Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
Last week, my friend sent me a link to a song called “Everybody Wants To Be Famous” by a group called Superorganism, captioning it “music video is also sick.” Curious, I clicked and was immediately thrown into a vortex of epilepsy–inducing flashing between random images of a small girl swaying to one of the catchiest songs I had heard in a while. Immediately hooked, I wanted to know more.
After a year and a half of patient waiting, The Weeknd has released his newest record, an EP called My Dear Melancholy,. And—shocker—it’s a breakup album. Since the release of his 2016 record Starboy, The Weeknd, a.k.a. Abel Tesfaye, has been involved in two high–profile break–ups—with model Bella Hadid and pop singer Selena Gomez. Although he’s often open about his partying habits, this is the first record where we get a look at the inner workings of his heart, and get a new perspective on these highly public relationships.
This week, I surveyed 113 Penn students all over campus, asking each one the same question: what song can you currently not stop listening to?
This week, much loved rap collective BROCKHAMPTON, the self–proclaimed “biggest boyband in the world” signed a record deal with RCA. They announced it with a video entitled “LET’S GET MARRIED” and enlisted a poe–faced Jaden Smith as their mascot. At the end of the video they teased us with a gorgeous piano loop from their upcoming album PUPPY—modern and nostalgic at the same time. Less than a minute long, it left me wanting much more and made it blatantly apparent that I was sucked into the BROCKHAMPTON publicity machine. While the teaser track for PUPPY was a delight for most, many fans have taken to Twitter to express their grievance at their signing to RCA. This has inevitably cued much wailing and gnashing of teeth accompanied with declarations such as “its over” and “it’ll never be the same.” But what does signing with a major record label actually mean in 2018?
Meet Hunter Heflin (C '18). Hailing from Bethesda, Maryland, this part time senior has been juggling Camp Kessem, his frat, and Spring Football during his time at Penn. And oh, yeah, he's also one hell of a rapper.
You’ve seen him somewhere, whether it be on TV, in a magazine, or on the Internet, but you probably don’t know who he is. With a wild graying mane of hair and an enormous beard, he looks reminiscent of a real–life Hagrid from the Harry Potter novels. Given standard attire that consists of a white T–shirt, khaki pants, and bare feet, it may come as a surprise that faux–Hagrid is an instrumental figure in the history of hip–hop, rock, and other music genres, having worked with countless artists from across the industry since the early 1980s. His actual name? Rick Rubin.
So far, 2018 has given us a few gems in the rap music world—Post Malone announced that he'll be releasing a new album called Beerbongs & Bentleys, CupcakKe dropped Ephorize in January, and early March gave us Logic's Bobby Tarantino II with all of its Rick and Morty weirdness. And now, in April, we have been blessed with the hottest release in the twittersphere: a Wendy's diss tape.
The dilemma in listening to controversial rappers has been a hot topic for the past couple weeks. Noisey, Vice’s music blog, published an article on the topic, and renowned music vlogger Anthony Fantano gave his personal thoughts on the issue. Their general consensus: by listening to controversial artists, you are thereby helping them avoid the consequences of their actions, so it's best not to listen to them at all. Though these critics have helped spotlight the conversation, they tread rather lightly. It's this ‘lightness’ that prompts a new standard for listeners to adhere to: if you're a true defender of the sexually abused, you cannot promote the music of the abuser.
Lorde released her sophomore album Melodrama on June 16th, 2017 after a four–year hiatus following her full–length debut, Pure Heroine. In that time, she ended a long–term relationship and wrote a record that captures what it's like to be going through those things while simultaneously growing up and shedding past ideals for reality. It came out a month after my own first long term relationship ended, and it cut through me like a knife. I've only been able to listen to it the whole way through without crying for a few months. It was a visceral catharsis; she was able to put everything I was feeling into words and then some.
While most songs tell some kind of a story, a lot of these stories sound the same. Many songs are about things such as falling in love, feeling lost in the world, heart break—all very personal themes, all things we can relate to. These songs are great in some ways, but they can also get old. I'm tired of hearing songs about real life.
Move over, All–American Rejects. Penn is in the running for a visit from the great Cardi B herself.
“You have to understand, my dears, that the shortest distance between truth and a human being is a story.”
If you know me, then you probably know that I'm not very soft–spoken about my queerness. Neither is Hayley Kiyoko. Her fans refer to her as "Lesbian Jesus," and her music videos always feature a female romantic interest. The artwork of her debut album Expectations, released March 30, features Kiyoko sitting in a chair while gazing at a naked woman whose back is to the camera. Kiyoko's position suggests lust; her head tilts to the side, jacket falling off her shoulder with no effort by Kiyoko to pull it back up, transfixed by the woman in front of her. The art is a good metaphor for the album itself. In an interview with Jill Gutowitz for them., Kiyoko says, "That would normally be a guy sitting in that chair...I'm putting myself in these positions, but it's always going to be different because I am a woman."
Drake might be a polarizing figure, but you can’t deny that he’s everywhere. From Sprite commercials to courtside seats at Toronto Raptors games, the Canadian rapper has been one of the most popular and recognizable figures in hip–hop for years. So when Drake dropped More Life and described it as a “playlist” in late March 2017, it was bound to make headlines. And despite some critics lambasting the use of the term “playlist” to describe what is essentially an album, the music itself was mainly met with a positive reception. For many, at least, this is because Drake managed to incorporate a multitude of sounds and subgenres in the playlist that were far more diverse than Views or If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late. This isn’t to say More Life is superior to either of those albums, but I would make the argument that More Life, albeit too long a “playlist,” has a wider range of sounds than any of his previous works except perhaps Nothing Was the Same. From “Free Smoke” to “Passionfruit” to “Madiba Riddim,” More Life capitalizes on a vast array of influences and sounds in modern music.
I’ll say it. The jaw harp’s the coolest instrument there is. People who play guitar think they’re so slick. Drummers do fancy tricks. Ukulele–strummers think they’re quirky or something. But everyone forgets about the jaw harp.
Desert Island discs are an anomaly of music fans. While it becomes near impossible for music lovers to list their top five “favorite” albums, best artists, or even favorite songs, it seems everyone can think of their “desert island discs.” These discs are what you would take with you to the end of the world, what you truly feel will never get old, and what continues to grow on you as you grow up. Although it seems unimaginable to pick just THREE albums that would get you through a period of absolute desertion, it must be done—you know, just in case it actually happens. Music Beat writers Chris Troop and Holden Caplan have set out to explain their Desert Island Discs and why they keep them in an emergency Walkman case in their room at all times. It’s time to get sentimental.
When Buzzfeed News first reported last July that R. Kelly was being accused of holding women against their will in a “cult,” a few other incidents came to mind: his supposed illegal marriage to then 15–year–old singer Aaliyah in 1994, sexual misconduct and child pornography allegations regarding an underage girl in 2002 (for which he was eventually acquitted), and constant lawsuits from other women regarding abusive underage relationships.
Penn's Social Planning and Events Committee (SPEC) announced Friday night that the 2018 Spring Fling Concert will feature four artists: CupcakKe, Sage the Gemini, JoJo, and The All–American Rejects.
First things first; if you haven’t been to Boot and Saddle yet, you’re missing out. A giant neon sign of a cowboy hat and boot with spurs beckons you in to a bar that is equal parts Western kitch and hipster grime. Nestled in the back behind the main room is an intimate concert venue, with restored yet perfectly distressed painted patterned tin tiles lining the walls and ceiling. The stage is a simple set up of a keyboard on the right, drums in the back. A tattered, hand–woven rug and tapestries artfully draped around the walls bring warmth to the otherwise bare stage. Boot and Saddle is intimate, fiercely non–mainstream, and perfectly quirky—in other words, perfect for an intimate night of indie folk.
Ah, 2014. ‘Twas the year that Pharrell started wearing those giant hats on red carpets, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin decided to ‘consciously uncouple,’ and How I Met Your Mother (finally!) finished airing.
Get 34th Street's newsletter, The Toast, delivered to your inbox every Friday morning.
Newsletters