BY: LILLY GOODMAN, STAFF WRITER Photo courtesy of Joseph DeBell / Opinion Editor for The Bona Venture Although playlists and singles dominate modern music, the album format remains a timeless and irreplaceable medium for storytelling. In an era dominated by streaming platforms and digital downloads, some might wonder if the album format no longer has…
LILLY GOODMAN, STAFF WRITER Album cover from albumoftheyear.org “Chroma” meaning color, and “kopia” meaning abundance — Tyler the Creator’s new album, “CHROMAKOPIA,” is conceptually radiant. Tyler’s eighth studio album is 14 tracks long, running just under an hour. The album was released on Oct. 28, 2024, a Monday, rather than the typical tendency of Friday album…
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…
By Kelsey Purcell, staff writer Popular singer and songwriter Justin Bieber released his new album “Justice” on March 19. It includes hit songs “Holy,” featuring Chance The Rapper, and “Lonely” with Benny Blanco. Artists BEAM, Burna Boy, Daniel Caesar, Giveon, Dominic Fike, Khalid and The Kid LAROI also make appearances on the album. When Bieber…
By Kelsey Purcell, Staff Writer Taylor Swift released her own version of her hit single “Love Story” on Feb. 11. Swift announced that she has finished re-recording her “Fearless” album and has hinted that “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” will be released on April 9, along with six never before released songs. Some other hit songs on…
The dry-spoken, braggadocio rapper 21 Savage and hard-hitting Migos member, Offset, teamed up with premium trap producer Metro Boomin to deliver one of the rawest albums yet, “Without Warning.” The Atlanta trio worked on this album to bring back the simplicity of a good trap project: grand production with dark, clever bars. Without Warning, as…
Lian Bunny Photo Editor Ed Sheeran cruises through Croonersville while neatly avoiding Clichétown with his third studio album, Divide. The English singer-songwriter finds the perfect symbiotic balance of poppy, hip-hop beats and smooth, sentimental ballots. Tunes like “Shape of You” have catchy choruses to get up and dance to, while love songs like “Perfect” pluck…
Syd Bennett, formerly known as Syd tha Kid and mostly known from her work with Odd Future, has been in the music scene for quite some time, but it is doubtful that many had heard of her. Syd released her solo debut album early this year and her reactions were “encore.” This album, Fin, is…
Every once in a few lukewarm pop albums, we’re gifted something fantastic — a record with dynamicity that yanks at past heartstrings with resonance. Nineteen-year-old singer Khalid does just that on American Teen, his light and beachy debut album. The piece brings warmth to a bitter winter’s day — and peace of mind in Khalid’s…
By Thomas Cottingham Features Assignment Editor Donald Glover, also known as his stage name, Childish Gambino, has been having a monster year. From creating his new hit TV show on FX, Atlanta, to acting in movies and to releasing his highly anticipated album, “Awaken, My Love!,” Glover is moving onto bigger and better things. His…
By Thomas Cottingham Features Assignment Editor Collaboration projects are starting to grow more common in the hip-hop industry. While projects such as Watch the Throne, Hell: The Sequel and What a Time to Be Alive bring out huge commercial success with party anthems and radio singles, NxWorries’ Yes Lawd! is the collaboration gem of 2016.…
By Thomas Cottingham Features Assignment Editor After a large exposure with the Bonaventure student body, Olean rap group Microphone Mafia is back with another album. The group’s claim to fame on campus was discovered by their first mixtape and standout, Bona-related songs, “Bona Chick” and “Smart Girls Only,” released last year. The rap group consists…
By Thomas Cottingham Features Assignment Editor After a five-year hiatus, indie folk band Bon Iver released one of its most ambitious albums yet, 22, A Million. The mastermind behind Bon Iver, lead singer and songwriter Justin Vernon, creates not only meaningful lyrics but powerful sounds that must coexist for his vision of the band’s sound.…
By Thomas Cottingham Features Assignment Editor While traveling with fellow label mate Schoolboy Q of Top Dawg Entertainment earlier this year, newcomer and Tennessee rapper Isaiah Rashad was stuck in the mud. During the world tour, Rashad became hooked on hard drugs and alcohol. He slept on friends’ couches because he had no place to…
By Joshua Svetz Contributing Writer Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller has had an intriguing and diverse career. From beginning as an indie hip-hop artist with Kids to an introspective artist with Faces, Miller has changed styles countless times. While most of his projects carry a burden of style-change growing pains, The Divine Feminine avoids the usual…
By Thomas Cottingham Staff Writer Last week, Kendrick Lamar followed the recent trend of surprise album releases by dropping his new record “untitled unmastered.” Lamar thanked NBA superstar Lebron James for requesting new music from him via Twitter. Kendrick listened and sure did deliver. The result is an eight-track album that is full of raw,…
By Thomas Cottingham Kanye West, Grammy-award-winning rapper and producer, has some huge plans this week for the music and fashion industry that have been kept secret for years. West will be presenting his new clothing line, Season 3, on a global scale in select theatres all over the world on Feb.11. That’s not all:…
By Lauren Zazzara Features Editor Lana Del Rey’s music career clearly wasn’t “Born to Die” (the title of her first album), as she released her newest album, “Honeymoon,” on Sept. 19. “Honeymoon” is Del Rey’s fourth studio album, following up her dark and troubled “Ultraviolence” from 2014. As compared to the hip-hop influence of…
By Harrison Leone Managing Editor Pink Floyd is, by any measure, one of the greatest and most influential musical acts of the 20th century. They have sold over a quarter of a million albums worldwide, including the second bestselling record in history, “Dark Side of the Moon,” which stayed on the Billboard top 100 chart…
By Lauren Zazzara Staff Writer If you are a Gossip Girl fan, you know the name Leighton Meester. You will probably be surprised to hear that preppy, snobby and scheming Blair Waldorf has released an indie pop album. On Oct. 27, Meester released “Heartstrings,” a nine-track album loaded with chill and beautiful music. The title…