Devins Blog

Ariana Grande has taken the world by storm starting at age thirteen. From Broadway to kids television to music, she’s done it all. At the age of fourteen, Ariana was determined to release her own R&B album, but was denied due to her age. After appearing on Victorious, Grande’s music career was kickstarted, starting with her first album Yours Truly. Throughout the years, however, Ariana was involved in numerous scandals, including cultural appropriation, which had a negative impact on her status as a role model. 

Ariana Grande’s actions have been most prevalent in her song “7 Rings”, which is spoofed off of the song “My Favorite Things”. Individuals have accused her of appropriating black culture in this song and music video for it. The song starts off as an ode to “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music before switching to a mixture of pop and trap music. For the chorus, a marching-formation beat kicks in and Grande whispers, in a clipped rhythm, “I want it, I got it, I want it, I got it.” In the bridge, she raps in a kind of ranging, liquid style reminiscent of Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj’s “Flawless (Remix),” with a reference to The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Gimme the Loot.” The internet then became locked in a debate discussing whether the pop singer plagiarized or paid homage to 2 Chainz, Princess Nokia, or Soulja Boy.  The song’s defining lyric goes, “You like my hair? / Gee thanks, just bought it,” which also recalls 2 Chainz’s refrain “It’s mine / I spend it.” But “Spend It” was a a celebration song reminiscent of someone who has had to deal drugs all their life before becoming rich and famous: “I’m riding ’round my side of town / Boxing gloves, I beat the trial.” On Princess Nokia’s “Mine,” the chorus, “It’s mine, I bought it,” referred to the hairpieces of black and brown women, which, Nokia complained in song, are regularly ridiculed. Ariana was then criticized for finding herself in a culture she knows nothing about. The pink mansion in her music video is reminiscent of the pink trap house 2 Chainz used to promote his album Pretty Girlz Like Trap Music in 2017 . The use of the house and black women as props to assert her coolness, shows that Grande has became another white pop star clinging onto marketable imagery of the hood to push her bad girl persona. However, most people do not want to have her canceled, but instead want her to learn from her mistakes by bringing it to her attention.

Ariana Grande and her friends defend her actions and call it a tribute and appreciation for black culture instead of appropriation. However, even with all the controversy, “7 Rings” became a smash hit and was played everywhere for weeks. Her albums have introduced Grande to new audiences who may be unfamiliar with her past work, and therefore might be more likely to see her paying homage to R&B and hip-hop titans as plagiarism. But for people who have listened to Grande since her debut after television, “7 Rings” didn’t seem like a radical departure for the musician, but rather a natural progression as Grande’s proclivity for R&B-infused pop a has been the foundation her career was built upon. Although black artists, both historically and in the current day, aren’t often given the same opportunities to profit from their music as white artists like Grande, she’s always given credit to the culture, which is more than what some artists have done. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariana_Grande#2013–2015:_Yours_Truly_and_My_Everything

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/michaelblackmon/ariana-grande-cultural-appropriation-thank-u-next-7-rings

I recently spoke with Fred from the band Travelers of an Empty Mind to gain some insight about the group through Instagram messages. Travelers of an Empty Mind was formed back in high school and originally went by Face2Face. After realizing that there was another band by the same name it was changed to Travelers of an Empty Mind. Currently its only members are Fred (guitar and vocals) and Chris (bass, vocals, drums).

Michelle: What inspired you to first make music?

Fred: We were mostly inspired by bands we liked at the time such as Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Deftones, Slipknot and Korn. We had a guitar club back in our highschool so playing music with each other often was a big inspiration to make our own.

M: How would you describe the music you typically create?

F: In simple terms I would describe our music as rap metal/ rap rock. As we grew we incorporated elements of funk and prog with the inclusion of some techniques such as slap bass and guitar tapping.

M: Who would you most like to collaborate with and why?

F: We have a great community of friends from bands, to solo acts we’ve played with over the years so making with many of them would be fun. If I had to pick one rn I’d pick our friends in Submind (AGreatArchitect and Delta The Butterfly). I’ve been roommates w the former and friends w both for years so it’d be a long time coming M: If you could open a show for any artist who would it be and why?

F: I think it would have to be Deftones or Daughters. Out of the bands we’ve liked for years they’ve remained a fave.

M: What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?

F: Haha, idk if I’d call it a career. It’s fun making music while we have the time. I’m currently studying animation and still learning more as I go so that’s one path I’m set on.

M: Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues?

F: We’ve performed in a decent many places in Jersey. Some venues and a shit ton of New Brunswick basements. One of my favorite sets ever performed was at the Brighton Bar (sadly now closed due to covid) but my favorite venue will forever be “Hivemind.” When I was in school “Hivemind” was the name my housemates and I gave our house when setting up shows in New Brunswick. It was amazing to have bands from different states play there and throw amazing shows with friends. My least favorite venue would have to be Dingbatz. Besides the typical money grubbery venues are infamous for with small artists, they got into a bit of controversy a couple years ago for allowing a Nazi band to perform at the dismay of the music community. Of course we played there years before this controversy but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth to say the least.

M: What is the best advice you’ve been given?

F: The best advice I’ve been given is to make sure I’m having fun. I think making music is great and doing things with your friends is awesome but it shouldn’t make you feel excessively anxious. And I’ve learned over the years to set proper expectations and boundaries with practice, performing, etc.

M: What is your favorite song to perform and why?

F: My favorite songs to play is a tough one. One one hand I’d say “The Devil Drives an Audi” because it’s more rap focused. I have less to play on guitar so I can focus on entertaining people lyrically. On the other hand, “Stream” is mostly instrumental so its fun as hell to lock in with your bandmates and jam. On the third hand, “Trash” was the first song we ever wrote so it’s a fan favorite at this point. It’s hard to beat the song that everyone sings along to.

M: How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business?

F: The internet has been great for music business. I remember selling tickets for shows physically. Having to meet up somewhere to give someone a ticket to the venue. Getting that online saves so much time. Also just planning shows, most basement shows would show up as events on Facebook and seeing the ones your friends were going to was the best way to find out what you were doing that weekend. Besides that, listening to music online wether it be streaming or on YouTube videos has given people way more opportunity to find your music.

M: Where is everyone in the band at today?

F: Currently I’m taking classes in storyboarding and trying to break into that industry while animation instructing. My bandmate, Chris has been releasing solo music under the name Count Dirbagulous and recently released a project called “VOIDBEARER.” During the pandemic music took a backseat so that we could focus on our personal projects which has been good. We have a single that has been recently finished so I’m excited to put that out in the future.

I have been friends with the members of this band for a very long time, however, I have not listened to their music until this interview, so I went into it blind. Overall, I enjoyed my interview with Fred and loved getting to know his likes and dislikes about the industry as well as the inspiration behind his sound. I look forward to hearing more from Travelers of an Empty Mind and cannot wait for them to hopefully release more music together in the future. 

Spotify Link:

Disco emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the NYC and Philadelphia nightlife scene. Its sound includes four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, horns, electric piano, synthesizers, and electric rhythm guitars. Disco started as a mixture of music from venues popular with Italian Americans, Hispanic, Latino, and African Americans. This music scene itself produced popular groups such as ABBA, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Bee Gees, Chaka Khan, and Michael Jackson to name a few. Films such as Saturday Night Fever and Thank God It’s Friday have also contributed to the mainstream popularity of disco. The groups I, however, would like to highlight in this post are ABBA and The Bee Gees.

ABBA is a Swedish pop group from Stockholm made up by the members: Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (who were two married couples), with the name of the group being an acronym of the first letters of their first names. They have had forty-eight hit singles including “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo”, which won them the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. 

“Dancing Queen” is still a song that is widely listened to today. I mean shit, I remember singing along to it and recording it on the day of my seventeenth birthday, as was a popular trend to do back in high school. The song itself is beautifully produced as it gives off a catchy and euphoric vibe, perfect for describing the life of someone young and carefree. The record starts off with a bang, which catapults you straight into the middle of the chorus. This appears to show an explosive opening to draw in listeners to the rest of the song, a smart move I may add.This song narrates the story of a seventeen-year-old girl on a nightclub dance floor that is lost in the music and dancing due to her feeling of carefreeness and freedom to express herself. The song has stayed trendy through the musical Mamma Mia!, which even I’ll admit to binging a few times.

This brings me to The Bee Gees aka The Disco Kings. The Bee Gees were a music group formed in 1958, featuring brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, who were especially successful in the late 1960s and early 1970s aka the disco era. The group sang in three-part tight harmonies with Robin’s clear vibrato leading vocals being prominent in the early hits, while Barry’s R&B falsetto became their signature sound during the mid- to late 1970s and 1980s. The Bee Gees have sold over 120 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling artists of all time. 

My two favorite songs by The Bee Gees would have to be “Stayin’ Alive” and “You Should Be Dancing”. “Stayin’ Alive” wasn’t even meant to be a single until it appeared in the Saturday Night Fever trailer, but I’m so glad it was. The song itself represents the hardships in life and the struggle to survive in New York, which can be clearly demonstrated by the way Barry walks his walk. The vocals are an electric-shocked falsetto yip, with a squeal of pain, and becomes a terror-like screech after the second chorus. Coincidentally, this song wouldn’t have become structured the way it was without some things occurring by chance, such as the drummer not being able to record due to personal circumstances, which caused the band to use his old drum recordings. The looped-up drums, combined with that perfectly wormy bassline, help make “Stayin’ Alive” such a fundamental song in the disco era. 

Disco has cemented its legacy in music, inspiring hip-hop artists and even rave culture and house music, two popular sounds in recent years. Disco has been a huge part of my life, something you probably would not expect and it allowed me to explore different genres that originated from it. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disco#Legacy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABBA#Greatest_Hits_and_Arrival

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/08/40-years-abba-dancing-queen-people-just-surrender-to-it

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_Gees

Last month’s the thirtieth anniversary of Nirvana’s album Nevermind. This album put the band on the charts and brought rock anthems like “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, which catapulted the band into the charts and made them known for their grunge style and emotional delivery. Nirvana’s sound is drawn from punk and alternative rock music, hard rock music, and early metal music, with contrasting levels. What needs to be discussed is Kurt Cobain’s harmonic language, made prevalent within this album.

A perfect example of Cobain’s harmonic language is shown in “In Bloom”the fourth single off of Nevermind. The song was written to make fun of the people outside the underground music scene who started coming to Nirvana shows after their first studio album. It contains many innovative non-functional harmonic structures. Here is the song being performed live at Reading in 1992:

As seen in this song, Kurt Cobain was able to create chord sequences and attendant melodies that was not traditional in terms of functional harmony, which was seen in every Nirvana song throughout Nevermind. On “In Bloom,” Kurt Cobain played the chords as dyads or power chords, which gave him some melodic flexibility due to the chords’ ambiguous quality. On Nevermind, Cobain admitted that the songwriting was a college-style tableau of words that were influenced from surrealism in the art world, which he described as “The Iggy Pop/Aerosmith-type songwriting,”, which was imitated on the album. 

He’s the one who likes all our pretty songs And he likes to sing along And he likes to shoot his gun But he knows not what it means And I say He’s the one who likes all our pretty songs And he likes to sing along And he likes to shoot his gun But he knows not what it means Knows not what it means and I say yeah

These lyrics express a certain kind of feeling more than any coherent meaning, which can explain how these collage-style lyrics work better than those who try to imitate Nirvana’s sound in present-day. Cobain hits the nail on the head through this raw sound of teenage angst on conforming to society’s expectations and demands, which is why so many teenagers today are able to resonate with this album and why it’s still being celebrated.

In present-day, country singer Sturgill Simpson covered “In Bloom” on his album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, reworking the song by slowing it down. This version completely changes the meaning of the song as Simpson takes a song about alienation in a crowd and turns it into a love song. However, he pays homage to Cobain in the form of a thank you, which shows that Simpson may have in fact been a fan. This version of the song features the same song, band, venue, and crowd, except with an optimistic perspective relating to love.

It’s safe to say that we don’t know if Cobain would love or hate this new sound, but we always know that nothing beats the original sound for “In Bloom”.

Sources;

https://americansongwriter.com/nirvana-in-bloom-behind-the-song/

SOUR is the debut album of 18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo. The subjects vary between heartbreak and young adult problems, something us college students can relate to. This album was originally intended to only be an extended play, but after “Driver’s License” blew up on TikTok, it was upgraded to full album status. Olivia’s album has a down-to-earth, bedroom pop sound, similar to Paramore’s sound. The music on this album is mainly pop, with hints of pop-punk spanned throughout the songs. The album blew up mainly due to its appeal on the Generation Z crowd due to Rodrigo’s musical versatility and relatable lyrics. The album can be seen to go through the stages of going through a breakup featuring key emotions like sadness, jealousy, and anger. Personally, this album helped get me through a particularly hard breakup from last semester so I have nothing but high praise to say.

brutal

This song opens the album with a beautiful string section, and then transitions into a strong alternative sound, signaling Olivia’s frustrations at being a teenager. This song is the epitome of teenage angst, as noted by the lyric: “I’m so sick of seventeen, where’s my fucking teenage dream”. The lyrics are relatable to those of her age group, especially the part where she mentions she can’t even parallel park, which I heavily relate to. The lyrics also signify someone trying hard as they can to be perfect, but then being crushed when any little thing goes wrong, something most of us relate to (especially being college students). Her harmonies in the chorus also add to her bitter feeling, making the song that much fuller of angst.

traitor

This song has become an anthem to teenagers getting dumped on TikTok, specifically those who were cheated on. “You betrayed me, and I know that you’ll never feel sorry for the way I hurt” signifies Olivia’s heartbreak and heaviness due to a betrayal of an ex-lover. The heavy bass line and lyrics paired together allow for you to hear the pain in her voice as she describes the situation. This song also relates to previous gloomy music from the early-2010s.

drivers license

This song is what put Olivia on the map and upgraded her EP to a full album. Many people on social media have made fun of this song for its melodramatic sound. I, however, think this song is perfect in describing the feeling of sadness after a breakup, wondering what went wrong. It captures the feeling of being dumped, and wondering how someone who you once thought was so in love with you hurt you in such an unforgivable way. This song helps those who recently went through a breakup, something I can attest to. My favorite parts of the track include Olivia’s powerhouse vocals and chord progression, as it helps drive the sound home. 

1 step forward, 3 steps back

This song shows the progression of a toxic relationship. Essentially it describes being able to move forward in a positive direction, but then something toxic occurs causing all the progress in the relationship to be canceled out. This depressing song is backed up by some piano instrumentals throughout, with a subtle build-up near the ending. This song describes a situation before breaking up, but seems to hint at a potential breakup in the future. “It’s always one step forward and three steps back, do you love me, want me, hate me? I don’t understand” describes the feeling of smelling a breakup about to happen due to the confusion in relationship status.

déjà vu

This song is the epitome of summer love talking about “strawberry ice cream, one spoon for two”, which is most likely to happen during that time period. The fact that Taylor Swift helped write this song also has some star power embedded within it, since everything Taylor touches turns to hit singles. Olivia’s sweet opening is contrasted by some chaotic sounds at the end, which hits hard. This definitely has some “Cruel Summer” inspiration, especially since Taylor Swift is a writer.

good 4 u

This song gives me Paramore vibes, and I have even seen this mashed up with “Misery Business” all over TikTok. It definitely throws it back to early 2000s-esque pop punk, which is slowly starting to make its way back. The style gives off a teenage angst vibe yet again and you could honestly compare Olivia’s vocals with that of Hayley Williams from Paramore. The song is catchy and I totally relate to the feeling of wanting to set your ex’s things on fire (I promise I’m not crazy), which Olivia seemingly does in the music video.

https://youtu.be/gNi_6U5Pm_o

enough for you

This song itself is gloomy and depressing in the fact that Olivia sings about wishing how she was enough for her ex. It feels as if she is blaming herself for the breakup (“And you left me there cryin’, wonderin’ what I did wrong”) when that should not be the case. There is some likeable electronic beats implemented in this song, but other than that, the song stays somber.

https://youtu.be/AqRXiQkyxvI

happier

The string section definitely helps make this song as good as it is. The slow ballad helps indicate Olivia being at the point where she is starting to recover from her breakup and wish nothing but the best for her ex. She does make some selfish points in “I hope you’re happy, but not like how you were with me”, which indicates a somewhat controlling, bitter feeling.

https://youtu.be/ZQFmRXgeR-s

jealousy, jealousy

This song definitely highlights Olivia’s insecurities after a breakup with an ex when it comes to other girls. “I kinda wanna throw my phone across the room, ‘Cause all I see are girls too good to be true, with paper-white teeth and perfect bodies” especially shows the brink of her insecurities.

The sound itself is tension-building due to the use of a synth and the mastery of a guitar in the chorus. The bass line itself helps build the intro and keep the listener hooked. The words themselves are relatable since many girls are deemed perfect and the comparison in society is just fucked up and causes many problems, which Olivia seems to highlight in this song.

https://youtu.be/Z-9gQjUZMm0

favorite crime

This song is one of my favorites in the album. “It’s bittersweet to think about the damage that we do, 'Cause I was going down, but I was doing it with you” describes how two people are toxic to one another, but they still feel happy being toxic together as long as they have one another. In the final chorus, Olivia jumps up on the octave, proving it to be one last powerful moment before the song ends. This allows the breakup to be deemed as finally over, with no regrets in the end. Olivia also has some great vocal harmonies embedded within the song, something she is seemingly skilled at as noted throughout the album. The saxophones are also a nice touch within the song, although they aren’t heard enough.

https://youtu.be/AyX_LL9nWSE

hope ur ok

This last song is a powerful one, and it shows. You can tell throughout the song that Olivia was influenced by Lorde based on the percussion and melodies heard throughout the bridge of the song. The song itself has a bit of a melancholic vibe to it, talking about how the girl in the breakup matters and that she’ll be ok in the end. It’s kind of a realization at the end that even though the breakup hurt you, in the end you’ll be ok and you’ll get through it. You were created for a greater purpose and this song helps show that. The lyrics “Well, I hope you know how proud I am you were created, with the courage to unlearn all of their hatred, God, I hope that you’re happier today, 'Cause I love you, and I hope that you’re okay” help show that courage and faith can get you through anything.

https://youtu.be/ZLlsmB1D4Q0

After listening to this album, I was able to see it does get better and that a breakup is not the end of the world. People move on and find better things in life. In the end though, I hope everyone is ok, especially after listening to these songs on my blog. No seriously, I hope I didn’t make you depressed listening to this.

Side note: ran out space for more videos so I included links and gifs instead for some songs.

Sources: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sour_(album)

Is silence dying?

Why do we need music to study when students in previous generations did not have it? Is it unnatural to work while listening? 

My parents often berate me, telling me to listen to silence, to not listen to music. They quip how the increased use of smartphones have led for the youth to need constant stimulation. I wonder if we have become addicted to stimulation, as our brains have been rewired to crave going on our phone, or to listen to music to sate our crippled minds, riddled with boredom as we do assignments. I do find that sometimes I prefer silence when studying, but I also have a proclivity for taking little phone breaks while working. To try to combat the urge to do something more fun than work, I like to listen to music to put me in a good mood and to keep me from utter boredom, thus increasing my focus and ability to work. 

I think almost all of my friends and acquaintances listen to music while studying for the same, or a similar reason. Our addiction to phones, and subsequent addiction to music, has made us often unable to stand listening to silence. Just today, I talked with a friend who said that when it is silent, their ears hurt because they are used to being with family, friends, or listening to music all the time. Constant stimulation. Now while music may inhibit short-term memory performance and reduce productivity, many youths still prefer listening to music for any, and every task. 

It makes me wonder if silence is dying.

That being said, here are some songs that I love to listen to while studying!

These songs are all subdued enough to not be distracting, while still being absolute bangers that help me get through any type of assignment. 

Disclaimer: because these are songs that I’ve specifically picked out, they have enough personality to actually be a little distracting while working but they serve well as a pick-me-up. 

“Lobster” by Boy Called Cute just has immaculate vibes. It is a pop song that feels like a techno dream of a Californian-sunrise. Boy Called Cute are a five person indie pop/alt pop band. 

Solid song. Vibes check out. 

While “Lobster” felt like a Californian-sunrise, “I Can’t Handel Change” by R.O.A.R. feels like a wholesome dream of a Californian-sunset. “I Can’t Handle Change” talks about how not every bad thing that has happened to you is your fault and how it can lead to you being in places filled with toxic energy. This toxic energy can be found from a lack of peace with the world around you, and the silence that it can offer. If we cannot accept reality, and instead have to be soothed by music all the time, will we be truly able to grow? 

“Stars (Interlude)” is a pop song by Killkiyoshi. 

I love how in the beginning he starts singing and stops, as if he made a mistake and came in early. 

In the song, Killkiyoshi sings: “Elevate your mind with your own finds.” In this we find a need for true self-reflection and a space to really think about yourself, and get to know yourself. Perhaps silence is necessary for reflection, as to be truly in tune with how you feel, you need to fully listen to what your mind and body tells you.

“YKWIM?” by Yot Club. Read my blog post for the full run down. 

“YKWIM?” is a lo-fi song by Yot Club, the lo-fi band of Ryan Kaiser, who made this TikTok popular song.

It definitely generates a dopamine-overload. 

“YEAH RIGHT” by Joji is a R&B/soul song that talks about fucking up his life, partying, to get over a girl. Joji is a 29 year old singer, songwriter, and comedian from Japan who used to be a YouTuber.

I love the bass in the song. I think the idea of distracting yourself from something you do not want to think about, such as listening to music during homework, can be a poor way of dealing with problems and perhaps it requires you looking at what is the root of the reason of why you feel you need to be distracted. 

“this is what falling in love feels like” by JVKE is a dance/electronic pop song that aims to express its name in song form. JVKE is a 20-year hiphop/rap singer who made a few TikTok famous songs, including “Dandelion” and most popular “Upside Down” with over 70 million streams on Spotify.

Link to YouTube

Photo credits: Genius It feels like a math equation, a perfectly square song. The part where JVKE sings “This is falling, falling in love” sounds just  like the Christmas song “Do They Know It’s Christmas” by Band Aid when it goes “Do they know it’s Christmas time at all?“ and since I love Christmas, I’ll excuse the copy catting. (Lmk if they actually got permission for this)

These songs come together to set my mind in a peaceful-enough yet delighted state, to help me get through the loads of work I have, with a mediocrely sane mind. 

While I know that my phone has corroded my brain and that some researcher in the future will find that I’m probably murdering my brain as I listen to music for many tasks, good music is good music and good music needs to be listened to. It would be a crime not to listen. And in this devout nature of being a music lover, I’ve come to wonder: are we stu[dying?]

Will we escape from fantastical performances?

“Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber” is a musical tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s career and perhaps collateral for flop movie, Cats. It was performed in the Paper Mill Playhouse, in Millburn, NJ and was only performed from January 30 to March 1 of 2020, likely cut short due to the Covid-19 quarantine. The show had a cast of thirteen, a mix of men and women, who were the leaders of this circus. 

Credit: Paper Mill Playhouse

Other reviews focus on how bad the occasional video snippets of Andrew Lloyd Webber were, and yes they were bad, boring, and painfully awkward, but that was not the biggest offense. The order of the songs and the seriousness of the play made it, at times, a fever nightmare. To be able to make someone who loves music, beg for a lifeline to save them from drowning in their own unfulfilled hope to get some shred of a narrative that would make the procession of the songs understandable is a feat unique to Unmasked. After all, Webber, in one of those videos that seemed to greatly offended some journalists, said that the most important element of any good play or musical, is having a narrative, a story, because that is what engages the audience, and makes them choose to believe in the fantasy of a play. Webber, please take your own advice and stop torturing us. But Webber focused for a bit on the idea of an audience choosing to believe in a story, in which it is obviously a phantasm, and they know that, but they are willing to believe in the narrative and thus, make it real. We see the same phenomenon in the highly curated and edited social media posts of content creators, in which we often choose to believe in the fantasy depicted by the photos. We even choose to believe in these narratives, of people with “perfect” bodies going on vacation everyday, living the life, and we base our own self-worth off of it. As we spend more and more time on social media, we forget about photoshop, and believe we should look and be doing just as the content creators do. This phenomenon has led to a young generation with cripplingly low-self esteem. However, with no respite, no curtain close on the show, will the young generations be able to escape from the after-effects of this fantastical social media performance?

What was not fantastical, were the costumes. Perhaps the costume designer was going for a more intimate impression, having the cast wear (presumably) their own black clothes, but the fashion was so terrible I found myself distracted, staring at their clothes in distaste. Like come on, if you are not going to give us a story, at least tell a story with the clothes or just have them wear something socially acceptable. 

Yes, those outfits really did greatly add to my annoyance with the show. But for stage wear using personal clothes, my tap teacher always focused on how the shades of black needed to be the same. Seeing outfits like the blond’s below would probably have driven my teacher out of the theater.

Credit: Paper Mill Playhouse

You may look at this and think, the outfits are not so bad, but when you are towards the back of the theater, where you find yourself surrounded by aged people who have a penchant for falling asleep during any type of entertainment, the outfits really looked as dead as the audience was. 

Now while I just slung dung at this musical for, well the whole review so far, I will say those money numbers, the “‘Til I Hear You Sing” or the “Memory,” when the stage lights are low, perhaps just one soft, glowing beam directing your spellbound eyes, and the magic of theater is most intoxicating, you fall in love. Chills. Your eyes well up. Gorgeous. Sublime. 

As you walk out of the theater, weary and traumatized, those moments made the whole two and half hours worth it. The show actually felt much, much longer than that. And perhaps the show is extended to your bed, as you lay, ready for sleep, and you willingly go back to the awed stupor those songs compelled. 

Was that too much? Perhaps, but those songs are meant for performance, to be listened to and to be personally felt, to help you continue to believe that you can get through the rest of the performance and Webber’s quips from odd camera angles. 

Credit: There Ought to Be Clowns

Now what really made me cringe is perhaps due to my personal interests. The violinist in me didn’t care for the “Theme and Variations 1-4 (From Paganini’s Caprice in A Minor, No. 24)” or “Variations On Variations” which are interpretations of Paganini’s famous caprice. The way the drums mixed with it was okay, but the electric guitar developing into some weird rock, then saxy jazz, then techno digital rendition of the song just made me sad. Listening to it now, it’s not so bad but in the moment, I just got beaten down even more than I already was. At one point in the show, they took a person playing the double bass (quite badly, sorry) and put them upside down. I think they did it three times. The big, beautiful double bass is not meant for flight. I wanted to sob in fetal position each time they went back to brutalize that poor bass. It was almost as bad as when I watched La La Land and nearly yaked when they were tapping outside, on the pavement, with tap shoes. I know there are outdoor tap shoes but the indoor tap dancer in me felt like it was watching two dingdongs commit a federal crime. You do not - and I mean NEVER - wear indoor tap shoes outside. I shudder just thinking of flying cellos and destroyed tap shoes.

Everyone has a live show they remember whether it’s a concert or a live band at a restaurant. In my case, I went to a restaurant called Shanghai Jazz over the summer for a friend’s birthday on June 12 where they performed (you guessed it) jazz music. I mean it’s literally in the restaurant name. The most notable performers for that night were drummer Karl Latham, contemporary jazz pianist and composer Laurence Hobgood, and bassist James Robbins. While the trio itself creates soothing music together, “Karl Latham is an inventive powerhouse whose influences are many but whose ideas are his own” (allmusic.com). This goes to show that jazz is about making other music your own. 

Music is about being creative and adding your own spin on it. These jazz musicians were able to play their own creative content but also use a variety of music styles from other people they were inspired by. My favorite part was that before the start of each song, they would go up and say what the inspiration behind it was and the story behind it. They would describe whether the song was written recently or whether it was from long ago. The music itself was soothing and calm, perfect to go with dinner. Believe it or not, it made time go by fast that by the time it was over, I didn’t realize it had been that long. In fact, people were enjoying it so much that they would constantly shush our table so that they could continue listening to the music they were so enamored with.

Many artists also reimagine previous works, which allow for there to be a new spin on old versions of songs. For example, Hobgood is known for “his stylized re-imagining of both classic songbook repertoire and more recent artists’ work” (Wikipedia) such as Carole King; Earth, Wind & Fire; Paul Simon; Burt Bacharach; Sting; U2; etc. These three people are known in the jazz industry for working with others, and based on their performance its clear to see they have professional experience. Their work shows they are not just amateurs, but that they know the industry through and through. Robbins himself even uses his experience to teach others at the American School of Modern Music in Paris. These individuals use their experiences with other artists in order to create their own original spin on jazz classics. Essentially, they are adding their own spice to an already made dish.

All in all, this trio together makes it work. Their sound together fits perfectly like a puzzle. It is interesting that they incorporate popular sounds from the jazz world and make it their own. I find it amazing that they are able to make such an unpopular music style interesting for those of my generation. You usually would not find those my age listening to something other than artists like The Weeknd, Post Malone, etc. I myself do not personally like jazz, but I would give this group a solid 8/10 based on their performance, as they were the first group I thought of when given this assignment.

Sources (if you want to learn more about the artists or want to see when their next shows are):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Hobgood#Awards_and_nominations

https://karllatham.com

Doja Cat’s third album, Planet Her, came out on June 25 and already it has become a viral sensation on TikTok. Doja Cat stated that Planet Her was named that way because it is the center of the universe where all races of space exist and its where all species can kind of be in harmony. She also explained that by naming the album Planet Her, “[she] was just trying to be cute and that it is not related to feminism at all” (Wikipedia). She has been known to be a bit weird, as evidenced by her previous albums, and her newest album proves to be a continuation of that. Planet Her showcases Doja Cat’s eclectic personality through her use of e-girl and sci-fi references shown throughout her lyrics and music videos.

Doja Cat’s voice itself shines throughout Planet Her. She is able to perform her music at such ease, and even showcase her silly side through it all. She is able to rap on point, similarly to Nicki Minaj, who she even shouts out at the end of “Get Into It (Yuh)”  (Rolling Stone). Her hyponasal vocal switch-ups, which includes her usage of some type of African accent in “Woman” shows off her ability to smoothly flow through her songs. 

https://youtu.be/zln8SZO6yYY

Doja Cat’s album includes some notable collaborations including some songs produced by Dr. Luke. Dr. Luke signed Doja Cat when she was seventeen and is featured in three songs on Planet Her (Pitchfork). However, Doja continues to prove to be a creative hitmaker on her own through her lyrics and music videos. In her song “Kiss Me More” with Sza, both artists are seen as rulers of a planet stumbled upon by an astronaut in a nod to the album’s title. Their connection with one another seems mesmerizing, with it being hard to take your eyes off their supernatural dance moves. 

https://youtu.be/0EVVKs6DQLo

Doja Cat’s album has become popular with the youth, even creating a TikTok trend. The trend is based upon the fact that she utilized various flickering colors when promoting her album own social media. TikTok users were then inspired to create a trend using flickering colors as a filter to ask what color they would be on Planet Her (The Sun). 

https://youtu.be/r16c97aOAVU

https://youtu.be/19fkRptsL0M

Doja Cat’s Planet Her is fresh and bubbly, representing her personality all the way through. Doja Cat, who had just been named Best New Artist at last year’s VMAs, almost feels like a newcomer who just debuted her first album.  Hopefully her reign of weirdness does not come to an end any time soon so that we can enjoy her strange music for some time.

Album Link: https://open.spotify.com/album/1nAQbHeOWTfQzbOoFrvndW

Sources:

https://www.the-sun.com/news/3395323/what-is-the-planet-her-tik-tok-trend/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Her

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/doja-cat-planet-her-1188592/