https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/tYJZCyd87p1hHRmP8

Personal essay

JOHNNY RECORD CLUB 2

This class reminded me of how much I love music. How the essence of it makes me feel human and alive in certain ways I can’t explain. This class taught me how to look at music from a different perspective than before. When I would just look for certain lines that resonate with me or certain moments in an artist’s active time, it’s now with a better lens. It’s with knowing that, now I have the utmost respect for writers and critiques that truly love the culture of music more than before. It makes me realize everyone has a connection. Whether we’re different, or the same, sometimes we all feel something, and that’s what music is all about. Feeling something, My portfolio, “It’s Sunny Where The Cold Wind Blows” Spreads across many artist and subjects that I adore, I hope that you enjoy.

 

 

 

With someone like Kanye West, you can never be surprised at what you learn. As the times come, we find out more and more about the genius that Kanye West truly is. But what is not spoken about is the fact that he is one of the most sampled artists in music today. Knowing his work, it would make any fan raise an eye thinking that someone who has a very sample influenced sound that can be the canvas of other’s masterpieces? Especially with the way Kanye’s sound has developed through change in tempo, tone (through autotune), subject matter, and even the intricate use of old classic music.  Also, we look through some monumental moments in Kanye’s career with some of his best collaborators. Also, the fact that all of these songs went number one and were highly favored by the people for their use of samples and collaborators, shows the significance and importance of Kanye’s musical genius to the people.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue1v0o9_hJM

 

I figured I give us an oldie but goodie that fills my soul with good vibes. The song might be familiar to some who are versed within the 90’s R & B, or to someone who watched the early seasons of FX’s “Snowfall”, but this funky slow melody by Roy Ayers has been a staple in music for a long time since its 1976 release.  This song has been referenced in Movies as well. Used as inspiration, “Everybody loves the sunshine” is from a generation dealing with oppression and hate but these synths and easy lyrics make for an easy listen of positivity in a time of strife. The song has a slow tempo the background vocals and Roy Ayers a better gain for the vibrato of the song. Lyrics like “Just bees and things and flowers” as its bridge gives you a sight into how simple but vivid this song is. Other parts of this song have been included in recent music history and which has made it easy for Ayers to not lose the impact of their song throughout the years.

 

The intro has been used as a sample in other works too. for example “My Life” By Mary J Blige:

Also pop references within tv and film:

And Finally, A Recent Performance By Roy Ayers Circa 2019

 

Intro: A passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece, preceding the theme or lyrics. The introduction establishes melodic harmonic or rhythmic material related to the main body of the piece.

Vibrato: a slightly tremulous effect imparted to vocal or instrumental tone for added warmth and expressiveness by slight and rapid variations in pitch.

Tempo: The Speed at which a piece of music should be played.

 

“You don’t know what’s in store
But you know what you here for”

-The Weeknd, High For This

It’s important to understand that I was in my second semester of college, experiencing the beginning of my life as an adult. Finding new ways to love, making old habits die hard and just being a student. I remember the morning of the royal wedding of Prince Philip, I was writing this speech for my public speaking class but taking a break from the long presentation process to listen to some music. Not knowing what I pressed play to, in the sunrise hours of the morning, I was going for the ride of my life.

In some ways, I experienced The Weeknd in the wrong way according to himself, but nonetheless, I was intrigued. On my third refill of coffee, I clicked on this Twitter link that led me to a Mixtape link that had me ultimately asking “Who is The Weeknd?”.I found myself wanting to know more about the man with his face blurred, starter locs, and a mysterious candor to himself,.The album cover was a naked woman with balloons all around her in a bathtub. The mixtape would be known as The House of Balloons. This 9 track Mixtape had so much sultry, drug-filled, sexually driven energy, that my mind couldn’t understand what was going on. This was not my parent’s R & B. To hell, it wasn’t even my older siblings R&B from the ’90s. This was something extreme in comparison, this was an ultimate game-changer.

This influenced me to have a party in the Trump hotel (Pre-Election), buy out the penthouse suite on the 23rd floor overlooking central park, and recreate the toxicity that we now know as the beginning of a trilogy. Who knew at the time that he was changing the music industry as we saw it. This mysterious man, who didn’t even bother to show his full face until his third tape was released, had a hold on me and a generation of people who wanted the soundtrack to their illicitly filled nights.

Years before The Weeknd, R & B was going into an electronic and rock music upheaval. From the production to the way the songs were written, it was either about partying or loving. You would still get your traditional ballads from some of the staples of the genre but nothing changed as we came out of the 00’s decade. With acts like Rihanna, Beyonce, And Ne-Yo exploring the new sounds of music that went against the status quo, there was a storm brewing in the northern hemisphere of America. Drake, who is accredited with the social awakening of the Weeknd, has been a supporter of him since 2010.

"Bring your love baby I could bring my shame." – The Weeknd http://bit.ly/dLGnts

— Drizzy (@Drake) March 7, 2011

With this distinct Canadian sound of drowning bass with muffled samples, The Weeknd takes you on a ride as if you’re going to a haunted strip club with whatever vices you want in the back. With songs like “Wicked Games”, “What You Need”, “The Party And The After Party”, “The Knowing”, Weeknd talks on the subject of sex, drugs, intimacy, and infidelity in ways that were way more sultry than the norm. Lyrics like:

“I Left My Girl back home
I don’t love her no more
And She’ll Never F*cking know that
These f*cking eyes that I’m staring at”

“Wicked Games”
are what make the Weeknd such an enigma inside of R & B and hip hop.

The tempo of the popular R & B music was very fast-paced with the melodies to match at the time. Sounds coming from the likes of the contemporary crowd of this genre of music, but this music more of the new generation of R & B. Weeknd was not the first in this new way of R & B. Acts like Frank Ocean and Jhene Aiko were also starting their respective careers. When in hindsight you can see the influence that they currently have on the genre as a whole, but it’s not the clearest vision without a guide. It’s believed that this mixtape is the mixtape that shaped the sound that currently comes out of the Canadian side of America that has given acts like Drake, Justin Bieber, and PartyNextDoor the ability to breathe a new sense of quality music into the industry.

The production plays a major role in the way that the music is perceived. Doc Mckinney, A long-time producer for the Weeknd was a major staple into this sound. He created this sound that The Weeknd used as a backdrop to the climatic stories of his Toronto lifestyle. While I can see the influence in today’s artists like 6LACK, 24KGLD, Gallant, and Brent Faiyaz, Weeknd has gone far beyond his debut mixtape and has solidified himself as one of the most successful artists in the 21st century. Even in today’s age, Weeknd has elevated the genre once again. Making his hit single “Blinding Lights” a certified mainstay on billboard’s top ten for a whole year. But those Balloons on the bathroom floor will forever mean a new change in the guard for our generation.

Infographic: This infographic shows how Kevin Gates uses rhyme in his song Cartel Swag. Gates uses internal rhymes and repetition to make this song so catchy. However If you are not careful you could miss some of the things that he does in the song that makes your subconscious say, “let’s just listen one more time.”

KING NITO RADIO SHOW PART 1&2!!!

Memoir Mixtape:

The Phantom Tongue 

I cut out my tongue, now I keep it in my pocket. For safekeeping. I ripped out my voice and I put it in a book, as storage. All that is left is a phantom tongue and voice that I use to lie with. I have become a dummy for the people, suppressing who I am, and lying to the people around me to preserve their smiles. “Are you still talking to him? Your father?” “No mom.” “Are you coming to see me soon?” “Yes dad.” “Are you having sex or burning inside?” “No church.” “Do you love us?” Of Course I love you all.” I have learned how to become a liar, a liar with the purest intentions. To preserve the spirit of those around me. Assume that everything I tell you is a lie, a fictitious story to keep you all smiling. If you want the real truth then you have to listen to my music. 

War Zone

Question: “Are you still talking to him? Your father”

Answer: “No mom”

Truth: Yo whatsup? It is Jerome

Sorry I can’t come to the phone 

Don’t call my house cuz i’m not home 

I stepped out to the War Zone 

This song War Zone i wrote back in like 2016-17 after my father was released from prison. He always wanted to reestablish his relationship with my sister and I. However my mother wouldn’t allow it. I understand why she did give him nineteen years of her life and in those years this was his third time in prison in spite of her trying to help him change his behavior. It wasn’t until after we left that he got the message and began to improve himself. When my mother found out that him and I were talking, she was livid and saw this as an act of betrayal on my part. I spent my nights in isolation and my days hearing the sobs of my mother crying to God because I didn’t want to choose between my parents. The chorus of War zone is supposed to represent a voicemail message left to my father by me. I used my middle in the song because my dad is the only person who calls me Jerome, allowing him to know that I am speaking directly to him. In this message I’m telling him that I can’t come to the phone anymore because I officially entered the “war zone”. Which is an internal space where I battle the two parts of me. In the verse is where I actually tell the truth stating, 

Tbh this is breaking my heart 

I never want to choose between my dad and my mom 

It get hard

It’s like every time i sit in my car 

I wanna drive back but i never make it that far.

Question: Are you coming to see me soon 

Answer: Yes dad 

Truth: In my heart, in my song, with my pen, I told him the truth. I’ve already said goodbye. 

One Sparrow

Question: “Are you having sex or burning on the inside?” 

Answer: “What does that even mean. No, church”

Truth: Dealing in deceit 

I’m tryna take you to the back room 

Throw on them sheets 

And get your body out that bathrobe 

Bendin on my knees

To feel you Tug all on my afro 

Hoes cant talk to me 

I got my eye all on one sparrow 

Yeeeaaa church, I don’t know how you would interpret this, but this is the type of music that I write. I would imagine the imagery of ripping my girls clothes off is a nono and would qualify as “burning”. The good news is that I’m only thinking about her, the bad news is I think about this and we are not married yet, I know. Maybe i’ll show you this song after i’m married, but for now I’m going to stay, “Dealing in deceit” because I know first hand where honesty gets you in this church. 

Intentions 

Question: “Do you love us?”

Answer: “Ofcourse”

Truth: My question is who is “us”?!?! My Mother? My Father? My Church? My Girlfriend? 

Do you like me? Or do you love me?

Wanna kiss me Or just hug me

Will you ride Until I die

I can’t say that I’m surprised

I question your intentions…

Sometimes I wonder if anyone would love me if I stated my opinion on things. I wonder if my “go with the flow” type of attitude is my biggest liability even though I paint it as my biggest asset. If I told my mother that I want a relationship with my father, would she hate me like she hates him? If I told my pops that I may never come back to visit him, will he continue to reach out to me? If I tell my church how much I burn inside, would my image be tarnished? If I asked my girlfriend to marry me now, would she say yes? If I told everyone that asked me if I loved them, that my love comes with questions, would they request that I stop loving them? 

Some of these questions I may never have the answer to because that requires me to express my truth. Unfortunately, the truth cannot be told with this phantom tongue. I even lied to you guys. The truth is, I had a tongue. I hid it in my pen after it was violently torn out of my mouth. I had a voice as well. I printed it on paper after it was beaten out of me. And they burned it. On my back yard in my grill. They burned my tongue and voice until it was reduced to ashes and to this day I have never recovered. So now I speak with what is left, a phantom limb smiling and conforming. So that my new music like “One Sparrow” and “Intentions” won’t end up like “War Zone”. Burned to a crisp and reduced to ashes by those who say they love me.

Bonus Tape:

Jarybel Correa 

Engl 303W 

Professor Jason Tougaw 

 

As an Education and English major, this class was definitely one I was looking forward to. Music has always been a part of my life, especially growing up in a Hispanic household. Being able to learn how to write about music has been an overall helpful and enjoyable experience. I was able to write about music that interests me as well as get introduced to new music. What I enjoyed most about this class was the fact that I was able to choose what artists or music I would write about. This allowed me to have a personal connection with my writing, and I was able to express myself genuinely. I believe that I did a great job at understanding a variety of musical genres and with that learning the elements that make up such great music. 

For the album review assignment, I knew what I wanted to write about right away. Mac Miller has been such an inspiration to my life, so I was very excited to be able to cover his last album “Circles”. Here I reflected on the meaning behind his lyrics, and the story he told. This assignment was more enjoyable to write than anything else. I felt as though I was my true genuine self and really did express my thoughts on this album. My voice was really projected through this assignment. 

The Infographic assignment was a little bit of a challenge for me. I chose to write about Amy Winehouse and her amazing work. I felt as though I had a difficult time putting together the infographic itself, but I learned something new and I actually had a great time completing it. Definitely one of the many things I learned in this class this semester.

Lastly, as I look back on my radio show assignment, I am very proud of myself. This was really out of my comfort zone because I am very shy! However I think I did a great job, this was probably my most favorite assignment overall. I was able to put together a radio show special on Rihanna, one of my most favorite artists of all time. Although I had a few things that i could’ve improved on a little more, I was extremely happy with how the final product. 

 

                                                       

 

                                           Album Review: Circles by Mac Miller

 

           At the age of 15, the world came to know the memorable Malcolm James McCormick, also known as Mac Miller. He began his rap career in 2007, he was known as Easy Mac, and later on, he received much attention for his KIDS mixtape in 2010. Soon after, he signed with Rostrum Records and, in 2011, released his Blue Side Park project. In 2018, Mac Miller gave the world his album Swimming with his very accomplished producer Jon Brion. This album meant a lot to Miller, so much so that he always envisioned a second part to it. Unfortunately, on September 7th, 2018, police responded to a 911 call made by Mac Miller’s assistant, who discovered his body in a bedroom at his home. The 26-year-old independent artist was pronounced dead at the scene. After an autopsy, the reasoning for his death is pronounced. An accidental overdose, cocaine, alcohol, and fentanyl were all found in his system. He struggled with addiction for a long time, but Miller was in his best mental state when the accidental overdose occurred; millions of fans were saddened by this tragic loss. However, two years later, the world received the works of Mac Miller one last time.

“Well, this is what it looks like, right before you fall,” Mac Miller sang in his opening track on the album Circles. The world lost a phenomenal, dedicated artist who was gone too soon like many other artists. The first pieces of this album were shared with Jon Brion for the first time while Miller and Brion worked together on Swimming. Unfortunately, before he even got the chance to create this second part of Swimming that he always envisioned, he sadly passed away. However, Brion felt like he owed it to Miller to finish this breathtaking project; he knew the world needed to hear his voice one last time. So, with permission from the late artist’s family, Brion made this project come to be, all while using the inspiration Miller had left behind. On January 17th, 2020, Circles was released. Finally, Mac Miller’s dream of creating this second part became a reality. 

While listening to Circles, it felt very personal. Almost as if Miller was trying to show his true raw self to the world. Using more vocals than ever compared to his other albums, which consisted of more rap than anything else. He took his mental issues and struggles and made this album into a beautiful yet saddening piece. It takes a lot of courage and confidence to open up about deep and honest thoughts and give them to the world for them to listen to, not everyone can, but that is precisely what Mac Miller did with this album. He wanted the listeners to know this emotional part of him that has always been there. This album created an understanding of these deep inner feelings that audiences had never seen in any other album. He wanted us to fully understand every bit of pain he was feeling or overcame, which makes this album so unique. With just the right amount of instruments and his soft-spoken voice, this album touched my heart and many others. 

The tone of this album is calm, peaceful, and very comforting. With connections to Miller’s death, listening to this album can make you feel a heaviness of emotion. Circles feels as though Miller is speaking to us after his death. He has come to be at peace with the situation. He describes his faults, how they have contributed to everything that has happened in his life, but at the same time, it feels as though he is also saying that it is okay, and you feel a sense of comfort and peace. Circles is a very lyric-focused album that is revealing of his soul. Moving away from what he usually creates, rap albums, he stepped out of his comfort zone to create an album that was very similar to Swimming, but they are very different. 

The album begins with the track Circles; from the moment you begin to hear his voice and the soft relaxing sounds of a guitar is when you start to realize that he is gone. Circles is a perfect first track on the album as if this is the beginning to the end of his life, and he is expressing that to the world in his first lyric, “Well, this is what it looks like, right before you fall.” He explains how he feels lost and with no direction, which has caused him to fall into a pattern or cycle with his bad habits or actions. In the track, it seems as though he is aware of the problems that he had to deal with and shows some comfort in knowing that. 

This track sets the tone for the rest of the album, where he continues to describe his self-reflection journey.” Circles” is my favorite song on the album; his mellow and smooth voice to the mellow guitar playing overall creates a very emotional feeling. In this song, I felt every lyric he sang, the music behind it was a plus for me. Good News is probably one of my favorites on the album. Here Miller expresses his feelings on forced happiness and forced positive thoughts in his life. The track includes bass, electric guitar, a more soothing beat, and quiet acoustics. We begin to understand how he has had to fake a smile and lie to the world about how he truly feels. People did not want to hear or even begin to understand his negative thoughts that haunted his mind. Other tracks on the album, such as Everybody, Woods, Hand Me Downs, That’s On Me, and Surf, have similar melancholic tones using simple instruments and mainly lyric focused. 

Everybody is a track that includes a more uplifting drum beat pace and a piano-playing softly and just in the background. In this track, you begin to understand what Miller is saying about life. He expresses why people wish to live their lives more positively and continuously, and that is because life is too short. Ironically, he describes that he has realized how short life is and that while we live this crazy life, it can be over at any moment. The last track on the album Once a Day seems to be the perfect ending. This track was an old piece of his that was unreleased. It almost feels like his final words or final send-off for him. The song includes soft sounds of bells and an electronic and peaceful sort of tone. He uses his voice to further talk about self-reflection, which led him to think about all his faults and things he has struggled with, such as depression, substance abuse, and not being honest with everyone and himself truly felt in life. 

Circles is by far one of my top 5 favorite albums. Listening to this entire album multiple times, track by track, from beginning to end, felt like such an honor. To be able to experience the unraveling of Mac Miller’s true self and genuine emotion filled my heart with sadness but also peace. This album was the perfect ending to his life, and throughout this work of art, we can reflect on ourselves. 2020 has been the worst year for me and many others as well. Just not being able to live life to the fullest and that feeling of being locked up in your own home not being able to express yourself or express your thoughts and feelings can affect your mental health drastically. Mac Miller kept all his feelings bottled up inside and faked a smile for so long until the world finally understood his soul and mind with this album. It is important to express any feeling of sadness or frustration or maybe even guilt throughout this pandemic. It is hard with life not being so standard anymore, but life is too short to keep your emotions bottled up; life is too short to fake a smile. This final piece by Mac Miller touched my soul and many others. His soft-spoken voice, simple instruments, and peaceful tone created the perfect farewell.

 

 

                                                    Infographic: Amy Winehouse

https://create.piktochart.com/output/53615857-the-life-of-amy-winehouse

Above is the link I’ve made public for my Infographic!

 

On September 14th, 1983, Amy Winehouse was born in London, England, to Jewish parents Mitchell, a taxi driver, and Janis, a pharmacist. Amy had a phenomenal voice from the time she was ten years old. Years later, she was enrolled in “Sylvia Young Theater School” but got kicked out of the school due to her lack of work in her studies and nose piercing. During her time at this school, she worked on solos that required a sexy jazz-style voice. Winehouse soon after began to study at the Brit Performing Arts School in South London.

Amy was singing professionally when she was only sixteen years old; this happened because her good friend James Tyler had sent her demo to a record company scout. However, it was not until 2003 when her debut album “Frank” became noticed, as it brought a rebellious rock and roll feel to the music. Besides two songs on the album, all lyrics written by Amy and her brutal truth. The album won her two Brit Awards when released. However, Winehouse was not making headlines because of her voice; her image was unique to the public, making her that much more iconic. Her beehive hairstyle, Cleopatra-style eyeliner, and her tattoos made her stand out.

After the release of “Frank,” Winehouse did not produce or write anything for eighteen months. However, this changed after she met music producer Mark Ronson. She began to write “Back to Black,” which was the best-selling album of 2007. Released in 2006, “Back to Black” was her breakout album. It struck the world to see that every track on the album is unique in its way. The influence of jazz is evident in the songs throughout her album. The opening song “Rehab” is very up-tempo and filled with sass and flair. She expresses her rebellious characteristics in this track, especially when she says, “They tried to make me go to rehab. I said no, no, no.” Despite the alcohol and drug abuse, Amy believed she was fine and refused to admit herself into rehab on her record company’s behalf. The use of horns is significant in her music, especially in the song “You Know I’m No Good,” which helps carry the rhythm. In this song, she tells the story of cheating on her boyfriend with her ex. However, the music is not about forgiveness; in fact, she implies that he should have known how she is, and it is his fault for sticking around.

The album titled song “Back to Black” is one of her most recognizable and popular songs. This track featured the use of violins and piano, creating a very Ballad style. However, she still kept her true style; this made the song so famous and pleasing. There is a balance between the piano riff and instrumentals, emphasizing only the right moments and creating a beautiful piece. “We only said goodbye with words / I died a hundred times / You go back to her /, And I go back to black” is the chorus line that seems to stand out to every listener. Her voice’s emotions behind every lyric and the relativeness make the listener feel more connected with this track. Every single song on this album is worthy of being released as a single. We often notice that there are not as outstanding as the others in other albums. However, this is not the case with Amy’s album. “Back to Black” is a unique piece where every track is worth mentioning. The album debut as No. 7 on the US Billboard 200 and sold 51,000 copies within the first week of its release. “Back to Black” was nominated as the Best Pop/Vocal album, Song of the year, and record of the year in the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. She also won Best New Artist and Best Female Pop/Vocal Artist of the year in 2008.

Amy Winehouse’s music is not defined by one specific genre. Some people would say that her music is Rythym, Jazz, R&B, Hip Hop, or Soul. She was well known for her deep contralto vocals and her mix of musical genres. When listening to any Amy Winehouse song, you notice how effortlessly her unique voice wraps around the jazz-like sound of the instruments. However, in some of her work, the genres mix; there are songs where you hear jazzy tones and get that Soul or R&B aspect. I have noticed how her voice works perfectly with any genre or style of music. She stays true to her unique whiney tone of voice in all of her albums; the music accommodates that and creates beautiful and smooth tracks. This is what I often admire about her music, the way her voice flows with the rhythm. 

Along with success, Amy faced a public battle with her demons. From 2006 to 2007, Amy struggled with alcohol and drug abuse. She realized she was on the path to self-destruction and finally admitted herself into rehab. Winehouse had dreams of becoming a wife, mother, and have a family. However, her dream of normalcy and family never came to be; Amy was found dead in her home on July 23rd, 2011. Several things should be memorable about Amy Winehouse, such as her unique style, powerful voice, and lyrical poetry. Amy brought a retro kind of pop back to life. Even though her musical career was short, she did leave an impact on the world. This impact is still shown today with other female artists. She used the truth of her life to creating excellent work. Amy Winehouse had many tragedies throughout her life, but the biggest tragedy of all is that it took her death for everyone to realize how iconic she is.

 

                                                   LADY J RADIO- Rihanna special 

 

                                             Artist Profile : Music inspiration & interest 

 

  As a child born into a Hispanic and catholic household, my music interest varied throughout my entire life. I was born in Manhattan, New York, on December 20th, 2000. Being the middle child of four, music was put into my perspective from my older sisters. They introduced me at a young age to different genres of music. Our parents were very religious, and growing up in a catholic household, it was difficult for us to listen to music that was not related to the church. My family and I would go to church every Sunday; in addition to that, I attended catholic school every week and also participated in a youth group at our church. I learned many gospel songs in English and Spanish because my godmother was part of the chorus/band at the church. In 2007, my parents split, and so did my family. Eventually, this affected the religious aspect of my life; soon enough, religion seemed to slip away from my daily life. However, only a few years ago, this part of my life was reintroduced to me. I would have to say that this part of my life, is one that I look back at and appreciate the most; it has made me the person I am today and heavily embeds in my persona. However, I do not really listen to gospel music anymore, even though it is still a part of my life.

As I got older, I listened to various artists such as The Notorious B.I.G, Eminem, Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson, T.L.C., etc. The only way I was introduced to these artists was because of my older sisters; I always wanted to be around them and listen to the same things they listened to. If it weren’t for them, I would have never been introduced to this type of music. However, my Father also brought a significant influence on music. He grew up in Queens, New York, during the ’80s, and this was such an influential time in history when it comes to music. He introduced me to old school music, as he likes to call it. As I reached my teen years, music became a massive part of my everyday life. Music gave me the motivation to get out of bed and start my day.

My music taste varies; I enjoy listening to all genres of music. Mostly, Bachata, Merengue tipico, Hip Hop, Rap, Pop, and salsa. Music has always been a massive part of my life; to me, it is a form of expression; on days when I want to feel happy, I listen to more uplifting music such as Merengue Tipico, which is a genre of music that originated in the Dominican Republic. It is very similar to merengue; however it has a faster pace when dancing, I usually listen to Tipico whenever I want to feel uplifted and happy. On days when I want to feel relaxed and chill ill listen to rap or hip hop. Some of my favorite artists include The Notorious B.I.G. and Post Malone. As you can already probably tell, my music taste is very diverse; I enjoy all types of music and enjoy being introduced to new genres and artists. I will introduce you to my top 3 favorite artists and why they have impacted my life.

 

The Notorious B.I.G

 

 

 

Christopher Wallace, also known as The Notorious B.I.G., was one of the most influential rappers. Born on May 21st, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York, to immigrant parents, his father left him and his mother Voletta when he was just two years old. Growing up in Bedford Stuyvesant, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, Smalls was exposed to many street life at such a young age during the crack-cocaine epidemic in the ’80s and ’90s. He was lyrically gifted from such a young age. Smalls music spoke about the qualities of a life of crime and spoke about the downside of it all in his songs “Suicidal Thoughts” and “Everyday Struggle.” His music was also very influential; the lyrics in one of his most famous songs, “Juicy,” gave hope to struggling people. It helped people to have a positive outlook, and even people who do not come from money can make it in life. Immediately at the beginning of the song, he calls out everyone who doubted him. He continues to express his story of coming from nothing and dreaming big to his success. Biggie Smalls is one of my favorite artists because of his smooth lyrical flow. When he raps, he tells a story, one that is very pleasing to hear. I would say that his music motivates me to be productive and continue dreaming big. Unfortunately, he was another artist that was taken way too soon, but his impact on the music world is forever imprinted.

 

Selena

 

 

Selena Quintanilla is one of the most influential Latin artists ever. Before her tragic death at the age of 23, she released very well-known hits and set fashion and makeup trends. Everything about Selena and her music was revolutionary. Selena took apart barriers of language, genre, and identity throughout her entire career. She overcame male-dominated musical genres. Selena was a Mexican American singer who came from a very conservative family and had difficulty being accepted by audiences both in the U.S. and Mexico. However, her unique style of music took contemporary sounds of the 90’s and Mexican genres and combined them to create award-winning albums. Selena was an inspiration to many new Latina artists such as Karol G and Selena Gomez. Selena was the first female artist who was proud of her heritage and being Latina for many people. Her music celebrated life, love, and family. I first learned Selena’s famous song “Como la Flor” when I was just five years old. This track included a dynamic and vocal performance over a cumbia beat. “Como la flor” is one of my favorite songs, which talks about heartbreak and romance. Selenas music is very influential because it describes me as a person and the different parts of my life. She was not afraid to be proud of her heritage and created a path for future Latina female artists.

Post Malone

 

Post Malone is one of my favorite artists of all time. Although I was introduced to him not too long ago, his music has impacted me in the short time that I have gotten to know his music. His music caught my attention because of his unique vocal style and pop, hip hop, rock, and folk combination. I remember first listening to Post Malone on a long drive back from Montauk with my boyfriend. We drove on the road listening to his single “Stay” with the windows rolled down. This was a moment that I will never forget, a time where I was fully content in life. His music has ever since had this effect on me, and I am sure it did too for many other people. I will be seeing him live this year, and I am so very excited.

Conclusion

These are only a few of my favorite artists who each bring different genres to the table. Each of these artists has been influential to my life when I feel like I cannot achieve my goals; their music is my escape from reality. My taste in music varies; I have so many other genres that I listen to almost every day, such as meringue tipico, as I mentioned before, country, and rock. The music itself is a universal language that has brought me to connect with others on a different level. My appreciation for these artists and all types of music is indescribable.

 

 

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It’s More Than Music To Me

Writing about music is something new to me when taking this class. As a secondary English education major, I was used to more of a formal writing style. The idea I liked most about this class was having a choice about the songs and artists I can write about as well as  writing informally. This allowed me to express my feelings towards songs I enjoy and relate to the most. For all writing assignments, I feel I do a good job with mentioning how I can feel what the artist is singing about because I have been through a similar experience. The one thing I think I lacked was being more specific with explaining in more depth about what those experiences were for me. 

For the record club assignment, I had no idea what song I should share with the class until the night before. I wanted to choose a song that was new and I can speak about on a personal level. “Unstable” by Justin Bieber and The Kid Laroi was a song that had been on repeat the week I had to present so I decided to go with it. The class actually enjoyed the song and my blog post for it. I was honestly surprised but happy at the same time because this song has a deeper meaning to me. 

With the record club blog post I had to respond to honestly it was a bit of a challenge for me. When I had to find a song that was similar to “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey I admittedly thought of Billie Ellish. I think my post for it could use a little more work and structure identifying why these artists and music are similar in vocals. 

My album review was probably one of my favorite pieces of writing throughout the whole semester. Since it was the first assignment of the class I had a hard time making sure I did not write like it was a formal essay. Juice Wrld is one of my favorite artists and I genuinely admire his passion for music. The way he is able to let his fans know his struggles sets a good example to let people know it is okay to have bad days. In this revision I want to make sure my voice is there and that the readers notice I love his music. 

Lastly, my personal essay assignment was the best idea I had all semester. I picked one of my most listened to playlist and I described how the songs are in correlation with each other. I wrote about three of my most listened to songs on the playlist which are, “Good Days” by Sza, “At My Worst” by Pink Sweats and “Without You” by The Kid Laroi. After submitting the rough draft I was confident in my work and the idea but I lacked expressing why these songs ressemble a time in my life. I went back and revised so the readers can really understand that music has a little power for the different moods and events that occur in my life.

“Unstable” by Justin Bieber featured The Kid LAROI

This song is in Justin Bieber’s new album called “Justice” that was just released about a week ago. Growing up, I was never a fan of Justin Beiber. I never understood what people were so great about his music. As his music continues to evolve I started to like it more. The songs he was featured in were the singles he would drop randomly. This album was hyped up before it was released and I am a HUGE The Kid LAROI fan. During the pandemic is when I found out who The Kid LARIO and I now listen to his album probably one time everyday because it is that good. 

The reason why I picked this song is because I am a fan of both these artists and I relate to the lyrics. I usually listen to and lean towards songs that have meaning to me, it is just more enjoyable to vibe to and it does not matter what my mood is. During the pandemic I had a hard time with myself mentally because I had to adjust to living life at home rather than being out all the time, distracting myself from reality and my problems. This song makes me feel and understand that it is okay to have moments where you are unaware of who you are. “Unstable” allows me to know that other people like celebrities face similar struggles like me. 

Justin Bieber’s addresses in this song about his mental health and how his wife Haley got him through those struggles. The tone in his vocals sounds passionate when he sings; “Sometimes I think I overthink / And I start to feel anxiety / There were times I couldn’t even breathe / But you never once abandoned me.” That line is the first line in the beginning verse of the song. The tempo of the song is one of the slower ones on this album which I think as to do with the meaning behind it. The dynamics in this song sound louder leading up to The Kid LARIO solo in the song. The vocals between both artists are very different. The pitch in  Kid LARIO’s voice is deeper and raspier which makes the song sound steely.  When Justin is singing the harmony is mainly the piano playing with the combination of the echo of what he sings. I envision a movie or music video which portrays a cinematic effect in my head while listening to the song. Eventually, the chorus then repeats at the end of the song which is when a guitar beat starts to play which is the only beat in the whole song. The guitar allows the melody to become louder. This can symbolize and emphasize the idea that Justin is thankful for what he has been through and it is okay to get him from others. 

Lana Del Rey and Billie Ellish: Similarities and Differences

Muniba shared the song “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey for her record club. First, I love this song and the way you addressed it in your post was well thought out. I like how the song has a very mellow vibe but the instrument’s loudness makes me want to move my head while listening. This song and Lana Del Rey herself give me Billie Eilish feels because I think they have similar music style and voice. 

 The song “Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eilish is what I think of when I listen to Young and Beautiful. Both these artists sing with a passion in their voice and their vocals are incredible. All I know is that if these two artists made a song together it would be insanely good. “Ocean Eyes” is a very humble and warm kind of song. When I say this I mean the song is meant to be sad but the melody and instruments make up for the sadness the song is supposed to give off just like Lana Del Rey does. Listen to the beat in the first verse of the song; it sounds like a drum which gives off an upbeat feel to the song. The chorus of the song is when the beat changes, they add more drums which make up more than a single beat from the beginning. Just like in “Young and Beautiful” the beat starts with the piano then as the song continues to add other instruments which allows the song to pick up pace.

The meaning behind both these songs have to do with love. In “Ocean Eyes” Billie Ellish sings directly to the person she loves at the time. In “Young and Beautiful” Lana Del Rey vocalizes her questions about if the person she loves will love her for who she is. Both these songs hit close to home to me because I was also at a point where I questioned if a significant other cared about me like the way I did for them. Both these artists are unique in their own ways and are incredible musicians but they do have so many similarities in style, tone and meaning of their music. 

If all of you have a chance to listen to Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish, let me know if you think these artists sound almost identical in style and vocals. I think they really do and I love it because these artists are remarkable singers and songwriters. I feel when an artist can turn the meaning of a sad song in a way for the fans to still move their head or dance while listening shows what they can do with their talent.

Legends Never Die 

On December 8th 2019,  the late rapper and songwriter Juice Wrld passed away from an overdose when he was traveling on tour. Juice Wrld was a legend to many and still to this day.  His music style and lyrics resemble his life which inspires many of his fans to speak out about what they are going through. He has produced six albums and his songs are always about heartbreak, love, struggles in life or drugs. After his passing, Juice Wrld’s producers released his most recent album called “Legends Never Die” in 2020. This album consists of twenty two songs and five music videos. Each song in this album expresses what Juice was going through at the time. The melody of each song that he sings gives his fans the truth about who he was. When he sings his audience can hear the passion through his vocals. Depending on what Juice’s songs are about he changes from singing to rapping. This album is not a goodbye for Juice Wrld, it allows his fans to continue to live on his name and music after his death. 

Juice Wrld starts off his album with an intro called “Anxiety” this sets the tone and mood for the rest of the songs. He speaks not even sings about his love for god and music stating; “I don’t know, music is just a beautiful thing, like I love myself so much, as far as the way I make music.” This line shows his fans his passion for music, he raps about his life because he loves himself. He deals with his issues like anxiety by writing music about it, this is inspiring. Any singer, songwriter or artist who is vocalizing their inner feelings and emotions throughout their music engages his fans to want to listen more.  As one of his fans, mental health is extremely important to me. When hearing him speak about how he uses music to help him deal with his struggles, I can understand where he is coming from because I also use things I enjoy to help deal with anxiety. 

After the intro he writes a song called “Righteous” that has a guitar playing underneath Juice’s vocals. In the beginning of the song, he sings very softly while the guitar plays. The sickest beat in the song is when the beat drops and the speed of the song begins to pick up. Juice Wrld is known as doing both rapping and singing but, in this song, it sounds more passionate because he is only singing. The chorus he is feeling grateful when he sings; “all white Gucci suit, I’m feelin righteous / Yeah, I know that the truth is hard to digest.” Even though he is making reference to his style, he still is real with his fans that sometimes life is hard and things do not turn out the way he wanted. This song is a different style compared to the others in the album because the background of the guitar engages the fan to understand he is sad.

The song “Smile” that is featuring The Weekend in this album was originally titled “Sad.” The beat of this song is more electric and has more sounds than instruments. The Weekend has a verse where he vocalizes his feelings about a significant other and the sacrifices he has made for them. What is interesting about Juice Wrld’s verse is that he is foreshadowing his death when he sings; “devil on my shoulder telling me I’ll die soon.” Did Juice Wrld know he was going to die, was he hinting at his fans? In this verse he is singing the lyrics to the song in a way that tells his fans he was hurting. To me I think the back beat sounds like an alto because of the playing of the drums, which makes me nod my head to the beat every time I listen. The pitch in Juice Wrlds voice sounds deeper and louder when he sings the chorus of the song; “I’d do anything in my power to see you just smile.” The album continues to show Juice Wrld’s true feelings, what he was going through and this allows his fans to understand he never wanted to go through his tough times alone. “Wishing Well” is one of the most powerful songs on this album. Juice Wrld sings about his drug addiction and  after he wrote this song he passed away from a drug overdose in 2019. Wishing Well is one of my favorite songs on this album because it is a song I can easily vibe to. This song has a guitar in the background just like in the song “Smile.” The beat drops after a few lines of the song and it sounds like someone is beat boxing. If you listen closely you can hear clapping like how one of his fans would be when listening to this song. The clapping makes me want to clap along and pretend like I am playing the drums as I hear it. It ends the album in a very unique way that I still do not understand how he or the producers did it. 

Juice Wrld ended his album just like he started it with him speaking. “Juice Wrld Speaks from Heaven (Outro)”  The beginning of this song is like classical music with the orchestra playing. I have no idea if this is pre recorded or if the producers found a way to edit it to get him to say this but Juice says he’s facetime from heaven. Did he know he was going to die? Was this a call for help? Maybe this has a connection to do with all the songs in this album having to do with his struggles and it was a cry for help. It left me in shock and it made me think a lot about the album in a deeper way. 

Vibin

 Every day I listen to music and I am constantly adding, discovering, and changing my playlist I have on my phone. Whatever I am doing or wherever I am going, I will always put one of my playlists to match the setting and mood I am in. This means my music taste changes within the genre, which is not a bad thing because I am that friend people come to when they need new music or a playlist to listen to. One of my favorite and most recent playlists I have created is called vibin––with a sunflower and butterfly emoji attached to it. This playlist was created for me when I need calm, chill, and relaxing music to listen to that also relates to me for when I am in my feels. I named it vibin because I listen when I am just going with the flow doing my own thing and need songs to listen to that address how I feel so I know that I am not the only one who goes through things in life. That is the majority of the time with me. 

Anyways, the genres on this playlist are from r&b to pop music. Since these genres are very different, that means that artist featured include pop stars like Billie Ellish to r&b singers like Sza. Despite the differences with the artists and genres, there are similarities with the songs. As a fan and listener, I can hear the passion in their vocals, lyrics, and desire for the fans to feel what they are going through. This is what this whole playlist is about for me, I can make a connection with the songs and relate to them with myself, the life I am living, and what I have been through. This essay is going to break down a few of the songs that are in my vibin playlist. I am going to address how it relates to me, why it is in this playlist and how it connects to other songs featured in “vibin.” 

One of my favorite songs on this playlist is “Good Days” by Sza. I just became familiar with her music at the beginning of the pandemic, ever since then I have listened to numerous of her songs and albums. Right from the start of “Good Days,” the song sounds calming. There is some sort of string instrument playing, maybe a guitar, violin, or even a harp. Then the other sounds playing in the backbeat of these instruments sound like an ocean or beach noises; if you listen closely it sounds similar to a seagull. Sza finally starts to use her amazing and soft voice to express the meaning of the song. Not in just the lyrics but, when she sings with a passion, it makes her fans know what she has been through. The meaning behind this song is relatable to not just me but many of her fans. She sings about her wasted times on the wrong person and having trouble moving on from them and forward with her life. 

As I sit and do my schoolwork listening to this song I think about how it relates to me. I have had my fair share of good and bad days with a significant other, friend or family member. This song makes me understand that it is okay to not be okay. There have been times in my life where I have left that my time is being wasted by people who do not care about me like I do for them. I know now that life is too short to dwell on those people and to move on even if it is hard just as Sza would say. You would think I would get sidetracked but it doesn’t make me more focused. I think I become so in touch with the lyrics that I try to distract myself with doing my homework and have some breaks in between where I nod my head to the beat, like many other songs displayed while listening to vibin. 

Another one of my favorite songs on this playlist is “At My Worst” by Pink Sweats featuring Kehlani. Both these artists are r&b singers and songwriters who came together to create this amazing, mellow and meaningful song. The song begins with a slow backbeat of a guitar and the sound of snapping of fingers. This beat continues throughout the whole song while adding a piano during the chorus. Pink Sweats and Kehlani have very similar vocals in this song, they both sound soft and quiet which addresses a deeper meaning to fans when listening. Pink Sweats mentioning this being his favorite song he has written, he vocalizing his struggles with love when singing; “I need somebody who can love me at my worst / No, I’m not perfect, but I hope you see my worth / ‘Cause it’s only you, nobody new, I put you first.” This song expresses the idea that everyone has their imperfections that are considered to doubt who they are and how they see themselves. Pink Sweats allows his fans to know that not only does this song relate to relationships but families and friends too. 

This song is in my vibin playlist because the mellow vibe and soft beat it has allows me to feel calm when I listen. The meaning behind the song can relate to me in many ways because people in my life are supposed to be there and love me when I am at my worst or doing my best. In order to be happy in life, it starts with being happy with yourself. Yes, people need to be there for you when you are at your worst but be there for yourself first. 

Pink Sweats does a good job of sounding passionate in his voice which makes me as a fan appreciate the song more because it has or is going through something I went through. Most of the songs featured on this playlist are songs that are heartfelt to me and enjoyable to listen to when I am feeling down or need music to calm me down when I am stressed. 

I am always adding new music to this playlist. Recently The Kid Laroi dropped a remix to his song “Without You” featuring Miley Cyrus. This song before the remix was already amazing with the lyrics, and vocals The Kid Laroi has. Both artists have very unique voices that bounce off each other throughout the song. The song begins with an acoustic guitar playing then instead of The Kid Laroi starting the song like the original Miley takes over. Miley Cyrus has a deep and steely voice like The Kid Laroi which suits her well in this song. After Miley sings, The Kid Laroi sings the next melody of the song; “You cut out a piece of me, and now I bleed internally, Left here without you, without you, And it hurts for me to think about what life could possibly be like Without you.” The song is about The Kid Laroi’s  relationship where his girlfriend has had enough and walked out on him. He communicates his feelings of heartbreak and despair to his former partner. Though the relationship for him was toxic, The Kid Laroi can’t bear the thought of being without his lover. This song hits differently if you as a listener can relate to what he is feeling, singing, and his tone of voice. His voice is very raspy which makes the listener know how passionate he is with the meaning of the song and his music himself. I feel as if the song was upbeat and was not so much acoustic the meaning of the song would have been taken away from the fast pace beat most pop and rap songs have. 

This song I think has a meaning that almost everyone can interpret in their way based on something or an experience they have been through. My first boyfriend I dated for over two years and we broke up over a year ago. When he left, I had to find myself again because I relied on him for my happiness and support. It was a very hard and emotional time for me in my life but, I realized I can get through it and I can be happy by myself and for myself. This song demonstrates how it is okay to be sad over a significant other, everyone has been there once. I added this remix to my playlist because I like that Miley Cryus is in it and she adds the same feel and voice The Kid Laori likes the song has meaning to her as well. 

My music style usually is demonstrated through the kind of moods I am in. I wanted to take the time to break down a few of my favorite songs in vibin because it is my most frequently played playlist because all of them relate to a time in my life. When I can feel the sadness or feelings the artist has in their voice when they sing, it makes me as a listener enjoy the song on a deeper level. I think having a connection to a song beats dancing to it which is what this playlist is about. I love how I can feel what the artist is feeling. It allows me to cope with my problems and emotions. Everyone should find a song that relates to them and find a song that has zero meaning and listen to both. I bet, the song that is symbolic to you will be the one you enjoy more.  

Thank You

I want to thank all the artists who write music with a passion. I believe in order to be a successful singer and songwriter they need to write  music that is relative to their life. This is what graitates fans to want to listen more. I appreciate artists like Justin Bieber, The Kid Laroi and Juice Wrld creating music about their struggles because as a fan I am not alone with my own problems that are similar to theirs. 

I also would like to thank those who have made life a little challenging for me because I was able to experience hardships which enabled me to look at life differently and connect to music on a deeper level. For those people who were there for me, thanks for not giving up on me. 

I want to give a shout out to Professor Tougaw, this class was not what I expected but I enjoyed every moment of it. The semester allowed me to look at music in a different light. Now, when I vibe to music I can recognize the backbeat, harmony and really understand the meaning of songs without thinking about it, which I think is enjoyable. 

Lastly, to all my classmates, good luck with finals and the rest of your journey. You all are granted to see and accomplish big things in life. Keep doing you. 

 

I will admit this class is not what I first expected. I have only taken one music class before which I did not enjoy at all. This class was the complete opposite as it was definitely one of the most interesting of all that I have ever taken. I loved getting to write about a topic that I love so much, I never got a chance to do that before. I used each opportunity to write about an artist or song I loved to share with others. But also for myself as I would not get the chance to write about this specific topic as much anymore. It is always more fun to write about things that you are interested in. Despite my love for music, I found that it was not as easy for me to describe it in technical terms. This was the thing I focused on improving the most throughout the semester. This is exactly why I chose my first two assignments and then last assignments of the semester. In a way it was to  track my progress from start to end.

My Record Club post was the first assignment that I wrote for this class. I did not have much trouble choosing a song. I always pick Chloe x Halle as my go-to recommendation artist because what is there not to love. I listen to “Down” all the time but still had to have it on a loop to write my post because I did not know how to write what I was hearing in technical terms. Same also goes for my performance review for BTS. I had each performance on repeat as I tried to find a way to choose what elements exactly to include without adding too much. BTS was also an easy choice as they had just done an MTV Unplugged around the same time I wrote the review. Also another go-to artist to recommend to others. I was used to talking about music in a casual setting like with friends , solely based on whether I liked it or not. This analysis of all aspects of the song was very new to me. This is why I picked my last assignment of my annotated playlist to be the last piece for my portfolio. It shows the different ways I learned new things about music throughout the semester with some new songs and improvements to go along with it. 

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  Record Club:  “Down”

For Record Club I chose “Down” by R&B duo Chloe x Halle. “Down” is from their debut album, The Kids Are Alright. At the ages of seventeen and nineteen, the title has a more literal meaning as the album is geared towards a younger audience. The themes of the album are centred on the experience of transition through the teenage years and progressing into young adulthood. I think this is why I resonate with the album, “Down” is a personal favorite of mine. I would often hear others talking about having a go-to song which calms them down, some even take it a step further and make an entire playlist based solely on moods. As someone who listens to any and everything, I never had one.That was until I found this song, as soon as I heard it, I then began to understand exactly what a comfort song is. It is like a wave of calmness washes over me as soon as I hear this song, and based on the lyrics I can see that was exactly what they were going for. 

“Down” is mainly a R&B song but other elements are also present. The opening vocals in the intro are similar to those that would be heard during an opera show. These opera-like sounds are heard throughout the track. This also goes for the harmonies that the two create with their voices, which can be heard in the background. It is one of those songs where something is always going on, especially in the background. There is a mix of lead vocals that are loud and clear, while the background vocals take on a more light and airy tone. During the chorus we see a change in the tempo as the bass comes in heavy. But it is not too harsh to change up the mood of the song, instead it fits smoothly as it adds to the calming feel. 

The aspect of the song that sticks out the most are the vocals. The airy tone sounds beautiful and angel-like. The main message of the song is that sometimes when life is too much it is okay to sit back and relax. This would explain why the choice of sound was more light and airy instead of with more of an edge. It is especially evident in the chorus as we can hear how the pronunciation becomes different. Instead of saying slow as is, instead they drag out the word and then pronounce it as “slooowww” before they then proceed to sing down. They are acting out the word at the same time as it is being sung. It is little things like this that adds onto the serene feel of the song. As they sing about taking a moment to relax, every aspect of the song is made to replicate that exact action. Lyric wise,  “Down” is a mellow anthem about taking a moment to calm your nerves. But Chloe x Halle take it a step further to ensure that this song, from the smooth instrumentals to the soft lead and background vocal arrangements, would be the perfect one to play during that time. 

R&B:Rhythm and blues. A musical style that grew out of Black American blues, boogie-woogie, Gospel, roadhouse piano/guitar duos and other influences mostly from the Southern United States.- Wikipedia 

Opera:A drama set to music, usually sung throughout, originating in 17th century Italy. Opera is a combination of music, drama, scenery, costumes, dance, etc., to create a complete art form.- Glossary of Musical Terms 

Harmony:A harmony is when multiple tones from multiple sources come together simultaneously, in a pleasing way. When you play all the notes of a chord, you’re creating a type of harmony. The strumming of notes on a guitar can create a harmony; an orchestra of instruments playing together creates a harmony; and two or more voices singing together can create a harmony.- Spotify Glossary of Music Terms 

Bass-Name used for the largest (normally) instrument in a family of instruments. For example Bass Guitar.- Songstuff Glossary 

Tempo-The pace of a piece of music is known as its tempo. Tempo can be measured by beats per minute, or bpm; classical music tempos are described by a set of terms ranging from larghissimo (very slow) to andante (a moderate speed) to prestissimo (very fast).- Spotify Glossary of Music Terms 

 Chorus–The chorus is intended to be the most memorable part of the song. It is repeated several times so that it sticks in your mind. Several other tricks are used to help it stick.Commonly a chorus:Contrasts with the verse, rhythmically, melodically, lyrically, harmonically and / or dynamically.A chorus is repeated at least once, both musically and lyrically. Usually several times.It is more intense, has more energy. A chorus usually has a greater musical and emotional intensity than the verse.Lyrically:The main message and /or concept is expressed in the chorus.- Songstuff Glossary 

Mellow–Reduced high frequencies, not Edgy. -Describing Sounds: A Glossary 

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   BTS Takes The Stage on MTV Unplugged 

Since 1989 MTV Unplugged has been a place for artists to showcase a more personal performance. Each show is made to resemble an intimate mini-concert equipped with a live band and vocals.MTV Unplugged has hosted countless icons in music including- Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, Nirvana and the list goes on. BTS ‘recent performance on February 23rd not only crowns them the first Korean act to take the stage, but also shows the success of their ongoing musical journey. 

At this point, everyone has at least heard of BTS, they have single handedly taken the world by storm in recent years. But that does not mean that everyone really knows all about the group. Based in South Korea, the group is composed of four vocalists– Jin, V, Jimin and Jungkook and three rappers-RM, J-Hope, and Suga. BTS are known for their diverse discography that contains not only the basics such as Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B,and EDM but also ventures out into Punk/Rock, Ballads,Latin Pop,Funk, House, Trap and the list goes on. If it is a genre, then BTS have probably already dabbled in it. Along with that, the group is also known for their ability to put on a show. It is not a BTS concert without fireworks, live vocals and extensive choreography along with multiple outfit changes. In this performance, to go along the flow of the show, the audience sees more stripped down and personal performance from the group as they perform tracks from their latest album, BE.

A first ever live performance of “Telepathy,” written by Suga, opens up the show with a background set decked out in all sorts of colorful older arcade games and furniture. This set up matches the funky flow of the upbeat song. “Telepathy”  serves as a perfect opener to get the audience hyped up for the rest of the show as the heavy bass booms throughout the room. As the disco-esque track plays, we can see as they play around in the home arcade as this performance takes on a more playful and casual approach- a nod to the countless days most of us have spent at home due to the ongoing pandemic.

The mood does a complete switch with the next performance of “Blue & Grey.” The boys ditch the casual clothes for collared shirts and ties. The set takes on a literal meaning as a blue-ish shadow washes over them as they sing through the ballad. It was written by V and described as a result of feeling burnt out and blue,the song came as a way to relive those emotions. The instrumentals are kept simple as the main focus are definitely the vocals. The most that could be heard through the majority of the song is the soft strumming of  an acoustic guitar. This is a more emotional song and it can be heard as V sings  “I just wanna be happier/ Is it too much to ask.” “Blue & Grey” speaks to anyone who has ever encountered this overwhelming feeling of sadness for whatever that reason may be. It is one of those songs that we all really needed to hear during these uncertain times  and was created for that reason. 

This seems to be the ongoing theme for BTS for this performance. The song’s choices are picked specifically to bring comfort for those watching during these trying times. This is why Coldplay’s “Fix You” was the cover choice for this performance. The boys take a seat to solely focus on the cover. The rappers take a different approach than usual as they stick to perfecting harmonies in the background. As the vocalists take center stage to belt out an array of high and lows notes. “Fix You”is a personal song about grief that is special to the band, so it says a lot for BTS to not only perform but receive praises from Coldplay. 

BTS end their performance with two of their more well-known , “Life Goes On” and “Dynamite.”The songs that have provided the group their first #1 hits.  “Life Goes On” still follows the mood of the previous song. In the title track of BE, the lyrics speak about the current pandemic. As of right  now as it seems never-ending, but one day the pandemic and all it comes with will end. It may not seem like it right now, but eventually that day will come. This ballad not only shows off beautiful vocals, but also raps that fit smoothly. Suga raps, “ Let me tell you with this /People say the world/ But thankfully between you and me/Nothing’s changed.” The lyrics are meant to  give off a more hopeful, optimistic tone. The group ends the performance with, “Dynamite” which is arguably their most successful hit. It is an up-tempo disco-pop song that is made to bop and groove to. It is even shown even with each performance sung with smiling faces, always sounding better than The instrumentals are kept simple as the main focus are definitely the vocals. . The group likes to take a fun approach to “Dynamite” and that’s why it is the song used to end the overall performance. This retro pop hit is always a chance for the group to let loose and have fun with the performance. They left off the original choreography to instead do exactly that. Instead choosing to do whatever comes natural in the moment with smiles on their faces. With these performances BTS have sent us through an array of different emotions and here is “Dynamite” to end it all in a good place.

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 Early 2000s Rewind

Oddly specific music playlists have become one of my favorite things lately. I never really been big on playlists. I would usually just go to my music library of thousands of songs and just press shuffle over and over until I find a song that fits the mood. Eventually growing tired of pressing shuffle led me to finally give in and make my own mood playlists. I would usually see ones along the lines of chill vibes and party songs and things like that. It was until one day my friend asked me for and I quote, “cinematic songs to play in the background when you’re running to save your love interest’s life” that I was introduced to another way to sort music. I started to see this trend more often, from “Songs that make you feel like the main character in a coming of age movie”to” A playlist for people who are always the second option”, both of which are real. Other than how funny I find the titles, I also like how for the most part I can identify the specific moment that is being talked about. Even if it is not something I can relate to,it was probably something I saw in a movie so I can still place the feeling. 

This brings me to my own playlist that I created called, “The type of music that would play in a 2000s teen movie.” I feel like everyone knows the exact type of movies and music that I’m referring to. Mean Girls, She’s the Man, John Tucker Must Die, along those lines. The time period where Amanda Bynes and Lindsay Lohan were booked, busy, and just about everywhere. Specifically songs with alternative and pop-punk elements, which were especially popular in these music soundtracks. My playlist contains an array of songs from different years that would or already have fit perfectly in them. 

All-American Rejects- Move Along

I had to start off with a song that was actually played in some of these teen movies.I would consider this their brand as a music group. Was it really a 2000s teen movie soundtrack if a All-American Rejects didn’t play?“This song  and “Dirty Little Secret” were the go to during the climax scene.Move Along” was always my favorite though.This song fits that moment of the main character finding a solution to the main conflict. That scene shows them growing up and moving on from the person they once were at the beginning of the movie. The lyrics are especially fitting as the chorus goes, “When all you got to keep is strong/Move along,move along like I know you do/And even when your hope is gone/Move along,move along, just to make it though.” It makes sense why this would be the most played part. This would definitely be more fitting for the end of high school to the beginning of a college type of plotline. I could see “Move Along” being played in the background during that transition scene where the main character movies into their college dorm, because everyone in movies goes away for college for some reason.I personally cannot relate but I’ve seen enough movies to know the feeling. I can physically feel the angst that this song gives off and that’s what gives it a spot in my playlist. 

 

Rina Sawayama-Take Me as I Am

“Take Me as I Am” just screams early 2000s with the hyper pop beat. I can physically see the pink mini skirts and glossy highlights.This is the song that introduced me to the artist and after this song I was hooked. This song kinda reminds me of Kim Possible in a way. This song would be most fitting for the older Disney teen movies, especially a Kim Possible reboot. A movie centred around the highs and lows of a friend group.  “So guess it’s what it takes to live it my way/So the world will take me as I am” just perfectly fits the growing into being your own person and becoming more comfortable in your skin troupe. It is very coming of age but more on the upbeat side, which is not the most common in that specific genre.This song makes me think of montage scenes of the main friend group completing their final project/mission together. More specifically, after they fight over something stupid and it’s so bad that they ignore eachother for a while.Something magically comes in and brings everyone together. They all apologize, make up and realize they’re all better together as this song plays. Specifically the last chorus because I love the note change as she gets louder throughout the song. It adds to the dramatics of the characters,and even makes it a little emotional.

 

Zendaya & Labrinth-All for Us

This song might not be on the soundtrack for a teen movie, but it is for t.v. show. “All for Us” debuted in the last episode of hit t.v show Euphoria to wrap up the first season. I can remember the shock I felt when I realized it was Zendaya singing in the season finale. After that it was the only song I would listen to for months on end. I remember thinking it was so unique and was trying to find more songs like it. The best element used in this song has to be the choir vocals.If you want to immediately elevate any song just add a choir in the background. It adds so much depth to the song as it gives off a dramatic flare. Similar to the show, this song would have to play during a real dramatic scene. The climactic argument scene that leaves everyone involved in tears, and it gets that far, will end relationships of any kind. This definitely plays as the main character storms out of the room crying their eyes out. Maybe after a big secret gets revealed, like “being lied to my whole life” big. It has to be dramatic as ever to fit this dynamic song.

 

HOLYCHILD-Regret You

It’s time for our token love song.I found one song in a random Youtube video made about underrated songs. It is very fitting because I know nothing about the artist other than I love this song and have played it on repeat every time I remember it exists.Despite the heavy beats, the lyrics reveal that this song is so soft and sweet. Based on the sound, you probably would not know it was so lovey-dovey. TIt would best fit in a romance movie. I can see it played in the background with the main couple just being all cute and in love. Specifically for when they first get together, the honeymoon phase. Also this is a summer romance, so we also have a beach, amusement park, and other fun scenes. This is the beginning of summer where you feel like you have all the time in the world,even though you know that is just not realistic. But no one wants to be realistic all the time, so we ignore it and just think of all the time for fun that is ahead. 

 

Lorde-Buzzcut Season

I feel like I don’t even need to explain why Lorde is on this playlist. She is the literal poster child for teen angst. This is simply her brand. If she made music during the early 2000’s, she would definitely be a recurring artist on most of the movie soundtracks. The artist that you can hear the main character listening to in their room or maybe even having her poster in their bedroom. I am a very obvious Lorde fan who is waiting for the day she comes back, yes it is true. I never used to listen to albums in full until like highschool for some reason, even though I was always listening to music. So I did not have many albums that I loved in full compared to the amount of music and artists I listened to. Pure Heroine was definitely one of the few albums that I loved every song on when I listened to the full thing a few years after it came out. The first time I heard “Buzzcut Season” I thought it was more dramatic than it actually was. She opened the song with someone’s head catching on fire and I took that literally. I  thought it would be a sad song. Finally understanding the lyrics later on it was more nostalgic than anything else.This ,in a way,  can also be a sad feeling, longing for what once was. I think this song would be best fitting for a flashback scene of old fond memories, just like how Lorde intended. But just about any Lorde song perfectly encapsulates the different moments of angst and dramatics that we often see in just about every teen movie.

 

Chloe x Halle- Hazy 

“Hazy” is for the not so typical teen movies.This would be paired with the more daring movies of that era.The ones that were more on the risque side. The movies that would explore in deth the world of drugs, sex and things of that nature. The innocent main character that makes friends with a reckless teen who had no adult supervision.The movie would explore their journey of growing up way too fast together. The heavy beat paired with their hauntly beautiful vocals is more fitting for something with more edge, maybe even scary. I say scary because that is exactly how the audience is meant to feel watching such young characters do typically adult things. That is the message that is usually intended for those types of movies. Yes, I am thinking of Thirteen. This movie would definitely be more drama filled and serious than the other ones I envisioned. The last 30 seconds of the song are definitely action packed and would play during a party or club scene, definitely after taking some pretty hard drugs. I also like this song because of the versatility because the last 30 seconds, while being my favorite part, feels like an entirely different song. Not in a bad way, I think it’s the best part. But just based on that alone makes me think of teenage superheroes. That specific part would play in the background of the final dramatic fight scene. It’s so perfect I couldn’t imagine anything else. This really shows the versatility that the two hold as one song can result in two completely different visions. Also you hardly hear a full song that resembles the sounds you would hear during a cartoon fight and I absolutely love it. 

 

Wallows-Ground 

When I found out the main boy from 13 Reasons Why was in a band I just had to check it out. I didn’t expect much, this was not the first time I’ve seen an actor also be in a band.I always found that I liked the actor side more. But after listening to their song “These Days” from their second ep, Spring, I fell in love with their sound and immediately wanted to hear more. It was on this same ep that I discovered “Ground” and played it on repeat for months.It is still my favorite song from them until now. This is another song that just screams moody teenagers.The monotone vocals used in the chorus was always my favorite part especially paired with the rhythmic beat of the drums. If “Regret You” shows the highs of a cute relationship. “Ground” would be greatly paired with the lows. That moment after a bad breakup and the split couple are finally in the same space again, probably walking by each other in the hallways. Both not as mad as they were before, and we all can tell the love is still there. But like the moody teens that they are, all is not forgiven or forgotten that easily.So despite it all, both continue to go their separate ways. 

 

WILLOW- t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l 

I love the fact that I just discovered this song a few days ago. It came right in time to add to this playlist. As soon as I heard it, I thought of how much of a perfect fit it would be.It is the first single of her new upcoming fifth album.This song is very reminiscent of the earlier 2000s pop-punk song that would be so prevalent in these teen movies. It can be heard in the screamo-esque voice, heavy drum beats, and striking electric guitar. I have not heard anything that has been released really that sounds like it. This song would be used in a movie where the main friend group is also in a pop-punk band together. Think Lindsey Lohan in Freaky Friday, but in this movie the band is the actual main plotline. This song would definitely be their first hit. The one that makes the public actually take them seriously or win the big competition at the end of the movie. Of all the songs the band would play,“t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l” would definitely have to serve as the biggest hit with the most screen time, nothing less.

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Acknowledgements

•  Professor Tougaw and my fellow classmates
• Beyoncé , Chloe x Halle, BTS, All-American Rejects, Rina Sawayama, Zendaya, Labrinth, HOLYCHILD, Lorde, Wallows, WILLOW
• 2000s teen movies
• 2000s teen movie soundtracks 

 

Hello everybody! This is my portfolio. I had chosen these three to focus and work on because I had felt when I initially created them, I hadn’t given them the polish they needed. I also felt like there were many little mistakes and things I could have done better with these works. I wanted to challenge myself especially with my writing to see if I could do just that. Especially in regards to music description and even my personal description of pieces. So this is the “Turtle Portfolio.” I’d also like to take a second to thank professor Tougaw for being one of the coolest and one of my favorite professors! And i’d like to thank the amazing class for the feedback and conversations about music for the semester! You guys were so dope and I appreciate all of you for giving me such a great semester

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Personal Mixtape: Serene Ambiance Mixtape

Honestly I’ve never had a playlist or a specific song selection that I would listen to. I’m more of a mood music kind of person and have been like that for as long as I can remember. Yet I noticed that whenever I go for a walk, I mainly play music with less lyrics and more instrumentals. For me at least, when I walk while listening to music, I envision a random scenario that fits with the song i’m listening to. Sometimes it fits the mood i’m in. Other times it’s a scenario that’s unrelated to me, but the song itself. I’ll even sometimes see something while walking and if it fits with the song think of that exact situation but with my twist on it. I’d like to believe almost all of you can relate to that when you listen to music.

For that reason alone it made me focus more on instrumentals rather than lyrics at a point in time of my life. Though I regret it a little because who knows how many good song I missed out on having that mindset. Though being older and much more wiser, growing I live in the instrumental and lyric atmosphere now. And because of that I have decided to create a playlist that consists of songs and instrumentals that I mostly have listened to either walking or reminiscing. Some are new and some are older that my lifetime. I’m hoping some people will now some of the songs and if not then I hope you can enjoy the mix of genre beats that have helped and shaped me to be a better person.

Washed Out: Feel It All Around

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-0TYeg9Rzc

A scenario I have had with this song is me walking at night in the summer. I see all the car lights and the light posts all over town and it’s a breezy night as well. I walk and I see skaters pass by me feeling free. No worries, no stress or even a realization that things and the world gets better. For me this song is definitely a summer night kind of song that’s meant to to be a feel good song. Probably one of the most relaxing songs i’ve ever heard. From the mellow in Washed Out’s voice to the bass which is under appreciated to me. “Feel It All Around” is probably one of my top vapor wave songs to listen to.

Jean Christophe Le Saout: Butterfly

This is a trip hop instrumental. A genre that fuses hip hop and electronica originated in the United Kingdom. I enjoy this song greatly because of the smooth, laid back and old school boom bat similarity sound. At first it reminded me of elevator music for a while. I went for a walk in Williamsburg Brooklyn with this playing once and as I passed people playing basketball and passed all the graffiti and murals, I began to resonate with the song. It felt like I was being told “you’ve gotta keep moving, life doesn’t stop.” This made me more curious about Jean Christophe. I found this song randomly and loved it ever since. It reminds me of an Adult Swim bump that would play through commercials. If anyone’s watched adult swim on a Saturday night/Sunday Morning they’ll understand. It has this nice transition and 0:58 seconds that makes it feel more Lofi as well.

Eyedress: Jealous

When I first heard this song I always envisioned being chased or chasing someone in a comical way. It was the most random thought but it popped up one day. So now I have my morning runs to this song and it makes the runs much better. Then randomly I began imagining myself rollerblade or skate to this song. Similar to the skating in the video. If you have Tik Tok then you’ve probably heard this song. It became a viral hit this year. I’m a big fan and love the song because of the sonic elements. The guitar that plays from start to finish reminds me of 80’s and 90’s alternative rock. The scratchy instrumental and Eyedress’s voice that sounds like it’s fading away as he speaks makes it flow to me. The music video also screams vintage and retro. Like I said previously, I used to be more of a instrumental person and sometimes I still tend to focus on that rather than the lyrics. This song was an example of that. I hadn’t realized how deep Eyedress’s lyrics are until a few listens. Lyrics such as “Don’t tell me about your problems, if you’re not trying to solve them.” “Don’t ask me how my day’s been, I just wanna be alone.” As humans we’ve all been there so to hear it in this form was just “wow.” Negative/insecure thoughts + a alternative rock beat makes magic.

Jeff Lorber: Electric Relaxation

I was on my way to Queens College one day and I got off the N4 to the Jamaica station. This man was trying to sell bootleg phone cases and played this in the background. I listened and asked him what he was playing. The man told me it was a remixed instrumental to “A Tribe Called Quest’s” song “Electric Relaxation” which is one my favorite song from the group. The instrumental to that song is one I enjoy dearly, so hearing a jazzed remix to it was exciting. Such a smooth relaxing remix.The strings and instruments that play throughout are breathtaking. The trumpet and saxophone that plays make it feel like something is rising up. Ever since that feeling came to me, I now listen to this now when I’m either awake before the sun rises or whenever the sun sets. It feels peaceful to me to watch either happen with this happening. Makes me feel like a bad day wasn’t as bad as I perceived it to be.

Freaks & Geeks: Lindsay Disturbed Theme

I hope some of you at least have watched “Freaks & Geeks” so you’ll know what i’m talking about. Yet when I listen to this song I normally end up feeling lost or i’ll really be just wandering on a walk. Like those moments in life where you don’t really know where you’re headed or what to do next. Even when I don’t feel like that, I’ll listen to this to just remember when I did have that feeling. Maybe that’s the purpose of this instrumental. The main character Lindsay being felt lost in between the crowd of the geeks (boys on the right) and the freaks/Cool guys (3 boys on the left). It’s a gentle beat that goes from high to low on a slow tempo. I enjoy the sound that plays at the 9 second mark throughout the most. It adds on to the feeling lost theme of the instrumental.

Flying Lotus: Massage Situation

This instrumental alone to me sounds like quite a trip. Flying Lotus samples this from “Singers Unlimited’s” song “Nature Boy”. Listening to the original and hearing what Flying Lotus did with it is quite a flip. If any of you guys have watched Adult Swim on Sat/Sun you’ve definitely heard this through a commercial break. This is my one of my favorite instrumentals just because it was something I heard every week. My favorite part of this instrumental is the riff that plays in the beginning that continues throughout the song. To me it adds on and flows well with the rest of the distorted sounds that come after. The saturated bass line at the 1:17 also adds to the trip feeling. This makes me think of the 90’s and things that are retro now.

I remember I was walking down a village on a late night and I had passed a smoke shop and this was playing. One of the workers who would always see me walking had asked me if I wanted to smoke with them. I kindly declined and we ended up just talking about this instrumental and stories of life. His were mostly drug and stories of drugs haha but with this in the background playing it made it that more great to me.

Nujabes: Windspeaks

I have infinite love for the flute and the saxophone and this track just absolutely does magic with both of them. The rhythm, harmony and melody make it sound like things are just perfect. Like spirits are being uplifted. If I had to pick a ending instrumental to a movie that needed a sound that describes peace finally being realized it would be this. It’s uplifting to the fullest and is one of my favorite beats to listen to any situation. I think the 3:40 mark is probably my favorite of the beat and the saxophone gets louder and transitions with the beat. When I walk and listen to this, I always envision myself at a festival or celebration being around people that are smiling brightly and dancing. I’ll even catch myself doing a little dance as I walk sometimes. This instrumental to me is supposed to give that feeling and give that “things will get better” feeling.

Flying Lotus: An Xbox Killed My Dog

Similar to “Windspeaks” I walk and envision myself dancing to this song. Yet instead of festival dancing, I imagine dancing in a ballroom or slow dancing. I find this song by Flying Lotus to be one of the most creative things he’s created. From the title “An Xbox Killed My Dog” which already peaked my interest. When I listened to the song and heard the lyrics, I realized I can’t understand the song! I began to laugh when I realized I’d have no idea if the song is about a xbox actually committing murder. As I did research aka Youtube comments. I found out that the lyrics are in Norwegian. and the lyrics are a biblical verse. Flying Lotus sampled “Tiden” from “That’s Why.” The song has no reference to an Xbox killing a dog so that made me happy.

Joey Badass- Hilary Swank

With music, we all have a song that hits personal to us. A song that helped us get through a rough patch, a song that gets us feeling happy, or a song that just gets us hyped and ready for anything. Joey Badass’s “Hilary Swank” Is one of those songs and instrumentals for me. It’s a really fast paced lush beat that goes from low to high but what really gets me is the groove and hip hop mix of the beat. The trumpet and drums that play around the chorus are my favorite part of Ever since I got introduced to Joey Badass this has been my favorite song and instrumental from him. I played this song when I challenged myself to go to a Joey concert by myself one time. I went to Lower Manhattan to Little Italy listening to this instrumental. Mainly because in the song Joey says ” I used take walks around Little Italy now I Rome around Sicily.” I probably should’ve told him that when we met at that concert haha but next concert for sure!

A$AP Rocky: LSD

The Last song I will talk about in this playlist is “A$AP Rocky’s” song “LSD.”  The song beginning with a slow melodic intro with the base. Following Rocky’s voice matching the slowness of the song. This is one of those songs I refuse to listen to a lot so I don’t get tired of it. When the beat drops it feels like the song gets more melodic and slower. As if you need to take in every second. I love that aspect dearly. To me this song is a night drive kind of song. Or in my case a night walk kind of song where there’s bright lights all over the place to get you in tune. I would actually like to walk in either New York or Japan like Rocky did with this playing to see how it feels. In my opinion, Rocky does justice with the music video which I highly recommend people watch. Definitely a trip. To Rocky, this was him experimenting with new different sounds and I would argue he did a pretty amazing job with it.

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                Album Review: The Problem Child Back At it Again

My name is Christopher Latortue, but you could address me as Chris, Turtle, or even “La Tortuga.” Today we are going to be listening and reviewing an album by a controversial, menace to society hip hop and rap artist. The co leader of the group “Odd Future” “Tyler The Creator.” The man who has been banned from going to the United Kingdom because of homophobic slurs will be the one to bless our ears tonight. His fourth studio album “Cherry Bomb” has just dropped and i’ve heard many mixed reviews about it. I don’t truly know what to expect. Realistically, if you’re a Tyler The Creator fan, can you really have expectations with his music? Is there really a standard with Tyler? Probably not right? Well let’s jump in and find out!

The album starts off with what parents would see as obnoxious, definitely with the aggressive rant-like song knows as “DEATHCAMP” And for the record everyone, I am not capitalizing the names of the songs for an aesthetic or to make the songs sound epic. Tyler really capitalized them like this. So please just bear with me on that one. “DEATHCAMP” in my opinion focuses on Tyler growing within his style of sound. Yet at the same time remaining the creative annoyance that people see him as. This was a perfect beginning to the album to me. Tyler stamping and telling the world that he will do the things he loves. If we don’t appreciate it nor like it then we need to piss off. His lyrics in “DEATHCAMP” “I don’t like to follow the rules, and that’s just who I am. I hope you understand.” Are a stamp on that statement. Following “DEATHCAMP” is the song “BUFFALO.”

“BUFFALO” is probably one of the most important songs on the album. The song goes deep into Tyler’s mind about the controversy that gets involved with. This song reminds me of his style when he makes song with “Odd Future.” It also reminds me of his creative style and sound on his previous album “Wolf.” The forwardness as well as pace of the beat feel like a call back to his old music. It allows you to focus on Tyler’s words more than the instrumental. If you’re familiar with Tyler’s work this song might feel similar to his song “Rusty” on the “Wolf” album. Just like on “Rusty” he addresses issues and problems he had to deal with before the album’s release. Problems like the Mountain Dew commercial he had that got pulled. His use of homophobic slurs. Even though on “Rusty” he addressed he supports people who are lesbian or gay and used his friend and artist Frank Ocean as a prime example of his support. Though still gets viewed in the dark light. Other issues that have popped up like people seeing him as a devil worshipper. And even his views on himself being a leader to his fans. In “BUFFALO”  there are vocals from Shane Powers saying “Tyler, Tyler, I swear to fuck! If you fucking…. Do not fuck this up! You have the whole world in your fucking hands.”

Did you think Tyler’s aggressive type of sound was over? Well so did I so I guess we were both wrong. We go back to it with the song “PILOT.” The song has a back and forth transition with being aggressive and Tyler’s regular flow. Tyler’s voice also has a static effect due to rapping through a helicopter intercom. This to me is the point of the song with the name being “PILOT.” In the beginning I had asked if there were really expectations to Tyler’s music or is there really a standard. And the answer is still no yet I can speak for everyone when I say no one expected Tyler to have a song about gang banging and violence. Since he’s more about trolling and not involved with that type of crowd to begin with. Yet I guess in a experimental sound, it doesn’t hurt to try something new out. This is what he does with his song “RUN” featuring SchoolBoy Q. In the song there is a movie-esque crime scene. Tyler’s voice is more high pitched over a dynamic beat to fit the scene. SchoolBoy Q plays a major role in the song. He begins the song by saying “fuck you running for? Aye come here. Let me try that hat on. I told you to come over here stupid bitch. Come over here with that weak ass hat. Hats, mainly sport team hats and the color of the team are used by gangs to represent them. This might be what the hat in the song is referring to. Tyler matches the name of his songs to the main theme of them as well which I find to be very well creative and though out.

Fans, don’t worry. We all get a break from the rough and aggressive style thankfully. the album transitions to a more colorful bubbly jazz sound. The next song is “FIND YOUR WINGS.” For all you adult swim music block lovers out there, you may enjoy this one. I find this song to be similar to a Stevie Wonder or even a Flying Lotus sound. Mainly due to Stevie Wonder as well as Flying Lotus having a more bright, melodic, jazzy, and cool experimental sound. The song has a more inspirational turn to it which is unseen in the previous songs. My only disappointment came from how short the song is. It’s always the hidden gem songs on albums are that are criminally the shortest. Speaking of short, our short break from the aggressive sound ends. The next song “CHERRY BOMB” takes us back to the rough, aggressive sound that makes you think you’re in a mosh pit. A static sound overpowers Tyler’s voice for a certain extent. It moves towards a more edgy sound but is focused in a ranged transition. The pitch also goes from high to low with his voice. The song also goes from aggressive to smooth and vice versa.

As we continue our game of back and forth with the aggressive and smooth soft sound. We move on to the next song “2SEATER.” “2SEATER” is a sweet warm song that makes me think of just driving, cruising, and having a good time with friends or someone you love in the summer. A calm, upbeat, and relaxing sound that you’d hear in a movie. This trend continues with next two in one song “FUCKING YOUNG/PERFECT.” The titles of the song can already give a hint of what it’s about. With the bubbly sound of the song, I believe Tyler tries to make up for the sadness he feels. These two songs are about Tyler meeting and liking a girl who is five years younger than him. Though they like each other, Tyler can’t ignore the age difference and because of that knows they cannot be together and nothing more than friends. “FUCKING YOUNG” is from Tyler’s perspective. He says in this song “cause girl you’re perfect, but you’re too fucking young (for me). And when temptation calls my phone, I never pick up. And girl, you stole my heart but you’re too fucking young. And this is more than a crush, I just might be in love.” “PERFECT” is from the girls perspective. In the song, Tyler has Kali Uchis play the part of the girl and says “Boy I know, that we could be more than just friends, but you’re scared (I know). Both songs replying to each other show that both did have the same feelings for one another yet the age gap was too much for Tyler. When speaking about this song in a interview, Tyler stated “I wanted to make a song like Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions” album. You listen to it in the 70’s, they get to the point. Although it sounds soft, Fucking Young is perverted and weird, but it’s true. There was this girl I liked, and we both had feelings for each other but there was a five year difference between us. It weirded me out, so I wrote a song about it.”

We end this album review with the last song. The most talked about song from the album. Featuring Kanye West and Lil Wayne, we have the song “SMUCKERS.” The piano opener to the song to me screams “ending.” The song balances the piano keys and Tyler’s voice before switching to a boom bat beat. The lyricism and flow executed between the three artists is truly something fun and wacky emphasizing Tyler’s style. Kanye West is also seen matching Tyler’s lush style of lyrics making the song more playful along addition of Lil Wayne’s creativity. An example of this is Kanye saying “And the Lexus pupp up err, like hip, I hopped out, like wassup? err-err-err, step back, hold up, my nigga, you suck. Hold up (Skrrrrt). Which is something most Kanye fans would rarely see from him. It sounds he was having fun being on the track. Lil Wayne continues the trend with his playful lyricism saying ” It’s Tunechi, homie, Master of Ceremonies. I knock em down, Domino effect, no pepperoni, I swaer.” and “son you need Jesus but I heard he left sunset to go on tour with Yeezus. Well, i’m praying for the new Yeezys.” Playing the story of Jesus a little bit as well well as Kanye who raps about Jesus from time to time.

Over “CHERRY BOMB” the album is a fun back and forth set of songs. In my opinion it is Tyler The creator’s best work creatively. One second it makes you feel like raving and shoving people with it’s aggressive sound. And the next it makes you feel relaxed and hanging out with friends. It’s a roller coaster of a album.

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     Record Day: A Turtle Floating on a Bablo Boat

“Bablo Boat” by “Royce Da 5’9 featuring J. Cole.” is my choice for Record day. I chose this song after finding out about Royce through Eminem and their song “Caterpillar.” Youtube recommended “Bablo Boat” to me right after hearing it. I was curious to hear what J. Cole would sound like with Royce and ended up being more that satisfied. What caught my attention at first was the soft instrumental. Almost like the beat was meant to relax the listeners. The song opening with a sample of “Mort Crim’s” narration in a documentary of the Bablo Boat amusement park. I thought that was a beautiful touch to a track. The transparent background voice in the background sounded chilling and spooky esque. Almost like a ghost in talking in the background. It adds on the the smooth sound giving it a psychedelic feel. The pacing starts off slow but speeds up as the song progresses. To me, this stirs away from most rap and hip hop beats. As I listened I focused more on lyrics from Cole and Royce repeatedly and noticed they both reminisce. Royce speaks about his personal experience with being on the actual Bablo Boat amusement park with his family. From his uncle’s crack addition, to his father and brother’s addictions. Royce even talks about how he lost his virginity on the actual boat. The boat has a place in his heart and was apart of his life. J Cole continues this theme talking about his past with his mother. Also mentioning talking about going back in time to change things and not focus on girls so much. J cole says in the song “we had no Bablo Boat, but I could note those times like a bible quote. B.C. before cell phones” I loved that line as he plays with B.C. meaning before christ. Cole saying life and the world was simpler and easier when the world couldn’t focus on social media and giving their lives to a technological device. I believe we can all relate to this and reminisce over simpler times.

Definitions:

Smooth: Easy on the ears, not harsh. Flat frequency response, especially in the midrange. Lack of peaks and dips in the response.

Pace: Often assoc. with rhythm, a strong sense of timing and beat.

Focus: A strong, precise sense of image projection.

Transparent: Easy to hear into the music, detailed, clear, not muddy. Wide flat frequency response, sharp time response, very low distortion and noise. A hear through quality that is akin to clarity and reveals all aspects of detail.

Mellow – Reduced high frequencies, not Edgy.

Laid-back – Recessed, distant-sounding, having exaggerated depth, usually because of a dished midrange. Compare “Forward”.

Lush (2) – A “lush” sound has a sense of warmth and fullness. Notes are more authoritative and have a sense of life about them. It is a sound free of any sibilance or brightness. It does not mean colored, however. It is an open and inviting sound enveloping the listener into its soundstage.

Smooth – Easy on the ears, not harsh. Flat frequency response, especially in the midrange. Lack of peaks and dips in the response.

Gentle – Opposite of edgy. The harmonics (of the highs and upper mids) are not exaggerated, or may even be weak.

Saturation – The point at which a magnetic tape is fully magnetized and will accept no more magnetization.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/describing-sound-a-glossary.220770/

Introduction:

First off, let me start with saying that when i first enrolled in this class, I didn’t even know that this was a music class, I just needed one more english writing course in order to be done with my english minor and this was the only english class/section left. Later when it as the first day of class, that’s when i realized and found out that this is a music class. I had to double check my schedule to see if i’m in the right class. LOL. I felt like this wasn’t the smartest choice for me because in my previous taken music classes, i didn’t quite do my best, because i am not a music person, the only thing i do with music is listen to it sometimes. I’m not even up to date with the latest trends or listen to the stuff people listen to these days. Or so i thought. I learned from this class that everyone in this class has a different music taste. Not everyone is constantly listening to Pop Smoke or Lil Uzi. There are so many other artists that i never even knew about and learning about them was exciting. Just like i introduced the class to some artists i was familiar of, a legend from my culture and somebody who the entire world knows about.

Today in my portfolio i’m going to walk you all through……

—————————————————-RECORD CLUB———————————————————–

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Till last minute I was confused about what song choose for the record club, i was stuck between a Bollywood song and this one, but ended up deciding on this one. This is a song that takes me down memory lane, I remember i first heard this song in 201, during the summertime and instantly fell in love with it. My sisters and I would listen to this song on repeat for days! This was the first song that i have heard of Lana Del Rey, and then started listening to other songs too. When I heard this song in the Great Gatsby, it gave me another reason to love it even more, because I really admired that movie, and it perfectly sits with the 1900s setting as well.

One reason I love this song is because it gives an old era vibe, and i’ve always admired the songs of that era so this was something different. It was a present singer, making songs that made it seem like they were from the 60s or 70s. This song is so melismatic and airy, the way she sings it really sets the mood of summer, or like she’s flying or on the clouds.Her voice is so smooth throughout the entire song. The way the instruments are being played in the back also gives off an airy structure. I love how when she sings the part, “O Lord when i get to heaven….”, that’s probably my most favorite part of the song, the whole song sort of rise, the melody becomes louder. And then calms down at the part, “All that grace, all that body, all that face makes me wanna party….”. Then she rises up again and has a change of tone when she sings the last verse, implicating that the song has ended.

 

Airy: Lighthearted, graceful

Melismatic: Melismatic’ indicates one end of a spectrum; the other is ‘syllabic’, or one note to each syllable.

Smooth: without breaks between notes; smooth and connected

Melody: A melody, also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity.

Verse: In the countable sense, a verse is formally a single metrical line in a poetic composition.

—————————————–The Legend Of Qawwali —————————————————–

What is qawwali? Qawwali is a style of Muslim devotional music now associated particularly with Sufis in Pakistan. It’s also considered classical music or even somewhat acapella, because sometime the instruments wouldn’t even be necessary for the singer, his voice would have enough music to keep the song going. I was introduced to this sort of music back when I was 5-6 years old, and at the time every time my dad would play it in the car or in the house, my sisters and I would start whining about how trash it is, because we wouldn’t understand the lyrics of it. And instead, would make fun of the way the song is being played, and how dramatic the singer is because of his extremely long intro of “ahhhhhhh” with absolute no other lyrics. But now…oh my goodness, I could listen to this music all day long, depending on the mood obviously. From the lyrics to the beat of the ‘qawwali’, everything just makes you swoon and go “WOW, just wow, how did these people even come up with lyrics/poetry like this. It blows my mind.”

The very first qawwali singer that I was introduced to, was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan aka NFAK and it’s his music that i will be introducing to you all today. World renowned qawwali singer, there were people who started worshipping him because of his words and songs. He was almost like the Michael Jackson of the Pakistani music industry, Bollywood wanted to start using his songs for their movies, he also sung some songs for them. And Bollywood till this day are remaking his songs, by completely changing the music yet keeping the lyrics.

Tumhe Dillagi Bhool Janey Parey Gi

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The first qawwali that I’m introducing you to is his most famous one called, “Tumhe Dillagi Bhool Janey Paregi” (you will have to forget all about infatuation). His qawwali wasn’t the normal song duration, it would go upto 16-20mins, some even longer. This song is 16mins long and he would sing all this live. The verses of this song are just exceptional. His music is very repetitive, but you don’t get tired of listening to it. And the only way to admire and appreciate his music is if you can understand what he’s talking about. There’s this stanza in this song that says, “zakhm pe zakhm kha ke ji, apne lahoo ke ghoont pi, aah na kar labon ko si, ishq ha dillagi nahi”, (stay alive, torment after torment…take a sip of your own blood…don’t object, seal your lips, this is true love not infatuation!) And at another time he says, “kuch khel nahi hai ishq ki lag, paani na samaj ye aag hai aag”, (love is not a game, don’t mistake it for water, it’s a sea of fire!). The simile that he uses in this verse is just WOW, so, he’s basically singing about how love isn’t something that could/should be taken granted for. It’s not easy to love, it’s a challenge, an extremely difficult one to love somebody. He compares love to a sea of fire and in order to love somebody truly and deeply you have to dive into that sea of fire. This qawwali has come into many new forms for today’s era with a new tune and a new song structure but nothing beats the old one.

Ankh Uthi Mohabbat Ne Angrai Li

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All I want to post for this song is….

Tanhai Mein Faryaad Toh Kar Sakta Hoon
Veerane Ko Aabaad Toh Kar Sakta Hoon
Jab Chahoon Tumhe Mil Nhi Sakta Lekin
Jab Chahoon Tumhe Yaad toh Kar Sakta Hoon
——————————————————————
In loneliness, I can plaint
Some may define this as a prayer or request being made to God
A desolate place I can bring back to life

When you want, I cannot meet you, however
when you want I can think of you
——————————————————————

Achi Surat Ko Savarne Ki Jaroorat Kya Hai
Saadgi Mein Bhi Keyaamat Ki Ada Hoti Hai
Tum Jo aa jaate ho Masjid mein Ada Karne Namaaz
Tum ko maalum hai kitno ki Kaza Hoti Hai
——————————————————————
What is the purpose in adorning your beautiful face
there can be greatness in simplicity
You , who comes and goes …
to the mosque to offer your prayers
are you even aware of how many peoples prayers are disrupted

…. I hope you all can comprehend this. This is one of my very favorite poetry of his. I never knew where this came from, I had read it on Instagram before, until my husband played this song the other day and I was like OMG THIS IS WHERE THIS POETRY IS FROM! I was so happy to have found this song, I didn’t even know this was from a song of his. When he says, when you come to the mosque to say your prayers, do you even know how many prayers break by looking at you. So in our religion a man isn’t allowed to look at a woman with lust in his eyes, it’s considered a sin as woman are considered a very pure kind. So when someone goes to pray it is important for him to cleanse himself, whether that your face, feet or even eyes and keep his lustful feelings behind and then offer prayer. But NFAK is describing the beauty of his lover as someone so beautiful that when people look at her they are unable to stop themselves from looking at her and by doing so they tend to break their prayer. Bollywood has recently come out with a very new version of this song and honestly, they just ruined it. They did not do justice with this song! I sort of wish they had never renewed this one. The main chorus, the singer failed to pronounce the word “uthi” correctly and instead it sounds like “kutti”, which means b**** in English.

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Ye Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai

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My all-time favorite song, the qawwali version and the song version that a Pakistani singer sang. Both, I can never get tired of. I had listened to the newer version before the old version and instantly fell in love with it. Such an emotional song, and the singers voice, Farhan Saeed is so soft and soothing, just makes you want to listen to it all day long. The tone and music of the new version is completely different than the old version, but the lyrics remain the same. The original song is almost 20 minutes long, whereas the newer version is just 4 mins and 22 seconds. My favorite lyric from this qawwali is “na namaz ati hai mujhko na wudhu ata hai, sajda kar leta hun jab samne tu ajata hai” which means, “nor prayer nor ablution do I know, but I prostrate when you come before me”. I love how he expresses his love for his lover to the point where he brings in his religion. He’s describing his love by saying that “i don’t know how perform ablution before my prayer, hell i don’t even know how to pray yet my love for you is so deep that i fall on my knees and fall into prostrate position.”  I absolutely love the ending of this qawwali, when everything sort of tones down and NFAK calmly sings and finishes it off. The newer version that Farhan Saeed sung has a very soft tone to it, and he’s complaining to his lover that because of your love, because of you i have become an alcoholic.

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—————————-Beyoncé’s Performance at Kobe’s Memorial——————————————-

2020 started off with a very tragic start. We lost a legend of basketball, along with a possible future legend, Kobe Bryant. I may not know a lot about basketball, but I did realize that he was loved by thousands and thousands of people all across the globe. We couldn’t believe what had just happened.When the news first broke out in my house; we couldn’t admit to the fact that he was gone. Like many others, we thought it was just another rumor passing around until officials confirmed it. Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash along with the others on board. In his honor, his wife, Vanessa Bryant held a beautiful memorial for him, where majority of his fans, celebrities and other athletes gathered in his remembrance and celebration. There, Beyoncé performed a very heartfelt version of “XO” and “Halo”. She created a very symphonic atmosphere, sending chills down everyone’s spine. And I think no one could’ve done it better than her.

Beyoncé paid her tribute to Kobe with an opening performance at the memorial, dedicating the song “XO”, because she said it was one of Kobe’s favorite songs, following with “Halo”. She performed with a group of orchestras and a choir which made the performance much more heavenly. She started singing and then she stops and starts again saying that she would love everyone to join her and show their love to Kobe. Her voice is very light and airy when she starts XO, having the choir repeating after her, creating a gospel effect.. There’s so much feeling and love in her voice as she’s singing; you can literally feel the emotions thru her performance. Slowly the violins jump in, creating a louder sound effect, growing the performance, adding on towards the climax of the performance.

You can see her coming in and out of the performance, she’s truly thinking of Kobe and reminiscing her memories with him. And then continues with her grieving smile on her face. When she reaches the chorus, the music gets even louder and so does she. Her voice gets louder, along with the orchestra and the choir. That moment when she sings, “in the darkest night I’ll, search through the crowd, your face is all that I see, I’m gonna give you everything”, I listened to the whole performance a good couple of times and each time I heard it, I got the chills. It sounded so personal — so direct towards Kobe, almost as if it was written for him.

She goes into the second stanza and the violins jump back out, causing it all to tenor down again, just like how the first stanza began. She goes, “we don’t have forever”, which fits so perfectly for the purpose she was singing for. Shows it in her face too, almost like it hurt singing those words. The orchestra and herself gradually grows louder, she gets more energetic and puts the energy with everyone she’s performing with. She hits every note so perfectly and on point it makes your heart sing. That pause in the choir and the orchestra creates a heart-dropping effect, with the thumping after every verse following with the choir and then she carries on so delightfully and smoothly. The choir creates such an enchanting harmony to the entire performance. Everyone joins towards the end of XO and then the orchestra slows it down again and you can hear the violin creating an almost saddening effect. Sad enough to make anyone cry or if not cry, emotional. Then she transitions into Halo with the piano.

Her transition is so smooth, it doesn’t ruin the mood, or lose anyone attention. The music for halo slowly starts coming in and Beyonce takes it away again.The addition of the violins when she says the first “halo” just gives holds your heart down. Then the rest of the orchestra comes in  and the choir with full energy. The choir starts getting pumped as Beyoncé is really getting into the performance. That pause again creates such a strong effect. It’s like your heart stops and then starts beating again with a heavier beat. Every note she hits toward the end of the performance is just exceptional. The drums and the piano supporting her towards the end and she so beautifully finishes her performance by holding her note. And ended by blowing a kiss towards the sky.

She gave a whole new context to both the songs, especially XO, by performing it at the memorial. Whenever I listen to this song it would remind of summer 2016 but now whenever I will be listening to those songs, it will remind me of Kobe’s memorial and her performance on it. It will remind me of how beautifully this was dedicated to him, almost as if the song was personally written for him. This performance was a beautiful way to start his memorial, she expressed feelings for everyone who was and wasn’t present. It made hearts and eyes teary, it was so full of love and emotions, everyone felt it in their hearts. The song was meant to be sung for that moment, it was almost as if it was written just for him, for me that is Kobe’s song now. She made it his.

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—————————————————-Acknowledgments——————————————————-

Professor Jason, My husband, My mother, Lana Del Rey, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Farhan Saeed, Jubin Nautiyal, Beyonce, Kobe, Vanessa Bryant.