Doctor Evil.

Ok Dr Phil is a wanker. I feel like punching him in the face every time I watch an episode of his show because he is everything I despise in a person: condescending, chauvinistic, conservative and a know-it-all. On today's show, a woman asked, "Dr Phil, are you God?" - and I laughed because that is exactly how the good doctor presents himself. He claims to be the number one authority on anything and everything, not to mention he thinks he can predict the future by telling his guests how he KNOWS their lives will turn out if they choose a certain path. How about GFY. I feel sorry for his guests because a lot of the time he humiliates them in order to make his point and to make it worse, he has a whole audience of Dr Phil disciples to clap and cheer at his every word.

In the episode called "Race to the Altar", Dr Phil talks to a 47 year old woman and a 47 year old man about their ideas for marriage and children. Both say that they very much want marriage and children. But when Dr Phil asks them why they haven't settled down, he portrays the reasons for the man and the woman in very different ways. Apparently the woman has not found anyone because she is too "picky" while the reason that the man has not found anyone is because women are too "flaky" and "don't follow through" when they say they want to get married and have kids.

First, why is it that when a woman knows what she wants, she is immediately labelled as "picky"? One minute Dr Phil is saying to another guest "you shouldn't settle for a loser", the next he is telling this woman that she is too "picky"! Well make up your fucking mind, Dr Phil. Or how about just fuck off altogether because you apparently have no idea what you're talking about.

Second, why is it that when a man is single, it's apparently the woman's fault? She's too "flaky"? So this 47 year old guy hasn't settled down purely because he has dated women who SAY they want to get married but actually DO NOT? In other words, it comes down soley to the woman not wanting to commit? Well that is completely fucked up. How about we take a look at the MAN in this situation and ask HIM what the hell is wrong with him that no woman wants to marry him! Clearly, there must be something wrong with him if he can't find a woman who wants to get married - this world is crawling with women who want a man to put a ring on it! Are you serious! Ok to be fair, it's obviously not just HIS fault. At least he could have acknowledged that his failed relationships were not the result of women's lack of commitment, but were due to issues from both parties and their incompatibilities.

But this kind of representation is typical of Dr Phil. In his eyes, women are the ones who need to change, it's never the men. In his eyes, women are the crazy, irrational ones who need to learn to stop being so picky and listen more to the men in their lives. I almost smashed the TV when Dr Phil was demonising his female guest and in the midst of her defending herself, he interrupted and shut her up with "it seems like you talk a lot and listen very little"!! What a faggot. I'm surprised he didn't follow that line with "...and get back in the kitchen".

What scares me most is not Dr Phil himself, but the fact that he has so many supporters who take his words as gospel. Dr Phil is NOT God. He doesn't know what's best for you simply because he has studied psychology or psychiatry. He has his own biases and value system which have been influenced by his OWN experiences and guess what, YOUR experiences are, and will be, very different. It's all well and good to hear about other people's experiences and we can most definitely learn from them but I believe we should essentially make our own choices based on intelligent decisions, taking into account the fact that the advice we may be receieving may be very biased or coming from a place of ignorance. Once again, it comes back to what I always say - DON'T BE A SHEEP. Go ahead and listen to people like Dr Phil or your family or friends, but listen with intelligence and do not take anyone's words as gospel. I believe in trusting yourself and your own instincts - if that steers you down a path which may seem "wrong" or unfavourable, maybe that is just the journey that you need to go on. I think this blog has gone on a slight tangent...but let me leave you with the one thing that I would like you to take from this:

FUCK DR PHIL.

Thank you and good evening.

I'm Cheap.

Who else here finds immense pleasure in browsing through those trash stores like Cheap as Chips/Reject Shop/Two Dollar Shop?? MEEEEE!! I DOOOO!!! It's so fucking glorious wandering through the aisles and finding a bunch of stuff you never knew you needed, all at the SUPER-glorious price of pretty much nothing! I LOVE IT! It's like everything seems so much more essential and awesome due to it's ridiculous worthlessness, doesn't it? Example:

Eva: "Wow! Sponges that cost a dollar! That's so fucking cool!"
ALSO

Eva: "OMG! A sparkly magic wand! That could be totally useful...for something...in the future..."

OR

Eva: "An eraser for your clothes!! WOAHHHH...that can totally remove stains when I can't be fucked washing my clothes! I may never even have to wash my clothes ever again if I can just find a smell eraser..."

Do you see what I mean? These stores are full of little gems which one could never live without!!! I urge you all to pop into your local "Save-a-Dollar" and check out all the fantastically useless items they have in-store! You won't regret it! The funny thing is, you always end up buying something that you probably wouldn't have otherwise, so how are you "saving a dollar"? You're actually wasting a whole bunch of dollars on shit like cheap candy and pretty smelling hand wash. Hand wash that really only smells good and is utterly crap for actually washing your hands because the manufacturers apparently didn't have an extra dollar to put into adding the stuff that makes it lather. Hmmm. Either way, I still find these shops delightfully entertaining. And I'm sure that at some point in the future I will totally have use for those little loveheart stickers I bought and that furry little headband with ears...

:)

Pure happy.

Thanks to Kid Cudi (kidcudi.com) for this link...This is what the man on the moon himself said about this video:


this is a perfect example of why i do what i do, so people can have fun and vibe out and feel something. a lot of the comments n this youtube post talk about the old man being on some type of drug or whatever, but fuck all that. i know people his age that aint doin shit but watching golf and the grand kids. this dude is my hero and exactly how i wanna be living when im his age, still havin a good time just listening and vibing to great music. still feeling the feeling. go head old homie, you go head

Phally's 30th Heroes & Villains Party!

A selection of pics from the party...HAPPY BIRTHDAY PHALLY :)

Tanty Time gets Political.

Now we all know that I tend to get all ranty about a whole buch of things because you end up reading about it. But I must admit, nothing really shits me as much as CHAUVINISTIC MEN (aka IDIOTS, WANKERS, FUCKWITS, etc). I know what you're thinking - "Here Eva goes for a little ride on her feminist high horse", as if you haven't heard enough from me on this subject already. But I'm sorry, I simply reach the end of my tether when I encounter idiocy. Example: The other night I went to visit Mum and I was sitting quietly, putting together bits and pieces for my Wonder Woman costume (stay tuned for pics!) and every two seconds, another Election ad would appear on the TV. An image of Julia Gillard appears on the screen. Next thing I hear is my Mum's partner yell out, "She's a ginger-haired lesbian!" followed quickly by, "and she's not married and doesn't believe in God so she has no morals!". Now imagine me sitting there - my eyes suddenly burned with fire, my hands and arms started to turn green, I began growing muscles at a rapid rate and my clothes started ripping apart as my body grew into a huge grotesque GREEN MONSTER...RARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, not really...but yeah, I was angry. Let me just say something OK:

DOUBLE YOO. TEE. EFF.

First, let's just forget your personal opinions about Juila Gillard and your election preferences and let me ask you this: who has the right to judge ANYONE negatively on things like personal appearance, marital status or religious views? Last time I checked, not I nor my Mum's partner could cliam that they knew Juila Gillard personally so how DARE anyone make scathing judgements in such a derogatory manner?! Judging someone on what you THINK you know about them, or making completely unfounded generalisations about someone is plain wrong and totally undeserved.

How does being single and career-orientated suddenly mean you are a lesbian? Only a man as ignorant and macho as my Mum's partner would see someone's choice of relationship status as a rejection of the male species and then take enough offence to warrant his insulting remarks! Please note that I do not think it is insulting to be called a lesbian, rather I find someone's INTENT to insult, insulting. Who really gives a fuck what her sexual preference is...although if you really want to call her a lesbian that would completely contradict Gillard's opposition to same-sex marriages so if you're going to label someone, do your fucking research first.

Now how can you say someone has no morals because they do not believe in God? My mum's partner said, and I quote: "[she] doesn't believe in God so she has no morals". The most important word in this statement is "SO". This little word is what equates 'no morals' with athiesim. Right, so because Julia Gilllard is an athiest, she is probably a murderer, adulterer, thief and all-round bad person? Wow. I truly find it offensive to think that I may be labelled as someone without morals because I choose to disbelieve in God. Personally, I do believe in a god, but I also believe that dinosaurs existed and that we are an evolved species; I do not believe we are descendants of an Adam and Eve. Does that make me a bad person without morals? The answer is, I don't care what you think anyway and I'd be stupid to believe what someone else said that they know about me, or what I should think...the only person who knows me, is me! But I digress. The point is, I feel it is blatantly wrong to accuse someone of having no morals, for ANY reason. No-one has the right to assume they know anything about you based on things like religious beliefs, physical appearance or sexual preference. This blog isn't about pro-Labor or defending Julia Gillard; this blog is about the idiocy of people's thinking and how brainless wankers judge people they don't even know, for no good reason. Frankly I couldn't give a toss about Julia Gillard. If you want to talk about the election, my opinion is that either way we are screwed - we have to choose between two very conservative candidates and I don't agree with a lot of the policies on either side. But no matter how I vote, I know I will base it on the party's political views and their history in successfully governing Australia and NOT on judgements I have made about a candidate's life choices or the colour of their hair.

Shira is the Queen! Check out Sugarfree TV on Youtube

"When you begin to find who you are, you find the TRUTH. And the truth is never confusing, never full of doubt, and never hurtful, because it is what you truly want" - Shira

If you're finding a situation too hard or you have too many unanswered questions, or you feel like you are constantly doubting yourself then what you're dealing with ain't the truth. It's probably bullshit. And you should remove yourself from that situation - ASAP. What do you mean Eva? I mean, when you know yourself and you know what you truly want, there will be no internal questions like: "Why is this happening?" or "Should I do this?" because when you find the truth within yourself, everything makes sense and is natural. Example: relationships. I constantly hear about people's relationship woes (I've had my own too aight) and they usually include worries like "Does he/she like me?" or "Is he/she into having a long-term relationship?" or "Why did he/she do that?". And here's what I've realised. If you have to ask ANY of these questions; if you have any doubt AT ALL, then you're not heading towards the truth. And what I mean by 'truth' is, as Shira put it, "what you truly want". So what I'm saying is, where there is doubt, there is bullshit. Relationships shouldn't be that hard. You shouldn't have to wonder whether that other person likes you or not, or if they're serious, or if they kissed that other person to make you jealous, or what their intentions are...bla bla bla. When something is right, when it's REAL AKA THE TRUTH, shit will be easy. You won't need to wonder about the answers because there will be no questions.

Ok here's a question Eva: when are you gonna stop blogging about all this deep and meaningful shit and get back to your normal, sarcastic, angry self? 

Answer: BRB :P 

Hit up Shira on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/SugarFreeTV

ADIDAS HARDLAND (VANQUISH) - Sneaker Releases - Sneaker Freaker Magazine

IN LOVE WITH THESE SHOES...I THINK THEY WOULD SUIT A CERTAIN SOMEONE I KNOW...APART FROM ME, THAT IS ;)

ADIDAS HARDLAND (VANQUISH) - Sneaker Releases - Sneaker Freaker Magazine

WATCH THIS. NOW.

CHECK OUT MY BOY DJ KRONIC!!! THIS VIDEO IS THE SHITTTTTTT HAHAHAHAHA AND VOTE FOR HIM IN THE INTHEMIX TOP 50 COMPETITION...THIS IS ONE GORILLA YOU DO NOT WANNA MESS WIT...Btw, peep the inspiration for this video below - the infamous Cadbury ad...

FFS.

The world has gone fucking crazy. Start thinking for yourselves instead of accepting the shit that people feed you...Just cuz you saw it on the news or you read it in a book or a cop/politician/preacher/teacher/parent/the media tells you something is true, doesn't mean it is! You've got a brain! Fucking use it! Don't be a puppet! Man that means you shouldn't even believe me...find out for yourself. Rant over.

This is what it's all about.

Thank you Andy. If you don't know about this guy, you are fucked.

Hello again.

Why is it that we can't truly enjoy our own happiness because there is a subconscious (or perhaps very conscious) fear that it is all going to be taken away from us? And by "we", I mean "I". But surely it's not just me who is feeling this way? I really hate to be like this, but I can't help it. The more I think to myself that I need to accept good things in my life, the more I think that I'm kidding myself and that nothing can be that great, or that perfect.  Another part of me says that I need to block out that "doubting self" while my "non-doubting self" says that I need to stop resisting my negative thoughts, but embrace them in the hope that they will disappear! It's that whole thing where in my mind I try to resolve conflict by accepting good and bad thoughts like they are not in opposition to one another, but just part of my thought process. In that way, there is not a struggle between two different poles of thought...Does this make any sense at all? Obviously it's not working too well if I'm here writing this blog. All I want is to be able to accept good stuff into my life without thinking it's going to disappear. Can't happiness exist without sadness? Or is that too good to be true? I want the "too good to be true" to be true.

LOVE.

Just posting this photo which makes me super happy. A night out with my boy and my peoples...It's all about dumplings, yan yans and fortune cookies :)

Law of Attraction??

Hands up if this has happened to you:

You meet someone, you really like them. You're comfortable and happy.

Then suddenly, every Tom, Dick and Harry that you USED to be interested in (but who never called you back so you assumed dead) are now calling or texting you wanting to catch up?? And maybe it's not just past dudes who are hitting you up, but also new dudes who have just decided to show some interest in you! What the fuck is up with that?? Seriously I don't get it. This is going to sound MEGA-conceited, but in the past week, I SWEAR TO BUDDHA, a bunch of different guys have just popped up outta no-where suddenly hitting me up. These are dudes who I used to like but then ended up forgetting about because they didn't seem to show enough interest or just disappeared off the face of the earth. AND NOW they wanna come back into my life like they've been there the whole time? Seriously, FUCK. OFF. You can't just text or call someone after months, or even years, and expect me to fall at your fucking feet. Cuz seriously, I don't give a shit about you. If you really liked me, you should have done something about it whenever it was that I first met you, not now that you're lonely or it's convenient for you. Anyway the point is, why does this always happen when you're happy? Like, is there some kind of energy that happy people give off which dudes pick up on or something??? Are guys so intrinsically competitive that if they notice a girl is "taken", they instantly fight for the position to be her number one? Is this some wack result of the Law of Attraction such that when you're happy, you attract more opportunities or something? Because if so, that's COMPLETELY fucked up because these guys are useless to me right now! (Note: I am technically not "taken" but yeah...)

Anyways, I just needed to vent because I find it stupid and highly coincidental that these dudes wanna reappear right now. And I find it hilarious, and very satisfying, that I can ignore them just like they did to me.

Shoutout!

So my best friend Kristine has just posted a blog about yours truly and it's great because it's always interesting to hear another person's perspective on yourself, and if anyone is going to have any insight into who I am, it's going to be the girl who has been there for all the "firsts" for the last 8 or so years. This is the girl I met at a bus stop outside of uni on our first day; the girl who first introduced me to a hair straightener; the girl who I got completely wasted with for the first proper time. The first girl that I could truly say "got" me. So anyway, here is her blog, which is a delightful insight into her own life and thoughts, check it out!

A Twenty-Something Flight Attendant

Midday musing.

I would not say I'm a religious person. I am apparently a (born-into) Catholic, but at some point, religion started to make no sense to me. I never understood how a god who was all-forgiving and all-loving could ever send someone to the fiery depths of Hell to spend eternity. I questioned why a holy man, like our local priest, could loudly abuse a teenage kid for wearing a hat in the House of God. Weren't priests meant to be kind, peaceful people? I began to wonder if God really existed but ended up feeling ashamed because Father said that questioning God's existence was a sin in itself. I felt trapped. I couldn't even think without fear of offending God. And then at some point I let it all go. I decided to think for myself rather than being told what to think. That's when I decided that I did believe in something, I just didn't know exactly what that something was. All I knew is that it wasn't what I had always been told. I decided that if there was a God, he/she was completely misrepresented. They say God created man in his image. But isn't it the other way around? WE have created God in OUR image. That is all we know. How could man imagine something that they have never seen before, never experienced, never understood?

So this is what I believe: there has to be something greater than what we can ever imagine. Some people call that God, others call it something different. Maybe it's like some kind of energy...Either way, the only thing I know is that I don't know. That's good enough for me right now.

Just, whatever.

Man, sometimes I read back over my posts and I'm like, "damn Eva, you are SUCH a geek" HAHA. Like seriously, who can be bothered writing all this shit for no apparent reason. It's hilarious. And then some posts I'm writing all like I am now, like the way I would actually speak, and then others I'm writing like its my next thesis or some shit. What the fuck. I guess this is kind of like my online diary so you pretty much just have to deal with whatever it is that comes out of my brain at any given time. Anyways, that's just my thought for today :/

Also, I just weeded the whole front garden area which has not been done in like, a million years (or at least ever since we've lived here) and let me tell you, it is NOT therapeutic. I don't care what anyone says, gardening is not fun. Not to mention we have no gardening tools or gloves! So here I am ripping up miniature and gigantor weeds with my bare hands. How is this anyone's idea of fun? Meh. It had to be done because we have an inspection tomorrow. Anyway, sorry guys I will resume blogging about things of a more intellectual nature one day HAHA.

Until then lovers...

Ten Albums I Love :)

I was thinking the other day how funny it is that I have SOOOO much music on my computer but I always end up listening to the same stuff all the time! Like, sometimes I'll hit 'shuffle' on Itunes but then I end up having to hit 'next' on every second song cuz not only do I have a lot of good tracks, I have a lot of bad tracks accumulated from just my own bad taste and from stealing other people's music. Anyway I got to thinking, since I had such good feedback about my Drake album review, that I would write a list of my top ten albums of late and give you all a little mini review on them. This is the stuff I listen to on very high rotation! Of course, if I wrote a list of my top ten albums from when I was 15 years old it would be very different; my tastes have mellowed out in my old age haha. I'll leave that for next post. Anyway, I'll get on with it. If you don't have any of these albums I suggest you get out from under a rock...


1. Amy Winehouse - Frank
"But he looked like you...No, it wasn't you...but, you can still trust me...this ain't infidelity...this ain't cheatin'...you were on my mind..."

Amy Winehouse is what you get when you take Erykah Badu, Ms Dynamite, Lily Allen and Ella Fitzgerald and blend em all up into a cocktail of musical bliss. Every track on this album has honest and often hilarious lyrics accompanied by beautiful jazzy melodies. My faves include 'Fuck Me Pumps' which is a sarcastic dig at almost-30 something club skanks and 'You Sent Me Flying' which is an insanely catchy ode to a past lover with the feel of an SWV track.

2. James Morrison - Undiscovered
"I know that it's a wonderful world, from the sky down to the sea...but I can only see it when you're here...here with me..."

Ugh, I have listened to this album waaaaay too much. It never gets old. Like Amy Winehouse, Morrison has a very distinctive voice. He has this sexy huskiness going on and croons with the passion of a soul singer from decades past. Fave is "The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore" - amazing verse, amazing bridge, amazing chorus.

3. Drake - Thank Me Later
"I heard they just moved my grandmother to a nursing home/And I be acting like I don't know how to work a phone/But hit redial you'll see that I just called/Some Chick I met at the mall that I barely know at all..."


Read my review below haha.

4. The Misededucation of Lauryn Hill
"When it hurts so bad, why's it feel so good?"

How can you not love Lauryn Hill! She was in Sister Act 2 dammit! This has been Hill's only solo album; it's like she realised that she had made something so freakin' good that there was no way she would ever be able to top it. You just need to listen to it. Faves are "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and the mad duet with Mary J Blige entitled "I used to love him".

5. Raheem Devaughn - The Love Experience
"I ain't like most men, I ain't like them others you dealt with in the past..."

Neo-soul. Smoooooothed out to the max. This be the music you play while you tworkin' it out HAHAHA. Raheem sounds like whipped cream and strawberries. So tasty...Best tracks are "Guess Who Loves You More" and "Believe".

6. Outkast - The Love Below
"I hope that you're the one...if not, you are the prototype..."

THIS ALBUM IS LIKE MY NUMBER ONE ALBUM EVER. It's on a totally other level, seriously. This album incorporates every musical style possible, and I mean EVERY style. Which is totally strange for an act which would probably be slotted into the hip hop section of any record store. In reality, The Love Below could fit into any section of that store, except maybe 'country & western' HAHA. But Andre 3000 is so insane that he probably would come out with some honky track and it would sound awesome. I can't even describe this shit...just get onto it. "Prototype" and "Happy Valentine's Day" are my faves, but honestly the whole album is dope from start to finish.

7. Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon
"If I fall, if i die, know I lived them missin' bullets..."

This shit is crazy. I don't even know how to explain Cudi's style. I can hear influences from Outkast and Kanye mostly...but it's from a different dimension...yeah, he is a martian. When you really listen to the lyrics, this guy is pouring his heart out. Every track brings you closer together. You become friends with the dude. Man, you gotta love the shit that comes outta these drug addicts. Whatever he be smokin' or sniffin' - keep doing it. Fave track is 'Enter Galactic' - a love song about taking drugs with a girl. Classic.

8. Usher - 8701 & Confessions
"I know you hate me, I know I hurt you...but there's more. Listen..."

I'm sneakily putting both these albums in. It's very hard to seperate them okay! I shouldn't even have to explain how good these albums are...Faves include "Twork it Out" from 8701 and "Confessions Pt. 2" from Confessions.

9. Gym Class Heroes - As Cruel As School Children
"Assumin' that this planet rotates
I'll just procrastinate until the day I bump into my soulmate
Who woulda thunk I'd be pissy ass drunk
When time came for a collision..."

Yes, we all know I'm biased because I'm in love with Travie. But listen to this album and you will understand why. This is the best of all GCH's albums because it can be listened to from start to finish and seems more coherent than their others. Maybe because it has more of a theme (school) which links each song. Either way, every track is catchy, uses real instruments, and Travie has such a playful rapping style. He also does some spoken word stuff on interludes which is romantic and witty. Faves are "On My Own Time (Write On!)" and "Viva La White Girl".

10. Israel - The Legacy
"All I need is a moment, one last chance with you..."

Had to put this on here because Iz is my boy!! Brap brap! And also because when I hit the "Top 25 Most Played" button in my Itunes, this came in at number one! I have cranked this album harrrrd. Another album that sounds awesome from beginning to end. Iz knows how to write a 'SMIZASSSH' (his words haha). I love "Saviour" and "Hold on Me" for its dope melody and production but suprisingly I really love a track called "Killing Me" which is a pop ballad I could imagine an Idol winner singing. I'm a sucker for shit like that haha. You the bomb, Iz.

Just two things...

Two videos for you people...

The first is from Miguel who I'm currently obsessed with. I don't care much for the actual video of this track so don't worry about that, just listen :) My fave song at the moment...



This second video is Lil Wayne ft Nicki Minaj - Knockout. Visually, this is the bomb. The styling is sugary sweet. Minaj looks like walking gelati. Weezy is so cute with his chucks and striped knit and tie :) The entire clip was shot in front of a green screen. Man, the shit they do with technology these days is saving a whole bunch on production costs. Don't you just love how Wayne is playing an electric guitar that isn't plugged into an amp HAHA...oh well, I still like this video even if he can't really play the guitar...lol p.s. I would like some baby pink boxing gloves for Christmas please :)

I'm in love.

Rihanna - the new posterchild for lesbianism. This video is HOTTTT.

Drake - Thank Me Later - Album Review

Ok, you know I had to write a review on Drake's new album 'Thank Me Later' because SOME people (i.e. Gillyboy :p) have been dissing my love for him and you all know what happens when someone attacks something I like - I defend it...in blog form. Ha. So what do I personally think about the Drake album?

Well I was a bit slow on the uptake; it leaked on the internet about four days before I actually had a minute to cop it so I was reading everyone's reactions on Facebook. Everyone was saying it was pretty amazing so I had great expectations, more than I already had for the dude who's created some of my favourite tracks in the last year ("Best I Ever Had", "Successful") . On first listen I liked it. On second listen I loved it. I've had it on repeat ever since and I'm still not sick of it a week later. So yeah, thanks Drake :)

Now I should say I wrote this review without having read any other reviews, so this is my honest opinion, without being influenced. Also, I'm missing one track off the album called "Fancy" cuz for some reason, it wasn't included :(

First, here's what I like about Drake:

His beats and melodies have a dream-like quality. Characteristic to a Drake song is a floating, rolling melody, slow tempo, a hypnotising feel. This I dig. If you take away the vocals and just played the instrumental, it's just chilled out ish. His style is so distinctive which makes songs sound similar in a way, which is why the album sounds good played from start to finish as each song kinda rolls into the next.

As for the vocals, Drake's singing voice isn't exactly a powerhouse, but that's why it sounds perfect on his tracks. It's maximum mellow-nesssss. His voice is smooth as fuck, he got a sexy tone to him, it sounds effortless. This is opposed to someone like Usher who can really sing the shit out of a song, in a good way of course, it's just different. His rhymes are honest and he isn't afraid to talk about relationships and admit he's been played. He talks about fucking chicks but he also talks about loving chicks, and he isn't acting like he's from the hood. So track by track, here's the lowdown...

Fireworks - The sound of fireworks is nice huh. Cuz it makes you think of celebrations, memorable events and moments. Choosing this as the opening track is kinda interesting because you would expect fireworks to be at the end of something. But it kinda works because it sets the tone of the album, linking it to those ideas of something to be celebrated and remembered.

The beautiful piano chord progression seems fitting for the track considering Alicia Keys features, but is also characteristic of the Drake style. Interestingly, the song implements the drum beat as a backing to the verses where Drake is rhyming, but in the chorus the beat is removed and Alicia just sings over backing vocal and the sound of fireworks. It gives the effect of a suspension in time every time we hear the chorus; time stops for a few bars and we're mesmerised by Alicia's voice. By the way, apparently the second verse is about Drake's fling with Rihanna at Lucky Strike, a bowling arena: "Who coulda predicted Lucky Strike would have you stuck with me...I'll never forget it baby, what an experience...there was smoke in the air before, now it's me clearing it".

Karaoke - This song is about Drake's failed relationship with a girl and how she can't handle his fame: "the spotlight makes you nervous". Probably my least fave track on the album though, it's just not as strong melody and beat wise.

The Resistance - This one's about Drake's struggle with fame and the pressures of people around him to stay grounded. I really like this song. I think it has the realest lyrics of all the tracks. He talks about his realisation that the fame has changed him; its this awareness that is endearing. It has a tragic kinda feel to it when he says in the last line, "ain't no turning back for me, I'm in it til it's over". There's no escape, even if he wanted out.

Over - One of my faves. It's track four and the tempo is building. His first official release from this album is more upbeat; it gets you nodding your head and Drake's rhymes have an urgency to them. My favourite line is when Drake sings, "I know way too many people here right now that I didn't know last year, who the fuck are y'all"; I love the honesty in his lyrics!

Show Me a Good Time - I think this should be released as his next single. The beat uses an awesome sample, it's fiyahhhh! Again, it's upbeat like Over and basically says Drake is in this for the long haul and isn't apologising for makin' that cash. "Feels like when you get into that paper hip hop hates ya/They would do it just like I do if they could it's in our nature". (Edit: Found out this track was produced by Kanye; no wonder the beat is good).

Up all Night - "Niggas with no money act like money isn't everything". Haha. It's funny cuz it's true! Continuing the theme of Show Me a Good Time, this time Drake employs Nicki Minaj from his Young Money crew to show how they do it and celebrate their success. Love Nicki's verse!

Shut it Down - After three songs of "I'm famous and I don't give a fuck what you think", Drake decides to turn his attention to the ladies. This is like Drake's version of David Guetta's Sexy Bitch, it's saying the same thing in a much classier way! One of my faves on this album. Drake and The Dream are a perfect match on this song cuz they have the same kinda style. The way Drake sings slightly off beat gives this slow motion kind of effect to all his songs. I can't help but love this track cuz what girl doesn't wanna hear "these girls ain't got nothin' on you...you'd be the baddest girl around...together we shut it down". Awwww. Then it's like Drake realises he sounds like a pussy or something and then adds an extra few minutes to the track where he changes "shut it down" to "lay you down", just to remind us that he has a dick. Hey, I'm with it if you with it...HAHA.

Unforgettable - Young Jeezy lends his voice to this track which is alright, adds a different feel. It also samples Aaliyah's  "At Your Best" which is a nice little homage to her. Cool track.

Light Up - My third fave track on this album. Drake once again talks about his success. Jay Z is dope on this, but when is he not, right? He gives Drizzy advice on how to handle the haters and shit. Aww how nice of him. Best line comes from Hova: "Sorry mama, I promised it wouldn't change me but I woulda went insane had I remained the same me". Seems there are some sacrifices to being famous.

Miss Me - Of course, I love it when Drake talks about Nicki Minaj in this one. It really sounds like he's hoping Nicki is gonna hear this track and be like, "yeah, let's hook up" HAHA. Weezy is funny as usual with all his little similes and shit.

Cece's Interlude - Ok who is this Cece chick? Cuz she got Drake open. Damn. He sounds like The Dream at the start of this song, he is singing kinda high but then we hear that familiar tone as we listen further in. A nice little love song with a guitar solo at the end. It's cool cuz we get to listen to Drake sing a bit more. Dreamy.

Find Your Love - I must admit, I didn't like this song when I first heard it a few months ago. I thought it sounded generic and wasn't a fan of the samples it used for the beat. But I guess it grew on me! Maybe that's why they released it because it sounds a lot more commercial than his other tracks. I do like the idea of giving it a dancehall feel though which makes it a little different to the regular pop tracks out at the moment.

Thank Me Now - Drake sounds playful on this one, the way he says "oh-KAY!" haha. Nice track to end the album.

All in all, it was two parts self-congratulation, two parts romance and a little tribute to his peoples on the side. Underlying it all are the smooth melodies and beats I love about Drake, always staying true to his style. Those guest appearances were valuable but didn't steal the show. The haters will always have something to say about this album but I think it's an amazing effort from a dude of 23 years of age. It's original and introspective. People may hate because it seems Drake is "soft" but at least he's talking about shit that actually is relevant to him rather than spitting about how he got shot nine times or how he's goon affiliated. You have to admit that his shit is different and it's unfair to compare him to dudes who have been in the game for years longer than him, who aren't even the same kind of style, and who have totally different experiences to draw inspiration from. Drake is a self-confessed r&b lover and has never claimed to be making music for tough cunts. My review is coming from a girl's perspective which makes a difference because us women are a little biased to Drake's emotional ish; we like to hear a guy talking about his feelings! Either way, I am loving this album. What do you all think?