Shut Up and Kiss Me

“Cause I don't wanna waste tonight
Let's turn out all the lights now
Make out on your bedroom floor
No I don't wanna say good bye
Wishing for the spot light
Missing on your bedroom floor

So shut up and kiss me
No need to tease me
You don't need to say no more
Shut up and kiss me
I know you're gonna miss me
Kissing on your bedroom floor”

Shut Up and Kiss Me – Reece Mastin

This week Reece Mastin made a guest appearance on The X Factor New Zealand stage and sung one of his recent hits Rockstar. Those watching the show, judging by comments all over social media, were either in favour of or completely against this youngster’s performance. I’ve followed this guy from his first audition on the third season The X Factor Australia through to his win, blogged about him and been to his concerts. I sincerely believe in his place in the music industry and I’m using this opportunity to convince those who weren’t convinced by his performance why we need a Reece Mastin.

First point of success in the music industry: Reece has got the voice to succeed. His voice is a bit gravely, a bit British and a bit cute. It’s non-threatening but it still delivers the powerful notes his rock songs beg for. When you bring all these aspects together you get an album with some ballads, some slow songs, some pop and some rock. And, more importantly, I can assure you from my personal experience Reece Mastin brings this voice to his live shows. This is the sound of music industry success.

Reece has the looks and the personality of a music industry star – because you can’t just rely on a good voice. He’d an eighteen year old, rather attractive male which girls go wild for. But he’s also a bit bad ass with his tats and piercings and leather jackets. He somehow manages to be humble and have an ego through the roof at the same time. He loves and adores his fans as they are the ones who got him somewhere in the first place. But he’s cheeky and sexual and has some bad boy swag which makes him attractive. He’s got his public appearance personality perfected to that of a star.

And finally, Reece Mastin has The X Factor. If he didn’t he wouldn’t have won his series of the show. Because the “x factor” is not having the most beautiful voice and getting the perfect pitch and tone every single time. It’s that special something about a person which gives them star quality of which no one can quite define. It’s that thing which makes girls scream for you and guys wish they were you. But most of all, it’s that thing which makes people notice you and keep coming back for more.

The harsh truth of succeeding in the music industry is this: you have to fit within a certain boundary of uniqueness. No one else can be Reece Mastin, but Reece Mastin will succeed immensely at being Reece Mastin. And this is why we need him. 

For anyone doubting Reece Mastin's singing, here's his version of Aerosmith's Dream On from The X Factor Australia (when he was 16). 

Mean

“Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?”

Mean – Taylor Swift

When I was a little girl I was told to say please and thank you, to respect my elders, and most importantly, to be nice to other people. And you know what? It wasn’t that hard. It really wasn’t hard to listen to teachers and sport coaches, and be nice to fellow school mates. And if you want to see me say please and thank you come with me to Subway “roast beef sub please. On roast garlic please. All the veges except capsicum please. Thank you!” I’m not saying I’m a perfectly good person because it’s easy to slip up, but these polite mannerisms have become a routine in my life.

But I’ve noticed a lot of spitefulness sneak into people’s lives. It’s easy to make an offhand comment which accidentally comes out nasty – and it’s just as easy to make a quick apology for it. But what is disturbingly easier is to make a comment on one of many social media sites without a care in the world. Yes, it’s easy to hide behind an ironic twitter handle and type away those spiteful comments to people you hardly know. I don’t understand these people. How can you get pleasure out of typing in a stupid catty comment, calling someone an immature name and probably sniggering about it by yourself?

Taylor Swift wrote a song about people who are mean to others and it’s a slap right back in their face – not by being mean in return, but by being the bigger person. She does it by saying these mean people are going to be nothing more than mean. These people who push you down and think they are so much than you, especially the ones who hide behind the computer screen. And think about it in your lives – you wouldn’t hesitate to refer to someone as mean in a conversation, because that’s what they are: mean. And a liar. And pathetic. And a lonely life. And mean.

We live in a wonderful world which brings beauty and joy and love for many people. But there are so many terrible things, from natural disasters to poverty to life destroying moments which can, and in some point in our lives probably will, affect us beyond what is imaginable. The world is wonderful, but it is also horrible, and it is a place which should never have time for pettiness and immaturity and mean people. Those who have better things to do than be mean will do so, and carry on in their lives and probably achieve much greater things and might even change this world, and all you will ever be is mean.