. Who still keeps a $3 or $4 receipt as well as proof of purchase for 9 years? Even if you do manage to keep this, how would you find it? Wouldn’t it just be buried in a box never to be seen again? How do you prove that you did not exceed the reasonable household usage? I don’t think Philips will need to provide many replacement bulbs.

Well done, Philips. Well done!

The Return of Sean Analyzing Popular Song Lyrics

Welcome to the second edition of my analysis of popular pop song lyrics. (The first AMAZING version is available here.) Let’s take a look at five relatively current hits.

Enrique Iglesias - Tonight (I’m Lovin You)

Here’s the situation been to every nation

Really Enrique. You’ve been to North Korea, South Sudan, Nauru and Tuvalu? I demand to see your passport for proof.

(Same song)

You know my motivation
Given my reputation
Please excuse I don't mean to be rude

I believe that your reputation is someone who dates a former Russian tennis player known much more for her off the count activities than her tennis abilities. Unless of course your reputation is lying about visiting every nation.

Justin Bieber – Never Say Never

I’m strong enough to climb the highest tower.

Okay Canadian boy, let’s see you climb Toronto's CN Tower, eh.



Jessie J – Price Tag

It's not about the money, money, money
We don't need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world dance,
Forget about the Price Tag

It’s not too early to think about my child’s first birthday party, so I wanted to see if Jessi J is available to perform. Since she doesn’t need my money and I should forget about the price tag, I look forward to seeing her perform at my home. You can even stay in our extra bedroom to help us save some money, money, money instead of putting you up at a hotel.

Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull – I Like It

My life is a movie and you're just Tivo (heh)

I disagree Pitbull. Can you go the theater and pause or record a movie? I can record two movies at once with my DVR and while catching up on Modern Family and Parks and Recreation. "My life is Tivo, you're just a movie" makes much more sense.

Britney Spears – Till the World Ends

See the sunlight
We ain’t stoppin’
Keep on dancing till the world ends

The official song of the May 21, I mean October 21, 2011 rapture.



Seeing this wallpaper everywhere may also be a sign of the world ending.

Sunday Notes

Between the Grammy Awards and the Penguins and Pitt games, Sunday was a good television day. Here are my notes from yesterday:

- Can the Penguins and Pitt play every Sunday until April? This will help get over the lack of Sunday football games.

- Actually, after watching Pitt lose to both Seton Hall and South Florida, perhaps we’ll just stick with the Penguins playing on Sunday afternoon.

- There were not one, but two television commercials during the Penguins-Red Wings game featuring racecar driver Danica Patrick. Does she have a big following among hockey fans that I am unaware of?

- "Have you heard about McDonalds new $1 menu at breakfast?" Has this sentence every actually worked as a pick-up line?

- Sidney Crosby’s 2nd period and shoot-out goals were sweet.

- South Florida’s Dominique Jones is the best college basketball player you’ve never heard of. I may also be the best college basketball player you’re heard of.

- The Grammys were kind enough to let us vote for one of three Bon Jovi songs for the band to perform. I think there should have been a write-in vote to have them cover a Barry Manilow tune.

- I think I liked Beyonce covering Alanis’ You Oughta Know.

- Pink is a professional. How else can you explain her singing while twirling round and round while wet.

- Speaking of the Pink performance, are the Grammy Awards now like Sea World where the first three rows are the splash zone?

- When did Lady Antebellum get big? I saw them perform during halftime of a Steelers game a few years ago.

- Ke$ha and Justin Bieber are available to present at Bar Mitzvahs, corporate events, and weddings!



- Is Kanye banned from all award shows? He should have been on stage for actually winning for Run This Town with Jay-Z and Rihanna.

This was about the time that I went to sleep.