ALBUMS Red (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift 2012 was a simpler time: As conspiracy-theorists announced the approach of the world’s end, Taylor Swift was easing into pop music with catchy breakup songs. Nine years later, she has re-recorded her chart-topping album Red, adding 10 new songs (from the vault) that[Read More…]
Tag: music
‘Get Back’ is a time capsule of a pivotal breakup in music history
Warning: Spoilers ahead Before John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were The Beatles, they were The Quarrymen—a happy-go-lucky skiffle group. With Starr joining in 1962, The Quarrymen became The Beatles and catapulted into stardom. They will always be known for bringing some much-needed flair and gaiety to[Read More…]
From feminism to feminisms
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve brainstormed the perfect slogan to scribble on my cardboard sign right before a protest. Almost always, I end up settling on something I deem to be just so-so. The same thing happened in January 2017, a day after Donald Trump’s inauguration,[Read More…]
Maybe I was always playing myself
In elementary school, I spent most of my Saturdays attending Young People’s Concerts at the New York Philharmonic. My memories of those days are scattered and somewhat fleeting—I was far more enthralled by post-concert trips for hotdogs at Grey’s Papaya and Revson Fountain’s extravagant water jets than the actual performances.[Read More…]
From the gym to the studio: Athletes who gave music a go
Whether it be a washed-up child actor or a TikTok star on the come-up, many celebrities try to break into the music industry at some point in their career. Given the historical connection between music and the world of sports, it is unsurprising that several star athletes are also taking[Read More…]
Astroworld tragedy renews debate on the safety of mosh pits
The Travis Scott Astroworld Festival tragedy, which left 10 concertgoers dead and hundreds injured, has renewed discussions on the question of violence at music events, leaving many wondering if such a tragedy would have occurred without the influence of mosh pit culture. Moshing involves pushing and slamming—or sometimes just vigorously[Read More…]
‘What the Pop!’ booths showcase local talent
As the August heat faded and the leaves began to curl and drift away, the Montreal arts community said one final goodbye to summer at What the Pop!, a pop-up exhibition run by YES Montreal. The free public exhibition gave dozens of local artists the opportunity to sell their art[Read More…]
Homeshake’s new album ‘Under the Weather’ is a musical rendering of distress and isolation
Homeshake, also known as Peter Sagar, is a Montreal-born and Toronto-based artist known for his mellow sound and poignant lyricism. Under the Weather, his fifth studio album, is a 12-track confession of depression and isolation. Although Sagar wrote the morose album in 2019 after mental health struggles secluded him from[Read More…]
Music as a way of remembering
People listen to music for three distinct purposes: To escape from their thoughts, change their mindset, or use as a narrative medium—something that can speak to one’s physical and mental situation first-hand. There is a time and place for each of these ways of listening to music: I will put[Read More…]
Rediscovering the value of practice
One of my earliest memories is of my mother handing me a cardboard violin and stick and having me bow along to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. As the child of two classical musicians, I started learning music very early—at the age of two. Every day when I came home from[Read More…]
