Music columnist Ella Boyd SC ’21 assesses the impact of musician Pop Smoke’s influence on the New York drill music scene after his death. “Almost with Nietzsche-esque transcendence of good and evil, Pop Smoke played by his own rules, and he won through creating a lasting legacy in the eye of the music industry and general population,” she writes.
Music
The bassline: ‘High Fidelity’ offers modern spin on love and mixtapes
Kyla Walker PO ’22 praises “High Fidelity”‘s soundtrack and its power to influence the narrative and drive the show’s plot forward.
The downbeat: 5 of the best love (and it’s complicated) songs
Ella Boyd SC ’21 provides a playlist of 5 songs for any romantic scenario, from love to lust to heartbreak. “Love’s intricacies and realities shouldn’t be ignored; after all, the experiences of yearning, heartbreak, confusion, nerves and sensuality are intertwined with love,” she writes.
The bassline: Billie Eilish represents the age of anxiety and the future of fiction
Music columnist Kyla Walker PO ’22 examines the allure of Billie Eilish in a time of anxiety and uncertainty for Generation Z. “Eilish and her music speaks to a generation that has grown up in chaos amidst 9/11, school shootings and imminent climate change,” she writes.
The downbeat: Goth Babe and his new take on West Coast lo-fi
Music columnist Ella Boyd SC ’21 talks musician Griff Washburn’s project Goth Babe and how Washburn’s relaxed lifestyle reflects in his music. “Goth Babe proves music can be meaningful and fun, but most of all, that life can be fun, and music can be the way to that reality,” she writes.
The bassline: The evolution of secret codes embedded in vinyls
Kyla Walker PO ’21 explores the popularity and theory behind backmasking, the act of embedding secret codes in vinyls.
The downbeat: Wilco released ‘Ode to Joy,’ so here’s an ode to Wilco
Music columnist Ella Boyd SC ’21 pens an ode to the Chicago alternative rock band Wilco and their new release, “Ode to Joy.” “Filled with their signature stripped down songs, soft vocals and haunting lyrics, Wilco continues to create meaningful music that’s sure to stand the test of time,” she writes.
The bassline: Garage bands versus bedroom pop stars
Kyla Walker PO ’22 contrasts the introspective, intimate quality of bedroom pop to the collaborative spirit of garage band music.
The downbeat: Could the return of TNGHT save a dying genre?
Music columnist Ella Boyd SC ’22 explores the fluidity of TNIGHT’s sound in their latest releases and what it means for EDM.
The bassline: The roots and revival of rock and roll
Music columnist Kyla Walker PO ’22 investigates if rock and roll has gotten lost in the waves of the new music of the twenty-first century.