Jack Antonoff. Please Stop.
(06/23/21 5:14pm)
Jack Antonoff is sort of a jack–of–all–trades when it comes to pop music. Well, at least he tries to be.
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Two White Horses
(06/16/21 9:09pm)
What songs exist at the core of your identity? I’m not talking about your favorite music, your most played album, or your yearly Spotify Wrapped. Maybe this song is your parents’ favorite, so you heard it growing up. You may not know every lyric and be able to sing along; it’s about feeling every chord change and melody in your body, or experiencing the music somewhere deeper than in your conscious mind. These aren’t the songs that form the soundtrack of your most formative memories—they’re the songs that become memories themselves. You might not even be able to name one off the top of your head, since they’re not the songs you remember unprompted, but the feeling of auditory deja vu is unmistakable.
On “Un Canto por Mexico, Vol. 2" Natalia Lafourcade Pays Tribute to Personal and National History
(06/09/21 4:57pm)
After a strong earthquake struck her home state of Veracruz, Mexico in 2017, Natalia Lafourcade was determined to help rebuild the community through music. She began a two–volume project to revive the Centro de Documentación del Son Jarocho, a public square celebrating the musical genre son jarocho that was partially destroyed. The first volume of the series, Lafourcade’s ninth studio album Un Canto por México, Vol. 1, was released last year to critical acclaim, winning the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year. On Un Canto por México, Vol. 2, Lafourcade continues an exploration of Mexico’s rich history through both collective and personal tales.
Japanese Breakfast’s “Jubilee” is About so Much More Than Joy
(06/10/21 8:47pm)
What happened to the guitar solo? In the early 2000s, what was once a standard feature of radio hits became confined to the provenance of white male indie rock. Bands like Wilco and My Morning Jacket kept guitar solos alive, but by the year 2010, indie artists were faced with a decision between the new frontier of pop and the rock music that was suddenly out of date. Titus Andronicus’ sprawling Springsteen–homage The Monitor was lauded on release, but would only place at #194 on Pitchfork’s 200 Best Albums of the 2010s. Or, one could take the Destroyer approach, embrace sophistipop and synthpop, and produce the most lauded work of their career. On her new album Jubilee, Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner doesn’t obligate herself to choose between the new and old indie canons. She finds joy in having her cake and eating it too.
Olivia Rodrigo's "SOUR" is Full of Breakup Anthems for Every Generation
(06/02/21 8:06pm)
It's rare for an emerging pop star to set the Spotify record for most streams in a day for a non–holiday track and then return to break it just a few months later with a debut album. It's even more unlikely that it is an eighteen–year–old can manage to throw everyone, no matter their age, back into the throes of high school romance in all of its angsty glory.
CHAI Has 20/20 Vision on WINK
(06/02/21 7:59pm)
Hailing from Nagoya, Japan, CHAI experiments with pop like no group has done before. The quartet features four high school classmates brought together by their love for singing and music. Although they started by covering songs from popular Japanese musicians, they have now expanded well beyond the traditional elements of J–Pop.
The Many Faces of Onika Tanya Maraj
(05/27/21 2:36am)
Nicki Minaj isn’t just a pop star, nor is she exclusively a hardcore rap MC. She’s both—a fact that took some writers and fans nearly a decade to comprehend.
Know Your Daddy, Her Name is St. Vincent
(05/27/21 3:08am)
Daddy’s home. And so is St. Vincent, or so one would believe. On her sixth studio album to date, Annie Clark pays homage to her father and the music he raised her on. Inspired by the music scene of downtown New York in the early '70s, the album sees Clark pick apart her relationship with those around her: her father, her lover, and even herself. Just as she did on her last record, Clark plays with your perception of reality by creating an entirely new persona for this time period; an alter–ego that functions both as a means of self-defense and artistic flourish. This time, she dons a blonde wig—her natural black curls poking out—and a bright green pant–suit as she plays the role of a dame down on her luck yet aware of her self–worth, who takes her troubles in stride.
Jorja Smith Dissects the Heart on 'Be Right Back'
(05/27/21 1:58am)
At only twenty–three years old, British R&B artist Jorja Smith has already achieved the dreams of many independent artists fighting to break into the mainstream. Since her humble SoundCloud beginnings, Smith has become a Brit Award–winning and Grammy–nominated artist following the release of her critically and commercially successful debut album Lost & Found.
J. Cole Never Stops Working, Even When it's 'The Off–Season'
(05/27/21 3:08am)
When J. Cole finished his first mixtape over a decade ago, he camped outside Jay–Z’s studio for hours to get a chance to see one of his inspirations. When Jay–Z finally saw him, decorated CD in hand, Cole says: “He just looked at me like, almost disgusted.” That moment of rejection would have deterred many aspiring artists from forging on—but not Cole. Nights sneaking into New York recording studios and Cole’s pure perseverance finally paid off when his mixtapes eventually caught the attention of Roc Nation, Jay–Z’s very own label, which signed him in 2009.
Basside’s New EP is a Fitting Tribute to the Late SOPHIE
(04/30/21 3:57pm)
How will we remember SOPHIE’s musical legacy? For most music critics, myself included, the innovative producer’s magnum opus was 2018’s full–length OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN–INSIDES. That record deconstructed notions of gender, kink, selfhood, and what pop music could be while reshaping SOPHIE’s established sonic terrain. But we shouldn’t dwell exclusively on the transcendent vulnerability of songs like “It’s Okay to Cry” or “Is It Cold in the Water?” That denies the communal euphoria of hyperactive, hard–hitting pop and dance music that always existed at the center of SOPHIE’s ethos. Enter Miami bass duo Basside and their new FUCK IT UP EP, posthumously produced by SOPHIE and a reminder of how much fun the producer could have in the studio.
Lose Yourself in Spirit of the Beehive’s 'ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH'
(05/01/21 7:00pm)
The fourth studio album from Philly psych–rockers Spirit of the Beehive spells out its concerns in caps–lock, boldface, neon lettering: ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH. It has the inescapable feeling of a good trip that goes very bad, and the comma in the title contains every moment along that journey. There are glimpses of lush orchestration and placid ambience, disembodied advertisements and hellish soundscapes, but they’re all absorbed into the band’s warped totality.
‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’ is Just as Magical as the Original
(04/30/21 4:07pm)
Almost two years after her fallout with Big Machine Records became public, Taylor Swift released Fearless (Taylor’s Version), the re–recorded version of her 12–year–old sophomore album Fearless. It’s the first of six albums that Swift will eventually re–record; she was allowed to begin the process in November, and she can start re–recording her sixth album reputation next year. It’s also the album that propelled Swift to worldwide success, solidifying her legacy as a country star.
Zooming Through Fling
(04/19/21 12:42pm)
As a first year, I’ve heard of the hectic and wild stories of Penn’s Spring Fling, but I didn't expect the shouting and hustle of my first one to be centered on desperately searching for the Zoom link to Chloe x Halle’s performance from a stiff, red armchair in Lauder College House. Penn's annual Spring Fling was a hybrid between virtual performances and in–person giveaways. The concert spanned two weekends and featured strong performances from well–known artists such as Gryffin, Cherub, Rina Sawayama, and Louis the Child the first weekend, and Chloe x Halle, Wale, and Wizkid this past weekend.
The Songs We Can't Wait to Hear in Clubs
(04/25/21 4:46pm)
The pandemic took many things from 2020. Chief among them are formative experiences, including music and the context in which it's heard. "WAP" just doesn't hit the same coming from shoddy laptop speakers when you're missing the thrills of a night out at the club. In lieu of collective body heat and close brushes against others, now alien in the time of perpetual social distancing, you're met with the echo of your room. With that in mind, Street reminisces about the time when we could let it all out on the floor. Here are the top songs we would want to hear once doors open up again.
Benny Blanco Keeps Up His Hot Streak on 'Friends Keep Secrets 2'
(04/15/21 4:00pm)
Benny blanco’s discography boasts some of the most renowned hits of the decade with a chart– topping history of big–name collaborations. Blanco has risen to the top as an artist, producer, and songwriter, culminating in the release of his latest album Friends Keep Secrets 2. Encompassing an extensive range of genres and artist features, blanco adds onto his 2018 album Friends Keep Secrets with a new disc containing seven original songs. From Justin Bieber to Juice WRLD, blanco balances themes of love, loss, and celebration across this limited runtime of nearly 43 minutes—proving he has mastered the art of both versatile and high quality music.
Renée Reed’s Self–Titled Album is Haunted by Heritage
(04/14/21 4:00pm)
Renée Reed’s self–titled debut album hovers like a will–o’–the–wisp over the Louisiana bayou. She comes off as a naturally gifted musician across these 12 songs, culled from only the first fifteen she ever recorded on four—track. At least part of this talent can be attributed to her relatives: an accordionist grandfather and a great uncle who catalogued traditional regional songs. Reed is well aware of her music’s inextricable ties to the culture in her hometown of Lafayette, La.; she described the project as “dream—fi folk from Cajun prairies.” In that sense, Renée Reed is unified with its surroundings, but deftly walks the tightrope between honoring and transcending its legacy.
On ‘To See the Next Part of the Dream,’ Parannoul Grapples with His Past
(04/12/21 7:53pm)
No one knows who Parannoul is. Born and raised in Korea, the musician composes and produces all of his work in his bedroom before uploading the finished products to Bandcamp—no record labels needed. Although he humbly describes himself as “just a student writing music,” his sophomore LP To See the Next Part of the Dream is recognized as one of the best shoegaze albums in aggregate review websites such as Rate Your Music and Album of the Year. Considering the album is sonically similar to the discographies of classic bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, it’s no surprise to see it receive such a positive reception. However, To See the Next Part of the Dream is still uniquely Parannoul’s, focusing on the moments in his life that led to the creation of his deceivingly dark album.
Is Addison Rae a New Kardashian?
(04/11/21 9:54pm)
YouTube rocketed a young, fresh–faced Justin Bieber to the forefront of pop culture and music in 2009. Vine produced Shawn Mendes, who went from seven–second song cover videos to four full–length albums. Now, TikTok is offering … Addison Rae?
Justin Bieber’s New Album Stands For Personal Growth, Not Civil Justice
(04/05/21 4:00pm)
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
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