Strikeout

Singapore has a music industry smaller than its relatively size on the world map. Thus it is easy to overlook local talent, which is ironic, since they are the ones closest (distance wise) to us. Like many others, I too tend to look out for artistes from bigger markets but there are also local artistes who I do keep up with.

Clarence Liew (aka CLO) started uploading videos on YouTube since two years ago but it wasn't till The YouTube Stars Concert that he started to gain exposure. It was only then that I knew of him as well.

This is one of my favourite covers from him. He has such a gentle voice, and the guitar accompanies his voice perfectly. If you like acoustic guitar-styled songs, his videos are definitely worth your time. Check out his channel here.

Quick Quick Danger has gotta be on your list if you're into more upbeat songs, or powerpop, as I'd like to call it.

How can one not like all these songs that make you wanna party? I personally prefer Love Electric but I really dig Party Like a Rockstar as well. Besides all their originals, their covers really appeal to me as well - my personal favourites are Britney Spears' Hold It Against Me and One Direction's Gotta Be You. And because I'm trying not to embed too many YouTube videos on this post you can check them out on Soundcloud here.
Unfortunately the band is not as active as I'd like them to be. In the meantime though, frontman Marc has been busy with a couple of projects with other Singaporean artistes.

What perfect summer jams these songs are! I can already see these songs being played on the radio airwaves. Hello Singapore radio stations where art thou? PLAY THEM.

The Dirt Radicals, formerly known as Pug Jelly and Saw Losers is a punk rock band based out of Singapore (I got that last part from Wikipedia). They were originally based in Singapore, thus were considered a 'local band' even though none of the members are Singapore nationals. Not that it matters.. to me, at least.
I already knew of them since a pretty long time back but I never got around to listening to their music until I watched them live when they opened for All Time Low.

This is my favourite song from them. All I can say is that they were awesome live as well. The drummer was sick!
Check out their YouTube channel here. Hope to hear new material from them soon!

There are definitely more local talents that I have missed out, so don't sue me. I really hope that these artistes will be able to break into the international music industry in the near future. For now, it seems bleak but hey, people can dream. :)

Only One

BoA has always been an icon of K-Pop and now that she released her 7th Korean album a few days back, all the attention's back on her.

I only really got into K-Pop around 2 or 3 years ago so I was never a huge fan of her. Of course I have heard of her before - I just never got around to listening to her music. And I honestly wasn't impressed at Hurricane Venus and Copy & Paste. But I'm really loving her comeback this time!

It isn't her most vocally challenging song, but I'm really liking the very refreshing R&B feel to this. In this era where K-Pop is mostly about loud blaring instrumentals coupled with dubstep and heavy synths, this song feels like a breath of fresh air.

The live performances of this song absolutely deserve special mention here as well. The performances aired so far may be lip-synced or dubbed over but honestly we all know that she can sing, so honestly, who cares? I am really liking them so far... of course having Yunho and Taemin as her dance partners help too. Heh.

I'm Taemin biased but I'm liking the performance with Yunho better because it feels more mature. I guess it does help that Yunho is more manly compared to his dongsaeng. I wonder which other SM dance machines she is gonna collaborate with next. I'm hoping that EXO's Kai appears somehow. Hehe.

It's Always a Good Time

So I spent the night in Extra-Terrestrial World on the Singapore Flyer, and exploring Gardens By the Bay with Stef, Brenda and Jiaqi.

After the security check at the entrance, we had to walk quite a long time before we reached the Flyer itself but it was really interesting along the way - there were exhibits of the history of the Flyer and Singapore. It kinda felt like Discovery Centre and I really liked it. Haha!

We were aiming to catch the NDP Preview fireworks whilst on the ride but we underestimated the crowd and we totally missed them. To make things worse, it started pouring while we were in the capsule and it completely dampened Brenda's spirits to take nice photos (hah pun intended). But it did not turn out as bad as we expected and our photos turned out pretty cool.

Hahahaha my domes in the above picture just looks like they are melting though.

Of course we eventually gave up trying to take scenic shots and ended up camwhoring.

From a scale of Mich to Brenda/Stef, how big are your eyes?

My cute Thor tee. Hehe.

We then walked to MBS to get to Gardens By the Bay. I was kinda sad that we reached so late because Texas Chicken was closed by then and I really wanted chicken. :( Nevertheless, I really liked the place especially after the rain (albeit the humidity) because it was peaceful and walking around did calm my soul LOL. It felt futuristic at the same time though, like I was in a scene from Superman or something...the cartoon version, that is.

I personally think that my pictures are awesome considering how I did not use a DSLR. Wished I had one with a wide-angle lens. Damn.

I'd really like to go back to the Gardens during the day sometime soon. I'm pretty sure the ambience will be very different.

Goodnight!

Kyle Patrick - Kyle Patrick EP Review

Just like the album cover, Kyle Patrick's very first solo EP is bright, happy and about as pop as you can get.
Kyle Patrick, better known as the lead singer of powerpop band, The Click Five, embarked on a solo project which has been in the works for five years. The result? A well-produced album with five tracks written, arranged and performed by this talented man.

Follow Your Heartbeat is the opener for this EP and it starts with Nintendo-like digital sounds. The song is wholly about having fun and basically following your heart. The song did not really leave an impression on me but after a few listens, the chorus, the 'ready now, ready now, ready now' hook, and the reggae-inspired instrumental were stuck in my head.

Go For Gold is the lead single from this EP and is easily my favourite track. Uplifting lyrics, a catchy tune and the 'ohhh ohhh ohhh' hooks are definitely what makes the song so enjoyable. With Kyle writing this song in line with the 2012 London Olympics in mind, he has achieved his purpose. I personally enjoy this song more than the theme song for London Olympics (Muse's Survival).

The track is accompanied by a not-as-stellar music video but it is enjoyable all the same. There was also a 3D version released so that fans can watch it with the personalised 3D glasses shipped out by the man himself (Mine's still in great condition, accompanied with the envelope). What I found interesting about the video was that it was done in (almost) one take. The flashing lights towards the end of the video were really distracting and it hurt my eyes a little though. That aside, have I mentioned that Kyle looks absolutely dapper in that full blue suit?

Wild Ways is the last of the upbeat tracks in this EP. The song is catchy but predictable. As soon as the track started, I expected a few 'HEY!'s and 'HO!'s and the first one comes within 5 seconds of the song. The constant beat and synths in the backing track complement Kyle's vocals and he displays some neat falsetto in the chorus. It is one of those feelgood songs which makes you want to jump around your room in a gig and just let your hair down.

The mood changes drastically with the next song, Baby Don't Board That Plane. It did not really do it for me at first, but as the track went on, I started to appreciate it. Kyle's deep voice brings out the emotions in the song really well and the use of the instruments is amazing. For example, the use of the percussion in the beginning was not as significant and fades off during the chorus but as the song progresses, it builds up and the military-like beats from the snare drum adds on the to desperation as depicted by the lyrics of the song. If Kyle ever sung this to me, I'd definitely not board that plane.

The EP closes with a cover of Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine. I personally love the original and I feel that I may like this version even more - it has the same feel as the previous track and Kyle's vocals were showcased so well thanks to the stripped down percussion in the instrumental. A strong finish to an amazing EP.

Honestly I wasn't expecting much from this album but trust me, I was totally floored by it! Definitely one of the best albums this year. Here's to more good music from Kyle!

Get this EP on Bandcamp or iTunes!

P.S. I really hope I get to see him perform for MTV Sessions in Singapore next month!

Take a Breath, Move Along

Currently still really bloated from my Carls Jr dinner.

Anyway, it's been about 9 hours since I was on stage with TP Band playing our pieces for the Singapore International Band Festival but everything's still really fresh in my mind.

This time though, I didn't feel nervous on stage at all. Gotta attribute it to the fact that I did not have any solos or stuff like that so.. no pressure. I had fun. Heh.

So, how do I feel about getting Bronze?
Hmm, it's no biggie, to be honest. It's a little disappointing, though, not gonna lie. But cliche as it sounds though, it is the process that really mattered. Through practicing the three extremely different pieces - King Karl King, Armenian Dances Part I, and The Seal Lullaby, I'm sure that everyone has become better musicians, myself included.

Moreover, I was kinda prepared for the result already (I'm not pessimistic, I'm being realistic) since this time consisted of the biggest screw-up made in any band I have participated in a competition. But I ain't talking about that. 

Anyway, I had a great time on stage and playing with the awesome French hornists. And the band. And our conductor, Mr Tan, who has been very patient with us all the way. I sincerely hope that he doesn't feel so bad about it anymore.

French horns with Mr Tan!

Chinky! I feel like I've known him for forever. Hahaha good luck in Tekong bro! :)

Full band photo! Aww!

This blog post seems quite incoherent and the sentences are kinda choppy but forgive me for that I'm just too exhausted to think properly right now. Haha. Band is fulfilling, but very, very tiring.

Good night!

P.S. I still don't know if I wanna join an outside band. I mean I still want to perform for concerts and join competitions but commitment is another thing and I am not gonna lie, I am extremely lazy when it comes to self-practice. And I need an instrument. Gahh.

STAR (Straits Times Appreciates Readers) Concert

I am not a fan of going to concerts which feature various artistes because I usually find them a waste of money. However, when I knew that Boys Like Girls was coming to town, I immediately gave in. The tickets to USS and Singapore Flyer were really an added bonus. And boy was I glad that I bought the tickets - it was definitely worth the money (and my currently aching legs).

Before the concert officially started, young Singaporean talents took the stage and I was really impressed by them! They included 18 year old Amni Musfirah and 13 year old Sophia Joe. I felt that both of them did a great job with the older performer having more control over her voice. One thing I realise though, is that many young female singers in Singapore have the same voice quality - a strong, soulful voice which most bar singers have. I'm not saying that having a voice like that is bad..it is just getting a little boring because everyone is just starting to sound the same. But anyway, I'm just glad that young singers like these are getting much more exposure than before.

Rit Xu, a classically trained jazz flutist, was the final performer before the actual concert kicked off. Being a concert band member, I was naturally looking forward to his performance and it did not disappoint - although it got slightly boring as it dragged on. Don't get me wrong, it is just that jazz instrumentals just did not seem to match the ambience of the venue. One thing is for sure though - I will never look at the flute the same way again. But then again I don't even know why I am so surprised even though I watched this video of this amazing guy who can beatbox and play the flute at the same time a few years back. (Click).

Now on to the first act of the concert, Boys Like Girls! It was sort of an emotional rollercoaster for me throughout their ten song set. Aptly starting their performance with their very first hit singles The Great Escape and Hero/Heroine, they immediately set the bar for the craziness which was to come. BLG fans were treated to performances of three new songs (Be Your Everything, Life of the Party, The First Time) all from their Crazy World EP.

No biasness intended here, but they sounded amazing - it was as if I was listening to the original audio of the song. Transitions of the songs were smooth, and Martin hit every single note perfectly, maybe except for the insanely high falsetto-based choruses of Life of the Party. Paul and Morgan did not disappoint and did a decent job at backing vocals as well!

Of course, a Boys Like Girls set is never complete without their ballads. They played a short snippet of Go before transiting into Two Is Better Than One. When my all-time favourite song, Thunder, was being performed (acoustic for almost all the way), it felt like I was being transported back to two years ago in their first ever concert in Singapore. I felt exactly the same - and by that I mean that I was greatly touched. *cues crying me*
Pop punk bands like to end their sets with a bang, and that was they did. Ending their performance with their lead single from their second album, Love Drunk, it definitely sent me wanting more. I really could not get enough! Before they left the stage, they threw all their guitar picks, drumsticks and literally everything there was to be thrown into the audience (Martin threw a piece of tissue paper. Hahaha!). I did not have any luck with those though. Uh well!

I was really contented though - they played more songs than I expected and the best thing was that my friends enjoyed their set as well, even know they did not know some of the songs.

Next up, was the first ever Singapore Idol, Taufik Batisah and I have to say that he impressed me most out of all the acts! He started off with Addicted where he broke out into dance along with his crew members and I was like, "What? He dances? Wow!" I thoroughly enjoyed it - the decent choreography, him and his backup dancers moving in sync, and also his strong and stable voice.

Bringing all of us back to 2004, he crooned one of his trademark songs, Me and Mrs Jones. He definitely didn't disappoint with that and was really smooth. One of my favourites of the night!
He ended off his set with his newest single - Sky's The Limit! I'm really digging the song - kinda like a cross between Jason Derulo and Usher. Great job, Taufik!

The second Singapore Idol and Asian Idol, Hady Mirza, was the next to take the stage. His performances weren't as stellar as his predecessor and his songs did not leave much on an impression on me - except for You Give Me Wings, which is the only song I know from him.

Poor dancer dude on the ground.

Nevertheless, he still put up a decent performance which consisted of mostly slow numbers - it was just simply too bland for me.

Next up, was homegrown talent Tanya Chua! To be honest I was really looking forward to her performances, simply because she has a great voice - and she was one of the female C-Pop artistes I really looked up to back in my secondary school days (gahh I feel old).

She played the guitar for most of the songs that she performed and I was really impressed! Unfortunately, the songs she sang weren't familiar to me (I didn't even know she had English albums) except for 达尔文. The audience was obviously getting restless and fans from different fandoms were being kind of rude by making lots of unnecessary noises but I still felt that I had to give her the respect she deserved - after all, she is an established singer in the industry, having won many awards. The only reason why we have not been hearing much of her was because she was stationed overseas, like many of our C-Pop artistes (Stefanie Sun, JJ Lin, etc). Anyway, towards the end, she managed to lift the atmosphere by singing familiar tunes like Rihanna's Umbrella and Lady Gaga's Poker Face.
Commendable performance from her overall, albeit the slow pace. I could tell that she was really glad to be back in Singapore playing for people from her hometown.

Juz-B came on next with a two song set. You may remember them from 2006's Channel U's SuperBand as the a capella group which had a significant number of Malay members.

I remember that they caught my attention during the competition and I was really impressed by them and I never thought I'd get to see them perform live.
They initially got boo-ed at when they came on stage by the impatient fans who were awaiting the final act (4nias who did that, I hope you feel bad for that), but eventually got everyone grooving along to their covers of OneRepublic's Secrets and FUN's We Are Young, despite the shaky start. They adapted really quickly though, and their vocals and beatbox seemed to flow flawlessly! Really enjoyed their performance. Beatboxing always gets me. Haha.

Then came the last act - the one which most of the audience was waiting for - K-Pop girl group 4Minute!

They started off their segment with their newest single, Volume Up, and I was especially awed by Jiyoon and Gayoon as they hit the high notes flawlessly. Mirror Mirror, Muzik were performed subsequently. They stopped for a bit for a short interview and I'm glad that they listed more than Chilli Crab when asked which food they liked. Hahaha. They were also impressed with the fans saying a rehearsed 'saranghaeyo' to them.
Heart to Heart (my personal favourite from them) and Hot Issue were performed next. I am not a huge fan of 4Minute but they still got me singing to the choruses to their songs. They bade farewell after that only to come back on stage again to sing HuH. Apparently the sound crew was not prepared for that though, thus the girls had to fill up the time and they tried their best. From aegyo to Hyuna's Pikachu impersonation, it seemed like the fans did not mind the delay at all!

All in all, I enjoyed 4Minute's performances although I sensed some fatigue from them as their dances seemed a little sloppy at times. They are not the most vocally strong or the best dancers in the K-Pop industry but these girls sure have charisma!..as with many other K-Pop girl groups. Nevertheless, I do give it to them for trying their best despite their tight schedule, having come from Beijing just that morning.
What was the most important though, was that they made their fans really happy by providing tons of fanservice and trying to speak English as best as they could. Props to them for doing a good job, and for ending the concert on a good note.

So in conclusion, the whole concert was well-planned and the emcees did a pretty decent job in keeping the audiences' mood up (the whole Garden Wave thing is still quite dumb to me though). And of course, the artistes did their part in presenting their best to make a good show in all.

For those who can't get enough, or didn't make it for the concert, you can check out the performances over at http://www.youtube.com/user/SPHRazorTV/videos.

Photos credited to Rachel.

A Phone Call From Jedward

So earlier this evening, I got a phone call from Irish pop duo, Jedward, thanks to Bryan, who was covering the #913FoodTrail! You may know them as the twins from 2009's The X Factor.

They are known for their enthusiastic performances on stage and it appears that it is no different from their off-stage persona. Their interaction with the Singaporean fans has been more than sincere and amazing!

Anyway, it was so unreal talking to them on the phone. The slightly-under-five-minutes call was basically them talking almost the whole way and me just being stunned and sounding like an idiot. I recorded the call but I am obviously not going to post it anywhere for everyone's sanity.

Their accents were really really thick and I could not understand half of the things they said so I really hope that they did not blame me for my very unsure responses. Anyway, here's what I managed to make out:

Edward was first on the line and he greeted me really cheerily, "Hi Michelle this is Edward from Jedward!" and I just went like "oh my god hi Edward" and "welcome to Singapore", you know, the typical kind of things you'd say to an artiste. Then he immediately started talking about how he loved the food in Singapore, how they weren't oily (what?), and the rest.. I couldn't understand. He really went on and on by the way, like a machine gun. Haha. We then talked a little about their time in Singapore so far, and how long they were going to stay, and the autograph session.

He then asked John to say hi to me and he greeted me with the same level of enthusiasm as Edward did. And he suddenly started singing, "Wow. Fantastic Baby! Dance! Woo-ooh!" I was definitely surprised by that. Breaking out into a Big Bang song was something I would not have expected them to do (I found out from Bryan later on that they were already singing it before they called me, and that they grabbed a copy of Teenage, which had Big Bang on the cover).

He then asked me where I was (I replied that I was in school) and why I was still in school at 6pm. I told them about band practice and that I was a French hornist and John (I think?) went, "Cool, that's really cool, I mean like really really cool, cool." Lol something like that. We then talked about their single, Young Love, before he went like, "we really need to see you, Michelle." LOL yeah I know it's fan service, but it sure made me feel warm inside.

They had to go after that and so that concluded my phone call with Jedward. It was short, but great. Unfortunately, I'm the kind of person who isn't able to hold conversations on the phone so there were a few awkward silences here and there but Jedward always managed to break it. They showed that they loved their fans, and that they are still down-to-earth young boys despite their platinum albums. They will be in Singapore till Thursday, and I do actually hope to catch them.

Till then, I'll just continue grooving out to my favourite song from them - Young Love. Do check it out if you haven't!

Whatever Weather

I know the last couple of posts have been about Boys Like Girls but please bear with me for this post, and the next.

So today was just.. for lack of better word, awesome. And mind you, it was not just because I finally got the chance to meet my all-time favourite band, Boys Like Girls, up close. Although it was definitely the highlight of the day.

Albeit the nerve-wrecking morning and me stressing over their flight arrival from KL, Boys Like Girls did eventually appear to the delight of the 15-odd fans waiting for them. Absolutely no one screamed at all and it was so calm and relaxed. Seriously I love the BLG fandom here. Hahaha!

Paul came out first and being his biggest fan in the entire world, I came in front of him first and greeted him (Stef said I was being shy HAHA) and he looked right back at me and asked how I was doing and remarked, "Nice shirt". Of course, Paul, of course you'd call a tee from your clothing line 'nice'. Cue a little small talk and getting him to sign my albums, we talked a little about the Be Your Everything lyric video and the laser tag game that they played in KL the day before. It was so hard to think straight though. He had this permanent smile plastered to his face while I was just standing there craning my neck up trying really hard not to stammer. Gonna stop here abruptly because I could go on and on. Lol.

He is so tall! Either that or I'm really short. Or both.

Anyway, we approached John next and he signed my albums as well, which he passed to Martin. After Martin finished signing, I took my albums back but he continued staring at me with those beautiful blue eyes of his and I was confused for a moment until I realised he was still holding on to my marker cap. How embarrassing LOL. I didn't talk to him much though because I thought he looked really tired and because he intimidated me a little. He was just so... cool. Haha.

He must have had to bend down a lot. I like his star tattoo a lot by the way!

We went to find John yet again to take pictures. After Stef helped me with that, John asked if he could see the picture and he had to approve it. Haha what a funny little (literally) man he is.

For once I felt tall standing next to a band guy LOL.

Last but not least was Morgan, who officially joined the band a couple of months ago. He was absolutely loving the attention showered on him by the fans. I greeted him and he asked for my name which he then greeted me by. I'd have talked to him a little more if they didn't have to leave.

Doesn't he look a little like Robert Downey Jr??

Didn't get Morgan to sign them since I felt that he might feel weird because he wasn't even in the albums!

Yeah I know one whole paragraph for Paul and a couple of lines for the rest hahaha I'm biased like that! Looking forward to their set at the STAR Concert!!

We then rushed off to meet the Poly bunch for lunch at Ah Loy Thai at Shaw Tower. The food was really awesome although we ordered a little too much. We also celebrated an early 20th for Deanna!

Really happy with her presents apparently! 

 With Rach and Keith!

After that, all of us except Jon, Eden and Deanna went to Daiso and wrecked havoc. Hahaha seriously that place is really like a playground for us.

Met my parents and my uncle's family for dinner at Kallang Leisurepark's Thai Village and damn that was one of the best dinners I have had in a while (although I was quite distraught at first because I thought that I was going to eat Thai food again but thankfully, despite the name of the restaurant, it was nothing like a typical Thai restaurant). The restaurant's signature dish was Claypot Shark's Fin and that was exactly what each of us had.

Oh god I was in heaven for around 30 mins while eating this. Definitely the best shark's fin soup I have had - and the portion was... woah! I reckon that the price is pretty steep though. But seriously this is some solid soup with big portions of meat. Ahh I'm already getting hungry just thinking about it! The side dishes that were ordered were freaking delicious as well oh my someone bring me back here again please!

Hahahaha I seem to be spazzing more about the food than about BLG! How typical.

Long day ahead, I'd better crash now. Good night! x

Be Your Everything

BLG's newest single off their Crazy World EP was unveiled through one of the most awesome lyric videos I have ever seen! I am really in love with the song - not with the album art though - Paul looks like he just came out of rehab or something.

Anyway, it is literally gonna be a Boys Like Girls weekend because they are gonna be coming down very very soon! I really can't wait to hear them play live again on Sunday. I really miss them wayyy too much.

I'm going to be trying my luck at the airport on Friday so please pray for me. Hahaha.

Goodnight!

Maybe

Maybe I should just stop being nice. It seems like nicer people are always on the losing end.
Being nice lets you make friends, right? But there is no guarantee that they will be there every time even though you just continue to help them, or spoil them.. or whatever.
I like being nice to people.. It is just in my nature. But I'm just tired of it - tired of being taken advantage of, tired of being taken for granted. And sometimes it just...breaks me to realise that I don't mean as much to others as much as they mean to me. I don't expect anything in return... Not materialistic needs, at least.

I just feel like it is not worth it anymore. Because one day, you will be gone. Because one day, we will not be friends anymore.

Because one day, you will forget me.

In the Summer

Last weekend, we spent Jon's and Keith's second bookout at Sun Ray Cafe at Serangoon. It was my second time there and the food there did not disappoint me again. I guess the only thing I don't like about the place was the fact that there were dogs running about which left me really distressed because I'm the only one scared of dogs. Gahh. Can't help that it is a pet-friendly cafe. Keith, Nava and Eudora left early before we started camwhoring though. Lol.

They served plain water in wine bottles so I made them act like they were drunk! Pretty convincing I would say. Sigh the things we do. 

We're set to meet up again this coming weekend for dinner at Chomp Chomp! Fat time!

Anyway here's my cover of my current addiction, Infinite's In the Summer. I play the guitar and a home-made shaker (lol) inside. Do check it out!

Hope everyone feels as cheery as I do listening to this song! Original version below. Dongwoo is adorable in there.

Peace!

La Furia Roja!

6 years - still European and World Champions.

After the initial 1-1 draw with Italy in the group stages, and a nerve-wrecking penalty shootout against Portugal among other matches, Spain beat Italy by a whopping 4-0 to retain their Euro Championship title.

It was inevitable. Right from the start, the Spanish side showed much spunk and conviction and despite starting with no strikers at all, the number of attempts (from Arbeloa, Ramos, Xavi) was enough to keep Italian goalkeeper, Buffon, busy. Of course the tiki-taka chases from Spain remained, and a moment of brilliance from Fabregas allowed the ball to find David Silva's head, which eventually led the ball to its goal.

Italy started playing slightly better after this, giving Spain and Casillas a little more pressure. However, a great counter-attack and a precise through-ball from Xavi allowed Jordi Alba to extend Spain's lead and dampen the Italian side's moods further.

Halftime was as exciting than the first, with both teams creating decent chances for themselves. Things then started to look extremely bleak for Italy when their third substitute, Thaigo Motta tore his hamstring, which meant that they were down to ten men. And at the 75th minute when Torres come on for Fabregas (imagine Stef's and my elation HAHA), it was all over. Despite not getting the ball for almost ten minutes since he came on, his first touch ensued a 3-0 lead for Spain, assisted by Xavi (again).


Mata then came on for Iniesta (who was crowned Man of the Match), and it just seemed it was a substitution for the sake of finishing the number of subs available. Just after two minutes though, after another brilliant pass from Xavi, Torres drew Buffon to him before sliding the ball to Mata to easily chip it into the goal. Now that's what we all want to see - unselfish playing - Torres could have taken the shot but he did not, and secured the last goal for Spain, which also happened to be a record win for any Euro final. The last opportunity for Spain was a pass from Torres to Ramos, who attempted a backheel. Buffon saved it and the defender ran off with a cheeky smile on his face (I had a smile on my face too). And the rest, it's just history.


So for all you critics labeling Spain as 'unentertaining' and 'boring', this final match proved everyone of you wrong. 


For rarely starting with a striker, it was also another surprise that Torres will be going home with the Golden Boot - with 3 goals scored in just 189 minutes played (including the two against Ireland). As if that bonus was not enough, Ramos overtook Ronaldo on the Castrol EDGE Index to be on top with a score of 9.69. He also topped the same ranking in the World Cup two years ago. That's my boy! 


The celebration was nothing but a baby fest. The players brought out all of their gorgeous kids and it was all really cute. *cries*

"Daddy you were fantastic today!"

Ramos and his niece

Xabi Alonso and his family. His son doesn't seem to like the trophy very much hahaha 

Pepe Reina with his son

Torres playing with everyone's kids awww

My perfect Real Madrid boys ♥

Campeones! ¡Viva España!

I do not own any of the pictures.