Issue 64: Remembering SOPHIE by tastemakers

SOPHIE

northeastern students on music

The Revival of Pop Music |

The producer who changed what pop music could be.

REMEMBERING

No 64

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Staff Staff Writers Alex Sumas Amanda Lavery Amanda Sturm Amy Oh Andrew Quercio Asher Rappaport Bryan Grady Carleigh Sussman Charles Stein Chelsea Henderson Desmond LaFave Erin Merkel Ethan Matthews Gabriel Winston-Bailey Gianna Mattessich Grant Foskett Hannah Lowicki Harrison Jumper Hue-Ninh Nguyen Jayden Khatib Jessica Gwardschaladse Jordan Ament Joshua Stone

Kaitlin Kerr Katherine Miner Lacie Foreht Lucas Cooperman Max Rubenstein Max Seaman Maya Lucia Michael Hrinda Miles Kirsch Mona Yu Neeloy Bose Nora Holland Oliver Buckley Olivia Hally Rachel Cerato Rayven Tate Rebecca Freedman Robert Hyland Ryan Clark Sabrina Zhang Sarah Lamodi Seamus Fay Sean Stewart Seth Hunnewell Sonia Popovic Taylor Piepenbrink Terrance Dumoulin Theodore Kypreos Thomas Richmond Willa Shiomos Art & Design Angela Lin Catherine Terkildsen Erin Solomon Gabrielle Bruck Haidyn Redmond Hannah Ahn Jenny Chen Laura Mattingly Livia Lemgruer Maia Fernandez Baigun Maryanne Fu Maura Intermann Megan Lam Michelle D’Alessandro Nicholas Alonzo Norman Zeng Sadhana Pakala Vanessa Peng Promotions Alayna Thomas Anita Shanker Chelsea Henderson Emily Greenberg Gisele St. Geme Hannah Lowicki Hung-Chih Huang James Senior Jenny Chen Jessica Gwardschaladse Joshua Stone

Kimmy Curry Matthew Rose Roshni Subramonian Rosie Scott Russell Zingler Sofia Maricevic Photography Abigail Johnson Alekhya Rekapalli Alex Pesek Alex Sumas Angela Lin Annina Hare Brandon Yap Brinda Dhawan Cali Cardenas Caroline Lidz Casey Buttke Catherine Argyrople Christian Gomez Corey Watanabe Daniel Chin Emily Greenberg Emily Gringorton Evan Daniels Frances Lee Graham Moitoso Hang Nguyen Hannah Lee Isabel Gonzalez Isabelle Harris Jonstantin Rezchikov Josh Rosenberg Joshua Stone Julia Aguam Kelly Thomas Kimmy Curry Kristen Chen Lauren Scornavacca Loretta Querceto Matt Streibich Mikhail Dorokhov Natalie McGowan Randall Gee Rayn Tavares Rayven Tate Reine Lederer Risa Tapanes Sadhana Pakala Sadie Parker Sebastian Wicke Stuti Phalahari Verena Calista Irawan Wanja Njama Web Hung-Chih Huang

Meet the Staff

About Bryan Grady Position Staff Writer Major Political Science Graduating 2022 Favorite Venue Boch Wang Theatre Tastemaker Since Fall 2018

Nick Alonzo Position Designer Major Architecture Graduating 2024 Favorite Venue Knitting Factory, NYC Tastemaker Since Spring 2019

Hannah Lowicki Position Social Media Director Major Marketing Graduating 2023 Favorite Venue The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ Tastemaker Since Fall 2018

Listening to

Endless Twilight of Codependent Love Sólstafir Midnight Guitar Sum Sum Nana Yamat “Before Sunrise”

Tall Ships “Vessels” 100 gecs “Toothless”

Quote

“I just want to say ‘hell yeah brother’ as I drink non-alcoholic beer through one of those beer helmets while watching a dog show.’

“Good bitmoji story today”

Car Seat Headrest “Joe Goes to School”

Kanye West Yeezus A Perfect Circle “The Hollow”

“Follow my TikTok @ seapunkhistorian :p”

Elliot Smith “No Name #1”

Sammie Cirillo Position Photographer Major Enviornmental Science Graduating 2023 Favorite Venue The Sonia Tastemaker Since Spring 2020

Phoebe Bridgers Strangers in the Alps Arlo Parks “Black Dog” Barbra Lewis “Hello Stranger”

“I just want to make it through Phoebe’s album once without crying”

Taylor Swift, Gillette

Photo by Lauren Scornavacca (Industrial Engineering)

Table of Contents Cover Story

Editorials

Etcetera

Remembering SOPHIE Looking back on the all-tooshort career of radical pop music pioneer and queer icon SOPHIE.

Yacht rock is a carefree, trivial slice of paradise that when done right, can pacify the weight of the world, and that’s something we all need right about now.

Features

8 10

Spotify Unwrapped Despite its immense power to do otherwise, Spotify’s platform encourages a passive listening style that never forces listeners out of their comfort zone.

Concept of Celebrity The concept of celebrity has rapidly evolved with the rise of social media, but we must question whether we can truly ever have a healthy understanding of those that we can only perceive from a periphery.

“Dirty Girls” - Riot Grrrl, Kinderwhore, and Subverting Expectations Through Style

What Happens When You Give Your Pet the Aux? Do dogs actually like classical music? New studies point to yes. Cats are a different story, though...

Shakira: Queen of Latin Music Truly the queen of Latin music, Shakira is not only one of the world’s best-selling artists, but also one of its most versatile.

You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat

Loss, Longing, and Weird Fishes Radiohead’s original and Lianne La Havas’ cover of “Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi” serve as emotional foils to one another, showcasing the vulnerable before and after of a relationship.

Iggy Azalea is a contentious figure in hip-hop, and for good reason, but there’s still a spark of promise that her career can blossom into the creativity and success she has seen glimpses of.

Local Talent

23 47

Where Music Awards Fail Lack of diversity in music awards is not a new phenomenon, but rather a recently recognized one that has left fans feeling unrepresented and fails to represent the true diversity of popular music.

Rockstar Made Are rappers the new rockstars? The age-old question returns for a definitive answer.

Local Talent: Gilanares Gilanares talks about her inspirations, her persona, and the nerves of playing live for the first time.

Local Talent: Eva Ullmann Hear from singer-songwriter Eva Ullmann about her debut album, TikTok, and the Northeastern music scene.

Interview

Hearts and Minds: A Consideration of Political Music It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing political art is somehow more meaningful than other art, but this dangerously narrow perspective ignores the true role of art in our lives.

Learn about the history of feminist cultural subversion of riot grrl and kinderwhore fashion and music.

In Defense of Iggy Azalea

An Interview with Maude Latour Hear from rising star Maude Latour about college, labels, and interacting with fans

Reviews

Album Reviews Slowthai, Hayley Williams, and Judas and the Black Messiah.

Designer: Megan Lam (Architecture)

Interview

This interview has been edited for clarity. Tastemakers Magazine (TMM): I think that it’s really cool how you’re able to do all that you do and you’re still in college. How do you balance being a college student and also wanting to do music full time, while being an independent artist? Maude Latour (ML): My music career has been in the background of my entire college experience. I made a promise to myself that I would always choose music between the two in choosing how to spend my time, and just be committed to that first and foremost. There’s so many awesome parts of it. I feel like I’m majoring in my project. I’m taking classes to nurture my curiosity, and stay inspired by linguistics and philosophy and romantic poetry and screenwriting and everything very creative. For me it really works but it has been getting harder lately. I actually need it to be summer right now. TMM: You mentioned philosophy, and I’ve noticed that you post a lot about philosophy on your Instagram story. So I’m wondering, how does that connect to your songwriting?

Spring 2021

ML: It’s changed how I argue and how I think about other people’s beliefs. I do really go in and out of loving it and hating it. There’s a lot of discussion on the self and identity, and being an individual or not being an individual, or like nothingness and everythingness, how we know things and how we can prove that we know things. And it’s all quenching the same desire to me, just like being ravenously curious and thinking about love in art and aesthetics. It’s all part of exploring and that’s what I use music for as well. I really love how they complement each other.

TMM: That’s awesome. I feel like that goes along with the fact that people love how honest and genuine your music is. What is your creative process like and how are you able to create such genuine art that people resonate with? ML: Totally. I mean, I have a really deep promise to myself that I will only write songs that have to come out. I will only make songs when it’s burning up inside of me and it needs to exist, and that’s the role songwriting plays in my life. It’s like a journal. It’s like a check in. It’s never for the sake of making a song, it’s always because I need it to go through something. I only want to make songs that I rely on, and use to capture my life. Because those are my rules for it, I think it ends up being that for other people as well. TMM: I have heard you say on a livestream that you’re waiting to put out the music that you really want to be making and that it’s going to be crazy. What is that going to be like? ML: Oh gosh, totally. So it’s a funny dilemma that comes with that, in that I have these predictions for how a future body of work will sound and I’m realizing that I don’t want to box myself into that. I haven’t had the creative luxury yet fully to say “Oh, there’s enough people listening now, let me make a six minute song.” One of my goals is to earn an audience that will listen to every single syllable and analyze every moment of it. That’s where I see this certain project that I dream about every single night. TMM: I’m really excited to hear it. So, going back to career-wise questions, do you see yourself signing with a label eventually?

ML: I do want to eventually. My goal is to do this, I don’t need to do it alone. The only purpose of signing would be to finally build out the world that I see in my head. Everything has been with my babysitting money so far. I think my fans deserve the best version of what I see all of this as. It really inspires me. I’m so glad I got these years of being independent because now I just know who I am and what I want to build and who my fans are. I feel so in charge of my vision and I would only use the label to execute the vision. TMM: I always notice the way you interact with your fans and it’s incredible, like with your Instagram therapy sessions, Zoom parties and live streams. What does all of that mean to you? ML: I agree, it’s such a unique thing about this project, and I feel like it’s the most me part of all of it. When I’m making music, I’m making something that is the most my taste in the world. Then, to find other people than that like it, just our hearts just must be similarly shaped. It’s a direct antidote to being lonely. When people are like, “Holy shit, I just heard your music. And this is exactly my taste in music. I can’t believe I found it!” I’m like “Oh my God same bro!” It’s so crazy. TMM: As you’re growing and gaining popularity, do you think that you’ll continue to interact with your fans the way that you do now? ML: Yeah I hope that will always stay. It’s funny, like even in the past year, I used to respond to every single DM and every single comment, and that’s been my mentality for four years, and that’s how I feel like it’s grown. But I literally can’t anymore. But there’s new ways to evolve. I’m sure I’ll see a lot more people in real life and meet people at shows. I think the music will always feel like just you and me talking. I hope I only get to meet people more and and feel even closer to them.

TMM: In “Furniture” you say you don’t want to be famous. Do you still feel like that? What are your thoughts on fame and recognition? ML: Oh gosh it’s so hard. I’ve had more and more fear and confusion about it. I think in this new era of digital everything, maybe fame doesn’t need to mean the same thing it did. I think as long as I’m focusing on the music first and foremost, that’s it, that’s all that matters. I look up to people who feel like that. Lorde for example, she’s just about the music. If the music is good nothing else matters. I haven’t felt the effects of it yet, like I don’t think I’m super famous. I haven’t felt the perks of [fame] yet because I’ve been in my room. Maybe I’ll enjoy some of that one day. But it feels simply scary. I think just focusing on the music is just going to be my strategy. I honestly don’t know. Let’s check back in on this question in a year because I have no idea. • Emily Greenberg (Communications)

Feature

Spotify Unwrapped

Designer: Norman Zeng (Graphic Design)

How the Spotify Algorithm Creates Passive Listening 2020’s Spotify Wrapped, the computer-based year end review that analyzes and presents listeners’ musical habits, took many by surprise this year. While in the past listeners may have received “Indie Pop” or “Neo-Soul” as their Top Genre, this year one of Spotify’s main goals was to pinpoint more specific genres: this total tallying up somewhere around 5,000. Whether it be Swedish techno, Gypsy Punk, Deep Psychobilly, or Neo-Jazz Soul, Spotify’s newest set of goals is around defining every possible sub-genre (or sub-sub-subsub genre) that their audience may take an interest in. But where does this broad list of individualized genres go? How many people actually listen to Kentucky hard metal, and why doesn’t Malaysian Mandopop show up on your discover weekly playlist? Rather than using this analytical tool to introduce listeners to various sounds, Spotify uses it to further box in and segregate listeners’ tastes, ensuring that they never have to leave their comfortable corner of musical space.

Meeting the Algorithm I usually reference “The Algorithm” sarcastically, when a friend is in awe that Spotify’s Discover Weekly feature predicted their new favorite song. The algorithm, or more specifically multiple smaller algorithms, create personalized playlists for every unique Spotify user based on previous listening habits and one of the prized algorithmbased playlists is the Discover Weekly. Every week, a playlist is released for each spotify consumer based on a computer-generated analysis of their listening habits. The algorithm does this by analyzing groups of songs, and searching through playlists (both official and

Spring 2021

nonofficial) to find overlaps within these song groupings. For example, if you listen to Phoebe Bridgers’ Kyoto and Mitski’s Strawberry Blonde on repeat for a month, the algorithm will then search through thousands of playlists that feature both songs, and then choose another title that is frequently placed in playlists with the former two, then adding it to your playlist- why Soccer Mommy’s latest single being at the top of your Discover Weekly isn’t nearly as coincidental as it may seem. In addition to creating personally catered playlists, Spotify is also responsible for creating broad playlists with huge audiences. Some are formatted around genre- like the widely successful “RapCaviar,” while others are catered towards specific moods: “Down in the Dumps,” and still others are curated around a single artist: “Pop Smoke Radio.”Then, of course, there are those like the algorithm-created “The Most Beautiful Songs in the World” playlist. These playlists aren’t created through personal parameters, but rather broad terms: analysis of tempo, instrumentation, electronic influence, acoustic-ness, and ‘timbral emotion’. These parameters are understandable for artist and genre based playlists- Rap Caviar seeks certain intense rhythmic choices and lack of melodic structure, while the algorithm searching for additions to the Rock playlist searches for guitar and drums. However, these parameters become more vague when considering something like “Most Beautiful Songs in the World.”. A computer-based algorithm takes listener ownership out of deciding what ‘beauty’ consists of and defines something as seemingly subjective as “beauty” within the bounds of computerbased parameters.

Individual Sound

Chill Beats and Focus Music

When you open up to the “Homepage” on your Spotify account, you are immediately bombarded with listening options that give the illusion of choice. However, these options have been carefully selected based on time of day, recently played music, new releases catered to your sonic palette, your top songs from five years ago, and various other personal recommendations, along with general “Chart Topping” and broader-genre playlists farther down the screen. While the carefully curated variations on Melodic Rap playlists do please A Boogie listeners, and similarly the Dear Evan Hansen-based modern show tunes please theatre kids, they also turn one’s homepage into a sonic echo chamber, where listeners are only ever recommended the genres that suit them. If you enjoy 1960s and 70s Rock n Roll, Spotify will probably never recommend Bad Bunny or Billie Eilish even though you may find their sound intriguing. To add to the list of the countless ways Spotify has redefined our listening habits is their approach to album-centered listening. The album is not one of Spotify’s top priorities, and the impacts of this can be seen as the music industry moves farther away from the idea of an album, and towards ideas of “eras,” “projects” and singles. Even if you do seek out a specific album, Spotify doesn’t stop playing at the final track (like vinyl, CDs, or even iTunes would). It instead generates other, similar music you might enjoy, using the album as yet another indicator of your habits. This lack of a stopping point and ongoing continuation can create a passive listener, one who relies on Spotify’s algorithm to play and choose music for them, rather than actively choosing to listen to various artists or albums.

Another almost exclusively Spotify-invented idea is that of Chill Beats and lofi hip hop. Subgenres of both chill and study music are extraordinarily popular on Spotify, and are genres primarily composed exclusively not to stimulate thought by their content. Though most definitions of art and music refer to the communication of an idea, these playlists are designed specifically not to provoke any thought about the content or communicate potentially distracting ideas. As Western society continues to value productivity over creativity, Chill Hop and Study Music are forms in which Spotify has catered to and created new capitalism-influenced genres. It is clear that Spotify can successfully create a “passive listener,”, whether through hyperfocusing on playlists, deemphasizing the album, the continuity of listening, or study and chill music. While Spotify has undoubtedly positive impacts on the music industry in regards to accessibility and social communication, active listening is simply not their priority. However, listeners can flip Spotify’s algorithm on its head, forcing it into a fluid, genre-bending way of using music as a social tool for connectivity, even though the business model may not do so. So truly take advantage of the millions of songs on Spotify. Next time you feel the urge to put on a mindless Chill Hip Hop playlist with friends, instead try a song from the playlist of Nordic Space Rock. Or Andean flute. Or Gujarati Pop. Throw the algorithm for a loop before clicking over to Chill Hop. Spotify puts the resources in our hands for $9.99 a month, and it is our responsibility to use them well.

Differences

• Katherine Miner (Music)

While Spotify’s ever-specified genre definitions seem like a positive thing on the surface- they enforce human difference in a formulaic manner. The history of genre definition in the American music industry is almost exclusively tied with race- with the origins of “race” and “hillbilly” records segregating black and white sound, and eventually morphing into “R&B,” “Soul,” “Jazz” and “Hip Hop,” and “Country,” with other offshoots like Rock, Indie, and Funk sprouting up along the way. The American Recording Industry systemically and historically associates genre with race, and though Spotify did not create this problem, their algorithm certainly emphasizes it. Though it isn’t Spotify’s sole responsibility to fix industry-wide systemic racism, they do have opportunities to address it. Instead of focusing solely on the differences between genres, Spotify could use their detailed algorithm to identify intergenre similarities, and recommend new genres to listeners that are just far enough outside of comfort zones to spark intrigue without fear. Spotify has the tools to start fixing the genre, and therefore race, based zones of musical confirmation bias.

Feature

SHAKIRA Queen

Spring 2021

L a ti n M us ic

Struggling with the initial release of her first two albums, it wasn’t until her fourth release that she gained popularity within the Latin American region. Honing her English skills soon after provided Shakira control over writing as she crossed over leading to her success as an international sensation. Shakira is hands on in her career, fostering co-writing and co-production on the majority of songs in her catalog. She is acclaimed for her versatility in music, experimenting between styles of folk, rock, electropop, and dancehall.

Pies Descalzos (1995)

Dónde Están Los Ladrones (1998)

Before Pies Descalzos, Shaira had released two albums – Peligro (1991) and Magia (1993). At her request, they were removed from music markets. The single “Magia” survived as a promotional single in 1991. Pies Descalzos was a revival for Shakira’s career, serving as her breakthrough record. She co-wrote and co-produced the entirety of the album, which is driven by guitar centric songs and pop ballads. Her single “Estoy AquÍ” became the first track by Shakira to peak on Billboard’s Latin Pop charts.

After the success of Pies Descalzos, Shakira was introduced to one of the most important producers in the Hispanic market, Emilio Estefan. Estefan is credited with launching crossover careers into the United States market with stars such as Enrique Iglesias. With Estefan as her manager and executive producer, Dónde Están Los Ladrones continued to elevate Shakira’s prominence. The creation of the album, however, begins with tragedy. At the time Shakira was preparing for the album, she had filled a briefcase full of song lyrics. The briefcase was stolen at Colombia’s El Dorado airport, leading her to name the album after the thieves who had stolen her music.

Designer: Gabby Bruck (Computer Science & Design)

Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. Shakira began writing poetry at the age of four, later transforming her words into songs. Beginning her career at age 13 by signing with Sony Colombia, Shakira’s breakthrough into international markets was not linear.

Feature Spring 2021

Laundry Service (2001)

Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 & Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005)

Encouraged by star Gloria Estefan to record songs in English, the initially hesitant Shakira soon shifted her focus to mastering the language in order to write proficiently in both tongues. The title encompassed themes of what Shakira called her two passions: love and music. Laundry Service incorporated a blend of styles including Middle Eastern, rap, and 70s rock. It was met with mixed reviews and claims of genericism and playing things too safe. The album was re-released a year later in Latin American countries as Servicio de Lavandería in January of 2002.

Following her 2001 international success, Shakira planned to release a follow up album in Spanish. Co-writing nearly 60 songs for the record, she divided them into two volumes, carefully selecting her favorites. Tracks were written completely in Spanish, with crossovers onto the following volume Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. Launching Shakira into the mainstream with “Hips Don’t Lie,” Oral Fixation opened the star to an even broader audience. The artwork for both albums were inspired by the biblical story of Eve, as Shakira noted she wanted “to attribute to Eve one more reason to bite the forbidden fruit, and that would be her oral fixation.”

She Wolf (2009)

Sale el Sol (2010)

Noted as Shakira’s least personal and most sexual album to date. She Wolf was written based on fantasy, taking the perspective of outsiders looking into her life. For She Wolf, Shakira wanted to make a dance-oriented album that empowered women. It is the only album on her discography without a feature, ballad or sad song. The album shifted Shakira from her usual Latin and rock influences to the world of electropop.

Leading with international hit, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” Shakira began work on Sale el Sol. Dubbed as a return to her roots after electropop exploration on She Wolf, Sale el Sol fused together rock and pop elements of her earlier work. Shakira split the album into three “directions”: a romantic side, a “rock and roll” side, and a “Latino, tropical” side. Shakira noted her desire to experiment with meringue for the album, as it was foundational throughout much of her childhood. As a contrast to the former She Wolf, Shakira noted Sale el Sol as her most genuine and personal albums.

Shakira. (2014) The self titled Shakira incorporates the artists diverse music style with genres ranging from reggae to rock, as well as elements of dance and country. Lyrics explore Shakira’s newfound motherhood, romantic relationships and personal happiness. Shakira explained the album’s title came from the project’s lack of concept, but instead its production helped her pave a path for rediscovery. Many criticized the album, dubbing it as a sell out to the American sound, rather than a true authentic Shakira sound.

El Dorado (2017) Shakira’s most recent studio album came after the birth of her second child. Suffering from writer’s block, Shakira felt uncertain about the future of her career. After the release of the single “La Bicicleta” with Carlos Vives and support from her partner Gerard Piqué, Shakira began writing El Dorado. The album focuses on her relationship with Piqué, garnering praise from critics for the album’s coherency and fun, yet mature writing. El Dorado is primarily a Spanish album, with only three songs in English. Maya Lucia (Communication, Media and Screen Studies)

Designer: Maia Fernandez Baigun (Communications and Graphic Design)

Etcetera Spring 2021

Iggy Azalea In Defense of

Iggy Azalea has always been a contentious figure within hip-hop. Old tweets have plagued the rapper’s career as early as 2012, and a controversial line equating herself to a runaway slave master on her 2011 debut mixtape Ignorant Art initiated her rapping career with overt racism. Cultural appropriation symbolized the public’s perception of Azalea for years, as her background as a white Australian woman makes her use of a Southern U.S. accent, co-opting Southern Blackness, undisguised sonic blackface. Her failure to participate in the Black Lives Matter movement in 2014, unlike nearly every other member of the hip-hop community, showed her readiness to capitalize on Black culture without respecting and fighting for those who created it. Her personality is even more disliked, as is apparent in her extensive feud with Azealia Banks and many other artists, even managing to pick a fight with Papa John’s. Amidst constant controversies, Azalea was simultaneously making headlines as a breakout act. Her 2014 single “Fancy” catapulted her into the spotlight, and along with the subsequent “Problem” with Ariana Grande, Azalea became the second artist ever, after The Beatles, to have their first two Billboard Hot 100 entries chart at #1 and #2. Her debut album “The New Classic” was released in April of that year, and was met with commercial success and modest critical acclaim. “Black Widow,” debuting at #3 on the Hot 100, cemented her placement as a top artist of the year. However, her career soon began suffering as a direct result of the controversies she created. Her 2015 “Great Escape” tour was pushed back and eventually canceled, and her 2016 sophomore record Digital Distortion was completely

scrapped after countless delays. In 2018, she announced that a new second album would be released in February, but even that was eventually turned into an EP instead. If her racist sentiments had not already tarnished her image enough, the continuous setback of project after project significantly impaired her respectability as a creative. But is Azalea’s music as callous as her image would suggest? While she would never see the commercial success of the titanic “Fancy” again, her style evolved substantially from her debut record through her eventual 2019 sophomore album In My Defense. “Pretty Girls” with Britney Spears in 2015 and “Team” in 2016 incorporated similar electropop dance synths, attempting to recreate the success of The New Classic to moderate success. Azalea showed impressive breadth with 2017’s “Switch” featuring Brazilian superstar Anitta, incorporating heavy elements from Latin Pop infrequently seen in hip-hop. While her 2018 second-album-turned-EP “Survive the Summer” regressed lyrically to toxic, self-absorbed bars, it still developed Azalea’s artistry into lyrical expression over minimalist baselines. In My Defense showed little self-awareness in its relentless idolization of flex culture, but Azalea’s foray into minimalism fully materialized in the record. Contrasted against tracks on The New Classic like “Fuck Love,” the record’s lead single “Sally Walker” presents a daringly sparse beat, cleverly construing a classic nursery rhyme into a spectacle of her wealth and appearance. “Started” successfully tells the story of her success in a similar manner via a whirring synth overlaid with a simple bassline. Both tracks are infectious in their simplicity, echoing Lorde’s 2013 reinvention of pop music via raw, powerful vocals, even if with less nuance. Azalea’s discography displays the development of various sonic influences, producing multiple iconic highlights like “Sally Walker,” but her unimpressive songwriting and countless controversies over her racism have extinguished the promising spark that was the beginning of her career. There is certainly a place in hip-hop for a rapper like Azalea, providing she advances lyrically, develops self awareness, and apologizes for her racist past (and genuinely means it). Hopefully she can begin to piece together the shattered remains of her mainstream success and blossom into the creative she once showed the promise of becoming. • Ethan Matthews (Architecture)

Celebrity

Designer: Vanessa Peng (Business Administration and Design)

Concept of

The concept of celebrity, to some, may appear to be a structural institution. It is one that rewards and deifies those who have already held more access to wealth and power than most are able to even imagine. Yet, the boundaries of celebrity are not definite. Even the word itself calls to mind vague ideations of the A-listers and megastars that dominate the media we consume. But what does it really even mean to be a celebrity in an age of apathy, and how does the general malaise of our time affect how we perceive those who seek to entertain us? The quintessential pop star has always seemed to be someone both bigger and bolder than life itself with a uniquely-gifted voice, or supreme choreography, or transformations that revolutionized the fashion and pop culture of their times. Putting it quite plainly, celebrity was held to the standard of the Michael Jacksons, Madonnas, and Beyoncés of the industry, and with this nearly divine right to rule came a very one-sided consumerist worship of these industry titans. Celebrities weren’t expected to convey any less than perfection to the public, and the few glimpses into their private lives that slipped into the mainstream were caught between glances through closing windows. Whether it was the paparazzi swarming Britney

Feature Spears in the middle of her divorce settlements or security footage of JAY-Z and Solange in an elevator, “celebrity” was a private sphere that the public urged to bring to the light of day. With the start of the past decade, celebrities seemed to propel themselves even further into maximalism with music that was campy and public personas that were even moreso. With a general fixation on Eurodance-adjacent pop music and a brand of flamboyance best attributed to early Gaga, pop culture, more than ever, seemed to favor the escapism of artifice. Between music videos with multi-million dollar budgets and raw meat becoming an accessory at live performances and award shows, the gaudiness of celebrity was becoming glaring, and it was soon to hit a critical mass. But due to the rise of social media, a counterculture to the maximalism that defined celebrity took hold. Among the first major industry powerhouses to adapt to this new world, Rihanna utilized social media as a means to interact with fans, attack her naysayers, and ultimately curate dozens of quotable moments that remain in the cultural lexicon to this day. With her effortless swagger and relatability, Rihanna seemed to define a new era of celebrity. Her music was followed as an extension of the people’s interest in her personal life, and by publicizing her private persona, she seemed to directly counter other artists of her caliber who limited their interactions with fans to promotional efforts for upcoming projects. From this, a new generation of pop stars emerged: one whose lives appeared to be more acquainted with those who followed them. At the very least, this new celebrity class aimed to create music that was more reflective of their personal turmoil to connect to audiences. Out of the dust, artists, such as Adele and Ed Sheeran, provided a heart-wrenching, folksy alternative to the coked-out, ARTPOP-ian state of the pop music of their time. Yet simultaneously, there was the rise of indie-pop artists, such as Lorde, Halsey, and Billie Eilish, who were inspired by hip-hop and took to their music to

Spring 2021

diarize their critiques on society’s obsession with material wealth and standards of beauty. In a culture of social media, discourse can rapidly gain traction through music, and with a new generation of cynicism towards traditional societal structures, social media allows for the public to align with artists based on their political affiliations and ideologies. Though this does open the door for celebrities to capitalize on structural anguish, more often than not, we see the rejection of figures who refuse to amplify causes that are important to the public. Miley Cyrus was annihilated due to her appropriation of Black culture throughout the duration of her controversial Bangerz press run. Since social media increases the hypervisibility of celebrities, there has been a constant pressure on Cyrus to apologize for the better half of the past decade, alongside the perseverating hits to her critical and commercial viability. Though cultural appropriation and the disrespect of Black art could be traced back to the very foundations of the music industry, social media demands accountability in a manner that older generations of artists never had to be wary of. Megastars, such as Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, also found trouble adjusting to a new age of celebrity, where their visions of grandeur were not met with grace. Perry’s Witness found a lackluster reception as it failed to deliver on its promise of purposeful, political music as a response to the Trump presidency — a true shocker considering all the nuances of oppression in Perry’s perspective as a wealthy white cisgender woman. Likewise, Swift’s return with reputation was a self-aggrandizing retaliation to her second multi-million dollar fallout with Kanye West, and it was quickly unseated at the top of the charts by a series of breakthrough megahits, including “Bodak Yellow” by Cardi B and “rockstar” by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage. This new generation of celebrity differs from its predecessors in the fact that the marketability

of an artist is directly correlated to how relatable they are to the public. The work that they create is diaristic in a nature that more closely resembles hip-hop, as opposed to the escapist dance music of days past, and in many cases, rap artists, such as Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and Drake, are actually outpacing their peers in cultural and commercial impact. Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish, two of the most notable pop stars of today, are known best for their emotionally intimate bodies of work that follow their struggles with mental health. Grande’s “thank u, next,” which directly followed both the death of her long-term ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, and the end of her highprofile engagement to Pete Davidson, blasted in with the highest first-week streams of her career. Though stardom may have become less centered around high-budget spectacle, the performance of bridging the public and private spheres of celebrity allows for audiences everywhere to feel more represented by the content that they consume. However, much of our perception of the modern day celebrity is focused around hypervisibility, and this often comes at the expense of the artist, many of whom have already distanced themselves from social media platforms to avoid targeted harassment. But regardless of the visibility of a public persona, social media still only allows us to view a curated image of an entire being projected onto a screen. Despite the inroads made towards dismantling the idolization of celebrities, we must question whether we can truly ever have a healthy understanding of those that we can only perceive from a periphery. Though social media may present a new perspective, the line between artifice and authenticity is still shrouded in glass.

"But regardless of the visibility of a public persona, social media still only allows us to view a curated image of an entire being projected onto a screen."

• Neeloy Bose (Bioengineering)

Feature

dir t y gi rl s riot grrrl, grrrl , kinderwhore,, kinderwhore

Subverting Expectations Through Style

Spring 2021

Designer: Laura Mattingly (Communications and Graphic Design)

ts descendan ot grrrl and ri s, l e rr o g gr c t si ples. Rio minist mu shest exam t ra b es As far as fe e w h th rt s o Pacific N are perhap egan in the b of the genre at d th an y ge tl n inheren re of gru is a subgen 0s. It was an at included e early 199 th f -ed zines th o IY e D en h it w , re n punk sc laring ge d ical anifesto ec tically polit Riot Grrrl M a unapologe t, e, ar rs d u an and, of co of writing the genre, collections h its d ideals of an s al inking. Wit th go s al it the radic d spread ething of an m ce so ra e b am d to em t grrrl bec o ri , ls music use its direct ea id to ly feminist attributed e al n b n io at ca d h the n fou day, whic Hatred for t in its hey feminism. e av -w e d ir th a movemen ind th born, and thinking beh they were and link to the into which y et ci ld criticize u so co sexist here grrrls g w in s capitalist, ie ep it n ke u te eate comm input of ga ds ithout the desire to cr an w B – t. c u si tp u u eir own m t grrrls’ o ly applaud th atter of rio are general e subject m th ed el er fu at -Kinney le S d men – an , bile ill, Bratmo like Bikini K

considered to ha ve been those to t a l i s t , lik i p a c kickstart the subg e h t e Bikini Kill’s Puss r o enre’s popularity f d e y Whipped (1993 r . Albums H at ) and Bratmobile h c i ou tlin h e w wh ’s Pottymouth (19 y the movement o t n i y t exists, speaking 93) partly e i c o s face in a society to the torment wo that sees them as s exist men and girls e h du t m b, d we be n ak ing feminine (“A , and innocent, pr lien She” - Bikini b or n, a essured into Kill) and meant to Thing” - Bratmob they wer e be used by men ile ). In ad dit (“Love m ion o , ea c ch album praises th new-age feminists r e at e e rule-breaking sp : reclaiming their irit of se desi r e t o c xu ali zed bodies, freely really) about sexu singing (scream al experiences, an r rl s r g e r ing, e d ce h leb w ra do tin ing g their statuses so – both socially as rebels for and musically – mu n it i e s to p th m a e icr tu op ne d hone feedback. of noisy instrum entals and ici z e a n The visual aspect c o u l d c r it s of rio c t gr i rrl s ar e u jus m t characteristics. as important as r ow n The riot grrrl loo its audible k generally over and grunge, but p l au d t h e i laps with that of is m ade distinct by se 90s alt-rock t c e j veral iconic piece s ub ideals. Kathleen s inspired by the Hanna’s (Bikini Ki genre’s fu e l e d t h e ll an d Le Tigre) red, fo “KILL ME” written rm-fitting dress rl s ’ r across the ches r g t wi th o i t co r m es f to mind, as does Al lison Wolfe’s m at t e r o o ut p ut .

(Bratmobile) t-s hirt with two ha nds, one printe would perform d over each br clad only in a br east, and the sh a and/or unde ows where Ha wearer. Both m rwear. Each of nna and others ake an obvious th ese outfits mirr statement again music industry ors the music st the standard produced by its . s pushed onto women, specifi There is somet cally those in th hing to be said e for a style that happens when pairs seamlessly aesthetic and with the music music purposef kinderwhore, an one produces, ully clash? The offshoot of the but what result of this ca riot grrrl genre. n be explored to a friend of m Upon trying to when consider ine, he jokingly ex pl ing ain re th fe e rre music and fash d to the bands his lack of serio ion of kinderw defined by the usness, is not ho ae re te st ch he ni tic ca lly wrong. Clos as “dirty girls’’ perfect image e your eyes for of traditionally which, despite ‘feminine,’ from a moment and Now, imagine imagine a girl wh her blonde hair, her hair is mes o is the to her babydoll sy, her makeu runs; imagine dress, to her da p smudged, he her croaking an inty Mary Jane r dr ess dirtied, an d screaming lyr s. d her tights co ics like “I’ve go vered in tears t a crotch that and talks/It talks to all the cocks’’

abes Gretel” - B dsome and an H his is (“ T ” s. ch m it nthole b eavy dru itars and h and “You cu gu ya tl g in ac ek ex ri ’t ) over sh whore isn er d n ki l, in Toyland rr orn by ot gr the style w re. Unlike ri e given to am n kinderwho a e time, er th f th t bands o usic, but ra rrl-adjacen gr genre of m t ring an o u ri d d e an ru riot grrrl t Everett T is al rn u nd, jo a group of music . Kat Bjella coined by urtney Love o C d which was an to n t bai , is though ith Kurt Co in Toyland interview w and Babes b e style in the th f ed o then-unnam frontwoman e th f o r e Muffs’ Kim ee the pion ns being th io at ir sp have been lland in ible arside. Bje s, with poss atie Jane G K ’s w and early 1990 sa rs n ai Pan colla d Daisy Ch with Peter es to ss Shattuck an re ed d sl e u it to pink or wh constantly often wore former londe hair ’s b d en it h lla w je ves, her Babes. B poofy slee und of the e style and strained so re n u pularized th e o th p , ve Lo match Although ey n rt as its irony. Hole’s Cou f the look w o roommate, t selves in o p em e th licly that th er defined noted pub whore nev hicks, er d ac n n ki Lu d e ans calle ds like Th an b y b ed e the musici n o nd tely describ e subversio s is accura er th o yle as such, th d st y an , in Toyland ine-yet-grim ugh their femin Hole, Babes s ro se th u d ed an . Each b is perform er d n ge w whore o by the term ns of h lla of kinder expectatio the umbre er d to be n d u to subvert s se d o an an is supp riot grrrl, b hat a wom ted w u f o o music. Like s sh n o cs ti ri d crude ly etal percep an ci s so u o ri ck on’t fu ta D at sic with ead Men ud, fast mu r Bitch’s “D ea Y . 7 ce d through lo an an st the b well, for in icrophone; especially ss s into the m ro d ac an ge erwhore b the messa rrl and kind Rape” gets music. een riot gr w et b ment their n le p io sed to sup u The distinct whore is er n d n io ki sh ile e way fa music, wh r ei th her s comes in th ct refle und to furt ands’ style is of their so es th hair ti Riot grrrl b d an an e th lacy socks, e is nearly k dresses, in bands’ styl p e al P pectations. subvert ex

R i o t g r r rl b a n d s ’ s t yl e f le c t s t h e i r mu s i c , w r e hi k i n de r wh o r e b a n d s ’ s le t yl e i s n e a r ly t h e a n t it h e sis of thei r sou n d t o fu r t h e r s ub v e r t e xp e c t at i o n s .

accessories are starkly contraste d with black com boots and damag bat ed clothes, craft ing the image of purposefully failed a attempt at femini nity – a good gir gone bad, in a se l nse, and a good girl gone even wo as she gutturally rse screams about wa nting to be violen The viewer and lis t. tener are forced into the perhaps uncomfortable po sition of seeing clo thing often associated with childlike and inn ocent behavior wo by women who ac rn t in the exact op posite manner, which is precise ly the goal of kin derwhore. Like riot grrrl, kin derwhore is no lon ger widely recognize d, at least in the way it was in the 90s. Despite the work both subgen res and their respective styles have done to su bvert expectation of femininity, bo s th uphold it in so me way, whethe be by excluding r it trans identities fro m their feminism as some riot grrrl , communities ha ve been accused of doing, creatin g spaces almost exclusively for white grrrls, or ina dvertently main taining the gender attached to a particular sty le of clothing by marking it as ‘fe minine’. That leg acy of subversio remains, howeve n r, and can be seen in more recent manifestations of subgenres like qu eercore, which continue to use punk as a means to express loath for systemic wron ing gs, as well as ch allenge tradition ideas of gender. al • Sarah Lamod i (English/Media and Screen Stud ies)

“YOU’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT”: Editorial Spring 2021

THE RENEWED CULTURAL RELEVANCE OF

Last year, in the later summer days of my tenure in quarantine, I took up a new, spectacular hobby. I would hop in the car, follow the couple twists and turns of road that made up the grand voyage to the grocery store five minutes from my house. Once there, I was never looking for anything in particular; it was more to be around someone and something, to be lonely in public instead of in private, and to pretend like buying an obscure four dollar seltzer might cure some deep sadness within me. But the most consuming part of grocery shopping to me, even before my mid-pandemic trips, is the blankly echoing music over the loudspeaker. Grocery store playlists are decidedly neutral, meant to appease and anesthetize customers. Therefore, the choice retail experience is often scored by the gentle, innocuous trappings of the

storied genre of yacht rock. In the extending hollow of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way,” or even that staple handful of Hall and Oates songs filling up the post-apocalyptic store aisles, I felt the exact form of anonymity and strange comfort I was looking for in the crowds of shoppers battling over gallons of milk and rolls of toilet paper. For those unaquantited, yacht rock and its lush aesthetics rose to peak popularity during the late 1970s to 1980s. Its sound is largely characterized by a definitive smoothness: sun-soaked melodies were paired with slick production, its sensibilities gentle and glossy, schmaltzy yet sincere. This particular groove was achieved by inflecting the Southern California rock of the time with soul and R&B tendencies, combining playful, funky guitar lines with drawn out sax solos. Yacht rock’s greater values were placed in maintaining a catchy and carefree quality; melody was valued above all else, which ensured a lightness and luxurity was found in every track. Visually, the niche took inspiration from, well, yachts, borrowing imagery of tacky captain’s hats, melted strawberry daiquiris, and long, lounging summers out on the sea. During its heyday, acts such as The Doobie Brothers, Toto, and Kenny Loggins enjoyed chart success as the soundtracks to days spent beholding the sunset on the marina, or maybe just as the soundtrack to the dream of doing so. Yacht rock was also decidedly uncool, maligned as lame “dad rock” for its cheesy candor and populist position against the countercultural punk and DIY movements of the time. And because of that heavily cemented reputation, it’s more peculiar, or arguably more plausible, that yacht rock has found a renewed relevance as of late. For one, this trend is apparent in the fashionability of its source material. Urban Outfitters, purveyor of most things popular, sells yacht rock’s choice fashion garment, hawaiian shirts, alongside Jefferson Airplane and Hall and Oates graphic tees. Yacht rock icons Steely Dan have been

Designer: Maura Intemann (English and Graphic and Information

I do not own a boat, nor do I plan to, but yacht rock demands nothing of me but pretending I’m on one.

enjoying a post-ironic revival in many internet communities recently. Avant pop singer Kelsey Lu’s cover of yacht rock-ish band 10cc’s hit “I’m Not In Love” has over thirteen million plays on Spotify. This newfound admiration for yacht rock can even be seen in the growing cultural interest in the genre of citypop, its Japanese equivalent. Citypop, like yacht rock, was derided culturally, but boutique labels are now releasing reissues and compilations of seminal works within the genre, and Miki Matsubura’s 1980 citypop hit “Stay With Me” has found novel virality on TikTok of all places. Yet, it’s not just the native content of the genre that has taken on new relevance: the influence and stylistic flourishes of yacht rock can also be seen in a large handful of modern music. Artists like Carly Rae Jepsen, HAIM, and TOPS are all presently adopting the instrumental markings of yacht rock into their music with jazzy melodies, soft sonic landscapes, and the occassional sax line. Men I Trust and Tame Impala represent two sides of the same coin of what one could consider “modern yacht rock,” using yacht rock’s thesis of smoothness as part of their own too. Mac Demarco’s popular “Chamber of Reflections” features a schmaltzy synthline and (the now cancelled) Ariel Pink’s song “Baby” sounds straight out of the yacht rock era with its vaguely amusing sincerity. Moreover, Lana Del Rey’s charting cover of Sublime’s “Doin’ Time” shifted the track’s original ska style to something a bit more aligned with yacht rock, imbuing it with a dark glossiness and breezy warmth. Del Rey even uses yacht rock aesthetics in the imagery of her 2019 record Norman Fucking Rockwell!; on its cover, Del Rey is out sailing, and her companion is dressed in white slacks, a popular piece of attire among boaters and yacht rockers alike. Similarly, Vampire Weekend, probably the foremost bearers of attempting to make the uncool cool, notably used yacht rock aesthetics as part of their visual brand, much to the irritation of their detractors; they often wore boat shoes, preppy knits, and khakis, even featuring a boat on the cover of their first ever release (the single “Ladies of Cambridge”). And indie band

Editorial Spring 2021

Tennis, who started making their sunny and soft 70s inspired rock after an eight-month sailing expedition together, and then went on another as inspiration for their most recent album Swimmer, have made their penchant for the nautical a central part of their brand. But the modern artist most evidently influenced by yacht rock is certainly Thundercat, whose music can most definitely and definitively be described as smooth, always featuring a bright bounce and a luxuriant sensibility. Thundercat even went so far as to release a song, 2017’s “Show You The Way,” featuring Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins, two of yacht rock’s most iconic figures. So, why is the once scorned genre of yacht rock suddenly so hip? One possibility is the classic “everything old is new again” phenomenon, or maybe more accurately, that everything uncool becomes cool again with enough generational turnover. That may be true, but probably the most obvious answer to yacht rock’s revival lies in its essential premise: escapism. Yacht rock has always been popular because of its insularity; the genre essentially avoided the Reagan era politics of its day, acting instead as a respite from such realities, and is oft-sighted as what was plausibly the last major pop movement to be completely disconnected

from such public affairs. Given that the pop music of today isn’t nearly as escapist as it ought to be for an ongoing global pandemic and recession, there is a great, gaping hole in the culture for music that leaves the cares of reality behind. So, enter yacht rock, a carefree, even trivial slice of paradise that properly pacifies the weight of the world. Whether or not it’s accurate that yacht rock’s new broader relevance can be ascribed to this unfortunate societal climate, I can say that it resonates personally for that exact reason. I do not own a yacht, nor do I plan to, but yacht rock demands nothing of me but pretending I’m on one. Whether I’m wandering the grocery store, lounging on my porch, or in any of the few places the pandemic still allows me to be, there’s something weirdly therapeutic about yacht rock’s gaud and gleam. If anything is true these days, it’s that sometimes, the world demands a beer and a boat. • Willa Shiomos (Computer Science and Design)

 Local Talent

Gilanares with a producer for Theres Not Much to Know About Me, Gilanares has found that musical production pushes her creative process to new levels, and fits the character she is working to create. “It’s hard to get super creative with just a guitar and lyrics. I can be creative within the lyrics but the sound itself is not going to be too experimental at all.” Gilanares first received widespread attention for her music on TikTok, where she has garnered a following for acoustic versions of the songs on Theres Not Much to Know About Me, covers, and unreleased side projects. In addition to amassing hundreds of thousands of views for songs like “Good Person,” the app has helped her to connect with the Boston community. Gilanares is working with the Boston University-based group FRNDLY media, after one of the members reached out to her following one of her viral videos. “They’re helping me figure out how to gauge more of an audience and how to market myself,” Gilanares tells me. “I know what I know about social media and making music but they have this whole other skill-set that I can access with them.” Gilanares has also connected with other Northeastern students, particularly Sanah Roy. Prior to the release of Theres Not Much to Know About Me, the two collaborated for the single “Snow on Halloween.” Though she’s had the opportunity to connect with other artists and release music virtually, Gilanares has not yet been able to experience performing live, with the pandemic posing obvious boundaries. “I’m excited to have that first experience at a random bar or random coffee shop where nobody knows me and I can kind of just not do great on stage for the first time,” Gil says, acknowledging the difficulty of performing live. “I’m going into it with the mindset of ‘I’m prepared to fuck up if I have to.’” Until the day comes where music can be performed live again, Gilanares is busy working on future musical pursuits. “I’m trying to make a new album now and I’m ready to go all out,” she tells me. When asked what she hopes comes from this first release, Gilanares paused for a moment. “I hope that it’s something that I look back on and I really think about fondly,” she concludes. “I hope that I think about it as the beginning of something.”

Designer: Angela Lin (Business Adminstration and Design)

Briana Gil, a second-year Music Industry major at Northeastern University, is the voice behind Gilanares. The songs on her first EP Theres Not Much to Know About Me are a collection of class projects, quarantine endeavors, and the occasional TikTok hit. Gilanares is equal parts honest and dramatic, infusing her guitar-driven pop songs with lyrics reflecting the insecurities akin to being a teenager. “You know how everyone has kind of a shitty time in high school?” Gilanares half-jokes over a Zoom call. “All the things that I went through in high school and all of the growing pains that I’ve had… the healthy part of me is healing from that stuff, but the artist side of me is like ‘I’m just going to scream about it and be dramatic.’” This theatrical storytelling intertwines with Gil’s raw emotions, working itself into a poetic reflection on teenage angst and insecurity on Theres Not Much to Know About Me. In “Good Person,” Gilanares questions her self-worth, asking “Do you still think there’s hope for me?” “Bad Role Models” explores Gil’s relationship with the media and the glamorization of drugs in pop culture. “She is the product of all the media and the bad role models,” Gil says in reference to her musical persona. Gilanares’ hyperbolic charm fades with the final track “Baby Hoop Earrings,” which opens with the titular line Theres Not Much to Know About Me. The song is a stripped back account of the anxieties associated with growing up. “I’m being vulnerable without being too much. I’m just like… ‘I just want my mom to be proud of me, and sometimes I’m scared it won’t happen.’” Gilanares cites pop superstars Taylor Swift and Lorde –as well as iconic emo bands like Twenty One Pilots – as the inspirations behind her lyrical tact. She laughs as she tells me “My name on TikTok is ‘emo Taylor Swift.’ I talk about emotions that emo bands talk about, but I do it in a Taylor Swift way. At least that’s what I try to do.” Darker lyrics about drugs, self-doubt, and depression overlay melodic tracks driven by guitar and piano, both of which are played by Gil. The result is exactly what she hopes for – a delicately crafted pop album featuring deep-cutting lyrics reminiscent of emo artists. In addition to being her first solo release, Theres Not Much to Know About Me is Gilanares’ first time working with a producer. “When I had been writing music growing up I didn’t want to learn how to produce, and I was very snobby about it,” Gilanares reflects. “I wasn’t pushing my boundaries at all with production.” After working

• Jessica Gwardschaladse (Criminal Justice) 23

Editorial

What Happens When You Give Your Pet the AUX? Music for Animals in the 21st Century

or Spring 2021

On the other hand, cats don’t seem to give a shit about classical music. The same research methods used on cats concluded that they only notably respond to music that operates within the frequency and tempo ranges of their own personal communication. Enter a new wave of composers who write and record music specifically for pets. A leader in the field of animal composition, David Teie’s music features sounds that replicate the high pitched meows and sonorous purrs of cats in order to instill a sense of familiarity in them. Even better, these sounds aren’t created using recorded, repurposed sounds. Teie’s commitment to the craft led him to study the waveforms of animals sounds, deconstruct their makeup, and separately recreate their component parts for the most optimal response. The recording process is done with many regular instruments, including pianos, harps, cellos and flutes, so they may sound like classical, relaxing compositions with some cat-like noises added in. However, Teie’s post-production process includes pitching some lines past the frequency threshold of human hearing, creating dimensions in the music that can only be enjoyed by cats themselves. Applied in a similar way to music for dogs, these compositions are used to relax cats for extended periods of time. Teie currently has two albums on Spotify, respectively titled Music for Cats Album One and Music for Cats Album Two. He gained exposure through partnerships with universities such as University of Wisconsin and Towson University (where he did a TED talk), allowing him to spread the findings of his research and continue to expand into more complex species research. His newest projects include research into the possibilities of composing music for horses and monkeys, more ‘listening animals’ who display a range of reactions to unique soundscapes. Accommodating the complexity of animals’ listening and processing of music requires a venture into new ways of creating and perceiving music. The potential for music to elicit an emotional response is present among many species, we’re just now becoming smart enough to realize it. Exploring musicality that doesn’t cater to the human brain is difficult because we will never truly know the impact that our work has. Nonetheless, it wouldn’t hurt to consider testing out the effects of these pet-friendly compositions on your own animals. At the very least, they might end up doing something cute while you play it.

Designner: Catherine Terkildsen (Health Science)

Will your dog really care if you tell Alexa to put on a “pet playlist” as you leave the house? The answer, quite simply, is maybe. We all know that animals are able to create and respond to their own unique music. Birdsong has inspired human composers and musicians for centuries, and other animals like whales and frogs use their voices to communicate with others around them. Scientists and musicians have picked up on this use of musicality and researched ways in which music could be used to positively influence our own pets. Recent findings have shown that application of music in various pet species can be a bit more complex than leaving Ingrid Michaelson on before you run out for groceries. Research sought out whether existing music would be the most effective, or if new compositions tailored specifically to each species would have a greater impact. Furthermore, if new music was to be created, what would it sound like? According to conclusions published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, dogs respond similarly to humans when listening to respective genres of music. Classical music tends to relax them and allow them to remain in longer sleep states, while metal induces nervousness and anxiety. Outside research has even suggested music like reggae can have a similarly relaxing effect for dogs who are expected to remain awake, but not alert for extended periods of time. When applied, this type of research allows kennel owners, veterinary surgeons. and working families to quell the restlessness of their dogs by playing this music during times when they’re especially prone to stress or loneliness. This is especially useful for organizations that have a high capacity of animals in a relatively small space, as a collective sense of calm is able to decrease disruptive and destructive behaviors. Amazon’s Alexa had a new feature called Puppy Jams installed in 2019 that allowed pet owners to request a playlist for their dog based off of their current mood (stressed, lonely or happy). Based on the input information, a playlist would be generated using iHeartRadio, which would spit out a collection of songs falling into the genres of classical, soft rock, reggae and more.

• Drew Quercio (Music Industry)

Editorial Fall 2020

“Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” was released as part of Radiohead’s 2007 Album In Rainbows, an album that garnered much critical acclaim even when compared to the rest of the group’s well-received discography. In 2020, Lianne La Havas released her third studio LP, Lianne La Havas, which included “Weird Fishes,” a cover of Radiohead’s song. The parallels between these two tracks perfectly represent the ways in which vocal delivery, instrumentals, and tempo can entirely change the themes and understanding of lyrics. While both La Havas’s and Radiohead’s versions concern love and longing, they act as emotional foils to one another. While the lyrics remain the same, Radiohead’s original song reflects the longing before a great love can be fully achieved, while La Havas’s is more a reflection on love lost and the introspection stemming from it. As a result, the songs read entirely differently, but still skip the idyllic parts of a relationship, instead aiming for the deeply pained and vulnerable periods before and after. Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” opens with fast-paced synth drums and keyboard notes, setting a nearly urgent tone to the song’s introduction. These synths crescendo up through the first half of the song, reflecting the questioning-yet-hopeful lyrics in the first portion of the track. Thom Yorke’s unique voice cuts through the instrumental curtain shortly after the track begins, sounding pained and falling off at the end of each line. His voice picks up again in every

subsequent line with increased intensity, which matches the ascending arpeggios on guitar. The themes of longing and confusion present themselves over the course of the first verse, matched by the increasingly frenzied instrumental that masterfully avoids getting in the way of vocals. By the end of the verse, Yorke’s vocal quality is strained and almost shrill, reflecting the pining nature of his suffering. The tempo of the instrumental follows his lead at remarkable speed, where all its components cascade into a wave of sound behind him. However, as soon as Yorke proclaims, “I get eaten by the worms,” all the background sound is reduced to soft, chime-like synth notes. The instrumentals return at full force after

this bridge, with the chimes cutting out in favor of a high-tempo drum line and a similar set of instrumental techniques as before. However, Yorke’s voice changes significantly, becoming lower, richer, and more mournful than at any other point of the track. The theme of longing also returns, but with the caveat of understanding that there

Designer: Maryanne Fu (Business Administration, Marketing and Marketing Analytics)

isn’t any great love in sight. The instruments and vocals fall away as one to end the song, leaving only a few seconds of reverb as an outro. La Havas’s cover, named “Weird Fishes,” begins relaxed, with the introduction of a soulful drum line mixed with calm synth notes. La Havas’s voice immediately takes center stage and demands full attention, her subtle vibrato and articulate delivery mixing into the rest of the instrumental to form a mood of deep loss and reflection. She delivers lyrics at a slower pace than that of Thom Yorke, the urgency of the original song

entirely melting away. La Havas’s soul background translates the lyrics into her own unique musical language, allowing her to wash the cover in a kind of heartbreak not present in Radiohead’s rendition. Where Yorke’s lyrical delivery hummed with intense longing, La Havas’s song is a look back at something that didn’t work out, and so the vocal qualities match the theme. The drawn-out lines and instrumentals during the first half of the song drip with this theme, but instrumentals fall away entirely for La Havas to deliver the repeating line “I get eaten by the worms / And weird fishes.” Her voice cuts through in all its pain, and then a much stronger instrumental picks up with renewed urgency, adding new drums and a guitar to the mix. The final verse is belted out with great intensity, and the song ends on a soft outro. The sudden change in pace acts as a cathartic moment in the song, where pent-up loss is released as

a brilliant display of musical and vocal skill. Every difference from the original track seems to work in La Havas’s favor, resulting in one of the better tracks on Lianne La Havas. While both tracks deal with love, the clear differences in themes allow them to relate to audiences in different ways. Both artists use their voices to push forward their individual themes, where vocal qualities describe opposite sides of the spectrum of dissatisfaction relating to love. The tracks are further separated by the individual instrumentals, where the classic Radiohead experimental rock style is juxtaposed by Lianne La Havas’s use of soul and rock influences. The emotional response to either track transcends the lyrics and speaks volumes to the immense talent and skill of both artists. “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” and “Weird Fishes” are masterpieces in their own rights, and they absolutely deserve a listen. • Terrance Dumoulin (Civil Engineering and Architectural Studies)

Editorial

WHERE MUSIC AWARDS FAIL: The Lack of Diversity in Nominees and Winners

Spring 2021

If there’s one thing music listeners enjoy, it’s their favorite artists being recognized. Music awards offer an exciting opportunity for wellknown and up-and-coming artists alike to be praised for their work and offer valuable publicity and praise. With these decisions, there can often be contention and disagreement, and with the recent release of nominations, the class of 2021 is no exception. However, even though the public’s music taste is vast and varied, the widespread diversity of artists and within the music industry itself is continuously underrepresented. This acclaimed recognition is being questioned now more than ever as consumers and industry participants alike ponder whether these highly-held awards are, or have ever been, representative of the worthy winners. Music awards are often held in high esteem, but consistently don’t represent the true diversity of artists and popular music. The issue of underrepresentation and lack of diversity is not a new phenomenon, but rather a recently recognized one. John Vilanova, a professor at Lehigh University, spent his research analyzing the past 60 years of music awards in conjunction with U.S. history, and the results were less surprising than one would anticipate. It was found that BIPOC artists rarely won in the “general fields” of the Grammys such as Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. When looking at the history of music awards, and specifically the Grammys, it is also clear that the lack of diversity was not unintentional. Grammy historian Henry Schnipper wrote that the Grammys were created in 1959 to “clean up and gentrify pop”. Furthermore, it wouldn’t be until Judy Garland won Album of the Year in 1961 that a woman was recognized for a general field award, and not until the 1970s that a woman would win Song of the Year. Yoko Ono would become one of the few Asian musicians to win in

the general field for her 1982 album, which was also the only time a woman would win Album of the Year in the entire decade. Finally, after Herbie Hancock’s Album of the Year win in 2008, it would be ten more years until any person of color would win this award. Even the 62nd annual Grammy Awards in 2020 would touch on this pattern of misrepresentation by placing the CEO Deborah Dugan

THE GRAMMYS WERE CREATED IN 1959 TO "CLEAN UP AND GENTRIFY POP" on administrative leave following allegations that the Recording Academy’s board “manipulates the nominations process”. Musicians today still face a lack of proper recognition from award academies. A prime example comes from the 2021 Grammys with The Weeknd, who didn’t receive any Grammy recognition for his critically acclaimed After Hours. The album boasts top 100 hits “Heartless” and “Blinding Lights,” the latter of which broke records by charting in the top five for 43 consecutive weeks as well as charting in three separate

Designer: Jenny Chen (Business Administration and Design)

years since its 2019 release. While The Weeknd already has three Grammys under his belt, they “mean nothing” to him now, tweeting “The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…” after the Recording Academy announced nominations in November 2020. This is sadly not the first time a Black charting artist has been snubbed. In 2011, the Recording Academy failed to award Nicki Minaj with Best New Artist, even when she had seven songs simultaneously charting on Billboard. Female musicians tend to be more overlooked than males when it comes to musical accolades, with only 8% of 2018 Grammy nominees being women. That same year, former CEO of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow, said women should “step up” if they wanted recognition. In such a male dominated industry, it’s virtually impossible for women to do so. USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative found that only 21.7% of artists, 12.5% of songwriters and 2.6% of producers are women. These statistics only worsen with BIPOC women. The initiative also reports that a mere eight out of 1,093 producing credits for pop songs went to women of color between 2012 and 2019. The lack of diversity doesn’t end there. Take the Grammy voting process for instance: when it comes to who can vote, only Recording Academy voting members can vote on the winners. These members are only qualified to vote if they have creative or technical credits on six or more commercially released tracks on a physical music release or at least twelve on a digital release. While the voting members’ contact information isn’t publicly available, one can assume the demographic makeup of the board. Success in the music industry is far more accessible to those with financial privilege according to Willa Koerner and Rene Kladzyk’s “The Music Industry Investigation Report.” The Census states that the 2019 median household income for white people was $76,057, while it was only $46,073 for Black people, and DataUSA reports only 13% of professional musicians are Black. The voting members are most likely majority white and male, especially considering the demographics of the music industry. The Grammys’ voting process has more of a chance for bias than does Billboard’s, for example, which bases award finalists on album and digital song sales, streaming, touring, and more. Music award winners will remain homogenous until there’s more diversity on voting boards, yet unfortunately, the ugly cycle in place prevents that from happening for a long time. It’s clear that music awards were based in gentrification and continuously highlighted white male work. However, this gentrification has not ceased to exist as the accolades continue to be whitewashed. BIPOC artists have influenced many genres of music over generations, but this has yet to be consistently highlighted through esteemed music awards even today. Music awards, supposedly an honor of the highest caliber, should now be questioned for their lack of diversity and representation. These awards are virtually worthless if the competition puts BIPOC artists at a disadvantage to begin with. • Rachel Cerato (International Affairs & Environmental Studies) and Lacie Foreht (Communication & Media and Screen Studies)

Designer: Nick Alonzo (Architecture)

Editorial When it comes to political art, there’s an easy trap to fall into: thinking that because it has a distinct “real world” intent, it’s more meaningful than other art. This applies across all mediums, but it’s especially noticeable with music. After all, so much of popular music is relatively shallow, simply meant to be enjoyed for its danceability or exciting energy. This isn’t just a critique of genres I personally dislike: much of metal or punk music is entirely just frenetic toughguy theatrics meant for head-banging. All of this is to say that I’ve personally been guilty of this line of thinking, which is steeped in a kind of juvenile elitism. Spring 2021

Only embracing music that has a good “purpose” is a deeply joyless worldview, one that ignores the inherent politics of every work, which can often go unspoken. For example, jazz often has no lyrics, but especially in its early development, was a fairly revolutionary genre: primarily created by Black musicians subject to discrimination and segregation, rejecting the regimentation and organization of traditional western music. That’s very threatening to a certain kind of person, which is exactly why Henry Ford sank a lot of money into promoting square-dancing across the nation while jazz was ascendant.

Regardless of the inherent or intended politics of an artist’s work though, it’s a flawed perspective to only seek out music with supposed political meaning. Politics is about the struggle for power with others, through formalized or informal means. But there’s far more to life than external struggle: often the most important conflicts we face are internal, the need for joy and meaning in what can be a confusing and cold reality. That’s what makes art important in and of itself, rather than as a tool for propagandizing. To quote Soviet filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky, “the allotted function of art is not, as is often assumed, to put across ideas, to propagate thoughts, to serve as an example. The aim of art is to prepare a person for death, to plough and harrow his soul, rendering it capable of turning to good”. Such language is certainly dramatic, and a tad overwrought, but the point (at least for me) rings true: art that’s only meant to change minds--or reinforce existing perspectives--is largely misguided. It usually won’t have that effect anyway: changing people requires prolonged exposure, as well as usually a noticeable shift in their material conditions. Instead, the power of great art (specifically music in this case) is that it has the potential to make you a more complete individual, through the experiences of joy, fear, elation, and other emotions. That note of “turning to good,” is essential: there are certain kinds of music that once you hear it, no matter how critically “good” or “bad” it is, it almost makes you unable to understand how people could be cruel to each other. Finding music that truly touches your personal conception of beauty, that speaks to the needs deep in your psyche, is about as close as someone can find to reaching (the actual Buddhist concept) Nirvana. This conception of music is, of course, complicated and inherently contradictory. For example, The Clash is an unsubtle political band clearly trying to convey an ideological message but their song “London Calling,” as goofy and overplayed as it is, for me represents a fundamentally important moment of personal growth, separate from any political intent. Its lyrics of joyful swagger in what seems like the apocalypse have helped me overpower feelings of doom, of fearing what it means to live in what seems like a

collapsing world. In this sense, it clearly served Tarkovsky’s vision of art: it’s a silly song, but it helped me push through my fears, solidifying myself into a more complete version of the self I resemble now. There are further complications: what that hardening and improvement of the self looks like for different people will vary wildly. Music (and other art) hasn’t prevented people from harming one another. National anthems, those most political of songs, have certainly done little to cause the cessation of conflict. Horrible people have loved music and art with a passion. However, I don’t believe these appreciations inherently violate Tarkovsky’s thesis, of art as separate from the transmittal of ideology. What makes someone love a national anthem isn’t the actual musical content, it’s what it represents, as a sort of manifestation of their nationalist ideal. The classical music that white supremacists love isn’t appreciated because it actually speaks to their deep existential dread or personal struggles: it’s because it emerged from locations and people that those groups approve of and serves as a piece of historical “evidence” for their false superiority. There’s also an element of enjoyment by hateful individuals that frankly comes from failures of listening. I’m reminded of people angrily posting on Twitter at Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, claiming they used to love RATM, but then suddenly realizing what “some of those who work forces / are the same that burn crosses” actually means. I’d caution against saying hateful appreciation of music is meaningless,

Editorial Spring 2021

as it can be used as a tool to enculturate impressionable people into discriminatory groups. The British National Front tried to use punk rock as a recruitment tool and wasn’t unsuccessful in doing so. In fact, I’d say the young and impressionable are essentially the only “successful” audience for political music, both for good and bad. It’s a tradition going back to time immemorial: teenagers, as they come closer to functional adulthood, start to form their own views of the world. They pontificate about its various injustices and cruelties and either accept the norms they were enculturated in or splinter off, changing from the expected views of friends and family. Children rarely have real “politics,” but by the time one reaches the driving age, you start to have actual opinions. Since at least the 1960s (if not earlier), this has been tied with discovering artists who share these new and challenging views, both vindicating the youth’s changes and encouraging further development. It’s easy to laugh at some of the preachy and straightforward lyrics of early-2000s punk rock, but for a young kid living through the beginning of the War on Terror, that kind of music provided an escape from the nationalistic drumbeat and austerity economics of the era. Nonetheless, political music--specifically left-wing work--has been wildly co-opted and pacified, so that it can be enjoyed by most people without an ounce of cognitive dissonance. Firstly, there’s the fundamental contradiction about being a working musician who’s trying to promote views challenging the status quo: you must do so through channels that make money if you want any chance of common people actually hearing your music. This was a notable critique leveled against Rage Against the Machine with their distinct anti-capitalist and antiauthority themes. Guitarist Tom Morello gave a fairly conventional response to this line of questioning: “When you live in capitalistic society, the currency of the dissemination of information goes through capitalistic channels ... We’re not interested in preaching to just the converted.” Nonetheless, it’s fair to see the entire project as inherently defanged by the realities of the music industry. When Nirvana became the #1 band in America, it represented the fact that

musical counterculture was effectively captured, left to kick and scream against a stabilized hegemony of power. One also can’t forget, despite the glorification of early protest music, that even those earlier songs and artists have been effectively sanitized. Almost all of the work was already coming from major labels, preventing anything too challenging from reaching the air. Even the work that we can see as lyrically critical is made

palatable: “Fortunate Son,” a song about the rich getting out of the draft, is played at Trump rallies. Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” was played during the Reagan campaign. Examples like these are countless and don’t help the argument that political music is actually successful at making anything close to a fundamental change. A further critique, one that is brutally simple: those same hippies, Gen X punks, and millennial deadbeats all ended up getting jobs as bank tellers, landlords, and defense industry lobbyists anyway. In a sense, one of the greatest risks in pursuing music as an avenue of political expression is that it silos off those sentiments as mere

(These wont be identical)

culture, rather than grounding them in the substance of practice. Much of the fury seen in modern conservative movements is against the relative dominance of left-wing or emancipatory views in modern music (and other media), and that’s been the case since at least the aforementioned development of jazz. This anger is natural and understandable, but those same conservative movements maintain a decisive hold on several levers of actual power, while they fail to achieve cultural relevance. Of course, people want to feel seen, they want to feel appreciated and represented, so that lack of cultural capital is a painful thing for some. Meanwhile, certain strains of liberals struggle with the counter-side of the issue: their favorite artists have said Black lives matter, or they listen to punk bands spit on Reagan’s legacy, but at the same time, their actual material power in political institutions slips away by the day. Global warming keeps getting worse, automation is racing to put us out of work, and it feels like nobody actually has a say in where this ship steers before it hits the iceberg.

Multiple elements can be true at once: it’s good that there are artists out there writing music that challenges harmful attitudes and misdeeds, but it can also be a disappointing reality that cultural and material power are two different things. Furthermore, it bears repeating that ultimately the role of art should be for the improvement of the individual, to make life more worth living. Perhaps a more noble purpose would be to motivate a collective towards a greater cause or to do beneficial things for one another. But as long as music remains a product, and as long as we societally remain as fragmented individuals, it will fail to do so. In this predicament, perhaps this idea of art as the “harrower of the soul” and a simple tool for enjoyment is a compromise, a solution for our complicated times, a way to feel joy in our own lonely way. Either way: love what you listen to, and if you can, work to make a better world, starting with yourself.

■ Bryan Grady (Political Science)

Cover Story

Remembering

The producer who changed what pop music could be.

Spring 2021

Artists across several disciplines and fans alike have come together to memorialize SOPHIE, the landmark British electronic producer who is, among other accomplishments, widely considered to be a founder of the hyperpop genre. She died aged 34 on January 30th. According to a press release by her record label Transgressive, she died after falling in an attempt to get a better view of the full moon at her home in Athens, Greece. Her wildly collaborative spirit and maximalist approach to sonic landscapes are testaments to how impossibly impactful she was for music. Following the news of her passing, nearly every corner of the music industry came to a halt to honor her. Tributes for SOPHIE have come in the form of memorials by her closest collaborators, including Charli XCX, as well as personal testimonials by artists she touched as a pioneer of modern electronic music, from Yves Tumor to Christine and the Queens to Rina Sawayama. Digital streaming sets, concert benefits, and drag shows have sprung up, with guest artists and DJs coming together to celebrate her legacy. As an artist with a comparably smaller released discography, her influence and impact are exponentially related to her output. SOPHIE exploded onto the scene with a string of singles in 2015, showing her production chops with songs like “LEMONADE,” “BIPP,” and “VYZEE.” These songs manipulated soundwaves until they resembled something organic, mimicking flowing water or bubbling liquid coupled with sharp snares. The singles were repackaged into PRODUCT, a compilation of the songs into a cohesive album that displayed her versatility with a soundscape that was entirely her own. After PRODUCT came what is most likely SOPHIE’s most legendary collaboration: she produced Charli XCX’s Vroom Vroom EP, the release that turned Charli from underground pop up-and-comer post-“Boom Clap” and positioned her squarely in the budding hyperpop genre. Originally panned by critics, the EP has developed a cult following, praising its production that teeters on abrasiveness and Charli’s kinetic performance. The title track remains a fan favorite, and remains on Charli XCX’s setlist to this day. The Vroom Vroom EP was only the beginning of their collaborations, as they continued to work on Charli XCX’s following two mixtapes, Number 1 Angel and Pop 2, as well as her third album that was

ultimately scrapped due to leaks. Fans of both XCX and SOPHIE alike cherish their collaborations as some of their respective best releases, with SOPHIE’s synthetic textures and Charli’s go-hard attitude creating a pop synergy rarely seen. SOPHIE quenched fan desire for a solo album with her 2018 magnum opus, the ever-thrilling OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES (a homophone for “I love every person’s insides”). Singles like “It’s Okay to Cry” and “Faceshopping” centered SOPHIE’s own identity through emotive lyricism and production that flips from piano reminiscent of Britney Spears’s “Everytime” to her now-signature bass-heavy sound. The album was released following SOPHIE’s own coming out as a transgender woman, and her own journey and the complexities of gender identity are found throughout the record. “It’s Okay to Cry” is one of her first songs to use her own voice, pitch-shifted and coupled with a music video where she is front and center. As the stunning centerpiece of UNINSIDES, “Is it Cold in the Water?” oscillates between time signatures with arpeggiated synths cascading in the background, simulating the feeling of submersion underwater. Cecile Believe’s vocal delivery borders on the absurd, drawing out syllables toward an unknown climax. Each song on the album builds a world from only synth and snare, with SOPHIE as the sole creator of something new as each track begins. “Immaterial,” the most outwardly pop-sounding song on the album, flips Madonna’s “Material Girl” on its head, turning our gaze inward as bodies become impermanent and untethered from our identity. SOPHIE, through Cecile Believe’s vocals, chants “I can be anything I want/ Anyhow, any place, anywhere, anyone/any form, any shape, anyway, anything, anything I want!” in the song’s stunning bridge, as a testament to the control we have over our identities and bodies. The flooring closer, “Whole New World/Pretend World” serves as a declaration of both self and community, taking SOPHIE’s sonic production to new heights while rattling the listener’s head at any volume. Much of the album is written directly toward the listener, with “It’s Okay to Cry”, “Immaterial”, and “Whole New World” all inviting the listener to take the dive into finding themself through pop music. On the whole, then, OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S

Cover Story Spring 2021

UN-INSIDES is an album-long testament to creating a “Whole New World” for, in SOPHIE’s own words, “you and me.” What made SOPHIE’s all-too-brief career unique was her ability to define the pop zeitgeist without ever sacrificing her identity or integrity, toying with ideas of consumerism and materialism, but ultimately flipping the concepts on their head. Her song “LEMONADE” was used in a McDonald’s commercial to advertise the return of strawberry lemonade, well before she had established herself as a pop titan. “Hey QT,”, a collaboration with QT, was debuted alongside a fake energy drink brand. She has writing or production credits for artists across genres, bringing her signature sound and communal spirit to new terrain with each new collaboration. SOPHIE’s contributions to music can be best exemplified through her long history of collaborating with other artists. Despite every song she is credited for on streaming services amounting to about five hours, her impact can be traced through some of pop’s heaviest hitters, beyond only Charli XCX. Some of her most notable collaborations include Madonna and Nicki Minaj on “Bitch I’m Madonna,”, as well as Vince Staples on Big Fish Theory highlights “Yeah Right” with Kendrick Lamar and “SAMO” with Kilo Kish. She’s lent beats to some of rap’s most exciting artists, including Quay Dash on “Queen of this Shit” and Shygirl on “SLIME.” She’s produced tracks for multimedia artist Juliana Huxtable’s poetry, most notably

“Plunging Asymptote.” Though not formally affiliated, SOPHIE had close ties with the PC Music label, known for its own contributions to hyperpop via A.G. Cook, Danny L. Harle, and more. Her work is often mistakenly identified as part of the PC Music label, largely due to her impact and clear influence on the sound of its own up-andcoming producers, among others unrelated to the label. Most evident is the direct line from SOPHIE’s abrasive textures to the current success of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, the duo behind 100 Gecs who, without the introduction to hyperpop from SOPHIE, likely wouldn’t be experiencing the level of success they currently are. No discussion of SOPHIE’s legacy would be complete without a discussion of her live shows and unreleased music. She, more than any other artist, maintains a diverse leaked catalog, either due to a desire for its accessibility or music label sluggishness. Her unreleased tracks include Charli XCX’s notorious “Taxi,” a live show staple and fan favorite. She had previously collaborated with artists such as Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Sarah Bonito of Kero Kero Bonito, FKA twigs, Kim Petras, and many more, debuting tracks in live shows with recordings and rips circulating on SoundCloud shortly after. As an artist whose immense output is only partially reflected on streaming services, fans cling to high-quality leaks and rips, especially after her untimely passing. Her live shows were high-energy, with unreleased tracks and demos interspersed among some of her best tracks with stunning visuals and light displays. From performing a set at

“What made SOPHIE’s all-too-brief career unique was her ability to define the pop zeitgeist without ever sacrificing her identity or integrity, toying with ideas of consumerism and materialism, but ultimately flipping the concepts on their head.” Designer: Livia Lemgruber (Communications and Graphic Design)

Coachella in 2019 to more underground sets across the world, her energy always felt too big for the venue in the best way possible. It’s hard to imagine that SOPHIE is gone, and it’s clear through her music that she was only getting started. At the same time, however, her career managed to hit highlights incomparable to other artists, and her work will continue to especially touch the lives of LGBTQ fans. She is squarely responsible for the hyperpop genre, yet at the same time that label is reductive for her span and breadth as a producer. Pop, rap, electronic, dance, and several more genres can all partially describe some of her work, but none of them particularly fit as hoped. With little known about her personal life, her time on Earth is memorialized by her incomparable discography and the collaborative relationships she forged across genres. Undefinable yet accessible, alien yet familiar, her work remains a high watermark for the potential of pop music as a whole, and her presence in an increasingly homogenized pop landscape will be missed.

■Robert Hyland (Politics, Philosophy, Economics)

Designer: Erin Solomon (Theatre and Communication Studies)

Editorial Spring Fall 2020 2021

Hippo Campus is a band well-known for its quintessential indie rock sound. The band – comprised of lead singer Jake Luppen, lead guitarist Nathan Stocker, bassist Zach Sutton, drummer Whistler Allen, and trumpetist DeCarlo Jackson – released their debut album Landmark in 2017, and have been on the rise ever since. Landmark, as well as their early EPs, 2015’s Bashful Creatures and South, fit neatly into the indie rock category the band is most known for. The EPs feature songs like “Suicide Saturday” and “Violet,” which were early hits in the band’s career. “Way It Goes” and “Buttercup” are two of the most popular songs on the album and are often included on indie rock playlists. After their debut release, the musicians departed slightly from their familiar sound. If you compare Landmark to their 2018

album, Bambi, you can see their progression and musical experimentation. The albums are drastically different from another, the latter featuring an eclectic mix of synths and increased musical production. Despite its different sound, there is still no doubt that Bambi is a creation of Hippo Campus. The lyricism is consistent, exploring concepts complementary to the theme of coming-ofage and youth that is explored in Landmark. While the Minnesotan artists have gained popularity in the music scene, few people know of their numerous side projects outside of Hippo Campus. Each project has a distinct sound and style, allowing them to be appreciated for their merit independent of Hippo Campus. These side projects are a way for the band members to experiment musically without the added pressure of the expectations that come with making music as Hippo Campus.

Arguably the most prolific member of Hippo Campus, Nathan Stocker has released one EP, six singles, and two albums under the name Brotherkenzie. His songs are perhaps the most sonically different from the rest of the songs created by Hippo Campus members because they are the most acoustic and stripped down. Stocker released his first EP Carver in 2016, which has songs that primarily feature his vocals, guitar, some background percussion – and the occasional harmonica. “Darling Baby Doll,” the opening track of the EP, is a melancholic song in which Stocker sings “well I’m done now I don’t care” about a broken relationship. It begins with just Stocker’s voice and an acoustic guitar, but later incorporates a light piano melody and banjo accompaniment. Like the rest of the songs on the EP, “Darling Baby Doll” is raw and real, bordering on a folk-like sound, and sets the tone for the rest of the EP along with the foundation for the rest of Brotherkenzie’s discography. Brotherkenzie released both his first and second albums, Barncat and BIG WHAT respectively, in 2020. Both albums are evidence of Stocker’s musical exploration because of how different they are, both in comparison to one another and in comparison to Hippo Campus’ discography. Like his earlier EP, both albums include more stripped back, acoustic songs. Barncat is unique in the way that it is a completely instrumental album. There are no vocals,

just Stocker on his guitar with some light percussion and the occasional synth. The songs are long, ranging from anywhere around 5 to 11 minutes. The longest song on the album, “A Family of Foxes” is an 11-minute long track that carefully pieces together various instrumental elements. The slow beats at the beginning of the song resemble a heartbeat, giving the song a pulse that runs throughout. It features a flowy electric guitar solo along with some plucky synthesizers that fade in and out of the frame. BIG WHAT, on the other hand, is more similar to his earlier EP and singles. The songs are generally acoustic, but have some elements of percussion and light synthesizers to give it depth and dimension. Songs like “SAD,” “BROOKLYN,” and “POEMS ON MY PHONE” are somewhat more upbeat with fuller guitar melodies, while “SONG FOR BUG” is a bit more of a gloomy acoustic song. Though it’s impossible to tell where Stocker’s musical exploration will take him next, his most recent single “Blue Hoodie Baby” released earlier this year shows that he is not bound to the acoustic folk sound. It takes his unique sound and includes stronger electric guitars and percussion in order to create a multi-layered piece. While he may continue to create acoustic music similar to Carver and Barncat in the future, it’s clear that Brotherkenzie is a unique space for Stocker to create the music he’s inspired to create, no matter the genre.

Editorial

In 2020, frontman Jake Luppen decided to embark on a solo journey by releasing his self-titled debut album, Lupin. Like Hippo Campus’ Bambi, Luppen’s album features a more electronic sound in addition to more vocal distortion. Luppen’s voice has a warped effect on it in most of the songs on Lupin that allows his voice to better match the undertone of each song. In songs like “Harbor,” “May,” and “KO Kid,” the distortion seems to pitch his voice up, giving

best encapsulates the difference between Bambi and Lupin is “May,” which features an energetic, groovy synth beat and distorted vocals. The distortion muffles his voice a bit but still adds to the overall experience of listening to the album by contributing to the ambience of the song with varying vocals. “May” is certainly the most upbeat and energetic song on the album, but other

songs range from the slower “Murderer” and “Lazy” to faster-paced songs like “KO Kid.” Nevertheless, all of the songs feature the increased use of synths that make them a signature Lupin creation.

it more of a sharper, almost nasally, sound. Overall, the record is somewhat reminiscent of the 80s, evident in the way that Luppen uses the instrumentals and smooth synthetic sound. Perhaps the song that

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The final installment – for now – in the Hippo Campus sonic universe is Baby Boys, a band which includes both Stocker and Luppen in addition to their friend, musician Caleb Hinz. Hinz is best known for his solo projects, musical work with the band The Happy Children, and clothing brand Normal Parents. Baby Boys’ sound is similar to that of Hippo Campus’ work, but with a bit more of a rock edge. Their first EP, “I’m Set,” was released in 2019 and features songs that seem to be a mix of Luppen and Stocker’s work. Songs like “Wannabe” and the second half of “Kleenex” sound like they could be on Bambi due to their more experimental, heavier synth sounds, while “Parcel” has the acoustic, more laid-back feel of Brotherkenzie’s work. “Kinky Toe” has the vocal distortion that is prominent on Luppen’s album that allows listeners to better experience the intended ambience of the track. With the combination of these influences, the potential for Baby Boys is unlimited. Their debut album, Threesome comes out on March 9, and while we may not know exactly how it will sound, the singles they’ve released from it so far show promise. “Gone,” “Cannonball,” and “Duke and the Cash” are all upbeat songs that blend the musical talents of Luppen, Stocker, and Hinz by incorporating experimental instrumentation with distorted vocals and catchy synths, resulting in a record that sounds like Bambi mixed with Lupin.

In addition to all of their solo or joint projects, the boys of Hippo Campus also spend their time working on music production. Luppen has worked on the production of records for artists like the Greeting Committee and Samia, and Stocker worked on the production of Samia’s 2020 album, The Baby. Allen, the band’s drummer, has also announced his involvement in the production and mixing of ivers’ first single. It’s clear that even when Hippo Campus is taking a break from touring or writing music, the boys are still busy with other musical endeavours. Though all of these projects are the brainchildren of the members of Hippo Campus, their sound couldn’t be any more dissimilar. Each project has its own unique sound, and they are each different ways for the musicians to experiment with music. In Hippo Campus’ case, their side projects provide them with alternative avenues for creating music

that may not necessarily fit into the Hippo Campus mold. There’s less pressure, and they are able to make the music they’re inspired to make; the music comes from places of pure creativity. Though the musicians have these projects outside of Hippo Campus, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Hippo Campus itself is on the path towards breaking up. If anything, it’s a healthy means of expression that strengthens the band as a whole by relieving pressure and encouraging creativity. • Chelsea Henderson (Communication Studies and Journalism)

Album Reviews Hayley Williams FLOWERS for VASES / descansos Released February 5, 2021 Label Atlantic Genre Pop Tasty Tracks “First Thing To Go,” “Trigger,” “Just A Lover” Hayley Williams’ second solo album, FLOWERS for VASES / descansos, was written and recorded all on her own, in Williams’ home during the pandemic. The result is not only a success, but also a musical project that captures the feeling of the moment in time that it was a product of. Williams is best known for her work as the lead singer of alternative rock band Paramore, in addition to her prior solo album, which was written in 2019. FLOWERS for VASES / descansos is neither of those projects. The album largely consists of softer, often sadder songs that are reflective of the stories Williams tells in her lyrics, and the strippedback nature of the record carries the emotion in effectively. Williams played every instrument on this project herself, and it is easy to hear the music as the work of someone alone in their house, playing guitar and adapting to the different ways of life which have defined the past year. The quieter instrumentation of the album allows the audience to focus on the lyrics, while being swept away in the melancholy that Hayley Williams creates. FLOWERS for VASES / descansos starts strong with “First Thing To Go,” which immediately establishes a recurring theme for the album: grief, as well as reflection, in its different forms. “Why do memories glow the way real moments don’t?” she asks. It is that note of loss,memory, and quiet deliberation that makes this project have an emotional depth that many listeners can understand right now, despite being about Williams’ personal and individual experiences on the surface. She continues to touch on this idea of memory throughout several songs. On “Inordinary,” she tells stories from her past and sings about growing up, “HYD” has her reflecting on someone who is no longer in her life, and on “Good Grief,” she even includes a recording of her great-grandmother. Several of the songs on the album directly mention losing people. Though others are more romantic, a similar somber tone comes through in

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Williams’ writing and vocals, despite any differences in subject matter. It is true that not every song on the album stands out immediately - in reality, several of them have a similar sound and don’t instantly differentiate themselves. While this typically would not be ideal, it works for the overall flow of the album. The parts that don’t stick on their own are still pieces that fit into the overall picture, culminating in the final song “Just A Lover,” which picks up and ends the album on a faster, more powerful, declaration of “one last chorus.” A descanso is a cross placed at the site of an unexpected death to memorialize it. After the release of the album, Hayley Williams explained that she had originally planned to only name the album /descansos/, then “found a grocery list in my iPhone notes and the last item on the list was “flowers for vases.” the story goes: I need to learn how to not hold on to dead things. so I threw out all the dead flowers, replaced them with living.” The combination of these symbols – the flowers, replacing the dead, representing the living, and the crosses keeping the dead present forever – tie the album together perfectly. FLOWERS for VASES / descansos is often a sad

album, but it isn’t a hopeless album. It shows a different side of Hayley Williams’ art, and it captures how life and circumstances beyond our control can lead to wonderful art. Amanda Lavery (Music Industry)

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slowthai TYRON

Released February 12, 2021 Label Method and AWGE Genre Hip Hop Tasty Tracks “45 SMOKE,” “Dead,” “adhd” Northampton-based artist slowthai has never been one to shy away from controversy. Known for the seething political content of his music and raw lyrical style, the 26-yearold’s debut album, Nothing Great About Britain (2019), shot him into stardom, in both England and the US. With strong roots in Britain’s grime scene, slowthai has molded the style into his own, incorporating punk and modern-day American hip hop into his sound. Slowthai’s newest release, TYRON, is the perfect showcase of his versatility as an artist. Though Nothing Great About Britain demonstrates his lyrical ability and proves a strong start to the rapper’s career, TYRON asserts that he is here to stay as an influential force. With impressive features from the likes of A$AP Rocky, Denzel Curry, and Skepta, slowthai challenges the pure, self righteous climate of today in a way that is not devoid of recognizing his own faults. While pushing against a toxic tide, slowthai recognizes the toxicity within himself. TYRON focuses on anger in both an actionable and reflective stance, with the two moods shifts being recognized stylistically. While the first half of the album’s track titles are stylized in all caps, the rest are stylized in lowercase. In 2020, slowthai accepted the honor of “Hero of the Year” at the NME awards in a less than stylish fashion: being visibly under the influence, making the host of the show Spring 2021

uncomfortable with his remarks, and even attempting to fight a fan in the audience. As with most public celebrity mishaps, his actions caused scrutiny and backlash over social media. In many ways, TYRON is a response to this event and the repercussions that followed. Slowthai publicly apologized following the incident, and criticism from the public has since died down. Despite this, it’s clear that he is still grappling with his actions through the dark tone set in the majority of this release. The final verse of “adhd” is where slowthai is at his most vulnerable, seemingly crying out to his fans, God, and anyone who will listen: “Touch me tenderly/ Heaven, let me in / I think you got amnesia / And this stress soon to give me alopecia (‘Pecia)/ And I’m vexed tryna smile like Mona Lisa (Smile) / Fail to exit like I ain’t got a visa.” “adhd” fits a similar mood to most of the second half of TYRON, though none other being quite as direct. Compared to his debut, slowthai has become more open emotionally with his listeners, especially on tracks like “terms,” “feel away,” and “nhs.” Discussing his substance abuse and anger towards himself, sometimes in the same verse as a boast of his skill, slowthai offers a window into the nuance of his mind that listeners have never truly gotten to experience before. While the second half of TYRON takes a more passive, contemplative reflection on slowthai’s inward angst, the first half is more of a rebuttal to the intense criticism he received, as well as the climate of society as a whole. The most direct response to his haters is “CANCELLED,” where he and renowned grime rapper Skepta launch a direct attack. Skepta gloats “How you gonna cancel me?/ Twenty awards on the mantelpiece/ Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Girls in the crowd got their hands on me.” Through the album’s capitalized songs, there’s a similar theme of pushback against “cancel culture,” where slowthai often asserts that he could care less of what the public thinks of him. TYRON starts out strong, loud, and with slowthai’s signature aggressive style on the first track, “45 SMOKE,” setting the mood for the next seven songs. These songs are where slowthai’s punk influences truly shine, with dissonant tracks full of passionate energy. “VEX” is the most notable example of this. Tracks, like “MAZZA” (featuring A$AP Rocky), experiment with trap beats much different from slowthai’s usual style. Whatever slowthai experiments

with stylistically seems to work, and this track retains its strength despite the divergence in its sound. Though pushback against “cancel culture” by artists and celebrities can seem overdone and distasteful at times, slowthai does so in a way that doesn’t call the public to exempt him from criticism. He calls out the self righteous, pseudo-pure nature of social media while also recognizing that the actions he was being cancelled for were wrong. In the second half of TYRON, slowthai makes it clear that he hasn’t completely forgiven himself for his past behavior. Overall, TYRON exhibits an impressive range of mood and sound that prove slowthai’s ability to remain a powerful presence in the hip hop space. Hannah Lowicki (Marketing)

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Various Artists Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album Released February 21, 2021 Label Six Course Music, Inc & RCA Records Genre Hip Hop Tasty Tracks “Plead The .45th” - Smino and Saba, “What It Feels Like” - Nipsey Hussle and JAY-Z, “Somethin’ Ain’t Right” - Masego, JID, and Rapsody, “Revolutionary” - G Herbo, HitBoy, and Bump J The new film Judas and the Black Messiah, is a part-biopic, part-thriller, which is already poised to be one of the biggest movies of the year. Daniel Kaluuya stars as the late chairman of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton. The film does an excellent job of showcasing the revolutionary ideas of Black empowerment in America that Hampton and his comrades lived by, right up until the very end of his life. The FBI and Chicago police assassinated Hampton at the age of 21. The soundtrack accompanying the movie, Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album, struggles to echo Hampton’s exceptional determination to promote the interests of Black people in the U.S., and its messages fall short of the goals that Hampton set out to achieve. None of the album’s songs play in the film (besides the pleasant, yet generic, “Fight for You” by H.E.R. in the closing credits), demonstrating the rift between the movie’s messages and the album’s treatment of them. The album opens with “Cointelpro/Dec 4,” titled in reference to the FBI program

that spied on Hampton and perpetrated his violent death on the 4th of December, 1969. The first voice heard is that of Chairman Fred Hampton Jr., Fred Hampton’s only son, and the Black Panther Party Cubs’ current chairman. Over a looping beat, Hampton, Jr. gives a sincere speech that transitions into the voice of his late father, declaring, “I am a revolutionary,” a major proclamation in the film and in Hampton’s life. The father and son’s delivery is powerful, setting a high bar for artists who follow in the soundtrack. Disappointingly, the rest of the album fails to live up. On “EPMD,” rap hero Nas drops bars about NBA stars, fast cars, and social media on a Hit-Boy-produced beat, who also served as the executive producer for the album. Unfortunately, as just the third track of the album, Nas fails to set an early tone that levels with Hampton’s legacy as a socialist detested by American capitalism and imperialism. With lines like “eatin’ Michelin Star, countin’ a million,” and “we ain’t relyin’ on no stimmies,” Nas makes little effort at embodying Hampton’s direction. Instead, he takes the “inspired by” theme of the album too literally, using his verses to describe his experiences and ideals, which ultimately conflict with Hampton’s, as a Black leader. After a dull attempt from C.S. Armstrong, Angela Hunte, and The Roots’ Black Thought at creating an uplifting revolution anthem in the gospel-tinged “Welcome To America,” the late Nipsey Hussle and JAY-Z’s collaboration, “What It Feels Like,” succeeds at being a catchy, poetic track that keeps in stride with the film’s intentions. In his verse, JAY-Z addresses a past conflict he had with Fred Hampton, Jr. when on his 2011 Watch The Throne, he rapped, “I arrived on the day Fred Hampton died,” referencing his own birth on that same fateful day. This prompted Hampton, Jr. to take offense, as he preferred the term assassination. On “What It Feels Like,” JAY-Z raps, “I arrived on the day Fred Hampton got mur-, hol’ up, assassinated, just to clarify further,” cementing this track as one of a few that makes a concerted effort to honor Hampton’s legacy. Chicago rapper Noname pulled out of a planned appearance on the highlight of the album, the soulful Smino and Saba track, “Plead the .45th,” after seeing the film and deciding that it focused too much on the

FBI’s attempts to shut down Hampton’s movement instead of detailing his “radical communist politics.” This anecdote might best sum up the state of The Inspired Album, a soundtrack that lacks a cohesive message both sonically and lyrically, and the artists deviate too far away from the themes from the film without enough quality music to make it acceptable. Chicago is integral to the film and is well-represented throughout the second half of the album. G Herbo, Polo G, BJ the Chicago Kid, and Lil Durk all showcase their lyrical talents on a dull selection of beats while repeatedly failing to embody Hampton’s core values. When Polo G declares, “No more revolution, it’s just f*ck the opps, ignore the peace,” the album completely derails from the film. A$AP Rocky’s “Rich N**** Problems” furthers the album’s plummet into a celebration of individual wealth. While all of the songs are true to the artists that made them, collectively they miss the mark as a cohesive, focused body of work. Hampton’s influence on our world and on the film’s soundtrack is sorely missed. Lucas Cooperman (Media and Screen Studies and Journalism)

Editorial

ROCKSTAR "Are rappers the new rockstars? The age “Rap is the new Rock n’ Roll. We the rockstars,” proclaimed famed Chicago rapper and producer Kanye West during his discussion with Zane Lowe about the cultural impact of rap music in a 2013 interview with BBC Radio 1. Kanye’s answers in the interview nearly reached meme status in the music community due to West’s intense delivery, but this quote proved to be quite controversial and also seemingly inspired other rappers to embrace the sentiment. The Playboi Carti track “iwokeuplikethis*” features a Lil Uzi Vert intro where he repeatedly declares “I’m a rockstar.” “Meh,” from Carti’s newest album Whole Lotta Red , finds Carti claiming “And I feel like I’m the only rockstar, the only one.” Just within the past few years, both Post Malone and DaBaby have released huge hits named “Rockstar” that seem to glorify rappers as the rock and rollers of the new era. The growing number of references to rock combined with the crowning of rap as one of the most popular genres in the world beg the question: was Kanye right? The increasing influence that rock and roll has on rap appears to be the likely cause for the self-crowning of rappers as the new rock stars. In the earlier days of rap, the involvement

Spring 2021

of rock and roll was seen mostly through collaborations between rappers and their rock star counterparts. Aerosmith and Run D.M.C.’s collaboration “Walk This Way” or Jay-Z and LINKIN Park’s Collision Course EP are two of the more memorable collaborations from the past. In recent years, rappers have been incorporating different rock styles into their own music in creative and innovative ways. For example, Kid Cudi’s critically unacclaimed album Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven pulls heavily from various rock styles; much of Denzel Curry’s music utilizes ideas from heavy metal and hard rock, with Curry even covering Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade” for his Like A Version performance. The Playboi Carti album Whole Lotta Red takes much inspiration from punk rock with its aggressive instrumentals and often yelled vocal delivery. The album art even references an iconic cover from Slash magazine, a punk rock publication, featuring David Vanian of The Damned. Rock and Roll’s influence has even become prevalent in rap concerts, where attending a live rap show can feel more like a punk show than the rap concerts of old. Mosh pits erupt at Travis Scott’s shows when “Sicko Mode” plays and

old question returns for a definitive answer."” Lil Uzi Vert stage dives into the crowd at Rolling Loud, like Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam at Pinkpop. In rap’s fashion scene a lot of rappers are embracing more feminine clothing like Young Thug’s dress-wearing and Lil Uzi Vert’s iconic low-cut sweater and spiked-collar outfit. Rock stars like David Bowie and Kurt Cobain have been known for the blurring of lines between men’s and women’s fashion that rappers are now embracing. With Rock and Roll influence pouring into all parts of rap culture, it’s no surprise that rappers would compare themselves to the rock stars they are emulating. To know if Kanye was right, it’s important to understand what a rock star is. Many would argue that a rock star is not a performer of rock music, but rather a cultural figure. Despite the many successful female rock stars, for many, the term “Rock Star” conjures images of male musicians at large parties, full of women and drugs. Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler estimated he has spent 6 million dollars on drugs during his lifetime. While classic rock stars are beloved today, during the 1960s and 1970s, many were the “bad boys” of music and

were strongly disliked by many traditionalists. Jim Morrison of The Doors rejected modern religion, sang about getting high on drugs (decades before this was common in music), and was arrested for indecent exposure at a 1969 concert in Miami while encouraging the crowd to start a “revolution.” Another key aspect to becoming a rock star is gaining large amounts of wealth through their music and touring. Paul McCartney has a net worth of over a billion dollars from his work with The Beatles as well as his solo endeavors, while Bono has a net worth of over $700 million dollars. As cultural figures associated with affluence, partying and a rebellious attitude, rock stars are clearly much more than performers of rock music.

Designer: Haidyn Redmond (Business and Graphic Design)

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Do rappers meet these criteria to be considered the new rock stars? Rap music has had strong ties to partying, as well as to drugs and drug culture. While drug-dealing and even warnings against drug use were often the subject matter of early rap, modern rap has glorified the use of drugs like lean, Xanax, and other hard drugs. Many modern rappers have also established reputations as womanizers, often bragging publicly about the number of women they have been with; Blueface once claimed to have slept with more than 1,000 women in a six-month period. While to many rock music’s rebellious roar has died down to a whimper in

the members of KISS, clearly wanted to be flashy and cool with their face paint, big hair, and metallic outfits. Describing the majority of rappers as being attention-grabbing and only caring about money and fame is a very cynical take, as many rappers have shied away from their fame, like J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. When Lil Uzi Vert wore a dress, he was laughed at by most of the rap community, but he helped continue defining trends that the classic rock stars began. Clearly, those like Moriates are stereotyping rappers and being very careful with their selection of classic rock stars. Many would also argue that rock music and rap music

the mainstream, rap music is as rebellious as it’s ever been and has proven a strong voice in addressing systemic racism in the United States. One of the most iconic rap songs ever, NWA’s “Fuck Tha Police,” is a direct and rebellious attack on police brutality; the aforementioned “Rockstar” by DaBaby echoes similar sentiments with lyrics like “Cops wanna pull me over, embarrass me /Abusin’ power, you never knew me, thought I was arrogant.” Rappers have also amassed similar levels of clout that classic rock stars tout; Jay-Z has a net worth of over a billion dollars and Dr. Dre has an estimated net worth of $865 million dollars. By those cultural standards of affluence, rebellion, and partying, rappers seem to absolutely qualify as rock stars. An argument that many, including Taran Moriates of The Daily Californian, present against rappers being the new rockstars is that rock stars didn’t care about being cool or popular while rappers only care about being flashy and famous. Plenty of rockstars, like

are so different that rappers and rock stars should not be compared, but the cultural and symbolic impact of rappers being compared to classic rock stars should not be disregarded. The significance of Prince performing at the Super Bowl in 2007 is echoed in Travis Scott’s 2019 Super Bowl appearance, for example. An interesting implication of this logic is that rappers can also be viewed as the new pop stars; rappers like Lil Nas X and Nicki Minaj fully embody the glamour and grandeur that a pop star is expected to embody. With rap and rappers extending into other genres, this rap diaspora makes it clear that rap music is fulfilling the cultural importance that genres like rock and roll used to hold in society. • Harrison Jumper (Computer Science)

 Local Talent

Eva Ulmann Eva Ullmann is a singer-songwriter from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. She is a second-year music industry major at Northeastern. Tastemakers Magazine (TMM): Your EP Youth came out in 2019. What was that process like? What was it like putting it out into the world?

TMM: What are you working on right now? EU: I’m working on my first ever album. I’m hoping for it to be around eight to 10 songs. I’m just trying not to rush things. I’m really excited because this is my first release in two years, which is really nerve wracking, but super cool. I feel like I’ve been through a lot in the last two years. I moved to Europe, went through a pretty big breakup with my ex from high school, which was hard. And then he asked me back and it was this whole thing. I dealt with a lot of family issues. It’s been a weird two years, you know, and there’s a pandemic. There’s so much I can write about. I sound different now. I’m using my range more effectively. The last album I feel like was very singer-songwriter-y. Pop but a little bit of folk, maybe a little country in there. This album already is definitely pop but it has some soul and R&B influences and it’s almost sultry I want to say. I’m talking about more adult issues. I’m trying to be more honest, which is so hard. I sit down to write a song and automatically want to write something that’s so commercial no one knows what’s actually going on in my life. But I’m trying to write about what’s happened to me, what’s happened in the last two years. I started

TMM: It’s kind of funny watching you struggle with the word sultry. I think it is so telling of this transitional moment where you are trying to own your sexuality but it’s not an easy thing to do as a woman. EU: Yeah and sometimes it doesn’t feel like me. I don’t think I give off like sexy energy at all. Sometimes when I say, “Yeah, this song is sultry” I’m like “Ew, gag.” But I’m kind of ready to not be seen as a little girl anymore. I’m kind of ready to be seen at this moment. But you’re right, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head right there. It is a transitional moment. It’s still a little weird but I’m excited about it. And I’m sure moving forward I’ll feel more confident. I look at Beyonce and am like that is a woman. I’m starting to see that in myself and I think that’s going to come through. TMM: What has your experience with the music community at Northeastern and in Boston been like? EU: I’ve made so many connections students-wise that already I’m only a sophomore and I’m stacked. It’s so cool. This whole entire project is going to be student-done. No other people are going to be involved in this, no professionals. I have so many friends who are songwriters and friends who play guitar. TMM: You currently have 40,000 followers on TikTok. What is like having that platform and what are you hoping to get out of it? EU: It’s definitely given me a lot more hope that this can happen for me because in this day and age you won’t get anywhere if you don’t have a following. You won’t get signed. They need to see that the public likes you in some way. I will say it’s definitely taught me a lot about not tying self worth to social media because I blew up, I had about 10 videos that did really, really well. And then like nothing like for months. I lost followers. I was freaking out a little bit. I was just like, “Why aren’t people listening anymore?” And then I did [a series of videos] where I’m trying to sing the hardest rifts on the internet even if I fail. I started doing it a few weeks ago and that blew up and now I’m at 40,000 followers. I gained like 20,000 followers in two weeks but now I’m back down to having like only 80 views, a 100 views, a 1,000 views on my videos. It’s just a roller coaster. Also Tik Tok is so cool because people like authenticity. I voice crack in a video and it did better than any other video. I was always being authentic but I was definitely being a more perfect version of myself in the beginning videos. And now I’m like falling on chairs and voice cracking.

Designer: Sadhana Pakala (Business Adminstration and Design)

Eva Ullmann (EU): I wrote those songs in 2017 at 17-years-old, recorded them in 2018 and released them in 2019. I love that EP so much but it’s definitely an old representation of myself. I wrote the songs pretty much in a week. It was winter break and I was going through a break in relationships. I had dated this kid for two years, I was about to date another kid for a year and half and I was feeling all the emotions and wrote all these songs. The one that took me the longest was [the title track] “Youth.” That one I was like, “I want to write the song. I know what I want it to be about” but I had clue how to write it, couldn’t figure it out. I rotated the idea around in my mind for like two weeks and then just sat down on the couch and did it one day. Those are the best songs when you’re like, “I don’t even know if I wrote it.” There’s like this thing, if you talk to any songwriter they’ll tell you the same thing. Sometimes when you write a song it’s like, “Okay, what rhymes with time? How do I piece this together?” And then sometimes it’s like some external force funnels through you and you’re just like, “Wow, that took me five minutes and I have a masterpiece.” Some songs come out perfect and this was one of those songs.

going to therapy and I want to talk about that because I think it’s such an important thing to do. I want to talk about what it feels like to grow up as a woman.

• Alex Sumas (Journalism) 47

Issue 64: Remembering SOPHIE

Articles inside

Do dogs actually like classical music? New studies point to yes. Cats are a different story, though

It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing political art is somehow more meaningful than other art, but this dangerously narrow perspective ignores the true role of art in our lives

Hearts and Minds: A Consideration of Political Music

Local Talent: Eva Ullmann

Where Music Awards Fail

You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat

An Interview with Maude Latour

Dirty Girls” - Riot Grrrl, Kinderwhore, and Subverting Expectations Through Style

Yacht rock is a carefree, trivial slice of paradise that when done right, can pacify the weight of the world, and that’s something we all need right about now

Local Talent: Gilanares

Spotify Unwrapped

Truly the queen of Latin music, Shakira is not only one of the world’s best-selling artists, but also one of its most versatile

Shakira: Queen of Latin Music