| THE VOICE JUNE 28 - JULY 4, 2012 23

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POSTER BATTLEBEYONCÉ & JAY-Z V WILL & JADA

STAR-CROSSED LOVERS

Bitten by the love bugBitten by the love Bitten by the love bugbug

STAR-CROSSED STAR-CROSSED STAR-CROSSED STAR-CROSSED STAR-CROSSED VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN

bugbugBROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN

bugbugbugBROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN

VALENTINE’S PLAYLIST

We select our favourite love songs

Rihanna stands by Chris in court

24 � THE VOICE FEBRUARY 14 - 20, 2013

“If your love was all I had in thislife, well that would be enoughuntil the end of time. So restyour weary heart and relax yourmind, ‘cause I'm gonna loveyou girl, until the end of time”

“You should let me love you, letme be the one to, give youeverything you want and need.Baby, good love and protec-tion, make me your selection,show you the way love's sup-posed to be”

“I will pull a star out of the skyfor you, yes I would. To the edgeof the earth I'll go to see you,yes it's true. If you're anywhereand I'm not there, just think onepart of love and I'll appear”

“Baby you don't know what youdo to me. Between me andyou, I feel a chemistry. Won't letno one come and take yourplace, ‘cause the love you givecan't be replaced”

“We’re only humans girl, wemake mistakes. To make it up,I’ll do whatever it takes. I loveyou like a fat kid loves cake.You know my style, I say any-thing to make you smile”

“These lips, can’t wait to tasteyour skin. And these eyes,can’t wait to see your grin.Just let my love adorn you”

“I've been thinkin' 'bout you,do you think about me still?Or do you not think so farahead? 'Cause I been thinkin''bout forever”

“Tell the angels no, I don’twanna leave my baby alone. Idon’t want nobody else to holdyou. That’s a chance I’ll take,baby I’ll stay, heaven can wait”

“You got it, you got it bad,when you're on the phone,hang up and you call rightback. You got it, you got it bad,if you miss a day without yourfriend your whole life's off track”

“If you were worried 'boutwhere, I been or who I saw orwhat club I went to with myhomies, baby don't worry youknow that you got me”

“I'm looking for somebody I cancall boo. Looking for the onlyone that I can give my all to. Tellme if it's you, you, you. Whatyou wanna do? Make ya move”

“You're the only one whoknows what I go through.Sometimes you even feel itmore than me. I don't knowhow I ever got by without you”

“And we'll linger on and on. Timecan't erase a feeling this strong.No way you're never gonnashake me, 'cause you'll alwaysbe my baby”

CIARA: PROMISE JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE:UNTIL THE END OF TIME

BEYONCÉ: DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE

DRAKE: BEST I EVERHAD

MIGUEL: ADORNFRANK OCEAN: THINKING ABOUT YOU

THE ROOTS FEATERYKAH BADU: U GOTME

MICHAEL JACKSON:HEAVEN CAN WAIT

WHITNEY HOUSTON:MY LOVE IS YOUR LOVE

BOB MARLEY: IS THISLOVE?

MARIO: LET ME LOVE YOU

BRANDY: PUT THATON EVERYTHING

AALIYAH: ONE IN AMILLION

50 CENT FEAT NATEDOGG: 21 QUESTIONS

ROBIN THICKE: ANGEL USHER: U GOT IT BAD MARIAH CAREY:ALWAYS BE MY BABY

“Sweatpants, hair tied, chillin'with no make-up on. That'swhen you're the prettiest, Ihope that you don't take itwrong”

“If tomorrow is JudgementDay and I'm standing on thefront line and the Lord askme what I did with my life, Iwill say, I spent it with you”

“I wanna love you and treat youright. I wanna love you, everyday and every night. We'll betogether, with a roof right overour heads. We'll share the shel-ter, of my single bed”

We know there are plenty more songs that could’ve made this list, butwe only had one page. Enjoy the selection…

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FROM the operating theatre to thedrama theatre, Annabel Sowemimo hasfound the perfect way to stage a careerin medicine and the dramatic arts.

Before being accepted to studyMedicine at University College London,Annabel was already a budding thes-pian who joined the National YouthTheatre at the age of 16, and was pro-moted to course assistant just one yearlater – a position usually reserved forthose in their 20s.

In 2008, Annabel co-establishedDrama Jam, a revolutionary outreachproject, which encourages universitystudents to take theatre and the dra-

matic arts to audiences who are leastlikely to have access to it.

By 2010, Annabel was Drama Jam'ssole project leader and she securedover £1,000 of university funding for herproject. With this relatively small sum,she was able to develop the project intoa mentoring scheme for children in sev-eral London schools.

Annabel has been able to maintainan intensely active lifestyle despite suf-fering from scoliosis, a medical condi-tion affecting the spine. Having recov-ered from dangerous surgery herself in2004, she mentored a girl who also suf-fered from the disease.

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Annabel Sowemimo

* www.rarerecruitment.co.uk

THE ULTIMATE VALENTINE’S DAY PLAYLIST

“Baby, I love you, you are mylife. My happiest momentsweren't complete if you weren'tby my side. You're my relationin connection to the sun. Withyou next to me there's no dark-ness I can't overcome”

�� ��

Dear Kat,

One of my friends told me that I’m not getting any attention fromboys because I am too dark-skinned. My friend is mixed race andnever has any problems with boys, but when I was moaning aboutbeing single, she said it was because of the shade of my skin.

When she realised that she had upset me, she quickly said shewas joking. I told her it was fine at the time, but the more I think aboutit, the more angry I get.

It has been two weeks since we last spoke and she keeps callingme, but I don’t know what to say.

Help!

Lauren, north London

Hi Lauren,

Oprah once said, when someone shows you who they are, believethem. Your friend has expressed, however funny she thought it was,her views on skin tone. You were rightfully offended.

I think you should start by telling her how her comments made youfeel. Let her deal with that truth. Maybe let her know that the fact thatshe holds those views scares you. With friends like these, who needsenemies? Give her a chance to explain herself and if you are satis-fied with her answer, you can choose to forgive her. If not, cut ties.

I’d just like to say here, that beauty comes in all shades, shapesand sizes. Your skin tone does not take away from your beauty, it’swhat makes you unique.

Your friend may need to look within herself to see what issues ofher own she is projecting onto others.

FEBRUARY 14 - 20, 2013 THE VOICE � 25

“IFEEL like I’m thehappiest I’ve everbeen in my life,”

gushes UK singer VV Brown.And that’s quite a statementwhen you consider her pastachievements.

The Northampton-born starearned gold status when her2009 hit Shark In The Watersold more than one millioncopies worldwide and wentonto become the first blackBritish woman to feature in anadvertising campaign for Britishhigh street institution, Marks &Spencer. She then launchedthe VV Vintage fashion house,its collections sported by fellowsingers Rihanna and Rita Ora.

She explains: “I’m finallyappreciating the simple thingsof life, like waking up in themorning, having a cup of teaand going to bed at night andsaying a prayer. That’s impor-tant and I’m very happy.”

But there’s a special some-one that has played the leadrole in the 29-year-old’s scenesof complete bliss. With a coylaugh, she admits: “One oflife’s highlights has to be fallingin love with my soulmate. Thatis probably one of the bestthings. It’s so hard to meet agood person when you’re work-ing and travelling and I’ve metmy best friend.”

Though she remains tight-lipped about the identity of theman who has stolen her heart,she does reveal that he’s an artdirector who “when I first methim, didn’t even know whoLady Gaga was.”

“He’s so consumed in the artworld and that grounds me.He’s not into any of the famegame. He finds it quite strangeto be honest.”

But it’s something he’s goingto have to get used to in thecoming months with the singer,

currently in the studio followinga 12-month hiatus, gearing upfor another foray into musiclater this year.

“I took a break from musicfor a while and concentrated onfashion and started my ownbusiness, VVVintage.com. Thatwent far beyond my expecta-tions,” she says.

“It was quite a spontaneousdecision to start a business. Ispent two-and-a-half yearstouring, travelling with [debutalbum] Travelling Like The Lightand had just come off anAmerican tour and a Frenchtour. I just wanted to spendsome time at home. Starting abusiness was a great way tostill be creative, still be in theindustry and still spend timewith my family. VV Vintage isnow a self-sustaining businessand I’ve employed some amaz-ing people, who are working aspart of the team, which is allow-

ing me to go back to musicwhile the business runs itself.”

The multi-instrumentalist,who studied violin at the age of9 and plays the piano andtrumpet, promises that her newmusic will be a lot more“mature” than her previouswork and showcase a soundshe describes as “electronicminimalist” with musical refer-ences to Grace Jones andSade.

“I think people are going tobe pleasantly surprised with thedifferent direction I’m taking.”

And with new music comes adramatic new style. Gone isVV’s trademark 1950s inspiredrolled flattop fringe in favour ofa sleek, Asian-inspired look.

“I think this is a new mereally. I was really obsessedwith 1950s culture [when Ireleased the last record], butthings change. I think thiswhole look is a bit more highfashion. I’m really obsessedwith Japanese culture andGeishas. I call myself the ‘blackGeisha.’

She says her early fashionchoices were inspired by herparents, who she deems“pretty stylish.”

“My parents own a privateschool in the country. For ablack couple to own quite anelite institution in itself taughtme that you can break stereo-types and boundries. It doesn’tmatter where you come from, ifyou believe in a dream, youcan make it happen. I’ve seenmy mum’s school go from hav-

ing five children to over 400children, so she instilled in methis drive that anything is possi-ble.”

She says it was her mother,awarded ‘businesswoman ofthe year’ in 2001, who sup-ported VV, in spite of her ownreservations, when sheannounced that she would turndown an offer to study law atOxford University to pursue acareer in music.

“My parents were a little bitnervous [when I told them mydecision] because they hadspent all of their life telling methat education was so impor-tant, but they knew from seeingme as a child that I took mymusic seriously. I took my A-levels a year early, so my mumsaid to me, ‘you’ve got a yearto try and follow your dreams. Ifyou don’t do that in a year thenyou have to go back to univer-sity.’ It was in that year that

things started happening forme.”

She adds: “The music indus-try is such a fickle business. Ithink they were a little worriedthat it wouldn’t sustain itself butthey said, ‘in order for you tobe successful, you have to takerisks.’

And this was one risk thatpaid off. VV is all too aware ofthis.

“You get to a point in yourcareer where you’re just con-tent. I’m really content witheverything at the moment. Lifeis just such a blessing and Ithink with my family and meet-ing my partner, owning my ownbusiness and this new journeyof music, for the first time I feellike I’m the most happiest I’veever been in my life.”

VV Brown will perform at the PPQ afterparty during London Fashion Week onFeb 15. Her new album is set forrelease this year www.vvbrown.com

UK rapper Lethal B took to Twitter to askhis followers to help him locate a manwho crashed into his car

"Do you know this guy? He’sbased around the east Londonarea. If you know him let me

know. Thank u”

CHRIS BROWN:The singer attended

another hearingstemming from his 2009

assault of girlfriendRihanna

MICHELLE WILLIAMS: The Destiny’s Child star

was forced to defendher recent performance

at the Super Bowl “Idon’t care what anybody

says,” she said

JACOBY JONES: The Baltimore Ravens’wide receiver made a

record 108-yardtouchdown helping his

side win the Super Bowl

BEYONCÉ:Bey silenced critics witha breath-taking half-time

performance at therecent Super Bowl in

New Orleans

Smart, slick, suave

LAZ ALONSO:

Sultry, sexy, unique

KERI HILSON:

TWEET OF THEWEEK

Lethal B

UK singer VV Brown talks to YV’s DionneGrant about veturing into fashion, new musicand finding love

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26 � THE VOICE FEBRUARY 14 - 20, 2013

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