Conor Maynard – that lemon life

Welcome to STMPD

Hola everyone.

Guys, you know that I love talking about music more than anything. But as I guess that all these music lists are getting a little bit boring, I thought I’d change it up a bit. So, today I have the honor of introducing you to one of the coolest music labels on this planet.

But before I begin I wanted to give you guys a little update on my last post and party a little bit, because it seems like Trump stopped working against the ban for elephant trophies. He stated that he stopped it because he wants to investigate further on how the conservation works, but I’m pretty sure that he stopped because the whole world was literally screaming at him and his administration. So yey and congratulations to all of us. Seems like we just helped to save this planet – at least for some time. Well done guys and whoever got active – thank you so much. You’re awesome.

Okay, there’s that. Now let’s get back to this very special music label. The EDM fans among you will probably already know this supercool label called STMPD RCRDS. It was founded in May last year by the one and only Martijn Garristen – also known as Martin Garrix. And before any of you guys question my opinion about this label, no I’m not just interested in it because it’s his label. I mean, I was at first, but now that I’ve actually taken time to get to know it, it’s like Martijn introduced me to this amazing thing that I am now exploring on my own while being so damn thankful for the introduction.

So yeah, it all started in May 2016, so you could say that the label is still pretty young. Martijn founded it after having some severe arguments and a disagreement about the ownership rights of his music with his older label Spinnin’ Records. And as the genius he is, instead of signing to another label, he just created his own, which now gives him complete freedom when it comes to his music and pretty much everything else. If I’m right the label now “belongs” to Sony Music and it seems like Martijn himself couldn’t be happier. Until today there are about 15 or so artists signed to the label, including Martijn himself (unfortunately I couldn’t find a complete list) and I have to say, all of them are freaking amazing.

What I think is especially cool is that the label mostly consists of pretty much still unknown DJs and artists – I mean, at least I didn’t know them before. And also, like I said, Martijn is totally free when it comes to his own music and productions and so on, but of course he has his portfolio and type of music that people expect him to release and stick to, so he can’t just release anything. That’s why – another genius move – he just created side projects like GRX or Area 21, so he can release other music he enjoys to produce too. And I think that’s so damn amazing, because that way he’s able to show the world even more of his talent.

STMPD is based in Amsterdam (like Martijn, of course) and just about a few months ago he and his team took over one of Amsterdams coolest recording studios called FC Walvisch, a spot used by international superstars like Pharrell Williams, Lady Gaga and of course Martijn. Actually, in the last of his videos YouTube series “The Martin Garrix Show”, you could see him and his team celebrating the official opening of their new headquarters. You can now find the studio under the new name STMPD Recording Studios – here’s a link to their website.

I have to say that I am incredibly proud of Martijn for bringing this whole thing to life and making his dream come true. It makes me kind of speechless too. And let’s not forget the fact that all the signed artists are seriously so damn good. I mean, how perfect can a label get? Cool headquarters, fresh young vibes, the most amazing boss ever and freaking good artists and breathtakingly good music. That’s all anyone in the music business could wish for. Oh, and if you’re wondering why the label is called STMPD – the name was actually inspired by Martijns father’s stamp auctioning company. So it’s basically just another cute tribute and link to his family.

Okay, so, that’s pretty much all the most important information about this amazing label that I can provide you with. And now let’s get to the most fun part, which is getting to know some of the artists. I actually highly recommend following the label on Spotify (if you do have Spotify), their playlists are amazing and also quite addictive. I’ve been listening to them on repeat the past weeks. So, without further ado, let me present you some of my favorite song releases:

As you can see it’s pretty hard for me to not just add every single song the label ever released. I of course had to put Area 21 on the list, because I just love this side of Martijn so freaking much, and also CMC$ as his song features the one and only Conor Maynard. Like, can you believe it? Two of my favorite guys are working with and for the same label. That’s so damn crazy.

And yeah, that’s pretty much it. There you go guys. Welcome to STMPD RCRDS. I have to say that I’m truly so thankful to Martijn for founding and introducing me to this amazing label and awesome kind of music and awesome artists. And it would actually make me so happy if some of you enjoy it too. So please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below, I’m really curious. And yeah, I really hope you enjoyed this post and I wish you all an amazing week. And, as always, thanks for reading. x

Quick update

Hola everyone.

You know what? I was just thinking about what to write today and then I thought, it’s been quite some time since I just talked to you guys, about everything and nothing. And I thought the weekend is just around the corner and I’m quite in the chilled mood, so why not chat a little bit today? So, maybe get a cup of tea, put on some good music and enjoy me babbling about things.

First of all I have to say that today started off amazingly – I woke up to Joe (= Joe Sugg) posting literally the cutest videos of Conor on his Instagram site and they just made me so smiley. But that’s no surprise, actually. I mean, what else can I do besides being happy at the look of Conor, smiling widely, wearing a goddamn white shirt? That’s basically the most natural reaction to something like this. And I’m really glad that Conor looks happy again and doing better. Thank god. Seems like the sunny LA is working miracles on him.

And yeah, I just had another exam on Monday, which I gladly aced. It was the last exam of one of my optional courses and I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am that this is finally over. I mean, I literally chose this myself and god, it was so damn boring. I mean, actually the last exam, so this one, was pretty interesting. But all the others ones… Nope, not at all. And if you’re wondering which subject I’m talking about – it was culture anthropology. And I have to say that I expected it to be more on the “this is how cultures work”-side, but no, actually I learned about small tribes in Africa. I’m a hundred percent sure that this could be the most interesting subject ever for other people, but for me, not so much. But yeah, I finally finished it and I’m really glad about that. And it also means that I now have some time to chill and relax until my next exam in December. After nearly two months full of studying and thinking about all the things I still had to do and always feeling bad when I did something else than study, this feels like being on holiday.

Oh and right now I’m actually on my way home. I’ve now been in Vienna for over a week and I seriously can’t wait to get home again, even if it’s just for two days. I think I’ll always be one of those people who just can’t wait to get back home. Pretty paradox if you think about it, as I’m planning to move to the UK next year. Ad speaking of that, I know I always babble about my future and amazing colleges in the UK and I know, I have something new every single time. But this time it’s different. I really found my place to be. It’s a music college where I could study music journalism, including all the PR, marketing and amendment stuff and that’s literally so amazing and exciting. And, yes, I know, I said that I first said that fashion journalism was my dream, then lifestyle journalism and now music journalism. But I’ve noticed something. If I want to get a good job that truly makes me happy, I just need to pick one that I can work with. I mean, I love fashion. I really do. But I noticed that I just don’t spend hours with it every day. It’s not my biggest hobbies. Other than music, which is basically my whole life. Apart from the not-playing-a-musical-instrument-part, I would say I live music. Seriously. I spend hours and hours on and with music. It’s a subject I can work with, which I know I’m good at. And then I found this college and it just made click. So yeah, I’m currently trying my best to get a spot at this amazing college. Wish me luck. Oh and if you’re interested, the college is the British and Irish Modern Music Institute.

And besides that, there hasn’t much happened. Oh, right. Two amazing bands – Coasts and The Hunna – announced a tour together for next year and I can already not wait to see them. They are both bands I got to know through Spotify – thanks Spotify – and I immediately fell for them. And now that they are seriously visiting Vienna, I’m quite shocked to be honest. I pretty much expected them to be two of those bands you always listen to but will never be able to see live as they are just far too unknown in your country. But seemingly I was quite wrong and I’m so glad about that. If you’re interested, here are are one of my favorites from them:

So guys, that’s pretty much it. It makes me really happy that I’m able to talk to you guys and that I get to share all of this with you. And I really really hope you enjoy it too. Oh and please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. I’m really interest in what you’ve been up to. And yeah, until then I wish you all an amazing weekend and, as always, thanks for reading. x

Music of the month

Hola everyone.

I know it’s early for a music of the month list, but hey, there can never be enough lists about music, right? I have to say that my current taste in music and my favorite songs are especially influenced by all the new upcoming albums of some of my favorite bands. And of course they all thought “why not release some singles first and basically bless all the ears on this planet???”. Thanks guys.

Anyways, all this songs are freaking amazing and I love them and some have a special meaning to me and some are just a blessing. But all of them are perfect. Enjoy.

OneRepublic – Kids (such an amazing song, perfect to sing to – link: youtube.com)
Kings Of Leon – Waste A Moment (I couldn’t be any more excited for their new album – link: youtube.com)
Conor Maynard – Close (another cover, but it’s freaking breathtaking – link: youtube.com)
DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber – Let Me Love You (I love singing this one and it reminds me of Reading, because I hear it in a shop there – link: youtube.com)
Twenty One Pilots – Heathens (that doesn’t really surprise anyone, right? – link: youtube.com)
Panic! At The Disco – Death Of A Bachelor (this song and Brendon’s voice are a blessing – link: youtube.com)
Kings Of Leon – Supersoaker (I know, another KOL song, but I just can’t help it – link: youtube.com)
Basically any Fall Out Boy song, for real
Foals – My Number (this is my official Reading hymn, so I can’t listen to it, but I still have it in my head and I love it and it just makes you want to DANCE – link: youtube.com)
The 1975 – Somebody Else (when I think about their set at Reading, I think about this one immediately – link: youtube.com)
Two Door Cinema Club – Sleep Alone (god, I love this song so much, it is such a tune live – and on CD too, ofc – link: youtube.com)
Banners – Ghosts (his voice is so smooth and just pure heaven – link: youtube.com)
Martin Garrix ft. Bebe Rexha – In The Name Of Love (I actually listened to it again for the first time today after hearing it live two months ago, still getting all emotional and happy, god I wish I could see Martin every week – link: youtube.com)

Soooo, here you go. Here are my current favorite songs and yes, I’m in love with every single one of them. If any of you have the same taste in music as me, feel free to chat with me, for real. I’d love to talk. And until then, I hope you enjoyed this post and list and, as always, thanks for reading. x

Brighton

Hola everyone.

I’m baaaaack. Finally. And I can tell you, my trip was fantastic. Brighton is such a beautiful, magnificent city. With all the cute, colorful building, the pier, the sea, the lanes and of course the beach. I loved it, honestly. And I think my mum did too, although she’s more of a beach with palm trees, sand and peace. But Brighton is more like the pebble beach, a lot of people and no trees at all beach. But to be honest, I still loved it.

I especially loved the lanes there, those are the cute little shopping streets, full of vintage shops and special ones too, and of course the colorful houses. But most of all I liked how much the whole city reminded me of my faves. Like, as some of you may know, Brighton is Conors hometown, so wherever I went, I always had the thought of him walking at the same place in the back of my head. We even went to visit the venue Conor had his first concert in, a place called “The Haunt”. It meant so much to be to be there.

And apart from that, it’s also the city of Pewdiepie, Marzia and Zoella and so many more YouTubers. Which is so so so crazy. I always asked myself why they all chose to live there, but now I get it. It’s really beautiful and special. Mum and me went to a painting pottery cafe which I remembered from one of Marzias vlogs. And I have to say, it was really really cool. I chose to paint one heart and draw Brighton on it and many more (I’ll show it to you in my upcoming haul post, so stay tuned). And it came out even more beautiful afterwards than it was when I left it there to be finished by the staff there. I think this was one of those experiences that are really special, mainly because I know that I won’t be able to find such a cafe anywhere else that quick. And whenever I look at the heart on my wall, I’ll remember that trip and how amazing it was.

Unfortunately I didn’t meet anyone, but just knowing that Pewds was in the same city as me at the same time was unbelievable. We even walked past the street his house is supposed to be – we didn’t walk up to be because that would be super weird and oh my god, hell no – and I have to say he chose a really nice place, right next to the beach. So thumps up for that one.

Besides the buildings and the beach and the shopping streets, I also think that the food there was amazing. Like, usually people say that English people can’t cook but oh my is that wrong. Especially for my mum it was really nice to go out for dinner, as there were a lot of restaurants with vegan dishes, which was perfect for her. And I basically found my favorite meal there. One evening we were looking for a nie place to have dinner in and walked past some restaurant called “Wagamama” and I somehow knew it from somewhere, I don’t know from where until this day, but okay. And we looked at the menu and I saw that they had ramen which I had always wanted to try, so we chose to eat there. And oh my god, as I had my first sip, I flew to heaven. Food heaven. Holy moly, was that amazing. Although ramen is just a noodle soup, but it was soooo amazing. I loved it that much that we chose to go there the next evening too. So yeah, thanks to Wagamama introducing me to this delicious meal. THANK YOU.

Oh and I have to say, Brighton is one of the most photogenic cities I’ve ever been to, for real. Like, every pic I took looks fantastic. And that’s all thanks to the city. And of course I’ll show them to you too, that’s the purpose of this post. And as I don’t have anything else to tell you, I’ll just end this post by hoping that you enjoyed this post and the pics and by thanking you for staying with me and welcoming me back. And if any of you want to talk to me, I’m here. And until then, as always, thanks for reading. x

Conor and me

Hola everyone.

This one is special. Really special. I know I already talked about him, but this is the post he always deserved and always will. This my story with a guy called Conor Maynard aka a guy I’ve only met once and loved before and since.

I think you all know who Conor is, at least I hope so. Because if you don’t, what the hell are you doing with your life? I kind of crashed into Conor about 4 years ago while I was on holiday in Cyprus with my parents. We stayed in a small house and I passed some time by watching TV. They had MTV and I loved it. I remember that was the time when Conor won the MTV award for best new artist and in every break, there was a small spot with him and his song Can’t Say No. And god, was I annoyed. But do you know what happens when you get to hear a song like 20 times a day for about 8 days? Exactly. First you get used to it, then you remember the words, then you hum it and finally you sing it loudly and dance to it. That’s what happened to me. I fell for the song.

And when I got home, I kind of kept him in my heart. At that time, I had a huge heartbreak and I just needed something to make me happy. So one night I was sitting in front of my laptop, surfing through YouTube when I got to his site. He had those series of funny little videos which he called “The Conorcles”. Actually they were just little vlogs, but sooooo damn much better. To be honest, Conor is one of the funniest guys ever. He has this totally amazing humor which makes it possible for him to laugh about himself. And honestly, he’s also just really really crazy.

I remember sitting in my room, watching, like, every single video and I laughed so loud that my mum came into my room to ask me what was so funny. Little did I know that I was laughing about a guy that would still be a part of my life 4 years later.

After I found out that Conor was a guy who had the same sense of humor as me, was just as weird and crazy as me and was also intensely cute, I started listening to his songs more and more. And oh my god, he has the voice of an angle, I swear. Next to Ed Sheeran, he literally has the most beautiful voice on this planet. Seriously. I don’t even know how so much talent can be stuck in one single person. But as we can see, it is possible. And I fell for him. Oh how did I fall. Actually, Conor and his music and videos really helped me with my heartbreak, so I really want to thank him for that (thanks Conor). And then it just escalated. I told literally everyone about him. Showed his videos to my friends. Listened to his songs 24/7. Tweeted about him. And finally I called myself a Mayniac, which I still do, of course.

And then June came. I remember it like it was yesterday. My mum and me had planned our second trip to New York. It should last for a week, starting at the 9th of June. It was April when I found out. I had just gotten home from school, when I checked my phone. I have this cool app called Bands In Town, that shows you every concerts in any city you want. And I had set it to show me all concerts in New York, because I really wanted to go to a concert there. And I had followed Conor there, so that meant whenever he had a concert in the city I had selected, I would get a notification.

I think it was about 2 pm when I got the notification. I looked at my phone and there it was. It said that Conor had just announced a concert in New York. On the 9th of June. The day we would get there. You can’t even imagine how much I freaked out. I started to cry immediately. I couldn’t believe it. It was close to being so crazy that it just couldn’t be true. I mean, how high are the chances that Conor would have a concert in New York exactly in the week when I would be there? I know, impossibly low. But it was true. I checked it like 100 times. And then I called my mum, half crying, half breathing like I just had had an attack. I remember that mum wasn’t so happy at first. Because it would be really stressful, because there wouldn’t be a lot of time to get to the hotel and to the venue. At the end it was incredibly stressful. But at the time we got into the taxi to the venue, all the stress and pressure got washed away. I think I already cried back then.

When we got there, we already saw a few people queuing up in line. I had actually bought Meet and Greet tickets, which was just the cherry on top of the huge ice cream bowl of craziness. The M&G thing also meant that I wouldn’t just be meeting Conor, but that I was also able to get into the venue before anyone else. But as you know me, I was too shy to go around the queue. But my mum isn’t shy. And wasn’t. So she literally just took my hand and walked right onto the street with me, passing every single person and getting right to the entrance. It was sooooo crazy, I couldn’t believe it. And then it all went down really quick. I ran into the venue, got my place in the second row and the two support acts came, sang and left.

And then the moment came. Conor finally got onto the incredibly small stage – the concert was for like 500 people, maximum – and sang and danced his heart out. And so did I. I laughed, cried, danced, smiled, admired him, screamed, cheered and literally had the time of my life. And he was sooooo damn good, oh my god. I loved every single second of it and wished for it to never end. But unfortunately it had to end, but then the M&G part came and I got so damn nervous, you can’t even imagine.

Actually, I had prepared a little gift for Conor – I had written a letter and had bought him a cool bracelet which fitted the other ones he always wore and still does to this day (they are friendship bracelets). I remember that he smiled at me when I gave it to him and that he said “Oh I’m going to cry”, which is something I love so much. And my mum took pics, so this moment is literally captured on my phone. And oh my god. I remember when we took a pic together, he put his hand on my hip and I just put it on his back but my hand was half on his denim jacket and half on his shirt, which was kinda awkward, so I just slipped my hand completely under his jacket. I still laugh about it to this day. I think it’s so funny, I don’t even know why, it just is. Then I thanked him and got out of the concert area and sat down on a bench. I was shaking so much and my heart was beating like crazy. I think I sat there for like 10 minutes until my mum asked me to go and I was so not ready. Because I knew that Conor was like 2 meters away from me. I didn’t want to leave him. Thank god there was a small window in the door, so before we finally got out, I looked through it and took on last glance at him and said goodbye for the last time.

So that’s how I met Conor. It was like one of the best moments in my whole life and I’m so happy that I could be a part of this small, intimidate show. It was really special.

A few months later, Conor announced that he’d be publishing his own book and that he wanted to put a few pics with his fans into it. So he started a contest in which you just had to post your pic with him on a website and they’d chose the pics randomly. I bet you can already guess what I did. Of course I posted it a lot of times, because I really wanted to be in this book. Or at least have him see it. And of course I also preordered the book, no matter if I was in it or not.

I was in class when my mum sent me the picture. I can still see me staring at the phone, eyes wide open, with my teacher getting right into class. I was so excited, I threw my phone on the table. I was shaking like crazy. On the picture my mum had sent me was the pic of me and Conor. In his book. Right on the first page. I thought she was joking. I couldn’t believe that this was real and to be honest, I still can’t believe it. It’s just too crazy. And of course I showed it to everyone. Because like, this is REALLY special. Like really really special. I’m in Conors book (oh wow, I still haven’t realized it).

So far, there had been two really special things that happened with Conor – the concert and his book. And then my 18th birthday happened. I remember tweeting him that it was my birthday and that I’d literally go crazy if he tweeted me. But when I went to bed there still hadn’t happened anything. But it was okay for me. Because I mean, he’s Conor. The next day my class and I went to a trip to Madrid and my friend picked me up to drive to school. And when I turned on my phone, I got a notification from Twitter. It said that Conor Maynard followed me (!!!). And I was like “yes of course, suuuure”. Because I thought it was some fake account. So I just clicked the link to see who the fake guy was. And then I saw the blue verification sign next to his name. And I went crazy. Conor had followed me. He was following me. I couldn’t believe it. To this day I think that this was his special birthday present for me. And I couldn’t be more thankful for everything he did and does.

I still remember texting my mum that Conor followed me and her replying with “what does he want from you???” and I grinned like an idiot. I was sooooo freaking happy, oh my god. Actually, I still am, because – thank god – Conor is still following me. Which enables me to text him whenever I want, which is like SO DAMN COOL. And of course I’m texting him sometimes, for example when he releases a new cover or something. He still hasn’t replied, but I’m sure that he at least saw it and had a small reason to smile and that’s all I could wish for.

And now it’s 2016 and I’m still here. And I always will. Because Conor really means a lot to me. He’s more to me than an angelic, freaking amazing, unbelievable talented singer. He’s a guy who’s part of my life since 4 years now and I’m not planning on changing that and I hope he isn’t either. It really means a lot to me that I’m sharing this special story or let’s say relationship with him. I wouldn’t want to miss any of it. Never ever.

Oh and actually, after a wait of two years, Conor finally released some new music. His new album “Covers” is out today, which includes all his latest albums, two new ones and another original. I especially love his cover of “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Chainsmokers and of course his original called “This Is My Version” (I think this song is about his breakup with his long-term girlfriend Victoria, so it’s a little bit sad – okay it’s really sad – but so freaking amazing). So please, whatever you are doing right now, STOP IT. And go listen to Conors album. You won’t regret it, I swear. Conor deserves all of his fame and appreciation and a lot more. Because he really has a huge talent and he is an amazing person. And I’m just really thankful that I got to know him and have him in my life, even if he’s not physically next to me.

I really hope that you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. I think you noticed how important Conor and this memories are to me. If any of you want to talk to me about Conor or anything else, I’m here. Oh and here’s the link to his new album – spotify.com. And here’s the link to the official video for his new song: youtube.com. I really hope you enjoy Conors music as much as me and, as always, thanks for reading.