Music

Layton Greene

St. Louis-born singer Layton Greene has a vibe that feels like a breath of fresh air. Her style of music fits perfectly into the R&B/Soul genre, heartbreaking yet uplifting. While listening to Greene’s EP Tell Ya Story I took a journey through her life: the pain of knowing her mother was getting weaker as she continued to do drugs, the horrors of watching her drunk father put a gun to his wife’s head at only ten years old.

It is sad to hear about everything that Greene endured throughout her life but in an interview with Apple Music she said, “It is important to talk about what molded me as a person and everything that led up to where I am today.” Greene also describes herself as a hopeless romantic which shows through a few of her tracks such as “Never Knew” and “I Love You” as she sings about the man who she felt saved her life. In “Choices” track four of the project, Greene finds

By isabella cerioni Staff Reporter isabellacerioni@icloud.com

herself blinded by love and in a difficult situation, “...and the guy I was with was disrespectful and cheated constantly. While he was slacking, I met another guy. Even though this guy was sweet and respectful, it was hard for me to give him my attention because I was so wrapped up in the bad guy.”

The next track, “I Choose” is dedicated to herself. She realizes her worth and is angry, “Not only because of the stuff they put me through, but because I should have known better. I’m apologizing to myself and letting myself know that I choose me.”

I admire Greene for making this decision, not many girls choose themselves. It is empowering and sets a perfect example that she points out in the last track of “Tell Ya Story” which is that you do not need anyone but yourself. “This song is a lightbulb moment. I realized that in order to heal properly, I have to focus on me,” she said. This EP is a lightbulb moment. I realized that no matter what I go through, if I am strong and believe in myself and love myself unconditionally, I will get through anything. The same way Greene did in her story that I have had the honor of hearing through her smooth, mellow flow.

MXMTOON

I have a lot of respect for Mxmtoon, her music and the message she is trying to get across; however I personally do not like it. In her debut album, MXMTOON shares with us her rhyming diary entries. Her bio describes it as an “an off-the-cuff account of her most private thoughts and feelings, usually dashed off very late at night, straight from her brightly lit brain. In her deliberate refusal to hide behind metaphor, the Oakland-based artist otherwise known as Maia achieves a quiet bravery, an unrestrained honesty that gives voice to those who often go unheard.” Her vibrant song writing and rawness has allowed her to build an astounding bond with her audience.

“Writing songs was a way to express all the things I couldn’t talk about in face-toface interactions, and share them with a community of people who maybe also needed to put up a façade to get through the day,” she said in her bio. “Music has always meant a lot to me, my soul longs for it and my heart becomes content when I listen, regardless of what has happened to me that day.” It is evident that MXMTOON’s music has that effect on her audience and I applaud her for speaking on things that not many people bring out of the darkness. “Seasonal Depression” reveals Mxmtoon’s rare gift for illuminating experiences typically unrecognized in pop music.

Her voice and melodies are soothing but personally her music does not reach me emotionally, making it hard to feel a connection to the lyrics and the story she is telling. As I listened to her music I did not feel that I could relate to her and the things she has been through.