Song of the Moment: "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri

4 STARS

I really don't care for Twilight, a feeling that has extended to nearly every aspect of the franchise, including its soundtracks. It is the primary reason why I ignored Bruno Mars' "It Will Rain" when top 40 went psycho for it (the other reason being it wasn't that good).

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon another song from the soundtrack while listening to the radio, not really knowing where it was from. The song was "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri, the same girl behind last year's inescapable break-up ballad "Jar of Hearts". I had seen the title floating around the iTunes Top 100 since last year, but never bothered every clicking the preview button. I had figured it was shoved to the top of the charts by trigger-happy fangirls willing to buy anything with Robert Pattinson's face on it.

That still may be true, but the song itself has plenty of pop music merit. It has a simple, yet gorgeous piano and guitar arrangement made for slow dances on ballroom floors across the country. I'm a sucker for a good old-fashioned pop ballad, especially one that promises an epic vocal performance. Perri's vocals are epic, but not in the way you would expect. It's restrained, stretching only slightly for the big moments. She allows the emotive quality of her tone to do all of the heavy lifting, which makes the song both grand and intimate at the same time.

"A Thousand Years" is an excellent record. It can be argued whether or not it was attached to a lousy franchise (you probably could figure where I stand), but the benefit of exposing Christina Perri to a wider audience may just be worth it. This song is definitely a worthy introduction.

Download of the Day 10/6: Gavin DeGraw's "Not Over You"

For many people, Gavin DeGraw will always be the voice behind the iconic theme to the iconic (and aging) teen/adult drama One Tree Hill. Other than that song, "I Don't Want To Be", he hasn't really made major waves in the mainstream.

That seems like it's changing, with his brand new single.

Six years older, and presumably wiser, Gavin DeGraw has dropped Sweeter and it's first single "Not Over You". He sings about trying to move on from a lover but knowing that he hasn't, against some very lively piano-driven production. Sure, it sounds a bit like something Bruno Mars would've recorded, but DeGraw provides more than enough personality with his excellent vocals to kill the comparisons. The lyrics are very charming without being cliché, thanks in part to Ryan Tedder, responsible for hits like "Halo" and "Bleeding Love". This song definitely sits amongst his best creations, despite its relative simplicity. Less is really more sometimes.

"Not Over You" is more than Gavin DeGraw's best work since "I Don't Want To Be", it's also the most satisfying pop record from a male artist all year. Hopefully it will continue to get the success it deserves.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Beyoncé's New Video "Countdown" Proves That She Is The Most Functional Pregnant Woman Ever

Beyoncé released the music video for her new single "Countdown", and she proved that pregnancy is not slowing her down. In fact, she flaunts the fact that she's a boss with baby in tow in the video, rolling around the floor in a black catsuit and dancing in her typical colored unitard.

Check it out the video below!

<div style="background-color:#000000;width:520px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:698826/cp~artist%3D1236911%26vid%3D698826%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A698826" width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#FFFFFF;padding:4px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;">Get More: <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/knowles_beyonce/artist.jhtml" style="color:#439CD8;" target="_blank">Beyonc&#233;</a>, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/" style="color:#439CD8;" target="_blank">Music</a>, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/video/" style="color:#439CD8;" target="_blank">More Music Videos</a></p></div></div>

In Memoriam: Steve Jobs

I am currently writing this post on a MacBook Pro, one that I purchased two years ago in preparation for going to college. As I look around my classroom, the computers that are out are Macs, as are the computers in the basement of Trinity College's library.

Sitting in my bag in my room is my first generation iPad. Sitting in my coat pocket is my iPhone 4. Sitting in someone else's pocket is my iPhone 3GS, stolen from me during my Thanksgiving break last year. Of the six people sitting in the front row of my class, I know that three people have an iPhone on them, myself included. I wouldn't be surprised if all of the people in my row have one.

Steve Jobs, the founder and driving force of one of the most important companies in the world, died yesterday after a long struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was more than just Apple Inc.'s Chairman and CEO. His vision, to marry technology with humanity, revolutionized how everyone interacted with their devices. Because of him, we developed over time a genuine, vested interest in the products we purchased. While some companies and technological purists would criticize Apple for oversimplifying the technological experience, he simply made it accessible, allowing people who would never touch a computer before swiping across screens with two fingers. He essentially drove tech advancements for decades, being five steps ahead of the competition. Even today, two days after the iPhone 4S announcement, companies are still trying to catch up to the two year old iPhone 3GS.

His true legacy, what will make him a legend for centuries to come, is how he changed the course of culture. He redefined how we listened to music, watched movies, surfed the Internet, and produce documents. He didn't just oversee the creation of the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad; he understood how these products could break through the public consciousness and genuinely restructure our engagement with media.

The passing of Steve Jobs is more than just the end of an era for Apple, and even for technology. His death is the end of an era for the world, a world that was transformed significantly by his creativity and perfection.

May he rest in peace.