Music Friday: His 'Photograph' Fits Inside the Necklace She Got When She Was 16

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you blockbuster hits with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, Boyce Avenue lead singer Alejandro Manzano teams up with former X Factor contestant Bea Miller for a mesmerizing cover of Ed Sheeran's "Photograph" — a song that examines long-distance relationships and how love can live in a photo locket necklace.

The video of their performance has earned more than 206 million views on YouTube.

Co-penned by Sheeran and Snow Patrol guitarist Johnny McDaid, the song examines how a simple photograph can ease the pain of being separated from the ones we love.

In the rousing final chorus, the duet sings, “You can fit me / Inside the necklace you got when you were sixteen / Next to your heartbeat where I should be / Keep it deep within your soul.”

Sheeran told Spotify.com that he and McDaid wrote “Photograph” in 2012 while hanging out in a Kansas City's Intercontinental Hotel after a performance. Sheeran recalled how he was sitting on the floor making a Lego X-Wing Fighter to give to his sister for a charity auction while a piano loop kept playing on McDaid’s laptop in the background.

“I start singing a line and the song kind of unraveled from there,” Sheeran said. “We sat for about four hours, me making [the] Lego [plane], and him on the laptop, just building stuff and then I picked up a guitar and we properly structured it.”

Sheeran also revealed that song is based on his own experience of trying maintain a relationship with Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt while on tour for five straight months.

"Photograph" was the third top-10 song from Sheeran's album, Multiply (stylized as “x”). The album hit #1 in 12 countries and reached the Top 5 in 11 others. "Photograph" charted in 30 countries, including a #10 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and #4 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart.

The Boyce Avenue cover of "Photograph" appeared as the final track on the group's 2015 album called Boyce Avenue's Cover Collaborations, Vol. 3. Interestingly, Miller was only 16 years old during her performance. Three years earlier, she got her big break when she placed ninth during Season Two of The X Factor.

Boyce Avenue was formed in 2004 by brothers Alejandro, Daniel and Fabian Manzano in Sarasota, FL. The band developed a following by posting videos of original music and covers of popular songs on YouTube. Boyce Avenue frequently tours in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia.

Please check out the video of Boyce Avenue’s 2015 acoustic version of “Photograph,” featuring Miller. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along.

“Photograph”
Written by Ed Sheeran and Johnny McDaid. Performed by Boyce Avenue, featuring Bea Miller.

Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes
But it’s the only thing that I know
When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes
It is the only thing that makes us feel alive

We keep this love in a photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts are never broken
And time’s forever frozen still

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans
Holding me closer ’til our eyes meet
You won’t ever be alone, wait for me to come home

Loving can heal, loving can mend your soul
And it’s the only thing that I know, know
I swear it will get easier,
Remember that with every piece of you
Hm, and it’s the only thing we take with us when we die

Hm, we keep this love in this photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts were never broken
And time’s forever frozen still

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans
Holding me closer ’til our eyes meet
You won’t ever be alone

And if you hurt me
That’s okay baby, only words bleed
Inside these pages you just hold me
And I won’t ever let you go
Wait for me to come home
Wait for me to come home
Wait for me to come home
Wait for me to come home

You can fit me
Inside the necklace you got when you were sixteen
Next to your heartbeat where I should be
Keep it deep within your soul

And if you hurt me
Well, that’s okay baby, only words bleed
Inside these pages you just hold me
And I won’t ever let you go

When I’m away, I will remember how you kissed me
Under the lamppost back on Sixth street
Hearing you whisper through the phone,
“Wait for me to come home.”

Credit: Screen captures via YouTube.com.

Coronavirus Fails to Stop Magical Moment Between NC Woman and Her Grandpa

Carly Boyd and her beloved grandpa, Shelton, are media sensations today because of a tender moment captured by the staff of a nursing home in Lake Waccamaw, NC.

Carly had gotten engaged over the weekend and was determined to share her excitement with Shelton even though the facility was prohibiting guests due to precautions related to the coronavirus.

"I really wanted to be able to tell my grandfather because he has dementia and there's no phone in there that he has access to," Carly told CNN affiliate KOLD. "I just really wanted to make an effort to tell him."

Although Carly was not allowed to enter the facility, she was encouraged to do the next best thing.

Gennie Parnell, the administrator of Premier Living and Rehab Center, took two memorable snaps of Boyd standing outside her grandpa's first floor window. The first shot shows Boyd excitedly pointing to her diamond-adorned ring finger as she tries to get her grandpa's attention. The second shot depicts the tender moment when they press their palms together, separated by the pane of glass.

“It was magical, I can’t even explain it," April Bass, the community activity coordinator at the facility, told local NBC affiliate WECT. "I was in tears, my administrator was in tears, even the roommate of the resident, he was even crying. It was very magical and it was very heartfelt, and Carly started crying and her grandfather even started crying. It was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.”

"It was very special," Carly told KOLD. "I just put my hand on the window, and he put his there too. I just told him I love him, and he said, 'I love you, too, and I hope to see you soon, like really see you.'"

With the permission of the Boyds, the nursing facility posted the photos to its Facebook page, with the caption, "Even though visitation is restricted at this time, staff suggested an alternative. Here, a resident’s granddaughter tells her grandfather that she’s engaged! Emotional and memorable, for sure!! Thank you for allowing us to capture this special moment!!"

The post was punctuated with two emojis, a heart and a diamond ring.

The local story got national attention when it appeared on the sites of both NBC's Today show and CNN.

Carly Boyd attends Southeastern Community College, where she is studying to become a Registered Nurse. Her new fiancé, Trevor Sellers, is a contractor with the Department of Transportation. Their marriage is planned for 2021.

Credits: Images via Facebook / Premier Living & Rehab Center Info Page.

Inspired by a 5th Ave. Window Display, Balanchine's 'Jewels' Hits Theaters Apr. 19

Captured live from Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet, George Balanchine's "Jewels" — with three parts dedicated to emerald, ruby and diamond — is coming to theaters across the U.S. on April 19.

Balanchine, who is often called the father of American ballet, was inspired to create the "abstract" ballet after meeting with jeweler Claude Arpels and viewing a window-display of the famous jewelry boutique Van Cleef & Arpels on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 1966.

According to the official Bolshoi Ballet website, Balanchine was captivated by the shine of the precious stones and set out to create a ballet where the dancers would glow and glitter like the light on the edges of a gem.

"Jewels" is said to represent the three periods in the ballet master’s personal and professional life.

"Emeralds," which features the music of Gabriel Fauré, reflects the sophistication and elegance of a French ballet school; "Rubies," which is set to the music of Igor Stravinsky, is a nod to the sharp off-beat rhythm of Broadway; and "Diamonds," which highlights the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, is a nostalgic recollection of the crystal purity of St. Petersburg's imperial ballet school.

"Jewels" made its debut at the New York City Ballet in 1967 and became a worldwide sensation. Balanchine commented at the time that he thought about adding a fourth part titled "Sapphire" and highlighting the music of Arnold Schoenberg. He eventually panned the idea because the deep blue color of the gem was difficult to present visually.

"The color [of] sapphire is so hard to get across on stage," he said.

Known as one of the most influential 20th-century choreographers, the Russian-born Balanchine co-founded the New York City Ballet and remained its artistic director for more than 35 years. He passed away in New York City in 1983 at the age of 79.

The Sunday, April 19, performance of "Jewels" will be broadcast to theaters all across the U.S. Check out this link to find a venue closest to you...

Credits: Screen captures via fathomevents.com.