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fernsam · 5 months

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Ice Spice: The quick rise to fame

Ice Spice has exploded in popularity this past year, going from the “munch” girl to one of the most popular new female rappers of this year. She has even collaborated with other successful female artists such as Nikki Minaj, Taylor Swift, and PinkPantheress. So how exactly did she rise to fame so quickly? She stuck to her feminine aesthetic and promoted being for the girls while also being a “baddie”.

I remember first hearing about Ice Spice through her first popular song: Munch. This song was released a year ago and not going to lie, it was horrible. It was even released on a random YouTube channel called WORLDSTARHIPHOP. Everyone was flaming her for how generic and terrible it sounded.

Outside of the comments, the word “munch” became a meme and her song lyrics were sung as a joke. According to an interview, she explained that Munch meant a desperate man. But, besides her creative term “munch”, there was little uniqueness about her lyrics and rap style. Especially in her music video, where she was basically just shaking her ass. She was the definition of a typical rapper just shaking her ass and delivering ass lyrics.

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After seeing how much hate she got for this song, I thought she would just be another one-hit wonder. But she did something I haven’t seen in a while in the music industry: she used her haters to her advantage.

Her next song, Bikini Bottom, didn’t really change the people's opinion. The beat was still really goofy and she delivered her signature dance moves. I’ll admit the lyrics in this one were a tiny bit better but what’s interesting is she still gained fame from this; the video got 23 million views! That’s pretty impressive for someone who got so much hate for her first video. More people came in on the joke and although the video wasn’t as successful as Munch (53 million), Ice Spice continued to slowly rise in success.

Her second song was the moment when Ice Spice started to build a brand that just felt different. Although it was generic she kept on going. It’s like she is aware that it’s not that great but she’s still releasing. And more and more people started listening to her music, whether it was for good intentions or not.

Things took a turn with her next song: In Ha Mood. This was released on her own YouTube channel and blew up with 43 million views. Unlike her other two songs, this song even blew up on TikTok with 638.9K posts. There wasn’t even a trend to use this song, it's just that her music was the perfect kind of “in your feelings” and “baddie” music that just went with videos in the background (example). Her vibe on this song is a lot calmer than her previous ones but she stuck to her “baddie” aesthetic through her simple lyrics. Her music video further proved this point. She had a Y2K style and just looked like she was having fun. This song was the point where it was established that she wasn’t just a joke, she was just having fun and making music for the girls.

Comparing these comments to the comments on the two previous videos, these are a lot more positive. I don’t want to assume, but these sound a lot more like women commenting unlike before, which were mainly men. Ice Spice used her aesthetic to create a feminine drill song, which is quite unique and shifts the cultural perspective regarding her. Before she had an audience of main men hating on how she was a “typical and horrible female rapper”, but, she stuck to her guns and got recognized by more women (and men) who adore her. It makes sense: her style is so refreshing to listen to and she portrays herself so well. Although there have been many successful female rappers in the past, Ice Spice contributed to the feminine culture of Gen Z and showed that you can be both feminine and calm while also maintaining the “bad bitch” aesthetic.

Speaking of femininity, her next song was a collab with PinkPanthress called Boy’s a liar Pt. 2. For reference, PinkPanthress is famous (especially on TikTok) for her soft voice and chill vibes. Her first song was popular with 5.9 million views, but her second song featuring Ice Spice got 171 million views. It was interesting because Ice Spice brought her typical drill style in a calming voice but combined with PinkPantntheress’ soft and calm voice, it worked well. Even in the music video it looks like they are two friends hanging out and it was meant to be. On TikTok, this song blew up with 1.8 million posts under the song. Again there’s no specific trend but the song is just such a bop and it goes well with many TikTok videos. People started looking up to Ice Spice as she was something refreshing. She had a fresh view of feminism: you can give any vibe you want and still be a woman.

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Her next two songs were a collab with the female rapper icon: Nikki Minaj. On Princess Diana, Ice Spice used her regular charisma to create a flow with Nikki Minaj. Similar to PinkPanthress, they seem so great together and the vibes they create are immaculate. What’s so amazing is Nikki Minaj, one of the best female rappers ever (that’s not a debate sorry) is collabing with a girl who basically just started making music a year ago. Ice Spice was able to use her femininity and mannerisms to gain fame and respect in the Gen Z community. Nikki Minaj even called her the “princess of rap”.

The second collab she did with Nikki was Barbie World. This song was played in the iconic movie Barbie, which according to NPR, brought close to $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office, becoming one of the only female-dominated movies among the top-grossing films of all time. What better way to show feminism than to have Ice Spice, a woman who made it in the rap industry, on the Barbie album.

Honestly, Ice Spice’s music was not for me, but her latest songs (Barbie World and boys a liar) were definitely a bop and got added to the playlist. It was nice to see the growth of her music, the growth of her fans, and the growth of her personal style.

#ice spice #hip hop #rap #nikki minaj #music #tiktok #Youtube

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fernsam · 5 months

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

#hip hop #music blog #music #artist profile #kendrick lamar #Youtube

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fernsam · 6 months

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Student Music-Maker Interview

The music-making process is something that I have always appreciated. So much thought, effort, and time goes into making something sound good. It is hard to combine everything, like finding the right notes, using your voice, and uniquely expressing yourself. Music is always evolving, and artists constantly use their minds to produce something different. This week, I had the opportunity to interview a student who made an amazing song called Grow. Her name is Mahima Muddu and she is a freshman at Rutgers. Her song is very peaceful and catchy. The instruments are amazing the singing is so calming to hear.

Here are some questions that get to know the artist and her song on a more personal level:

It’s so interesting to meet a student who makes music on the side. What inspired you to make music?

I’ve been playing music ever since I was a child. I was in piano lessons and I also played the clarinet. I also experimented with so many other instruments, like guitar, trumpet, trombone, drums, and the ukulele. I absolutely loved playing music, but I had always wanted to be on the other side of it. So, when I found out about my high school’s Intro to Music Technology and Composition elective, I just joined in my junior year of high school. My final test that year was to write a song. It was my very first song. That song is the reason I make music. I just loved that it was mine. My song. I made it. A real song! I know lots of people write songs and it maybe wasn’t that special, but it was my song and I loved that feeling. That feeling is the reason I make music, I think.

Wow, I can’t believe this was your first song. It sounded so professional! Was there any artist’s vibe you were going for?

I listen to a lot of Phoebe Bridgers, Mac DeMarco, and Mitski, but I don’t feel like any of that ever shows in the music I make. Although I try to make songs like my favorite artists, I usually feel like the song writes itself and takes on whatever vibe it wants. I think for the song I wrote for our Podcast Project, I was going for a Mitski vibe at the time, but it just never really took shape like that. So yes, there are artists that influence me, but not exactly how I want them to.

I like that you took your own path. Elaborating on your song writing itself, how was the music-making process?

The music-making process is extremely fickle. I don’t know exactly what the right mood is to write music, but it’s usually extremely late at night. And it’s hours at a time. I’ll sit down for hours until the sun comes up and make a song. After that, there’s a lot of fixing and fiddling to make it exactly how you want. In the end, it’s never really perfect for me. There’s always more to do.

But for music making, it's pretty much only garage band and I really like using the drums and the synths. They're a lot of fun. For singing though, I have very little experience. I took singing lessons in elementary school and was part of the choir then, but after that, I never really focused on my voice but I did use it to demo my songs for the actual singers to know what it was supposed to sound like.

Just to get to know you better, what’s your favorite song?

My favorite song right now is Motion Sickness by Phoebe Bridgers.

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This song was really good and I’m sure I, as well as many others, would like to hear more. Do you have any new projects you’re thinking about?

I actually don’t have any projects at all that I’m thinking about. Ever since I started college, I haven’t been sure where to take this music thing. I’m majoring in Computer Science and I don’t know how this could fit into it. I’m so busy with school and my job and I just wonder what I’d do with any more music if I ever made it. Music is on that ‘maybe’ level for me right now, even though I love it a lot.

I hope that she does continue music because even though it is hard to balance many things, finding time for things that you love is important. Above were a few questions that dove not just into the music-making process, but the artist and her background. It’s interesting to see how people are inspired to create music. She plays a diverse range of instruments and has a distinct musical taste, and her music subtly reflects those qualities while also creating her own style. I hope that she finds time to make more music because this song was great!

#music #artist interview #music interview #indie music #mitski #phoebe bridgers #new song #Youtube

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fernsam · 6 months

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Shop Right With ShopRites Music Scene

Grocery shopping is a place where everyone goes to get the food that they need for the week (or more weeks). I also go grocery shopping for groceries, but I find myself occasionally going there just for fun, even when I don’t need anything. Why? Because my go-to grocery store is Shoprite, and I love everything about it. The premade sushi, the in-store Dunkin, the personal care products, and of course the food. But there is something I have found even more interesting about Shoprite: the music. I’ll admit I never go to ShopRite to listen to the music, but I always make fun of it. It’s usually some patriotic music (like they literally played “God Bless America” once on a random day in June), or some old tune that I tune out. However, today when I went to Shoprite, I kept an ear out for the Shoprite music scene, I noticed that there was a lot of “olden day” music, but it was pretty nice.

The first song I heard when I entered was “And We Danced.” This song was pretty groovy, and it sounds like a typical 80s songs. It’s just a song about how they danced with the basic 80s tune in the background. I thought it was actually a pretty good song, but shoprite plays it at such a low volume that I can barely even hear it. I was kind of disappointed that this wasn’t the typical american songs I would make fun of, but according to Wikipedia, it is from an American rock band, so I think this is close enough. Honestly I was impressed that Shoprite played this song because although it is a typical 80s pop song, it is pretty good background music and it sort of makes you feel happy to shop.

The next song I heard was “No One Gets the Prize/The Boss.” The genre is soul and the vibe was very funky. Like the previous song, it is from the 80s and is also a typical 80s song, but the singing is very nice for this one. I definitely see how this song fits both the soul and funk genre because it does make you want to dance, but the singing is so vocal and present. At one point, she starts vocalizing and making that “ow” sound and I really liked it. This song also stuck out to me because it was 9 minutes and they played the whole thing. Even though it was really long, I found myself listening to it the entire time while I was shopping.

The last song I will talk about that stood out to me was “A girl like you.” The song started off kind of different, with some clue-sounding music. His singing is very deep singing, and a strange robot sound follows after him after he sings. There was even a constant guitar solo. The vibes of this song were again old, but a different kind of vibe. Rate Your Music said it was released in the 90s and the genre was pop rock and cocktail nation. Again, a basic genre of pop but cocktail nation was an interesting description. Appearntly cocktail nation was made ironically due to lounge music. That is so interesting to me because you would expect a grocery store to play lounge music, but instead, they are playing this divergent genre that uses lounge music in a way that makes it more entertaining and lively.

Although all three songs were pretty old, I never knew Shoprite put effort into the music scene. I don’t know how popular these songs are in their time, but to me these aren’t the generic pop songs I usually hear at stores. I walked in ready to hear some patriotic American songs but instead, I got some groovy songs that make me energetic. In general, I feel that stores deliberately pick a certain genre depending on what vibe they are going for. I could tell that I did not fit Shoprite's typical demographic of people who go grocery shopping on a Thursday night, but I could tell they put effort into making the music scene comforting for their demographic. And maybe next time I won’t make fun of Shoprite's music taste and keep an open ear because honestly some of the songs were fun to listen to.

#music #music blog #shoprite #80s music

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fernsam · 6 months

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The Musical Creativity of Gone gone/Thank you

You know when you finish a really good movie and you’re sad that it’s over but it was just so satisfying. That’s the feeling of Tyler the Creator’s song “Gone gone/Thank you”. This song is about how he had just gone through a breakup. As the song title suggests, his love is finally gone and he’s thankful for the experience. It's not really a mind-blowing concept, but Tyler uses the idea of two songs in one to contrast the stages of moving on. Specifically, he creates a spotlight that sifts between the instrumental and his voice to emphasize the complex and heartbreaking emotions felt regarding leaving a relationship.

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The starts very abruptly with a simple percussion and off-key singing. It is pretty eerie and makes the listener wonder what is happening. As the song continues, the singing sounds more and more like singing, but what marks the actual start of the song is the percussion fading in and coming back. He starts singing how his love is gone and it sounds like a defeated character who longs for something. Throughout the first half of the song, his cracking and raw voice doesn’t change. What makes his voice stick out the most, however, is the instrumentals, which include a subtle percussion, a slow synth, and an occasional guitar riff. This allows the listener to focus on what he is saying and relate with him, and it sounds like he is talking directly to his ex. To shift focus onto the sample, the chorus is from “Hey Girl” by Cullen Omori, which is a very depressing and indie-sounding song. This helps show that the instrumental adds just the right amount to the melancholy mood where we can focus on what he is saying yet still feel the heartbreaking emotions subtly placed in the music. At the bridge, he lowers his voice, almost like he is going insane, repeating “Kept me going, the bandaid is falling off now” and ends with “and now I'm scarred for life”, which is then cut off by the instrumental. His voice comes back in the third verse, which is pretty different and is more of a rap. Even though Tyler is rapping, his voice is still very raw.

At the end of the first part of the song, he plainly asks in a normal voice if they want him to “do it over”. A really soft voice asks “where” (which I have never noticed out of my thousands of listens before), and according to Genius, he responds with: “Everything.” Even though it is such a short interaction, it makes the listener wonder what is wrong with this version and he wants to start the song over again. In a more metaphorical sense, Tyler may have wanted to correct the mistakes he made in his past relationship, like how singers want a do-over of a song to correct its mistakes. On the other hand, he could be saying how he wants to do everything over to be happy again. What really nails the coffin about how heartbroken he is is the outro, which is not even said by Tyler himself. In a distorted voice (with no music in the background), a comedian named Jerrod Carmichael says: “I hate wasted potential, that shit crushes your spirit. It really does, it crushes your soul.” Even though it is just someone’s voice, the line feels so impactful because of the lack of instrumental.

The instrumental completely shifts its tempo and mood. The instrumental gets its spotlight with the solo which transitions to him singing in a muffled voice. Unlike “Gone gone”, the instruments start gaining more solos and focus (listen to how much is going on in the instrumental). The percussion is a lot more lively, the guitar riff is more prevalent, and the synth keeps on dancing throughout the song. This creates a more positive atmosphere for the song. Even though the instrumental is positive and it sounds like the song will conclude soon, he constantly sings that he will “never want to fall in love again”. Because of the upbeat instrumental the listener can tell that he really is trying to be happy but the lyrics are so hurtful that it makes it feel even more depressing. At the same time, the upbeat instrumental allows the listener to believe that he really did enjoy the good times and that he is appreciative. In the end, the instrumental again fades away along with his voice. You can tell that the song is over and after everything calms down, he quickly says “got my eye” (and it ends). Ending with a voice contributes to the meaning of his song: his eyes are open and he knows that he has to move on.

This song really felt like a roller coaster ride with a satisfying, yet bitter conclusion. The first part of the song starts with a melancholic atmosphere that mainly focuses on the vulnerability of his thoughts, while the second part focuses on the bittersweet reality of needing to heal and move on. Tyler is able to achieve this meticulously through the alternating emphasis on either the diverse instrumental or his unique voice. Through this, Tyler drags you along on his rough journey and leaves you satisfied with how personal it feels.

#tyler the creator #youtube #music #hip hop #pop music #tiktok #Youtube

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fernsam · 7 months

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Break Up Playlist

Sitting with a tub of ice cream and having mascara run down my face is what I always pictured what it feels like to break up as a kid. I thought it was just sadness and crying. Later on, I learned that it is not that simple. It's a weird feeling. It’s messy and confusing, but it’s usually necessary. My friend just got out of a relationship and I kept reassuring her that everything would be okay. She responded that she knows she will be okay but doesn't feel okay. None of my words could really reassure her, so I made this playlist to just help her go through the feels. I will look at heartbreak from a psychological perspective and categorize the songs into the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Denial:

The first song on my playlist is Step On Me by The Cardigans. Even though this is not a breakup song, I wanted to add it because it shows the effect of being in a relationship. Relationships are very codependent and breaking up feels like the end of something so natural. Denial is all about sock and fear and everything you were used to about the world has suddenly changed. Step On Me stays in that past world and insists that they don’t mind that they’re heart is being broken. In this verse, she sings: “Oh, I think you're holding the heart of mine (my heart is yours), squeeze it apart, that's fine.” Although the lyrics to this song are very simple, it shows how even though someone is breaking your heart, love makes things much more complex.

ARE WE STILL FRIENDS? by Tyler the Creator is a song about denial. Even though they have broken up, Tyler still poses the question if they can be friends. Like Step On Me, it shows how hard it is to let someone go, especially in the beginning. Interestingly enough, even though the breakup happened in the middle of the album, this song is the last song on the album. That shows that denial can happen at any time and the emotion in this song is insane. Again, the lyrics aren’t too complicated, but the way he basically begs to still be friends makes it so heartbreaking. The “i don't want to add this season on a bad episode” ties into the idea that breakups are hard to just “get over”. Even though this is the first stage, I feel that people forget that some things need time and it’s okay to address the “unwanted” feelings.

Anger:

Listening to Happier Then Ever for the first time made me think that this was the typical sad song. The soft singing, the ukele, the slow pace. I’m not usually a huge fan of Billie Elish, but I love the transition from the typicall sad break up song to the pop-rock genre. The sudden shift using the guitar and singing “i’d never treat me this shitty” shows how quickly emotions can change. The lyrics are really impactful and even though it doesn’t sound like a typical angry song, you can hear from her voice and the instruments that she feels frustrated. What I really like is that the whole time she keeps her cool while delivering low blows to her ex. Especially her last line, where she is just screaming “Just fucking leave me alone.”

Similar to Happier Then Ever, Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo is sung very softly. Through her lyrics, however, you can see the metaphor of how she compares her ex to a greedy vampire: someone who “sucked” the life out of her. She really uses her voice to make the audience understand how predatory her ex was. The raw vocals were very impressive and she raised her voice at all the right points to really emphasize how helpless she felt. Even the dramatic instrumental at the end showed that she's glad to finally get this off her chest and finally put her frustrations into words. Anger doesn’t always have to be a bad thing, and it feel relieving to let off steam.

Bargaining:

I was having trouble understanding what bargaining was but apparently it is to explain how things could have been done differently or better. The song that reminds me of this is Back to December by Taylor Swift. It’s her typical Taylor Swift vibe, but she talks about how she is sorry for that night and she even says she would “go back in time and change it.” I’m not a huge Taylor Swift fan but when my friends played this song it really stuck with me. I usually hear break up songs bashing the other person, so it was interesting to hear an apology. Reflecting is a good idea and not everything has to be directed towards the other person.

Another side to bargaining is just straight up begging. A song that reminds me of this is Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want by the Smiths. This is probably the shortest song in the playlist but it matches Taylor Swift with it’s country vibe. He is basically just asking to get what he wants. Although the lyrics aren’t much, I like how short it is. He is straight to the point and is being very apperant on what he wants. In break ups, people may find it hard to think about themself and put them first, but this is very important to moving on.

Depression:

There were so many songs I could pick for this topic but one that I think has to be here is Mr. Loverman. I think I have cried to this song about a hundred times with nothing close to this happening in my life. The simple beat puts the spotlight on his clear voice. It really forces you to listen to the lyrics and he does a great job of portraying missing someone. The bridge where he talks about being shattered and being helpless followed by the hearwrentching chorus, this song definitely portrays the longing and depression that comes with moving on.

With similar vibes to Mr. Loverman, I added I Love You So by the Walters. This song is about leaving someone behind even though you love them. This song is actually about going through the process of breaking up because his partner is cheating, but it really conveys feeling of moving on. When he says “this feelings old and I know I know that I’ve made up my mind.” It shows that time really does play a role in moving on. Even though he loves her he is tired of feeling this way. Depression is tiring but sometimes its a good way to show that it is time to move on.

Acceptance:

Going back to the queen of break up songs, I used We Are Never Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift. This song is a generic pop song and uses catchy beats to show the joy that comes with moving on. To me, this song is a very nostalgic song, and the story can be seen as relatable to many. (i’m assuming) Her iconinc singing of “we are never ever ever getting back together” just make you feel empowered to do the same. Acceptance is all about finally accepting what happened and using that to empower you to move forward in life.

The last song on this playlist is GONE, GONE / THANK YOU by Tyler The Creator. At first, he mixes into the depressed stage because his love is gone, but towards the end, he realizes that it was good that it ended. He is actually appreciative for the experience he got. The second part of the song (thank you) really adds a new perspective. Even with all the pain Tyler went through, he still thanked him. Of course he is still hurt, saying lines like “i will never fall in love again” showing how impactful a breakup can be. Even though this is the acceptance stage, it’s still hard to completely move on. All that matters is that you acknowledge how your feeling and trust that time will heal you.

Heartbreak isn’t just about linearly going through the stages. Everything can happen all at once or something completely out of script will be thrown your way. Although it’s messy, that is a part of the process. Even in the playlist, some songs weren’t even about break up and some stages had completely different genres. Regarding the meaning of the songs, there was not much linearity either. Tyler was supposed to be appreciative, but you could tell he was still deeply hurt. Billie’s song sounded soft and composed, but it was filled with rage. Even though it’s complicated that’s okay. It’s okay to miss them even though you’re supposed to have already accepted it. It’s okay to put yourself first even though it seems so unnatural. Sure the stages help frame the grieving process, but grief is all over the place and that’s okay.

#breakup #playlist #spotify #music #Spotify

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fernsam · 7 months

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Live Connection To Culture

I always found it interesting how excited my friends get when they’re staring down at their phones waiting in the queue to buy concert tickets. Then suddenly, they’re at the front ready to spend over $200 on a ticket. I never got to experience that and never wanted to experience it. Sure it would be cool, but personally, I never thought it was worth the money, like I can just listen to it on Spotify (I know it's not remotely the same but that's how I feel). In fact, I rarely saw any live shows, until my parents asked me “Do you want to come see a live performance?” And guess what, I had to buy a ticket for it. Sure it wasn’t me waiting for a queue and all, but this was my first live show that I (my parents) paid over $50 for. The show featured a Goan singer, and for context, Goa is a place in India, which is where my parents are from. In regard to the singer, I had no idea who she was honestly not that excited. To make it worse, I do not know much Konkani (the language spoken in Goa) and the venue was an Indian place I have been to a million times. But I went, and honestly, I’m glad I did.

Here is a picture of Goa... keep this in mind when thinking of Konkani songs.

My parents hyped up the singer saying she is famous for her Goan music, but my expectations were still pretty low. The signer's name is Sonia Shirsat and she actually is kind of famous - she even has a Wikipedia page. When I got to the venue and heard her sing for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised by her soft and vocal voice. It was honestly what you would picture from a regular talented singer but it was nice to hear. The band was made of an electric guitar, a keyboard, drums, and the singer (of course). It was very simple but it was interesting to hear the authenticity of the music. It just felt right and I really enjoyed the casual vibes.

Sonia sang some Goan songs that I had heard before but they sounded different live. She sang a lot of old dancing songs that you would want to “boogie to”. And the band really added to that old vibe. After this performance, I got curious about what the songs (that I've heard countless times) were about. I found out a Konkani song I have heard frequently was about a husband demanding his wife for alcohol or else he’ll break her head… interesting. It was called “Yo Baile Yo” and I never would have guessed that was the context, especially hearing it come from such a cheerful song. It is also supposed to be a comedy song apparently. Although I was shocked about this whole song, hearing it in person and learning the actual meaning behind the song really made me feel more involved in Goan culture. Like I was let in on some inside joke.

Shifting from her more happy and silly songs, she used her vocal talents to sing some serious ones. Another Goan song I have heard frequently is “Molbailo Dou” and it is a love song. It is very sweet and there was no strange context behind this song. It's just about being in love and I honestly forgot what the lyrics were specifically, but even with the language barrier, you can hear the passion in her voice.

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She also sang some original songs with a similar vibe and I enjoyed being exposed to a diverse set that wasn’t the same five I usually hear at Goan events. Although I enjoyed the authenticity, it did seem like a lot of the songs had the same tune. However, in general, this performance made me feel connected with my culture. Even some English songs like Hallelujah just felt more personal coming from her. Am I ever going to listen to her on my own? Probably not. But it felt right to go in there with an open ear and leave with a stronger connection to my culture.

#music #live music #indian music #Youtube

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fernsam · 7 months

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Hip Hop: A different perspective on love

A review/interpretation of Tyler the Creator's Album "Igor"

The theme of 21 Savage’s latest album, Savage Mode II, was “money and pussy”. Not really groundbreaking stuff. Don’t get me wrong I love 21 Savage (and that album), but as a (female) hip-hop fan who mainly listens to newer artists, so many hip-hop songs deal with romance in a way that objectifies women. Even romantic hip-hop songs, do not feel very personal. From sweet lines -like one from Drake’s “Best I Ever Had”: “you are my everything, you all I ever wanted”- to salty lines -like Kanye's “Heartless”: “How could you be so heartless?”-never really spoke out to me. I get it: the girl is amazing, the girl is a b****, but where are YOUR feelings? Tyler the Creator’s album “Igor” explores exactly that. And to make it even more interesting, he is talking about a guy. I feel that both of these topics have rarely been explored in mainstream hip-hop, especially combined. Tyler the Creator uses a diverse set of musical components to stray away from the normalities of hip-hop/rap and successfully conveys a catchy, yet heartbreaking, album about a man in love.

Part 1: Falling in Love

The album starts off with “Igor’s Theme”, which is an ominous riff that kind of sounds like final battle music in a video game. It feels like when you know the final boss is coming and you’re all excited to finally meet them. Lyrically there’s not much going on, but it already shows how Tyler is able to rely on an instrumental to set the mood instead of just words. That already goes against the main principle of rap which, according to Merriam-Webster, is defined as rhythmic speech chanted to a musical accompaniment. And the cherry on top, it’s really catchy and I’ve definitely gotten this song stuck in my head, even with the few lyrics he gives us.

After getting hyped up by the previous song, Tyler finally starts to reveal his attachment to this person. Again, the lyrics are pretty repetitive, but he uses his voice as well as upbeat music to create “Earfquake”. Even though the song is so upbeat and singable, he says how their love is “making his heart break”. It shows how heartbreaking it feels to have someone who doesn’t feel the same about you be kind to you. His repetition of “don’t leave it’s my fault” makes him seem really desperate and nonsensical but it really shows how love works, it’s not just butterflies in your stomach, it's strange and doesn’t always bring out the best. A line that really stuck with me was “I don’t want no confrontation, no. You don’t want my conversation. I just need some confirmation on how you feel so real.” It makes no sense but makes perfect sense at the same time. Pitchfork described it as succeeding “in communicating mood as their own sense of logic.”

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Compared to the other two songs, lyrically this one is more happy. The drum is prominent and there is a lot more singing. Tyler blatantly says he "thinks" he’s falling in love. Although it’s an upbeat love song his voice is really monotone, especially when he says “how can I tell you”. It seems that he’s not that excited to confront his crush, which is definitely understandable. That transitions to the next song, which is only 15 seconds. He says “exactly what you run from you end up chasing.” Granted, I've heard similar phrases before, but it just hits more deep knowing he dedicated an entire song to this quote. Also, I love how he strays from any genre (that I know of) and creates such a short song to get a single point across.

Part 2: The Struggle

Transitioning from the previous song about running, this song is about “running out of time”. The instrumental is really chill and the lyrics are very slow. I wasn’t a huge fan of this song originally because of its slow and chill pace, but when the drums come out for the second verse, which is a little bit faster, the lyrics reveal what the song is about. Tyler wants his lover to stop lying to himself because Tyler knows the real him. That reminds me of the frustration of being closeted and although I didn’t really vibe with the beginning, I am glad that he brought a queer perspective into the game.

I think the main reason Running Out of Time wasn’t as exciting for me is because the song that comes after it is on a whole other level. “New Magic Wand” completely changes the vibe and starts off very heavy with a villain theme vibe. The maniacal laughing in the intro quickly changes to Tyler talking about wanting to get his lover’s girl out of the picture. You can feel the jealousy in his voice and the thumping beat and instrumental makes you want to side with him. According to Genius, Tyler even hints at the fact that the new magic wand may be a gun in Verse 3 with the lines “She's gonna be dead, I just got a magic wand.” Transitioning from that, verse 4 is one of his best rap verses on the album and it fits perfectly because you definitely feel him become more and more deranged as the song goes on. What really adds to the maniacal feeling is the music. Seriously just listen to the instrumental and it tells its own story.

After all that basically psychotic talk, Tyler flips it around and compares his lover to a dangerous gun. “A boy is a gun” also confirms that his love is a boy. Tyler is mad that he won’t show his true self and knows that he’s bad for Tyler. His lover even “brought his girl”, ouch. This song is really good and I can really feel how he wants him to stay away because he knows he is going to get hurt but he can’t. I love the piano part while he repeats “stay the fuck away from me” because the piano sounds like it’s coming closer. The girl singing in the background and the gun sound effects really add to the dramatic mood of the song. Tyler knows that he is a bad idea.

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Part 3: Moving on

Now that Tyler is telling him to stay away, he has to move on. “Puppet” is about him not being able to leave, explaining that his lover controls him and he’s lonely. Again contradicting himself, Tyler knows this relationship is bad for him but can’t let go. The music sounds kind of like a children’s song and he does a lot more rapping in this song. It perfectly fits the mood because Tyler’s trying so hard to keep him, which he is aware is childish. The singing part of “i’m your puppet” is similar to the other songs, showing his desperation. What’s interesting about this song is that the last minute is just music. The song ends with a sort of ambulance-sounding noise and a girl singing. Even though he is starting to move on, there is still that continuous theme of how hard it is to let go.

“What’s good” continues with the ominous video game music. This time it sounds like a chaotic chase where he rambles about how good he is. The line “Hard to believe in God when there ain't no mirrors around” really sets off the vibe of this song: it's just a random “I’m better”. To counteract this egotistical manner, he continues with the song “Gone gone/Thank you”. This is another masterpiece that portrays all the stages of moving on in a humble manner. At first, he sounds depressed because his love is gone, but towards the end, he realizes that it was good that it ended. He is actually appreciative for the experience he got. To show all these different stages, the song uses different types of genres that flow together to portray the different stages of moving. According to a Gen Z Journalist, this song is “infused with bluesy, R&B, techno, rock, rap and alternative sounds.” The second part of the song (thank you) really adds a new perspective. We have gotten a lot of contradicting feelings about love and doubt but never any about gratitude. Even with all the pain he went through, Tyler still thanked him. What's even more interesting is that throughout this album Tyler has never really hated his lover, and now he is thanking him for the good times. Tyler is definitely not the first person to come up with this idea but I would love to see more themes like this in hip hop. What finally marks him moving on, however, is Tyler saying “I don’t love you anymore”. At first, he says it, then he screams it, and then the music takes over. Definitely a bittersweet ending.

Part 4: Moved on?

The final track on the album, “Are We Still Friends?”, contradicts the entirety of part 3. Tyler still wants to be friends, even knowing that their relationship is really fragile. The beautiful jazz instrumental sets the vibe of a love (hopefully platonic) song. You can feel the emotions he can’t let go through his singing and the instrumental. Who knew lines so simple as “are we still friends” and “can be friends” could be so heartbreaking? (Seriously I have cried to this song multiple times) After practically experiencing this whole break-up story, I really understand him for still wanting to salvage the relationship. The “i don't want to add this season on a bad episode” ties into the whole idea that romance, and even life, aren’t always perfect. That reminds me of this edit where a beloved character, Fiona from Shameless, just leaves. It was sad but it was definitely for the best. What ties this ending theme perfectly together, however, is the outro: the screaming and the instrument that never got to resolve. The instrument shows Tyler’s desperation to ask his ex-lover one last question (but he can’t sadly), and at the same time, the scream gives a release that he is finally able to let it all out.

Just like Tyler, I have to move on as well. I could probably talk about this album forever but everything must come to an end. The album successfully fuses components of hip-hop with unique features to create his own kind of genre. Even better, every song sounds good in its own way. It does get repetitive at times, but Tyler is not afraid to try new things and can easily go from singing to rap to speaking and even to screaming. Even his instrumentals have no singular pattern/ And on top of that, he is able to add so much substance to the story through his lyrics, and each song is unique. I don’t even have a favorite song because I have found myself listening to most of these songs on repeat depending on my mood. Aside from the musicality, I have never been able to relate to an album about romance more. Tyler successfully conveys the constant longing, hatred, jealousy, gratitude, happiness, and so many other emotions that can happen at the same time. Love is all about not making sense and contradicting yourself, yet Tyler used his music to make it make at least some sort of sense.

#hip hop #rap #tyler the creator #igor #music #album review #Youtube

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fernsam · 8 months

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i can feel it in my GUT(S)

Olivia Rodrigo's new album did what albums should do

2 years later after SOUR, Olivia Rodrigo released GUTS in September of 2023. In a broad sense, GUTS focuses on the story of being a teenage girl and making the wrong decisions. Specifically, fans speculate that the album is mainly about Olivia’s controversial ex, Zack Bia, a 26-year-old who dated Olivia when she was only 19. The album did an amazing job of explaining their messy history and used different musical features in a unique way to convey how complicated her feelings were/are about him.

The first song, “All American Bitch”, starts the album with soft singing and abruptly transitions into rock then back to soft singing. It is a catchy song that experiments with three different genres that flow together nicely. In an interview, Oliva herself said this was her favorite track because it was musically different. The contrast between the soft pop voice, where she explains society's expectations for her, and a rock/teenage dirtbag vibe, where she reveals her imperfections, show that she’s aware she’s done with trying to be perfect. Additional to the musical aspect, her screaming, and her confession that she “knows her age”, really set up what the album will be about: she’s a girl who made mistakes but she has accepted it. And in regards to Zack, she could be hinting about his expectations for her. The fact that this song is so over the place but makes sense at the same time shows how contradicting expectations are to be perfect. It makes listeners understand the feeling of wanting to be free from all social pressures.

The album progresses with her story, first by asking herself if seeing Zack is a “bad idea right?” She keeps on explaining how she knows it’s wrong to be with him but it's just so tempting. In terms of lyrics, this song isn’t as unique compared to the first one and there is not much vocal singing. On the other hand, I like how she talks to the audience like it’s a casual confession between friends. It feels like those situations when you’re trying to convince your friends that they’re not THAT bad. What really adds to this is the catchy instrumental with ambiguous genres. Pitchfork explains that it’s a mix of punk and pop-rock, but Olivia really pulls these two together to make a “Frankenstein” genre. Through her unique instrumental, and voice, she kind of convinces us that yes, she shouldn’t be in his bed, but it was an experience. The lightheartedness of the song tempts the listeners to agree with her reckless behavior.

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After two songs hinting about the bad, “Vampire” is where the real expression of how she feels about him comes out. I’ll start with the really obvious, Vampire uses a metaphor that compares her ex to a greedy vampire - someone who “sucked” the life out of her. Unlike the songs before, this song uses more piano and has a more sadder vibe. She really uses her voice to make the audience understand how predatory her ex was. The raw vocals were very impressive and she raised her voice at all the right points to really emphasize how helpless she felt. She really regrets how she ignored the signs, but that’s how abuse works.

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The whole chorus about how he bled her dry and only came out at night really shows how exploitative he was and how much he impacted her. Even the dramatic instrumental at the end showed that she's glad to finally get this off her chest and finally put her frustrations into words. Everything about this song really convinces the listeners to understand how she felt with sympathy.

Although I loved the three songs mentioned above, another song that is very popular is “get him back!”. Musically, I didn't really like this one. The chorus reminds me of KIDZ BOP, especially with the layering of voices. However, the background instrumental was unique and I could definitely see why people like this song. What really stands out in this song is the lyrics. According to Genius, she uses a play on words to say how she wants him back but also wants to get him back in a revenge sense. In this song, she does more acting than singing and delivers funny lines like “I wanna meet his mom to tell just to tell her her son sucks.” The humor adds to the idea of how personal and real this album is. Additionally, the contrast between the lyrics of love and revenge shows the listener how complicated emotions can be, and breaking up is not just sadness. Olivia addresses what other people may not have been able to say: even though he hurt her she still kind of wants him back.

Although I really like the personality of the album, I’ll admit it’s not necessarily experimental and revolutionary, especially comparing it to her previous album SOUR. At the same time, I believe it’s really good in its own interesting way. I appreciate the effort she put into explaining her side of the story and she did a great job of expressing the mix of feelings she felt, from feeling self-confident to mischievous to heartbroken to romantic and to so many others. Through this album, she was able to make the listener understand these emotions as well. The diverse use of different instrumentals and voices (seriously she went from casually talking to full-on vocals and it made sense) really flowed together and put all these complicated chaotic emotions into one cohesive album. GUTS can provide comfort to people through the acknowledgment that emotions are not always sensible.

#olivia rodrigo #guts olivia rodrigo #guts album #music #album review #music review #pop music #Youtube

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