Taylor Swift will never ever ever stop writing hits

Swifties, the time has arrived. Our beloved Taylor Swift just released her new single off her fourth album, "Red." So save the date. October 22 will be the day we flock to the stores to listen to that alleged "very sad album" of hers.

But in the mean time, let's make a toast to breakups, because in this song, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" makes flipping off your douche bag ex in the artful form of a pop song seem so cool....and so liberating.

Even if Swift tried purposely writing the worst song ever, she would still make it a hit. Why? She knows how to write a song that speaks to millions of heartbroken, boy-hating fans across the world.

Since the single was released on iTunes just shortly after Swift's live webchat on Youtube at 7 pm ET, the single has...

1. Made its way on the radio to hopefully replace "Call Me, Maybe" (I heard it at 2 am. Anyone have me beat?)
2. Made its way to the No. 1 spot on iTunes
3. Beat Lady GaGa's record for fastest selling on iTunes in music history. Swift did it in 50 minutes. GaGa did it in 1 hour
4. Proved to everyone that once you go pop, you never go back (sorry country)

 We can bicker about how Swift's voice and how she sometimes under performs at live telecast performances. Love her voice, hate her voice, there is no arguing that she has songwriting ability. Who cares if 90 percent of her songs are about ex-boyfriends instead of singing about growing up, life, death, taking chances--whatever those unsuccessful 22 year old singers are writing about these days. Swift knows how to write a hit song--even if it's a story we've heard in her other 334653 singles.

Swift's biggest haters--her critics--are saying that her new hit is immature. Yes, it sounds like something a teenager would sing. Yes, it's NOT country whatsoever, so those fans hoping for a song sounding like her country-charmed first album might have to wait for the fifth album. Yes, it's about an ex boyfriend, but she's making the big bucks and probably made millions in those 50 record-breaking minutes.

Sadly, most of us can say we've never done it, and sorry to burst your bubble, but we probably never will either.

But if your relationship acts like it came out of high school--breaking up, getting back together, I love you, I hate you x 30, then maybe writing a song to match that is perfect. And maybe a song like this would smack us out of pity mode and make us jump on our beds with Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia spilling down our faces as we flip off our ex boyfriend's ugly face in our head, kicking the hard snotty tissues in his face. That's the song we need, not some victimized song like "White Horse" and "You're Not Story." Be a fighter. Show them their immature ways are not going to make you listen to a sad, emotional Taylor Swift country song.

You would rather listen to an upbeat, quirky, Taylor Swift teeny bopper song instead.

Jack is Back

No, not Jack Dawson. Jack's Mannequinn.

It's been four years since the piano-rock band released an album, but the band is back with the same great music.

The third album is called "People and Things" and if you like the two previous albums, you will definitely like the third album. It doesn't top their first album "Everything in Transit," but lead singer Andrew McMahon never fails to impress. The albums first single "My Racing Thoughts" hit the internet over the summer when McMahon performed it on the band's summer tour. The song is just like all other Jack's Mannequin songs, piano rock, upbeat with beautiful lyrics only McMahon can think of.

But McMahon spiced up the album with a couple different songs you wouldn't suspect Jack's Mannequin to make. "No Man is an Island" is a slower piano ballad with a gospel beat, crooning about relationships.

Like all the songs in the album, the songs dives into deeper meanings than the previous two. Back in 2005, McMahon was diagnosed with leukemia right when their first album was supposed to come out. In their second album, "The Glass Passenger," many songs referenced doctors and hospital visits. "People and Things" talks about life and death (especially the song "Hey Hey Hey (We're All Gonna Die), a surprisingly upbeat song about death). It's deals with more profound topics than teenage angst like in "Everything in Transit."

One of best songs on the album is a song that sounds like something Mumford and Sons would sing. "Restless Dream" that songs a bit like Bob Dylan acoustic guitar playing. Jack's Mannequin is known for their piano melodies, but "Restless Dream" is one of the only Jack's Mannequin songs that has no piano in it, not even a chord. Strictly acoustic guitar while McMahon talks about an nostalgic letter he writes.

Piano or guitar, "People and Things" delivers. It's worth the wait for Jack's Mannequin fans, and again, McMahon is a songwriting God. He never fails.

Taylor Swift sets future concert standards

Taylor Swift, how do you expect your fans to speak now when after every concert you leave them speechless?

If you were impressed with her first headlining world tour "Fearless," then you would be speechless after witnessing her second world tour "Speak Now." Taylor Swift out beat all her other concerts with more sets, costumes, dancer, instruments and even special effects. If you are iffy on Swift to begin with, the "Speak Now" tour will convert you.

Not only did she sound amazing, the show itself was unbelievable. Swift opened up with "Sparks Fly," got a little feisty for "Better than Revenge," and got a little sentimental on the piano in "Back to December," laced with "Apologize" by One Republic and her second album song "You're Not Sorry." The melancholic sounds actually made you sympathize with her. Her musicianship was so strong at the concert, you couldn't help but say, "Aw Tay Swift, we feel bad for you breaking Taylor Lautner's poor fragile heart."

Each song had it's own digital backdrop it help transform her song into a Broadway-esque show. Swift brought "Speak Now" to life with a wedding ceremony, which she crashed in order to "speak now." "Back to December" brought December to July with snow fluttering on screen and on stage.

Her voice was strong (stronger than what people at home hear when she sings on TV) and broaden her musical skills to multiple instruments such as guitar, piano, banjo and she even broke out the good ole ukulele for "Fearless" mixed with "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train. Those stuck on the opposite side of the stage got a great surprise when Swift walked through the floor from the main stage to the end stage decked out with a fiber-optic tree where she sang "Fearless," "Last Kiss" and "You Belong With Me." Fans stormed the floor, in hopes to catch a better view of the country singer. Then, just like what she does best, Swift hopped off the stage and hugged her fans on the other side of the floor, made her journey towards the main stage, and finished off "You Belong With Me."

Sparks flew when she sang "Dear John" (literally) as fireworks lit up the Quicken Loans arena to highlight her rage towards a certain singer named John. Then the stage settled down for a piano ballad and a chorus of strings for an intro to "Enchanted."

She dedicated "Long Live" to her fans before she came out for her encore. She went old school with "Fifteen," showing pictures of her band when they were fifteen and pictures of them now on the screen.

And if that wasn't enough to make the night the best night of the summer, Swift hopped on a little platform and hovered over her fans, making sure everyone got close to her even in the worse seats.

With great sets, props, intros into beloved songs, instruments and Taylor Swift herself, the "Speak Now" tour is definitely puts a new meaning to her lyrics "this night is flawless don't you let it go."

We were wonderstruck blushing all the way home.

Andrew McMahon is a Musical God

How do you know you are a musical god? Simple.

1. You can pack in a couple hundred people in a 92 degree theater and not have anyone leave because it's too hot.

2. You play your Baldwin piano the majority of the concert, but you somehow are more entertaining than pop artists with pretentious sets. And you like to jump off your Baldwin occasionally to spice things up.

3. You use two microphones while sitting playing the piano. You're that amazing, one microphone isn't enough to capture all your talent.

4. You're the lead singer of Jack's Mannequin.

Andrew had people cheering for him while Lady Danville and Steel Train opened up for the band. Hundreds of people dripped sweat in the Omni Theater in Toledo to see one band, one piano and one mastermind behind the piano rock music. Tickets only cost $20, but the show could have fooled you into thinking it was worth more. And they didn't even need dancers, backgrounds or costume changes to do that.

Jack's Mannequin opened with "Annie Use Your Telescope," and played all of their well-loved songs that made the high leveled testosterone guys plow their way in the middle at their failed attempts to start a mosh pit. "Bruised," "The Mixed Tape," "Swim," and the one that seems like the crowd surfing induced, "Bloodshot," which even makes Andrew climb on top of his piano, dance around and then jump back on stage.

The band quickly felt the effects of the radiating heat. Drenched in sweat just like his audience, McMahon said that Toledo was the hottest show they ever had.

"It's hotter than the devil's armpit," McMahon told the crowd. "But we're going to fight through the heat."

And they did.

They surprised the audience with a couple new songs before mentioning that their third album will come out sometime in the fall after the three year wait since their second album "The Glass Passenger" came out in the fall of 2008.

The band ended the performance with "Made For Each Other/You Can Breathe." The crowd chanted, "one more song," and within two minutes, the band took their spots and played three more songs for an encore, including the ballad "Hammers and Strings," "Dark Blue" and "La La Lie" where McMahon ended the night playing his harmonica.

Tell me it doesn't take a supreme being to make a jammed pack, non air conditioned theater filled with hundreds of people forget about their stench, dehydration and profuse sweating and cause them to huddle even closer to the stage, jump to the beat of music, and walk out of the show saying, "God, that was amazing."

Only Jack's Mannequin.

A Rocket to the Moon lands in Michigan

Go Radio rocked out with their ear gages. Runner Runner hit on on young girls (so you need to hide yo kids, hide yo wives, and hide yo husbands because Runner Runner is creepin' on eurybody out here), Anarbor head banged with their hippie hair and half shut eyes, Valencia acted somewhat normal and then A Rocket to the Moon serenaded the adoring fans for their first headlining tour,"On Your Side."

A Rocket to the Moon sold out the show in Pontiac, Mich., attracting fans of all ages, skinny jean, converse wearing twelve years old, to crowd surfing drunken college students, to parents lounging in cushioned couches in the back of the Eagle Theatre. Nick Santino and gang were more laid back than headbangers Anarbor, but easily won over their fans by singing 14 of their songs from both their first full length album "On Your Side," to older songs from their EP "Greetings From..."

Nick even gave a special shout out to Pontiac, saying how it was The Eagle Theatre where he and guitarist Justin Richards wrote their hit "Like We Used To" in the parking lot the year before. The song was their first song to play on the radio and the crowd went nuts when they found out the story behind the beloved summer romance song.

Santino demanded that the audience sing louder than him during "Dakota" and his wish was granted. Even after their exited, the crowd chanted "one more song," and just 30 seconds later, Nick, Justin, Andrew, and Eric "The Mouthbreather" came back on stage to sing the fans two more songs, ending their sold out concert with "Mr. Right."

Fans walked away satisfied and still wanting more. But does A Rocket to the Moon ever disappoint? The answer is no. Starting in May, the Rocket crew will launch over across the pound to charm their British fans alongside Mayday Parade, and will go down under capture the hearts of Aussie's, kangaroos, and fans in Indonesia with Hey Monday.

A Night with Ke$ha

Glitter-covered eyes, stockings ripped all up the side, teased hair, smurf lipstick, and the stench of a couple bottles of Jack. If you ever find yourself lost in a crowd like this, you know you're only at one place: a Ke$ha concert.

Ke$ha hosted a sold out party at Central Michigan University on Feb. 25 as part of her first headlining tour "Get Sleazy." Kids off all ages packed into the McGuirk Arena, hoping to dance the night away with 2010 biggest selling artist. Yes, kids of all ages. Mostly drunken college students, but even an 8-year-old girl somehow snagged front row lower bowl tickets.

But from a college kid's perspective and old enough fans, Ke$ha delivered better than people would expect.

"I came here to party," she told the crowd. "Are you guys ready to party?"

She didn't let the audience down. Energetic, some drunk, some not, pushed their way closer to the stage the very second the arena lights dimmed to black. Ke$ha  played with synthesizers, electric guitars (who knew she could do that?), and even busted out a theremin, an instrument where you place your hands next to a beam and control the frequency and volume (listen to "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys).

Society has underestimated her. America has only seen her struggle through her performances on TV, but much surprise to those Ke$ha haters, her vocals were spot on, never sounded out of tune and were enjoyable. She shot glitter into the audience with her glitter cannons, she even brought a guy up on stage, saran wrapped him to a chair for her song "Grow a Pear" were a dancing pear came out to join the party.

One of the highlights of the night was when Ms. Jack Daniels slowed it down and showed the crowd a little bit of her sensitive side when she performed her newest and rarest slow song, "The Harold Song."

Although the show was a success and Ke$ha proved anyone who has doubted her that they were wrong, the parents who brought their 8-year-old daughter to the show needed to go. At what point do parents get that Ke$ha is not Taylor Swift, or Miley Cyrus pre salvia smoking days? Have they heard the opening line to "Tik Tok?" Have they heard the sexual innuendos in "Blah Blah Blah?" Maybe they understood after the dance party that Ke$ha is not what an 8-year-old should be listening to, let alone, allowing her go to a concert where F bombs dropped all over the place from her horrible, hillbilly opener Beardo, singing songs about how he snorted cocaine at age 11 and saying "F--- school" in one of his songs. Maybe it was when Ke$ha came out talking about past sexual experiences (except for she used a more vulgar term to refer to the act) or the dancing penis on stage during "Grow a Pear."  The 8-year-old girl probably had a reality check when her idol smashed an Elmo pinata with a bat. You're not on Sesame Street anymore, 8-Year-Old Girl. Welcome to a Ke$ha party.

So parents, don't expect Ke$ha to catered to your bad parenting. She will continued to sing about drinking, dancing and partying. Your 8-year-old is  not cordially invited unless if you want her to learn some interesting vocabulary terms.

As for her "Get Sleazy Tour" it's definitely worth your money and will be one of the most entertaining concerts you will go to.

Jason DeRulo and special guest Auto-tune pack in Grand Valley Fieldhouse

Jason DeRulo attracted 5,550 students into the field house on October 6 and was the first performer to sell out a Spotlight Production at Grand Valley State. But then 9:30 came around with no DeRulo on stage when he was scheduled to come out an hour before. The crowd grew anxious and claps, crowd surfing and a couple boos kicked off the concert.

         With the crowd already standoffish, DeRulo opened up with his first hit single “Whatcha Say" and showed the agitated crowd  he could actually sing. That shouldn’t be such a surprise since former “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi signed him to Warner Bros. Records. DeRulo opened the first leg of Lady GaGa’s Monster Ball Tour, so he already had a high bar set for him. Before he could even sing one note, that bar seemed as far away as the moon. But once he showed off his voice and Michael Jackson dance moves, he quickly  won the audience back.

Four songs in and DeRulo sang acoustic versions of his most popular songs “In My Head” and “Ridin’ Solo,” which drew the most applause that night. Throughout the concert, he impersonated Michael Jackson by Moon Walking and even covering “Billy Jean.” By midway through the concert, most people had forgotten they waited an extra hour for the singer.

Right when the audience finally became his friend, DeRulo brought out the item that defaces today’s world of pop music. The dreadful auto-tune microphone that probably has Michael Jackson rolling in his grave.

The concert was a prime case that proves a good voice isn’t the only thing that is key for a successful show, but also the performance needs to be just as great. Auto-tune in music is like cigarettes in society. No matter what context you use it in—in live performances or on an album—it’s not cool, doesn’t sound good and is a failure no matter who uses it. Legends can’t even pull it off.

But the auto-tune microphone wasn’t even the biggest problem.

The best part of a concert is that connection the audience gets with the performer. Some musicians talk in between each song and communicate with the audience. Some even go through the crowd, sign autographs and take pictures with them. The only communication DeRulo made was when he pulled a fan on stage to sing to her. And forget talking in between songs. He used the time to change his outfit after every song on the setlist —more outfit changes than Lady GaGa on her Monster Ball Tour. That’s really saying something if a guy needs more changes than Lady Meat Dress herself.

What was very unprofessional during one of those outfit changes was when his backup singer introduced DeRulo’s band. In almost every concert, the singer takes the time to introduce his band to his audience. Not DeRulo. His ninth white T-shirt change was far more important than introducing his band.

To end the show, DeRulo sang his biggest songs, “In My Head” and “Ridin’ Solo.” Yes, he sang the two songs twice. Just in case you didn’t like the acoustic versions of the hit songs where he actually used his authentic voice, he turned to his best friend, the auto-tune microphone, because that is the perfect way to end any sold-out performance—technology that makes you sound like a robot.

Jason DeRulo has only been on the map for a year, but the 21-year-old has a lot to learn. If he wants to go further in the industry, he needs to ditch the auto-tune microphone and take advantage of his voice and dancing skills, something that is rare in today’s pop music.