by Niko Skinner

August Burns Red, February 2024 (Blabbermouth)

August Burns Red is a five-piece metalcore band based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. All of the original members were in high school when this band was formed in 2003. They have released ten studio albums and have been nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016 and 2018. August Burns Red currently consists of lead guitarist John Benjamin “JB” Brubaker, rhythm guitarist Brent Rambler, drummer Matt Greiner, lead vocalist Jake Luhrs, and bassist Dustin Davidson. They have also long been categorized as a Christian metal band, which I will touch more on later.

On April 10, 2024, August Burns Red re-released their single, “The Cleansing”, with added vocals from Will Ramos of Lorna Shore. The original song was on their album titled Death Below, their latest studio album that they dropped over a year ago. This updated version breathes a new life into the original song with the most notable distinction being the guttural and throat-burning roars from Will Ramos. These vocals along with those of August Burns Red make the song sound more twisted yet more heartfelt. It gives off the message that everybody involved is convicted and that they are trying to let out some baggage and as well as the associated strong emotions that they have been holding in. I would say that the moderate tempo, double bass-filled drum beat, and power chords from the guitar serve as a helpful purveyor of these emotions as well.

“The Cleansing” is essentially about the generational deterioration of society as well as the hope of overcoming this. JB Brubaker had this to say about the song via Apple Music: “This is my favourite song on the album. I’m extremely biased here because I wrote the song. I wrote the lyrics, and it was the first thing I wrote during lockdown in the pandemic. This song speaks of this unseen evil or force that’s taking over mankind and just destroying us and the planet. And then there’s this person in the story of the song who rises up and rallies those who have survived into reclaiming the earth and basically conquering this evil.” (Genius) This makes sense because the world is a cruel place with or without COVID. We get hurt by various circumstances and by each other. With the exception of situations beyond our control, it’s important to make the world a better place by looking out for each other instead of trying to tear each other down. I love that this is a genuine Christ-filled message that is being given here. What I mean by that is that August Burns Red doesn’t try to sugarcoat anything by spreading false positivity and saying that the world is all sunshine and rainbows. That could not be further from the truth. They spoke the harsh truth about the world being a difficult place because we face various trials and tribulations on a regular basis, whether these are the result of societal factors or other people directly. They also said that these trials and tribulations can be overcome by being good people to each other.

I’m admittedly not the most knowledgeable when it comes to any kind of metal music. In fact, I looked down on it until a good friend that I once lived with introduced me to some metal bands who’s music and stories I enjoyed such as the aforementioned August Burns Red and For Today. While I have developed more of an appreciation for metal since then, I didn’t have much thought about discussing it on here until now. I ultimately wanted to give myself a real challenge for this entry by analyzing a metal band as well as the meaning behind its music. Honestly, it was quite the challenge for me to note all of the differences in sound and atmosphere between the original song and the revamped version with Will Ramos. I had to go back and listen to both versions many times to analyze the different musical elements and be able to put my observations into words.

References

“AUGUST BURNS RED Announces ‘Spring Fling’ 2024 Tour”. Blabbermouth, 23 February 2024. https://blabbermouth.net/news/august-burns-red-announces-spring-fling-2024-tour

“August Burbs Red – The Cleansing Lyrics”. Genius, 24 March 2023. https://genius.com/August-burns-red-the-cleansing-lyrics

by Niko Skinner

Keyon Harrold, January 2024 (Goodwin, STLPR)

I’m going to be dipping into the jazz scene to talk about Keyon Harrold. Keyon Harrold is a jazz trumpeter, songwriter, and producer from Ferguson, Missouri. Like many musicians of this day and age, he was born into a family of musicians. He draws influence from his family as well as other musicians such as Common, Dr. Dre, Miles Davis, J Dilla, and Prince. Keyon has been releasing music and working with some of the biggest names in the game since 2006. The 43-year-old has lent his instrumental talent to names such as 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, PJ Morton, Big K.R.I.T., Diana Ross, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Keith Richards, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, and Nina Simone.

On January 19, 2024, Keyon released his new album, Foreverland. This is his third studio album after Introducing Keyon Harrold and The Mugician, the latter of which first got me hooked on his music. Foreverland features a vast array of sounds and guest artists such as Common, Robert Glasper, PJ Morton, Jean Baylor, Laura Mvula, Chris Dave, and Malaya. I generally categorize this as an album that would especially appeal to people at a cafe or a private club. First, I want to dive into “Find Your Peace”, in which Keyon forms the dream team of Robert Glasper, Common, and Jean Baylor. It is a 7-minute song with a relaxed drum beat, subtle tone transitions, soft vocals, and consistent trumpet and piano phrases. The song switches from just the instruments and vocals softly opening the song to Common rapping over the beat to solos from the piano, keyboard, trumpet, and vocals. The tone of the song starts out as peaceful then takes a more upbeat and serious turn where Common raps. From there, you can hear the song gradually transition back into more of that peaceful and lively feeling to close out the song. This song stands out to me not only because of the uniques elements used, but also because I have always been drawn to songs with the mix of jazz and hip-hop. Another song that stood out to me was the single edit of the title song, “Foreverland” with Chris Dave and Laura Mvula because it is one of the more intense songs on the album. In this one, you hear the dissonant vocals, drums, and cup-muted trumpet get more of the spotlight. Cup mutes have long been a popular staple in the world of jazz. While this song is primarily centered around jazz, it also embodies r&b with the harmonization of the vocals from Chris Dave and Laura Mvula. Another song in this album is called “Beautiful Day” with PJ Morton. As the title suggests, there is generally a happy and appreciative feel and message to this song. It’s in a major key, and the instrumentation is relaxed despite it gradually crescendoing. Crescendo is a term used to describe music getting louder. I have found that “Beautiful Day” is a stark contrast to the intensity of most of the other songs on this album.

I enjoyed listening to Foreverland, and it only reinforces my high regard of Keyon Harrold as one of my favorite jazz musicians. He really knows how to maximize his talents so that his music has no limits. It’s like he is creating a sub-genre of his own. It was also a treat to hear him once again collaborate with Robert Glasper because he is my favorite modern jazz pianist with a style that mixes really well with that of Keyon’s. I encourage you to not only listen to this album, but also to the aforementioned The Mugician. Both are linked below.

References

Goodwin, Jeremy D. “Keyon Harrold’s genre-bending new album reflects his quest for inner peace”. STLPR, 26 January 2024. https://www.stlpr.org/arts/2024-01-26/keyon-harrolds-genre-bending-new-album-reflects-his-quest-for-inner-peace

by Niko Skinner

Usher, January 2024 (Malachi, Yahoo News)

Usher is in the house! This week we’re covering one of the most iconic pop-r&b singers of the modern times. This may be one of my longer entries because I can’t say enough about him. Usher Raymond IV was born in my area, Dallas, TX, but spent most of his adolescent life in Chattanooga, TN and Atlanta, GA. It was in Atlanta that he built a foundation for what would later become a successful music career. He has put out such hits as “Yeah” (featuring Lil John and Ludacris), “Confessions Part II”, “My Boo” (featuring Alicia Keys), “U Got It Bad”, and “Love In This Club” (featuring Young Jeezy). He has sold over 30 million album copies and is regarded as the King of R&B for good reason. He has won multiple different music awards and has been inducted into multiple musical hall of fames to recognize his success in the 2000 decade. It doesn’t stop there though. Usher is now 45 years old, yet he is still making noise in the game and has been up to quite a lot in the last couple of years.

Las Vegas Residency

Usher just finished his My Way residency in Las Vegas, which spanned from July 2022 to December 2023. He did 100 performances capped off by a final performance on December 2, 2023, which was highlighted by an emotional rendition of “Without You” (with David Guetta). Usher wanted to prove that he can consistently deliver in Vegas, and that it had nothing to do with luck. He also wanted to change his audience’s perception on his creative evolution. I say that he succeeded on both of these fronts. (Daw)

2024 Super Bowl Halftime Performance

Usher barely had any time to rest as he performed at this year’s Super Bowl, which was two months later. This was honestly one of my favorite Super Bowl performances of all time, and I don’t just flippantly say that about any music artist’s performance. What started off as a snippet of “Caught Up” later led to renditions of “Love In this Club”, “U Don’t Have to Call”, “If I Ain’t Got You” and “My Boo” with Alicia Keys, “Confessions”, “Burn”, “U Got It Bad”, “Bad Girl”, “OMG” with will.i.am, “Turn Down For What” with Lil Jon. It ended with a special rendition of “Yeah” with Ludacris. Usher was also accompanied by dancers and a marching band who brought a lively sound and presence to the stage. Usher’s surprising guitarist was revealed to be rising r&b artist, H.E.R. She joined Usher by playing a screaming guitar solo at the end of “U Got It Bad” that had a lot of eighth and sixteenth notes and technical note progressions. She followed this up by continuously playing the main riff of “Bad Girl”. Throughout the performance, you can see the confidence and poise of Usher as well as everybody else who made an appearance. All of the transitions between the songs were smooth, and all future halftime shows should model the professionalism of this year’s show.

Coming Home

Coming Home was released on February 9, 2024. It holds the distinction of being Usher’s first independent album. This means that there would a DIY approach when it came to recording and publishing, and the album would be produced by a commercial label or its subsidiaries. A highlight song on this album is “Good Good”. Not only does it feature notable artists Summer Walker and 21 Savage, but there is also his signature Atlanta sound from the 2000s blended in with a more modern tone. The beat consists of a heavy use of the synth in different pitches, a heavy and accentuated bass, and chord progressions that signify a sad moment in someone’s life with a bright side in hindsight. The message is also very relatable. The song is about failed relationships and how to be a good ex. Being a good ex is something that can be difficult for a lot of people because there is that feeling of bitterness from the end of a relationship. It usually ends in one party wanting to do things to spite the other and wish ill will on them. In “Good Good”, all of the verses form Usher, Summer Walker, and 21 Savage depict them wishing their ex’s the best and hoping they can find their person. This is a good sign of maturity and addresses how to handle a breakup well. The album also features songs such as “Risk It All” (ft. H.E.R.), “A-Town Girl” (ft. Latto), “On The Side”, and “Kissing Strangers”, all of which are catchy, slow to medium tempo songs that are about love and the burning desire for romance. In general, I feel like this album reached a new level of vulnerability as well as depicting romance as more than something that is black and white.

The point that I am making in this entry is that Usher has been a busy man! He has been making moves nonstop, and they have produced career-defining results. All of this is the result of a long and legendary career that is still going strong today. What started out as small beginnings as an ambitious 10-year-old has evolved into a multifaceted career at the age of 45. Usher has more than earned a place in the pop-r&b scene and the music scene in general. Below is a Spotify link to his album and a YouTube link to his Super Bowl performance in its entirety.

https://youtu.be/7hYbrdC_-s8?si=52ZcfkjGLKrUudTo

References

Malachi, JaJuan. “2024 Is Definitely The Year Of Usher”. Yahoo News, 12 January 2024. https://news.yahoo.com/2024-definitely-usher-194051828.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABMMNo8ha_KdX9VkG96iZXVoN2UGFlWtHqDQ9m5a1dXtknSFsHq6l2BJSLCcGh9xG6X1NR84IefdKdKYDTwbYJJHUUs_IoaL_Wuu-_GPOHPltZ2HM6Dl9evqP3zf_ch6Takf8J5EJZ3lK_jQaNEmWgUVcAztvCUNehjlZP_2R7w9

Daw, Stephen (2023, December 4). Usher Gets Overcome With Emotion During Final Performance of Las Vegas Residency: ‘God Bless You’. Billboard. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/usher-cries-final-vegas-residency-show-1235532320/

by Niko Skinner

Sis N Lil Bro, January 2024 (Sarachik, Rapzilla)

Have you ever heard of a brother and sister spitting bars together? I’m going to let you think about that for a minute and I will do the same. So have you heard of this? No? Me neither. That’s because Sis N Lil Bro is the first ever brother-sister hip-hop duo in the country. That is wild! This anomaly duo consists of 23-year-old Tytist and 24-year-old Celena Lena from the Twin Cities of Minnesota. They started out as individual artists, and it stayed that way for several years. It wasn’t until 2020 that they put their creative minds and signature sounds together to form their own group as siblings. They were born into a family of artists, with their father, XROSS, having made waves as a Grammy-nominated pioneer of Christian hip-hop and founder of The Man Up Club & Godflow Christian Hip-Hop festival. These siblings started their professional music ventures at early ages. Celena Lena started recording at age 16 while Tytist started as a studio engineer at age 13. Individually and collectively, they have released a total of 16 singles, 3 EP’s, 4 studio albums, and 42 music videos. (First Avenue)

On January 19, 2024, Sis N Lil Bro released another single. “Fighter” is the name of the single, in which they teamed up with legendary Christian hip-hop artist and producer, This’l. To the casual listener, it may sound like one of those stereotypical motivational songs that are often people’s go-to medium when they are mentally preparing for an important football game or high-stakes boxing match. It has a simple trap instrumental filled with heavy bass, horns, and synths, but the song is actually more intricate than it lets on. If you listen closely to the lyrics, the song is about them overcoming various obstacles in life that can never be talked about enough as well as how Sis N Lil Bro have so much fortitude and resilience instilled in them. In the chorus, Tytist raps about never being a quitter. There is also a line where he says, “I’m a fighter, it’s a shared bloodline, so you gotta know it’s in me”. This tells me that this is the way their parents raised them. They taught the siblings not to let things that are beyond their control get the better of them and to keep a level head and good spirit. Tytist brings up the recurring theme of being torn down by those around him throughout the first verse. Tytist also raps about not letting naysayers get to him and continuing to live his life. Celena Lena taps in at the second verse, where she points out how she leans on God when it comes to fighting her battles and keeps His strength and wisdom in mind in order to rise above fear. She also covers everybody’s favorite topic: self comparison. She specifically talks about how easy it is to be distracted by comparing yourself to others and feeling like you are being doubted. She also highlights the importance of knowing your worth as a human being. The reigns are then passed over to This’l for the last verse. Here, he touches on how low some of his past moments have been and having faith in God because of the reward awaiting at the other end of the tunnel. He also likens people who never give up to a lion, which has long been used to symbolize those who are resilient with a warrior spirit.

“Fighter” covers a lot of subtopics that pertain to overcoming odds in life. Going back to Tytist’s verse, there are two types of people that you encounter as you advance in whatever you do with your life. You have your genuine supporters who want to see you succeed no matter what. These are the people who will cheer you on and help you in any way they can. On the other hand, there are people who want to see you fail, also known as your haters. These could be people in your circle that show you their true colors and try to sabotage you later. They could be strangers who get one look at you and not like you for whatever reason. Either way, this adds another fight to your record. I really liked that Celena Lena covered the topic of self comparison in her verse because it is all too prevalent in today’s culture. It is often said that comparison is the thief of joy, and it’s not hard to see this. We feel pressure to measure up to unrealistic standards so much that we eventually don’t know who we are anymore. However, God is stronger than this and has a will for us individually. Also, This’l referencing lions brings about another element to this message. Lions are fighters in their natural habitat and are courageous. I genuinely believe that all of us can be the same way if we really want to even if it takes time for some more than others. This’l and Sis N Lil Bro have not forgotten where they came from, and they hit this song hard in terms of content, flow, and annunciation. As always, be sure to check the Spotify link below to listen to this song.

References

Sarachik, Justin. “Sis N Lil Bro on ‘Kingdom Business’ Feature, New Music, & Career Aspirations (CHH-ish Podcast Ep. 4)”. Rapzilla, 30 January 2024. https://rapzilla.com/2024-01-sis-n-lil-bro-kingdom-business-chh-ish-podcast-ep-4/

https://first-avenue.com/performer/sis-n-lil-bro/

by Niko Skinner

Shygirl, October 2022 (Kalia, The Guardian)

Shygirl is an English rapper, DJ, singer, and songwriter who incorporates elements of industrial hip-hop, dance music, experimental pop, and grime. Originally from South London, this 30-year-old has put together an illustrious career that started in 2016. She has worked with a variety of producers to drop positively reviewed albums, singles, and EP’s, and has even been acknowledged by Rihanna. Shygirl has drawn influence from Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Björk, and Madonna.

Don’t let her stage name fool you because there is absolutely nothing shy about her Nymph_o remix album that was released on April 14. Since it’s a remix of her debut September 2022 album Nymph, I think it would make more sense to talk about and include the Spotify links for both albums in this entry. Throughout these albums, Shygirl was really bold in delivering her message regarding sexuality. The first song that stuck out to me was “Woe”. The instrumentation and vocals have a steady flow to them, which is accomplished primarily by the bass and percussion. Speaking of the percussion, it is smooth all the way through despite the beat changing halfway through the song. The song starts with a medium-tempo beat that is average in terms of energy. It then transitions into more of a faster, trap-like beat while still retaining its tone and bass sound. Björk contributed to the remix of “Woe” on the Nymph_o album, which also has additional lyrics. The instrumentation is different this time. It starts out the same way as the original with the same beat and bass sound. It then gradually changes so that it sounds more somber. In summary, the atmosphere takes a bit of a dark turn. The original song depicts Shygirl having questions that stem from not being satisfied in a relationship while Björk empathetically addresses these questions in the remix. I can definitely hear the influence from Rihanna because these albums remind me of her music, especially from her earlier career (give Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded a listen, and you’ll hear what I’m talking about). For example, you can hear some of the elements from 2000’s r&b and pop in “Heaven”. The vocals and synth melody in “Heaven” make up the contemporary r&b sound. While that is going on, you can hear the pop element in the drum beat because of the groovy yet polished rhythm that is maintained throughout. The remix of “Heaven” features a more accentuated beat along with additional vocals from Tinashe. Together, Shygirl and Tinashe do a great job of delivering a message to their exes, asking them to forgive them and overlook their mistakes.

These albums take me back to my childhood, when my family and I would ride in my dad’s truck for vacations, and we would listen to a lot of r&b along the way whenever it got dark outside. The best way that I can describe Shygirl’s music is “throwback” yet “futuristic”. Her music is reverse engineered and combines elements of hip-hop, pop, and r&b. It’s done in a way that differentiates her music from other modern artists who are also bringing something new to the table. It sounds like something that you could listen to in 2023 while also sounding like something you could have listened to in 2008.

References

Kalia, Ammar. “Shygirl: Nymph review – a sensuous, playful debut”. The Guardian, 2 October 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/oct/02/shygirl-nymph-review-a-sensuous-playful-debut

by Niko Skinner

Mo Dinka, June 2021 (Instagram)

Hey guys and gals! I came down with COVID in the past couple of weeks, but I am recovered and back at it again.

I recently got to interview a friend of mine who goes by the stage name of Mo Dinka. Mo is a gospel and soul singer who grew up where I currently live, which is Plano, Texas. He is just getting his career started in the music industry. Although he traces the beginning of his musical journey back to singing in the elementary school choir, he started taking it seriously in the 6th grade because his voice was getting all the girls. Mo has since gone on to write his own music as well as perform in different capacities throughout high school and college. Now 24 years old, he is beginning to take the next steps toward his career and release his original songs. Now that this is all coming full circle, Mo says that he has become more aware of the different ways that music can be marketed, and now looks at his career from an entrepreneurial point of view. The wide array of influences of his include Michael Jackson, Prince, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, the Jonas Brothers, Jodeci, and Childish Gambino. He also environmentally attributes his musicality to his African Christian roots as well as spending his life in Texas.

This past summer, Mo won the InterContinental music award for his original song titled, “Never Will I Be Alone”. He considers this to be the most important song he has written so far because he wrote it during a difficult time in his life. The song is about hopelessness, faithlessness, crawling out of dark places, and turning negatives into positives. You can tell that he put a lot into this song if you listen to it. You can hear the passion in his voice along with the strong soul vibe accomplished by the long tones and runs in the piano line. Mo sings with a harmonious voice along with a consistent falsetto. Throughout the song, he is expressing to God the different emotions he feels when he goes through hardship and the mental toll that it takes on him. He is crying out to God for His grace and mercy yet acknowledges that He will always be with him even if he doesn’t aways see or feel it. I think the latter is a repetitive lesson that we have to keep remembering as we experience both triumph and tribulations in life. One line in this song that really hit home for me is in the bridge, where he sings, “My least favorite person is myself”. Unfortunately, it is all too common for us to beat ourselves up and be our own worst critic. I struggle with this, and I personally know a lot of people who struggle with it as well. Even public figures and other people we look up to aren’t exactly the kindest to themselves. I feel like it’s important to normalize this issue because it is a lot easier said than done to build confidence in ourselves and tell ourselves that we are worthy and adequate.

Speaking of adequate, that brings me to another song he released, titled, “Feeling of Inadequacy”. Mo refers to this song as a more upbeat version of “Never Will I Be Alone” because it touches on the same subjects yet the message signifies faith and redemption. The song also has a more lively and positive sound. This is evident when you hear the major key and vocal harmonizations throughout. “Feeling of Inadequacy” has uplifting lyrics of hope, affirmation, and assurance. They express that God will watch over us whenever we struggle and feel like crap, and that God will always beat the giants that we face in the end. It’s like Mo is rallying listeners to not lose hope because our situations are temporary, not permanent. This message is also achieved visually through the music video for this song. The music video depicts a basketball game pitting the Angels against the Demons. At the beginning of the video, it is halftime, where the Angels are down by 15 points. The Angels are gathered in their locker room, and Mo is praying for a comeback come time for the second half. Eventually, they get back out on the court, and the coach starts talking strategy with the team and rallying them up. The Angels then start catching up to the Demons and narrowing the gap on the scoreboard. Toward the end of the game, the coach calls a timeout and reminds Mo that the game is almost over. Mo then goes up to the free throw line and makes the final basket to get the win for the Angels. I really like the story that is told in this music video because it is symbolic of resurgence from various hardships. It’s like Mo sings in the song, “The grass is green on the other side.”

* Fun fact: Mo confided in me that this was a real basketball game, and that he ate Chick Fil-A right before filming this video. That makes for a fun time, right?

Mo describes his music as “soul-healing” because he ultimately aims to glorify God and be that voice for people with mental health issues. Not only that, but he wants to take it a step further and contribute to the emotional healing of people who are struggling mentally. Furthermore, he hopes to grow more as an artist and possibly collaborate with other artists such as Toby Nwigwe, IceJJFish, and Gary Rojas. Mo also has an album, titled Ground Zero: the Prayer of an Underdog, set to release in February and an upcoming motion picture short film. He is approaching all of this with humility because he has said himself that he doesn’t want to be a stepping stone nor does he view anybody else as such.

References

Dinka, Mo. Interview. Conducted by Niko Skinner, 21 October 2022.

Introvert, Proffesional [@mo_dinka_music_]. “Too blessed to be stressed. 💯 🙏🏿 📷 cred: @k_wadnsiah” Instagram. 22 June 2021.

by Niko Skinner

River Tiber, December 2022 (Killbeat Music)

Happy New Year everybody! To start the year off, I’m writing about River Tiber.

River Tiber is a singer, songwriter, producer , and multi-instrumentalist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. River Tiber specializes in indie pop as well as alternative R&B. Some instruments that he plays include keyboard, drums, violin, guitar, and trombone (which is a bit of a rarity unless you are in the jazz or symphony orchestra scene). River first broke into the scene in 2013 with his debut EP, The Star Falls. He has since also collaborated with artists such as Drake, Usher, SZA, and Travis Scott, all of whom he has co-written and co-produced songs for.

On December 9, 2022, River Tiber released a new album called Dreaming Eyes, his first full studio album since Indigo in 2016. In this album, River, the collaborating artists, and the producers have used their diverse assortment of skills and musical ears to put together what I can describe as an ambient sound that contributes to a lively atmosphere. To be honest, it sounds like something that could be quite popular among hardcore music lovers in artsy towns such as Denton, Texas. I couldn’t help but notice that there is a common use of the reverb and compress effects. These effects give instruments a bit of an echo while still controlling the dynamics (the volume) of the instruments. These effects with the piano and keyboard are especially prevalent in “Sent from Above”, “Inside Out”, “Not Just Anyone”, and “Vanity”. You can also hear the reverb and compression effects with guitar in “Taurus” and “Sunset”. I think that these are generally what drive the ambient yet free-flowing sound heard through Dreaming Eyes.

Overall, Dreaming Eyes is very calm and soothing. I think that listening to it can help put you more at ease if something happens that makes you start to feel intense emotions such as anxiety, sadness, or anger. It helps you take a temporary break from the real world when needed, hence the word “dreaming”. I also like the musician ship that River Tiber shows through Dreaming Eyes. Each song has some type of variety, and they give various instruments and elements a spotlight. This is something else that keeps listeners interested in a certain artist after said artist has released a hit single or album.

References

“River Tiber – Dreaming Eyes”. Killbeat Music, 9 December 2022. https://www.killbeatmusic.com/rivertiber/

by Niko Skinner

Stormzy, October 2022 (Jenn, AllHipHop)

Going back to the U.K., I’m going to talk about Stormzy this week. Stormzy is a British rapper, singer, and songwriter from London, England. He always had a particular love for music and started rapping at an early age. Starting his career in 2010, he is well-known for his popular song, “Shut Up”, which was originally released as a freestyle on YouTube.

In late November, Stormzy came out with a new album called This Is What I Mean. When it comes to This Is What I Mean, the first three general words that come to mind for me are mellow, slow, and soulful because it has a lot of soul and R&B elements. This is a far cry from his earlier music that is more energetic. If you listen to this album, it is probably not what you would expect to hear from a U.K. rapper. I mean this in a good way. A striking similarity between “Please”, “Sampha’s Plea”, “Holy Spirit”, and “Give It To The Water” is that they all consist of a calm tone and mood along with a slow tempo, soothing vocals and very minimal percussion. Hip-hop albums usually consist of about 1 or 2 songs with these elements, if any. I like how this album is unconventional when it comes to how the music is arranged because I feel a different sense of intimacy from this. “This Is What I Mean”, the title song of this album is also unique in that it starts off with a classical piano intro before transitioning into a modern hip-hop track that includes a fast and steady drumbeat, choir vocals, and Stormzy alongside Ms. Banks, Black Sherif, and Amaarae. Another highlight track from this album is “Hide & Seek”, which is the lead single. This song blends a synth-heavy lofi instrumental with typical U.K. hip-hop/R&B vocals. The beat reminds me of a lot fo the music I would listen to while I’m reading and working. I feel like it’s very fitting that This Is What I Mean generally has an eloquent sound with a greater weight to it is because this album is about some taboo topics such as the importance of Stormzy’s faith and how Black people are portrayed in the media (Keith). If topics like these are brought up, it would make sense for the album to not be crunk and wild.

I have found that Stormzy is among the trend of artists with the ability to paint a big picture using a small brush. By that, I mean that even though he is a rapper, he doesn’t need his music to be loud, energetic, aggressive, or any other stereotypical trait associated with rap music to get his point across. This Is What I Mean is simplistic yet poetic and deep. In other words, he is calm before the storm (see what I did there?). I think that concepts like this will lead listeners to actually ponder on what story is being told in songs while listening to them. Like I said in my last post, story-telling is an integral part of music. It serves as the building blocks to a meaningful piece of art.

References

Jenn, London. “Stormzy Reflects On His Rise To Fame & Desire To Start A Family”. AllHipHop, 27 October 2022. https://allhiphop.com/news/stormzy-reflects-on-his-rise-to-fame-desire-to-start-a-family/

Keith, J. (2022, November 25). Stormzy Calls On Sampha, Black Sherif, India Arie & More For Third Studio Album ‘This Is What I Mean’. Complex. https://www.complex.com/music/stormzy-this-is-what-i-mean

by Niko Skinner

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Soundtrack Album Cover, November 2022 (Green, Pitchfork)

Hey everybody, I hope y’all had a great Thanksgiving!

I wanted to do something different this week and talk about a movie soundtrack rather than any one artist. I have been listening to the soundtrack of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which started streaming on all platforms earlier this month. I think this album has the potential to be just as popular as the movie itself. It consists of an original score composed by Ludwig Görannson, who also produced most of the songs. This score features both well-known artists (e.g., Rihanna, Future, E-40) and artists that are a little more under the radar (e.g., Snow Tha Product, Fireboy DML, Tems). All of the songs depict various feelings and scenarios influenced by the different cultures that are featured in the movie itself.

The first song that I want to touch on is “Lift Me Up” by Rihanna. This is the lead single on the soundtrack, and for good reason. It brings about feelings of warmth during a time of grief, which is evident in the major key of the song and emotional vocals from Rihanna. The song starts out soft with Rihanna silently humming and a slowly rising instrumental. It eventually builds up with Rihanna now fully singing and the instrumentation becoming more intense. “Lift Me Up” ultimately symbolizes healing and reconciliation, with the song paying tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman (McGee), who portrayed the Black Panther in the original film as well as Rihanna’s return to the music scene after six years. Tems, a co-writer of the song stated that she wanted to write something that portrays a warm embrace from the people that she lost in her life (Cowen). “Laayli’ kuxa’ano’one”, which is heard towards the end of the end credits of the movie, is another intriguing song on the soundtrack. It is performed by Mayan rappers ADN Maya Colectivo, Pat Boy, Yaalen K’uj and All Mayan Winik, and the title could be translated in Spanish to “we are still alive” (Swoboda). “Laayli’ kuxa’ano’one” gives us a bit of a deep dive into the indigenous Latin civilization that is Maya. Elements of this song include rapping that is entirely in Mayan, a verse with a whistling melody, and a synth bass sound. I believe that most people that like secular rap music would take a liking to this song. Another specific song I want to discuss is “They Want It, But No” by the married couple of Toby Nwigwe and Martica “Fat” Nwigwe. I feel like this song could particularly serve as an anthem of the Black Panther movies. It does a good job of incorporating a unique African feel while still being an excellent fit to accompany the typical action that comes with a Marvel movie. In this song, you hear some head-bobbing African percussion as well as dissonant orchestral melody that fades in and out. The icing on the cake is the rap vocals from Toby and “Fat”. They take turns rapping stanzas using a call-and-response method. Every time I hear “They Want It, But No”, I visualize the Black Panther preparing for battle.

To sum it all up, I wanted to cover a soundtrack because it is a critical part of any movie. As a matter of fact, I can say the same about soundtracks to other forms of media, such as video games. For example, I fondly remember playing each of the games in the Batman Arkham series and then listening to various songs from the series. It would always be for the purpose of tying music to a story. The same concept applies to Wakanda Forever. I think that taking the time to listen to songs that are featured in media outlets can help the audience better understand and enjoy them.

References

Green, Dylan. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By Various Artists 2022”. Pitchfork, 11 November 2022. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/various-artists-black-panther-wakanda-forever-music-from-and-inspired-by/

McGee, N. (2022, October 28). Rihanna’s ‘Lift Me Up’ Is a Perfect Tribute to Chadwick Boseman. TheRoot. https://www.theroot.com/rihanna-s-lift-me-up-is-a-perfect-tribute-to-chadwick-1849716616

Cowen, T. William. (2022, October 26). Rihanna’s Upcoming ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Song Was Written as Tribute to Chadwick Boseman. Complex. https://www.complex.com/music/rihanna-upcoming-black-panther-wakanda-forever-song-chadwick-boseman-tribute

Swoboda, K. (2022, November 14). La Opinion Today: in Wakanda Forever Mayan music surprises more than one and the Panini album fails its fans. TrendingNews. https://trends.crast.net/la-opinion-today-in-wakanda-forever-mayan-music-surprises-more-than-one-and-the-panini-album-fails-its-fans/

by Niko Skinner

Camila Cabello, September 2022 (Avila, People)

Camila Cabello is a Cuban-American pop singer. Camila was born in Cuba to a Cuban mother and Mexican father. I discovered her the same way a lot of you probably discovered her, which is through her 2017 platinum single, “Havana”. From listening to her music, I definitely get the typical Latin pop vibe. Camila first made an impact in the music world as a member of Fifth Harmony, a group that first appeared in the spotlight on the singing competition show, The X Factor, in 2012. Since departing the group in 2016, Camila has really come into her own and established herself as a solo artist. This feat is analogous to Beyonce and Kelly Rowland’s respective solo careers after the end of Destiny’s Child.

Camila just dropped her latest album, Familia, this past April. She teamed up with other artists on this album such as Ed Sheeran, Maria Becerra, Yotuel and Willow. Familia touches on the subjects of her musical heritage, Latin roots, and love. What sticks out to me is the variety of musical culture in this album. This is primarily driven by the mix of English and Spanish vocals and instrumentals that are derived from different genres. For example, in “Celia” (which literally translates to “sugar”), you hear Spanish vocals as well as a bouncing drumbeat and guitar phrases that are commonly heard in Latin pop and salsa music. Also, “Hasta Los Dientes” has a bass line and drumbeat that may remind you of “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. This song is generally classified as reggaetón-disco, a Spanish-speaking musical style from the 1980’s that blends reggae music with hip-hop music and Latin American dance hall music and is often heard in various parts of the Caribbean (Flynn, 2021). My personal favorite song from this album in terms of musicality has to be “La Buena Vida”. I say this because there is a good blend of rhythmic guitar lines along with melodious trumpet runs. These along with Camila switching back and forth between medium tempo and faster tempo with her vocals are what I believe make this song a very complete arrangement without overwhelming listeners. With all of these different styles, Camila is letting us into more of her life and background that led to her getting to where she is today. One of her songs that is more directly about love is “Quiet”. In this song, Camila describes physical intimacy with a guy as well as the different emotions running through her head including anxiety and excitement. It spreads the message that love and romance brings out intense feelings because we are often afraid of giving our hearts to someone else because not all relationships end with good results. The part of the song where she sings,”Did you get taller?/Your hair is longer/Couple tattoos since I saw you/Lookin’ at your hands/Thinkin’ of my plans for ’em/Ooh, but what if I panic?/What if I’m damaged?/What if I’m just not who you imagined?/I just can’t focus/And you’re gorgeous/And I’m hopeless” (0:59-1:19), is so relatable because it accurately deciphers a common effect that the modern dating world can have on our mental capacity. We go through this pattern of longing for a relationship only to flip the switch so that the longing turns into fear and insecurity the moment you have an opportunity to pursue a relationship with someone that you are physically attracted to for any number of reasons. Romance is like an endless Rubik’s Cube.

Even though Familia is personal, it also tackles some issues that come with love and romance. It may sound like a typical pop album to some, but it has a variety of instrumentation along with subliminal and relatable messages that I believe can be useful to anybody, regardless of what life stage people are at. For me, it felt refreshing to go back and revisit Camila Cabello. I hadn’t really listened to anything else from her apart from “Havana”. I definitely hear an evolution in her music between then and now. Growth is a quality that is very essential to career longevity.

References

Avila, Daniela. “Camila Cabello on Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as New ‘Voice’ Coach: ‘I Have Something to Offer'”. People.com, 15 September 2022. https://people.com/music/camila-cabello-talks-imposter-syndrome-on-the-voice/

Flynn, G. (2021, November 28). Reggaetón: Origin and Evolution of a Genre. Marquette Wire. https://marquettewire.org/4065685/radio/reggaeton-origin-and-evolution-of-a-genre