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(11/15/20 5:02am)
American democracy is dying, and the election system is one of the fatal diseases that’s killing it. With an unnecessary emphasis on aesthetics, the spread of misinformation, inaccurate representation of voters, and a myriad of other issues, the process needs fundamental change. The cherry on top is that candidates have started to invade American ears with campaign music to discreetly shape their rhetoric and influence their audiences' emotions. Although campaign music can be used to motivate and inspire voters towards a positive direction, as Joe Biden has shown, a close look at Trump’s music choice shows that campaign music can be used to build fear and anger just as effectively.
(11/10/20 3:21am)
If you haven’t heard of CHIKA, this article is your sign to dive into the fresh, biting rhythms and flows of her latest EP, INDUSTRY GAMES, immediately. Having first gone viral for her satirical video post–the 2016 US Presidential Election, the Nigerian–American poet/rapper CHIKA has grown in bounds since the meme first brought her in the public stratosphere.
(11/08/20 12:14am)
Read this sentence out loud in your mind. Do you hear your speech inflections? Pitches that could be turned into a little tune? This type of enlightening perspective on sound is one of many things that Pamela Z, a composer and performer, tells us about through ambitious and experimental multimedia shows and galleries. She discussed these interdisciplinary and avant–garde forms of expression during the Music Colloquium hosted by the Penn Music Department.
(11/15/20 5:02am)
On November 4, I kept hearing some odd noise that I couldn’t quite pinpoint. It turns out I’d just forgotten what it sounded like to not be bombarded by celebrities, large companies, textbankers, and Instagram stories demanding that I vote.
(11/08/20 12:01am)
Recent paparazzi pictures depicting Billie Eilish in clothes that are significantly more “form–fitting” than any of her stage ensembles have reinvigorated the conversation surrounding celebrity body positivity. However, with a number of celebrities opening up about their weight fluctuation and more “plus–sized” musicians achieving mainstream success, it's as if the internet community has shifted the narrative from shaming non–perfect bodies to praising them. Now, singers, actors, and public figures are brave, confident and inspirational — for simply looking like the rest of us.
(10/28/20 10:50pm)
Holding his phone to the laptop microphone so I could hear, Jonah Jurick (W '22) plays excerpts from his hand–picked playlist over Zoom, fully immersed in each second and moving his head slightly to the beat. Comfortable playing the drums, guitar, and piano, he spends his free time listening to and creating music as Hei$t, with over 250,000 Spotify streams on his track “Romeo.”
(10/28/20 1:38am)
As an introverted homebody who enjoys sitting in bed while listening to music, I confess that quarantine hasn’t changed my life too much. Although I do feel restricted at times, I’ve adapted quite well. But even I, the laziest person I know, have my limits. I’ve had moments when I despised quarantine, and they became more common when school started and even more when upperclassmen talked about fun things they did at Penn.
(10/26/20 11:08pm)
Back in June, TikTok was swept with clips of people crawling up beaches reenacting Amanda Seyfried’s Mamma Mia! beach scene to the tune of “Lay All Your Love on Me.” Then in July, Netflix’s Will Ferrell–led blockbuster Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga featured prominently ABBA’s 1974 rise to stardom with “Waterloo” through the Eurovision Song Contest. These days, it feels like ABBA is everywhere — or maybe it’s always been that way.
(10/30/20 6:53pm)
I’ve had a great admiration for Slowsie ever since I first heard them, and recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with the heart and soul of the group, Michael Pearson (C'21). As singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist, he's the main voice in one of Penn’s most creative bands.
(10/25/20 10:54pm)
I am—like many of other remote Penn students—dying to be in Philly right now. As I usually channel my disappointments and hopes into oddly named Spotify playlists and am already spending a ridiculous amount of time on my computer, I decided to bring Philly to me. Quasi–mixtapes inspired by Philly have been made before, even by Street back when the Eagles won in 2018, but I’d like to highlight these acclaimed artists’ ties to Philly and what led them to croon about our city. Give my playlist a little brotherly love and I hope to be rocking out together next semester!
(10/26/20 8:51pm)
Róisín Murphy occupies a peculiar space that's distinctly her own in the pop culture lexicon. With a unique flair for absurdist fashion and alternative pop, Murphy made a name for herself as an auteur of 21st Century disco ever since the release of her 2007 hit "Overpowered." After the middling success of 2016's Take Her up to Monto, she returns with the instant classic Róisín Machine. To both her benefit and her detriment, disco is en vogue again. Doja Cat's viral hit "Say So" bleeds of 70's nostalgia. Dua Lipa, similarly, updated the classic sound for the mainstream pop consumer with Future Nostalgia and its remix album. Even Jessie Ware made a splash with What's Your Pleasure? Given the prominence of her fellow disco adjacent peers, comparisons are inevitable. Speaking to NME, Murphy boasted "I'm back to snatch Dua Lipa's and Jessie Ware's wigs!" And she's right. She should say it.
(10/19/20 10:30pm)
On October 9, as I scrolled through social media liking post after post remembering and celebrating John Lennon, I found myself wondering how he would feel about our world today. How would he use song to guide us? What words of advice would he give? Not only was Lennon a rock 'n' roll revolutionary, but he was also an iconic figure in the world of social and political change. He left behind a tremendous legacy that lives on through his music (both as founder of The Beatles and as a successful solo artist), his activism, and his philosophy on life.
(10/23/20 7:27pm)
No other artists have excited classic rock fans in recent years as much as Greta Van Fleet. On Oct. 9, they released their first new song in over a year, “My Way, Soon”, which is already charting at 38 on the Billboard 200 list. The tune is very refreshing both as a work of art and for its free–spirited message. With lyrics like “I’ve packed my bags and I’ve got my freedom” and “I’ll throw out the plans and live with no burden,” it reminds us that even in life’s worst moments, we can lift ourselves up and start anew.
(10/20/20 1:13am)
George Kusunoki Miller has hidden behind many personas. Over the past few years, he has worked under many names: Filthy Frank, Pink Guy and now, Joji. But, in his sophomore album Nectar, Miller lets it be known that Joji isn't a persona: Joji is him.
(10/18/20 4:49pm)
A year ago, Travis Scott dominated the stage under a flurry of multicolor lights as a headliner for the Made in America Festival in Philadelphia. Marked by dazzling stage effects and hectic mosh pits, it seems almost impossible in the age of COVID–19 to imagine thousands of strangers colliding and screaming along to massively popular hits like "STARGAZING" in such close quarters. Now, after months of canceled tours and shows worldwide, coronavirus has forced artists like Scott to look towards other streams of revenue.
(10/17/20 12:21am)
SuperM, marketed as “the Avengers of K–pop,” has been rocking televised stages with empty audiences this year. Formed in 2019 by SM Entertainment, one of the biggest companies in the K–pop industry, the members all come from well–established groups on the SM roster including EXO, NCT 127, Shinee, and WayV. SuperOne, which came out on Sept. 25th, is the supergroup’s first full–length album, and ended up falling short of its high commercial expectations.
(10/19/20 11:52pm)
"I'm cold," Jónsi sings to open the title track of his latest record, Shiver. The verse represents a stark left turn for an artist who—both in his solo career and as the frontman for legendary post–rock band Sigur Rós—has radiated warmth, comfort, and joy.
(10/12/20 9:54pm)
In early May, Nicki Minaj's remix of Doja Cat's "Say So" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart—the first song by two female rappers ever to do so. This triumph was made even sweeter by the fact that Beyonce's remix of Megan Thee Stallion's Savage had secured the number two spot. Four Black women had outsold every other artist in the country that week. There is no more significant proof that we are currently watching some sort of hip–hop renaissance unfold.
(10/14/20 9:36pm)
Screenshotting my Spotify tracklists or sharing music through my Instagram story is truly an unappreciated endeavor. After months of feeding the public with small tidbits of my excellent music taste, I’ve realized one thing: Nobody cares. Then, I discovered Bopdrop—an app for people who actually care about what others are listening to.
(10/13/20 6:26pm)
On Tuesday, Oct. 6, we lost one of the greatest rock and roll guitarists of all time. Aside from founding the decade–defining band Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen planted the technical and stylistic seeds for generations of guitarists in both rock and metal music.
