The Live Music Capital of the World by Elizabeth Smith
Hip-Hopping Into Style: Rap’s Impact on Modern Fashion by Jonathan Woo
The K-pop Phenomenon by SoHyun Kim
Rising Pride by Lucy Gentile
...and more!
A Special Thanks To Kevin Garcia, advisor Bob Guz Jon Kotak Edward Wille Hannah Gaffney Donny Jeremy Suh Jungbong Choi Lily Tinoco H1p3 Aaron Lopez Jaden Woods Cameron Wheeler Robert and Christy Gentile Donghwan Kim and Sanghye Park Amber and Brian Kiddy Byung Woo and Seunghee Choe Cover design by Lucy Gentile
Table of Contents
1
Photo Courtesy of Gary J. Wood
Credits page
Photo Courtesy of Inaki Espejo-Saavedra
Hip-hopping into Style
8 The Live Music Capital of the World
2
Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Lundberg
14
The K-pop Phenomenon
Photo courtesy of Logan Merrick
Photo Courtesy of Ted Eytan
Meet the Editors + Spotify Playlist
26
20
Rising Pride
Photo Courtesy of Pxhere
Soundwave
1
Page Design by SoHyun Kim
Photo Courtesy of Eyeball Records
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
In 2002, My Chemical Romance released I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, their first album. It did not get very mainstream, however, until they became more popular later on.
Frank Iero, the former rythem guitarist of MCR, has been in many bands since the breakup, including Death Spells and a few others. Currently, he has his own band, called Frank Iero And The Future Violents.
The History Of The Punk-Rock B
Released in 2006, The Black parade is the most well known album by My Chemical Romance. Welcome to the Black Parade resides in this album, and it is the song that most people think about when they think of the band My Chemical Romance. Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros
Photo Courtesy of Reprise Records
This album is what got My Chemical Romance the fame they still carry today. Released in 2004, this album includes the song Helena and I’m Not Okay (I Promise.) The song Helena the first song by MCR to make it to the Top 40 hits list. Former lead singer of MCR, Gerard Way, created a TV show out of his comic book series “The Umbrella Academy.”
Band My Chemical Romance Photo Courtesy of IMDb
Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros
Danger Days was released in 2010, before their break up on March 22, 2013. Songs such as Sing, Destroya and Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) were recorded on this track. This is My Chemical Romance’s last album.
Soundwave
3
Page Design by Elizabeth Smith
A photo of Austin at nighttime. Austin is often called “The Live Music Capital of the World”. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.
The Live Music Capital of the World by Elizabeth Smith
Downtown Austin- the city filled with live music everywhere you can see. People from all over the world flock here to play, listen and enjoy the live music filling every street you walk down.
a s most people know, music is a big part of residing in Austin, because it is one of the town’s biggest claims to fame. Austin has all different kinds of music. From jazz to rock, whatever your style is we have people in Austin playing it. Austin has is people moving here every day to try to make a living off making and performing music. Almost everywhere you go in Austin, there’s live music somewhere near. Restaurants, stores, parks, festivals, parties, shops, bookstores and grocery stores all have a good chance of having a musical artist playing songs for people inside.
Some people in the world have the misconception that to be in the music industry, it must be a persons only job. The reason people make music and perform is usually not about money, it’s about having fun and enjoying yourself. The people you see on stage almost always have an actual job where their salary comes from, and doing music is a hobby they love. They know that they might get a few tips here and there, but have a primary job. The reason they’re up on that stage is to have fun, and that’s a reason why Austin concerts and music festivals
are so popular. While there are some people who do get a few bucks off performing, there are also musical clubs and organizations that everyone can attend for free, explained Bob Guz, the director of the Austin Ukulele Society. “I started playing the ukulele in 2003,” Guz said. “So, I actually came to the ukulele pretty late, so actually I was 43 when I started playing the ukulele. Up until that point I had never held one, never played one, never owned one, and that’s when I
started, about 15-16 years ago.”
see everyone enjoying themselves so much.”
Guz is a cofounder of the Austin Ukulele Society after discovering his love of playing the ukulele with other people.
He’s retiring soon, and says that he hopes he will have more time to
“
“I’m most proud of the austin ukulele society,” he said. “ I’m so proud of the group, that it’s grown so much, because now people from all around the world watch us play, use the arrangements, it makes me very happy to be a part of the community.”
As a child, Guz played a lot of different instruments and was very immersed in music even though he didn’t start playing the ukulele until he was in his fifties. One of the things he loves about the Austin Ukulele Society is how the people interact with each other. “I’ve always felt that in the ukulele community, there’s a lot of sharing.” Guz said. “I see this a lot at the meetings, like, oh you got a new thing, mind if I play i t ?
I see in the meetings, someone strugglings, the person next to them will help. It makes me so happy to
I’m most proud of the Austin Ukulele Society. I’m so proud of the group, because now people from all around the world watch us play.
- Bob Guz, Director of Austin Ukulele Society
spend on making music and expanding his current projects.
He plays an average of 3-4 times a month, when in his last band he only played around 20 times a year. “I get to work remotely and it pays surprisingly well. Pays a lot more than what you could possibly make playing guitar.” “It’s pretty fun because even though we’re
“
Jon Kotak has b e e n playing the guitar ever since 8th grade, and he currently plays in a ‘90s cover band, and finds it more rewarding than playing in bands with original songs. “I used to play in a band where we wrote our own music, so we did a lot of original songs. And it’s kinda tough to get a lot of playing opportunities with that kind of format because a lot of people don’t care about the songs you’ve written, even though they take a lot of effort, and we’re personally inventing new songs, and that takes a lot of effort, a lot of people don’t really care.”
playing songs that are generally considered cheesy and corny, we do interact with each other and make it fun, what makes it great is that everyone gets along with each other. It doesn’t matter if you have good players, if the personalities don’t work out or people are unpleasant to be around for whatever reason then it’s just no fun. That’s really the whole point of it, you know, for me it’s too have fun.” Ed Luis Wille, has been in around 10 bands. His first experience in fine arts came in 5th grade. “I was in a school play, with a girl that I liked, and I got to sing and dance with her onstage. I had these strings and I danced around with her, onstage for a school play and I really enjoyed it, I enjoyed the feeling of it. Like of the lights, and I was nervous, but when I was doing it it was fun.” said Wille. He always had wanted to be in a band since he was smaller. Soundwave 5
Page Design by Elizabeth Smith
“When I was very little, I had the Beatles records and Abba records, and I would just sit and listen to them, and I got into The Rolling
“Money is like an added bonus, the main reason I play is because its a lot of fun. But at the same time, if you get some money on top of that
because they enjoy it, they all make money in different ways than playing music, and most importantly they all started getting engaged in the fine arts when they were younger and in school. They all knew they loved making music and wanted to somehow incorporate it into their life in there adult years. This shows that when schools offer fine arts programs and kids are pushed to do fine arts, they’re more likely to find love in the arts, therefore making it part of their adult life. They all found so much joy in seeing people enjoying the music they were making, which is a really amazing feeling. We should make sure that the fine arts programs in our school are sufficient so we make sure every child has the chance to feel this and have fun making music when they grow up. Lots of people in Austin play music. There’s a lot of people that work in an office, or who are dentists or doctors that you would never imagine to have a band on the side, but it’s much more common than you think. It’s especially promoted in the Austin area, where it’s quite common to have a music side project. When asked about how important he thinks music is, Bob says,
Bob Guz playing the ukulele at the Austin Ukulele Society. People at the Austin Ukelele Society can learn how to play the ukelele as well as meet other people passionate about the instrument. Photo by Brian Kiddy.
Stones,” he says. “I was very little, and then I realized I didn’t want to be just a guitar player, like a singer songwriter by myself, I always wanted to play guitar in a band. It was always about being in a rock band.” Ed works for a wildlife service, and describes his band to be really only for fun, though he does say that getting a little money for doing gigs is common and can make playing feel even more rewarding.
it make sit even more fun. Because, specially at my age, I work very hard on stage, I’m covered with sweat when I get off there. You have to load the equipment and you have to put it away and you have to work as hard as you can for about an hour and it nice when you get paid, like, even though you love it, you’re working.” All three of these people are very different, but have a few key things in common. They all play music
“I found creativity through music. It’s like learning a foreign language, everyone should do it. There’s something magical about making music with other people. It’s a feeling you can’t get from anything else.”
Edward Wille playing a gig at Kick Butt Coffee. Austin’s live music scene is often made up of both part and full time musicians. Photo by Brian Kiddy.
Soundwave 7
Page Design by Elizabeth Smith
Music Mentality
Current Music Trends in the U.S
Most Streamed Spotify’s Most Popular in 2018
Top Songs 1. “God’s Plan” - Drake (Hip-Hop/R&B) 2. “SAD!” - XXXTENTACION (Hip-Hop/R&B) 3. “Psycho (ft. Ty Dolla $ign)” - Post Malone (Hip-Hop/R&B) 4. “Lucid Dreams” - Juice WRLD (Hip-Hop/R&B) 5. “Nice For What” - Drake (Hip-Hop/R&B)
“SAD!”, from XXXTENTACION’s second studio album, ?, broke Spotify’s record for single day streams after its 20 year old creator was murdered in June of 2018. Photo Courtesy of Bad Vibes Only
Top Artists 1. Drake (Hip-Hop/R&B) 2. Post Malone (Hip-Hop/R&B) 3. XXXTENTACION (Hip-Hop/R&B) 4. Travis Scott (Hip-Hop/R&B) 5. Khalid (R&B/Soul) Source: Forbes
Critically acclaimed rapper Travis Scott performs at Austin City Limits music festival in 2018. Photo by Dylan Levy
How do People Listen? Different Ways Americans Consume Music (2017)
Other 10% Physical Formats 11% Digital Downloads 14%
Radio 24%
Streaming 41% Ex: Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud
Source: Billboard
Soundwave 9
Page design by Jonathan Woo
Clothes are displayed at the New York flagship store of Billionaire Boys Club, a popular streetwear brand. Streetwear brands such as Billionaire Boys Club have become immensely popular over the past few years. Photo by Niko Mendoza.
Hip-Hopping into Style Rap’s Impact on Modern Fashion
by Jonathan Woo
f
ashion reporters and A-list celebrities sit side by side in eager anticipation as models strut down runways dressed in T-shirts, hoodies, and baseball caps, a stark contrast to the formal runway shows of past years. It is a testament to the popularity of the rap-influenced style of clothing called streetwear.
“
Streetwear is huge now. And I mean that’s really what rappers are wearing, it’s Balenciaga, it’s Off-White, it’s Stone Island, it’s Rick Owens, it’s Raf Simons.
“
-Hannah Gaffney, employee at ByGeorge
Rap and hip-hop culture has always had a very close relationship with high fashion. The boasts of material wealth that are found in rap lyrics are characteristic of the genre, and go hand-in-hand with the status symbol logos of designer brands. Tupac’s walk down Versace’s Fall and Winter show in 1977 and Lil Pump’s billboard topping hit, “Gucci Gang,” are some of the more prominent examples of the connection between hip-hop culture and fashion. The dissemination of a lifestyle of fashion and luxury promoted by rap artists has resonated with a demographic historically uninterested in high fashion: the youth. According to Billboard, rap surpassed rock to become the most popular genre in the United States in 2017 and it continues to maintain its immense popularity, with hip-hop taking all five of 2018’s most streamed songs on Spotify. According to Nielsen Holdings statistics, 16-24 year olds currently listen to hip-hop or rap more than any other genre, and have been instrumental in the success of rap in
recent years. “It’s the biggest genre out right now and there are a lot of diverse parts of it,” said Jeremy Suh, a rap enthusiast at Bowie High School. “There’s a lot of pop-rap and stuff right now, so a lot of people can just easily hop into it because some of it is similar to other music. It’s just very accessible.” To many of these young fans of the genre, rappers and hip-hop artists transcend artists to become role models and people to imitate. Fans of the genre often choose to incorporate aspects of hip-hop culture such as slang or how they dress and present themselves into their everyday lives. “A lot of people are influenced by how famous rappers dress,” Suh said. “Because they’re perceived as cool, rappers can be someone for younger people to look up to.” One clothing brand heavily embedded into hip-hop culture is Yeezy, a fashion label founded by rapper Kanye West. Influence from West’s hip-hop background is evident in the brand’s offerings of everyday t-shirts and sweaters with three-figure price tags. The Yeezy Boost 350, an Adidas sneaker desgined in collaboration with Yeezy, was Adidas’ best selling sneaker model in 2018 according to Sole Collector, despite the sneakers’ high retail price. However, the idea of dressing like their favorite rappers may outweigh the price of Yeezy sneakers for many rap fans. “I see a lot of it in school. Kanye West Yeezys. A lot of the Nike and Off-White collaboration. A lot of people save up money to buy that
kind of stuff. It’s something that they can relate with to the artist,” Suh said.
Kanye Wests’s album cover for 808s and Heartbreak. Photo Courtesy of Roc-A-Fella Records.
The phenomenon of high school and college students wearing outfits that cost thousands of dollars was far rarer even twenty years ago than it is today. With the meteoric rise of rap’s popularity, the luxury clothing market has also seen extreme growth, especially among younger consumers. According to Forward PMX, a marketing agency, the luxury goods market has seen a impressive growth of 5% in the last year alone, and millennials and Generation Z were responsible for driving 85% of that growth. “We see it here constantly. We have a lot of young clients coming in asking for brands like Raf Simons and Rick Owens, and they are heavily influenced by wardrobes of famous rappers and celebrities.” said Hannah Gaffney, an employee at Austin, Texas luxury fashion boutique, ByGeorge. A reason for this growth is the massive increase of streetwear, a popular clothing style of hip-hop culture. Streetwear is a style of clothing that incorporates clothing staples such as sneakers and hoodies and elevates their status by Soundwave 11 Page Design by Jonathan Woo
clothing is popular has been documented by researchers in the past. The Nike Flyknit Trainer, upon its release, was not very popular with fashion or sneaker enthusiasts and sat on shelves until Kanye West was spotted wearing them in a paparazzi photo. The sneaker instantly sold out a few hours later and resold for over 500 dollars on the resell market. In a similar way, whatever influential rappers are seen wearing are often viewed as on-trend and popular by fashion experts and rap listeners. “If rappers are wearing Off-White, we’ll have a bunch of kids coming in looking for Off-White, and that’s truly trend wise, so whatever rappers are big in on the scene we’ll definitely see that come through.”Gaffney said. “Rap definitely determines what’s on trend. It’s a lifestyle. Music becomes a lifestyle. As art becomes a lifestyle, as food becomes a lifestyle, as fashion does, it’s all cyclical. You start emulating after these certain people.”
Employees at Sneaker Politics Austin greet customers on a typical workday. The store stocks coveted sneakers such as Yeezys and Air Jordans. Photo by Jonathan Woo.
utilizing high quality materials and designer logos. Streetwear encompasses brands such as OffWhite and Supreme, whose hoodies sell for well over a thousand dollars, to heritage luxury brands such as Balenciaga and Fendi, which now sell previously unsold streetwear items such as track jackets and sweatpants for four figure price points. The growth of heritage brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci have largely been attributed to the popularity of their new streetwear items and the new clientele of young customers streetwear attracts.
“Streetwear is huge now. And I mean that’s really what rappers are wearing, it’s Balenciaga, it’s OffWhite, it’s Stone Island, it’s Rick Owens, it’s Raf Simons,” Gaffney said. “Whatever is just screaming through their soundtrack or whatever lifestyle they are pushing through that’s really what’s picking up and we see that flow through the store constantly just based off of whatever rappers are really promoting.” The enormous influence that rappers have on what type of
As millenials and Gen Z listen to rap music, the lyrics of brand names they have never been exposed to before often piques their interest and they begin to look into the brand. This new attention that luxury brands such as Gucci, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton, have been receiving from the virtually untapped massive market of young consumers has not gone unnoticed by the brands themselves. These luxury brands, which have historically catered to older clientele and pushed products such as suits and ties, have made a dramatic pivot in their brand image. Items such as T-shirts, Air Jordan-esque sneakers, and hoodies are now being marketed as the flagship products of these companies in an effort to draw in young consumers. The strategic move is working. LVMH, the parent company of Louis
Vuitton and other major designer labels, saw a record year in 2018 in terms of sales and growth after they started more heavily producing streetwear items.
“
Austin’s really starting to boom as a city in general and then within the fashion industry.
“
Austinites interact more and more with hip-hop culture and the fashion that comes with it. This increased exposure to hip-hop culture in Austin has spawned an increasing number of luxury fashion stores in the city. From brick-and-mortar streetwear stores and boutiques appearing in downtown Austin, to pop-up stores from streetwear brands, such as Vlone, spawning during SXSW, Austin’s underdeveloped fashion
scene is beginning to take form, largely due to increased interactions with hip-hop culture. “Rap really sets the pace of what everyone is listening to, what everyone is engaging in. Whatever brands are being promoted and worn by big rap artists will often be the best selling and most popular ones.” Gaffney said.
-Hannah Gaffney, employee at ByGeorge
High fashion brands have even begun to capitalize on what made streetwear popular in the first place: Hip-hop culture. Rappers such as Travis Scott and A$AP Rocky are now the faces of luxury labels such as Saint Laurent and Dior respectively, and the Versace Chain Reaction, a sneaker spawned by a collaboration with rapper 2 Chainz, has become Versace’s best selling sneaker to date. These collaborations are extremely popular, especially among younger clientele, and make these heritage brands appear younger and more in-touch with their customers. “The number of rappers doing collaborations with sneaker brands is growing and I think that it’s just acknowledging the control in the market,” said Donny, who has had more than 16 years of experience managing streetwear and sneaker boutiques across the country, such as Concepts Boston. The city of Austin, Texas is not oblivious to the shifts in fashion trends. From SXSW to Austin City Limits, the Texas city holds multiple prominent music festivals which draw hundreds of talented musicians to the city every year. As Austin’s music culture attracts top rap artists such as Drake, A$AP Rocky, and Travis Scott to the city,
The storefront of Private Stock, one of Austin’s most widely known streetwear boutiques. Streetwear stores have become increasingly common in big cities such as Austin. Photo by Jonathan Woo
Soundwave 13 Page Design by Jonathan Woo
The K-pop Phenomenon
K-pop band BTS performing at the Fort Worth Convention Center during their Love Yourself: Answer tour. BTS is a sevenmember K-pop boy group that has experienced immense success overseas, collaborating with artists like Steve Aoki and attending the Grammys. Photo Courtesy of Minyoung (Kate) Seon.
b right neon lights and intensive choreography catch millions of
by SoHyun Kim
eyes, drawing attention to one of the world’s fastest growing industries: K-pop. Korean Pop has been gaining momentum since its formation in the 1990s, growing in popularity overseas. K-pop has influenced American media and music and continues to make its influence known throughout the world. Prior to 1987, South Korean television and radio networks were heavily controlled by the government, and one of the only forms of music available to the audience was Trot, a musical genre known for its vocal inflections and repeating rhythms popular among older generations. While Trot is a widely known musical genre in South Korea, many young people could not relate and represent themselves through this genre according to Jungbong Choi, a professor at the New York University and professional on K-pop and Hallyu, the Korean Wave. This led the way to the rapid success of Kpop in South Korea when it appeared as a new music genre in the late 20th century. With the introduction of K-pop, young teenagers and college students were presented with an upbeat and stylized genre of music which they could relate, obsess, and even dance to, unlike with Trot. K-pop is made up of several different entertainment companies that produces songs, albums, music videos, and the K-pop groups themselves. There are hundreds of trainees signed to these entertainment companies, hoping to one day debut in a group and be able to become the stars seen on the big screen. This, paired with the craving for the music and the stars from the fans, provides a stepping stool with which K-pop has and can continue to grow in the future. The three biggest entertainment companies in which many trainees aspire to go are SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and YG Entertainment, known to produce picture-perfect idols who often times end up becoming hits domestically and overseas, according to Choi. All three companies have released reality shows portraying the intense
and sometimes brutal lives of trainees who are held to such a high standard. The success of these companies are largely due to the founders themselves. SM’s founder, Lee Soo Man, is a prime example of the influence founders have on the companies. He founded the group Seo Taiji and Boys, producing the group’s hit songs and choreography attributed to their success. “He went to LA and he sort of toured around and experienced how to industrialize this culture industry. He got in touch with a lot of Korean Americans who knew how to do the jive and knew how to do hip hop, all those things. And he had enough of this talent pool, with which you could launch a company that produces a lot of talent,” Choi said. Seo Taiji and Boys, one of the first major groups formed in SM Entertainment, are considered to be the pioneers of K-pop. They combined hip hop with Western styles of music for the first time in South Korean history. “He [Seo Taiji] was a pioneer and experimented with new stuff, and people started to rally around him. In other words, it’s more of a messiah sort of figure, those who had a major impact. Now, once it picked up, the new companies begin to sort of sprout,” said Choi. The South Korean youth rallied around Seo Taiji partly due to the educational stress they are constantly being put under. Education is highly valued in Korean culture, and students are constantly put under the pressure of having to perform well in school. It is normal for students to attend after school cram schools called “hagwon” until 11 or 12 o’clock every day. Because of this, students have no time to relieve their stresses and vent. “Children’s lives from elementary school is extremely hard. Go to our multiple cram schools, stay at school for hours and hours,” Choi said. “They just can’t go on like that, Soundwave 15 Page Design by SoHyun Kim
they need some sort of outlet, some kind of venting system. Outlets through which they can forget about what’s going on at school, at home. And that was K-pop.” An example of this kind of explosive outlet portrayed in South Korean media is the drama Sky Castle. The
Today, teenagers dance, obsess over biases, and even sing K-pop songs in karaoke rooms with friends to relieve their emotions. The need to vent through physical movement is also very apparent in K-pop. K-pop is known for its intense choreographies that fans can dance along to, and the upbeat styles of
countries that influences culture in a more deep way than just music,” said Robert (Rob) from H1p3. “Within communities, if you go to the mall or something, you’ll see that there is a lot of fashion influences from Korea. And I think there’s a lot of subtle changes rather than a few glaring obvious ones.” The integration of Korean culture into an American one is a big step towards more opportunities and cultural representation as well. One of the first K-pop stars to receive international attention was Psy, a South Korean singer, songwriter, and music producer behind the international sensation“Gangnam Style” back in 2012. “Gangnam Style” was Youtube’s most watched video for five years after its release, garnering over 3 billion views.
The youngest member of the band BTS, Jungkook, is featured on the screen. BTS is interacting with fans during their Love Yourself: Answer world tour in Fort Worth. Photo Courtesy of Minyoung (Kate) Seon.
children in this drama are portrayed as being trapped by their parents and school, and need an outlet with which they let go of all of their stress.
is something “ There about Korean media
coming over to other countries that influences culture in a more deep way than just
music
“
-Robert (Rob) venger, member of H1p3
“It [Sky Castle] is an example of a very explosive outlet. Outlets through which they can forget about what’s going on at school, about their grades, about the sort of horror that they are dealing with at all,” Choi said.
group songs compliment this idea as well. “These young kids, these adolescents, they need to use their body, they need to sort of scream and run and all this violent activity,” Choi said. “It’s not like going to [the] movie theater and sitting there quietly for two hours, just eating popcorn. They need a more active and physical dimension...Group dance, boy bands and girl bands. They dress like students, act like students, so that they can relate.”
“Psy’s gangnam style was almost the beginning of [K-pop’s presence in America],” Rob said. “He kind of paved a road, almost, for the most influence more recently.” BTS is another K-pop group which has been gaining international attention recently. BTS is a sevenmember K-pop group that has seen immense international success in their careers, attending the Grammys and winning at the AMAs and Billboard Music Awards (BMAs).
Another example of the influence K-pop has had on individual lives is portrayed in the group H1p3. H1p3 is a K-pop dance group located in Dallas and has performed at multiple venues, dancing to popular K-pop choreographies. The combining of individuals of different cultures and backgrounds allows people to share their experiences due to K-pop.
K-pop groups and companies have always strived for more interaction with fans, with fan-meets and reality TV shows a common occurrence in a majority of K-pop groups. Fans are the driving force of K-pop, providing the income and success of the groups. Unlike American artists, where artists are more independent and sometimes even chase privacy from fans, K-pop is much more heavily dependent on the fans. At award shows, the first people K-pop groups thank are the fans, since they play such a monumental part in the success of the groups.
“There is something about Korean media coming over to other
“Bts is very self reflective and even critical of previous practices of
k-pop,” Choi said. “They don’t want to sort of follow the order from the top given by the manager and they want to think about their own story. They become candid and share it with the fans out there. They used SNS and they are participating in, you know, the sort of stressful and agony driven life of the youth. They care. It’s not just the big performance and underpayment, but they are also one of us. The kind of new connection being made is the message they’re sending to the world. Effective is usage of the heart. You know, emotion to establish a connection with fans.” BTS’s huge success and popularity in America has also paved the way for other K-pop artists to enter into the American domain. Many stars have begun to collaborate with American stars, such as Blackpink’s collaboration hit song “Kiss and Make Up” and Wendy from SM’s collaboration with John Legend in “Written In The Stars.” Collaborations, along with the frequent appearance of K-pop groups on American media through Twitter and Youtube, allow for more exposure of Korean culture in America. “We can kind of see with BTS coming into the country, we also see groups like NCT and Monsta X coming in as well and doing shows,” Rob said. “Also, American stars collaborating with groups in Korea.”
care. It’s “ They not just the big
performance and under-payment, but they are also one of us.
“
-Jungbong Choi, author of “K-pop: the International Rise of Korean Music Industry
K-pop also has the ability to provide new and unexpected job opportunities for the fans, as well as allowing for people from all different cultures to meet. Devoted
Rising K-pop group Blackpink performs their hit song “As If It’s Your Last.” This girl group has recently made their US debut, performing on Good Morning America and collaborating on a hit song called “Kiss and Make Up” with Dua Lipa. Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia (Fancam by RAS)
fans often take this opportunity to turn their love for the genre into a full-time career, with dance groups and social media platform founders emerging rapidly all over Twitter and Facebook. Lily Tinoco is the founder of K-pop Dallas, an online facebook page devoted to all things K-pop related. The community holds K-pop events throughout the year, gathering a mass following and showing the power K-pop has to provide new opportunities. “I’ve noticed that K-pop has brought together all walks of life,” Tinoco said. “People who would originally not be friends or ever mingle with have actually become friends and those who rarely socialized prior to kpop are able to socialize and flourish with people they feel comfortable with. It basically impacts our day to day living in a sense that we’ve been able to create friendships we never thought we would have made.” K-pop has a huge fanbase, filled with dedicated fans from all over the globe. The want to be closer to their idols pushes thousands of fans to buy tickets, sometimes costing over hundreds of dollars, to concerts every year. K-pop brings with it an excitement for the future it stores as well, with many fans hoping for new comebacks or more exposure on
the American media. As more and more people become exposed to the Korean culture and K-pop, it is likely that more groups will step into the American domain and media, whether it be in the form of appearance on Television or Award shows, or in the form of more collaborations with famous artists. “K-pop is growing at a fast rate, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to continue growing for years to come,” Aaron Lopez, a member of K-pop Dallas, said. Thousands of fans around the world share this same opinion as well. Even today, more tweets and hashtags relating to K-pop are rising up, and the influence of K-pop on the world is able to be witnessed on a global scale, every second. K-pop and its rapid growth in America has shown the world a new future of exposure and acculturation, with South Korean fashion and culture becoming more and more popularized in America as well. K-pop has grown as a music genre from its late formation to the present day, allowing for representation of South Korea in foreign cultures. America benefits from the constant growth of new media platforms and the spread of K-pop allows for both cultures to grow in their strengths both musically and culturally. Soundwave
17
Page Design by SoHyun Kim
The BTS album “Love Yourself: Tear� ranked #1 on the Billboard World Albums chart in 2018, marking a huge mileston for K-pop and its influence on the Western Hemisphere. They have become an international sensation, attending the Grammys and ranking on American charts year after year.
Source: Billboard World Albums Chart
Blackpink is a four-member girl group from YG Entertainment that has also been gaining popularity in the US. They appeared on Good Morning America and recently collaborated with famous pop singer Dua Lipa on a song called “Kiss and Make Up.”
Which K-pop groups are most well-known among teenagers?
80 Number of Votes by Teenage students
K-pop group Exo rose onto the Bilboard World Albums chart in 2015 with their album “Exodus”, marking the first time a K-pop boy band remained on the year end World Albums chart.
100
60 40 20 0
t
S ce lve BT Twi Ve d
Re
Source: survey by SoHyun Kim of LASA students
T o Ex NC
D
S SN
Soundave 19
Page Design by SoHyun Kim
f
rom St. Vincent to Frank Ocean, Troye Sivan to Brockhampton, it is hard to ignore the queer reckoning has come to pop music. New LGBTQ+ artists are popping up everywhere, in a variety of different genres. With this new and growing wave of representation in pop music, LGBTQ+ people are having their voices heard much clearer than before. But it’s not like there haven’t been artists who were members of the community in the past. So if LGBTQ+ artists have been around forever, so why haven’t they had as much success in the past as cishet artists? One of the bigger reasons LGBTQ+ artists have struggled to make, sell and promote their music lies in the U.S. government’s attitude towards homosexuality. Until 2003, fifteen states had laws ruling sodomy between same-sex couples illegal. These laws furthered stigmas against LGBTQ+ people, making their lives way harder than they should be, especially for LGBTQ+ musicians “It’s just like, hey, everybody likes these, these wild looking rock stars. But you know, if they were actually gay, then it would kill their careers.” said Jon Ginoli of Pansy Division. While touring with Green Day on their Dookie tour in 1994, Pansy Division, a band with pro-gay and pro-safe sex messages in their lyrics, were told by a promoter of a show in Virginia to “tone down” their performance.
by Lucy Gentile
Troye Sivan performs at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, TX on Sep 23, 2018. The show was one of the first on his Bloom Tour. Photo by Rebecca Harshman
Soundwave
21
Page Design by Lucy Gentile
“At the time in Virginia,Virginia had a sodomy law and I said to [the promoter], you know, the official message that kids get is that being gay is bad.” Jon Ginoli, the lead singer and guitarist of Pansy Division, said. “And we’re out there to change that and we’re not going to change our message by cleaning it up and we are going to give our full message.” The AIDS crisis also had an affect on the almost overwhelming public rejection of homosexuality. In the 1980s, HIV was still believed to be contracted solely by and from gay men, and furthered the demonization of the “homosexual lifestyle.” this event also contributed to the severe silencing of the community, and by extension, the voices of LGBTQ+ artists. “You know, I like being gay, I want to express myself, but we’ve got this crisis that is killing people. And one reason it’s killing people is political, is neglect from politicians on the republican side.” said Ginoli. “So I thought, I’m just going to have a band that is going to be, that is going to be pro gay and is going be singing about it and really specific ways, but also singing about the joys of it.” Because of these sodomy laws, the AIDS crisis and the general rejection of the LGBTQ+ community from Christians, homosexuality became an uncomfortable topic to speak of, especially amongst straight people. While there were LGBTQ+ artists who did make it into the mainstream music scene in the 70s and 80s, they often weren’t free to express themselves as such. For example, Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of a highly influential band in the 70’s and 80’s refused to address his sexuality in interviews, and say he wasn’t for any particular group. While his decision of ambiguity is important and essential in its own
Perfume Genius sings at the Day For Night Festival 2017 in Houston, TX. St. Vincent performs at ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, TX in February, 2018. The show was in support for her most recent album, MASSEDUCTION, released in late 2017. Photos Courtesy of Hayden Beaty
way, it’s also important to take note of his decision to not come out as strictly bisexual or let himself become an LGBTQ+ icon.
“
[Artists would] say things like, ‘well I don’t want to be a role model for people’. And I thought, I want to be a role model for people! I think we would be great role models.
talk about LGBTQ+ issues, helping spread the message that being LGBTQ+ doesn’t make you weird or a bad person. Kids now know they aren’t alone in whatever they are feeling, and they can always find people who will accept and support them for who they are. The internet not only gave LGBTQ+ people a platform to share their music, but also provided a safe space for members of the community who were struggling in the real world. It also helped people find music they enjoyed and they could relate to.
-Jon Ginoli, Lead Guitarist of Pansy Division
“for LGBTQ+ kids, that they now have plenty of people, especially people their own age, who they can find out about and watch and listen to online that, is really important and something I wish that we had had earlier” said Ginoli.
In the past two decades, the presence of the internet at easy access to almost everyone has made it much easier for LGBTQ+ artists to put out music. The introduction of the internet to the general public allowed people to, for the first time, connect with people they didn’t know over commonalities instantly. This system of sharing and receiving information has helped LGBTQ+ people find others who are just like them, and who share their experiences. The internet provided a place for people with a certain level of anonymity to come out and
Artists like Troye Sivan and Frank Ocean have made it into the mainstream largely with the help of the internet. Sivan began on YouTube in 2007, uploading videos of him singing, and later on, making personal vlogs. He came out on YouTube in 2013, and received lots of support from both the LGBTQ+ and Youtube community, along with half a million new subscribers over the next 2 months after the video was posted. Fast forward to the following year, when he released his first EP TRXYE, which received overwhelming support, debuting at
“
No. 1 on iTunes in over 55 countries. Over the years, his popularity has only grown. Frank Ocean began his rap career as a member of the rap group Odd Future, consisting of fellow rappers Tyler, the Creator, Domo Genesis, and Earl Sweatshirt. Shortly after being featured on the song “Steamroller” by Genesis, he began to write music for himself and debuted with his first album, nostalgia, ULTRA, releasing it himself through Bandcamp. His career gained momentum after his debut studio release Channel Orange, however, and in 2013, Ocean came out on his tumblr through an open letter describing his first love; a man. In 2016, Ocean only furthered his success with his sophomore album Blonde, which has been described as one of the greatest albums of our generation. To this day, he can be found on the Billboard Top 100 Artists. “LGBTQ+ people haven’t had their voices heard like this before on such a large scale,” said Jaden Woods, a member of the Austin-based band Alien Skinny. “and its important that now children can see these people as role models and as an example of what they can become.”
I don’t want to be a role model for people’. And I thought, I want to be a role model for people! I think we would be great role models.” One of the best parts about this influx of new LGBTQ+ artists in the mainstream music scene is that they aren’t being separated from cishet artists. They are making music just as any other artist would, and unlike the LGBTQ+ artists before them, they don’t feel the need to be extreme or over the top explicit about their sexuality or gender identity to convey a message. An example being Pansy Division with overtly sexual songs such as “The Cocksucker Club” or “Dick of Death”. It isn’t as if the artists today are hiding their identity, but they are able to portray it in the same ways straight and cis artists do. “Artists like Hayley Kiyoko or Troye Sivan have this aura of, ‘yes, i’m gay and I won’t let anyone tell me this part of me is wrong’.” said Cameron Wheeler from the student-led band Regal Young Adults. “I think it’s really admirable”.
From Hayley Kiyoko’s debut album Expectations, she sings about a girl on her song “What I Need” who is trying to keep their relationship a secret. Kiyoko expresses her frustrations through lyrics like the following: “I only want a girl who ain’t afraid to love me/ Not a metaphor of what we really could be/ Oh, I ain’t putting on a show”. Now with a growing number of newly out and proud artists in the mainstream, and an even larger number of underground LGBTQ+ artists, we can only anticipate further increase of LGBTQ+ representation in the media. “It used to be that I kept a list, when we were starting to tour in the early nineties; if I heard about a gay band... I’d write it down... And now the list is so long, it’s impossible to keep” said Ginoli.
The presence of these LGBTQ+ people in popular media and especially music is extremely important because it gives young people who are questioning their identities and struggling with homophobia someone they can look up to and believe they aren’t wrong or defective. “One of the things that kind of got Pansy Division motivated in the first place was we knew that there were gay rock musicians who weren’t out,” said Ginoli. “and people would be asked about it and they would dodge the question in interviews and say things like, ‘well
Devonte Hynes, also known as Blood Orange, performs at his show at Emo’s in Austin, TX. The show was in support of his most recent album Negro Swan, released in 2018. Photo Courtesy of Rebecca Harshman Hayley Kiyoko sings “Girls Like Girls” at Emo’s in Austin, TX on Sep 23, 2018. The song, released in 2015, helped spur a wave of LGBTQ+ fans for Kiyoko. Photo Courtesy of Hayden Beaty
Soundwave
23
Page Design by Lucy Gentile
Came out as gay in 1972, bisexual in 1976, and then as a closet heterosexual years later. Challenged gender stereotypes. Projected otherness that members of the community could relate to. Stonewall marked the start of the LGBT rights movement, but Bowie brought images of homosexuality and nonconforming gender expression into everyone’s homes. Influenced the dramatic makeup and theatrics of artists like pet shop boys and Boy George.
David Bowie
Came out to the public as gay following the explosion of popularity that came along with “Latch” by Disclosure, where they were featured. Then, in 2017, came out as genderqueer to the public with the release of their sophomore album The Thrill of it All. Arguably one of the first widely accepted LGBTQ+ artists in mainstream pop music.
Sam Smith (1992-)
(1947-2016)
A Recent History of LGBTQ+ in Music First came out as bisexual in 1976, then came out as gay later. Has collaborated with artists such as Tom Robinson and RuPaul in support of the community. John has put out many songs over the years outlining his experience and those of others in the LGBT community. Uses flamboyant dress in concert.
Elton John (1947-)
Helped open the conversation about homosexuality. Refused to come out or justify his sexuality. Iconic “I Want to Break Free” music video, songs that outline homosexual experience, including AIDS epidemic. Even though diagnosed with HIV, didn’t let himself become the poster boy for AIDS; showed support without garnering the pity.
Freddie Mercury
(1946-1991)
Visibility of LGBTQ+ people has become more and more prominent over the years since the Stonewall riots in 1969. Like dominoes, the actions of one artist would influence others to follow in their footsteps. These artists are just some of the many who helped pave the way for LGBTQ+ artists in the future
Came out as a transgender woman publicly in 2012, 15 years into her band Against Me!’s history. Has been extremely influential in the punk scene in terms of LGBTQ+ visibility. Worked with fellow LGBTQ+ artists in advocating for LGBTQ+ youth.
Has promoted himself as extremely flamboyant and androgynous since the release of his debut album release in 2010. Wrote the queer anthem of 2014, “Queen”, now found on thousands of LGBTQ+ playlists. Has campaigned for the rights of LGBTQ+ people everywhere both through his music and charity.
Laura Jane Grace
Perfume Genius (1981-)
(1980-)
Has displayed stark LGBT themes through lyrics,in countless songs. Kept his sexuality very ambiguous, finally settling on ‘humasexual’, or being attracted to humans in 2013. Pointed out that it shouldn’t matter who you goes to bed with, showing a generation of young and confused people that it is okay not to know who you are.
Morrissey (1959-)
Came out as lesbian in 1993, though she never attempted to conceal her sexuality in her music. Has openly advocated for LGBTQ+ rights since her coming out. Penned “Come To My Both Window”, a song that quickly became an sisters are anthem for LGBTQ+ fans of folk rock all openly gay and over the world. have been since their debut album in Melissa Etheridge 1999. Began to bring (1961-) lesbian visibility to indie pop music. Spoken about on LGBTQ+ issues, including the Pulse Shooting in Orlando in 2016.
Tegan and Sara
(1980-)
Came out as a lesbian in1992 against the wishes of her label. Created unapologetic music that didn’t conceal her identity. Was uncompromising in her appearance, sporting suits and a short haircut. Opened the door for queer women in Country. Supported many causes for HIV/AIDS research.
K.D. Lang (1961-)
Soundwave
25
Page Design by Lucy Gentile
Meet the Editors Elizabeth Smith is the copy editor. She is an outgoing, adventurous person who especially enjoys playing guitar and writing, rapping, singing, sketching, and predicting the weather. Outside of school, she is part of Science Olympiad and Stage Band. Due to her interest in Austin music and pop and rock genres, she very much enjoyed contributing to this magazine. Some of her favorite artists are Twenty One Pilots, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At The Disco.
Jonathan Woo is the features editor. Outside of school, he enjoys listening to rap music, shopping for overpriced clothes, and relaxing with his dog, Dolly. Due to his interest in writing and love of rap music, he enjoyed contributing to this magazine. Some of his favorite musical artists are Playboi Carti, Gunna, A$AP Rocky, and DaBaby.
SoHyun Kim is the photo editor. Ever since her discovery of the K-pop band Big Bang back in 2016, she has been an avid listener of all genres of music, dedicating most of her time to searching for music that suits her taste. Due to her interests in graphic designing and her combined love of music, this magazine was an exciting opportunity and proved to be a fresh experience. Some of her favorite artists include BTS, Ikon, and Blackpink.
Lucy Gentile is the layout editor. She is on the LBJ girls Lacrosse team, and she plans on studying communication design. She enjoys spending her time reading, painting, and playing the guitar outside of school. Due to her avid interest in both music and graphic design, creating this magazine was a very satisfying experience for her. Some of her favorite artists are Foo Fighters, the Strokes, and Beach House. Photos by Lucy Sugawa
Letter From the Editors Dear reader, Thank you for reading our magazine! The name ‘Soundwave’ comes from how the movement of ideas in popular music acts in waves and trends. Soundwave is a magazine that explores areas of interest in popular music today, and the importance of music to popular culture. Our magazine features four stories-all focusing on separate genres. We decided that since we all took so much pleasure in listening to our favorite artists daily, that we would want to share that pleasure with readers who may not have heard or acknowledged genres that shaped us as people. We thought that we should not only show how prominent some of these areas of interest are becoming, but also why they are so important to listeners. We have been preparing our magazine for publication since early January, and have worked extremely hard in order to make it the best that it can possibly be. Finally, we have a product that we can be proud of. We hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as we did making it. With Love, Lucy Gentile, Elizabeth Smith, SoHyun Kim, and Jonathan Woo
Soundwave 27
Page Design by Jonathan Woo
Soundwave Editor’s Playlist
Are you interested in exploring new music you haven’t heard before from one (or more!) of the musical phenomena sweeping the western world? If so, we have just the playlist for you! With 12 songs, the Soundwave Editor’s Playlist contains some of the basic tracks you need to get down to the funky sound!
Use the code above to access this playlist on Spotify!
Follow us on Spotify
Soundwave Magazine
Snake Farm by Ray Wylie Hubbard Photo Courtesy of Sustain Records
Mama by My Chemical Romance Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros
hell all-american by Death Spells Photo Courtesy of Vagrant Records
wokeuplikethis* by Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert Photo Courtesy of AWGE/Interscope Records
Potato Salad by Tyler, The Creator, A$AP Rocky Photo Courtesy of Columbia Records
RAF by A$AP Mob, A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Quavo, Lil Uzi Vert, Frank Ocean Photo Courtesy of RCA Records Mikrokosmos by BTS Photo Courtesy of Bighit Entertainment
Kill This Love by Blackpink Photo Courtesy of YG Entertainment
Fine by TAEYEON Photo Courtesy of SM Entertainment
My My My! by Troye Sivan Photo Courtesy of Capital Records
Feelings by Hayley Kiyoko Photo Courtesy of Empire/Atlantic Records
I Want To Break Free by Queen Photo Courtesy of Capital Records
Soundwave
29
Page Design by Lucy Gentile