Category Archives: Music

Song of the Day: Breakin’ My Heart (by Mint Condition)

Posted on by Arleigh

Whenever “Breakin’ My Heart” by Mint Condition comes on, it’s like flipping back to the spring of ’91 — those final high school days buzzing with possibility and that sweet uncertainty of what came next. I remember those silky keys and that laid-back groove spilling out of boomboxes in the parking lot after school, turning ordinary afternoons into something electric. It was the ultimate slow jam for passing notes in class and those marathon phone calls about crushes that felt like the whole world.

What made the track stick so deep was its smooth, patient vibe, like it was custom-made to linger in those tender high school romance moments — Stokley’s voice carrying that perfect mix of ache and hope. At senior prom, when “Pretty Brown Eyes” finally hit, the gym lights dimmed, and suddenly every sway felt like a promise. It bridged those innocent, heart-on-your-sleeve high school flings right into the haze of early college, where relationships got messier, longer-distance, and way more real, with calls late at night from someone met through college halls and weekend jaunts to clubs.

That song soundtracked our whole transition that summer before freshman year — cruising with windows down, radio cranked, as we traded high school goodbyes for the thrill and nerves of campus life. Mint Condition’s harmonies wrapped up all the nostalgia of backyard parties and first kisses, while hinting at the tougher navigations ahead, like figuring out if those feelings could stretch across states. Even now, it pulls me right back to that bridge between worlds — young love evolving, full of promise and those first real heartbreaks.

Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)

Pretty
Brown
Eyes

Pretty brown eyes, you know I see you
It’s a disguise, the way you treat me
(The way you treat me, pretty brown eyes)
You keep holding on to your thoughts of rejection
If you’re with me, you’re secured

You keep telling me that your time is always taken
But I keep seeing you out alone
(Out alone, pretty brown eyes) yeah
Listen to love, your heart is pounding with desire
Waiting to be unleashed

Quit breakin’ my heart
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Yeah, breakin’ my heart, oh, yeah
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Sugar, yeah, yeah

Don’t tell your friends
That I don’t mean nothing to you
Please, don’t deny the truth
(Pretty brown eyes)
Tell me right now, I know your heart is in the right place
You know I won’t let you down, oh, yeah, yeah

You can’t disguise all the pounding of your heart, yeah
(I see your eyes) I see your eyes
(Pretty brown eyes) and you can’t hide
Start to make sense and quit playing
These love games (silly little games)
Tell me what you’re gonna do, yeah

Quit breakin’ my heart
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Yeah, breakin’ my heart, ooh
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes), yeah

I just want to know one thing
Will you be with me?
(Pretty brown eyes)
Ooh, ooh, ooh, oh, oh
Here comes my darlin’ (here comes my darlin’)
Here comes romance (here comes romance)
Here comes my lovin’ (here comes my lovin’)
(Please, honey will you dance?)

Quit breakin’ my heart
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Breakin’ my heart, yeah
Breakin’ my heart, whoa

Got me cryin’ all inside (pretty brown eyes)
Ohh, ho, ho, ooh, I’m talking ’bout (breakin’ my heart)
I’m talkin’ ’bout you, I’m talkin’ ’bout me
I’m talkin’ ’bout we, I’m talkin’ ’bout we, we (pretty brown eyes)

Here comes my darlin’ (here comes my darlin’)
Here comes romance (here comes romance)
Here comes my lovin’, will you dance (here comes my lovin’, please, honey will you dance?)
Oh yeah, sugar pie, baby
Breakin’ my heart

Here comes my darlin’ (here comes my darlin’)
Here comes romance (here comes romance)
Will you dance (here comes my lovin’, please, honey will you dance?)
Oh, hoo, ohh, yeah (pretty brown eyes)
Heart, breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Breakin’ my heart (pretty brown eyes)
Breakin’ my heart, breakin’ my heart

Music Video of the Day: I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll, covered by Britney Spears (2001, dir by Chris Applebaum)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s Britney!

Filmed at Long Island bar, this video is here to welcome us to Super Bowl Sunday!  Pretty soon, some people will be watching the game and some people will be watching the commercials and, here at the Shattered Lens, we’ll be posting any trailers that drop during the big game.  It’s a part of our tradition!

For now, though, let’s love rock and roll.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: Make It Last Forever (by Keith Sweat)

Posted on by Arleigh

It’s funny how just the first few notes of “Make It Last Forever” can take you straight back to those smoky gymnasiums where the lights were dim, the disco ball spun slow, and everyone pretended not to care who asked who to dance. Keith Sweat’s voice had that raw, pleading edge — smooth but vulnerable — the kind that cut right through all the teenage coolness. This track wasn’t just background music; it was the moment when couples swayed a little closer, trying to hang on to a feeling that was bigger than any senior year could hold.

The thing about that late ’80s R&B scene is that it knew how to make time stop. Between Sweat’s silky tone and Jacci McGhee’s soft harmonies, the song felt like a brand-new kind of intimacy. It wasn’t flashy, just honest — the kind of slow jam that made you believe love could actually last forever, at least for the length of that dance. You didn’t need fancy choreography or a booming beat; the groove did all the talking. It was warm, romantic, and a little bittersweet — the perfect soundtrack for that fleeting stretch between youth and adulthood.

Even now, when it plays on an old-school radio mix or at a 40th high school reunion, something in it still hits home. You remember the scent of cheap cologne, the click of high heels on the gym floor, and that mix of nerves and hope that only a slow dance can bring. “Make It Last Forever” wasn’t just a song — it was a promise whispered in the dark, a memory that never quite fades, no matter how many years go by.

Make It Last Forever

Make it last
Make it last forever (ever)
Don’t let our love end (ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-oh)
Let’s make it last (ooh-ooh-ooh-oh)
Let’s make it last forever and ever
Mm, don’t let our love end (oh, don’t let love end) mm

Let me hear you tell me you love me
Let me hear you say you’ll never leave me
Ooh, girl, that would make me feel so right
Let me hear you tell me you want me
Let me hear you say you’ll never leave me, baby
Until the morning light (ah)

Let me tell you how much I love you
Let me tell you that I really need you
Baby, baby, baby, I will make it all right
No one but you, baby, can make me feel
The way you make me, make me, make me feel

Whoa, oh-oh-oh
Mm, mm, mm
Don’t let our love end (oh, ooh-oh)
Just make it last forever (oh, make it last) and ever (forever)

Your touch is wonderful
Your love is so marvelous
Joy, that’s what I feel when I’m with you
Nothing, no one (no one, boy)
Could compare to what we have (oh, my baby)
Love, it feels so good
I’m so glad you’re mine (oh, oh)

Whoa, oh-oh-oh (ooh, baby)
Make it last forever (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Don’t let our love end (no-no, no-no-no)
Make it last forever and ever (yeah, yeah)

Ooh, give me kisses (kisses)
Love me (love me), hold me (hold me)
Squeeze me (squeeze me)
Chillin’ (chillin’), come on (come on)
I love it (you know I do), baby

Whoa, oh-oh-oh
Mm, mm, mm
Make it last forever (no-no) and ever (no-no-no)
Don’t let our love end (and ever)

Ooh, whoa, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh (no, don’t you let it end)
You got to make it last
Never, never, never let it end
Just make it last forever and ever (ooh-ooh, oh)

I want our love to last a lifetime (I’d give it up, give it up for you)
Ooh, tell me, tell me you’ll always be mine
(I love you, love you, love you, love you, love you)
To make love forever and ever (ooh-ooh)
We’ve got to make it last
Got to make it, got to make it, got to make it, got to make it
Oh, baby, oh, honey (oh, honey)
I love you (ooh, oh, oh, I love you)

Ooh, you’re my best thing in the world (oh)
The only thing in the world, I love you so

The Society of Composers and Lyricists Honors Sinners

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Society of Composers and Lyricists has announced its picks for the best of 2025.  The winners are listed in bold.

Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film
LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – Sinners
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT – Frankenstein
JONNY GREENWOOD – One Battle After Another
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ & JOHN POWELL – Wicked: For Good
MAX RICHTER – Hamnet
JERSKIN FENDRIX – Bugonia

Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film
DARA TAYLOR – Straw
BRYCE DESSNER – Train Dreams
DAVID FLEMING – Eternity
FABRIZIO MANCINELLI – Out of the Nest
JÓNSI & ALEX SOMMERS – Rental Family

SARA BARONE & FOREST CHRISTENSON – To Kill a Wolf

Outstanding Original Song for a Dramatic or Documentary Visual Media Production
DIANE WARREN – “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless
ALICE SMITH, MILES CATON & LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” from Sinners
RAPHAEL SAADIQ & LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – “I Lied to You” from Sinners
SARA BAREILLES – “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from Come See Me in the Good Light
NIKHIL KOPARKAR & RAMMY PARK – “The Hills of Tanchico” from The Wheel of Time
ED SHEERAN, BLAKE SLATKIN & JOHN MAYER – “Drive” from F1

Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production
EJAE & MARK SONNENBLICK – “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ – “No Place Like Home” from Wicked: For Good
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ – “The Girl in the Bubble” from Wicked: For Good
JACK BLACK & JARED HESS – “Steve’s Lava Chicken” from A Minecraft Movie
MARK RONSON, ANDREW WYATT & JACK BLACK – “I Feel Alive” from A Minecraft Movie
BLAKE SLATKIN, SHAKIRA & ED SHEERAN – “Zoo” from Zootopia 2

Song of the Day: My, My, My (by Johnny Gill)

Posted on by Arleigh

When “My, My, My” first floated across the airwaves in 1990, it felt like smooth perfection — the kind of song that made time slow down just a little. Johnny Gill’s voice carried that deep, unmistakable mix of confidence and tenderness that defined R&B at its best. It was the slow jam every prom DJ had queued up, waiting for the lights to dim and for couples to drift onto the floor. For anyone in high school back then, this was the dance moment — the one you replayed in your head for days afterward.

But what made it special was how it lived beyond those prom nights. This was one of those early-’90s R&B staples that found its way onto countless mixtapes — the kind carefully labeled and slipped into someone’s hand with a hopeful grin. It was the soundtrack of summer romances, of those shy exchanges that felt like the beginning of forever. With Gill’s velvet delivery and that lush Babyface-L.A. Reid production, even teenage crushes suddenly felt legendary.

And honestly, let’s be real — you don’t even need to take my word for it. Just one listen to Johnny’s sweet, dulcet tones and you know this was the kind of track that did more than inspire slow dancing. It’s baby-making music, through and through — smooth, soulful, and absolutely irresistible.

My, My, My

Yeah
Mmmh, mmh, mmmh, so good

My, My, My (you look so sweet)
Listen
Put on your red dress
And slip on your high heels
And some of that sweet perfume
It sure smells good on you

Slide on your lipstick and
Let all your hair down
Cause Baby when you get through
I’m going to show you

Tonight will be a special night
No matter where we go
And I’m so proud to be with you
I just wanna let you know

You got my saying
My, My, My
My, My, My
You sure look good tonight
And you’re so damn fine
I wanna say
My, My, My
My, My, My

You sure look good tonight

After all this time
Slip on your nightgown
Step in our bedroom
First I wanna take sometime

I just wanna look at you
Girl you are so fine
I can’t believe you’re mine
And all that I wanna do

I wanna make love to you
Tonight will be a special night
Of many more to come

And I’m so proud to be with you
So proud to share you’re love

My, My, My
My, My, My (You sure look good tonight)
I wanna say, My, My, My
My, My, My
My, My, My

Make love all night long
Make love ’til the break of dawn

Come on
Come on
Sweet little thing yes you do

Yes you do, yes you do, you do, do, do

And I’m so proud to be with you
So proud to share you’re love
My, My, My
My, My, My
You sure look good tonight

I wanna love you, in every way, every way
Let me
Let me
Show you how sweet it’s gonna be
I wanna show you things that you

Never, ever, ever seen before
Put your nightgown on
Let your hair hang low
Step into our room
I’m in the mood to love you all night long

You got me saying My, My, My
My, My, My
My, My, My
My, My, My
My, My, My
My, My, My
My, My, My

Say My, My, My
See all you gotta do
All you gotta do
Is say that you’ll be mine all mine, My, My, My
My, My, My (You’ll be all mine tonight baby)
You sure look good tonight
Let me, let me, show you how sweet it’s gonna be

Oh, My, My, My
My, My, My (You sure look good tonight) My, My, My
My, My, My
My, My, My (You sure look good tonight) My, My, My
My, My, My (You sure look good tonight) My, My, My

Music Video of the Day: Can I Go Now? by Jennifer Love Hewitt (2003, dir by Liz Friedlander)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Don’t mess with Jennifer Love Hewitt!

I’ve always liked Jennifer Love Hewitt, largely because we’re both Texas girls, we both have what others seem to consider to be an unusual sense of humor, and I imagine that we both share the same struggle when it comes to having to remind men that our eyes are up here.  Of course, for all that we have in common, a huge difference between the two of us is that Jennifer Love Hewitt can actually sing whereas I can barely carry a tune.

Can I Go Now? was the second single to be released from her 2003 album, BareNaked.  In the video, Jennifer fights with her boyfriend, she leaves her boyfriend, she returns to her boyfriend, she leaves her boyfriend …. it’s a never-ending cycle of coming and going so I guess the answer to the question is that you can really never leave.  At one point, she joins her boyfriend in the shower and he kind of gets weird about it.  I’m not really sure what to make of this guy.  I would definitely leave and not return until he found a place that had a wall between the kitchen and the living room.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: Faithfully (by Journey)

Posted on by Arleigh

Back in junior high in the early ’80s, Faithfully dropped in 1983 on Journey’s Frontiers album, and those haunting piano chords instantly hooked us during slow skates or late-night mix tapes. Steve Perry’s raw, soaring voice captured the ache of young love stretching across town, turning everyday pangs into something profound. Even by 1988, deep into high school, it had evolved into a staple power ballad at dances and teen parties, standing tall among the era’s anthems.

What elevated it to one of Journey’s all-time greatest was its blend of emotional depth and universal appeal—highways symbolizing distance, hearts straining but vowing “to be there faithfully,” all without the bombast of hair metal excess. It felt authentic, perfect for those fog-shrouded bus rides home, fueling dreams amid neon-lit awkwardness. Rock historians often hail it as the pinnacle of ’80s power ballads, outshining peers with its sincerity and that unforgettable guitar climb.

Hearing it today still transports me to cassette decks and feathered hair, a true time capsule of innocence. Journey mastered crafting songs that promised soul-deep connection against all odds, cementing Faithfully as their crown jewel and the era’s ballad benchmark.

Faithfully

Highway run into the midnight sun
Wheels go ’round and ’round, you’re on my mind
Restless hearts sleep alone tonight
Sendin’ all my love along the wire

They say that the road ain’t no place to start a family
Right down the line it’s been you and me
And lovin’ a music man ain’t always what it’s supposed to be
Oh, girl you stand by me, I’m forever yours, faithfully

Circus life under the big top world
We all need the clowns to make us smile
Through space and time, always another show
Wondering where I am lost without you

And bein’ apart ain’t easy on this love affair
Two strangers learn to fall in love again
I get the joy of rediscovering you
Oh girl, you stand by me, I’m forever yours, faithfully

Faithfully, I’m still yours
I’m forever yours, ever yours
Faithfully