Season for singers to reflect like its 2003 again

In between my extreme hours running my own business I do have a chance to listen to music and there has been some amazing music released lately that you need to know about.

DELTA GOODREM

She is Australia's favourite star at the moment following her sensational victory on The Voice Australia with not one, but two of her contestants making it to the final, and Alfi Alcuri taking out the top spot.

Delta has the credentials to back up that win and her new album, Wings of the Wild came out last Friday.

Like Delta's coaching style, her album is incredibly uplifting with tracks such as Just Call, Dear Life and Enough.

She brings her sass and desire to be treated well with Encore.

In 2015's The Voice she chose I believe in a thing called love for Caleb Jago-Ward to sing, and her solo cover of the song appears on the album.

4/5 stars

BRITNEY SPEARS

Her last song was Pretty Girls where she teamed up with Aussie superstar Iggy Azalea. The track wasn't Britney's best work. Well it looks like she put in the Work Bitch because her latest single Make Me was released today. 

She has returned to her old style. It's a cross between the style in Oops I did it again, and her third album, Britney.

She's back to her positive singing style. This song is sure to be a hit. And if it's anything to go by, her ninth album will be too.

5/5 stars

GOOD CHARLOTTE

What do you say about the twins who were away for ten years to focus on other projects? 

If music was a movie then this album, Youth Authoirty is the next act in the film. It takes off from where they left and focuses on where they've been and where they are now.

It is very much reminiscent of the early 2000s both in composition and lyrically.

The album begins with the track Life Changes where they sing about the future and where they are going. It's basically part two of their song Lifestyles of the rich and famous.

It is a true work of art.

5/5 stars

KATY PERRY

She has been in the news recently for her ongoing feud with Taylor Swift, well that may change with her new song Rise.

Exclusively released on iTunes she is either singing about former husband Russell Brand or Taylor Swift. 

Her song is a message about strength and how she will win and survive.

It's a slower version of Roar, the lead single from 2013's album Prism.

4/5 stars

CHRISTINA AGUILERA 

Christina Aguilera also has a new single out, Change, however she is often outside of the spotlight so it's received very little publicity.

Her song is rather reflective too and she shows off her vocal talent. She is also looking at where she's been and where she's going.

It has an anthem feel to it which reminds you of Mariah Carey's No Ways Tired.

4/5 stars

Speak now or forever hold your peace. NOBODY, should ever be excluded from democracy and seeing commentary suggesting people shouldn't be allowed to vote is offensive.

Our forefathers who founded this great nation would be rolling in their graves at the thought that people don't value democracy. These are the people who fought for our right to speak our mind. They fought for our right to a voice. They fought so that everyone could have a say on the running of the nation.

In 1895 South Australia gave women suffrage, and in 1901 NZ allowed women suffrage - the right to vote. Previously only men had been afforded that right. Prior to that it was only property owners. This was a major innovation.

Our forefathers then fought in World War 1, World War 2, after 9/11 and even now against ISIS so that we maintain our right to a democratic voice which so many people in the world do not have.

ANZAC Day may officially be celebrated as a commemoration of when the ANZACS (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) arrived in Gillipoli but today it is effectively a day when we celebrate democracy and remember those who lost their lives fighting for our right to air our thoughts.

Unfortunately it seems people have forgotten what the meaning of democracy is. Democracy in a nutshell means that everyone participates. That is the fundamentals of democracy according to ancient Greek democracy. Hey I guess I was paying attention in Political Participation 342 at uni (actually I was, I really was, I've always been big on political participation).

Anyway, I digress. Getting back to the point, people are disenfranchised all over the world. They're worried about the likes of Trump, Cameron, Johnson, Gove, Abbott, Turnbull, Key and many more controlling our lives, but it takes two to tango.

You can't influence politicians and societal outcomes if you don't actively engage in politics. You can't achieve change and make a difference if you don't bother.

So when I see commentary like this in the NZ Herald:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11668086

I'm extremely disappointed. Democracy doesn't work if you say only certain people can vote. It goes against the very fundamentals of democracy.

It's not concerning that bad decisions are being made, although that is concerning.

It's more concerning that most people seem to have forgotten why our ancestors fought in the world war. They fought so we would have freedom to vote. They fought for democracy and it seems like people are willing to give up that right and say "meh, I don't care about making a difference. I don't want a say. Let others do it for me."

It's not right. If you don't vote you don't have representation. If you don't have representation then the consequences of that are that policy decisions which are bad for you may be made.

People, if they're so disenfranchised with the system need to participate and get out and mobilize. They need to tell their politicians that they're not happy with how things are being run, because, if they don't, they soon may not be able to.

If you don't speak when you can you may lose the ability to speak. And that's serious. I don't think people realise just how serious the right to a voice in democracy is.