#hip hop song analysis

[cubile-animussy]

Serica should have been ride or die...

tbh i wish they had been more consistent about the "erica always pulls through for me" element of serica's dynamic. like Erica is a morally grey character but I wish she was less so when it came to Sarah. Erica is a good friend when she chooses to be but I think the idea of an unconditional kind of dedication to her best friend when she's otherwise double crossing and biting/killing people would make her character even better. i think her questionable actions in the movie are very important for her character transformation as they display her hunger for popularity/revenge but one thing that always really bothered me was that she never formally apologizes to Sarah for what she did (hooking up with Jesse and nearly letting Gord kill Sarah). like rewatching the film, she was such a prick 😭😭 and then for her to be excited to see Jesse when he came back was...eh to me. Although, Erica may not fully understand the ways in which Jesse ruined Sarah's life.

this plays into her pressuring Sarah to drink human blood throughout season 1. of course Erica would think that's the easiest solution bc it IS and Sarah absolutely does need to accept her vampirism if she's gonna 1) survive and 2) be happy. I think the disconnect Sarah has from Rory, Erica, and the rest of the vampire community, as well as their inability to really understand the emotional turmoil that being turned caused her and her moral objection to biting people are very important elements of the show. Like in that sense Rory and Erica don't even MEAN to alienate Sarah with their apathy but they do and it's still shitty!! What I do wish was that Erica's genuine concern for Sarah's well being was more evident. like I don't think it's that she didn't care about Sarah and what she was going through (which was what it felt like sometimes) it's just that she couldn't understand why her friend was doing this to herself. Like she knows she's DYING and she is seriously worried and wants Sarah to get better but she's unable to sympathize with the fact that she doesn't want to drink human blood.

Erica falling short as a friend bc of the real differences between her and Sarah in terms of their values is way more interesting than her just being a shallow self-centered mean girl. Sarah being the exception to Erica's egocentrism adds so much more depth Erica's character bc it solidifies the motives underneath her persona. she'll either kill you or she'll kill for you. she'd bury a body for you but she's not the best person to help you through a fragile emotional state.

[forthoseinterested]

10 Dollar

One of my favourite musicians is M.I.A., a British-born woman from a Tamil family (if you don’t know what ‘Tamil’ is, it’s the ethnic group from Sri Lanka, which is that little island off the southern part of India). It kills me to think about how she had a breakdown and went crazy after making all the music I enjoy (referring to her albums from 2005, 2007, and 2010), basically becoming an insane conspiracy theorist who I wish would fuck off and live the rest of her life quietly now that she has money—but today, let’s ignore all that and think about the cool person she used to be.

Often known as Maya, M.I.A. was born Mathangi Arulpragasam, a Tamil named based on the Hindu goddess Matangi. Though born in London in 1975, her family moved back to Sri Lanka before her first birthday and their experience was affected by the Sri Lankan civil war (1983). Her father, Arular, became a political dissident, her family went into hiding, and she and her siblings moved back to England with her mother Kala in 1986, returning as refugees. Maya’s first two albums were titled Arular and Kala, after her parents.

Her musical style is a wonderfully unique and independent alternative hip-hop, with lyrical content that’s often all about embracing and celebrating her own experiences of overcoming. Her vibe was fighting for what you want in the world. She reflects on the intersection of different cultures of Western expansion into countries like Sri Lanka (in tracks like Sunshowers), the refugee experience (Fire Fire) to settling down and managing to find security and identity in a new diverse place (tracks like Warriors or World Town).

I’d specifically like to highlight the track 10 dollar, from her first album. If you overhear it casually, it may sound cheery, but it has some interesting lyrics you might pick up on that are way more interesting than a song like this had any business being.

Lolita was a man eater Clocked him like a taxi meter … China Girl grew up to be a big girl Had her sights set on a bigger world Dial-a-bride from Sri Lanka Found herself a Yorkshire banker Need a visa? Got with a geezer Need some money? Paid him with her knees up Year later, started to ease up Got her own way, shouted out, “See ya”

In the first place, Maya describes a young girl in Asia who’s resorted to prostitution with Western tourists. It’s a scenario that you feel conflicted about of course, because it’s an arrangement of mutual benefit that both parties agree to, but it’s also a scenario she wouldn’t participate in if she wasn’t impoverished and desperate, so there’s arguments on both sides about the ethics of the wealthier party participating in this.

What if instead of prostitution, it was a relationship? If a rich person in America dates a poor person in America, could that be unethical in the same way if the poorer person only agrees to date you because you’re rich? I don’t know, and that’s not the point of this post.

The reason I found it so interesting is because Maya puts a positive, empowering spin on something that’s usually nothing more than a victim narrative. She tells the story of an enterprising young girl who sees opportunity and goes for it, and she not only has sex with a man but marries him and gets him to take her back to England. Then, after building up enough resources and connections that she could manage on her own, she leaves him. There’s a thematic reversal, where the person who was being used as a resource (sex object) comes to use the other party as a resource (source of money and property).

The chorus of the song is the girl’s memory of spotting him for the first time, realizing she’s low on money, and deciding in desperation to try and seduce him after seeing he’s interested. The name of the song, 10 dollars, was her price.

She skipped away to the shop She found she didn’t have enough She clocked him looking right at her And sucked on a lollipop … Yeah, what can I get for 10 dollar? Anything you want Yeah, what can I get for 10 dollar? Everything you want

[toss-a-coin-to-your-stan-account]

god ride the cyclone is the fucking musical ever. a rat named Virgil that's going to kill the narrator (a paranormal fortune telling machine) in like an hour plays the bass. you're then immediately introduced to five children that are brutally killed in a roller coaster accident and have their hopes and dreams and everything they loved taken away from them. an unidentified headless body depicted as having her doll's head appears and sings a very woeful introduction to her character and then asks if her purgatory-mate would like to brush her dolly's hair and then recites a fact about how when a lioness has children she stops making love to the lion. the lion gets jealous. sometimes so jealous he eats the children. you would think this would upset the lioness. far from it. they make love again like the children never existed. she finds that idea terrifying. the paranormal fortune telling machine is able to move the children's bodies against their will for choreography and "catchphrases" and this is shown to be something they're discomforted by initially but continues nonetheless through the rest of the musical. ocean tears down all of her friends in her song to come back to life until she's told they decide who comes back through unanimous vote. you laugh for half a second before you remember that even if she's initially stuck up and conceited her song was an attempt from the soul of an innocent dead teenager who died for no reason to try to plead to come back to life. noel has fantasies of being a sex worker in post-war france and dying of typhoid flu driven by his love of french new wave cinema (mischa calling him tragic later is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to him). mischa recites a very precise and accurate analysis of the meaning of Saw VI but calls it Saw V. you listen to a very silly hip-hop rap before you listen to one of the most heartbreakingly loving songs you've ever heard and you hear "I lay my masculinity at the altar of your maidenhood" and you wonder how this is the same musical where the rat played the bass. you go from a song about a teenage boy saving an alien race of cat girls by breeding with them all to a mournful and breathtaking song about a jane doe's complete lack of identity besides the fact that she is dead and without an identity and the fact that she spends the whole song not begging to come back to life but begging to know who she is. her purgatory-mates get her a party hat and an old hello kitty cupcake and a cape and you sob when this choir made up of dead children make up a new birthday song that doesn't require a name so this jane doe can have a good new birthday because they finally don't see her as a freaky and eerie character but as a dead child just like them who can't remember who she is and they treat her like one of their own even though none of them recognize her from their choir. the last thing constance did before riding the cyclone was lose her virginity to a thirty year old and you try very hard not to think about how horrible that is. the girl that had been selfish the entire musical is given the final vote and is given a chance to vote for herself and she honors the original rules so she can give a new life to jane doe and everyone agrees. these children watch jane's new life play out and you think about how much they all deserved new lives too. it's both the most fun and most sad fucking musical you've ever listened to. fuck.

[talenlee]

Decemberween 2024 — Youtube Academia

Hey, I’m in academia, here are some people I look to for ‘how to communicate and make a point in academia and what you can use it to do.’

First up, hand over heart, this is going to have a real sampling bias. I’m going to point to three diferent academics who make stuff in spaces I can participate in and all three of them are dudes, and white enough that my dad would mostly consider them white. He’d probably be on the fence about Daniel Immerwahr. This is a problem in academia in general and it’s a problem with me in the specific: The stuff that I’ve gotten attention to, even the stuff that is explicitly about broadening my access to and understanding of nonwhite cultures and the nonwhite parts of the world is coming to me through white guys from academia. I’m not wild about it but it’s better in my mind to acknowledge it and present the sources then pretend this isn’t where I’m coming from.

Anyway, hey, here’s an essay titled Why Hip-Hop is the Most Important Artistic Movement In Human History.

Why Hip-Hop is the Most Important Artistic Movement in Human History: A Professor Skye Video Essay

Watch this video on YouTube

I think this is a good starting point for Professor Skye’s work.

Professor Skye presents three kinds of work. One is album reviews, where he breaks down and analyses components in how albums work and what they present in their messages, in a way that explicitly is not seeking to centre his interpretation but rather academically recognise a useful generalised language bridge for people like me who use the term ‘generalised language bridge.’

Second to that there are kind of larger, high-concept comparisons, where he provides a meaningful explanation to people outside of hiphop interest as to what’s going on. This led to him going extremely viral thanks to explaining the Kendrick/Drake beef this year which, god that was a thing, wasn’t it. The third thing that Professor Skye does is historical and academic contextualisation of music media. That can be things like ‘here’s iconic stuff from the 1980s,’ and it can be ‘behold as I use Proust to discuss this album.’

In each case I think there’s a sort of meaningful value to ‘doing the readings.’ Listening to the albums he talks about or the songs he talks about as and when he starts to talk about them means that each video is a sort of expository piece to accompany the text. I watch media analysis all the time of stuff I have not and never will watch, like Victorious, but in that case, the analysis is explicitly trying to present the text so you don’t need it. That’s not what Professor Skye is doing. This is not a channel trying to convince you to enjoy a thing or to enjoy the thing without the thing. It is a textual engagement with the album, and that is a really cool thing to do. You might not even have the mental muscles practiced for that at this point.

I'm What the Culture Feeling

Watch this video on YouTube

By the way, if you listen to Skye and go ‘oh hey, this is interesting and I’d like to know more,’ here’s a video essay from FD Signifier which is long, yes, but also extraordinarily good, about the same kind of topic and coming from inside the culture. If Skye makes you think ‘hey, I could be interested in this,’ then you should probably then check out FD Signifier.

Your Grammar Is Basic Compared to Black English

Watch this video on YouTube

But hey while I’m talking about language bridges (I was, honest), what about a language expert to talk about distinct grammatical differences between English (as I am used to calling it) and Black English. Language Jones is an interesting guy with a specific skillset, which is expertise in linguistics at an academic level, specifically the way your brain picks up and relates to linguistics. When you do that, you stop having to focus on formal and proper structures and instead get a lot more inclined to seeing the way language slops into the grooves in human brains and social spaces. Sometimes that means explaining to you and me what a wug is, and that’s interesting, but I find it much more interesting when he does dives like this one.

In this video, what Jones is doing is picking apart Black English into the toolkit I have in my head for understanding proper English, with terms like subjunctive and participle, and then demonstrate that the way Black English works is entirely a coherent grammatical structure, it’s not vibes or habits or attenuating with a specific person, it’s a whole other form of English and it’s really fucking nuanced. There’s a degree of fineness in Black English that is simple absent from Proper, Formal English. Formal English that I was taught is structured such that there are a host of unintuitive, hard to maintain stiff forms for completely correct conveyance of intent (“can I” vs “may I”), while Black English instead has a coherent grammatical structure that gives more fine control for intention, tense and position and the listener is there to interpret it rather than to enforce it.

This is not totally surprising, and if you talk to uh, any Black people, you probably already know this. What this gave me is a useful toolkit for reconstructing the grammar form. Really interesting stuff!

Daniel Immerwahr How to Hide an Empire

Watch this video on YouTube

Look, I’m sure I’ve talked about Daniel Immerwahr’s work in the past. I share this video from him every time I want to get people to think about American colonialism in the ways that make them uncomfortable. It’s a good talk, it uses its time well, and it also highlights a topic and the relationship of ourselves to the way things communicate their identity through their names and symbols of themselves.

Oh and if you don’t like that, check out Daniel Immerwarh’s podcast talking about the real world histories of Dune. Talks during the pandemic were restricted, but dang some of them were on wonderfully untypical topics.

There’s more. There’s always more. Dr Kipp Davis shows up when I look for academics I follow, but his interest is in Biblical studies. He’s part of the Diablocritics, which means Dr Jennifer Bird is on there, and it’s a way I can check out her work in a way that I find very accessible and interesting, and the other members of the Diablocritics are there, too.

Still, sometimes something academic is just something interesting. I don’t think Josh Worth is a doctor or professor or something. I think technically, he’s just a designer, as in a User Experience designer, that kind of specific discipline of having a clear, meaningful purpose for a visual expression. I share to you this graph Josh Worth made of the solar system if the moon, our moon, was a single pixel.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[glasshcvse]

ficswap for @pickmedolls !

(D)OLLIES  is  the  first  mini-album  by  a  fictional  girl  group,  PICK  ME!,  known  for  blending  bold  rebellion  with  a  playful  charm.  the  album  was  considered  a  collaboration  with  GLASSHOUSE  INC.,  home  of  the  renowned  producer  GLOOMY,  who  took  the  lead  in  producing  it.  

the  album  reflects  its  core  themes  of  individuality  and  breaking  free  from  societal  expectations.  the  six  songs  feature  a  dynamic  mix  of  pop,  hip-hop,  and  dance,  capturing  a  spirit  of  confidence  and  empowerment.  the  group  released  their  debut  single,  ANGEL  OF  MY  DREAMS,  on  april  20th,  2022,  which  was  also  included  in  the  mini.  key  tracks  include  BADITTUDE,  a  powerful  pre-released  anthem  celebrating  self-assurance  and  defiance,  and  TALK  THAT  SHHH,  which  highlights  staying  true  to  oneself  and  embracing  authenticity.  

(D)OLLIES  received  mixed  reactions.  knetizens  thought  this  album  was  a  dig  at  them  for  judging  the  members  for  the  previous  rumours  and  callouts  they  made  about  the  girls.  at  the  same  time,  international  fans  praised  the  group  for  their  fresh  sound  and  empowering  message,  establishing  PICK  ME!  as  a  standout  figure  in  the  music  scene.

album inclusions. ( they might have )

photo booklet + folded poster ( 1ea ) + sticker sheet ( 1ea ) + lyric booklet with illustrations + miniature dollhouse set + postcard ( random member ver. ) + photocards ( random two out of five ).

track list. ( analysis cr. to /plasticflwrs )

ANGEL OF MY DREAMS ... described  as  a  'shape-shifting  banger',  the  song  explores  the  group's  love/hate  relationship  with  the  pop  industry  they've  been  at  the  heart  of  since  their  survival  show.  *there  has  been  lots  of  speculation  that  this  song  is  about  their  former  companies,  especially  with  the  line  "sold  my  soul  to  a  psycho"  could  be  directly  linked  to  that  rumour.

BADITTUDE ... is  all  about  owning  your  confidence  and  standing  up  for  yourself.  lines  like  "girls  with  that  bad  attitude"  highlight  the  power  of  embracing  your  true  self  and  rejecting  anyone  who  tries  to  bring  you  down.  it's  an  anthem  for  anyone  who's  ever  felt  misunderstood  or  pushed  aside,  encouraging  them  to  embrace  their  unique  edge  with  pride.

TALK THAT SHHH ... is  a  declaration  of  self-confidence  and  authenticity.  the  lyrics  focus  on  staying  true  to  who  you  are  despite  the  noise  and  expectations  from  the  outside  world.  the  chorus  evokes  a  sense  of  intimacy  and  self-assurance.  it’s  about  confidently  owning  your  individuality  and  living  life  on  your  own  terms,  celebrating  the  freedom  to  express  yourself  fully  and  unapologetically.

DIE FOR ME ... portrays  a  bold  and  confident  female  character  who  enjoys  having  control  over  her  partner  and  demands  their  submission  and  admiration.  the  song's  lyrics  suggest  a  sensual  and  intense  dynamic  between  two  individuals  but  with  a  hint  of  danger  and  risk.

SO WHAT ... is  all  about  shaking  off  the  weight  of  overthinking  and  self-criticism.  it’s  a  reminder  to  not  get  stuck  down  by  worries  and  to  take  life  a  little  easier.  the  chorus,  with  its  “so  what?”  attitude,  is  a  push  to  let  go  of  perfectionism  and  just  be  okay  with  things.  it’s  about  allowing  yourself  to  slow  down,  make  mistakes,  and  not  sweat  the  small  stuff.

FINDER ... is  the  desire  to  break  free  from  routine  and  monotony  and  to  explore  new  possibilities.  the  lyrics  reflect  that  despite  the  fear  of  the  unknown  or  the  dangers  of  pursuing  their  dreams,  the  group  strives  to  overcome  their  fears  and  take  action  to  obtain  a  better  life.  they  urge  others  to  take  their  hand  and  join  them  on  this  adventure.

poster.

[edwardallenpoe]

honestly the “it’s so violent” “oh I listen to pretty much everything I just don’t like rap” being thinly veiled antiblackness is not only always a correct analysis but it’s always relevant and I *will* be continuing to point that shit out to people who give me those excuses

It's funny at first but honestly it's just so wooow y'know. It's like "I love all the versions of spiderman but i don't rlly like Miles Morales bc of the uhhhhhhhhh dark and gloomy aesthetics" vibes (aka bullshit.)

You don't HAVE to like rap, you can like heavy death metal but not rlly fw rap, but if it's for anything BUT "idk i just don't vibe with it" and has smt to do with the "violent" "sexual" "harsh" "scary" lyrics and aesthetics I cannot ever think you do not have some level of anti-blackness within you.

And the thing is, a lot of the mf's be lumping all black art under the "hip-hop" or "rap" or "r&b" label. "Oh you like Hemlocke Springs? I don't rlly like r&b..." What are you fucking ON ABOUT

It's just. So wild to me.

And the reason I say it's okay to not like rap just based off very base level vibes like the instrumentals or even the flow of the lyrics: that's fine, I feel the same about a lot of genre's, but if you EVER feel that way about rap based off of all the stereotypes you were fed since you were a tot I cannot accept that.

Please really dig deep on why you feel this way. Dig deep why you think rap is inherently violent or sexual or whatnot but turn around and slobber over songs about white serial killers or abusers.

(I have the biggest hunch that most hannibal fans would have been revolted by hannibal if Hannibal was black or his religious subtext was an african tradition of any kind. Could you imagine if Hannibal was Yoruba and he was talking about the Ojibwa instead of God? That would have fucked EVERYONE up I tell you.)

[jonimitchellstan212]

Okay so I’ve gone on a Tiny Desk Spiral and so am just going to write up a little thing on what I’ve been listening to. And my past favs. Hopefully this post can just grow and grow since I don’t listen to nearly enough of these they are truly amazing. Like most of the time I like it better than the recordings💀

Doechii

So first off, if you are reading this and haven’t listened yet, GO LISTEN. Truly a masterpiece.

Anyways, I don’t listen to a lot of hip-hop, but for some reason it’s always tiny desk that gets me into a bit of a binge. But even as someone who doesn’t listen to the genre I still just know that it’s fucking masterpiece. The backup singers??? The band???? I listened to Alligator Bites Never Heal and I loved it (especially the second half something about that kind of breathy, smooth quality a lot of the later songs had just HITS you know?)

Anyways, everything about this is SO GOOD and I can’t even really articulate anything more than that

Sabrina

Okay so, I’m not a fan fan of Sabrina’s, I haven’t gotten around to a lot of her stuff but everything I’ve heard has been real good. This tho, I feel like she really leans into that country vibe her voice always has a hint of and she did so good. Genuinely one of my fav tiny desks ever. Bed Chem was a stand out for me, but everything was beautiful and everyone did amazing, not just her.

Billie

Really lovely performance all around, I actually love them acoustic, I’ve never been a huge fan of her recorded stuff but I really loved this😎

Moving on to older stuff

So a trend you’ll notice here is that most of the music I listen to is like…the most popular in each genre. Like I’m looking at all the tiny desks I have saved, and all but two are like in the millions of views. There isn’t enough time in the day to deep dive into all of the genres I love😭

Megan Thee Stallion

So I’ve never listened to her before this, but MY GOD. As every comment agrees she’s truly so talented. Her breath control??? Jesus Christ. Anyways tho, as I was watching this I remembered a post on here I saw a while ago saying Megan sings the same subject matter (but like opposite you know) to Hozier, but people don’t give it the same…I don’t know respect? Or something along those lines because she’s a strong confident black woman. And she really singing such a similar vibe (but opposite to the music I love so much. Like Freak Nasty????

We’ve got

But stop licking my pussy hard, That shit aggravating

Followed later by

If he say he a dog, I'ma treat him like a pet

LIKE GIRL HOLY SHIT

So anyways 1. She’s so good god damn 2. Her lyrics, her vibe, just 😙🤌 3. The band?? Phony Ppl just amazing. The song they did together was amazing

Chappell

So firstly, who HASN’T seen this?

1. Not even getting to the music, her outfit, wig, make-up, entire vibe, the whole “someone take a picture” was just perfect. I can’t even explain why it was so good but she has an image and she commits. I love her

2. The music!!! her band!!!! Beautiful versions. I’m mainly focused on Picture You because that’s probably my favorite song of hers, but this arrangement was really beautiful. I honestly cannot remember the instruments she used on the album, but the cello truly just brought everything together, this song was made for strings. The way her voice has that, wavery, almost country quality to it just makes me into a Little Freak honestly

3. Be bimbos ladies!! 🫡

Alright my wrists are sending pains from typing (yay) so I’m not doing the rest well. 🥲. But like what am I even commenting on this isn’t real analysis I’m just saying I like stuff lol

Butcher Brown; incredibly chill, one of my favorites to come back to

Hozier; I love him. I love everything he does. Honestly not my fav of his live things but I will make a post specifically just everything he’s done live (that I know of) and how much I love it all lol

Eskimeaux; I have never listened to them elsewhere before or after but I LOVED their tiny desk. Singer has a truly lovely voice

Aurora; I really loved this. I feel like she was a bit nervous, but the emotion on her face was really beautiful and the first few times I watched this there were def tears something about Aurora and everything she does just makes me feel things

Florence and the Machine; enough said honestly my god I love her. Some of my fav of her songs. Her singing voice is somehow a perfect blend of shaky, full, and confident that just hits the spot

[heliza24]

Let's talk about the music in Young Royals! (Part 1)

This post, which will focus on the needle drops used in the show, is the first part of a two-part analysis. Part 2 will focus on the original score.

I love the way music is used in Young Royals. It was one of the first things that attracted me to the show, but it's only recently that I’ve stopped to think about why I find it so effective. I used to (in a pre-disability past life) work in the music industry, and I’ve been missing my old job a lot lately. So I thought I would use some of my knowledge (and my media analysis skills) to write this meta. I've tried to link a youtube video for every song I reference, so you can go and listen to the tracks if you want to.

First, let’s talk about some logistics. “Needle drops” are when a show uses a pre-existing song as part of the score (like literally dropping a needle on a record player; isn’t it weird how that terminology has stuck around even while the technology has changed?). You can also call them music syncs, which refers to the fact that in order to use pre-existing music in film, you have to obtain a music synchronization license from the copyright owner (this ensures that the recording artist and the songwriter get paid for the use of their music). The person in charge of selecting songs and clearing the rights for them is called the music supervisor. The Young Royals music supervisor is Magnus Palmborg, and I think he does an incredible job. (He was also a co-writer on Simon’s Song, so we really have a lot to thank him for).

Music serves a very important role in Young Royals. I believe that the selection of songs and use of the score really helps establish one of the most important themes of the show: the dichotomy between the public and private self. So much of Young Royals is about the images characters consciously try to project and the pressure society puts on them to act a certain way, and the way that conflicts with their actual internal feelings.  And this dichotomy exists very clearly in the music too.

Most of the needle drops in the show are big, bold pop and hip hop songs. They are usually played over montages of the students at Hillerska, often towards the beginning of the episode, and they reflect the “cool” image that the students are trying to project to each other. The very first time we see Hillerska, “Wannabe Ghetto” by Fata Boom is playing, and the lyrics “keep up the front like it’s your mission/Look our best, cover up what’s missing” perfectly sums up the pressure the students feel to fit in at such an elite school. When everyone is getting ready for the welcome back party in 2.1, the incredibly confident "Ripe" by Flavia is playing. The lyrics “no need to go to work unless you're working on my body” are full of sexual confidence, but they also play while students are putting on makeup and trying to look their best, literally working on their bodies. (Flavia is one of my favorite finds from the soundtrack by the way. She makes total queer bangers, I recommend checking her out). 

It’s probably worth talking briefly about the opening title card here. A lot of shows have full opening sequences, with their own theme song. Young Royals eschews this, choosing instead to just flash the title on screen over an existing scene, often with a needle drop (but this changes each episode). I think this approach works really well, because it lets the music clue us in to the mood of each episode. A lot of episodes start with a very intimate scene, like the music room scene at the beginning of 1.3, and then contrast that with a burst of pop music during the title card that reminds us of the front the characters are normally projecting. In 1.3 the title card is shown over a montage of Felice struggling in the stables and is accompanied by a loud, lyricless pop song. That contrast from the intimacy of the music room, to a space where Felice feels like she’s always pretending, is really effective.  

But sometimes needle drops are used to reflect more intimate, genuine emotions. Sometimes the show does this by making the song semi-diagetic. (Diagetic music is music that exists within the story that characters can hear; so Simon’s Song for instance is diagetic). At the beginning of episode 1.1, Wilhelm is listening to “Bad” by Farveblind, which has the lyrics “I think it’s bad/I think it’s lame/I think it’s horrible” over and over again, which is a pretty clear indicator of how Wilhelm is feeling. The show does a similar thing in 2.3, when Wilhelm listens to “The Lonely Ones” by Lova in his headphones when he walks by the lake. He’s feeling lonely! He listens to a sad song! That’s pretty straight forward. 

But sometimes the way the music captures characters’ genuine feelings is a little more subtle. I actually think that there’s a lot more of this in season 2 than there is in season 1. There are a few examples I love from season 1, but most of my favorite examples are from the latter half of season 2. This perfectly reflects the journey that all of the characters, but especially Wilhelm, are going on; as season 2 goes on he gets more and more in touch with his real feelings and less and less able to pretend to please the royal family. These songs tend to be a little quieter than the flashy pop and hip hop that represents the facade of Hillerska, and you sometimes have to think a little bit about how the lyrics are illuminating what the characters are feeling.

Some of my favorite examples in season 1 include  “Holes (Deep Throat Choir Remix)” by Zhala that plays during Erik’s funeral, which has the lyrics “And I lose myself inside”, reflecting Wilhelm’s descent into grief and the way that he’s about to push Simon away, and “Sunday” by Gina Dirawi that plays as the girls are setting up for the sleepover and Wilhelm is going over to Simon’s house in 1.5. The lyrics “but I can see you clear here” reflect the fact that both sets of characters have found a sense of comfort with each other. But my absolute favorite example in season 1 is “Samurai Swords” by Highasakite, which plays while August uploads the video of Wilhelm and Simon to the internet. “I am leaving/I’m unleashing/I unravel to the leeches/I’m unpleasant/I’m unloving/So call out the guys with the samurai swords” plays while the camera focuses on August, reflecting his emotional state and also the fact that uploading the video is an act of self-harm for August (the image of samurai swords makes me think of seppuku, or the ritualized suicide that samurai warriors would commit instead of falling into enemy hands) and an act of aggression against Wilhelm and Simon. And when the camera cuts back to Wilhelm and Simon the lyrics say “someone else will love like a rainstorm”. The melody is so wistful and sad, like the show is already nostalgic for the perfect love that Simon and Wilhelm had which is about to be marred by the outside world. 

In season 2, I really love “My Awe Sustains” by Ari at the top of 1.5, which perfectly captures the feeling of longing between Wilhelm and Simon (this is my other favorite discovery from the soundtrack; the whole album For Evig by Ari is one of my favorites now) and “I Wanna Be Someone Who’s Loved” by Tusse, which is included after the fight in the music room in the same episode. The lyrics to this one are really heartbreaking: “You make me feel like I’m invisible… Thought it would help but no one hears my call/No I won’t give up/I want to be someone who’s loved.” The lyrics capture how much Wilhelm wants to make his way back to Simon, but there’s frustration in melody too, which reflects how trapped he currently feels. “Please Don’t Go” by April Snow and Elias in episode 2.3 is another really interesting example. It plays right before August invites Sara to his room “just to talk” and before Simon tries to break up and Marcus doesn’t let him. The lyrics “I asked you to leave but I meant that I want you to stay/I need you to hear what I mean and not what I say” seem to capture the push-pull in both sets of relationships, and how all of the characters are trying but failing to really communicate what they mean.

But I think my favorite needle drop in season 2 that's used to illuminate the inner thoughts of a character is "Mirror" by Mogli. The song starts playing right after Wilhelm's last session with Boris in 2.5, when he realizes he has a choice: he doesn't have to become king. He could let August inherit and be with Simon. The lyrics "You don't want to be sad anymore/And I can't laugh/ No I can't laugh/I want to win this race but you can't lose/I let you score" underscore Wilhelm contemplating August in the Forest Ridge common room. Letting August inherit the crown would be letting him "win" in their invisible war for power, but what would that matter if Wilhelm gets to be happy with Simon? We see Wilhelm come to that realization, and then in the next scene he tells Simon that he's willing to give up the crown for him.

Since we’ve talked about the opening title card needle drops, we should probably address the fact there is also often a song over the closing credits as well. Again, this doesn’t happen in every episode; sometimes original scoring is used instead. But when a needle drop is included at the end of an episode, it feels like foreshadowing for things to come. My favorite is the end of 2.1, right after Wilhelm has a meltdown on the call to his mom. “Seize the Power” by YONAKA plays, and seems to signify Wilhelm’s arc for the rest of the season: 

“Woke up this morning, I feel so fucking important/Look in the mirror, I’m different, I finally made a decision/All the rejected that lost a lack of respect in themselves cause people get hectic/they hurt you and make you feel helpless/they’re not brave like you/they’re too scared to do/anything that’s different, anything that’s new/I don’t need lessons/I do what I want it’s refreshing/as soon as you taste independence/you start living life in the present”

Season 2 is all about Wilhelm realizing he needs to claim his independence and start living his own life, so the lyrics perfectly represent his arc. Plus, the melody of this song is driving and angry, which helps carry forward the momentum of Wilhelm’s conflict with his mom through the end of the credits and reminds us how urgent this need to stand up for himself is.

You’ve probably noticed that I haven’t talked about “Revolution” by Elias or “The Most Beautiful Boy” by The Irrepressibles yet. I saved these two for last because I think they get the most fan discussion of all of the music choices in the season, and for good reason. To me these two are almost the theme songs of their respective season; everything centers around them. They occur at the same place in the season (at the end of 1.4/2.4 and 1.6/2.6) and they encapsulate the lessons that Wilhelm needs to learn: how to stand up to his mom and defy what is expected of him, and how to prioritize his love for Simon.

(I’ve also already talked about “Holy” by Elias in my post about the sex scenes here).

Overall, I love the way that needle drops are used in Young Royals. I know some people have complained that the songs don’t have much to do with the story, but to me nothing could be further from the truth. The songs capture both the societal expectations of Hillerska and the tender, inner workings of the characters. They help us understand the pressures put on our main characters and illuminate how they are really feeling inside. Plus the soundtrack is filled with queer, female, and POC artists who are a delight to discover.

I would love to hear your interpretation of the needle drops in the show. Do you have a favorite song on the soundtrack? Is there something I missed that you want me to talk about? My ask box is open and I would love to hear your thoughts!

[keyofmesharp]

🚨 AIR HORN AIR HORN 🚨

i have a special interest in music

my name is alicia, and i’m 26 years old

but really all you need to know is the first thing

🎹 what you’ll find here 🎹

i always have songs to rec and playlists to share. i get hooked on different genres and artists every few months, and consume them in a way comparable to substance abuse in both frequency and fervor

love me some musical analysis. what parallels can we pick out? why is this lyric important? how does this song fit into the album? what key is it in and why? is this normal for the artist or are they pushing out of their comfort zone? the people want to know

this is definitely a safe place for parasocial relationship victims. show me your favorite artist’s lore and that photo shoot they were in last week. tell me why you think blorbo’s current lover is going to break up with them resulting in the album of your dreams. that shit is delicious

roll call for band nerds and orch dorks! i play cello and guitar, and i haven’t stopped singing a tune since i was the age i was in that there blog icon. lets do music theory, lets trade sheet music, lets share talent, babes

🎻 tags to check out 🎻

#listen for recs. related tags: #r&b, #rock, #hip hop, #metal, #jazz, #country, #edm, #classical, #pop

#lets discuss for those juicy analytics and opinions. related tags: #parallels, #lyrics, #musicality, #symbolism

#lore for all that trashy celebrity shit. related tags: #trivia, #tea

#theory for the science behind the sound. related tags: #keys, #physics

#mesharp when im just yappin’ or #tears for anything that makes me feral

#stuck for shit thats stuck in my head and i want it out cause its starting to piss me off

#YOOO for talent, #vocal or #intrumental

warning: i have great media literacy and know how pick my battles when listening to problematic artists. i don’t separate the artist from the art, but i can also hold space for the lyrics of defying gravity contradictory opinions simultaneously. for example: yes, i like taylor swift. her songs are fun to play and sing because she uses simple chords and witty lyrics, which is something i love to find in an artist, but also she is controversially rich and hurting the planet, so i avoid giving her my money. its that simple 👍🏽

🎤 AD-LIB AD-LIB 🎤

[gxbtx]

The Internet - A Retrospective on the Odd Future Splinter Project

In the early 2010s, Tyler Okonma, or ‘The Creator,’ banded together an experimental hip-hop group of young black artists, naming the group ‘Odd Future.’ While the brand is highly recognizable and respected in today’s world, it was not always this way. This new sound of black artists creating art tailored to the (at the time) dominantly white skate culture led the group to face the discrimination of being called ‘weird’ and ‘gay.’ However, this group persisted in committing to being themselves, serving as an incubation period for many reputable artists we know today. Tracks such as ‘Oldie’ and ‘White’ introduced many of the popular music artists in today’s musical landscape. Odd Future curated the talent for the likes of Tyler, The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, and of course, Frank Ocean.

In 2011, OF members Syd ‘tha Kyd’ and Matt Martians ventured off to create the splinter project dubbed ‘The Internet,’ introducing their discography with the album “Purple Naked Ladies.” Two years later, “Feel Good” introduced Patrick Paige II as the bassist and Christopher Smith as the drummer, tailoring new elements to the foundational sound PNL created. In honing their signature style, they experimented with Raliegh Ritchie in a few remixes such as “Free Fall” and “Stronger than Ever.” Syd stepped up confidently to the role of lead singer, reaping the soothing vocals that represented her undeniable swagger; additionally, her assistance in engineering early 2010s albums such as Goblin by Tyler, the Creator, Doris by Earl Sweatshirt, and Ali by Mike G built up her reputation as a talented music engineer. Paired with Patrick’s admirable bass skills and Matt Martian’s dreamy keyboard presence, the band would come to put out projects establishing their contribution to the new sounds of R&B.

LOVE SONG - 1

This short, simple ballad of a break-up holds a steady beat throughout the piece, with a short verse delivered by Syd. Syd’s soft, yearnful analysis of the state of her affair represents a common struggle of figuring out when to give up on the relationship. What is uncommon about this piece is the signature dreamy keyboard harmony, notably introducing a signature element that would come to identify this new band in future projects to come.

STRONGER THAN EVER - THE INTERNET REMIX

In a remix of several tracks from the Game of Thrones actor Raliegh Ritchie, The Internet brings an electronic buzz to the table that electrifies the heartfelt lyrics of resilience. The echoing of every verse resonates with the notion that the hardships associated with the constant strive to succeed can feel like shouting into a tunnel that lacks a response. Towards the end, Ritchie raises his tone and intensity, reaching a breaking point of feeling lost and alone, revealing he is driven mad by the implication of no resolution. However, the melody, “I fall but when I rise I’ll be stronger than ever,” is repeated to remind him of his resilience that will allow him to persevere. I connect to this song as I too have felt the struggles of reaching success, and like the melody, I have to remind myself what I am capable of to drive myself to succeed.

In 2015, Steve Lacy joined the group as the leading guitarist, graduating high school that same year. Steve’s relationship with the strings represented an incredible symbol of talent, taking inspiration from artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Thundercat, and the Neptunes. Combining these elements into the artistry of The Internet led to the production of the critically acclaimed “Ego Death,” breaking through the R&B world with unheard combinations of funk, jazz, indie rock, and R&B. Tracks such as Get Away and Girl challenged the very idea of what R&B can offer, with Tyler’s feature at the end reminding us of the humble beginnings. Rightfully so, the album was nominated for Best Contemporary Urban Album in 2016, as well as winning two BET awards.

GET AWAY

Lowering the tone to a deep bass sound, this provocative track begins Ego Death with a new concept of what The Internet can produce. Syd’s lyrics make the track portray themes of ostentation, calling on her same-sex affairs to create a unique singing dynamic about a girl in the articulation of an R&B woman singer. The low and slow beat still contains those dreamy elements in every Internet song, with Steve Lacy strumming a soft and light riff during the melody. The bittersweet theme is found in the lyrics of using drugs to escape the worries of committing to a relationship and is reflected accordingly in the instrumentals.

SPECIAL AFFAIR

This irreverent track mimics the sounds of nature; the dark and tense motif continues the character of a heartbreaker embodied by Syd. Syd’s soothing confidence creates a comfortable environment for the listener, while the deep bass lines and light, dreamy elements of Steve Lacy’s riffs continue throughout the track. The lead singer’s presence endures privilege, as the lyrics signify that she’s purely interested in intimacy without feelings. This provocative piece uses the sounds of nature to enhance the track’s tenderness, serving as an excellent nocturnal sound to accompany night drives.

GIRL (w/ KAYTRANADA)

The Internet continues to provide impressive collaborations, as Kaytranada's role of electronic/house producer registers a mesmerizing track that pulses a vibe unheard of. Kaytranada’s trippy yet tender sound paired with Syd’s vocals creates a gentle presence that makes the listener feel at ease. The lully track serves as a testament to the themes of yearning Syd creates, which can be misleading as conceived in previous tracks. The pulsing of the guitar riff alternating in and out of the beat, along with the small balance of bass, comes together to form a contemporary jazz track that few can pull off.

PALACE/CURSE (w/ TYLER, the CREATOR)

Palace/Curse ends Ego Death on a chill note, with Tyler’s accompaniment creating a whimsical ode to the girl. In Palace, a crowd is present to create an atmosphere that gets the listener hyped as if they’re actually in the crowd. The metaphoric Palace Syd sings about refers to the idea of seducing someone into her life of luxury, in accordance to the theme of the album. Transitioning into the low and slow “Curse” creates a feeling of daze, allowing the daydreamy elements of this band to shine. In the repetition of Steve Lacy’s repeating melody, ‘Baby I’m under your curse,’ and Matt Martian’s hypnotizing keyboard element to end the album on a jazzy note, this track entails as the perfect wrap-up of the incredible work that is Ego Death.

In 2018, the band created their last studio album under the name The Internet, dubbed ‘Hive Mind.’ More coverage of talent that Steve Lacy obtained peeked through, allowing the development of a new audience for his solo career. Before the release of this album, several members put out their own solo projects, such as Stevy Lacy’s ‘Demos’ and Syd’s ‘Fin’, alluding to the direction the band would go after the album. This final album serves as a more conscious reflection on the growth of the members throughout the years and the effect that music had on the process.

LA DI DA

Launching with his groovy guitar riffs, La Di Da allows Steve Lacy to shine through his vocals on the melody. Elements of the band’s signature style persist throughout this track, with added elements of funk. The fresh sound transforms into a softer jazz improvisation with a saxophone ending the track.

IT GET’S BETTER (WITH TIME)

If you’ve ever heard the track from Lil Uzi Vert, ‘The Way Life Goes,’ you’ll definitely be reminded of the same message Uzi presented to the listener. This tender track uses a bendy guitar riff to interact with a steady foundation of percussion, to which Syd’s lyricism provides a hopeful message of healing through hard times. Syd’s higher register in this track creates a satisfying comfort to the intended audience and is accompanied by an unexpected conscious verse from ‘Big Rube.’ His message of ‘The easy path rarely leads to what the heart truly desires’ comments on the discomfort required towards the pursuit of happiness. The track ends with a sunny jazz background to accompany a story from bassist Patrick Paige, who ardently explains his struggle with alcoholism and how he persevered through what seemed like a never-ending battle.

Overall, The Internet left an impact on the R&B world leaving a lasting impression. The contemporary elements the unique members contributed honed a signature sound of lulling comfort accompanying passionate and tender lyricism. This splinter project created an outstanding representation of the talent Odd Future would end up making, shaping these artists to be highly respected members of the musical community. While the band may no longer be together, their core values of passion for music bleed through the discography of The Internet, leaving the listener with a concept of how we can use music to truly create an emotional atmosphere.

[that-irrelevant-ricecakeaddict]

My Review/Analysis of Stray Kids' new album

💫ROCK STAR💫

Part (2/6)

Track 2: LALALALA

Okay, first of all.

When I first found Stray Kids' music (late November 2022), one of my very first thoughts were "Wow I would like to see them make a phonk song".

THIS. THIS SONG. IT HAS SATISFIED THAT VERY THOUGHT THAT I HAD AS A BABY STAY.

What is phonk?

By dictionary definition, it is an underground style of hip-hop/trap music directly inspired by 90s Memphis Rap, mostly present on SoundCloud as trill style beats with old funk and nostalgic samples, often accompanied by vocals from old Memphis Rap tapes.

(A phonk song I would recommend is Wither by Japanese artist takayan. Some of the beats in this track actually sounds similar to it)

Moving on!!

The opening high-pitched but bouncy beat is an amazing intro choice. Like it creates a buildup to the members' vocals and rap, but it also makes you curious as to what's gonna follow it. Combined with electronic beats and effects gradually joining it, it makes a GREAT INTRO.

OMG CHANGBIN OPENING LINES??? EVERYONE WAKE TF UP 🗣🗣🗣His scratchy rap tone is sensational for opening lines!! 👏 it DEFINITELY kept me wanting more!! Followed by felix and hyunjin's (?) rap lines carrying it on!

And do I hear leeknow rapping?? 🧐🧐 I LOVE how his voice sounds when rapping, especially since he usually sings!

Followed by seungmin and jeongin's verse bringing the song to the beat drop before the chorus. Omg. Vocalracha ATE THAT UP.

Now, I know some people think that using auto-tune on lines in a song (besides the purpose of fine-tuning the singers' tone) is a "questionable" approach. But lightly auto-tuning Han's "LALALALA, LA-LALALALA"? JAW-DROPPED. His high voice actually fits quite well with light auto-tune!! Combined with the song's base background phonk beats, it sounds 🔥

LEE KNOW AND CHANGBIN'S COMBINED CHORUS ‼️ I don't think I've heard them have lines together before, so this combo was surprising but nonetheless a great choice in lime distribution!!

Wrapping the chorus up with Felix's "LALALALA, LA-LALALALA" was like OMG. It contrasted well with Han's same line at the start of the chorus and 'closed' off the whole chorus really well.

Moving on, we have one of Hyunjin's ICONIC 'low-key' raps. In my opinion, it gave me a "break" after the heavy chorus, while still keeping it interesting. Love it. 10/10. Easily one of my favourite parts.

The part after hyunjin's rap where the members (it sounds like more than one member to me, I'm not sure) go "we go ROCK, ROCK" and "STOP, STOP" with the beats on "ROCK, ROCK" and "STOP,STOP" with pauses in between to emphasise them??? IN LOVE RN. It also builds up really well to Changbin and Han's fast-paced, combined rap!!

Followed by Bangchan and Jeongin's pre-chorus verse!! The blend of their singing tones is just *chef's kiss*

Then SURPRISE!! The chorus doesn't come after that!! Instead, Felix and hyunjin's low voices drastically change the vibe to that of a hero and a villain having a final showdown on a dust-ridden, corpse-strewn battlefield. Combined with the wind orchestra in the background? Literally. What. The. Fuck. AMAZING BUILDUP. JAW-DROPPING. I LOVE IT WHENEVER THEY USE WIND OCHESTRA IN THEIR SONGS (another eg of this: chorus for TOP)

THEN Han's voice literally BREAKING the 'silence' followed by Felix's low "Lalalala, la-lalalala"?? Sensational. Then Hyunjin REPEATING Felix's line using his AGRRESSIVE TONE?? EVEN. BETTER. TOTAL EAR ORGASM DJZBXJSJBXJDJDJD (can u tell this segment is my favourite part of the song 😭)

Ahem ahem anyways...

Han and Felix combined chorus!!! I love how they were the ones to do the chorus the second time round. Especially Han's! The way it literally blends and contrasts at the same time with hyunjin's aggressive "lalalala" adlibs is SO SATISFYING.

Followed by Seungmin and Chan's higher-pitched English lines for the outro chorus!! Underrated vocal duo OMFGGG.

Finally, Leeknow's amazing vocals (HIS ENGLISH IMPROVED SM BTW IM SO PROUD OF HIM) closing off the whole song before the background phonk eventually fades out.

The phonk beats combined with a striking metal guitar chord playing one last time before the song ends is so 🔥🔥🔥 LIKE- 😭 where are my words. Taken away. Like my breath after listening to this track.

Overall, I LOVE LALALALA. It might be one of my fave title tracks from SKZ rn. I manifested hard enough for SKZ to do a phonk song, and it happened!!! Legit so happy, you've no idea how big of a smile I had when I recognised the phonk beats in the very beginning on my first listen of this track. 😭😭 I really hope SKZ continues experimenting with all these split genres!

Honorable mention: LALALALA rock version. I'm in love. Pls.

Thank you for reading my review!! Stay tuned for my reviews on the 4 other tracks in their new album. Stream 💫ROCK STAR 💫!!

[fernsam]

Kendrick Lamar - A hip-hop Genius

Bitch don’t kill my vibe. I’m sure many of you recognize this line from the famous rapper Kendrick Lamar. That was the first song I heard from him, and got more into him as I heard more and more. Although I have listened to a considerable amount of his songs, I have never really looked at the deeper meanings behind his work (I know. It's a crime). I’ve always known that his songs usually have complex themes but I have never actually figured out the whole story. In fact, I don’t really know much about Kendrick besides that he makes good music and is considered one of the greatest rappers of his generation (so seriously: I know nothing). This post will hopefully figure out what exactly helped him gain such a title.  

Background 

In Compton, on June 17th, 1987, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (like the song? :O) was born and became one of the most influential rappers of the 21st century. Compton was an area that was plagued by violence and poverty. According to Britannica, Kendrick grew up in a high-crime area of Compton and began writing rhymes as a teenager relating to this. In 2003 he released his first mixtape called Youngest Head Nigga in Charge, which impressed a record label known as Top Dawg. I tried to look for this mixtape but surprisingly it was not online. Although the mixtape is hard to find, Kendrick explained in an interview with HipHopDX that the record label told Kendrick he “sounds just like he’s Jay-Z.” Also, a lot of people in his life and at school were talking about him made him, which made him realize the influence that he has. 

Kendrick: “Damn, my shit is really making an impact on the city and go full force with this shit.”

Discovering the influence music brings as well as his upbringing in Compton, Kendrick Lamar had found something to shape his music and storytelling around. 

Rise to Fame - Section.80

In 2011, Kendrick dropped his first album: Section.80, a 14-track tape that received a high amount of praise. Through this album, Kendrick uses his storytelling abilities to address complex social issues. Medium described the album as “a meditation and analysis on the vices and pitfalls that follow his generation, all while painting a loosely-tied narrative about two women, Keisha and Tammy.” 

According to Genius, the reason for the name of the album is that in 1982, Ronald Reagan cut funding to the Section 8 program in half. This means that he believed social programs were not necessary and his campaign increased the divide between the rich and poor in America. I have learned about Reagan in history class and his Cold War policies, but I never thought about the effect it had on the poor. I even loved the song Ronald Reagan Era, but hearing the context makes the song hit harder. 

The first song on the album is literally called “fuck your ethnicity.” This is one of my favorite songs on the album because not only is the instrumental a bop, but his message is very empowering. Kendrick is trying to express how race is leading to more division between people and he welcomes anyone who can understand his story. He also introduces two characters: Keisha and Tammy to explore two different stories of people who grew up in Compton. The characters are explored on their own in other songs. For example, Keisha’s Song (Her Pain) talks about how prostitutes get treated badly by their boyfriends. The women are vulnerable, and it's a challenge to keep fighting. 

The album as a whole reflects on issues like the crack epidemic, gang violence, and the effects of Ronald Reagan's policies on the African-American community. Kendrick was able to incorporate musical abilities, such as rhyme patterns and unique instrumentals, with narrative abilities to produce a compelling first album, but this was just the first album. I feel that although Kendrick nailed the narrative component, all of his songs were not musically interesting. He had his high moments, with killer songs like HiiiPower and Rigamortis, but there is room for improvement in terms of making it sound good. And he improves just that through his second album: good kid, m.A.A.d city. 

A Turning Point -  Good Kid, M.A.A.D City 

As mentioned previously, the first Kendrick song that I heard was Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe. This song came from his second album, good kid, m.A.A.d city (gkmc), which was released in 2012. After this album was released, Kendrick exploded in popularity. It “debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart” and Kendrick was even nominated for seven 2013 Grammy Awards, including Best Album and Best New Artist. Although he didn’t win (which I think showed how stupid the Grammys are imo),  Kendrick continued to gain millions of fans and supporters, even making major TV appearances such as performing on SNL. His fan base grew as well, with not only hip-hop fans, but more college students and alternative rock fans. (I have no idea where alternative rock fans came from but thanks biography.com.) 

Like Section.80, this album continues the narrative approach except in a more autobiographical sense. The album paints a vivid picture of Kendrick's personal teenage experiences in Compton. The title itself explains how he is just a good kid in a crazy city. Interestingly,  according to Spin, "M.A.A.D" stands for both "My Angry Adolescence Divided" and "My Angels on Angel Dust," indicating the juxtaposition between his desire to maintain innocence and the chaos of his environment. Along with his complex themes, he also upgrades the musicality and there are a lot of musically pleasing songs on this album. 

A song on this album that encapsulates the artistic genius of Kendrick is Swimming Pools. Without looking deeply, this song sounds like a song you would drink and vibe to (which is what I always thought), but looking at the lyrics there is so much more deep stuff going on.  Kendrick talks about how peer pressure affects alcoholism. The irony is that although this song sounds like a club song, it talks about the negative effects of alcoholism and how much it is normalized in Kendrick's environment. Tying a metaphor between a swimming pool and alcoholism shows how easy to drown in either. Even towards the end of the song, he builds on the overarching story by talking about how K. Dot’s (a character of this album) actions led to his brother being killed. 

Listening to the whole album was such an experience. As Pitchfork put it, “It feels like walking directly into Lamar's childhood home and, for the next hour, growing up alongside him.”  Kendrick discusses his struggles with the effects of gang violence, drugs, and poverty in his community. I wanted to discuss certain songs that I really enjoyed, but honestly, Kendrick did such a good job with the consistency. I was going through my playlist to see which songs I liked and I realized I have most of the songs except the first song and the last two songs (Real and Compton). Maybe I’ll convert and like these as well one day. The music and lyrics speak for themselves, and the entire album does a great job of keeping a narrative theme as well as maintaining this sort of serious yet chill vibe throughout. 

A Masterpiece - To Pimp a Butterfly 

Just when you think an album can’t get any better, Kendrick Lamar releases To Pimp A Butterfly (tpab) in 2015. Kendrick continues to keep the narrative theme and explores society as well as self-worth. This time, however, there are even more unique musical factors such as jazz, funk, and spoken word poetry. According to Britannica,  the album broke a Spotify record because it was streamed more than 9.6 million times within a week of its release. President Barack Obama even declared a song on this album his favorite song of 2015. He also finally won the Grammys (I still don’t like them) with best rap performance and best rap song (both for “Alright”), best rap/sung collaboration (for “These Walls”), best music video (for “Bad Blood”), and best rap album (for To Pimp a Butterfly). 

Considering how successful this album was, what made it so good? The diversity. Like good kid, m.A.A.d city, and Section.80, tpab follows the typical narrative story that Kendrick had previously portrayed; however, this album has a lot more variety of characters and includes a lot more themes that relate to society as a whole. There is also a lot more variety in terms of genres. Although this is a rap album, there is half a jazz band present at all times, a pianist, a sax player, slam poetry, and sound effects (according to Pitchfork).  

“ALLS MY LIFE, I HAVE TO FIGHT.”  Alright is a song on tpab that showcases the jazz aspect of the album. The music is so catchy and just makes you want to shout the whole song. Although this song is very short, Kendrick shows how he is going to escape his troubles. It’s a simple idea: “we gon’ be alright.” Under the surface, however,  this song creates awareness of police brutality. In fact, in 2015, the Black Lives Matter movement used the phrase  “we gon’ be alright” to protest against police brutality. 

Throughout this album, Kendrick delved into the depths of black identity and societal struggles, painting a picture of personal conflict within racial injustice. Although I love this album, unlike gkmc, I only really liked a half of the songs on this album. But when I did like it, I REALLY liked it. I appreciate the experimentation and am happy on how this album turned out. Alright is probably one of my favorite songs, but I also really love King Kunta, The Blacker the Berry, These Walls, i, and How Much a Dollar Cost. 

Continuing the legend - DAMN.

Continuing his streak of groundbreaking albums, DAMN. was released in 2017. This album earned Kendrick his first Billboard No. 1 single with HUMBLE. and won the Pulitzer Prize for Music, which made him the first rapper to receive this honor. According to Britannica, HUMBLE. won Grammys for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, Rap Performance, and Music Video. That is a lot of categories! This man is just collecting everything (and rightfully so).  

In DAMN. Kendrick used a raw, more direct narrative. This album is a lot more broad and explores the themes of fate, spirituality, and the complexities of the human condition. And although the album sounds simple, there was a lot of conspiracy that followed the release of this album. According to Medium, Kendrick confirmed a theory that the album could be played in reverse, telling two different stories: weakness and wickedness. 

In a more broad sense, This album had a lot of hits like DNA. and HUMBLE. Honestly, comparing this album to the others, this album is not one of my favorites. I liked a few of the songs but in terms of diversity, I felt that it was lacking. This is more of a contemporary and mainstream rap album, which is fine. I like the idea of how the album tells two stories. I feel like listening to it backward was interesting, especially considering how the first song was DUCKWORTH. (one of my favorites from the album). Hearing the little reversed part from DUCKWORTH reversed back blew my mind. According to Genius, that audio symbolized “a flashback or a wormhole representing Kendrick’s life”. Kendrick was able to use his outro to portray such a unique idea. 

Expanding outside of Albums - Afterwards 

Throughout the releases of these albums, Kendrick has been featured in many great songs. For example, family ties, made me find out that Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar are blood relatives (they definitely act like it). In 2018, Lamar produced an album that was from and inspired by the famous movie Black Panther. Think about that: he made music for a famous Marvel movie.

He also again won a Grammy for best rap performance. In 2022, Kendrick Lamar performed at the Super Bowl halftime with the infamous Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, and other hip-hop stars. In the same year, he released his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. It won Grammys and produced some banger songs like N95. 

The Influence

Kendrick Lamar is not just a rapper; he's a storyteller, a social commentator, and a visionary artist. Watching his journey, either through directly listening to his albums, or watching how much he has grown as a musician, is definitely an experience. Fans are invited to be a part of his lifetime from the streets of Compton to his present global success as an artist. That is what is so amazing about him, Kendrick Lamar started off great and just kept on getting better. It’s no wonder that he is called one of the most influential rappers of his generation. 

Not only is his music in a league of its own, but Kendrick was able to use his fame in the hip-hop world to make an impact on American culture through his insight into Black culture and the flaws of modern society as a whole. What I really enjoy about Kendrick is that he creates a space that allows everyone to listen to music. As a casual listener myself, his songs sound good and are so unique. He also manages to not sound too preachy throughout the whole process, which is pretty impressive. Kendrick Lamar does the inconceivable and can successfully tell a compelling story while also making banger music.

[lboogie1906]

Gary Eldridge Grice (born August 22, 1966) known by his stage names GZA and The Genius is a rapper. A founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, he is the group’s “spiritual head”, being both the first member in the group to receive a record deal and the oldest member. He has appeared on his fellow Wu-Tang members’ solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career starting with Liquid Swords (1995).

His lyrical style often dismisses typical rap storylines in favor of science and wide-ranging philosophies and has been characterized as “armed with sharp metaphors and a smooth flow”. An analysis of his lyrics found that he has the second-largest vocabulary in popular hip-hop music. He teamed up with an education group to promote science education in New York City through hip-hop.

He was born in Brooklyn. He developed an interest in hip-hop by attending block parties as a child. He was involved in breakdance, graffiti, and DJing. He developed an interest in writing, studying Mother Goose and nursery rhymes. The Last Poets, as well as songs by The Isley Brothers, the Commodores, and the O’Jays, had a big part in his early life, especially regarding the tone and cadence of speech. He began to listen to hip hop and R&B, for example by Secret Weapon and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

He formed a three-man group with his cousins, Robert Diggs and Russell Jones, who would be known as RZA and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. The group, FOI: Force of the Imperial Master, and All in Together, saw the three rapping and DJing, switching names, and performing local shows; the three would travel across New York City and challenge other MCs to battles. He left school in the 10th grade but nurtured his affection for science as he developed his skills as a lyricist.

He was signed to Cold Chillin’ Records as a solo artist under the name The Genius. He released his debut album, Words from the Genius. The album’s beat selection is similar to the classic boom-bap sound of the early 1990s, while the lyricism subject is the everyday situations of an individual living in the parts of New York. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[angel-armed]

Tristamp OST analysis

This is going to be a bit of a monster even with me just jumping to favorite songs so bear with me... I'm a classically trained vocalist, I play piano, guitar, and a load of different woodwinds.

1.KNIVES’s Piano

This is the most important leitmotif in the series, legit. This is part of how Knives ‘haunts the narrative.’ While he doesn’t appear in every episode, his leitmotif is everwhere. This melody appears even in songs that are not necessarily about him, and can also be tied directly to the concept of Plant Song, which is another track on here. It gives the idea that Knives’ theme is not something he just magically composed and pulled out of the aether– it’s a primordial melody that belongs to the Plants themselves. We see this especially in the scene in Episode 11 (Or 12, they blend together for me oops) where Vash starts to sing this very melody and the Plants sing along with him. 

Millions Knives vocal Ver.

This is probably the most obvious and prominent track in the entire show. It takes the same melody and motif as Knives piano theme and adds lyrics that are really only fully heard here and in Drain Arm, the 2nd to last track. These lyrics turn that Plant Song into a blatant lovesong, even including a call and response– a lyrical/vocal style used primarily in lovesongs in musicals and even Disney Lovesongs. Without official lyrics to look at the, lyrics I hear go as follows: 

Can we breathe (or maybe be, but breathe is more likely) the same way together?

All of the lives(Lights? Lies? All fit) are a part of me

Wish we could stay here forever

Although the stars are falling down.

Remember how

We used to be

No turning back

Stars falling down

These are the main vocals, but the response is, either right after the last stanza or during it, underneath the vocals as a joined swell “I still care for you” suggesting that said response is Vash responding to Nai’s previous thoughts. I could go on about this one forever, but those are the main points to take away. 

Vash the Stampede

This is Vash’s main theme and leitmotif, heard very prominently throughout the first few episodes. It harkens back to the more Western heavy themes of the original anime and manga, and really represents Vash’s spirit. It’s upbeat and introduces several motifs that will be used to represent Vash throughout the rest of the OST. It also includes the big brass fanfare that are the main Trigun Stampede theme from the first OST (which I haven’t played to death as much as the 2nd one) We’ve got the harmonica and guitar that brings us that western feel, but that quickly gets wrapped up in a modern almost hip-hop rock beat and really encapsulates the way Vash presents himself, less than his actual inner being. It almost feels like this song is how Vash wants the world to view him. That cool cowboy that Nai talked about when they were kids. 

10. Boyhood/ NICHOLAS THE PUNISHER/ Whom to let live

This gives us Nico’s leitmotif, and some that might later be associated with Livio depending on how they decide to utilize him in season two. This is the only place in the soundtrack where we hear the use of the theramin (A very cool instrument you should look up the history of) which is famous from classic sci fi shows like the Twilight Zone and the Original Star Trek. It’s used to invoke a sense of spookiness, and often used to tell us through the music that something strange and alien is happening which is appropriate, as part of Boyhood is used during the scene where we’re shown how Conrad’s experiments transformed Wolfwood and Livio.This and NICHOLAS THe PUNISHER makes use of another instrument we don’t really hear anywhere else– the Saxophone, which if you know Trimax and the 98 anime, is a cool throwback. Whom to let live uses it even more prominently. Whom to let live is a personal favorite of mine, it’s so introspective and soft– almost soothing. This plays on the Sand Steamer during one of Wolfwood’s introspective moments; when he’s trying to choose who he should save. 

11. Energy of the Plant

This one contains some of the same musical elements of Knives’ vocal theme, eventually ramping up into the violins that are often used, in my opinion, to represent Vash in a theme– a cool little nod to them being connected literally and figuratively. 

20. Home

This track is SO near and dear to my heart. It’s built out of melodies and themes that are simply not present in the rest of the OST. No sign of Nai’s theme, yet the theme is played on the instrument associated with him– piano. It starts out simple and then bit by bit, brass and woodwinds come in to swell the melody into a heart-bursting wave of warmth. Just as it reaches that climax, the violins that represent Vash come in, and give us a tiny glimpse of the leitmotif from Vash the Stampede, as though whispering of the man he will become after growing up in the company of the people from Ship Three. See if you can pick it out right at 1:46!  This right here is why I believe the violin is the instrument used to represent Vash throughout the rest of the OST. 

23. Last Run

I can’t help but mention this track, as it is probably one of my top three favorites. Of course the most obvious part is how it incorporates Knives’ theme towards the middle and end, but the build up to that point is a masterclass in creating musical tension. It starts with the underlying sound of weeping violins, and then a synth instrument that just barely offers a TEASE of Nai’s theme as the other elements, discordant slides and very subtle percussion build up. As Vash enters the scene, the violins become more tense as well, playing short staccato notes instead of the long, weeping notes before. It drops off into that synthesized guitar bomb slide, which is used to almost simulate the beating of a heart along with deep bass. Then, the Plantsong itself comes in– the same vocals used to represent the Plants in other songs just as the Climax of the scene begins, and then Knives’ piano theme slowly comes in, falling like tears before another stop that leads into the actual climax. Honestly this song is an absolute masterpiece. Just then, some organs come in very softly, picking up what can only be called a transformative moment for Knives as his worldview is cemented into stone, his path to becoming the god of this planet laid out before him in rage and fury. Then in the very last quarter of the song, it transforms almost entirely into his theme just around the time Vash’s gate manifests– but with the added oomph of Vash’s absolutely gut-wrenching violin playing along in a duet. They are both in so much pain in this scene, and the song spells it all out. 

28&29: Erhu in July and Plant Song on erhu

I love these two tracks because they really are one song, and go one into another seamlessly– they are simply Vash’s and then Knives’ leitmotifs played on an Erhu, which is legit one of my favorite instruments of all time. Really brings into focus that July has a TON of Chinese influence!

41. Conception

Jumping way ahead on this because while there are a lot of great tracks, I really wanna focus on the ones that stand out. This one in particular is really special because it takes Knives’ theme that is usually played in Minor key and moves it almost entirely into Major Key. It’s triumphant! His eden is at hand, and then, those sad strings come in (a cello this time–) that just suddenly dies out, just as Vash cuts him off. 

42. Memory of Rem

This song is really cool because it is, once again, part of the same melody that Knives always plays– but it’s only ONE part of it accompanied by violin, likely to represent the half of the melody that is attributed to Vash. Obviously it represents his connection to Rem and his childhood. 

44. Drain Arm

This song is a fucking magnum opus, and starts with the same notes that are present in Memory of Rem, symbolizing how she lives on through Vash. It almost immediately starts with a slow, sad violin melody that then builds up and up using some of the same melodic motifs as Home– and then Nai’s piano comes in, cascading downward along with the vocals that are used to represent plants. The beginning movement really is a mix of everything that made Vash who he is today. Then, it moves into mirroring the melody of Knives’ piano theme entirely with new added piano flourishes that make this moment feel so beautiful and yet sad. Vash and Knives are both becoming who they are going to be for the duration of the rest of the story. The old is dying, and the new is being born– very painfully. The vocals swell and then drop, bringing the focus back to the piano and some ominous percussion and bells before coming back up into a crescendo. This is where the lyrics from Knives’ Vocal theme appear, expressing Knives’ pain and Vash’s desperate “I still care for you,” 

I’ve said it before but the piano here really feels like cascading tears, which are then joined by the weeping of a violin as that lyric: “I still care for you” plays. The melodies all start to join up into one as the violin now starts to play the intro to Knives’ theme and carry the song into its final climax and the pain we all know it overlays. This time, the violins play Knives’ theme– while his usual piano plays a countermelody and harmony. Still, the two are unavoidably intertwined. I can’t help but feel as though this represents Vash taking that melody into himself, carrying the Knives he knew and loved with him. 

[rabbitechoes]

i'm realizing that my analysis for these posts in my month in review series are a lot less in-depth than the albums one, but i'm ok with that. it still motivates me to keep up with new singles even if my writing isn't as strong. anyways, there were some really cool songs this month especially towards the end!! to check out my thoughts on some of the albums, EPs, and mixtapes that came out this month click here!!! also feel free to follow me on rate your music and twitter <3

"Club classics" | "B2b" - Charli XCX

◇ featured on brat - Charli XCX (not yet released) ◇ genres: futurepop, bubblegum bass

Charli XCX kicked off the month by releasing two singles from her upcoming album brat. I wasn't super impressed with "Von dutch," but I'm loving these tracks a lot more. I just think the ideas presented on these two songs are much more interesting. "Club classics" pays tribute to frequent collaborators A.G. Cook (one of the song's producers) and SOPHIE both lyrically and musically. "B2b" is a lot more rhythmic, but those thumping synth lines keep it within the theme. These tracks have me a bit more excited for the album!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"86Sentra" - NxWorries

◇ featured on Why Lawd? - NxWorries (not yet released) ◇ genre: west coast hip hop

Knxwledge and Anderson .Paak's project NxWorries is coming back with a new album soon and while I'm not super familiar with the group's work, this is a pretty decent, quick single. It's very lowkey, almost too lowkey, but it's hard to expect a lot from a track that's under two minutes. Hopefully the full record has more fleshed out cuts than this!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Eyes Closed" - Imagine Dragons

◇ genres: pop rock, electropop

What do you expect? Did Imagine Dragons get in gear and drop something cool and different? No, of course they didn't. It's the same flavor of bombastic electronic infused, vaguely rock cuts with big arena-ready choruses that feel incredibly empty. Music made for WWE promo videos. To their credit, they are one of the most consistent bands of the modern era ... consistently terrible that is!!! *cue laughter, applause, and fireworks*

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Dream State" - Kamasi Washington

◇ featured on Fearless Movement - Kamasi Washington (not yet released) ◇ genres: jazz fusion, spiritual jazz

The latest single from Kamasi Washington's upcoming album features flute contributions from André 3000. This might be my favorite single so far. André's flute pairs very well with Washington's saxophone throughout. The song starts slow, as the instruments mingle with one another. Like a feeling out stage, until the drums and bass kick in towards the middle and everything just slides into place perfectly. So excited to hear this full album.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Karma" - JoJo Siwa

◇ genres: electropop, dance-pop, gay-pop

I almost feel bad tearing into this new JoJo Siwa single. We all know it's bad. Her silly KISS-adjacent makeup, the interview where she says she wants to make a new thing called "gay-pop" (pop music, definitely not a genre that is rich with queerness already), the "DREAM GUEST ON MY PODCAST" thing, it's been a busy month for her. This single sucks though. Corny and embarrassing. No one is buying this "mean girl" act unless they're like a pre-teen or something. Grow up, JoJo. For real this time.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other" - Orville Peck & Willie Nelson

◇ featured on Stampede - Orville Peck (not yet released) ◇ genres: contemporary country, singer-songwriter

Orville Peck and Willie Nelson have teamed up for a new version of Ned Sublette's iconic satire on cowboy stereotypes. Despite the song's suggestion that every gay man is inherently effeminate, I've always gotten a kick out of it. This new version is no different. Peck has been one of the shining stars in country music over the last few years and Willie Nelson is Willie Fucking Nelson. I think I prefer Nelson's solo version from 2006, but again, this is a lot of fun. Looking forward to Peck's new album!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Good Luck, Babe!" - Chappell Roan

◇ genres: synthpop, pop rock

I had no idea who Chappell Roan was before this month. She was all over my Twitter feed in the days leading up to and following this new single "Good Luck, Babe!" I definitely see what the hype is about. This is one of the most solid synthpop tracks I've heard in a while. Roan's energy is electric too. I feel like she's going to be an even bigger name within the next few years. Definitely need to go back and listen to her last album.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Reaching Out" - Beth Gibbons

◇ featured on Lives Outgrown - Beth Gibbons (not yet released) ◇ genres: krautrock, art pop

Another absolutely incredible single from Beth Gibbons before her new record drops next month. This one is a lot more avant-garde than the previous, but it rules so hard. The minimal instrumentation puts the focus on the multi-layered vocals and it's so cool. When the instrumentation ramps up it feels even more earned. Lives Outgrown is still one of my most anticipated albums of the year, even more so after this track.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Wanna Be" - GloRilla & Megan Thee Stallion*

◇ featured on Ehhthang Ehhthang - GloRilla ◇ genres: crunk, southern hip hop, trap

I've been aware of GloRilla for a bit now, but I never actually heard one of her songs until now. This rules. "Wanna Be" is a sharp southern hip hop cut from two of the most charismatic artists in that field. Megan definitely has more starpower, at least right now, but they're on an equal playing field here. Both of them just sound ferocious. The beat is a little generic, but the performances carry the song to greatness. I definitely need to give this full album a listen sometime.

*this was written before the lawsuit filed against Megan Thee Stallion.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"b i g f e e l i n g s" - WILLOW

◇ featured on Empathogen - WILLOW (not yet released) ◇ genres: jazz-rock, jazz pop

Another great new cut from WILLOW that shows her going into a more jazz pop direction!! I know I said last month when writing about "symptom of life" that I was being cautiously optimistic about what she doest next, but hearing this puts me at ease just a bit. Not completely, there will probably be some horrible collab with someone in the near future, but I'm at least extremely looking forward to Empathogen. I loved a lot of her rockier tracks over the last few years, but the singles leading up to this album show an artist at the top of their game thus far.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Illusion" - Dua Lipa

◇ featured on Radical Optimism - Dua Lipa (not yet released) ◇ genres: dance-pop, diva house

A lot of my criticisms of the recent Dua Lipa singles unfortunately apply to "Illusion" as well. These are competently crafted pop tracks, but they leave me feeling so hollow. I don't wanna dance, sing along, I'm just so uninvested. She just has barely any presence on these tracks. Radical Optimism is just around the corner and I'm worried that I'm gonna be severely disappointed by it.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"overseas" - Ken Carson

◇ genres: rage, southern hip hop

I haven't been the biggest Ken Carson fan in recent years, but I heard this new single getting some buzz so I decided to give it a shot. I definitely didn't hate it, but I'm not in love with it either. The beat here is really cool, but Carson just doesn't bring the heat. It's like trying to fit a round peg in a square hole.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Espresso" - Sabrina Carpenter

◇ genres: dance-pop, nu-disco

I wish I could say I'm on the Sabrina Carpenter train, but I'm just very underwhelmed by everything I've heard. This is a sleek pop cut with disco leanings, but it's almost like too sleek. Everything down to Carpenter's vocals is just so pristine. I do like the hook though, it's pretty catchy. I just wish there was a bit more punch to it, could've been so much better!!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"DBZ" - Your Old Droog, Method Man & Denzel Curry

◇ genres: chipmunk soul, drumless, jazz rap, east coast hip hop

We got an all-star cut from Your Old Droog, Method Man, and Denzel Curry with a beat by Madlib. Yeah, this is pretty good. It feels like a cheat code, like yeah of course this rocks. Droog's verse is pretty strong, but out of everyone here I'm the least familiar with his catalogue. Method Man's verse rules, he brings that classic flavor to the track that Lib's beat calls for. Curry rocks this too. Not a gamechanger track or anything, but this is definitely a worthwhile track.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"David Byrne Does Hard Times" - Paramore & David Byrne

◇ genres: new wave, funk

David Byrne returns the favor to Paramore for their cover of "Burning Down the House" with his own version of the band's smash hit "Hard Times." He strips back the instrumentation just a bit, really the energy on the whole, but it works decently well. The bridge towards the end here is where this song really hits. Also that saxophone throughout is such a nice touch. It's just a fun little cover, doesn't outdo the original, but it's nice to see a legend like Byrne tipping his cap to them.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Push Ups" - Drake

◇ genres: hardcore hip hop, trap

Oh lord, the great rap beef of April 2024. I touched on it briefly when I talked about Kendrick Lamar's verse on "Like That" from the Future & Metro Boomin album from last month, but it really ramped up this month. J. Cole had a sheepish, pathetic diss towards Kendrick meanwhile Drake somehow brought way more fire. It's still just funny to see Drake throw stones at anyone considering he has one of the biggest glass houses of all time. He's taking a break from gambling streams to make diss tracks, he's just such a funny character.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"What Happened to You, Son?" - Belle and Sebastian

◇ genres: jangle pop, twee pop

I was really underwhelmed by Belle and Sebastian's previous album, but I enjoy this single more than anything on that record for sure. It's still got some unremarkable instrumentation and some clunky verses, but it's a fun listen. There's some witty lyrics here and I guess it's nice to hear them still rolling along, but I'll probably just stick with If You're Feeling Sinister.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Only One" - Cassandra Jenkins

◇ featured on My Light, My Destroyer - Cassandra Jenkins (not yet released) ◇ genre: sophisti-pop

A few years ago I remember listening to Cassandra Jenkins' last album An Overview on Phenomenal Nature on a whim, I thought it was ok! It hasn't been in my regular rotation, but I was reminded of Jenkins because of this new single and the announcement of her next album. This is a really tasteful track with gorgeous melodies and a vocal performance that sounds heavenly. This new album is certainly on my radar now and I'm definitely gonna go back and listen to her last album again.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Starburster" - Fontaines D.C.

◇ featured on Romance - Fontaines D.C. (not yet released) ◇ genre: post-punk

Oh this track fucking rules. Fontaines D.C. have been on my radar for a bit, but I never gave them a listen until now. I definitely need to familiarize myself with their stuff because "Starburster" is amazing. A great mixture of post-punk, rap rock, and dance music. A lot of those sounds feel opposed, but they come together so nicely here. This rules, I'm definitely gonna keep my eye on them leading up to this new album coming up.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Wake Up" - Backxwash

◇ genres: hardcore hip hop, industrial hip hop

Backxwash has been making some of the most interesting industrial hip hop and horrorcore of the last few years. This new single "Wake Up" is a great example of that. The production is so atmospheric, making way for her strained, exasperated delivery. It gives the track such a distinct energy. The midway point of the track gives all focus to the fuzzy beat before leading into an insane beat switch. I've never heard her on a beat like this before, but she absolutely kills it. Great track!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Right, Wrong or Ready" - Kara Jackson

🥇 BEST SONG OF THE MONTH

◇ genres: singer-songwriter, chamber folk

Kara Jackson dropped a cover of Karen Dalton's "Right, Wrong or Ready" this month and it's absolutely gorgeous. I wasn't aware of the original before this, but I think I prefer this cover to the original. Gorgeous chamber folk instrumentation and Jackson's vocals are, as to be expected, sublime. One of those songs that makes you appreciate just how beautiful music can be. I loved Jackson's last record and I'm hoping we get more new music from her soon, but I'll be bumping this one for a while.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Rewilding" - Thurston Moore

◇ genres: slacker rock, noise rock

While I'm a little disappointed this new Thurston Moore single released for Earth Day isn't a detour into experimental hip hop like Kim Gordon's recent music, "Rewilding" is a pretty decent slacker rock cut with some noisier moments. The instrumentation on here leans pretty tame, but it's still a cool listen. I'm not super familiar with Moore's solo work and I'm not sure when or if I'll get around to it. Unfortunately, this single isn't really pushing me to familiarize myself with it.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Like I Say (I runaway) - Nilüfer Yanya

◇ genres: indie rock, noise pop

Nilüfer Yanya's 2022 album PAINLESS really took me by surprise. It's been a while since I revisited it, but it was in my rotation a pretty decent amount that year. This return single is really strong. I love the production here, it sounds washed out in the coolest way possible. The melodies are also really strong. I'm hoping we get an album announcement in the coming months, I'll certainly be listening!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"euphoria" - Kendrick Lamar

◇ genres: trap, hardcore hip hop

Not long after I initially published this post, Kendrick Lamar fired back at Drake's diss in a 6 minute track that has a killer beat switch and Lamar fully embracing being a hater. I have no dog in this fight, but for what it's worth, Kendrick easily looks the best coming out of this. His pen game is on another level, especially when compared to Drake (and Cole too, although his response was so uninteresting he's basically a non-factor at this point). Sometimes his delivery here gets a little too lyrical spiritual miracle, but it's still a fun track.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ thanks for reading :3