Former tour mates Cody Simpson and Justin Bieber teamed up for a new duet called “Home To Mama” that actually brought the internet down for a little bit once they posted the video online, crushing the hearts of Fangirls everywhere.
Australian singer and Secret Fangirl fave Cody Simpson will be at the Macy’s in Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island this Saturday, November 8th, for a special meet & greet and acoustic session! If you purchase $40 or more of American Rag brand items, you get a special VIP meet & greet with Cody after his performance. Full event details are available HERE.
Watch Cody Simpson’s video for “Surfboard” below, and pretend it’s still summer.
We had a lot of great ideas for a Friday Five this week. Then we realized that since we’re on vacation, we’d much rather be at the beach. Here is our playlist for the week! We’ll be back to regular blogging next week.
It’s been quite an exciting year for singer Jackson Harris! Since releasing his debut EP, “Sharks and Vampires” in Feburary, Jackson has opened for artists like Fifth Harmony and Before You Exit, and is currently on tour with Cody Simpson in Europe. Growing up in NYC, Jackson always knew he wanted to be a musician. He immersed himself in music, listening to everyone from James Taylor to his sister’s Backstreet Boys albums, and friends’ Fall Out Boy albums. Fitting right in with today’s DIY pop music trend, Jackson taught himself to play guitar by watching videos of John Mayer on Youtube, and posting his own covers of artists like Taylor Swift and Imagine Dragons. (de rigueur for pop stars these days!)
Jackson has a versatile sound, and you can hear the range of influences in his songs. Watch the video for his single “Life Through a Lens” below!
European Tour Dates with Cody Simpson
July 4th – Bord Gais Energy Theatre – Dublin, Ireland
July 5th – Academy 2 – Manchester, England
July 6th – Library – Birmingham, England
July 8th – La Maroquinerie – Paris, France
July 11th – Bikini – Barcelona, Spain
July 12th – Shoko Live – Madrid, Spain
July 14th – Armazem F TMN Ao Vivo – Lisbon, Portugal
He’ll be back in New York for a show on August 12th with Mike Tompkins at the Studio at Webster Hall. Tickets are on sale now! Pickup a copy of the “Sharks and Vampires” EP on iTunes or Amazon!
June 1st marked the official start of our summer concert season with 106.1 BLI’s Summer Jam held at the Nikon Jones Beach Theater! The nearly 7 hour music festival featured a range of artists from Jason Derulo to Karmin, and Fifth Harmony to Cash Cash. We were most excited to see secretfangirls.com favorites Austin Mahone, Cody Simpson, Midnight Red, and AJR! We also discovered a new favorite artist to watch, New Hollow.
Midnight Red
America’s boy band Midnight Red kicked off the festival with their cover of Rihanna’s “Diamonds” and heated up the stage with their hits “Hell Yeah” and “Take Me Home,” complete with choreographed dance moves. (We highly approve!). Behind the guys were giant inflatable caricatures of each member. New Hollow New Hollow won us over instantly with their rocking cover of David Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel” – no easy task. Their original tracks like “She Ain’t You” have a 90s grunge sound and since we love anything and everything 90s around here, we may have found our new favorite band. They were the only artist on the lineup that we weren’t familiar with before the show and we’re so glad we caught their set!
AJR
NYC-based indie pop band AJR played their biggest show to date to the crowd of nearly 15,000. We weren’t sure how their music would translate in a stadium setting, but they looked and sounded amazing as always. We love how unique AJR’s sound is – out of the 13 acts that performed, they had by far the most distinctive and original sound. We’re sure they gained a lot of fans – the whole venue was clapping along to “I’m Ready!” We also love how they still set up their own equipment. And did anyone catch the “I’m Ready” banner flying around the stadium? They’re total rock stars now!
Cody Simpson
We’ve been fans of Cody Simpson since we saw him opening for Big Time Rush at Jones Beach on their summer tour. His laid back Australian surfer vibe and sound are perfect for the venue (which if you haven’t been to, is surrounded by water on 3 sides). While we were expecting him to dance more, especially following his stint on “Dancing With The Stars,” we were pleasantly surprised to see his guitar playing skills showcased instead as he played both acoustic and electric during his set, which included his new single, “Surfboard“. The crowd went wild for Cody and we’re hoping he’ll be back on another headlining tour soon! He’s heading off to Europe this week for his Acoustic Sessions tour.
Austin Mahone
Of course the highlight of the evening was Austin MAHONE, who kicked off his set with a Banga Banga! We’re still fangirling over the fact that he played “Secrets” (our theme song) and “Next To You” from his new EP, “The Secret”. From Austin’s crisp boy band dance moves to his flawless vocals, it’s safe to say everyone at Jones Beach last night became a Mahomie! Austin also showed he’s multi-talented, breaking out the acoustic guitar for “Shadow.” He kept teasing the crowd with “one more song!” which thankfully turned into 4 more songs, including “MMM Yeah” and “What About Love.” We’re even more excited for his summer tour with The Vamps, because we just didn’t get enough Austin last night!
BLI says they’re hoping to bring Summer Jam back in 2015, to which we say “YES PLEASE!!” Except, can we maybe have it on a Saturday next year?
In honor of Monday’s “Dancing With the Stars” finale, and our man James Maslow making it to the finals, for this week’s Friday Five we’re looking back at our favorite DWTS contestants!
1. James Maslow We cannot say enough good things about James, and are so happy to see him in the finals! He’s consistently improved week after week, and is such a passionate performer. We’re glad everyone can see what us Big Time Rush fans have known all along! Now if James could just take his new dance skills on the road on another BTR tour…
2. Lance Bass
The last time we were this invested in DWTS was the season of Lance Bass and Cody Linley in 2008. We’ll never forget Lance’s iconic Jitterbug, where he lost his shoe in the finals but still managed to come in 3rd place! (He should have won)
3. Cody Simpson
Oh, Cody. You left way too early, but at least we got this “Surfboard” dance before you went! We’re looking forward to seeing him back on the finale – we hear he’s been working on something amazing.
4. Joey McIntyre
Boy band members make the BEST contestants. They have the moves, know how to charm a crowd, and have fangirl voting power. We welcome any and all current and former boy band members to join the cast. (Other former DWTS boy banders include Joey Fatone and Drew Lachey)
5. Aaron Carter Aaron oh Aaron, what are we going to do with you? Partner Karina Smirnoff managed to keep Aaron focused enough to make it to week 8! He’s definitely got the moves and made each dance fun to watch.
Bonus: Cody Linley
And in case you were wondering what Cody Linley has been up to since DWTS, he released a single called “Breathe” in 2010. You’re welcome.
Cody Simpson just announced he will be touring Europe this summer! Make sure you get your tickets early because after his DWTS appearance, Cody is sure to rocket to the top of the fangirl charts. Watch his video for “Surfboard” so you can learn the dance moves before his tour starts!
Not summering in Europe? You can still see Cody Simpson this summer at Jones Beach, NY at the 106.1 BLI Summer Jam! Check out all of the European tour dates below!
Cody Simpson European Tour Summer 2014
June 19th – Notsuri – Helsinki, Finland
June 21st – Sentrum Scene – Oslo, Norway
June 22nd – Klubben – Stockholm, Sweden
June 23rd – Amager Bio – Copenhagen, Denmark
June 24th – Gruenspan – New Castle, DE
June 26th – Melkweg The Max – Amsterdam, Netherlands
June 27th – De Effenaar – Eindhoven, Netherlands
June 28th – AB – Brussels, Belgium
June 30th – Indigo 2 – London, England
July 1st – Waterfront – Norwich, England
July 2nd – Queens Hall – Edinburgh, Scotland
July 4th – Bord Gais Energy Theatre – Dublin, Ireland
July 5th – Academy 2 – Manchester, England
July 6th – Library – Birmingham, England
July 8th – La Maroquinerie – Paris, France
July 11th – Bikini – Barcelona, Spain
July 12th – Shoko Live – Madrid, Spain
July 14th – Armazem F TMN Ao Vivo – Lisbon, Portugal
It’s only the second day of May, but after a brutal winter in NYC we’ve been dreaming of summer for weeks! We can’t wait for outdoor concerts and trips to the beach, or in the event of Summer Jam and any shows at Nikon Jones Beach Theater – both! Here are the songs we are loving right now, our soundtrack to the Summer of 2014. All of these artists are on tour this summer, so check them out!
1. Dan + Shay – “Show You Off“
The country duo’s debut album is the perfect summer soundtrack. It makes us want to drive around with the windows down, sipping sweet tea with the wind blowing in our hair. “Show You Off,” Dan+Shay’s second single, is catchy and refreshing like a cool drink of water in the summer, better than the other side of the pillow. Check out all of their upcoming tour dates!
2. AJR – “I’m Ready“
We’ve had “I’m Ready” on repeat for months now, but AJR’s single is climbing the charts and is sure to be one of the biggest hits of the summer! Their debut album, which brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Met wrote, produced and recorded in their living room, is expected to be released late Summer. You can catch them on tour at several radio festivals and opening for Lindsey Stirling this summer! Watch our interview with AJR here!
4. Cody Simpson – “Surfboard” There are some artists we always associate with summer, and Cody is one of them! We first saw him opening for Big Time Rush at Jones Beach on their 2012 tour. His laid back surfer vibe is perfect for his new single, “Surfboard.” He’ll be at Summer Jam and is heading out on a European tour shortly after. Stay tuned for the dates!
5. Hunter Hayes – “You Think You Know Somebody” We’re constantly impressed by the multi-talented Hunter Hayes. In case you’re still inclined to refer to him as “the country Justin Bieber,” just check out his guitar solos in this live performance of “You Think You Know Somebody!” He is by far one of our favorite acts to see live, and we could not be more excited for his new album, “Storyline,” out next week! If you have the opportunity to see him live, go! He takes every song to the next level. P.S. Hunter if you’re reading this, play a show in NYC – we love country, too!
Follow Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more on your favorite artists!
Are you ready for AJR? The band, comprised of brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Met, has quickly gained momentum since their single “I’m Ready” was released last fall. The video recently passed 1 million views on Youtube! The song has since entered radio rotation around the country, and doesn’t look like it’s slowing down any time soon. It’s impossible to hear this song and not clap along!
The brothers stopped by Saturday Night Online over the weekend to officially premiere the single and to answer a few fan questions. When we heard “I’m Ready” on the radio for the first time last week, we had a total That Thing You Do moment! (Shout out to 106.1 BLI for the AJR love!)
AJR will be playing the 106.1 BLI Summer Jam with artists like Austin Mahone, Jason Derulo, and Cody Simpson on June 1st at Nikon Jones Beach Theatre, as well as a few other radio shows around the country. You can also see AJR opening for Lindsey Stirling on her summer tour! Check out all the dates below!
AJR Summer 2014 Tour Dates
May 17th: Rixton – The Basement in Columbus, OH – Buy Tickets May 18th: 103.7 The Q’s Just Show Up Show – The Tin Roof in Birmingham, AL – More Info May 20th: K945 I’m Ready for Crazy Stupid Killer Summer Kickoff – Red River District in Shreveport, LA – More Info May 24th – Lake Palestine Palooza – Flint, TX – More Info June 1st: 106.1 BLI Summer Jamat Nikon Jones Beach Theatre in Wantagh, NY – Buy Tickets June 3rd: 98PXY Summer Jam at Frontier Field in Rochester, NY – Buy Tickets June 5th – Hot 107.9 Presents AJR – Destiny USA – Syracuse, NY – More Info June 6th: KIIS 98.5 Buffalo Kiss The Summer Hello – Canalside in Buffalo, NY – Buy Tickets June 7th: Fly 92.3 Summer Jam at the Saratoga springs Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY – Buy Tickets June 8th: K104.7 K Fest at the Dutchess Stadium in Poughkeepsie, NY – Buy Tickets
With Lindsey Stirling
June 16th – Metropolis – Montreal, QC –Buy Tickets June 17th – House Of Blues – Boston, MA – Buy Tickets June 18th – Terminal 5 – New York, NY – Buy Tickets June 20th – Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ – Buy Tickets June 21st – The Space at Westbury – Westbury, NY – Buy Tickets June 23rd – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA – Buy Tickets June 24th – Echo Stage – Washington, DC – Buy Tickets June 26th – The NorVa – Norfolk, VA – Buy Tickets June 27th – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC – Buy Tickets June 28th – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN – Buy Tickets June 30th – Track 29 – Chattanooga, TN – Buy Tickets July 1st – Masquerade Music Park – Atlanta, GA – Buy Tickets July 2nd – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL – Buy Tickets July 3rd – Hard Rock Live – Orlando, FL – Buy Tickets July 5th – Sunset Cove Amphitheatre – Boca Raton, FL – Buy Tickets July 7th – Iron City – Birmingham, AL – Buy Tickets July 8th – House Of Blues – New Orleans, LA – Buy Tickets July 10th – Bayou Music Center – Houston, TX – Buy Tickets July 11th – Stubb’s BBQ – Austin, TX – Buy Tickets July 12th – South Side Ballroom – Dallas, TX – Buy Tickets
September 6th-7th – LouFest – Forest Park – St Louis, MO – Buy Tickets
Can’t wait for summer? You can see AJR in Philadelphia this Saturday, April 19th, at World Cafe Live, and in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 22nd. Get your tickets now!
Be sure to follow AJR & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for more updates! Pickup a copy of the “I’m Ready” EP on iTunes or Amazon!
One of our songs of the summer is guaranteed to be the catchy single, “Surfboard” by Cody Simpson. We love the retro intro that melts into the r&b chorus. The video is out just in time for summer and we can’t be more excited! Watch the official video below!
It’s a shame that Cody Simpson got sent home this week on DWTS! He was just too good for the competition. We were hoping for a final dance-off between former tour mates James Maslow & Cody Simpson!
We can’t wait to see Cody this summer at the BLI Summer Jam at Jones Beach! Tickets are on sale now!