I don’t know if it counts as annual even though it’s only the second year.. But I vowed at the end of last year that I would make sure I summed up each year from then on. So, although it’s only the second, it will be annual, just not exactly yet.

Anyway this is it. That blog. That blog.

This year was very different to last year. 2010 was a whirlwind-adventure-amazing type year, and although 2011 was definitely a crazy one, it was for different reasons. 

So, let me take it back real quick, starting with the end of last year. 

My blog ended with me telling everyone that I was going to be supporting someone that is, in my opinion, one of the greatest artists on the planet; Janelle Monae. And that (btw) was absolutely fucking incredible. 

2011 then started with a surprise birthday party in my flat, which was in all honesty the wildest party I, and many others, had ever been to. It was a biiiiig one with my all of my best friends in the world. It was amazing. As expected I was dropping down, getting my eagle on, flapping my wings and so forth and so on ALL NIGHT LONG. 

YOU KNOW HOW I DO.

Next up was a session on BBC Cardiff where I met a lady by the name of Jen Long, and she is amazing. If you don’t already, you should listen to her Radio One show. I’ll have it be known that after my gig, she DJ’d, played Kanye, and got kicked out by bouncers she KNEW in a place she ALWAYS plays because she played him and it was so, so funny. How can you be kicked out of a bar/club for playing Kanye?! That’s fucked up yo.

Anyway..

I played HMV’s One To Watch gig with the amazing Ed Drewett.

I played NME’s Award Show supporting The Naked And Famous, then went to the Brit Awards after party and partied HARD. 

I had a magazine shoot with Disorder and met a very talented and amazing young man called Jordan Shiel. You will know his name in the fashion industry, you heard it here first.

I went to the NME awards, fun times.

I then went on tour with The Good Natured (amaaaazing) for Get It Loud In Libraries. It was eventful to say the least, but I met some amazing and inspiring young people and had a great time with my boys on tour. I love being on the road, I miss it.

I had a photoshoot for Vanity Fair wearing a Raymond Weil diamond watch for ‘Ones To Watch’ with Jason Derulo. Pretty amazinnnng.

I played Help Japan along side some incredible artists like Yasmin, Ed Sheeran and someone you will DEFINITELY be hearing of all over the damn place; Random Impulse. He is a star. It boggles my mind that he is still unsigned. Labels, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

I played Club NME the next day which was definitely up there in the best gigs I’ve ever done. SO. MUCH. FUN. 

THEN I went to LA. 

Damn, I love LA. More than most things in the entire world.

It was special. I met some of the most incredible people I have ever and will ever meet. Y’all know who you are. I actually extented my stay and went to Coachella and it was without a doubt the best weekend I’ve ever had. Ever. So ridiculously good. I had the best time and I’m so, so glad I decided to stay (shout out to Ariel and Jesse for convincing me!)

I got back, had about half a day and then headed to Toulouse, France to spend a few days working with the incredible Fred Falke. Best ever. Toulouse is beautiful, GO if you have the chance. 

I played Great Escape. 

I went BLONDE. I know.. Who would have ever thought?! (Although I am debating going back to black though, we shall seeeee)

I played an acoustic gig at Selfridges for Project Ocean. 

I went to Dublin with my three favourite girls in the world for Oxegen Festival. It was very eventful (as everything in my life seems to be) but it was great. Ups and down, swings and roundabouts etc but ultimately mission accomplished, with my three best friends in tact. 

I played Underage Festival, amazing.

Then..

..I went to LA for the second time.

It was a last minute move, I decided to go the day before I went, booked a ticket and jumped on a plane accross the Atlantic the next day. That’s what I doooo. 

This time I was there with one of my other favourite ladies, one of my best friends Kenzie May (check her ouuuuut) and we had the best time. I jumped on a plane on my own, but she was there on a little trip already so I stayed with her and we went harrrrrrd. Seeing my favourite LA people again was so fucking amazing. I don’t know if those guys really even know how incredible they are and how lodged they are inside my heart. Seriously. I’ll be back SOON. 

I played Bestival - absolutely my best gig to date. And special and important for many other reasons. 

I played a gig at Home House for Vanity Fair and Raymond Weil as well as playing at Westfield Shepherd’s Bush. 

I played Little Noise Sessions supporting my favourite Marina & The Diamonds once again. 

And here we are. 

In the midst of all of these things, there have also been huge decisions made, massive moves, crazy actions and leaps of faith and a lot has changed. So much in fact. I’m a very different person to girl I was writing my blog at the end of last year. I’ll never be that girl again. 

This year has seen me grow, change, be affected, get hurt, love, lose, trust, miss, travel, be spontaneous, be brave, make mistakes, work hard, gain friends, fight - for the right reasons, cry - best release ever, laugh - so hard it hurts, try - harder than ever, and like I said make some pretty huge decisions. 

As you may have noticed; old photos, videos, songs, etc have all been taken down. Other things have been put in their place, couple of acoustic recordings, photos etc. That’s because of the decisions I’ve made. I won’t go into it too much, but I had to re-group, re-think, and re-decide many things this year and I am very fortunate to have a label behind me that have supported me and allowed me to be exactly what I am - an artist. And in order to be the artist I am, the artist I want to be, and the artist I imagine myself being; what I need most is the understanding of who and what I am. 

In honesty, I’m still figuring out what that is. And as a result of many other decisions and changes this year, things for me managed to get very confused.

But like I said and have said many times before - I am determined to keep my promise of making the best album I can. For myself, of course, I need to be true to what my heart is screaming at me, but also for you. So I will do that. No matter how long it takes. Thank you, 679, for everything.

I can’t believe it’s Christmas this week! That’s crazy. I can’t believe how fast time has flown by. Mad, mad, mad. Then New Years and then my birthday, all within 10 days. It’s always a big time of year. 

At BBC Radio Cardiff with the boys - Crimewatch yo!

Warner Christmas party with Grimmy and friends

Myself with Amir Amor and his lady, Diana at the Warner party

JEN LONG

My jokes self, Amir and Ed Sheeran at the par-tay

HMV’s Next Big Thaaaang

Disorder Magazine shoot

Disorder Magazine shoot #2

On shoot for Vanity Fair with Jason Derulo

Get It Loud In Libraries with The Good Natured, Rugby Library

Me and the man Random Impulse at Help Japan

Yasmin, Starsmith & Sparky

Calvin Harriss and Yasmin, Help Japan

Gotta let it burn

Thank You X - Downtown LA, incredible

Bestival, best ever

Vanity Fair/Raymond Weil interview

Marina & The Diamonds, reunited

Shoot with Yafeu Khamisi, my favourite

Little Noise Sessions supporting Marina

NME Awards with Sunday Girl, harrrr

Tour bus with my best ever Mr Paul Egan - he tha man

St Patricks Day, Guinness anyone?

Session at Ealing Studios

Actually on Hollywood Strip, courtesy of Nicky Berger, hah!

2 of the best ladies in the entire world, LA times

BOYZ TOWN

Myself and Mr Greg James watching Robyn in LA

Love these two, if only they weren’t my two favourite gays I would marry either one of them today

Just being a G at the Rose Bowl vintage market in LA, amazing day

Bitch be BURNT in Los Angeles! I go from super white, to red, to super white. Bah.

One half of Neon Gold (one of the best gals in the universe) and my favourite Captain, Ryan. Love love love.

My MAIN man, Amir Amor. World’s Greatest.

After Underage Festival with Stella & The Knocks

Hollywood with my gal Kenzie May, hell yeah I’m wearing a 50 Cent t-shirt yo

Amy & Mariel, LA round 2!

‘The Boy Is Mine’ fisticuffs with Kenzie over Ben Berger after the Grouplove show in London

All Club NME! Amazing, amazing

BBC Cardiff Session for Jen Long!

After Little Noise with Marina, she is the best

DJing at the launch of SWEET! For my gal Stars with my gal Stella, party orn

Rockin’ a one-piece to the studio like a boss

Underage with Stella, Diana & Stars. Lil Wayne tee and a Crufts badge, badass

COACHELLA! All of us were in one SUV. Love love love love love.

Myself and the beautiful Oh My girls at Warner Summer Draaaanx

Dublin, July ‘11. Peace up, a town down and OUT.

And that’s the end of that! That is what my 2011 looked like, haha.

So, to all you lovely people I wish you a very merry christmas, a very, very happy new year and here’s to 2012. Let’s hope it’s a good one! Do it BIG!

All my love, as always.. 

Sparky
x