TMN Magazine issue 4

TMN
ENTERTAINMENT | MUSIC | STYLE
MAGAZINE
JANUARY ISSUE
04
TOPMEGANEWS.COM
THE
AWARDS
ISSUE
VOL2
EXCLUSIVE
Interview with
AWARD-WINNING
AUTHOR
MARIAN L.
THOMAS
BEST
MALE
IN POP
INTRODUCING
'SPACE GIRL'
Carmen Perez
EXCLUSIVE
Adam Lambert
"MAY YOUR HEART
BE HEALED"
Nothing But You

NOTHING BUT YOU
" M A Y Y O U R H E A R T B E H E A L E D "
TMN Magazine / January 2017
EXCLUSIVE

TMN
exclusive
I
NTERVIEW with
BEST AUTHOR OF THE YEAR
MARIAN L.THOMAS

What's Inside?
Feature Stories...

30 40
12
44 58
07
12
21
Editor's Note
TMN AWARDS 2016
BEST SONGS of 2016
22
24
26
30
TopMega5
Carmen Perez
New Music: J-HEN
ADAM Lambert
40
44
58
Vıctoria Sport
ON THE COVER
Marian L. Thomas
www.topmeganews.com

INTRODUCING
VICTORIA SPORT
THE WORLD'S BEST
SPORT BRAS
PAGE 40

Editor's
Note
Happy New Year! I could not be happier
to unveil our first issue of 2017!
Since our premier issue in October last
year, many changes have taken place
(have you noticed?) and much more are
in store. We are working hard to ensure
our content is well aligned with what
you, our valued readers, want to see
while continuing to bring you the latest
on entertainment, music, and style.
We are thrilled to announce that now
you can have any issue of TMN mag
printed up. (Shipping worldwide!)
This month, we are featuring more
winners in our very first TMN Best of
Awards. And we'll share them with you
on topmeganews.com this month too.
How can we start the year off without
talking about NEW MUSIC… We
introducing you to our cover star from
Nothing But You, Nicky and their new
album ‘Meant To Be’, Beautiful Actress
CARMEN PEREZ which is ‘Space Girl’
and J-Hen’s ‘On To The Next’ album -
out now and currently on its way to
some chart success!
We introduce you to our Best Author Of
The Year - Marian L. Thomas and her
new book ‘I Believe In Butterflies'.
and much much more...
TMN MAGAZINE/JANUARY 2017
FOLLOW US:
@topmeganews
We hope that you’ll use this New Year as
an opportunity to find what inspires you
and to follow your dreams.
JeremiahF
Jeremiah Foster
Editor-in-Chief
7

#TOPMEGA5
LIST OF
ADAM'S BEST
QUOTES
PAGE 26
Adam Lambert

Teen Magazine
Sassy
Ellie Mendez
is a college student studying media studies and
production.
Writer, spiritual researcher, healer, marketer.
TWITTER: @TerraqdTeigvs
Lena Tregub
is a reportage photographer from Kiev, Ukraine. Her
interests has always been for photography, entertainment
and music! Our TMN Team would personally like to thank
Lena who has took the gorgeous photos of Adam Lambert.
She can be contacted via social media and her portfolio
can be viewed at
www.vk.com/albums7873138
www.instagram.com/lenatregub
Mercede Mckibben
My Interests: Paranormal, Rock n Roll, Stephen
King, Movies. Basically just being me.
Writer for TopMegaNews.com Creative Director
at TMN Magazine
Los Angeles, CA
Follow me on Twitter @MistycmMckibben
Who's who?
Jeremiah Foster
Behind the
scenes of
AWARDS
issue
So many ideas and such little
time.
Music lover from Ohio.
Editor in Chief
.
Leonora Beld
Casually writing, listening to
music, taking photos and
supporting people I've never
met.
Pabon Laurine
Healthy lifestyle & fitness
fanatic. Dog lover. Blogger.
I live off of books. I'm a bit of a
poet.
France / New York.
Twitter @PabonLaurineDsT

-CONNECT WITH US-
@TopMegaNewz
/TopMegaNews
@TopMegaNews
www.TopMegaNews.com

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info@topmeganews.com
For those who are here let the light in:
#Respect
CAK Production
Phill and Nicky
Emine SARI
Wonder Hostels
Peecho
StoryAmp
ISSUU
FIVES
Yolande' Denise
HipStars Ent.
Photographers:
Lena Tregub
Stan Schneider
Rollence Patugan
ON THE COVER
Our favorite Nicky from
NOTHING BUT YOU
Creative Director
Mercede Mc
topmeganews@hotmail.com
@MistycmMckibben
be reproduced or transmitted in any form
© All rights reserved. All material in TMN magazine may not
Editor-in-Chief / Managing Director
without the written consent of TopMegaNews.
Jeremiah Foster
TMN Magazine and its contributors cannot accept any
editor@topmeganews.com
liability for reader discontent arising from the
editorial features. TMN Magazine reserves the right
Music Editor
to accept or reject any article or material supplied for
Weaver Ellen
publication or to edit this material prior to publishing.
@WeaverEllenEr04
TMN magazine cannot be held responsible for loss
or damage to supplied materials.
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AUTHOR OF THE YEAR
BOOK OF THE YEAR
FAN BASE OF THE YEAR
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
BEST RED CARPET LOOK
BEST BAND OF THE YEAR
MAKEUP ARTIST OF THE YEAR

TMN
AWARDS
AUTHOR OF THE YEAR
Marian L.
THOMAS

BEST BOOK
OF THE YEAR

TMN
AWARDS
BEST BAND OF THE YEAR
FIVES

TMN
AWARDS
BEST SINGLE OF THE YEAR
"ON THE FLOOR"

TMN
AWARDS
BEST FAN BASE
#Glamberts
Adam Lambert
PHOTO: Lena Tregub

TMN
AWARDS
BEST RED CARPET LOOK
Priyanka
Chopra
Photo by Jordan StraussInvisionAP

TMN
AWARDS
MAKEUP ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Yolande Denise

TMN
AWARDS
SHOW OF THE YEAR
Victoria's
Secret PARIS

TMN
BEST SONGS OF 2016
EDITORS CHOISE
DNCE - Cake By The Ocean
Justin Timberlake - CAN'T STOP THE
FEELING
The Weeknd - Starboy
Adele - Hello
Rihanna - Love on the Brain
Jon Bellion - All Time Low
John Legend - Love Me Now
The Chainsmokers - Closer
Lady Gaga - Million Reasons
Maroon 5 - Don't Wanna Know
Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
Nick Jonas - Close (feat. Tove Lo)
Beyoncé - Formation
Sia - The Greatest
you, our dear readers, voted for ADELE -
Hello as your favorite song of 2016. Now, it’s
our turn to reveal which SONGS we’ve loved
the most.
21

TMN
AWARDS
#TopMega5
BEST NEW
ARTISTs OF THE
YEAR
#5 Lukas Graham
#4 Chord Overstreet
#3 Shawn Mendes
5
#2 Cameron Nino
#1 Charlie Puth
22

TMN
AWARDS
#TopMega5
5
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
( R&B / SOUL /
HIPHOP)
#5 Alicia Keys
#4 John Legend
#3 Rihanna
#2 Tamar Davis
#1 The Weeknd
23

TMN Magazine | NEW MUSIC
S
ACTRESS CARMEN PEREZ IS
‘SPACE GIRL’
inger/songwriter and actress CARMEN
PEREZ just released her new music EP
“Space Girl” January 5, 2017. The EP touches
on Scandinavian pop while channeling
Carmen’s PuertoRican rhythmic heritage.
Carmen is a blend of a Latin Sade, Kylie
Minogue, Gloria Estefan & Janet Jackson,
yet she mimics no one.
This EP follows Carmen Perez’s hits on
Billboard’s Top 40 Hot Dance Club Play &
Top 10 UK Commercial Pop Charts,
“Emergency” & “Overload”, and Carmen’s
UK chart topper, the Super Stylers remix of
“Run Little Devil.” Also, on October 31st,
2016, a song Carmen co-composed,
“Pajarito”, was released to be included in the
popular chillout/lounge series, “Café Del
Mar – Dreams 9” album.
Photo: Stan Schneider
EP was produced by hit
songwriter/producer Sigurd Røsnes (Cher,
Namie Amuro, Kumi Koda, BoA, Ace of
Base to name a few). Sigurd Røsnes scored
a #1 with Cher on Billboard’s Hot Dance
Music Chart and #1 on Billboard’s Latin
Chart with Luis Fonsi. He has also had #1
singles in Japan, Korea, France, and
Holland.
24
Carmen currently has a popular recurring
role as Captain Vasquez on the Robert
Rodriguez/Mark Burnett hit Emmy-
Nominated TV series “Lucha Underground”
on El Rey Network. She has over 60 acting
credits and has exhibited and sold her
paintings internationally. Carmen is proud
to have served her country on active duty
in the U.S. Army for 6 years.
carmenperez.net

TMN Magazine | INTRODUCING
INTRODUCING
Carmen Perez is a modern-day ‘Renaissance Woman’ – A singer, songwriter, actress, painter, filmmaker and a U.S. Army
Veteran. She was born in Bronx, New York and raised mostly in Puerto Rico. At 17 years old, she joined the U.S. Army active
duty for six years. After being stationed overseas and in Washington, D.C., becoming a Sergeant by the age of 21, earning a
Bachelor’s Degree in Government and International Politics with a minor in Legal Studies at George Mason University, she
moved to Hollywood to pursue her career in the arts.
Carmen Perez
As a singer/songwriter, she has had hits on Billboard’s Top 40 Hot Dance Club Play & Top 10 UK Commercial Pop Charts,
“Emergency” & “Overload”, and UK chart-topper, the Super Stylers remix of “Run Little Devil.” She also released an
experimental album (Collective Fantasy) in 2014. A music piece “Pajarito,” that she co-wrote with Matt Powell is featured on
the popular chillout/lounge series “Café Del Mar ~ Dreams 9” album, just released on October 31, 2016. Carmen has been
working on her new music EP to be released January 2017.
In June 2016, Carmen was invited by the MIDEM judges to attend their 50th-anniversary international music convention in
Cannes, France, where she was personally greeted by Audrey Azoulay, the French Minister of Culture. Carmen also was
selected to attend the prestigious and exclusive Herb Alpert Applied Music Program at a Los Angeles college where she was
awarded the elite Non-classical Vocal Performer Certificate.
Carmen currently has a popular recurring role as Captain Vasquez on the Robert Rodriguez/Mark Burnett hit Emmynominated
TV series “Lucha Underground.” She has over 60 acting credits and was awarded Best Supporting Actress by the
Valley Theatre League Artistic Director Achievement (ADA) Awards for the play “Soldiers Don’t Cry” in 2003.
As a painter, Carmen has been acclaimed for using bold edges and vibrant colors and is continuously inspired by her
experiences and world travels.
She has exhibited her artwork in the Los Angeles area and sold artwork in both the United States & internationally, including
art commissions.
25

TMN Magazine | NEW MUSIC
J-HEN ‘ON TO THE NEXT’
J-Hen’s latest single, ‘On To The
Next’ was produced in Miami,
FL at the infamous The Hit
Factory Criteria Recording
Studios. The single was written
and produced by members of
RichGang/Cash Money Record’s
production team and features
rapper Yng Rell from Danville,
VA. The single ‘On To The Next’
embodies a relationship going
left after a series of events take
place leading up to a
heartbroken free person.
Similar to an anthem for the
newly single, J-Hen may have
given Beyonce a run for her
money!
J-Hen is an R&B/Hip-Hop
recording artist from the
Dallas metroplex area. His
passion for music first began
at an early age. During his
middle school years, he taught
himself how to write his own
songs and in less than a few
months had formed a rap
group with a couple of friends.
Soon after this time he fused
the concept of rapping with
singing and began to write,
produce, and record music!
While still in high school he
and his friends released their
first LP which included tracks
of J-Hen singing. It was after
this LP that J-Hen decided to
switch over to R&B and he has
been writing and producing
music ever since.
HOT
26
J-Hen grew up listening to
such idols as Michael
Jackson, Timbaland,
Luther Vandross, and
Marvin Gaye to name a few
and has developed his own
style that is very different
with gripping vocals and
shredding lyrics that are
the heart and soul of his
music. His songs are
sensual and sassy and have
a whole lot of soul.
The full album is out now
and currently on its way to
some chart success!

NEW
SOUNDS
TOP
NEW ALBUMS

PICKS OF THE
MONTH
T H E X X
I SEE YOU
New Songs, Albums And Singles To Love In January 2017.
2017 is here and with a new year comes plenty of new music. Artists
including DRAKE, Big Sean and J-HEN have all dropped some huge new
songs to kick off the year.
J-HEN - ON TO THE NEXT
RUN THE JEWELS
RTJ3
D R A K E
MORE LIFE
CARMEN PEREZ - SPACE GIRL
B I G S E A N
MOVES
P I A M I A
WE SHOULD BE
TOGETHER
NOTHING BUT YOU - MEANT TO BE
T I N I E T E M P A H
Youth

WE'RE ON THE LOOKOUT
FOR A NEW
CONTRIBUTORS
TO OUR AWESOME TEAM
www.topmeganews.com
EMAIL US!
send your resume
editor@topmeganews.com

#TrainLikeAnAngel

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THE BEST MALE IN POP 2016
AS VOTED BY YOU!
Photos by Lena Tregub

Adam Lambert

A MULTI-OCTAVE VOCAL
RANGE AND A WELL-
DEVELOPED SENSE OF
THEATRICALITY ARE JUST
TWO OF THE TALENTS
THAT HAVE HELPED ADAM
LAMBERT TRANSFORM
FROM ‘AMERICAN IDOL’
RUNNER-UP TO
INTERNATIONAL
RECORDING STAR.

CLEARLY ADAM LAMBERT IS NOT
SLOWING DOWN ANYTIME SOON, AND
WE HOPE TO SEE MUCH MORE
FROM HIM!
THANKS FOR VOTING, AND
CONGRATULATIONS #GLAMBERTS!
IN HONOR OF HIS WINNING, WE HERE
AT TMN HAVE PUT TOGETHER A
#TOPMEGA5 LIST OF ADAM'S BEST
QUOTES!
ENJOY...
photo:: Lena Tregub

“NOWADAYS IN POP,
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF
MEN THAT ARE SINGING
BIG AND LOUD AND
HIGH - IT'S NOT AS
COMMON AS IT ONCE
WAS.”
photo: Lena Tregub

“IF SOMETHING
DOESN'T LOOK
RIGHT, THROW
SOME GLITTER
ON IT.”
photo: Lena Tregub

photo: Lena Tregub
“I WANT THE FOCUS
TO BE ON MY
ABILITY AS A
SINGER AND AS AN
ENTERTAINER - NOT
ON MY PRIVATE
LIFE.”

“IF SEXY
SCARES YOU,
DON'T LISTEN
TO MY MUSIC.”

“I'M PROUD OF MY
SEXUALITY. I
EMBRACE IT.
IT'S JUST ANOTHER
PART OF ME.”

TMN MAG
CURRENT
ISSUES OF TMN
MAGAZINE ARE
AVAILABLE
DIGITALLY ON
ISSUU.COM
FOLLOW US ONLINE OR USING THE
ISSUU APP FOR NOTIFICATIONS ISSUU.COM/TMNMAG

ON THE COVER
NOTHING
BUT YOU

Album Review
" MEANT
While it’s easy for me to admit
that show-tunes, lounge, dramatic
& theatrical performances
generally aren’t something that
connect with me – it’s also easy
for me to admit that I was all
smiles while listening to the
sincerity and genuine passion in
the music from San Franciscobased
project Nothing But You. I
had points throughout listening to
the new record Meant To Be and
the covers of classic tunes that I’d
normally never listen to, where I
had to stop everything I was doing
to just sit, listen and admire these
performers for creating
something entirely beautiful to
listen to & experience.
TO BE"by Jeremy Gladstone
With an announcement of the project’s name in a quick intro
repeating ‘Nothing But You’ hypnotically from the lefts & rights of
the speakers on “Let’s Get Started” – it sets the tone of the
atmospheres to follow and presents a sincerity of emotion right off
the bat. You can hear even in the short opening intro to Meant To Be
that the commitment to giving their hearts to this record has already
been established…and over the course of the eleven songs to follow,
all involved do a fantastic job of bringing these ideas to life. I can tell
you with certainty that what you’ll hear convincingly sounds like
love, peace, harmony & unity all definitely in the air. You get the
slightest hint of what Nothing But You’s centerpiece & feature-star
Nicky will bring to the mic…she’s in a near whisper here on “Let’s
Get Started” compared to some of the powerful notes she’ll hit
throughout this album. In addition, you also get the stunning talents
of pianist Shota Osabe and gorgeous piano tones right away in this
first tune – and going on to put resounding emotion on display even
further through the beautiful solo on “Lost Without Your Love” to
follow.
45

Without being intensely familiar with every song title on the list, the fact that many of
these were classic-theatricals, Broadway melodies and show-tunes of sorts was lost on
me at first. As “Lost Without Your Love” began, I was unsure if Nicky was over-singing
the song…there are moments where the dramatic delivery sounds so committed to
performance that it almost came out over the top; but eventually, the tone and
approach of what she brings to her soulful sound makes much more sense as the
playlist continues on and Meant To Be sticks cohesively to its ambitions, sentiment &
ideas. The earlier tunes like “Lost Without Your Love” and “Misty” both had moments
where I was questioning the performances at moments until I realized that the
theatrical-side of Nothing But You’s music is a part of the recipe to their own signature
magic…and gradually, I accepted these songs more and more.
I still think there are a few questionable moments in “Lost Without Your Love” and in
“Misty” as well as far as Nicky’s vocals are concerned…but nothing off-putting, just
stylistic choices that you may/may-not accept on those first listens through.
Sometimes the break in her voice is the perfect addition…at others it’s right on the
fence for its tone on “Lost Without Your Love” – but with the beauty in Shota’s piano
backing her up…really everything we hear
becomes acceptable to our ears.
That dramatic and theatrical
approach that Nicky uses is built
into the fabric of the writing in
these cover songs…
and in that sense,
she’s doing these first two
songs tremendous justice with
confident and committed
performances.
Progressively, I felt like “Misty”
already began to show an
improvement on what we heard
from her in the first two songs as
she begins to let her voice truly
soar & highlight the impressive
range of her vocals – but it was
after this point on the record that I thought
this project really started to shine
even more.
46

“My Foolish Heart” was where things started
to change for me…where I really started to
appreciate the sincerity in the music of
Nothing But You on their Tony Bennett cover.
I think it’s also the last song where you might
question Nicky’s choices; I could understand
some people thinking she’s right at the edge of
her tone & range to hit the high-parts…but
from what I’ve gathered throughout her
performances on these tunes, she’s putting in
a determined effort to let the art of the writing
shine through her mood, attitude and tone. So
while it could be argued from a technical
standpoint at times that it still sounds a little
raw – I think what we trade for rounded,
polished edges here on “My Foolish Heart”
help bring out the honest sincerity of the
intentions behind the writing of this cover
tune. That’s always a deal I’m willing to
make…and I think you get a lot of Nicky’s
genuine emotion through the way she
approaches her vocals here.
Shota’s piano-playing has been spot-on
throughout everything I’ve heard so far and
has been incredibly reliable for Nicky, who inturn
as a result really gets to explore
entertainment, performance, character &
attitude within these songs they play together.
“New York State Of Mind” is a fantastic
example of this project at its best with bold
confident tones and beautiful notes twinkling
from the piano while Nicky puts a highlight
display of some of her most powerful vocals
we’ve heard so far on the record. Quite often
that can be a result of knowing the material
inside & out…could be a cover that she knows
really, really well – but I think you also hear
the quality of her performances rise again
right around here on the album.
47
She hits the mark with real grace and
power on “New York State Of Mind” and
with a perfect mix of soulful & sweet on
“Cry Me A River” right after – Nicky has
raised-up the standards in the middle of
this album and really become a force of
expression to be reckoned with in these
songs back-to-back. Another
exceptional job of creating a beautiful
combination of art & music combined –
“Cry Me A River” is a massive highlight
on Meant To Be and certainly a worthy
cover version with its own validity.
Switching it up to sweetened tones of
guitar from Jerry Stucker for the emotional
melody of Leon Russell’s “A Song For You”
– this was another highlight for me; and
another tune that had shown me how
much I’ve come to accept the dramatic &
theatrical, artistic approach that Nicky
brings to the vocals. It’s almost similar to
acting in the way she delivers the material
– but the sincere connection she has to the
songs and the passion she brings to her
performances makes it all more real than
mere acting. You can tell Nicky both loves
& lives this material, and was born with a
song to sing & share with the world. “A
Song For You” showcases an artist that’s
right in the moment…committed to the
song & really making it her own. I felt
much the same about Eric Carmen’s “All
By Myself” and Nothing But You’s cover
version; a great performance from Nicky
leads the way to captivating moments that
capture the essence of the emotion – and a
real highlight for Shota’s piano-playing. As
the song progresses, you really get to hear
Shota putting fantastic emotion &
expression in the music, increasingly right
up to its very end.
Album Review

It is definitely chilled-out music overall…the tempo itself always stays very
low-key and moves slowly, gently and tenderly. “Feel Like Making Love” is
another great example of their use of space & pacing…excellent keyboards
lead the melody and a versatile performance from Nicky on the
microphone. Proving they’re every bit as effective in expressing themselves
at their most relaxing…”Feel Like Making Love” succeeds with its warm,
invitational tones and love-filled sentiment. If anything…
while the similar energy you’ll find throughout the album is
certainly cohesive, it’s so relaxing and dreamy at times,
that were it not for the dramatic nature and character in
Nicky’s vocals they’d risk potentially losing people by
almost relaxing their mind, body & soul too much by this
point in the record. But – again, for people looking for an
atmosphere, mood and set of songs that really explore that kind of soft,
smooth & gentle terrain in music, you’ll appreciate that Nothing But You
won’t break that energy or take you outside of the sweet confines of the
tender styles throughout their song set.
“The Very Thought Of You” has a unique
music-box style sound to its opening which
I liked a lot…I also liked the return of the
classic piano sounds from Shota…good ol’ reliable
Shota deserves a lot of credit for the stunning
atmospheres we’ve been hearing, and sounds
excellent once again here on this tune. At
times I really thought Nicky’s vocals really
found the rise & fall of the music and had
perfect energy to match…and there
were a few spots in here where I felt like a
little less emphasis on ‘performance’ and more focus on the melody itself might lead to better
results. Again, it’s all stylistic choices and carries the signature expressive-essence of Nothing
But You and how Nicky chooses to sound or sing her parts; for some it’ll work
wonderfully…others might be looking for a slightly more scaled-back approach here. But that’s
not really what Nicky is all about…she’s all confidence, heart and raw passion on display;
especially parts like around 3:45 on “The Very Thought Of You” – when she hits those rising
tones, it lifts everything else up surrounding it and accentuates the melody in really
empowering & uplifting ways. Excellent piano solo from in the mid-section of this track as
48
well…another highlight worth the mention.

It felt like the album was drawing to close with the opening piano tones of “As
Time Goes By,” and as the record’s second to last tune…I suppose that it’s only
natural that they hint it’s almost time to draw the curtain. Excellent intricate
parts in Shota’s piano playing here on this track…many bold & confident tones
from Nicky as they begin to send us into dreamland towards the end of the
album. A big finish from Nicky brings this one to a final conclusion…and then
they truly do send you towards the sandman with the final song “Dream.”
And I mean that in the best of ways – “Dream” would arguably be my favorite song on the
entire album for me personally. Everything about this final track seemed to really snap into
place perfectly and the overall sound is entirely inspiring. Nicky sounds at her most
magical…Shota Osabe the ever-reliable pianist displays a mastery of creativity, subtly &
complexity all at the same time; and together, they’ve made a beautiful finale for this album
that is highly memorable and sincerely impressive. Something about this last track really
brought back the themes in the sentiment and intentions that drive this sweet project to make
its music and share it with the world…and I absolutely loved that it ended this way. A great
reminder of the amount of heart & soul that they put into their music along the way, and a
true highlight of what Nothing But You sounds like at their most focused – I think they ended
Meant To Be on its sweetest of notes with “Dream” and finished the listening experience with
true grace, beauty & style.

NOW AVAILABLE:
PRINT ON DEMAND!
( S H I P P I N G W O R L D W I D E )
T O P M E G A N E W S . C O M / M A G A Z I N E / P R I N T

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH
NOTHING BUT YOU
Nothing But You is a
unique San Francisco
bay area artistic
endeavor blending
ambient coloring with
a lounge flavor. This
creates the perfect
setting for Nicky's
sensual and soulful
voice. Along with Phill
the duo creates a
beautiful sound
collage of Rock, Soul,
and Jazz.
Singer Nicky took
some time to give an
exclusive interview
about her incredible
life and future plans.
BY JEREMIAH FOSTER
“MEANT TO BE”
First of all, congratulations on the new album “Meant To Be”.
Thank you very much!!^^
What were the inspirations for the album?
After the age of 50, I made up my mind not to listen to my friends in Japan complaining
about the emptiness and sadness of life. I said, “ Life starts at 50. I will prove that
nothing is impossible!”
That’s because I challenged a lot of famous auditions since I had no idea how to promote
myself. The famous TV show such as The Voice and America’s Got Talent’s audition
judges told me “You are going to be a great singer but it does not match the theme of the
TV show on this point.”
At age 54, On February 9, 2016, during her “The Voice” audition in Chicago to get a
chance of becoming a Diva, I received an email from my junior high school friend in
Japan about their upcoming reunion. And just by chance, my friend mentioned Phill, my
childhood crush when I was in Junior high school. 40 years passed and the friend's mail,
just be the chance, got me and Phill reconnected again. Phill had become a genius artist
with a great sense of music, art, hair & makeup and fashion who would be able to make
me world famous Diva as my producer. Phill and I - powerful collaboration was started
forming the music unit “Nothing But You”
I had been singing for 30years just like Whitney Houston but Phill told me you have your
own beautiful voice not a copy of anybody else....”Stay out shouting and sing it from your
heart with your own voice”. Phill does not play any instruments but he knows about any
kinds of music because he had been listening all kind of music with the eyes and ears of
his heart. I went to Karaoke studio and sing followed his advice then let him listen my
recorded sound.....that’s how we created our own music world. I live in San Francisco
and he lives in Tokyo but we had no problem creating our own music world using SNS
tools. My dream and his dream from childhood became true because of our Reunion. We
thought our Reunion was Meant to Be!!
So I asked my friend, Shota Osabe(Pianist) and Jerry Stucker(Guitarist) to help to make
our first CD "Meant to Be" together. Phill and I wanted to send some messages to the
world of “Love! Never Give up! Keep Dreaming!” due to healing people’s heart.

TMN MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2017
Could you tell us about the recording process?
How long did the full album process take you?
My friend Pianist Shota Osabe has his own
recording studio in San Francisco called “Sho
Studio of Music” so adjusting to his convenience it
took about 2 months. A guitarist Jerry Stucker
played “A song for you” for me and he gave me
advice on my English pronunciation for songs.
Phill told me “Just enjoy the recording with great
musician singing our designed of the sound
collage of Rock, Soul, and Jazz.” Phill selected all
songs and organize the order of songs, asked
Shota Osabe to compose “Let’s get started” using
our voice saying "Nothing But You" and advised to
put sound effect in between the songs. Credit for
this CD "Meant to Be" Produced by Phill, Directed
by Shota Osabe, Co-Directed by Jerry Stucker,
Vocal Nicky
How are you feeling about the album release?
I am very happy and appreciate all the people I
met in my life including my family, ancestors,
Buddha and God!
What was the first song you guys came up with?
When we were searching and creating our
designed of music,” Lost without your Love” is the
one to become our basic emotional expression.
Were there any specific musicians who had a lot
of influence on the record?
Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Sarah Vaughan,
Ella Fitzgerald
Did you guys have a song that you listened to
throughout recording the album?
Leon Russell, Eric Carmen, and Carol King....We
are listening to a singer songwriter’s songs. Also
Sarah Vaughan’s songs
Could you sum up “Meant To Be” in 5 words to
give fans an idea of what to expect?
May your heart be healed!

18
CAREER
TMN MAGAZINE | INTERVIEW
What motivates you in your career?
Make people happy!
Ever thought in your career to give up music?
Receptionist at Dental Office in Japan. 10 years
Gift Bussiness manager between US and Japan
in USA. 10 years Japanese Restaurant &
Karaoke lounge(300 people capacity) manager
in USA. 7 years Having my live Show sometimes
for 30 years in Japan & USA.
I worked so hard and at the same time I
enjoyed my music so I did not need to give up
my music career.
What’s been one of your biggest lessons so far
in your life?
Where there is will, there is way.
What are all of the countries that you’ve been
to so far in your life? What are your favorite
cities?
Japan, USA, France, Italy, Hawaii, Hong Kong,
Kyoto,Tokyo & Marumori(our hometown) in
Japan,
Rome, All of Tuscany & Amalfy in Italy,
Nice& Paris in France, The Island of Maui
If you could perform with anyone, dead or
alive, who would it be?
Whitney Houston
Do you have any kind of management,
publishing or distribution team behind you?
NO! I learned how to do the music marketing
from my musician friend who has his music
production. According to the information I
studied by myself and spendinding my own
expense and I am doing all work by myself so
far.
What would your one piece of advice for
aspiring young singers/artists be?
PLEASE DO NOT PUSH YOURSELF
TO THE LIMITS TO DO WHATEVER
YOU WANT TO DO . DO YOUR BEST!!
JUST DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK
(MEANING BE RESPONSIBLE IN
YOUR LIFE)
What is the goal for 2017? Do you have any
other projects lined up beside your album?
I would like to do Nothing But You Live Show
in US and Japan at least.
If we can find our sponsor, we would like to
make more albums that remain in this World
even after we die.

THE VOICE:
Why(how) did you decide to join THE VOICE?
After the age of 50, I made up my mind not to listen to my friends
in Japan complaining about the emptiness and sadness of life. I
said, “ Life starts at 50. I will prove that nothing is impossible!”
That’s because I challenged a lot of Famous auditions since I had
no idea how to promote myself. I thought famous TV show such as
The Voice and America’s Got Talent’s audition are the shortcut to
prove my decision to make people happy. I worried about my age,
singing skills, and my limited English… .but did it anyway instead
than regret it without doing it.
One of the most interesting parts of the show is that pretty much
everybody in the blind auditions is really talented, but of course,
not everybody is chosen. Did it ever occur to you when you got
up onstage that for whatever reason, none of the judges would be
interested? I imagine it must have been pretty scary. Did you
ever get stage fright?
I always get stage fright but once start to sing I am always in my
music World.
"HAVING A
DREAM MAKES
LIFE BRIGHT...
SO KEEP
DREAMING!"
What’s the greatest lesson the show taught you?
Even if I pass the audition and had a chance to
become a singer, I have to sing as producer’s request.
In that sense, I appreciate I could a reunion with
Phill and keep singing our designed of music to the
world. I realized that life was meant to be.
Please send a message to your fans all over the
world!
I believe people need a dream.
No one can stop it.
We know life is a series of choices.
But someday, we realize that…. life was meant to be.
Having a dream makes life bright…..
So keep dreaming!
Q&A #TopMega5
What can't you live without?
Love, respect, and appreciation
What are you most proud of?
Never give up spirit
Do you have a secret hobby?
Photo Shooting
Who are you listening to right now?
Sarah Vaughan .......and “Meant to Be” lol^^
3 things you like/ 3 things you dislike…
Singing, Love, Peace(Like)
War, Give up, Disrespect (Dislike)

nothingbutyou.org

www.topmeganews.com/topmega5
57

TRENDS
TOP 5 BEST
MUSIC VIDEOS
OF THE MONTH
2017 is set to be a fresh new year with countless
new music for us all! Let's kick it off with the latest
new entries.
Artists including The Weeknd, Beyonce, Britney
Spears, SHAKIRA and MALUMA have blessed our
eyes and ears with their latest music videos!…
November was a fertile time for great music videos.
Here are 5 of the best.
L I T T L E M I X -
T O U C H
1
2
S E A N P A U L -
N O L I E F T .
D U A L I P A
by Weaver Ellen
3
B E B E R E X H A -
I G O T Y O U
T O P M E G A 5 ’ S
"Music can change the
world because it can
change people."
Bono ♫ ♬
E D S H E E R A N -
C A S T L E O N T H E
H I L L
4
G R Y F F I N , B I P O L A R
S U N S H I N E -
W H O L E H E A R T
5
TOPMEGANEWS.COM

MARIAN L .
THOMAS
NEW BOOK POISED TO SPARK
FRESH DEBATE ON CELEBRITIES'
VIEWS ON ONE DROP RULE
"I Believe In Butterflies"
A new book
written by Award
Winning Author,
Marian Thomas,
will no doubt spark
fresh debates on
the one drop rule
when it launches
on May 21.
The book, I Believe In Butterflies, is a fictional story that
follows three women as they navigate life’s often rocky
terrain in search of hope, courage, and love. One of the
main characters, Lorraine—has lived twenty-three
years believing that she is a white woman. When she
discovers that her long-held belief is nothing more
than a fallacy, all she has held dear is shattered.
"At the heart of Lorraine's story, lies the foundation of what
the one drop rule represents—social classification,"
Thomas stated.
The one-drop rule is a historical term for the social
classification of individuals with black ancestry. It dates
back to 1624 but was coded into law in 1924. Some
celebrities including Halle Berry accept the one drop
rule. The actress cited the one drop rule, when the
question arose about whether her daughter with her
ex-partner, Gabriel Aubry (French-Canadian) was
white or black. In an interview with Ebony magazine,
Berry stated, "I feel she's black. I'm black and I'm her
mother, and I believe in the one-drop theory."
59

"I Believe In
Butterflies"
Three women. One
mission. An
unparalleled journey
for redemption.
Born to a white mother and a black father,
outgoing president, Barack Obama, fully identifies
himself as black. When asked to declare his race on
a 2010 census questionnaire, Mr. Obama checked
the box for African American although he could
have checked white or black and white.
There are celebrities, however, that take a firm
stand on the rejection of the one-drop rule. So
whether they are for it or against it, I Believe In
Butterflies just might give the one drop rule new
life, or at the most, create a platform for discussion
on the topic.
I Believe in Butterflies is the second book that Thomas has written that
broaches the issue of race. The other being- Blue Butterfly. She said: "People
ask me why I use butterflies in some of my book titles. My books are written
for women, and as women, we go through the caterpillars of life that
transform us into something beautiful."
I Believe In Butterflies will be available in paperback formats on online retail
sites including amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. The pre-order date is set
for February 19, 2017. For further details, visit:
www.ibelieveinbutterfliesbook.com
53

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AWARD-WINNING
AUTHOR, MARIAN L.
THOMAS, HAS FIVE
ENGAGING AND
DRAMATIC NOVELS
TO HER CREDIT.
SHE HAS BEEN
FEATURED IN
PRINT MAGAZINES,
NEWSPAPERS AND
A GUEST ON LOCAL,
NATIONAL AND
ONLINE RADIO
STATIONS.
52

I Believe In
Butterflies will be
available in
paperback formats
on online retail sites
including
amazon.com and
Barnes & Noble. The
pre-order date is set
for
February 19,
2017.
www.marianlthomas.com

TMN Magazine / January 2017
INTERVIEW
MARIAN L.
THOMAS
‘I Believe In Butterflies’ is your latest book release; for those who don’t know, can
you tell us a little more about it?
It’s an unparalleled story that follows three women as they navigate life’s often rocky
terrain in search of hope, courage, and love.
Emma Lee Baker is a seventy-six-year-old woman from Barrow County, Georgia. She’s
a straight-shooting woman who believes in speaking her mind and has lived a
seemingly ordinary life near the banks of Thomas Bay. However, when Emma makes a
shocking discovery, her ordinary life turns into something altogether extraordinary.
Emma has one daughter- Honour Blue Baker. Their relationship is more like burnt
toast and year-old jam.
Honour Blue Baker’s greatest fears are centered around two
things: her past and the idea of falling in love. Those fears come
full circle when she returns to Barrow County to visit her
mother. Her journey home turns into a journey of a lifetime.
Honour is my favorite character in I Believe In Butterflies. She’s
strong, yet, has a gentleness that makes your heart understand
her seemingly tragic tribulations.
Lorraine has spent twenty-three years believing in three things:
love, butterflies, and the fact that she’s a white woman. However,
the day comes when all that she’s held dear is shattered, after
discovering that her close-to-heart
beliefs are nothing more than fallacies.
Have you always wanted to be a writer? (And was there a particular moment you
thought, ‘I can do this!’?)
I have always enjoyed writing. The idea of becoming an author was something that I
resisted at first, even after my first book, Color Me Jazzmyne was published in 2009.
Being an author brought about responsibilities that I wasn’t sure I was ready for.
Readers now wanted more of me and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that type of
exposure. I felt like running away from it. It wasn’t a matter of not being able to do
it, it was more a matter of—do I want to put a part of me, out there. That’s what it’s
like to write a book. It’s putting a small piece of yourself out there for the world to
either love or hate.
Talk to us about your writing routine; what’s a typical writing day for you?
Long evening while my hubby is off in sleep Ville. That’s typically my routine. I tend
to write the foundation of my books in one month, and then I spend the rest of the
following months, trying to put up the walls, the paint and all the other details that
make a book, a book. It’s a crazy process. It drives me nuts, but, it’s a process that I
have come to embrace.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I absolutely adore when a reader enjoys my book. It’s like a pinch of satisfaction on a job
well done. Of course, there will always be those that didn’t. It comes with the territory and I
have learned to embrace them. I have found that just because a reader didn’t like one of
your books, doesn’t mean they will never enjoy one. You just have to learn how to capture
their heart, if possible. Sometimes, this happens. Sometimes, it doesn’t. It should make you
a better writer.
What inspires you to write?
Everything. It could be a movie. It could be a flower. It could even be a conversation I was
having with someone about a particular subject. There is this common joke that one should be
very careful when talking to an author—as one could inspire a new book! I often laugh at that,
but, it’s true.
When working on a new book, what’s the first thing you do?
I try to envision the characters in my head. I need to get a good look at them. I have them turn
from side-to-side. I need to see them with their hair down or up, for that matter. This takes a
minute, sometimes, it takes hours; but once I can see the characters, I can begin the story.

"BELIEVE.
DO.
WRITE."
Are you an author that interacts a
great deal with your readers?
I try to interact with readers as much
as possible via the various social media
sites. I’m pretty active on Instagram
(@marianlthomas09). I respond to
posts on facebook and I tweet
(@marianlthomas01). Book clubs reach
out to me on facebook. They often
request that I attend a book club
discussion of one of my books or invite
me to Skype with them when they
aren’t local to Georgia. It’s fun and
something that I welcome. My goal is
to connect with over 100 book clubs
this year.
What’s the biggest highlight of your
career?
The biggest highlight of my writing
career came last year when my book
Blue Butterfly, a USA Today
recommended read, was adapted for
the theatrical stage as Blue Butterfly-
The Black Ballerina. The play debuted
June 2016 at the Marietta Performing
Arts Center. I had a great cast and
they worked hard to deliver a very
memorable performance that was
well-received by those that attended
the play.
What’s the next big thing?
I’m thinking of adapting my first book,
Color Me Jazzmyne, into a play. It will
most likely be a musical production or
some form of that. The idea is still coexisting
with the other hundreds of
ideas, I’d like to accomplish.
Do you have any advice for the yet-tobe-published
writers reading this?
My motto is simple: Believe. Do. Write.
Don't dwell on it. Write. Don’t doubt.
Write. Don’t say...”I can’t.” Write.
Writing starts with one word and ends
with a period—everything in between,
is a recipe of determination,
inspiration, and a dash of reality.

FULL WINNERS LIST
2016 WAS A LONG, FULL YEAR. AND WHILE
SOME
OF THE THINGS IT WAS “FULL OF” WERE
DRAINING
TO SAY THE LEAST, OUR FAVORITE
MUSICIANS AND
CELEBRITIES DEFINITELY BRIGHTENED OUR
2016 BY
ENTERTAINING US WITH NEW FAVOURITE
SONGS, ALBUMS, MOVIES, VIDEOS,
ENTERTAINING
INSTAGRAM POSTS AND STYLE IN THE SPOT.
THIS ISSUE CONTAINS THE WINNERS IN OUR
VERY
FIRST TMN BEST OF AWARDS. AND WE SHARE
THEM WITH YOU ON TMN MAGAZINE
AWARDS ISSUE TOO.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE 2016
TOPMEGANEWS AWARD WINNERS!

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