Lucky I'm In Love with a Pop Star

Hello, all 3 of you readers! This is Laura checking in for her first post. I used to write quite a bit, but I have to admit I'm a little apprehensive to start my first post, being that Julia is an amazing writer.

I also would be remiss if I didn't thank a fellow pop culture addict and roommate John Dellaporta who suggested we start this blog.

Inspired by Julia's last post about pop boys with soul, I felt the need to further elaborate on Jason Mraz. Here are some reasons you should love him:

Reason #1 (and a selfish reason at that): He was a music theatre major. For those of you who don't know me, I was too. It's evident in his singing and in his writing, and I have to say as a fellow former MT major and songwriter, I have been majorly influenced by his always honest and fresh, sometimes snarky writing style. And the man has a crystal clear tenor voice, despite his efforts to "grit it up" with his smoking habit. Alas, I can relate. Can't you just picture the dear boy singing "On the Street Where You Live" in a workshop setting? "Okay, Jason, that was really nice. Now I think you need to up your stakes in the second verse and just pay attention to your phrasing."

Reason #2: He listens to a diverse pool of music and manages to effectively incorporate it into his material in unexpected ways. Can't tell he used to be into freestyle rapping? Listen to the lyrics to "Curbside Prophet" or "Geek in the Pink", to name just a couple. Can't tell he was classically trained? Listen to "Mr. Curiosity". Can't hear the reggae influence? Listen to "I'm Yours" for crying out loud. Hellooooo syncopated rhythm guitar. Jazz? "Bella Luna." Trust me, I could keep going, but you'd be bored by my musical geekdom.

Reason #3: He's a surprisingly good guitarist for someone whose "trump card" is his voice. In a world where we're all just trying to get what's ours, he could have easily made it on his pipes and his writing. His dedication to his instrument belies an honest respect for his art. Check out the album "Live at Java Joe's" to hear him hold his own in a live setting backed only by percussionist Toca Rivera.

Reason #4: He just broke the record for the single that spent the longest time on the charts for "I'm Yours", off of the album "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things". (Previously holding that record? Leann Rimes' "How Do I Live".)

Reason #5: He gets increasingly more successful - no one-hit wonder here. His debut album had marginal success. His next got better. Most recently he's making history (see reason #4). He could easily have rested on his laurels (aka "The Remedy") and done a bunch of Burger King commercials, but he's still out there working hard. Once again, the man loves what he does.

That's all for now. There are many, many, more reasons to love him, but I don't want to be accused of gushing. Did I mention he's into everything organic and eco-friendly? Did I mention that we'd probably make beautiful music (and babies) together? Okay, I'm stopping now.