BY: JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION EDITOR Photo Courtesy @weareumaw on Instagram It’s time to tune into the reality of the music industry. The melodies we love are oftentimes composed against a backdrop of economic struggle for the artists who create them. While the Living Wage for Musicians Act may not be a silver-bullet solution to unethical… Keep Reading
BY: JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION EDITOR Photo Courtesy of Wikimeida Commons Even though music can be a powerful tool in politics, the “Nikki Haley Anthem” is more laughable than uplifting. With 2024 being a presidential election year, it looks like Americans are getting the same matchup as the 2020 Election: Joe Biden versus Donald Trump. However,… Keep Reading
BY: JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION EDITOR Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons In a landscape brimming with talented artists creating compelling music, it’s time to move past Kanye West’s divisive legacy and embrace new voices. Polarizing Chicago rapper, singer, songwriter, producer and former presidential candidate, Kanye West, collaborated with the talented singer and songwriter, Ty Dolla $ign,… Keep Reading
BY: JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION EDITOR Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Amid the media attention that arrives with the Grammy Awards, it’s important to remember that the capitalistic system through which artists get paid is still broken and unfair. While we usually talk about this “unfairness” in the context of Spotify because of its questionable and… Keep Reading
BY: JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION EDITOR Photo courtesy @lilnasx on Instagram If many sought-after and heterosexual hip-hop artists can depict themselves as Jesus Christ or place themselves on a crucifix with little to no backlash, why are people upset when Lil Nas X does it? The only clear answer is that bigoted and homophobic people can’t… Keep Reading
BY JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION ASSIGNMENT EDITOR Album cover courtesy of @taylorswift on Instagram ALBUM SCORE: 2.5/5 Stars Stars cortesy of Wikimedia Commons Even though most of the re-recordings of Taylor Swift’s older records have demonstrated improvements in sound, much of the initial magic is lost on “1989 (Taylor’s Version).” Taylor Swift is an artist who… Keep Reading
BY JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION ASSIGNMENT EDITOR Photo courtesy of @thebeatles on Instragram Even though there are minor issues with the mixing process, The Beatles’ new single “Now And Then” is an emotional epilogue to the band’s 60-plus-year journey. The song was once a passionate John Lennon piano ballad demo from 1977 and was later completed… Keep Reading
BY: JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION ASSIGNMENT EDITOR Spotify logo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons The recent reshuffle of Spotify’s royalty model has led the music-streaming platform to brazenly screw over smaller musicians more than ever. In short, the Billboard and Music Business Worldwide reports both highlight that the royalty-model changes will include a new threshold of minimum… Keep Reading
BY JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION ASSIGNMENT EDITOR Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons After his Vancouver concert Saturday night, Lil Yachty owes his fans an apology — at the very least. Yachty’s performance was cut short due to safety concerns after concertgoers stampeded the arena floor’s general-admission section. Numerous videos and reports from the concert detail the… Keep Reading
BY: JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION ASSIGNMENT EDITOR photo courtesy of @champagnepapi on Instagram stars courtesy of Wikimedia Commons On Drake’s new album “For All The Dogs,” he is less interested in perfecting a sound and is more concerned with giving his audience every kind of Drake. Since his two previous albums were detours in sound, “For… Keep Reading
BY: JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION ASSIGNMENT EDITOR Joe rates “Bewitched” 4/5 stars photo courtesy of @laufey on Instagram stars courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Even though Laufey’s sophomore album “Bewitched” needs a little polishing, it deserves its flowers. The recent album from the Billie Eilish-endorsed artist combines modern pop and 50s crooning jazz with classical compositions. Though… Keep Reading
BY JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION ASSIGNMENT EDITOR photo courtesy of @zachlanebryan on Instagram Stars courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Zach Bryan’s self-titled album arrives amid a significant moment for country music, where chart-toppers have ranged from cloying love songs to regressive political statements. Zach Bryan’s latest effort is easily one of the better country records this year… Keep Reading
photo courtesy of @oliver_anthony_music on Instagram BY JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION ASSIGNMENT EDITOR Whether or not you believe Oliver Anthony is a right-wing industrial plant or apolitical, some of the lyrics in his contemporary folk song “Rich Men North of Richmond” amplify conservative talking points, even if he didn’t intend them to be interpreted that way. … Keep Reading
BY JOSEPH DEBELL, STAFF WRITER Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons While Frank Ocean’s fans at Coachella were disappointed with his performance, the entire situation perfectly reflects the enigma that is Frank Ocean. Artists nowadays are doing anything they can to stay at the forefront of their fans’ minds because social media can overexpose and saturate… Keep Reading
BY JOSEPH DEBELL, STAFF WRITER Joe gives “Endless Summer Vacation” a 2/5 stars Photo courtesy of @mileycyrus on Instagram Stars courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Miley Cyrus continues to present herself as a lone wolf who can’t be stopped or controlled. She is more genuine and less rehearsed than the majority of pop artists. Considering that… Keep Reading
J DeBell’s Vinyl Collection, courtesy of Joseph DeBell BY JOSEPH DEBELL, STAFF WRITER Despite being inefficient, expensive, and impractical, Vinyl has somehow made a comeback in recent years. It makes no sense, considering that streaming music is more straightforward, and you get the luxury of making playlists. Vinyl shouldn’t have a place to fit in.… Keep Reading
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons BY JOSEPH DEBELL, STAFF WRITER Aubrey Graham’s (Drake) streak of music recently has been underwhelming. Considering that Drake is 36 and his recent records haven’t had the best reception from a creative standpoint, it’s not entirely outlandish for him to retire. While Drake has easily been one of the most… Keep Reading
BY JOSEPH DEBELL, STAFF WRITER Album cover courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Joe gives “Lets Start Here.” a 4/5 stars Stars from Wikimedia Commons “Let’s Start Here” by Lil Yachty has been making critics turn their heads for the past several weeks due to its stylistic change to his discography. However, the popularity of this LP… Keep Reading
BY JOSEPH DEBELL, STAFF WRITER Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons SXSW needs to do a better job of paying artists what they deserve, especially considering that some artists that play in the festival come from all over the United States. South by Southwest (SXSW) first appeared in 1987 after the city of Austin, Texas, wanted… Keep Reading
BY JOSEPH DEBELL, CONTRIBUTING WRITER Album score: 4/5 stars Stars are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Singer, songwriter, rapper and producer Aidan Vaughn (VGHN) is an up-and-coming artist from Southern California. Although most people discovered Aidan Vaughn from his cover of Revenge by XXXTENTACION, I first heard of him when he released his cover/feature of Quadeca’s… Keep Reading