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Hello Everyone!

So a friend of mines asked me for my Hawaiian-style garlic chicken recipe the other day after I posted my bento on instagram, and I freaked out because when I cook, I don’t really measure anything. When I was growing up, I was taught to just go with your gut intuition while cooking. That meant constantly tasting sauces before I added them into the mix and adding things as I go along.

Therefore, I want to warn everyone that this might not be the accurate recipe for my garlic chicken. Take the measurements you see here with a grain of salt (pun not intended… you might actually need salt later). 

Also, people usually don’t put mirin, but I think mirin balances the strong shoyu flavor out. If you don’t like mirin, you don’t need to use it. Just add more sugar.

J.LYN’S (Flourless) GARLIC CHICKEN RECIPE (serves 1-2?)

4 pieces of chicken (thigh, wings, or drumstick recommended)

2 tbsp Shoyu (soy sauce)

1 tsp Mirin

1 tbsp water

2 cloves of garlic (put more if you want to)

1/2 tsp Ginger (optional. Last time I didn’t use it)

1 tbsp sugar? (NOTE: This chicken is meant to be on the sweeter side. If you don’t like sweet things, then use 1 tsp instead of 1 tbsp. always put less, taste, then add later)

pinch of garlic powder

Pinch of Salt

2 tbsp Canola or Sesame Oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare your sauce. Mix Shoyu, Mirin, Sugar, and Garlic, Salt, and Garlic Powder together. Taste your mixture! If the sauce is too sweet for your liking, then put more shoyu or add some salt. If it is too strong, dilute it with a tsp of water. Always incorporate everything little by little if you are unsure.
2. if you are using thigh or boneless chicken, cut chicken into large chunks. If not, defrost and prepare your wings and/or drumsticks.
3.  Preheat stove to medium-high heat and put oil in. Once oil is heated enough, cook the chicken until not pink in the middle anymore (one way to check is to tap on the chicken. if the chicken shrinks a little, or if you see golden brown around the chicken, it’s good to go. You can cut an incision to check the inside too.)
4. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the sauce mixture. Because of the sugar, the sauce will thicken. You want to put the sauce at a time when the chicken is cooked all the way through. Toss everything together for a minute, and once the sauce is coated on chicken and is nicely incorporated, you can turn off the heat.
5. Serve with a scoop of rice and sides like vegetables. Hawaii people usually cut/shred cabbage and place the chicken on top of the cabbage. Mac salad is also a Hawaii staple, but I’ve never made it myself so I am sorry, can’t give you that recipe.

And there you go fam: My garlic chicken. At the end of the day, it’s best to go to Hawaii and experience garlic chicken for yourself. This is just my taste. Hope you like the recipe!

ALSO, usually this is a fried chicken recipe, so usually people have the dry mixture with flour, garlic powder, and salt and coat it with egg to hold the flour, but this time I had no flour. for a good garlic fried chicken recipe, I trust these guys: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/da-famous-broke-da-mouth-garlic-furikake-chicken-5423352

Hello everyone!

For a long time, I wanted to do this segment on my blog/ website. I like holding real conversations with people and express to viewers who I am as a person, a songwriter, and as an artist.

As some of you may know, I am very passionate about pop music. Ever since I was five, I was a big fan of Disney channel, I got more into boy and girl groups like Jump 5, A-Teens, S Club 7, and Dream Street (flashback to pre-Jesse McCartney days!)

I recently came across an in-depth video about one of my other favorite girl groups called the Cheetah Girls. They have been in the spotlight on disney channel for quite a few years, and as I was watching this, something struck me: They were all older people playing younger roles on disney channel.

When you are signed to a brand like Disney channel, you are not only an actor, you are basically their brand and their image. That means Disney stars have to watch what they do, say, or reveal in public. For example, Adrienne Bailon was 25 when she played a 15 year old in the third CG series. That prevented her from doing more mature roles and working on her solo music soon after the Cheetah Girls disbanded.

In Adrienne’s recent talk show “The Real”, she confessed that doing music was hard for her despite her great success in other areas in entertainment. Her voice sounds so young, almost like a teenager, which is why when she signed to Def Jam, the label didn’t know what to do with her because her voice sounded so young. That is why she was so insecure about singing and making music.

I am facing that same thing right now.

I am currently 23 years old, but I have a childish sounding vice when I sing. This is something I was born with and something I know I can’t control. However, the music I write is very much R&B influenced and touches upon very mature topics. I have been told many times by industry pros that my sound/ image doesn’t fit some of the music I write. They are absolutely right and do not doubt them at all. I am a songwriter first and foremost and I can easily pitch these songs for other to sing. However, there are some songs I want to release, but has been shelved back due to this  ongoing crisis with my vocal identity and the image I want to portray to you folks.

My goal as an artist is for my voice and brand to be similar to who I am. Sometimes I dream about becoming an asian idol, since my voice and look cuts out for that type of industry. However, when I think of the long term, I will have to be stuck in that youthful, innocent image for years to come, just like how Adrienne Bailon still had to keep that youthful image on Disney. In seven-year binding contract, will I be 30 years old, still singing in a white dress to cutesy music? I just can’t imagine it.

That initial impression one has on viewers can also affect the way the viewers will see them for the time onwards. Of course, artists should be expressing whatever they feel and whoever they want to be because people change. I am for one, looking for smart ways pop artists can express that smoothly.

If you want to see the Cheetah Girls video I was referring to, please check it out! It is very detailed about their journey from beginning to end:

Denmark is putting out some great music!

This danish playlist is mixed with people you probably never heard before (but you should), and some that are making global headlines already. Let’s work our way from the underrated to the highly-deserved global artists:

Liss

Liss has been on my radar ever since Japanese producer Cornelius has talked about these guys. Their sound is so fresh and yet nostalgic. It’s been around three years since they have released something new and yet, their sound never left them. Their melodies have their trademark sound and Sorem’s voice is so distinctive that you know it’s him singing. There is something so charming about the enunciation of his words.

Above is Liss’ newest single “Reputation”. Below is one of their most recognizable songs “Sorry”. They are currently releasing the rest of their EP soon. I really hope they tour back in North America too!

Alex Vargas

Do you recognize Alex Vargas’ voice anywhere? If you are an electronic music fan, more specifically Above and Beyond’s fan, then you definitely recognize this rich, dynamic voice. Vargas is a frequent vocalist for Above and Beyond and got his name spread over through featuring in many of their songs like “Sun and Moon”, “Alone Tonight”, and many others. But Alex Vargas also can stand out on his own with music that is just as deep as his vocals. I brought two different examples of his abilities: one of him stripping down his song to guitar and loop, and another song that shows the different dramatic textures he can lay on his tracks. Both styles definitely compliment him and he is truly a gifted writer.

MØ

And now we go onto the more recognizable names. I have just gotten into MØ, as she frequently collaborates with many electronic names like Snakehips and is featured on many of the majestic casual playlists. She exudes punk and grit in her image and her presentation, but her voice is very addicting to hear.

It amazes me how underrated she still is, as she has the voice and the writing chops. Anyone who is a fan of Electronic/ Synth Pop, or even a fan of the current world sensation Billie Eilish, I definitely recommend you listen to MØ.

Lukas Graham

And for the most recognizable one on this list- Lukas Graham. At first I thought Lucas Graham was the name of a singer/ songwriter, but it’s actually the name of the band. Magnus Larsson is the Bassist and Mark Falgren is the drummer. Lukas Forchhammer’s name is in the band name and is the leading vocalist of the group. All of them have been in the band since 2011. Lukas also, like everyone on this list, has a recognizable voice. This ballad “7 Years” has been an international hit with its poignant lyrics and catchy opening line that makes even my ten year old sister sing this song without knowing the context of it.

Lukas Graham also has really great music that is more upbeat in sound as well, like “Love Someone”.

I love sharing my experiences in Hawaii with people in the mainland. However, I never got to fully talk about music that I grew up with, and how it deeply contrasts with the music people grow up with over here. I never realized that I listened to Hawaiian music more than I did with actual American pop music! So, to all my fellow Haoles (no derogatory connotations intended), here are the songs I grew up with:

If you love the Synth-Pop sound of recent years, this playlist is for you!

This is a playlist of all female artists, and all of these songs have been on repeat on my playlists. Some artists you might not have heard about, some are well-known artists I’ve admired since childhood.

The Aces- Volcanic Love

Shout out to Alexa for introducing me to this one!

These lovely ladies are all friends starting back from high school days in Provo, Utah. They have opened up for 5SOS and participated in many other festivals and concerts. They are signed to Red Bull Records and all of them have a designated instrument that they play in the band. But despite having an instrumental duty to the band, they all sing, and equally contribute their vocals to the band, and that is my favorite part about them. Their voices blend so well together and they all can hold their own vocally, which is really special, since I can’t really name other bands who can do that.

If you are interested in getting to know them, I will put their names down below:

• Katie Henderson – guitar and vocals
• McKenna Petty – bass and vocals
• Alisa Ramirez – drums and vocals
• Cristal Ramirez – lead vocals and guitar (yes, I have taken this off of wikipedia)

Aly and AJ- Church

Are you a Disney Channel Baby? This is a major throwback for you!

There is a wave of childhood nostalgia coming back recently- especially with bands “disney channel” teens grew up on. Jonas Brothers are back on the scene but even before that, little did people know that the Michalka sisters were still on their wave. This sound change fits perfectly for them and they rock the 80’s synth pop vibe! If you don’t believe me, listen to their last album called “Ten Years”. I love the team that they are working with. This is sibling goals for sure!

Ruti- Racing Cars

Ruti is the recent winner of Britain’s “The Voice”. From the start of her journey on the show, she has been the one to watch, as her vocal tone and quality is unlike any other contestant. In my opinion, she was flawless in every single performance on the show. If I could find a metaphor for her voice, I would say it’s like clear water: pure, so delicate, yet powerful. I am glad she has stopped with the covers and found a new sound that embraces her vocal quality.

If you want to hear any more of her, listen to her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”!

Robyn- Honey

in speaking of relevance, Robyn is relevant any time of the day, year, decade, century… (okay, as you can see, I am a huge fan!)

Many girls admire Beyonce, Mariah Carey, or Ariana Grande growing up. For me, my idol was Robyn!

She is definitely a cyborg from another world. I have been a fan ever since I saw a girl do a solo performance of “crash and burn” at a dance competition. I immediately took out shazam, but it didn’t work. I spent three years looking for that song! when I finally did, I realized it was Robyn, singer of her well known track “Dancing on my Own”. I went on a marathon after that. Robyn exudes many emotions that feel so honest. She can be exude confidence (Call your girlfriend), become a bad-ass with snoop dogg (You should know better), or she can be sentimental and heartbroken (Be Mine is a great track).

She has been an icon for the LGBTQ+ community as well. The best part of all: she has this androgynous feel to her which I love so much!! Please check her out because one song does not do justice to her name.

BONUS: Frou Frou- Hear Me Out

I have always been a surface fan of Imogen Heap (I was more familiar with Frou Frou), but now it’s for me to dive in to her music a little bit more.

if you ever heard of the acapella “Hide and Seek”, Frou Frou is associated with the same girl. Frou Frou is her prior band with Guy Sigsworth. Guy actually intended for frou frou to be a name that produced for other artists, but when he met Imogen Heap, Heap was trying to find a new ground on music, and the collaboration happened naturally and fruitfully. I can definitely hear elements from both of them in the sound of their tracks. Frou Frou actually has been sampled in a few hip-hop tracks, like Wiz Khalifa and ASAP Rocky.

That’s it for now folks! Let me know if you liked this particular series and I’ll find more awesome synth-pop tracks to share with you all. Peace! – J.Lyn

Hello everyone! This series is for my friends who produce and deal with vocal sessions.

A producer I work with is a one-stop shop for many artists that are upcoming and rising in LA’s music scene. He works with many vocalists throughout his studio sessions. For all upcoming producers that work with artists, it is crucial to know how the vocalist can deliver a high-quality performance behind the microphone.

Although doing vocals in a studio setting is different than vocals in a performance setting, it is best to treat every vocal session like it’s a performance. If the singer does not warm up and is struggling with their breath support, resonation, and technique, the singer will leave a session unsatisfied and wanting to re-do the vocals again.

There are many vocal aspects of the recording process I want to talk about, but here are some warm-up tips for producers who are starting to work with vocalists.

TIP 1: Warm Up The Vocalist’s Body

I cannot stress this enough!

Singing is a sport. It uses the breath and muscle just like any other athlete. And like with any sport, you will get bad results if the singer does not warm up physically. This INCLUDES warming up the vocalists’ body as a whole. You want the singer to be fully aware of where their support/ diaphragm is as well as release any nerves/tension they might have before coming in.

Here are some body stretches that will definitely help the vocalist:

Make sure that they release all the tension they have that day. go slowly with them and make sure they release the points of tension in their body. Have the singer massage their cheeks, jaw, and other parts of their face as well!

Now you are ready to exercise the main singing muscles.

TIP 2: Vocal Warm-Ups for Breath Support 

The diaphragm is like a balloon. When singing, the air fills up your back and your lower abdomen when you inhale air. When you exhale, the air flows out slowly and steadily, as the diaphragm pushes down on the stomach and stays opened up (never exhale the air crunching or squeezing the diaphragm!) Make sure there is no tension with the vocalist’s shoulders, in their neck, or with their back when doing these exercises, and also make their backs straight.

make sure that the singer does not breathe through their chest! Always breathe from the lower abdomen. 

here is a more detailed demonstration of that same concept:

for this exercise below, I would just advise the 5-10-10 method (5 seconds inhale, 10 seconds hold, 10 seconds exhale) for your vocalists. if these number changes confuse you. Do “5-10-10” three times.

I would advise that you meet up with your vocalist beforehand if they haven’t warmed up vocally. If you are on a crunch for time, then make sure you do these warm-ups with the vocalist:

1. Lip Trills (also do them with the singer doing a do-re-mi-re-do exercise, as well as going from their highest natural note to their lowest natural note!)

If you have more time on your hands, Scale warm-ups are next. It’s also good if you can sit at a piano and do some scales with them. If you are not a piano player, just play one note at a time going up all the keys, starting from their lowest note all the way to their natural highest note. For your sake too, Make sure you know the singer’s vocal range! 

Vocal Tips Part 2: Vocal Guidelines During Vocal Sessions Coming Soon!!! 

J.Lyn’s Playlist: My Favorite Kpop Songs so far

Hi Everyone!

AHH YES, K-pop.

You love it, or you don’t vibe with it. If you are really not in the mood to venture out into K-pop yet, I will not force you! However, if you wanna see what I am listening to these days, THANK YOU for stepping into the dark side! You also added ten points to my happiness scale! Here is my current k-pop playlist:

CLC- No

CLC goes so hard on the bad-ass concept that any other “girl-crush” concepts look like bunnies and rainbows. This song is about being comfortable in the way you dress and not letting anyone tell you how to handle yourself… Damn. Snaps all around!

FACT TIME: Girl crush is a “bad-ass” style of concept of Kpop. Kpop often has specific themes or concepts with each album release, which makes Kpop all the more fun to listen to! Not to mention that choreo… I miss dancing!

IN SPEAKING OF BAD-ASS:

this group just debuted and their song went HARD! I don’t think any girl group has made me want to follow them so fast before. At first, I thought it might just be the music from a great production team, or Lia Kim’s choreography that made this team special. However, when I saw the rehearsal for “Bon Bon Chocolat”, all of the members are really charismatic and have their own unique charms. And although many people say that about their own favorite girl groups, I stand by this as an objective fact.

Any thoughts about Yena from IZ*ONE joining this group after the contract ends??

Monsta X- Play it Cool

Wait, they collabed with Steve Aoki? Hell yes.

Update: they are singing in English? and it’s not as cringey as english versions usually are??? YES!

Monsta X is known for their powerful, intense concepts, but I love it when they do a contrasting song like this. The song fits so well with their vocals and all of them shined timbrally with this song. Plus, the main rapper got to showcase his vocals as well!

If you guys don’t know, I love artists from a company called Starship. Although I don’t agree sometimes on their marketing plans *COUGH* SISTAR *COUGH* they somehow knew about all of my favorite artists and put them under a big fat company umbrella.

Sudden Realization #1: When you are fans with a Kpop or Kpop group, sometimes people stan a company instead of a single artist. This is not really common in America. Do you ever hear someone say “Oh, I am a fan of Atlantic Records artists”? Well, not really. At least, not in my conversations.

PRISTIN- Wee Woo

I became friends with one of the members by pure chance. (I feel like somehow, the world puts people together for a reason!) It was through the most unexpected time and place too, the environment wasn’t even through music. The last day I ever saw her, we talked a long time about our own journeys in music. That is when it hit me… singers, idols, artists, they are all just regular people. It should be obvious right? But I realize that I have been idolizing people and building ideals on real-life people just because they had some type of public status.   

Anyways, now she is my “bias” (AKA my favorite member) because of the fateful encounter and I instantly became a fan when I got to listen to her group’s music! And she told me that some of the members produce their own songs!

I decided to go with their most popular song because I am introducing Kpop to some people who probably have never even heard of K-pop. (although “We Like” has been stuck in my head for a month now…)

Honorable Mention

Luna- Galaxy

Another fateful encounter I met through a mutual friend! I went on a trip to Nashville and thanks to the awesome Mike, I got to meet a songwriter named ADARA. She and her company write for SM Entertainment and even do electronic music here in the States. She wrote this song for the crazy talented LUNA. Thank you Adara for treating me and my friend to breakfast! She was one of the kindest and most genuine people ever.

until next time! A big thank you to everyone who read this 😀

– J.Lyn

Hello again!

It is a holiday weekend for me (although I have to work my part-time job all three days… it’s alright though. Trying to pay off some bills).

I’ve had random moments of the week, discovering really great music for you all to listen to. A lot of these are really sentimental and more towards the indie-side of things. Is it because I have been quite emotional post-valentine’s day? Not really sure. Anyways, here are the three that I have discovered that blew my mind:

The Fresh Preps- Do We Let Go (Waiting)

Wow.

If you didn’t tell me who these guys were, I would have thought they were one of the biggest indie groups that are out now. The quality– from the songwriting to the mixing and mastering of this song– is just superb, and the lyrics and the vocal delivery tug on all my fragile heartstrings. Just wow.

I met the Fresh Preps at the Hawaii Songwriting Festival in 2016. I was happy to know that they too were a band from Hawaii! I apologize to Daniel for not doing that collaboration with you. However, from the looks of it, you don’t need me at all, these songs are so good coming out from just the both of you guys. If there are more songs like these up in your sleeve, your future is looking so bright. Please Support Hawaii Talent!!

The Paper Kites- Don’t Keep Driving

Thank you to YouTube Recommendations!

For some reason, the Paper Kites’ lead singer reminds me of someone I knew in Hawaii. Man, nostalgia.

Maybe it’s due to that old school sound of the guitar, reminiscent of those songs in the John Hughes movies. Maybe it’s that luscious, but chill vibe that these guys have. I absolutely love the lyrics in this song. “There’s nothing wrong with a little space, but not right now. Don’t leave.” Man, that is so romantic. It makes me want to actually have a real relationship to remember nostalgically about. Imagine driving to this while the sun sets on the interstate.

I will be listening to The Paper Kites a lot more.

You know I am a sucker for acoustic piano ballads.

This song is so relatable in vast measures. We’ve all had our hearts broken like this (unless you haven’t, which is great, you lucky bummer.) This guy is taking you to this bittersweet conversation with this girl who clearly doesn’t appreciate him. Yeah Finneas, it is nice to loves someone who lets you break them twice. I think he and I both know that there is some type of beauty to this twisted, broken type of heartbreak. That beauty, my friend, is the power of songwriting.

I wish I could introduce you to more great music, but I will have to end it here and get ready for work. Thank you all for listening once more!

-J.Lyn

Every year, the Grammy results shock a lot of people negatively and positively.

There are a few who come out of the shadows and take home that big Grammy (or shall I say, four damn Grammys) they very-so deserve, like Kasey Musgraves.

A lot of us have might have been in a relationship that you regret being in after the relationship is done. Some of us might have crushed on someone who you think back two years later, and you think, “Why did I ever like them? That was so dumb of me.” Maybe you consider yourself to be the fool, viewing someone with rose colored-lenses, but failing to realize how terrible of a person they are until they mess you over.

In this playlist, it’s all about the dang “Fool”. Even the titles in these songs have the word “FOOL” in them! Let’s check out the music:

FOOLS- TROYE SIVAN

Troye Sivan has been an actor, a YouTuber, and a singer, but his writing is so mature and so vulnerable that he resonates with a lot of his fans, especially those who are going through a similar journey as he is.

Sivan has been an advocate of the LGBTQ+ community and many of his songs are personal to the hardships he had to overcome with love, life, and identity. Troye Sivan’s “Fools” is a song that breaks your heart just from the first line. Although his songs are mainly autobiographical, especially in “Fools”, I have related to these lyrics within my own journey in love. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, he explains that fools is about falling for someone, even though you know that person is bad for you. Sivan is mature enough to not wear these rose-colored lenses I talked about earlier. The song is more of knowing these differences you both have, facing the fact that it won’t work between you two. Yet, you fall for them anyway. It goes down to those little details, even talking about the difference in deodorant. A perfect start to this list.

This song actually helped me write a specific song that has a similar message. I hope to let you folks hear it soon. You will definitely know which one it is when I release it.

FOOL TO LOVE- NAO

NAO’s vocal timbre is one you won’t hear in anyone else. It’s the spice that give her music its flavor. She is also a brilliant writer (this is not her best: go check out “Bad Blood” for lyrical sensation).

This cool electronic R&B tune has so many hooks in it, the background vocals always get me singing. Nao is waving goodbye to her now-former lover because she isn’t happy with the half-assed love he was giving her. The way she handles every topic in her music is so mature. Another good one for this playlist would have been her collaboration with Mura Masa called “Complicated”. There’s always such a heartfelt quality to NAO’s music, and yet, so easy to move your body to.

Her music is so dynamic, and it takes you an a ride. “For All We Know” is such a great album and I’ve been listening to that album on and off since she released it. NAO falls under the category of “Electronic R&B”, which is similar to kelela, FKA TWIGS, and Gallant.

WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES- THE DOOBIE BROTHERS

Had to hit you with an Old School Curve-Ball this time!

One of Michael McDonald golden songs is this one right here: “What a Fool Believes”, written by McDonald and Kenny Loggins. The Doobie Brothers were one of the ones who brought blue-eyed soul into the mix in the 70’s, along with folks like Steely Dan. My favorite part of this song (Other than McDonald’s smooth, classic vocal delivery) is the way the lyrics sew together with the melody.

This ain’t your cliche’ love song. This guy has been living in his head… a fantasy of a girl who won’t give him what he wants. And when he hits the pre-chorus falsetto… man. Gets me every single time. (If you had the chance to hear my music, you know how much I love falsetto ambushes.) And the chorus: “What a fool believes, he sees. No wise man has the power to reason away.” Can we ever make ’em like these anymore? If I could listen to one 70’s song for the rest of my life… this would be it.

FOOL- FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS

Had to represent my fellow CalArts Alums right here!

There are more to Fitz and the Tantrums than just making your hands clap. Their approach to pop music is fresh and energetic, and if you dive deeper into them, you hear a slew of different musical influences in every song you hear. My musical journey with them is similar to when I listened to Foster the People (my dad loves Foster the People… surprisingly enough. But back to Fitz and the Tantrums).

They are telling you that “mama didn’t raise no fool” in them, because they know a bad girl when they see one. They won’t be chasing girls who only use them, the ones that Kanye warned them about.

There’s a solid reason why their music has been featured by so many commercials and been dance-covered in most of Asia: they make certified fresh feel-good music. They give me the same feeling when I drink a swig of sprite. And both a male and female split lead vocal parts, which I love a lot. If you are still not convinced by this band yet, go check out their song “6AM”. Such a groovy song.

There are tons of music with “Fool” in the title. What are the ones I missed? Please let me know which songs I missed. In the meantime, I will talk to you folks next week for another J.Lyn’s playlist! – J.Lyn