Soundtracks of 2021

Illustration Lucia Thorne

The soundtracks of 2021

Payton Cavanaugh Beacon Staff

As we look back on the past year, let’s take the time to reflect on all that was brought into our lives. Music is a universal language and a unifying art form. It’s a source of happiness and healing, something needed and much appreciated over the past couple of years. Whatever music may be to you, this past year gave us some of the best. So, let’s rewind and reflect, in no particular order, on the albums of 2021.

Red (Taylor’s Version)

It’s no secret that Taylor Swift has been climbing the charts and breaking records in the music industry for years, and this past year she made significant strides. In order to take back the legal rights to her art, Swift has been rerecording all of her earlier albums. Most notably, Red. Red (Taylor’s Version) was much different than Fearless (Taylor’s Version). In this re-recording, she did release new songs “from the vault,” but she also released a new version of one of her hit songs, “All Too Well,” something that fans had requested for years. The new 10 minute version was met with immediate praise, officially becoming the longest number one hit of all time, surpassing Don McLean’s “American Pie.”

“This song became the fan’s favorite on its own. My favorite song, and their favorite song, aligned,” said Swift on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Alongside the 10 minute version came the release of the “All Too Well” short film, written and directed by Swift, featuring actor Dylan O’Brien and actress Sadie Sink. Both of these releases brought more attention to the new version of the song and album.

Red (Taylor’s Version) delivered so much nostalgia while putting a unique new spin onto fan favorites, featuring artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Ed Sheeran, and Chris Stapleton.

Sour

Up and coming artist Olivia Rodrigo made her debut into the pop music world this year, releasing her first album SOUR. The album combined many musical pieces of Rodrigo’s favorite artists’, attributing the inspiration to Alanis Morissette, Kacey Musgraves, and Taylor Swift.

“She’s obviously such a personal songwriter,” Rodrigo said about Swift in an interview with Zane Lowe. “I think I am a really personal songwriter too. I draw a lot of inspiration from my personal life.”

SOUR climbed the charts, winning Rodrigo a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Album, the American Music Award for New Artist of the Year, and Song Of The Year at the MTV Music awards for “Driver’s License.” Rodrigo has been nominated for seven grammys, including album of the year.

“This has been the most magical year of my life,” said Rodrigo when giving her award’s speech. “I want to dedicate this award to all of the other girls who write songs on their bedroom floor. There are a lot of people who will try to dim your light, but speaking your mind and sharing your heart are the most beautiful things in the world.”

30

Adele released her first album after a six year break on November 19, 2021, where she explored many new aspects of life and relationships in her music.

The album, 30, ensured that all four of Adele’s albums have reached number one. One of the songs featured on this album, “Easy on Me,” reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles. All of Adeles’ past albums were titled the age she was when writing them, so the jump from her prior album, 25, to 30, portrayed her comeback. This album differs from her previous works because it explores more mature ideas and dynamics that Adele had come to explore in her personal life.

“I really think that some of the songs on this album could really help people, really change people’s lives,” said Adele during an interview with Zane Lowe.

Montero

Lil Nas X released Montero in September 2021, which has gone on to win many awards as well as received several other nominations, such as grammy nominations for song of the year, record of the year, and best music video. Montero won the MTV music award for Video of the Year, MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video, among many others.

The album provided a new layer to the artist, allowing listeners to connect with Lil Nas X on a deeper level than what they are used to and proved a new perspective on his journey of self-discovery.

“I was able to unleash a lot of feelings I didn’t even know I had pent up in some cases,” said Lil Nas X in an interview with Sirius XM. “Some things I just wanted to say, that I wasn’t able to get across to my fans because I didn’t know how to put it into my music, but I found a way.”

Lil Nas X went on to depict the ways that isolation from the ongoing pandemic allowed him to really think and dig deeper emotionally, which was reflected in this album.

Planet Her

Doja Cat released Planet Her in June 2021, winning her the American Music Award for Favorite Album Soul/R&B. Doja Cat is nominated for multiple grammys including, pop vocal album, pop duo performance, and record, among others.

The album explored many different topics and themes; specifically, the empowerment through anthems such as her song, “Woman.” These past few years social media has become a vital piece of our everyday lives, and among these growing platforms TikTok has become arguably one of the most influential.

Doja Cat’s music gained her an influx of fans and popularity as “Get into It (Yuh)” and “Woman,” among others, became increasingly popular sounds on the app and social media in general. Curating a larger following, many content creators made creative TikTok dances and videos to her songs. Doja Cat left a huge mark in the world of social media this past year.

“I get a rush and I just feel good that people are listening,” said Doja Cat in an interview with 102.7 KissFM after performing her newly released music.

Happier Than Ever

Billie Eilish released Happier Than Ever in July 2021. The album portrays the hardships of adulthood, maturing, relationships, and growing up in general. Eilish sheds light on struggles that many young adults are faced with, which adds to this relatability factor and connection to her audience.

Happier Than Ever has received several Grammy nominations, including best music video and best music film.

“I wanted to make a very timeless record that wasn’t just timeless in terms of what other people thought but really just timeless for myself,” said Eilish in an interview with Vevo.

Inside

Bo Burnham released Inside, a Neflix special inspired by the pandemic, in May 2021. The special as well as the album encompassed many powerful pieces, while remaining quite satirical in nature. One example would be Burnham’s song, “That Funny Feeling,” which explores raw emotions, feelings of anxiety and dread, but does so by incorporating many examples of that funny feeling. Burnham analyzes anxiety in all its forms, the good and the bad, in this piece.

“That unapparent summer air in early fall, The quiet comprehending of the ending of it all,” wrote Burnham in “That Funny Feeling.”

Inside won three awards at the Creative Arts Emmys: Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Music Direction, and Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special.

“Thank you to everyone who has watched inside. I am incredibly grateful,” wrote Burham on his Twitter page.

In These Silent Days

Brandi Carlile released her newest album In These Silent Days, in October 2021, featuring Lucius. Carlile’s album is raw and truly connects to the emotions of listeners, much like many of her past releases such as The Story, By The Way I Forgive You, and her works with The Highwomen. Carlile presents her experiences from these silent days through her music.

In These Silent Days debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Albums chart. From songs like, “Right On Time,” that explored love despite frustration amidst these trying times, to the remainder of the album’s tracks, Carlile conveyed the emotional complexities of the past year.

“It’s me sort of saying with the album, this is what I did in these silent days, and also, what did you do in these silent days,” said Carlile in an interview with Zane Lowe. “I always want to engage the listener in a question instead of an answer.”

Joyful Motherfuckers

Allison Russell released her debut solo album, Joyful Motherfuckers, which explored her life journey. Russell was proclaimed as one of the best new artists this past year by NPR after her release that delved deep into particular moments and pieces of herself that made her feel like an outsider to her own life.

“I’ve been involved in solo work and band work for many years now, but I have finally made a solo record,” said Russell on Sundance ASCAP Music Café.

The Lockdown Sessions

Elton John is, without a doubt an icon in the music industry. John released his newest album, The Lockdown Sessions, this past October.

On this album, John collaborated with many new artists, and a few others with whom he has collaborated before. Among these names, John collaborated with Brandi Carlile and Lil Nas X, and created new and exciting music for younger and older generations alike. John’s lockdown sessions explored classics and new pieces in a way that captured the essence of his performing and art.

“Because of my years of experience as a session musician you have to know, they want a certain thing, they want a bit of Elton on it, but they also want a certain thing to fit in with the song,” said John in a recent interview.

Sling

Clairo released Sling in July 2021, which in comparison to her past work effectively portrays a newfound maturity in her writing.

Sling debuted at number 17 on the U.S. Billboard’s Top 200, and officially made this Clairo’s first top 20 album.

“Sling is moreso the direction I’ve dreamt of making music in and the kind of headspace I wanna continue down,” said Clairo in an interview with Vogue.

payton_cavanaugh@emerson.edu

Lunar New Year celebrations provide cultural, social comfort

Cont. from Pg. 1

2 Boylston Place residence hall.

“[In previous years, I’ve taken] the time to have dinner with my friend,” Fu said. “Before COVID, we used to make Lunar New Year dinner together in the kitchen. We just eat dinner because classes [are] still going on, and I can’t take much time off.”

Other students go to Chinatown to eat dim sum, a traditional Chinese meal made up of small dishes typically served on carts. Lunar New Year has also been an opportunity for many Emerson students to introduce their culture to nonAsians. Sophomore theatre and performance major Qiyue Zhang helped introduce her non-Asian friends to dim sum one year.

“The dinner is important for Asians, so even if we don’t celebrate like we did when I was at home, I feel like eating with friends would be a good way to celebrate it,” Zhang said. “This is an opportunity to introduce a lot of Asian dishes that [non-Asian] people might be skeptical of. It’s always fun to introduce people to new cultures and to talk about our traditions.”

Lunar New Year has also provided a way for Asian students of different backgrounds to connect.

“[My non-Chinese friends] also celebrate Lunar New Year, but they eat different foods,” Zhang said. “[I have friends] who are Korean, so they [celebrate it differently than me]. They have their own special dishes that they eat. It’s just really fun to talk to friends about it.”

Rosamond Chung, a sophomore journalism major, is celebrating Lunar New Year for the first time on campus, after spending her freshman year online in Hong Kong. When she arrived at Emerson, a predominantly white institution (PWI), for the first time, she said it was important for her to make friends who shared the same culture as her.

“I’m not used to not having everyone around me celebrating holidays that I’m very used to celebrating during every school year back in Hong Kong,” Chung said. “Chinese New Year is about being with friends and family. It’s about the culture and celebrating the start of a new year, but it’s also about getting to do that with your friends.”

Due to the Omicron variant, many students are refraining from large gatherings to prevent spreading COVID.

“I was going to have a Lunar New Year’s dinner with my friend at her place in Malden because we all live off-campus, but it just doesn’t really seem like something we still want to do,” Fu said. “I’m mostly going to spend my time in my room ordering takeout and having a little celebration. I’ll call my family and just call it a day.”

Businesses in Chinatown have been negatively impacted by the pandemic and the anti-Asian sentiment within the past year. Chung plans to go to Chinatown to get dinner with her friends to support local businesses, especially during the special holiday.

“My friends and I [may get] hotpot to celebrate and are probably going to the ASIA meeting,” Chung said. “I’ll probably call my family and wish them ‘Happy Chinese New Year.’

Cultural organizations like Emerson’s Asian Students In Alliance also participate in the celebration of Lunar New Year, hosting a decorating session in the lobby of Piano Row. Emerson’s Office of International Student Affairs has also held special events in recent years.

Chung mentioned how many Asian people are taught early on they can’t assert their identities.

“When I came to Emerson, I realized that I can’t do that,” Chung said. “Asians make up a pretty decent-sized group at Emerson, but we’re definitely the most low-key group here. You need to take up that space.”

For students of color attending predominantly white institutions like Emerson, it can be difficult for them to preserve their culture when many students around them don’t come from the same backgrounds.

“As an international student, it’s been even more difficult transitioning to a PWI just because so much of my culture is already whitewashed since I went to an [American] international school,” Chung said. “Coming to a PWI means I have to hold on to that culture so hard—because if I lose it, I lose it. There’s no one around me to force me to talk in my native tongue or eat my native food. That’s why celebrating holidays is really important.”

At home, Chung’s family didn’t make Lunar New Year a huge celebration; however, since coming to Emerson, she’s been making it a priority to celebrate and practice Chinese culture to keep it alive— especially since she may not return to Hong Kong this summer.

“Now that I’m gone, I realize I really miss [celebrating Lunar New Year] just because of how lively it was [back home],” she said. “It’s something that I want to bring to the community, but that’s going to be too hard to do as an individual, it has to be a group effort.”

Sports

Men’s basketball extends win streak to four against Springfield

Jason Tulchin Beacon Staff

Emerson’s men’s basketball team defeated Springfield College on Wednesday night with a season-high score of 98-77, increasing their record to 5-2 in conference games and 12-4 overall.

The team entered the game coming off a 79-72 win over Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Saturday. Prior to the match-up against Springfield, senior center Jarred Houston, who registered 21 rebounds against MIT, was awarded his fourth Defensive Player of The Week by the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference.

The Lions built an eleven-point lead early in the first half on Wednesday; a two-pointer from senior guard Zach Waterhouse and a three from senior guard Nate Martin bumping the score to 19-10. A foul allowed Springfield to briefly catch up, but two three-pointers sank by junior shooting guard Max Davis lengthening the gap to 30-19. Emerson continued their scoring by going on a 10-point streak finished by a layup from Houston which brought the score to 40-19. The Lions entered the locker room at halftime leading 4939.

Houston led the Lions into the second half with three layups. A three-pointer from Waterhouse brought the game to 59-53. Davis sank two more three-pointers, bringing the score to 68-56 with 11:30 left in the game. The Pride snuck back into the 10-point range, but the Lions banked another 20 points in the final stretch of the second half.

Junior guard James Beckwith made two free throws following a foul, extending the Lions’ lead to 20 points. Martin also took a trip to the line to score the final Emerson points of the game, with 43 seconds left in regulation. Following a layup from Springfield, the game would close at 98-77, a season-high points tally for the Lions.

Five Emerson athletes recorded double-digits in the game. Houston led the team in scoring and rebounds, going 28-21, respectively. He also tallied 4 assists and 6 blocks. Zach Waterhouse scores a second-quarter layup against Springfield College to make the score 35-19. / Sydney Ciardi

“He’s one of those guys you can trust with the balls in his hands,” Davis said to The Beacon. “He’s gonna make the right play.

Martin also praised teammate Houston, adding that he was not surprised by his high performance.

“It was just another day for Jarred,” he said. “He’s the most dominant player in the league, easily.”

Another spectacular performance came from Davis, who, despite starting on the bench, tallied 23 points and 4 assists in 27 minutes played.

“Max is an electric player,” Martin said. “He can do a lot of things on the floor. He’s really good for us.”

Houston also had plenty of praise for Davis.

“He’s a phenomenal three-point shooter,” he said. “He sees the floor really well, and he’s just a special talent.”

Wednesday night’s game was Emerson’s fourth consecutive NEWMAC win. Houston attributed the winning streak to a stacked roster.

“We have so many guys that are really, really good basketball players—guys that start, guys that come off the bench, and even guys that don’t necessarily play a lot of minutes,” he said. “We’re pushing each other every day.”

Davis said that preparation was a vital plan to the team’s success; maintaining their competitiveness in practice helped make sure that, when game time came, “everyone was on the right page.”

The men’s basketball team is set to take on Babson College this Saturday, Jan. 29th at home and Worcester Polytechnic Institute on February 2. Emerson lost to Babson last season and WPI this season. Martin says that the team is looking to tie the record up.

“[Head Coach Bill] Curley really doesn’t have to do a thing.” He joked. “We’re really excited for these next two games. It’s the biggest stretch of the season, we just feel really confident and excited to play.”

jason_tulchin@emerson.edu

Men’s volleyball team looking for win in first game since abridged 2020 season

Tyler Foy Beacon Staff

The men’s volleyball team is preparing to take on Nichols College on Thursday night for its season opener— which, incidentally, will be the team’s first match since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago.

Preseason preparations began on Jan. 11, with the team gears up for its first game in 699 days. Head Coach Benjamin Read said the team is lacking in depth due to its small roster size, which made early sessions difficult.

“The first week and a half we had four to six kids in each practice because people [couldn’t] return to play and [because of] COVID and everything else,” Read said.

Read said the team’s limited depth challenged its ability to play practice scrimmages. Instead, it adapted to the circumstances and started focusing on developing individual players.

“We’ve got a serve machine that can serve the ball somewhere 60 something miles per hour, which is about as fast as you’re going to see at the conference,” Read said. “We get creative [with] what we’re doing.”

The first practices were centered around building chemistry—a difficult task for a team split up by sickness and travel concerns. Nevertheless, senior setter Josh Elliot is confident in the team’s competitive mindset.

“[Practice has] just been trying different lineups and getting the team to gel,” Elliot said. “I’m not worried about the talent and the skill of everybody. They’re all really good. It’s just we haven’t really played together.”

“And a lot of them haven’t played in a college game yet,” he added.

The 2020 men’s volleyball season was shut down due to the pandemic; the team’s last game was a loss to Lasell University on Feb. 28, 2020, ending the season with a 5-7 record.

Players from the class of 2020 and 2021 effectively lost their seasons. The team had a short-lived group of practices last winter before being put on hold due to COVID-19 concerns.

Elliot, who saw his second season disappear and his collegiate career shortened, said he worried about losing it completely.

“Two of my closest friends in the past on the team were Lucas Raagas, who was a senior my sophomore year, and Sam Willinger, who was a senior last year,” he said. “I saw them lose their seasons. I completely understand how crushing it is. I was pretty worried about it, especially with Omicron and everything.”

Years of pandemic-related season postponements and cancellations mean many teams across the nations are young and inexperienced. With only three players returning from previous years, Emerson is no different.

“It’s a new group of guys for the most part,” Read said. “It’s going to be really interesting because pretty much 90 percent of the guys on the court when we play on Thursday have never represented Emerson before in a game. It’ll be a little weird—but pretty cool too.”

Elliot, who was named team captain, has been working to help new players adapt to the sport at the collegiate level.

“The biggest difference with volleyball from playing in high school and playing in college is the speed of the game,” Elliot said. “Everything speeds up. Everybody’s pretty big and athletic. You have to really get a lot smarter.”

Sophomore middle and opposite Neiko Pittman will make his Emerson debut alongside seven other Lions on Thursday night. He said he will rely on his previous volleyball experience while trying to create a positive presence on the court.

“I’m a little nervous because I haven’t played in two years,” Pittman said. “At the same time, I’ve been doing this forever. I know how to play volleyball. It’s the same strategies, same things you have to do on the court—it’s just a different team. It’s a different environment. I’m just going to do my best to keep the energy up for the team.”

The young talent on the team has also created a more dynamic squad, Read said.

“They’re working hard,” Read said. “We make it enjoyable, but they’re a competitive group and they really want to go ahead and show they belong near the top of the conference.”

The team hopes to start its season on the right foot with a win. The team, which plays in the Great Northwest Athletic League, made the playoff semi-finals once under Read, who hopes to make history in the league again this season.

“We’re looking to go in and do the best we can,” Read said. “We’ve come out with a winning record for the first time in a long time and talked about expectations coming to the season, and we would like to host a playoff game. We’ve never done that before.”