7 minute read
Six Reviews
Since “This Is America,” Childish Gambino has become a household name. He has achieved pop star status through comedy, acting, and music, and is responsible for “Atlanta.” Yet, Gambino’s album “3.15.20” rejects his fame; it’s an indecipherable enigma filled with anti-pop music. 3.15.20 Childish Gambino BY KINGA MOZES 3
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The album covers a wide range of messages from police brutality in “12.38” to haunting self-reflection in “24.10.” Gambino is vulnerable in a new way through his characteristic rap-singing style, but many of the songs feel half-finished—strange, considering that Gambino worked on this album for three years, making seven-minute songs.
Despite this, the music shines on “47.48,” where Gambino fleshes out what it’s like when children are first exposed to violence. The song ends with a heart-wrenching clip of his son talking about self-love. Although Gambino dismisses the mainstream, he chose to feature Ariana Grande on “Time” and 21 Savage at the end of “12.38.” However, these are the only features, retaining his lone-wolf persona.
22 The songs seem like they were made for Gambino’s family and close friends. He holds the general public at arm’s length given that none of the songs are named, and the album is christened after the date it was first released. He took it down and re-released it without song titles or cover art. Maybe Gambino wants to keep a part of himself hidden in a society where nothing feels private, and the mystery of this album allows him this escape.
STAY HOME AND LISTEN TO THIS
Physical health is more important than ever, but we can’t forget about supporting and maintaining stable mental health. Something I’ve been doing is spending time outside. My at-home routine consists of making coffee and taking a morning walk around my neighborhood listening to some music. For you, maybe that means creating art, reading a book, cooking—whatever it may be, throw on this playlist for some good vibes to remind yourself that there is good to be celebrated every day. Because though we may feel like it’s the end of the world as we know it, it’s not! The birds are singing, the sun is shining, and artists are creating. BY GRACE DAVIS
Enjoy the tunes, and remember to take time for yourself :)
Find this playlist on our Spotify! /thewakemag
STAY HOME AND LISTEN TO THIS “OK” - The Wallows “In Your Eyes” - The Weeknd “Candy Wrappers” - Summer Salt “New Light” - John Mayer “Sunflower Vol. 6” - Harry Styles “Wish You Were Sober” - Conan Gray “Feels Good” - Okey Dokey, Devon Gilfillian “Junk Of The Heart (Happy)” - The Kooks “Moon Child” - F16s “31.35” - Childish Gambino “Good Day” - Surfaces “Australia” - The Shins “Buttercup” - Hippocampus “Time” - Childish Gambino “Breathe Deeper” - Tame Impala “Sweet Disposition” - The Temper Trap “In My Room” - Frank Ocean “Lucy” - Still Woozy, ODIE “Honeypie” - JAWNY “Simple Season” - Hippo Campus “Hot Rod” - Dayglow “Here Comes the Sun” - The Beatles
This Is Us
BY MEGAN BORMANN It’s time to take it back to 2013. The British boy band One Direction has taken the world by storm and released a documentary-style movie about how they started the band. Directed by Morgan Spurlock, the film follows Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson around the world on their Take Me Home tour.
One of the saddest moments of the film is at the beginning when the five boys were almost sent home from the X-Factor. Fetus Harry Styles sobbing into his beanie is a sight that could melt the iciest heart. The sorrow is soon forgotten when the five boys are launched into super-stardom after they are put together as a group.
Blending moments from the tour bus and backstage antics with live performances of songs creates something special for the audience. We get to rock out to unreleased songs, like their cover of Wheatus’s “Teenage Dirtbag,” and tear up to “Little Things.” The most notable moment of the film is when the boys get to go home and see their families for the first time in months. As fans, we can see the strain that the industry and a grueling schedule has on artists and the people they love.
Despite that, this film provides a heartwarming glance into one of the biggest boy bands of our generation and how people around the world were affected by their music.
Kid Krow
Conan Gray
BY KATELYN ANDERSON
Conan Gray recently released his debut album, “Kid Krow.” It features a new sound but holds onto some of his past music, which was reminiscent of adolescence and high school. “Kid Krow” has a more grown-up sound, with electric guitar riffs and drum hits. It shows how much Gray has grown, from producing his music in his bedroom to producing it in a studio.
Gray pours his heart out about the ups and downs with his crush. He represents the trials and tribulations of having a crush with upbeat, angry songs such as “Checkmate” and “Maniac,” but also with songs that pull at the heartstrings, like “Heather” and “The Cut That Always Bleeds.” Gray also has songs that are not about his romantic thoughts. He talks about how important his friends are to him with songs like “(Can We Be Friends?)” and “Little League.” He also talks about his family life in “Affluenza,” showing how toxic money can be.
Conan Gray has grown into a new style of music and upgraded his sound. Gray has written and produced a successful debut album. He has proven how powerful a foundation of EPs and a YouTube following can be, and his idol Taylor Swift is a fan of his album!
YHLQMDLG
Bad Bunny
BY JUAN ANDRÉS RUJANA
Bad Bunny continues to push boundaries on his second studio album, “YHLQMDLG,” which means “yo hago lo que me da la gana,” or “I do whatever I want.” The album is aligned with this idea, as he smoothly integrates his iconic sadboi anthems, old-school-inspired reggaeton bangers, and classic Latin trap songs.
In the first half of the record, Bad Bunny explains how he deals with losing someone he loves. He shows that it’s okay to be sad as long as you keep believing in yourself. On “Ignorantes,” he questions why a relationship failed and considers how the resulting emotional pain could’ve been avoided.
Bad Bunny breaks the melancholic vibe with “Safaera.” This track encompasses the “YHGLQMDLG” theme, as it has a new beat for each verse and the lyrics are as indecent as you would expect from classic reggaeton songs.
The rest of the record brings in the well-known Latin trap sounds that made Bad Bunny’s first album a cult classic. The most prominent collaboration on the record is with Anuel AA on “Está Cabrón Ser Yo,” which brings two legends of Latin trap together. Bad Bunny also brings Arcangel and Kendo Kaponi in “P FKN R,” which explains how reggaeton started as an underground genre, but is now on worldwide charts.
Finally, the record ends with “<3,” a sweet, melodic song in which Bad Bunny thanks fans for believing in him. He also mentions his plan to drop another album in nine months and then retire, making this sentimental track the perfect closure to the “YHLQMDLG” experience.
Unorthodox
Anna Winger, who wrote “Deutschland 83,” has made her mark with another foreign language hit, “Unorthodox.” Esty Shapiro, a strong-minded young woman who has never fit into her Hasidic community in Williamsburg, runs away from her life in a patriarchal and controlling society. The characters speak Yiddish, German, and English, mirroring the fragmentation within Esty. Although she never fit in, at first she is happy to be married at nineteen and begin a family. However, she and her husband, Yanky, are plagued by painful intercourse, which the women in Esty’s family blame her for. It is seen as her problem to fix, and the pressure begins to build. Her lack of freedom and objectification becomes too much, and she runs away to Berlin to start anew. BY JOSIE TAKESHIMA ALLEN
The story itself is compelling, but Shira Haas makes the audience experience every disappointment that her character feels. Another key part is the show’s avoidance of one-dimensional, evil misogynists. The misogyny of the community is shown, but her husband is worried for her well being. He wants her to be happy, even “allowing” her to take piano lessons from a non-Jewish woman. He is sent by the rabbi to bring her back, as having someone leave “sets a dangerous precedent.” When in Berlin, he struggles with seeing what the world has to offer outside of Williamsburg. The story is a beautiful and honest portrayal of two people struggling with what their religion asks of them, one person refusing to leave and the other refusing to stay.
