I don't care if you loathe the Disney Channel and all of its stars... you HAVE to watch this music video. Only an organization as powerful as the Mouse could pull all this talent together and create such a powerful piece of art. The best part about the new Disney Channel star's single "Send it On": it was created as part of Disney's efforts to enhance environmental awareness and going green. So kudos to all involved because the final project has literally given me goosebumps. Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, and DemiLovato, make magic together. I'll join Perez Hilton in saying that as much as I hate to admit it... their combined talents are breathtaking. So what ever you do today... SEND IT ON!!!
I NEVER would have thought I'd admit to downloading ANYTHING of DemiLovato's... and yet, here I sit about to write an entire post about her sophomore album. It started when I first heard "Here We Go Again" on the radio. The song, and title of the new album, made me do an immediate double take. That couldn't be Kelly Clarkson, could it? I have Kelly Clarkson's albums, I'd know if it were on there. So who could be responsible for the catchy pop/rock ballad blaring through my speakers? I happen to be a proud owner of SHAZZAM, so I stuck my cell out an awaited the display... DemiLovato: "Here We Go Again". At first I thought it was broken. There's no way that the Disney starlet could be responsible for this sure-fire hit. I knew Lovato could sing... you had to be living under a rock to ignore all the promotion that came during and following her Camp Rock debut. When you sing with the Jonas Brothers you tend to get noticed. I just didn't realize that Lovato would be able to so quickly shed her 16 year old skin for a more mature sound. Now "Here We Go Again" isn't necessarily "mature". But it reminds me more of Kelly Clarkson than... Hilary Duff. It doesn't stray from it's core audience, but at the same time it reaches out to pull in a new, untapped audience. I figured if "Here We Go Again" was the top seller on iTunes within its first five minutes of coming out, it was worth me checking out. And here I give my kudos to Lovato. She nailed it. Instead of following in fellow Disney teen queen Miley Cyrus' footsteps, Lovato choose music meant to make her stand out from the crowd. There's not a hint of country here (Cyrus' songs, on the other hand, reek of it---in a good way). Instead each song pulls from a seemingly different artistic place. For example, "Got Dynamite" sounds more like something you'd hear from Pink (minus all the yelling). "U Got Nothing" is more Mandy Moore and The Weepies, only pop infused. "Remember December" is Lady Gaga minus the techno beat. It's still catchy and a potential dance hit (I'm already anticipated a remix, as is it's just a good car jam). There are certainly tracks on the album I could do without...the Sonny With a Chance theme song being one of them. "Gift of a Friend" feels like it should be the theme to a Disney princess movie (and maybe it is...). It feels rather out of place and sing-songy for the album. Unlike her Disney counterparts (with the exception of Cyrus who comes by it naturally--and already with three albums out THIS YEAR, has proven she's a hit maker), this album proves that DemiLovato can actually sing. In fact, having seen her act I'm fairly certain that her musical skills trump anything she can do on screen.
The ballot for the Teen Choice Awards is out. The show, which will air in August and will be hosted by the Jonas Brothers, is bascially a giant promotional tool for teen stars. Disney isn't hosting the award show, but they might as well be. The Jonas Brothers aren't just hosting, they're NOMINATED for more than one award (not that this is new, Hilary Duff and Miley Cyrus have both hosted AND won awards in the past-and both are Disney bred talent). Miley Cyrus has TEN, that's right TEN, nominations ranging from Best Actress to Best Female Artist. The uber-popular teen film Twilight has also racked up ten nominations and stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are sure to take home an award or two. Other Disney products like Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato appear on the ballot and will likely gain some ground over the heavy favorites thanks to their heavily promotoed new movie airing on the Disney Channel later this month. The teen choice awards truly are by teen choice. The log in website requires a date of birth and won't let anyone that isn't a true "teenage" engage in voting (that is unless they make up a date of birth within the teen range). Miley Cyrus has already promoted the voting and awards show on her Twitter page: "i still cant believe im up for all the teen choice awards! please please please vote! :)"
I've always been impressed with the Disney Channel. Not only are they able to take average teenage girls and boys and make them into mega-stars, they're also able to gather together extreme amounts of talent to accomplish corporate goals. This time around the company seems to be selling out its stars for a GOOD cause (I know I had to do a double take too). Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato are just a few of the Disney Channel stars that have banded together to launch the Disney Project Green. The project aims to help give away over a million dollars to charities aimed at helping the environment. To kick off the project the Disney stars have put together a series of commercials that feature a song they all sang together. When I saw it on ET I'll admit I was more than a little impressed. Helping the environment is a great thing to do. If you want to learn more (and don't want to take the Disney route to do so) check out this link for some great ways YOU can make a difference.
The last two summers Disney has banked big with the release of their hot "High School Musical" franchise. Now, while the third installment prepares itself for the big screen, the Mouse is hoping to fill the void with "Camp Rock". My guess, like Disney's, is that the star power of the super hot Jonas Brothers (who all appear in the movie) will drive this movie to success. But Disney isn't just banking on the brothers...the network has been working hard to promote their latest young talent (read: Soon to be tabloid fodder) Demi Lovato. Following in the footsteps of other Disney developed young talent (Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus, Vanessa Hudgens), Lovato hopes this project will propel her to super-star status. While my guess is that the movie itself (acting, plot, special effects) will suck...the soundtrack will likely rocket it to success. The title song, "We Rock", has already caused quite a buzz online, and clips of others songs featured in the film show promise. While this movie is certainly targeted for the tween generation, I wouldn't be surprised if like other Disney enterprises (Hannah Montana, High School Musical), it finds success with older audiences too.
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