As I pulled into the parking lot of Théâtre Hector-Charland on March 29, eager to see a Québecois musical legend perform, I noticed a bus transporting residents from a nearby retirement home had beat us there. This moment hinted at the crowd that I would find sitting inside, waiting for[Read More…]
Music
Cash grab or uninspired choice? Deluxe editions of albums are both
Typically as an artistic or stylistic choice, deluxe editions of albums are released a few months or so following the initial album drop, expanding upon the original record with the inclusion of more songs. With (relatively) recent examples such as Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS (spilled) (2024) and Tyler, the Creator’s CALL[Read More…]
Peace has returned to Spotify via Neil Young and Joni Mitchell
At the beginning of 2022, music legends Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, alongside a few other artists pulled their music off Spotify in response to the streaming service platforming controversial podcaster Joe Rogan. Young explained that he did not want to be associated with a brand that had such a[Read More…]
Can Matt Champion move beyond his boy band past?
A quick look at the Y-intersection’s collection of baggy pants, tiny sunglasses, tote bags, and ironic baseball caps indicates an unspoken truth—many of McGill’s trendiest students may have been fans of Brockhampton in their heyday. The “best boy band since One Direction” was a groundbreaking force in hip-hop in the[Read More…]
Faye Webster’s new album is “Tttttime”less
Following a three-year hiatus, bedroom pop icon Faye Webster is back with her latest release, Undressed at the Symphony. Inspired by the countless nights Webster took herself to the symphony as therapy amid a breakup, the album serves as a counterpart to the whimsical love story of Webster’s 2021 album[Read More…]
‘eternal sunshine’ plays with fire, and I’m not just talking about Ethan Slater’s hair
Ariana Grande, our reigning Queen of Pop, has blessed us with many studio albums, from Yours, Truly, which embodies the pure innocence and joy that accompanies young love, to thank u, next, where we find out that the honeymoon phase doesn’t actually last forever, to her last album, Positions, where[Read More…]
The Children’s Hour is going home
As the bouncy plucks and resonant acoustics of the nylon-string guitar line underscore “Going Home,” vocalist Josephine Foster joins in, crooning, “I am going home.” Her vocal inflections are sweet and sombre, resembling the warbling mimicries of a lark as a spidery electric guitar melody spins between the interweaving words.[Read More…]
The best love songs for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is not the time for chocolate or flowers or even love. It’s the time for playlists. Breakup playlists to scream at your ceiling, classy playlists for candlelight dinners, or salacious playlists for “late-night activities.” Whatever playlist you might be making, here are four great love songs to consider[Read More…]
At the Grammys, Black artists continue to go unrewarded in the major categories
Every year, the Grammy Awards accompany the periodic discussion around their failure to celebrate Black artists, and this year is no exception. Jay-Z’s acceptance speech for the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award called out this disappointing pattern in the Grammys. He noted how, despite Beyoncé being the most awarded artist[Read More…]
GQ magazine’s absorption of Pitchfork is devastating for diversity in music journalism
Gentlemen’s Quarterly (GQ), the men’s fashion and lifestyle magazine, has absorbed one of music’s most influential journalism outlets, Pitchfork. Condé Nast, the parent company of both GQ and Pitchfork, is the driving force behind this move. Publicly announced on Jan. 17, this move came as a shock to the publication’s[Read More…]