EMMIE Spring 2021 Issue by Wisconsin Union

EMMIE SPRING 2021

M A D IS O N M C F E R R IN +

INTERVIEW

WITH

DERYK

c o

n t e n

for the record: album reviews

kids bop: a playlist

bebop jazz!

Deryk G

skateboarding music

bops or flops: a playlist

more than a moment a conversation with Madison McFerrin

good vibrations

bop to the top

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ART DIRECTOR ALBUMS EDITOR CONCERTS EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR MARKETING DIRECTOR WEBSITE EDITOR WRITERS

ART

PHOTGRAPHERS ON THE COVER

A E izzi bavis bashir aden morgan dooley sharon koretskov zoe bockhorst bailey griffin riley younger rebecca perla

abigail arkley bennett artman izzi bavis griffin blue emerson nina bosnjak kayla chung morgan dooley bailey griffin amany khreis arthur machado caylin mcglynn saffron mears rebecca perla karla ponce jülide sengil camila trimberger mia weisfeld riley younger bashir aden morgan dooley reegan franzmeier rebecca perla perri moran madison mcferrin

DISCLAIMER:

IZZI BAVIS

EDITOR IN CHIEF

EDIT

The future is scary, but it’s moments like these that keep me grounded, and seeing the hard work and love for this issue made it all worth it. The Bop Issue serves as a reminder that the world keeps moving forward whether we like it or not.

THE

As the semester unfolded, new writers joined and energy levels were high. When I presented my ideas, I was met with excitement and determination from my staff. Because of their hard work, dedication and ability to put up with my awkward Zoom meetings, we have this beautiful issue today. I especially want to acknowledge the new members that joined us this semester, for some this is their first time writing or contributing and I am beyond proud of the work they’ve done.

I contacted my editorial board to share what I had come up with. For the longest time, the Pinterest board I made was titled “Bop, or whatever” because I didn’t know if we should commit to this idea — frankly I’m glad we did. The Bop Issue represents the EMMIE staff’s ability to adapt and succeed in a changing world, one with quick deadlines and virtual environments. This time we were ready, this time we could show off.

While quarantined in northern Minnesota this winter, my roommate and I drove down dark country roads making a list of possible titles for the spring issue. “Cow,” “Bed” and “Creep” were in the running, but after two hours of brainstorming I kept on coming back to “Bop.” The Glitch Issue focused on the challenges and hardships of the past year, and I wanted to create the antithesis of that; something that highlighted resilience, hope and the future —and “Bop” fit that.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, EMMIE Magazine has been committed to following CDC and University sanctioned guidelines. For The Bop Issue this has looked like a combination of remote and in person photoshoots. The Madison McFerrin shoot was done entirely over Zoom; her manager, partner and roommate, Ned, took all of the photos while directed by our staff. The Deryk G shoot was done in cooperation with the University’s guidelines. Everyone was masked, had two recent negative COVID tests, remained socially distanced and was conducted outside for added protection. Additionally, WUD Publications requires each participant in a photo shoot to fill out a disclosure form to ensure safety precautions are followed. For more information, please check out our website emmiemusic.com

FOR ALBUM

REVIEWS BY EMMIE STAFF After gaining momentum off of his placement in the XXL Freshmen list and releasing his 2017 EP Good For You, native Portland rapper, Amine, felt that he had something to prove. His latest work, Limbo was first released in Aug. of 2020. In it, he boasts several upbeat hip-hop tracks with the addition of eclectic R&B and contemporary sounds. While this work is his most polished, Amine maintains his signature wit and unapologetic storytelling through his evocative and colorful lyricism. The album takes the listener through different phases of Amine’s life from his adolescence in Portland to his life as a distinguished emcee living in Los Angeles. With tracks such as “Shimmy,” Amine cheekily writes off his ill-wishers and pays respect upon the sample of Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.” Amine successfully embodies the same moody and blunt confidence as ODB while giving us, listeners, anthems that we can dance to. The original work is a story of celebration and triumph despite the doubt he received from outsiders and himself. The album’s Deluxe version released on Dec. 4, 2020 and featured seven additional tracks where he expresses even more vulnerability when touching on the subjects of racism and his experience as a Black male in America. Limbo perfectly shined a light on the realities of the Black experience during a time in which people outside of the Black community were becoming aware of the work that needs to be done to rectify these inequities. At first, I appreciated the album for its bouncy and rhythmic beats but with repetition, I found an even deeper appreciation for the way that Amine incorporates themes significant in his life. He is able to pay special recognition to pivotal figures, such as his mom and Kobe, in the track “Mama” and the dialogue in “Kobe.” He also briefly salutes one of his first hit songs, “REDMERCEDES” and tributes “Woodlawn” to the neighborhood in which he grew up in. All these pieces put together tell a tale of Amine’s past — filled with hope and uncertainty—and his current thriving reality. This album feels nostalgic as it depicts a beautiful recital of gratitude, hardship, and ultimate success. That feeling of “limbo” that Amine felt as he transitioned from a spirited 21-year-old rapper to a full-fledged, confident 26-year-old emcee is evident. This is definitely a project that I can listen to everyday thanks to all the rhythmic beats and catchy choruses. That being said, I also see it as a piece of art that I can sit down and appreciate as time goes on.

SCOR E 9.5/10

4/EMMIE

RECORD

THE

L I M B O A M I N E REVIEW

KARLA

PONCE

Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) KALI UCHIS REVIEW

BAILEY

Directly translated as “Without Fear (of Love and Other Demons), Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)” is Kali Uchis’ second full album and first Spanish-language release. On Sin Miedo, the Colombian American artist taps into her roots as she flaunts a newly empowered sense of self and stance on isolation – a sign of refinement, maturation and personal growth since the release of her first album, Isolation, in 2018. Released on a Thursday with little fanfare and written in a language not known to many of Uchis’ listeners, Sin Miedo feels like a personal, narrative letter written by Uchis to anyone who cares to read. While Isolation dabbled with sonic elements borrowed from Latin music, Sin Miedo fully embraces them. The songs on this album are not only written in Spanish, but are also heavily reflective of the boleros, reggaetón and Latin soul of Uchis’ childhood. The decision to write this album in Spanish and incorporate characteristics of Latin music marks Kali’s venture into new musical territory and an articulation of confidence and honesty, given that this album may not have the same appeal that Isolation did. Kali’s new air of confidence is also evidenced by the lyrics on Sin Miedo, which demonstrate self-assurance and sexual liberty. On “¡aquí yo mando!” Uchis sings “Yo tomo las decisiones, yo escojo las posiciones / Puedes tener los cojones, pero yo los pantalones” (I make the decisions, I pick the positions / You can have the balls, but I have the pants). This bold energy is further emphasized by hard-hitting Latin trap beats and a strong feature from Rico Nasty. Kali continues to exude self-empowerment on “no eres tu (soy yo),” when she sings “yo soy tu religion y tú ven que yo te bautizo” (I am your religion and you see that I baptize you). Aside from the incorporation of Latin music elements and bold expression of confidence, another strong presence on this album is Kali’s vocals. Throughout the album, Kali effortlessly flits between Spanish and English in that smooth, sultry voice she is known for. The album begins with “la luna enamorada,” a brief and partial cover of a 1960s Los Zafiros bolero, in which Uchis treats the listener to warm and velvety vocals that evoke a dream-like moonlit night. On “que te pedí,” a tribute to the Queen of Latin Soul, La Lupe, Uchis delivers a soothing yet striking vocal performance in just under two minutes. “Vaya con dios” pairs Uchis’ soulful vocals with strings and a standout guitar riff, evoking the kind of dramatic grandeur of a James Bond theme. Kali’s rich and alluring vocals play a vital role in constructing the immersive experience of this album — enveloping the listener in a dreamy atmosphere that feels warm and romantic. This album sees Kali Uchis push the complexities of romance to the side in favor of sexual and individual freedom. If Isolation was an attempt by Uchis to “prove” herself as a worthy artist, Sin Miedo is a confident step back from the widely appealing and into something that, although esoteric, is more honest. The story of Sin Miedo is told by a woman who knows what she wants, who she is and how to say it. Sin Miedo is not an album that boldly or desperately seeks attention—but it doesn’t have to. Without doing any more than it needs to, Sin Miedo successfully captures the listener’s attention through its sheer beauty and honesty.

SCOR E 7.5/10

GRIFFIN

Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinh, known professionally as Arlo Parks, is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from the U.K. She released her debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams on Jan. 29, 2021. The 12-track album is filled with unique mixes and hauntingly beautiful harmonies. Collapsed in Sunbeams starts off with a soft-spoken sound that quickly builds to strong vocals and lyrics reflecting the harsh realities of heartbreak. Parks’ initial tracks offer an uplifting message of recovering from having your heart broken. The first track “Collapsed in Sunbeams” seems to offer a brief glimpse into a past relationship, reminiscing both the good times and the bad, singing: “You’re not alone like you think you are, we all have scars, I know it’s hard.” Parks’ combination of encouraging lyrics and softbut-strong melodies in her fourth track, “Hurt,” feel like a comforting squeeze of the hand, a subtle message of ‘I’m here for you, I get it.’ Parks notes an eclectic mix of artists that inspire her music: from Sufjan Stevens to Solange. Her music primarily fits into the genre of indie-pop, with songs offering a soft-spoken and soothing sound. Though music in this style often runs the risk of sounding too repetitive, Parks makes each song uniquely its own by changing up her vocal style and instrumental backdrops to fit the moods and message of each track. Through rich melodies and uplifting harmonies, Parks paints a vivid picture of the truly non-linear healing process that comes with love and heartbreak. Over the course of the album, Parks slides in and out of false hope, recovery, dominance and submission, but leaves her audience with a true message of aspiration at the end of her 12th and final track, “Portra 400:” “making rainbows out of something painful, getting fried as hell.”

SCORE 9/10

T Y R O N S LOW T H A I REVIEW

NINA

BOSNJAK

COLLAPSED IN SUNBEAMS

ARLO PARKS REVIEW

JÜLIDE

SENGIL

An interesting new project from slowthai, TYRON (named after himself) has a clear bisected structure that manages to please previous fans with hard-hitting lines and heavy production, while also exploring deeper and more introspective topics. The first half of the album is characterized by spelling in only capital letters, mimicking the self-absorbed and boastful persona on display. Slowthai ran into controversy at the NME awards, following lewd comments made towards the host, Katherine Ryan, and an altercation with the audience afterward that led to him being escorted out of the venue. This became the basis of the song “CANCELLED,” which features Skepta and criticizes “cancel culture.” The song, paralleling the rest of the first half, approaches the topic from an arrogant stance with Skepta boasting “How you gonna cancel me? / Twenty awards on the mantelpiece” for the chorus. The only thing this song accomplished was changing the results of the google search “slowthai cancelled,” at least partially suppressing the controversy itself. The most memorable part of the first half is A$AP Rocky’s feature on “MAZZA,” and other than that I would personally recommend skipping this entire section and directly moving onto the second half, unless you want to hear bars like “What don’t kill you, fam, makes you stronger/.../with no nicotine, Ty is a monster.” The last song of the first half, “PLAY WITH FIRE,” does a great job of integrating the differing vibes of the two sections, providing us with a great transition and set-up for the rest of the work. The song itself can be divided, as it starts with mellow undertones before picking up with his vocals. The song then suddenly drops off with the outro, where slowthai seemingly talks to himself in a raw and self-reflective way. The second half, characterized by spelling in only lowercase letters, carries itself with a more mellow and chill tone while delving into darker topics. Not afraid of this, the first song “i tried” plunges headfirst into a conversation about how we see ourselves, how that differs from where we actually are, and the internal struggles that come with that disparity. Themes of struggle and loss are explored throughout this half of the project, with notable features including Dominic Fike, Denzel Curry and James Blake. Here is where the album really shines and shows the duality that comes with slowthai, both in his music and in him as a persona.

E SCOR 6.8/10

SPRING 2021/5

GOOD LUCK

BLADEE & MECHATOK REVIEW

ABIGAIL

2020 marks a monumental year for Bladee, as we’ve watched him transcend from one emotional and musical level to another. From the dark inner exploration of Exeter to the honest performances of Remote Utopias with Ecco2k, and then the self-assured 333, the days of dissociation and inner turmoil seem to be behind him with his confident and expressive project Good Luck. Released in collaboration with German producer Mechatok, the bubble-bright synthesizers and heavy dance beats color his gleaming, hopeful vocals in neon ear candy, adding to the already positive outlook of this album. Kicking off the project with “Intro,” a two-minute instrumental, we hear immediately the prevalent pop sound of Mechatok. At this moment, Good Luck struck me as a bit of a mixed bag in an instrumental sense, as Mechatok’s collaborative production, although entrancing, feels almost too safe. While he makes no blunders, successfully constructing his solid and bright soundscapes throughout the album, I found it often missing a sense of progression and texture. Without the striking oomph of Bladee’s vocals, Mechatok’s ever-present shiny synthesizers are almost too slick, lacking the grip needed to push the songs into a bigger atmosphere. Even on the more abrasive songs such as the oily “Into One,” his sounds can quickly stagnate, with the bubblegum-dance-inspired production often lacking the push needed to keep the party going. However, one cannot deny the strength still present within the collaboration, as we see Bladee truly let loose as a performer, sweeping the Mechatok production to new heights with some of the most gratifying hooks of his career. “Rainbow,” “Into One” and “God” are some of the most striking examples of this on the album, as he deftly weaves his niche vocal tone into the bright pop soundscape, singing with emotion and belts in a way that we have not heard from him before. The lyricism reflects his present state in life: one of hope, thankfulness and happiness that warms the heart of the listener. Considering the oftentimes bleak and unsure thematic material of his past projects, this evolution we see in Bladee’s life and career is a giant celebration story of growth and strength, told by someone who has firsthand struggled through to the other side. By the time Good Luck comes to a close, we are left with one of Bladee’s best personal performances. Despite the sometimes anticlimactic production of Mechatok, these two creators have successfully launched Bladee into a fresh and exciting new potential in his artistic direction, one that I hope he continues to expand upon and run within future projects.

SCOR E 7/10

ARKLEY

Rico Nasty shows all sides on her new 2020 album Nightmare Vacation. Cultivated experimental sounds of “sugar trap” are evident and possibly even more daring and taunting than her previous releases. Rooted and founded in SoundCloud mixtapes, Rico Nasty rose to stardom after her breakthrough hits, “Smack A Bitch” and “Poppin.” The continuity of her unique sound is what earned her the reputation of being one of the hardest, most influential rappers in the game. Featured on the album are a mix of anger moshes and catchy anthems that have swept the minds of many listeners. Nightmare Vacation features other well-known, up-and-coming creatives, such as Amine, Gucci Mane and Trippie Redd, all of whom complement the gritty, punk aesthetic that characterizes this album. Angry spits and spiteful rage are important components of what encompass bad bitch anthems, and Rico Nasty executes exactly that in Nightmare Vacation. Tracks like “IPHONE’’ and “OHFR?” highlight the elements of pixelated, hyperpop, glitchy sounds that have taken over the music scene in 2020 and now 2021. Tracks like “Let it Out”, “STFU” and “10Fo’’ capture the signature blood boiling rage and the rap-metal vehemence of her previous project Anger Management. “Smack A Bitch” reappears on this album, only now featuring other powerful women in rap, like ppcocaine, Rubi Rose and Sukihana. Fusing forces, they earn respect and the deserved commercial dues in the male-dominated hip-hop genre. Rico Nasty demands unremitting attention from listeners as each track overflows confidence and aggression, making it impossible to tune out. With every track, Rico Nasty demonstrates that she is not bound to the restraints or limitations of what is deemed feminine in societal rap as her tone and gritty spits are performed effortlessly and boldly. Overflowing with nasty, menacing guitar riffs and raspy brash vocals, Rico Nasty’s latest creation bursts disorientation, chaos and self-expression, and is my go-to when I need a middle finger up, no-fucks-to give vibe. E SCOR 8.9/10

EUPHORIES

VIDEOCLUB REVIEW BY SAFFRON MEARS

6/EMMIE

NIGHTMARE VACATION RICO NASTY REVIEW

KAYLA

CHUNG

French pop duo, Videoclub, released their debut record this year that is reminiscent of early retro synthpop. Hidden beneath youthful, synthesized melodies, Euphories perfectly encapsulates feelings of longing, nostalgia and fear of change over this 13-song project. The duo utilizes spoken word and dreamlike melodies to create a strong debut album that transcends language and leaves listeners longing for more. Adèle Castillon and Matthieu Reynaud, better known as Videoclub, began collaborating when they were just 17 years old. Over three years, the pair perfected their sound into the highly-stylized Euphories. With sounds reminiscent of early 80’s synthpop, Euphories explores the evolution of the duo as well as a sense of longing for the more simplistic time of their adolescence. Masked under cheerful melodies and dreamy vocals, Euphories relays the desire to live in the past and to never grow up. Finding early success with their debut single and later, the album’s opening track, “Amour Plastique” on TikTok, Videoclub begins Euphories with a story of love and loss disguised under a playful beat. Following a similar trend, the next track titled “Euphories” focuses on the longing to be loved, followed by the steady spoken word that is displayed in “Suricate.” Castillon and Reynaud play beautifully off each other through the nostalgic and poetic lyricism within the tracks “Enface 80” and “Mai,” which explore the regret of not enjoying memories more as they occur. Videoclub truly finds their stride about halfway through Euphories with the track “Trois jours”, which discusses heartbreak and loss over an almost surreal mix of vocals from Castillon and instrumental from Reynaud. In the second half of the collection, tracks such as “Roi’’ and “Polaroïds’’ highlight the album’s main theme of the desire to live eternally in adolescence. Castillon displays her vocal range in the English song “What Are You So Afraid Of,” but begins to lose steam with songs that feel slightly lackluster, such as “Petit monde’’ and “En nuit.” Videoclub keeps their album youthful with tracks such as “SMS,” which provides a conversation-like chorus between the duo. As Euphories comes to a close, it feels as if time is fleeting. “SMS” perfectly closes the album with a longing for the simplicity of youth and the nostalgia of first love. Videoclub creates a strong foundation within this debut album. Finding popularity early on seemed not to waver their determination to create a fully realized collection, with tracks that flow cleanly together. However, the songs become slightly unvaried as the album carries on, creating predictability throughout Euphories. Despite this, Videoclub shows signs of experimentation that will no doubt manifest over time. Despite their hesitancy of the future, Videoclub unquestionably has a bright future ahead of them in the music industry.

SCOR E 7/10

Steve Lacy has created critically acclaimed and Grammy nominated music since his early highschool years in Compton, California. He produced music for major names in the music industry, including Vampire Weekend, Solange and Kendrick Lamar and has worked and performed as part of the R&B collective, The Internet. The Lo-Fis, released on Dec. 4, 2020, is Lacy’s second solo studio album to date. The album’s name, The Lo-Fis, comes from the musical term “low fidelity,” a production style that is filled with technical flaws, intentional mistakes and nontraditional ways of combining and synthesizing tracks. Steve Lacy uses distortion, reverbs, background noise, different frequencies and abnormal hums in his music in order to create his jazz-centric, rhythmic beats. “Thats No Fun” is one of the longest and most lyrically-rich tracks on the album; offering a closer look at Lacy’s intimate relationship with his music and himself. The track has two voices on it— a deep subbed raspy tone and Steve Lacy himself. The introduction of the track is a banter between Lacy and his subconscious talking about how much he has changed. The repetition of the lyrics “I change / you change / Why would one stay the same?” is a sentiment to Lacy’s raw and unadulterated self. For me, listening closely to this track is an introspective experience: it makes me think of how we are never going to be the same people we were in our childhood. Whether we like it or not, we are constantly creating different versions of ourselves and dissolving into fractions of our personalities. “Thats No Fun” sums that feeling up perfectly in a 2:42-minute track-time. The music is more of a feeling and vibration than a clear articulation of his thoughts. Lacy’s organic nature when composing his music is what makes his style an instant classic. After just one listen of The Lo-Fis, you feel comfortable with the beats and the rhythms. It leaves you feeling satisfied and full. This album has been on a constant loop in my head—25 minutes of pure escapism. The Lo-Fis is out of the ordinary in the sense that this album is just 25 minutes and 20 seconds long; with the shortest song a mere 46 seconds. Although short, the fluidity of each track into the next not only makes it work, but creates a collective piece of art. If anything, the tracks represent small peculiar blurs and experiences of Lacy’s inner thoughts. There are no gaps between songs. Instead the tracks are on a constant loop and sync up with each other, which is a testament to the album as a whole. The LoFis is a stream of consciousness of Lacy’s experiences, wants, and needs and the cover art emulates this synthesis of different emotions and experiences as well. Multiple photos from Lacy’s personal camera roll are collaged on the cover: selfies of him and his dog, blurred images, face filters. At first glance, this seems like a half finished project, something that has not been fully fleshed out yet for people to understand. However, Steve lacy knew exactly what he wanted to convey with The LoFis: a raw collection of his talent, a sentiment to his changing lifestyle and the life that he is living presently.

L I T T L E OBLIVIONS

JULIEN BAKER REVIEW

AMANY

KHREIS

SCOR E 9/10

THE LO-FIS

STEVE LACY

REVIEW

RILEY

YOUNGER

On her third album, Little Oblivions, Julien Baker leaves nothing stripped and nothing unsaid. There is a shift from her sophomore album Turn Out The Lights in which Baker attempts to find some hope even in her darkest songs. Rather, this album abandons any semblance of absolution. Even on tracks that may be bright sonically, the lyrics are enveloped in doom. Take “Heatwave:” the track appears upbeat initially, but within the lyrics, Baker sings, “I’ll wrap Orion’s belt around my neck / And kick the chair out.” The standout moment on Little Oblivions is on opening track “Hardline.” With this song as the opener, Baker makes a conscious choice to begin the record abruptly. The intro is loud and bombastic, the lyrics are as honest as a Julien Baker song can be and the outro is bellowing. Within the beginning seconds of “Hardline,” there is an immediate swelling catharsis that carries ceaselessly throughout the project until the very end. As Baker wraps up her album, the track “Ziptie” darkly reassures the listener that there really is no reassurance to give at all. It’s this palpable misery that makes Little Oblivions so great—Baker allows her listener to wallow and encourages it, even. There is comfort in the lack of comfort that Baker brings her audience. In some of her most brutally honest songs to date, Baker tackles past traumas and her battle with substance abuse. She does not hold back in any regard, enlacing her project with hard-hitting lyrics and intense instrumentation. Little Oblivions is clearly a monumental moment of growth for Baker as both an artist and a person.

SCORE 7.3/10

It is incredibly tough to be a die-hard Weezer fan nowadays. One year you may get an endearing return to form as a love letter to California in 2016’s self-titled Weezer (The White Album), only to get disappointed two months after the end of the tour, with a cliche attempt of harnessing Gen-Z energy like 2017’s Pacific Daydreams. And unfortunately in the band’s 14-album-long discography, there have been significantly more misses than hits as frontman Rivers Cuomo struggles to figure out Weezer’s identity in the modern music landscape. I was genuinely hesitant at first to listen to OK Human, with the expectation it would be another Cuomo attempt to appeal to the Billboard Hot 100 audience; I am incredibly delighted in admitting that my assumptions could not have been more wrong. OK Human was a surprise release in late January, replacing the scheduled slot for the delayed Van Weezer (which comes out in May now.) And the impromptu nature of the release stands in direct contrast to the sophisticated production behind the record. Weezer’s traditional garage band alternative rock instrumentation faded out in exchange for baroque pop orchestral arrangements. Albeit fairly short, each of the tracks feels incredibly polished, with the stellar strings being a clear highlight of most tracks. The return to form to the White Album’s producer Jake Sinclair delivers what is decisively the best sounding Weezer record to date. The lyrical work in OK Human functions as a double-edged sword, as they’re both where this record truly shines, and they expose the few parts where it falls short. In both cases, this album is at its essence undeniably Weezer. Rivers Cuomo is not using Excel sheets to write songs or trying to appeal to nightclub DJs this time, the tracks feel earnest and personal. The nerdy Californian teenager who wrote about playing Dungeons and Dragons in the band’s 1994 masterpiece Weezer (the Blue Album) is now grown up and singing about listening to audiobooks in “Grapes of Wrath.” The technological determinist analogies do end up getting a little too repetitive in tracks like “Screens” and “Numbers,” feeling slightly condescending, but even those tracks are undeniably Cuomo-like. OK Human is a beautiful exercise on our relationship with technology in a pandemic world, offering light-hearted melodic “bops” that are pure unadulterated Weezer at their core. While being the most different-sounding record in the band’s 26-year-old discography, it is a welcome addition to this musical catalog. The masterful production and art-rock approach that define the record makes it stand out as not only one of the RE absolute best releases for the band but also as an invigorating experience that renews your faith SCO 0 1 and expectations on Weezer. 5 . 8 /

OK HUMAN

W E E Z E R REVIEW BY ARTHUR MACHADO

SPRING 2021/7

ALL OF THE LIGHTS — KANYE WEST FERGALICIOUS — FERGIE UNDERNEATH IT ALL — NO DOUBT UNWRITTEN — NATASHA BEDINGFIELD HOT N COLD — KATY PERRY DETERMINATE — LEMONADE MOUTH COMPLICATED — AVRIL LAVIGNE HOLLABACK GIRL — GWEN STEFANI FRIDAY — REBECCA BLACK DONTTRUSTME — 3OH!3 SEE YOU AGAIN — MILEY CYRUS LET’S GET IT STARTED - SPIKE MIX — BLACK EYED PEAS KISS ME THRU THE PHONE — SOULJA BOY RAINBOW CONNECTION — KERMIT POPROCKS AND COKE — GREEN DAY

songs from your childhood ... curated by EMMIE staff art by morgan dooley & riley younger

P O B E B ZZ A J

“I don’t know, John Coltrane, I guess? Kamasi Washington is pretty good too.” This was my response to a question drunkenly poised to me: who was the greatest jazz saxophonist of all time. It was not a question I’d ever been asked before WRITTEN BY GRIFFIN BLUE EMERSON or one that I’d ever really had reason to consider. My roommates’ girlfriend at the time shook her head. “It’s Charlie Parker,” she said somberly. I didn’t try to argue. I was in no way familiar with Charlie Parker outside of a nickname (Yardbird, or bird for short) and the many, many references to him in Damien Chazelle films. Mainly, I just knew somebody named Jo Jones threw a cymbal at his head. What I knew, however, turned out to be a half-truth about the actual situation: Jo Jones did throw a cymbal at Parker, but not at his head. Rather he threw it at his feet, as in “Get off the stage.” Parker had messed up — he lost the tempo, he fumbled the changes. He was as skilled as a 16-year-old could be expected to be on the alto saxophone but that apparently wasn’t skilled enough for a Saturday night at the Reno, a significant venue for live jazz experimentation in Kansas City. Parker— short for his age, a Black boy from the poor side of the city— was playing with some of the biggest swing stars of the era, a monumental break for such a young musician. Since its inception into the mainstream in the roaring ‘20s, swing had become a dominant radio genre, and playing with the likes of Jo Jones would have made anyone nervous. Parker was laughed off the stage by the audience and the band, but his ego kept strong. Hanging his head and walking out from the smoke and chatter of the night, he reportedly muttered to himself, “I’ll show those cats.” And show them he did. Parker was already well on his way to fill concert halls as a professional saxophonist, but had he not begun practicing up to 15 hours a day and returning to the stage, to prove he could do better than that disastrous outing at the Reno, he never would have. But, as opposed to how films like Whiplash view the situation, Parker’s obsessions and addictions only mark a fraction of his contribution to the music of his time. Rather, it was his willingness to completely bend the rules of popular music which set him apart, and his willingness to express himself individually as a sincerely Black artist. 10/EMMIE

Nobody before Parker was using musical dissonance as a tool for individual expression. Solos were more technical before; improvisation was not considered in the mainstream as something worth recording, much less played on the radio. Parker fell into the habit of “re-bopping” standard musical numbers into spontaneous creations of musical storytelling. He spoke through his saxophone about his experiences, about the hypocrisy of living in WWII America as a Black man under Jim Crow. Parker’s music from this time period encapsulates his and his collaborator Dizzy Gillespie’s conflicting feelings of yearning, pain and hope. The compositions were complex and freewheeling, considered and haunting, difficult but exhilarating. This distinct sound certainly wouldn’t have come about had the musicians strike of 1942 not happened.

It was too bound to the individual artist to be co-opted. Nobody would be able to recreate a Parker and Gillespie set because they were not themselves Parker or Gillespie. And as could well be expected from America at the time, there was significant backlash to individual expression from Black artists playing over national radio. Accusations mounted that it was “drug music” and enough controversy plagued the artists to push Bebop out of the mainstream channels after five to six years of pop dominance as other musical forms took hold including Blues and Do Wop. The movement lived on in the background, of course, on alternative radio. Cool jazz, hard bop and free jazz would emerge as dominant forms in their own right as offshoots from bebop in the hands of Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman and so many more.

A long brewing tension between recording artists, recording labels and radio and film producers reached a fever pitch. Radio and film producers would often snatch up music written by predominantly Black bands without paying any royalties. Black artists, fed up with the situation, mounted a recording strike from 1942-43. Many bands fractured and suddenly popular music wasn’t held back by the cumbersome size of the big bands which dominated the pre-strike era There was room for the individual members of a quartet or quintet to express themselves not as a small part of the whole, but as individuals.

70 years later hip-hop came around and remixed standard pop numbers, very similar to bebop’s use of dissonant improvisation to tweak the dominant pop music of the time. There is certainly something to be said for American hiphop being in itself a form of jazz-influenced improvisation. Both forms hold individual improvisation at the center, and that way nobody can remove the artist from the art itself. It’s a wonderful and revolutionary notion and brings the individual musician closer to the cultural standard set for acclaimed painters or writers, as curators and composers rather than cogs in a large band. We certainly wouldn’t have modern musical diversity if bebop musicians hadn’t stepped Charlie Parker met Dizzy Gillespie shortly before the strike, out from behind the bandleader. before either one’s distinctive style developed. Over the course of the embargo, they began playing clubs without And now we’re facing a similar predicament. Spotify and a real desire for mass appeal. Instead, they decide to start Bandcamp give artists pennies on the dollar for their mumaking music for musicians, terming it “modern music” and sic. And with the current cultural moment, it’s hard not to focusing on the individual’s sense of expression through picture the musical landscape on a precipice of something improvisation. In groups of four to five, as opposed to the unknowable. I can’t help but wonder whether some similar large swing bands of 30 to 50 who dominated radio be- revolution for musical individualism will emerge from the fore the embargo, individual musicians could shine bright- current moment. Maybe Non-Fungible Tokens could prove er. Smaller bands also meant more payment for each mu- a path forward, maybe bedroom recordings will take over in sician: with more control of their compensation, individual the mainstream. No matter what, it will take a voice as suartists like Parker could reclaim the art for themselves. In premely unabashed as Parker’s was that night he returned his own words, Parker had become “bored with the stereo- to the Reno to get us to where we needed to go. typed [chord] changes that were being used” and “yearned for something more:” to elevate the music he and his contemporaries were making to the level of high art, originally termed “modern music,” then “re-bop,” and then finally “bebop.” By the time the embargo ended, Parker and a small circle of artists had established a distinctive sound that boomed as new, adventurous and distinctively modern: it was bebop jazz This was the first time jazz played over the radio wasn’t danceable. Rather it was deeply considered, intricate and provocative. Like any shift in national music consciousness, there was tremendous backlash, all the more amplified by the racial element. Bebop, predating the Delta blues’ explosion of popularity in the fifties and sixties, was one of the first forms of Black art in the hands of the artists without the possibility of gentrification by white audiences, as what had happened to swing.

SPRING 2021/11

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SHOOT DIRECTED BY RILEY YOUNGER

PHOTOGRAPHED BY PERRI MORAN

.......... .. W RIT TE N

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G . K Y ND

DOOLEY ORGAN M Y B ED N G SI DE

Deryk G., 21-year-old Chicago native, started making music sort of by accident. After a friend left their guitar behind at his house one weekend, a bored, young Deryk thought it looked cool and decided to pick it up. While that specific guitar probably made its way out of Deryk’s possession, the love of playing and making music that that day sparked never left. If Deryk’s ingress into the music world was a trip, one could say he fell straight into the deep end. Ever since, Deryk’s daily life

and the people he keeps in it has become inextricably tied by music. This started in high school, where Deryk spent three years playing in a band with friends. But even as Deryk progressed into his modern solo work— the funkier, more highly-produced sound that is “Deryk G.”— he still surrounds himself with people that fuel his creative energy.

Deryk emphasizes just how important other people are to his creative process. Whether that’s through his musician friends, advice from friends and family on his own songs and projects in the works or from cultivating energy from a crowd of people when he is performing.

“My influences started to become my friends. A lot of my friends are super talented and seeing them thrive in their own way makes me want to venture out and do new things.”

“I feel like we’re living in a constant state of panic and we have to try to find a way to stay balanced. With self-care and music, I’m definitely just trying to stay sane.” SPRING 2021/13

“Performing is the end goal. I always make my songs with the mindset that they’re going to be played for people” Over the past year, however, this sense of creative collaboration and human connection has become so much harder to come by. The pandemic created problems for nearly every group of people on the planet, and as both a musician and a person so highly motivated by the presence of others, the effects have certainly not been lost on Deryk and his approach to life and making music. He cites introspective reflection and self-regulation as his biggest takeaways from being a creative in COVID times. “The pandemic made me sit down and reevaluate my life and how I want to approach my music and how my mindset on making art, in general, is going to evolve when it’s over and we can finally do crazy shit again” Through it all, Deryk has just been trying to find a balance. A balance between priorities, time commitments, etc. And while introspection can be a good thing, it can also be overwhelming. Deryk cites meditation, exercise and listening to his favorite artists as his steadfast means of “bouncing back” when things get rough. “It’s hard. I feel like we’re living in a constant state of panic and we have to find a way to stay balanced. With self-care and music, I’m definitely just trying to stay sane.” Deryk, like many during the pandemic, learned that a little mindfulness can make you feel 16/EMMIE 14/EMMIE

brand new. Although, Deryk is no stranger to the idea of starting anew. His most recent project, 2020 EP Lotus Junky, exemplifies this. The EP is filled with aesthetic and lyrical references to the lotus flower, which Deryk explains as a common cultural symbol of rebirth. Rebirth was heavily on Deryk’s mind while creating Lotus Junky. “I was addicted to the idea of trying to be something else.” Largely a product of quarantine, Lotus Junky is a musical manifestation of the introspection and growth that Deryk alluded to throughout our conversation. Themes of reinvention and rebirth run through the project’s short yet thorough 15-minute run-time, seamlessly concluding in the EP’s final track, “Lotus,” leaving the project and his listeners with a promise that he will do his best to come out of any bad situation a better person. The light at the end of the tunnel for Deryk, the music industry and the rest of the world is the return to “normal life.” The Bop Issue stands as a marker of hope, resilience and growth in a world that has, as of late, felt completely ridden with pessimism, negativity and stagnancy. With this issue, our staff at EMMIE wanted to emphasize just how important it is to bounce back at times like these, and speaking with Deryk G. not only validated these feelings but made me feel more confident that we will all get through this. At this point, I think it’s pretty safe to say that no one can predict the weeks and months to come, but I think I may see a lotus flower beginning to bloom on the horizon.

SPRING 2021/17 SPRING 2021/15

Skateboarding Music ART BY REEGAN FRANZMEIER WRITTEN BY BENNETT ARTMAN

Like Yin and Yang, coffee and donuts or frat boys and the gutter water they call beer, the Like relationship rela re la between music and skateboarding is amongst the most inseparable and mutually al ly reciprocating known to humankind – a true match made in heaven. Since its inception, music has been a lightning rod of self-expression and freedom enjoyed by all purely for its mu intrinsic intr in tr value; the same can be said of skateboarding. As the late, great Jake Phelps of Thrasher Thr Th r Magazine once aptly put it: “We’re skateboarders – the music exudes from our body.” bod bo d Bot the beauty and the beast of early skateboarding and writing on its history lies in the Both Bot fact fa ct that it was never meant to happen. When the surf bums of California decided to tear apart apa ap a some old rollerblades and nail them to the bottom of plywood it wasn’t at the forefront fron fr on of their minds to document what they were listening to at the local sessions. But a good goo go o place to begin the story of this raging love affair between these two demagogues of counterculture cou co u is with the sounds of surfing in the 60s: Dick Dale, The Beach Boys and the Surfaris. Sur Su r Using the same chord progressions that grew out of early rock music but with a new, new ne w pungent, fast-paced rhythm in the drums, these songs did what they had to do at the beach bea be a by keeping the vibrations high and the juices flowing. So S Some o say that the first time music and skating crossed paths was in 1964 with Jean and Dea Dean’s Dea Sidewalk Surfin’ which held much of the same tropes of surf music. But the legendary photographer and skate historian Glen E. Friedman argues the more important impetus for skate-music can be seen in a photo of legendary skater Tony Alva, as he flaunts a board autographed by rock musician Ted Nugent. This signified a hallmark of “skate music” at the time, which was finding music that matched the loud, freaks-and-geeks, bite-me nature of the skateboarding counterculture. The roaring guitars of Led Zeppelin, Ted Nugent and Jimi Hendrix were like kindling to the flame of teen angst held by the skateboarding populous in the ‘70s. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s this campfire was doused with a metric ton of proverbial gasoline as punk music proliferated the underground music scene. With the reverb, volume and anti-establishment attitude turned all the way up, skate music truly began to take form.

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The essence The esse es senc nce e of p pun punk unk k ma mani manifests nife fest stss in sska skaters kate ters rs llik like ike e St Stev Steve eve e Ol Ol-son and Duane Peters. These icons shaped what skateboarding is today through their unfettered and unapologetic approach to style. You can almost hear a guitar solo from the Sex Pistols when watching Steve Olson go up for a frontside air or the chorus of “Holiday in Cambodia” by the Dead Kennedys when Duane Peters puts down a mean layback on a 12-foot vertical pool. Skateboarding put a ring on the punk scene and made it their own with bands like JFA, Big Boys and The Faction— all started by and for skaters. The symbiotic relationship between the punk scene and skating perfectly encapsulates the importance of music in skating and vice versa: an outlet for pure self expression and an ability to form your own way in the world. The shared love of music and skateboarding, no matter how varied in genre and sound, is a hallmark of any skater’s fondest memories. Jeffery Halleran, a Freedom Skate shop employee and guitarist of the Madison band Clean Room, says some of his best memories are when these two passions combine while playing gigs at skateparks. Here, Halleran says the energy of both feeds off of each other, resulting in stellar vibrations. This speaks to a larger truth of the skateboarding and music relationship: both art forms can alter the way you see the world and teach you to be the best version of yourself. Skateboarding lets you see your surroundings with a new sense of wonder and childlike fascination as concrete kinks and curbs become so much more than they were ever intended to be; it is a toy tuned for the streets and lets you dance like no one is watching. Music can act in very much of the same way, whether it’s the movie-like sensation of song lyrics fitting exactly what you’re feeling, or the confidence it gives you as you walk down n th the e st stre street, reet et,, m making you feel like the coolest cat in to town town. wn.. Wh When en e exp experienced xper erie ienc nce e in tandem, music and skating atin at ing g ac actt as a an n ea easy sy rrec recipe ecip ipe e th that at anyone can follow w tto o tr tran transcend ansc scen end d th the e tr trib tribulations ibul ulat atio ions ns o off da dail daily ilyy lilife life. fe

The mu The mutu mutually tu beneficial relationship of music and skateboarding is exemplified in skateboard videos. When crafting a perfect skateboarding video it’s important to have good ingredients like diverse tricks, cool camera shots, and of course, steez (style with ease), but all this is thrown out the window if there isn’t a bangin’ soundtrack to back it all up. I remember sitting in my friend’s basement a few years ago and watching the new video from the skateboard company, Baker. I watched with my jaw on the floor as I listened to the songs range from avant garde neo jazz, to spirit lifting classic rock and then immediately to early boom bap rap. A skater will labor over choosing a song for their part (a subsection of a full video featuring one skater) so that it perfectly matches the skating and the style. If done correctly, the video is more than just the trick but instead the audience is invited to see a little part of that skater and how they see the world. I think of the early and revolutionary street skating of Mark Gonzales as he dances down the street like a butterfly to “Traneing In” by John Coltrane in the iconic skate video, Video Days from Blind Skateboards. Or from the formative video, Fully Flared by Lakai shoes, where Eric Koston is throwing down to “Harder Than You Think” by Public Enemy. Even nowadays, younger skaters are evolving this relationship between music and skating like Noe Solis skating to “Japanese Denim” by Daniel Caesar. The sound of the music and the level of tricks evolve but the core remains the same: it’s all about sharing your perspective with other people through music and movement. The unfettered flow of free-form jazz translates to the improved jumps and jolts around potholes and curbs. The thudding bass booms of trap rap can be seen in the punctuating impact of jumping 15 stairs. The abrasive guitar thrashing of punk is the score to a heavy slam on a handrail. Music has the uncanny ability to add another level to anyone’s skating by making it a theatrical display of organic action. Skateboarding is a means through which a plethora of music genres come together in a hodgepodge of personalities and backgrounds. This unlikely relationship forms a community of people that look past race, sex, color or creed and instead connect over a shared love of music and a piece of wood on wheels. SPRING 2021/17

S P O B

FLOP

songs so bad, they’re good. compiled by emmie staﬀ

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“Love Spy” by Mike Mareen “Lips of an Angel” by Hinder “Muskrat Love” by Captain & Tennille “money machine” by 100 gecs “HURT” by 1 800 PAIN “BOP” by DaBaby “Tomboy” by Princess Nokia “Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels” by Todrick Hall “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” The Beatles

“Silver Stallion” by Highwaymen

“Bubble Pop Electric” by Gwen Stefani, Johnny Vulture

SPRING 2021/19

MADISON

MCFERRIN

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SHOOT DIRECTED BY MORGAN DOOLEY & RILEY YOUNGER

MORE THAN A MOMENT:

WRITTEN BY IZZI BAVIS

a conversation with madison mcferrin On a random Tuesday afternoon in January, I logged on to a Zoom meeting with Madison McFerrin. While we got situated, I noticed her brightly colored pants and beautiful, sunny Brooklyn apartment. Her manager and partner, Ned, set up the lights for the remotely directed cover shoot and McFerrin eased into conversation over a cup of tea. Her words resonated with me, and as I reflected on the interview I saw bits of McFerrin present themselves; specifically her resilience and determination. Growing up as the daughter of Bobby McFerrin, a prominent musician, Madison had a musically inspired childhood and her influences range from musicians like Stevie Wonder to authors such as Toni Morrison. “Looking into my ancestry has been really inspirational. So those are definitely my influences as a 29-year-old,” McFerrin said. These are evident in McFerrin’s 2019 release of her first EP, You + I, and in her 2020 single, “Hindsight.” Each track dives into a personal story of McFerrin’s and features her vocal talent; she explained that although she started her career with acapella, it was never originally the plan. “I didn’t want to be an acapella artist because that’s my dad’s thing. He made a name for himself on that,” she recounted. “I wanted to do my own thing, but it turns out that I did [acapella] pretty well.” With just one Google search, I found a myriad of McFerrin’s performances from the early stages of her career. In one, McFerrin is singing alone at Rough Trade in Brooklyn. She uses loop pedals to create an ethereal soundscape, and as her voice echoes through the venue you can hear someone exclaim “She’s got a pretty voice!” McFerrin still uses those loop pedals today. Back in 2020, Madison McFerrin did an exclusive live set with WSUM 91.7 FM, the student radio station at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Although it was over Instagram live, the comment section mimicked the crowds’ chatter at a live show: everyone was blown away. McFerrin learned a lot about herself and the virtual sphere in 2020. She did countless remote sets and interviews, even a chat with TED. McFerrin reflected on her growth this past year. Following a year marked by hardships and setbacks, Madison was able to tell me about the importance of growth. “That’s been something that in this time of Covid, I’ve had to be that much more intentional about [my work],” she explained. “It’s all about added adaptation and needing to be open to that level of adaptation. I’ve just been trying to create where and when I can.” Although change can be difficult and at times uncomfortable, Madison McFerrin was able to keep moving forward.

Through her work, McFerrin is able to connect more intimately with her fans and fellow creatives. She said she put her phone number on her Spotify account so people could reach out to her, even if just to say hello. She tried to respond to the people that texted or called her, and she told me how impactful those conversations were. “I want to make music that’s timeless,” she said. “I think there’s something really magical about the fact that I can listen to an album that always stays fresh and amazing in my mind.” McFerrin established herself as a figure who is going to stick around; her dedication to her craft and compassion for others is unparalleled. I wanted to know what was next for Madison, and she told me with a smile that she is working on a debut album. In collaboration with her brother, Taylor McFerrin, she is writing and producing her new record. “I’m here to show you that I’m talented, I have something to say. And that I want to continue to do that.” Although inexperienced, McFerrin mentioned that with this next project she wants to explore production. She told me the lack of female producers in the music industry shocked her. “There are not that many women producers, which wasn’t something that I was super conscious of growing up and being at school,” McFerrin said. Madison wants to grow as an artist and producer, even noting that it would be fun to produce music for other female musicians such as Beyonce. When I asked her how she saw herself in The Bop Issue, McFerrin told me a story from 2016. “I think my career thus far is a testament to being resilient,” she said definitively. Madison McFerrin told me about a specific performance for a Hillary Clinton rally; there were numerous audio issues and missteps which resulted in a poor performance — McFerrin was embarrassed. The internet was not forgiving. In 2019 she released a music video for “TRY.” The video opens with a clip of Snoop Dogg in bed insulting McFerrin for her performance, and as her vocals wash over the video, a stream of hate tweets flood the screen. The words are upsetting, and I told her that when I first watched the video I wasn’t sure if they were real. “Those are not fake,” she said. “That was really tough, and I wanted to put those [comments] in the video because I want people to know that this is what happened and I still did it.” The Bop Issue was intended to showcase resilience and hope, and Madison McFerrin was the perfect musician to feature. McFerrin exceeded all expectations I had for our cover star. After the interview ended and Riley and Morgan directed the photoshoot, I sat back watching The Bop Issue begin. I was proud of how far we had come from last spring when we all felt hopeless. Just one short conversation with Madison McFerrin reminded me that the world keeps moving forward, and you have to make the best of it. SPRING 2021/23

“I want to make m u s i c that’s timeless” 24/EMMIE

SPRING 2021/25

O O G D VIB S RATION ART BY REBECCA PERLA WRITTEN BY CAYLIN MCGYLNN Since the beginning of the pandemic, the act of listening to music has skyrocketed across the globe. According to a study published in August by global media company Nielsen, 75% of people surveyed in the United States said they listened to music at least once a week while working from home. Of those people, 40% said they listened to music every day. In the U.K., reports from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) show that more than 155 million albums were bought or streamed in 2020, an 8.2% increase from the year before, and a total of 139 billion songs were played on streaming services such as Spotify and Apple music, a shocking 22% increase from 2019. For musicians, fans and casual listeners alike, music provides a place of comfort and joy. This is because beyond pure entertainment, research has shown that music can also provide health benefits. According to recent studies, music has the capability to improve people’s mental, emotional and even physical health.

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The practice of using sound as therapy has been steadily on the rise over the past few years, but with the pandemic it has become increasingly more popular. Sound therapy focuses on the vibrational qualities of sound. In fact, when we listen to music, what we are experiencing is the feeling of the vibration itself. It is important to note that while ‘sound healing’ is a fairly new concept in Western culture, it has been used in Eastern medicine for thousands of years. Often in sound therapy, Tibetan “singing bowls” are used as a tool to produce these healing sounds. The bowls are very special in that they are handcrafted using metal and are made to create the perfect vibrational pitch. The bowls are made in a range of notes, with each note correlating to one of the 7 chakras, the energy points of the body according to meditation practices tracing back to early Hinduism and Buddhism. The most common notes that practitioners of singing bowls use are C, D, E, F, G, A and B. The musical artist RENAE, singer and songwriter for pop artists such as Troye Sivan and Leona Lewis, used the 7 chakras as an inspiration for her debut album, Align, writing each of her songs in one of the keys of the chakras.

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For example, turning up your favorite song when it comes on the radio during your drive home from work is bound to relieve some of the stress from the day. This is because when humans listen to music, dopamine and serotonin are released into the brain. Dopamine is one of the “happy hormones,” and is more specifically known as the “feel-good” hormone. Dopamine plays an important role in how we feel pleasure. Serotonin is also one of the “happy hormones,” and plays a key role in regulating our mood. Serotonin is vital when it comes to managing and reducing depression and anxiety. Therefore, when music triggers the release of these two hormones in the brain, we are able to feel pleasure from it and sense a boost in our mood. Some research has shown that music is able to affect our brain waves as well. This allows for music to decrease our cortisol hormone levels, which our brain releases when we are stressed. Cortisol increases our heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. The changes that music is able to make in our brain waves encourages a meditative state and helps the mind to relax. However, it is unknown if this applies to all genres.

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Singing bowls are also able to produce a range of frequencies. It is believed that these frequencies affect us because our brain operates on a waveform, similar to sound. The brain waves, known as beta, alpha, theta, delta and gamma, each possess a different frequency range that correlates with a certain brain state. Vibrations from the Tibetan singing bowls produce a certain frequency that can guide the brain to a new brain wave. Singing bowls are often used to help the brain transition into a theta wave state, which is known for deep relaxation and inward focus. In addition to singing bowls, sound healers utilize instruments such as tuning forks, gongs and the voice to shift the brain and benefit the mind and body.

Sound healing practitioners claim that specific vibrations are able to bring the body to a healthier and happier state by improving sleep, providing physical pain relief and reducing stress and anxiety. Some practitioners even claim that playing certain frequencies can help target and heal specific organs in the body, such as the stomach, which uses the frequency of 110 Hz to tune back in with its natural vibration. This is essentially the body ‘auto-correcting’ itself. However, medical professionals do not suggest that sound healing replaces treatment for any serious illness. Some famous frequencies include the 7 Solfeggio frequencies, claimed to bring transformation, clarity, inner peace, as well as activate creativity. The most popular frequency of the seven is 528 Hz, known as the “love” frequency for its ability to bring about extraordinary changes. It is rumored that ancient priests and sound healers used the frequency to manifest miracles. It also appears in many songs, most famously John Lennon’s “Imagine,” which is said to have been composed in 528 Hz. While there is still much mystery behind effects of sound and music on the human mind and body, there is no doubt that these vibrations affect us. Whether it be at a rave, in your car or in your room, sound has the ability to impact us and help us become our best selves.

SPRING 2021/27

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Songs, artists and communities that have bloomed on TikTok

TikTok has become an imperative part of an artist’s career, especially for independent artists. TikTok has created a platform that allows small creators to gain more exposure. Artists from a plethora of genres, such as Benee, Kaash Paige, Ashnikko, Serena Isioma, etc., have blown up and reached a surprising level of stardom because of the platform. TikTok is now the make or break of an artist’s career and has forever changed an element of the music industry. Not only has TikTok helped artists, but it has also helped smaller DJs, producers and playlist curators. I actually started learning how to DJ on my board by watching TikTok videos. TikTok has even become a common ground for making industry connections. It is not uncommon for videos to pop up on my feed that pertain to the music industry or tell you to drop your LinkedIn in the comments to make more industry connections. TikTok has truly changed the music industry and our culture as a whole with its ability to connect people to large audiences. — Mia Weisfeld

Thanks to TikTok, the internet was graced with one of the best quarantine anthems to this day. When “Bored in the House” first began trending on TikTok back in March of 2020, the lyrics were something everyone could relate to while stuck at home with nothing to do. Ironically enough, the 21 year old rapper from Detroit, Curtis Roach, first posted the video of the song before the U.S. went into lockdown. However, about a week or two after he posted the video, American’s were starting to go into quarantine and the video blew up. Everyone was using his sound, from musicians such as Chance the Rapper to TikTok’s biggest star Charlie D’Amelio. Today, the original video of the song has reached a total of 46.2 million views. While the initial version of the song was just a 20 second long clip of Roach performing the song live while using only his hands and a table to make a beat, a full version of the song featuring rapper Tyga was released just a few weeks after the song went viral. The song also received endless remixes, including some from well-known DJs such as Dillion Francis and Jax Jones. In 2021, “Bored in the House” can still be heard as a catchy jingle for TV commercials. As for rapper Curtis Roach, TikTok fame has allowed his music career to reach new heights and he is continuing to release new music on popular streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and more. — Caylin McGlynn

Boasting over 40 million users in the United States alone, TikTok shines a light on the importance of virality in the new age of the music industry. No band quite understands this sentiment as well as the Vancouver-based band Mother Mother. In a span of just a few months, Mother Mother’s 2008 album titled O My Heart received Tik Tok virality that would define the power of social media forever. Mother Mother songs such as “Hayloft,” “Burning Pile,” “Body” and countless others received multiple viral trends on TikTok that spanned from dance trends to videos questioning gender identity. This sudden rise in popularity led to Mother Mother debuting at number 11 on the Rolling Stone’s “Breakthrough 25 Chart,” despite not releasing new music in over two years, as well as a 183% increase in the number of streams for O My Heart, which debuted over 12 years ago. Mother Mother frontman Ryan Guldemond told Rolling Stone, “It’s such a high honor and huge compliment whenever it’s suggested that our music might serve as an adequate soundtrack to a courageous journey of self-discovery that often rubs against societal norms.” Mother Mother continues to dominate TikTok with several trends occurring simultaneously, as well as the Mother Mother hashtag that has been viewed more than 56 million times. TikTok proves its power to breathe new life into bands such as Mother Mother time and time again and continues to push the boundaries of virality within the music industry. — Saffron Mears

SPRING 2021/29

Back in 2019, I heard the slight rattle in popularity for this app called TikTok. Out of curiosity, I decided to download it. At the time, the only thing people knew TikTok for was the Renegade and other dancing trends. The young app and its users were under constant scrutiny and ridicule. This was happening because people didn’t realize the power of the supreme, all-knowing algorithm and the effect that it would have on online communities and how we consume and create content. After a while, the algorithm started gaining momentum and before I knew it, my “For You Page” was flooded with content curated just for me. Now, I’d see small artists promoting their new albums, producers sharing tips for beginners, heck, I was even getting a refresher on my music theory knowledge. TikTok has certainly helped me find a community online made up of people who love and appreciate music. I struggle to keep up with the ever-expanding world of music but TikTok has made it effortless through users sharing oddly specific playlists, musicians showing off their fun improvisations and artists hosting lives when producing their songs. Easily, TikTok has made me appreciate music more by connecting me with talented people who are willing to share their knowledge and art. Overall, TikTok has been able to create an almost intimate experience on their platform (especially during COVID) for artists of all kinds and has rightfully attracted the attention of many. And yes, even with all this cool music stuff happening on my for you page, I’ll still do a little dancey dance. NO SHAME. — Karla Ponce

Music is TikTok’s universal language, each song representing a flourishing web of emotions, in-jokes and dances. As the spaces where people normally enjoy music were impacted by the pandemic, TikTok helped fill the need for communal musical experience in the United States. Powered by its community, TikTok became America’s go-to platform for music discovery, as well as a launching pad for smash hits by artists of all genres. The sounds of TikTok represent a new evolution in the history of music by supporting music discovery and opening up an entirely new way for music lovers to discover new tracks and for music makers to reach new audiences. Music on TikTok takes us to that feeling of freedom when we escape the woes of the world, the product and lyrics combining to enable a micro-moment of joy. Open up TikTok, and you can find yourself entertained by things and people you were not expecting. It could be a girl in Hawaii who somehow came across a diss track from the Blackpool grime scene or an Idaho potato packer on his skateboard to work, creating a video to an old soft rock song. Proof that music and storytelling have always been and still are at the heart and soul of creating a moment that moves people, often faster than you can skateboard down a street singing, “It is only right that you should play the way you feel it…..” — Rebecca Perla

30/EMMIE

When I downloaded TikTok my sophomore year of high school I definitely did not think that the app I was using to watch people make fun of furries would evolve into the top-40-hit-generator it is now. Lil Nas X can be credited with the app’s transition from memes to music after “Old Town Road” was the top charting song in the world for over 19 weeks. While I would love to bash on the app for dictating what three songs will play on repeat on the radio (throwback to when I heard “ily” by Surf Mesa and Emilee ten times on the station at work during one shift), I can’t help but respect the algorithm’s ability to get me to find new songs I love. I have since deleted the app since my screen time during the first wave of quarantine continues to haunt me, but before that the “For You Page” knew me well. Thanks to that algorithm knowing more about me than I do myself, I was able to discover groups I love, like The Teenagers, Current Joys and 100 gecs (which is only slightly embarrassing to admit). — Camila Trimberger

There’s no denying the fact that a single TikTok video has the potential to skyrocket streaming numbers and increase an artists fanbase by tenfold. Tom Rosenthal is a 30-something british indie pop singer who has been making music since 2012 with a smaller, but solid fanbase. Maybe you’ve never heard of him, but if you’re a TikTok user you’ve almost definitely heard his soft-spoken cover of “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Rosenthal covered “Home” over 5 years ago with little fanfare, but that has all changed thanks to TikTok. Rosenthal’s voice is now the soundtrack to 1.2 million videos with many showcasing stories of love. Not just romantic love, but platonic, familial, young love and self-love too. Rosenthal captured perfectly the warm and fuzzy feelings that his cover provides in a tweet from October 2020 “TikTok is truly wild. There’s now 500k streams on a random cover I did 5 years ago which I had no intention of releasing until TikTok came along. A nice reminder that today’s creations might have their time much further down the track.” These videos combined with Rosenthal’s ethereal voice remind us that even in the darkest of times, love is everywhere. — Julide Sengil

TikTok has been an amazing marketing tool for individual creators. Allowing independent songwriters to find niche audiences, and achieve a more personal relationship with the listener, removing many of the barriers imposed by labels. This greater level of interaction is derived from the collaborative nature of TikTok as a platform, where user interaction is not only encouraged, but also a core part of the app’s functionality. And out of these user interactions, some of the most unique content of the platform is allowed to thrive: musical collaborations. In the early days of TikTok these were as simple as two strangers singing duets together, or adding some instrumentation to user-posted guitar solos. Out of quarantine boredom, these collabs evolved into deeply complex musical arrangements. The “Sea Shanty” TikTok community channeled their inner pirates and through the duet feature, onto layers upon layers of choir-like arrangements and theatrical instrumentation as the backdrop to songs about comradery and plundering treasure. Towards the end of 2020 there was Ratatouille: The Musical where TikTok theater aficionados and musicians developed an entire musical from scratch, a fully fledged Broadway performance created at their houses. Eventually Disney themselves greenlit the musical for a one-time charity performance, raising over $1.9M towards the Actors Fund. TikTok is an incredible platform for creators, allowing some to blow up overnight and through these innovative projects it creates a larger sense of community in a pandemic era. — Arthur Machado

SPRING 2021/31

SPECIAL THANKS TO: WISCONSIN UNION OFFICER PREISDENT LILY MILLER Through the publishing of our six student-run journals and magazines, the Publications Committee of the Wisconsin Union Directorate provides a creative outlet for UW-Madison students interested in creating poetry and prose, reporting on music and fashion, or delving into research in science and public policy. We celebrate creativity on campus by providing handson experience in publishing, editing, writing and artmarking.

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE DIRECTOR EVANKA ANNYAPU PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE ADVISOR ROBIN SCHMOLDT CREATIVE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR JOSHUA MITCHELL

EMMIE SPRING 2021

THE BOP ISSUE

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THE BOP ISSUE.