Music Friday: ‘I Was Your Amber, But Now She’s Your Shade of Gold,’ Sings Demi Lovato

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today’s installment features Demi Lovato performing “Stone Cold,” her rousing, platinum-selling, 2015 power ballad about the pain of watching an ex-boyfriend moving on to a new relationship.

Lovato seems to channel English superstar Adele as she sings, “Stone cold, stone cold / I was your amber, but now she’s your shade of gold.”

Lovato compares herself to amber, a soothing gemstone known to symbolize wisdom, maturity and protection. But Lovato's amber characteristics can't compete with the intoxicating allure of gold.

“This song hurts so unbelievably bad," she told her her 42 million Instagram followers in 2015. "And when I perform it on a TV show, in rehearsals or even in a bathtub, it completely takes me to a different place.” (Her Instagram following has since grown to 149 million.)

Lovato noted that the process of writing and recording “Stone Cold” was therapeutic. For her, the song became a source of healing and catharsis. She said at the time that “Stone Cold” is a song people can listen to when they’re going through a breakup, or they’re thinking about a time when they were heartbroken.

“It’s gonna give them that voice that they need to hear in order to get past things and process how they feel,” she told Radio.com.

Lovato called “Stone Cold” her favorite single from her Confident album and was hoping that it would net her a Grammy.

She told Complex, “I want the Grammy committee to hear [that song] so that one day they can see that I know that I’m capable of getting there. You can’t go higher than the Grammys in the music industry. That was a huge goal for this album. I watched the Grammy nominations last year and I was like, ‘I want to be there so bad.'”

She didn't get a nomination for "Stone Cold," but did eventually capture two Grammy nominations, one in 2017 for Best Pop Vocal Album and in 2019 for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Born in Dallas in 1992, Demetria Devonne Lovato got her first break at the age of 7 as a cast member of Barney and Friends. Acting alongside Lovato on the popular kids' TV show was fellow songstress Selena Gomez. In 2008, Lovato starred in the Disney Channel television film Camp Rock and, shortly thereafter, signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records. At age 19, she became the youngest-ever X Factor judge.

Please check out the video of Lovato performing “Stone Cold” on Saturday Night Live in October of 2015. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Stone Cold”
Written by Demi Lovato and Laleh Pourkarim. Performed by Demi Lovato.

Stone cold, stone cold
You see me standing, but I’m dying on the floor
Stone cold, stone cold
Maybe if I don’t cry, I won’t feel anymore

Stone cold, baby
God knows I tried to feel
Happy for you
Know that I am, even if I
Can’t understand, I’ll take the pain
Give me the truth, me and my heart
We’ll make it through
If happy is her, I’m happy for you

Stone cold, stone cold
You’re dancing with her, while I’m staring at my phone
Stone cold, stone cold
I was your amber, but now she’s your shade of gold

Stone cold, baby
God knows I tried to feel
Happy for you
Know that I am, even if I
Can’t understand, I’ll take the pain
Give me the truth, me and my heart
We’ll make it through
If happy is her, I’m happy for you

Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.com.

Mastercard Survey: Surge in January Retail Sales Signals Strong Start to 2023

Bolstered by strong economic indicators and a positive swing in consumer confidence, US retail sales jumped a healthy 8.8% year-over-year in January 2023, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse™. The credit card company’s January report spotlighted the jewelry and restaurant sectors due to their impressive performances.

Jewelry sales were up 6.5% YOY in January, potentially reflecting early Valentine's Day shopping. The positive January sales stats reversed a slight decline seen in December of 2022.

Jewelry-sector sales were down 5.4% YOY in December 2022, but still very respectable considering the sector was trying to keep up with the off-the-charts December 2021 performance, when jewelry sales increased YOY by 32%.

Eateries had a particularly good holiday season and start to 2023. Coming off a strong year of growth in 2022, spending at restaurants remained a high priority for consumers. That segment registered a 24.2% YOY increase in January.

"Consumer spending remains resilient in the first few weeks of 2023,” said Steve Sadove, Mastercard Senior Advisor and Former CEO of Saks, Inc. “Mastercard SpendingPulse insights show that the overall retail story remains largely positive with January posting a solid month of growth across the country.”

The Mastercard analysts believe consumers have been encouraged by the state of the labor market and rising wages.

"The primary factor driving spending decisions is income – not just income today but the expectation for income tomorrow.” said Michelle Meyer, North America Chief Economist, Mastercard Economics Institute. “The strength in the labor market remains a critical support for consumer purchasing power and we’re seeing this reflected in our SpendingPulse insights for January.”

The US unemployment rate dropped to 3.4% in January 2023, the lowest level seen in 54 years. Meanwhile, the US economy added 517,000 jobs in January, the most in six months.

The Conference Board "Consumer Confidence Index" recently published a revised assessment of how Americans view current business and labor conditions.

Exactly 20.2% of respondents said business conditions were "good," up from 19.2% a month ago, while 48.2% said jobs were "plentiful," up from 46.4%.

Mastercard SpendingPulse™ findings are based on aggregate sales activity in the Mastercard payments network, coupled with survey-based estimates for certain other payment forms, such as cash and check.

Credit: Image by Bigstockphoto.com.

Vanessa Hudgens Shares Pics of Her New Oval-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring

Actress Vanessa Hudgens recently confirmed her engagement to professional baseball player Cole Tucker, which took place at one of the most romantic places on the planet — at the halfway point of the 123-year-old, Beaux-Arts-style Alexander III bridge in Paris.

With a statue of a gilded nymph in the foreground and the lights of the Eiffel Tower reflecting in the River Seine in the background, the High School Musical alum shot a selfie of the impressive oval-cut diamond engagement ring gracing her meticulously manicured left hand.

Tucker apparently popped the question during the couple's trip to Paris in November, but Hudgens didn't make it Instagram-official until she posted a pair of pics to her page on Thursday.

She captioned the photos, "YES. We couldn’t be happier," and punctuated the sentence with a grey heart emoji.

The oval-cut diamond is estimated to weigh about 7 carats and could be worth upwards of $250,000, according to jewelry-industry insiders. The couple's choice of a thin yellow-gold band allows the diamond to take center stage.

The 34-year-old Hudgens met the 26-year-old Colorado Rockies utility player during a Zoom meditation group call in 2020.

“I get on the Zoom, and I’m like, ‘Who is that?'” she said on The Drew Barrymore Show. “I found him, and we started talking.”

She added, "I fully just slid into his DMs and was like, ‘Hey, it was nice to meet you.’ So I think there is no shame in making the first move.”

Hudgens told Glamour UK in 2021, "Our interests are very different, but our fundamentals are the same. He’s goofy and I’m very goofy."

According to thecut.com, Tucker once revealed in an interview with Nevada Sports Net that Hudgens has helped him take better care of his long, curly hair, calling her the “detangling queen.”

The actress-singer hinted that the relationship had entered a new phase when she recently posted a romantic pic of her and her bae on Instagram with the caption, "I’ll stop the world and melt with you."

Hudgens and Tucker were first spotted together in November 2020 and confirmed their relationship on Valentine's Day 2021.

Hudgens is best known for portraying Gabriella Montez in the High School Musical film series (2006–2008). Cole had played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks before signing as a free agent with the Colorado Rockies in the offseason.

Credits: Images via Instagram.com / vanessahudgens.