Category Archives: Music/Concerts

“Thick of it” by KSI

November 25, 2024 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Samson Belihu

KSI, a famous British rapper, released a song called “Thick of It” in early October 2024 connecting it to his life. It got a lot of attention for its catchy rhythm and people created their own videos with the song acting out how the song goes especially the part that goes “From the screen, to the ring, to the pen, to the king…”.

Let’s break down how that line probably connects to KSI’s life.

“From the screen”: Likely referring to when he started out as a YouTuber and he gained much fame through his video.

“To the ring”: Here, KSI is talking about his venture into boxing, where he participated in high-profile matches, including going against his fellow YouTubers and celebrities.

“To the pen”: This part is when he’s talking about how he wanted to be a musician, and that’s exactly what he became. He wrote songs that he personally was able to express himself through his lyrics.

“To the King”: This symbolizes how he has succeeded in many fields as a “king” of the industry.

The song “Thick of It” is a hit, but not for the reason he wanted it to be. A lot of people find it as a funny song, and social media has transformed it to how they felt, from a life story, to a catchy humorous song.

Many people have added their own twist to their songs. This includes a 1950’s version, 90’s Rap song version, Rock song, pop version, Kanye West version, and many more doing whatever they can to add their own pizzazz into the song.

In my opinion, I find the original song very catchy, and also a bit humorous only because of the way social media has shaped the song. KSI is very talented when it comes to many things, but when you publish songs on social media you have almost no control over how it’ll transform into an amazing song or just like this song, pretty catchy with the twist of it being funny.

Music/Concerts, Travel/Food

The 5 worst Burger King ad songs

November 20, 2024 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Ian Larson

Burger King has made many songs for their ads that have been quite successful in making BK Popular. A surprising amount of people actually enjoy these songs even though they are ads. At the end of the day, some BK songs are just not as good as the others and I will be listing them in order of what I think is least bad to most bad.

This first song is called “Lunch Linner Dinner”. This song is meant to advertise the “Duo”. The thing where they say lunch linner dinner just didn’t really make a lot of sense and wasn’t very funny so I’m not really sure why they felt it was necessary. Other than that the song flows pretty well.

The next song is “Bring on the Flavor”. This song is advertising the “Royal Crispy Wraps”. The main thing that is wrong with this song is that they added too many syllables to one of the lines and it just made it seem really off and out of place.

Next is “You Rule”. This is the first BK song and just advertises BK in general. The only problem with this song is that it just doesn’t really seem right for Burger King. Making it be a rap song in my opinion doesn’t really make sense with how the company presents itself.

Second to last on the list is “Flame Grilled Layers”. This song is meant to advertise the “Burger King Melts”. My big problem with this song is that the singing somehow sounds AI generated. The singing also doesn’t match up quite right with the music in the background.

The worst BK song is “The New Fiery Menu Only at Burger King”. This song is meant to advertise the “Fiery Menu” at Burger King that has spicy foods, but the problem with the ad is the singers. It just seems like they got some random people who don’t know how to sing or make good lyrics.

Music/Concerts

‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We’ album by Mitski – Background information

November 1, 2024 HPSH Plaid Line 2 Comments

By: Christine Yang

Information about the album:

The album ‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We’ was made by the artist Mitski. The album was released on September 15, 2023, which was her comeback and recent album after releasing an album called ‘Laurel Hell’ in 2022. ‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We’ has eleven songs in the album. One of the songs in the album was one of the biggest hits after the release, and the song was “My Love Mine All Mine” with 560 million Spotify streams.

Songs:

“Bug Like an Angel”:

The process of the track, “Bug Like an Angel” has mainly four chords throughout it (chords: d flat major, a flat major, e flat major, b flat major) because the song is about addiction, and Mitski wanted to show it in a musical way that addiction is basically a cycle that you’re just kind of stuck in, it being repetitive over and over which doesn’t end, so the intention behind having the same chords repeating hopefully leads the listener to think what it’s about. Mitski also wanted a little twist/change by having the vocals in the middle of what we think is the chord progression; she wanted that twist to give a feeling of being off balance because the song is about addiction which isn’t a balanced state.

She started creating the song by having a descriptions so it’s easy to paint a picture in the listener’s head; she wanted the picture of someone drinking something out of a glass and which there’s stuff left. While they are drinking out of it, they realized there’s a bug stuck at the bottom of the glass, and because it’s stuck it looks like there’s an angel in the sky. She chose the angel reference so it can set the tone since later on in the song she says something about God and devils, which is supposed to give the listener the option to take two main meanings (positive or negative, pessimistic or optimistic) away depending on what they want out of the song.

After the the description Mitski wanted the protagonist to say something about themselves as an introduction, later on in the song there’s a choir part coming out of nowhere to be the first big emotional moment saying the word “family” with a whole choir out of nowhere, to evoke that sort of intensity with a choir as well. Then it goes back to the corporation and then the second verse, which is a spot to bring another character in and have the protagonist, who we know, point them out saying like, “Hey what’s the matter? You’re looking like a sticker stuck on a floor somewhere”. Which basically means like the person doesn’t look like they’re having a good time, like they look sad, despondent, and that phrase basically brings back to Mitski thinking stickers were so important to her when she was a kid, and how sad it’ll be if some kid’s precious sticker was stuck on a floor and couldn’t get it off. Basically, this brings up how the protagonist faces challenges which make them suffer, and that’s where the “God and devil” reference shows up, saying “is the suffering from God or the devil”, in the third verse. And that’s how the song “Bug Like an Angel” was created.

“Buffalo Replaced”:

“Buffalo Replaced” is a track that was supposed to give an idea of how the album, ‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We’, is like. The track specifically— Mitski and her producer, Patrick Highland, was really inspired by ‘The Velvet Underground’. While the inspiration was added at the beginning of the song, Patrick also added keyboard sounds at the end too, which added something beautiful at the end, in Mitski’s opinion.

“Buffalo Replaced” might be about being dependent/leeching onto someone, and having struggles without the person that you rely on.

“Heaven”:

“Heaven” is meant to exemplify the little time someone has with the person they love, and to cherish that time and leave the issues of the world outside the room to enjoy the beautiful love they share, Mitski has stated.

“Heaven” was an old song, but the beginning of the song sounded different than how it is now, because the older version didn’t have the swing that it does currently. Mitski was fine with that version; it just didn’t feel like it stood out as much alongside the other songs she wrote that have the same rhythm, so it sat for awhile until she and Patrick tried to figure out how to make it sound on a record.

The first demo version they did actually was right after they recorded “Be The Cowboy” in Philadelphia. That demo version had more of a Patsy Cline swing to it, which is closer to what it is now. The problem was that the track didn’t really have an album that it fit into or in the ‘Laurel Hell’ album so it sat some more, but eventually made the album ‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We’.

Since the track was such a romantic song, they wanted to do it with a whole orchestra and a sweeping Old Hollywood sound. They found an orchestrator, Drew Erickson, who did works with popular artists. Erickson orchestrated for “Heaven”, and then Mitski’s team recorded the orchestration part.

“I Don’t Like My Mind”:

The lyrics in ‘” Don’t Like My Mind” are literal and self explanatory, which the listeners can get the grip of what the song is about. The song could be about trying to distract yourself from negative thoughts and using stuff to cope with those things; it can also mean you not wanting to be alone with your thoughts due to negativity.

The production process for the demo was made right after she and her team recorded “Be The Cowboy”, and was also recorded in Philadelphia. The track in the song ended up being easy to make because it was similar and the end result was similar to the demo they made way back then. So, her team just kept the guitar track from the demo.

“The Deal”:

The song started by misinterpreting a Maria Mitchell poem, “How Charming is Divine Philosophy”. The poem is basically about how you discover more about the world and you while going on a midnight walk by yourself. One line in the poem, “There’s a deal to be learned on a midnight walk, when you take it all alone” Mitski misread it as, “There’s a deal to be made on a midnight walk when you take it all along” and before she realized the error she made, she thought it was an interesting thought: like what kind of deal can you make on a midnight walk?

The song “The Deal” can mean wanting your life to be like someone else or your expectations of yourself, and being willing to give or do anything for your ideals.

“When Memories Snow”:

Mitski got the idea of the music for “When Memories Snow” by playing the piano and experimenting with chords inspired by a show instrument, Japanese Shō (doesn’t follow the Western traditional music rules), which can be heard at the end of the song. The song has two parts inspired by Western movie soundtracks and British invasion rock. The song also pushed Mitski out of her comfort zone because most of her songs are quiet/soft which is an easy range for her.

“When Memories Snow” could be about putting the past behind you and focusing on making new paths/memories, and how the past will always be there to either drag or lift you up.

“My Love Mine All Mine”:

“My Love Mine All Mine” is about how to love is the best thing Mitski ever did, and how beautiful it is. According to a quote from Mitski, this song is better than any song she wrote, material possession she gained, or achievement. Mitski also wishes that after she dies, that the song leaves behind this beautiful love in the world.

Mitski’s first moment of the creation of the song started when she was carrying groceries and singing “my love, my oh my”, which she used that part and recorded everything, that’s how the song “My Love Mine All Mine” started/was created.

“The Frost”:

For the song “The Frost”, the producer, Patrick, and Mitski knew that they both wanted to draw from ‘Americana’ from classic country, folk, and old time music. This made them think they needed a band that was versed in those genres much more, and they were able to successfully find one. They even got Brooke Wagoner on the piano, who also did piano on Mitski’s album ‘Laurel Hell’ from 2022. Mitski and Patrick knew that they wanted the song to be live or have an acoustic feeling to it, so they had to rehearse with the whole band for a day then recorded all the songs they did together the next day.

The song can mean being left behind or falling out with someone, and that the friendship/relationship being put behind or forgotten, also not being able to move on from that person.

“Star”:

“Star” was also an old song, but it started when Mitski went to her friend’s house, playing her acoustic guitar and just started messing around with the track. In the beginning it sounded different from what the track is now currently, the first demos her and her producer made were trying to do a “carpenter thing”, and the demo kind of had the type of swing they looked for.

But the demo felt a bit too happy so they tried a different version that was the same chords but sort of more of like “slow core” or “red house painters thing”, which also didn’t work either and they eventually figured out what’s not working is that there were so many chords per phrase.

They switched to adding a drone just the sustained tonic in the start of the song, and that ended up sounding really good so they built off of that so it started simple with just a sustain, and they decided to keep building off of it, and they took inspiration from Scott Walker at the end of the day.

Both, Mitski and her producer, wanted to add a little subtle orchestration to keep building on it, so they had their orchestrator, Drew Erickson, compose for strings that’s just very subtle, and they also took some parts of the orchestration to support the song instead of taking the spotlight.

The song “Star”, describes two people who are no longer in love, but continues to care about each other partly in memory of the love they had.

“I’m Your Man”:

The process of making this song included Mitski writing it on an acoustic guitar. When she wrote the first half of the song she thought the song was short after listening to it so she had to figure out a way to lengthen it, but the problem was that she didn’t want to add other parts (ex. chorus, bridge, etc). Even though she didn’t want the song to change she decided to add choral voices, which required her getting a choir that sang “yo ho”, that was inspired by pirates and gave her a more masculine feeling that basically led to the intention behind the song. That process also gave the name of the song, “I’m Your Man”.

The song is coming from the perspective of a man in Mitski’s head, basically it’s like the voice of a patriarch in your head because “we” all live in and were raised in a patriarchy. The “masculine voices” in your head depends on, not depending on what gender you are, but in a way of interacting with male figures in your life, and all the messaging you’ve received from the culture and the patriarchy around you. And so the song is to give a voice to that “masculine voice” in Mitski’s head to either help her bring into peace with it or free it up a little bit. This also was inspired by the story of the Buddha and how the Buddha was disturbed while being in peace, but how the Buddha was still kind to their “enemy”.

Mitski wanted to try something similar by just letting the patriarch mind to basically say whatever or doing whatever, which is where the song came from and what the song means too.

“I Love Me After You”:

During the process of “I Love Me After You”, Mitski made a mistake of recording herself of just playing it on an acoustic guitar and singing along. After she listened to the demo over and over, she tried to figure out how the end result track should be, but she struggled of how it should sound.

After she brought it to Patrick, Mitski just wanted the song to just be acoustic guitar and voice since she was so familiar with it which also made her like the song like that. But she knew deep down that the track had potential and how she was just getting in her way, so eventually Patrick convinced her to do the version that it is today. He wanted the song to be like you’re crawling through something slow motion. In terms of making it, they made it faster and slower to get that feeling to see how it can get to that image.

“I Love Me After You” can be about finding freedom from moving on from a failed relationship.

Music/Concerts, News

Liam Payne tribute

October 31, 2024 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Priya Anderson & Ruby Anderson

Screenshot of Zayn Malik’s Instagram tribute

From an English town in West Midlands, England, and born on August 29th, 1993, Liam Payne was an English singer-songwriter, and father. Best known as a member of One Direction, Payne’s life is a testament to the power of superstardom, and the beauty of talent.

One Direction, which is one of the best selling boy bands of all time, needs no introduction. The story of how it came to be is a classic amongst Gen Z. Liam Payne was the first member to audition on ‘The X Factor’, a British talent show. He was also the first to advance through the first round, but was cut at the ‘boot camp stage’. Simon Cowell, who would manage and form 1D, brought Liam back. Liam was cut again, but Cowell saw something in him, and encouraged him to come back in ‘2 years’.

2010 was the year it all changed. After returning to their show, Liam was paired with 4 strangers: Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik. They gained popularity extremely fast. Placing 3rd place on the show, they were signed to Simon Cowell’a ’Syco Entertainment’. From there, history was made. From songs like, “What Makes You Beautiful”, “Live While Were Young’, “Best Song Ever”, and countless other hits, 1D was sent into the stratosphere, and never really came down.

At a very young age, Payne was touring all over the world. Anywhere from North America, Asia, Oceania, and Europe, Payne was living the superstar’s dream. But this type of fame at a young age would take a toll on anyone. Payne struggled with substance abuse and mental health issues for many years up to his untimely death. After 1D separated in 2015, Payne always maintained his hope for a reunion. The group’s success was so monumental, so intense, all the members continued to have a special relationship with one another, even after falling out.

Payne released his first hit single in 2017, “Strip That Down”, which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Payne then released a subsequent album, ‘Bedroom Floor’, and a planned second studio album was in the works for 2023-2024. Payne delved into themes like sexuality, and explored the R&B style he would be known for. Payne was also an extraordinary writer, co-writing almost 30 songs for 1D, and many other artists. Also skilled in coming up with melodies, Payne’s rich voice was perfect for capturing the right tune.

With his singing talent, Payne utilized his fame for good, and was a philanthropist for many organizations. He supported BBC’s children in need fundraising efforts, Comic Relief, UNICEF, and was an ambassador of sustainable development. During COVID, Payne helped fund over 60,000 meals in the Trussell Trust. Prior to his death, Payne donated thousands of pounds to various GoFundMe pages.

Many things could be said about Liam Payne and fame in general, but what is known is the need for people to take mental health and substance abuse seriously. On October 16th, 2024, Liam Payne died after falling from a third-floor balcony in Buenos Aires. He was 31. This has raised concern about the music industry, media, and adolescent fame. Shortly after his death, fans and friends paid tribute to him. Fans gathered outside of the hotel the day he died, lighting candles and mourning the loss of the pop star. Fan memorials took place all over the world, such as in Mexico, UK cities, and NYC.

All members of 1D wrote eulogies about their friend, and posted them on social media alongside pictures with Liam. One of the most poignant quotes was from Zayn Malik, a band member who was close with Liam. Zayn stated, “I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time…”. Several other celebrities also paid tribute, including Simon Cowell. Liam’s death was a tragic accident, and a circumstance of immense fame. Not much is known about his death, and what’s best now is to appreciate his life and legacy. When 1D finally reunites, Liam’s place will always be cherished in the hearts of many.

Music/Concerts

The meaning behind “ I Know It’s Over” by The Smiths

October 30, 2024 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Kumari Wijetunge

The Smiths (1984 sire publicity photo) by: Paul Cox; Distributed by Sire Records

“I Know It’s Over” by The Smiths released in 1986 as part of The ‘Queen Is Dead’ album stands as one of The Smiths most heart wrenching and melancholic songs. With lyrics written by Morrissey and composed by Johnny Marr the song provides the listener with a candid exploration into the feelings of romantic rejection, personal worth, and the longing desire for human connection.

“I Know It’s Over” is a song about the pain of dealing with unreciprocated love. Lines like “Love is natural and real/But not for such as you and I,” reflect an emotional torment of being unable to experience the love that is given. Morrissey wallows in the sadness and hopelessness of loving someone who won’t reciprocate, with the song repeatedly going back to the line “I know it’s over, still I cling” showing that he knows deep down the truth but just can’t leave yet.

The song’s message reaches beyond just a romantic failure but goes into the feelings of broader existential loneliness. Morrissey’s lyrics convey a sense of isolation, reflecting on feelings of being disconnected with others. Lines like “it’s so easy to laugh, it’s so easy to hate, it takes guts to be gentle and kind” portray the struggle of maintaining kindness in a cruel world that at times is so cruel.

Additionally, it shows the dark feelings of feeling so unloved you’re willing to do anything just to feel something, like expressing thoughts of suicide with the line “the sea wants to take me/The knife wants to slit me/Do you think you can help me?” The line ending with a question further provides more evidence of unreturned love.

“I Know It’s Over” is more than just a break up song, it’s an exploration of human vulnerability, loneliness and the desire to connect with others. Morrissey’s deep and raw lyrics and Johnny Marr’s guitar world make a powerful piece that resonates with listeners on many different levels and can be interpreted in many ways.

Music/Concerts

Why ‘Plan A’ is one of the best albums this year

October 24, 2024 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Bailey Glime

‘Plan A’ by Lil Tecca is one of the best albums this year and here is why. ‘Plan A’ shows a more experimental Lil Tecca who uses different tones in his voice to make songs sound vocally different. The album has 18 songs and is 44 minutes long, so the album is not long but has a lot to offer.

‘Plan A’ doesn’t just have the same sounding songs like other albums. This album dives deeper into different sounds to attract the audience more. It also makes the songs more of a fun listen too. The album also has songs that are more chill, and others that hype you up more.

Personally, the song that sticks out the most and is my favorite is “HOMEBODY”. This is one of my favorite songs because of the way Tecca makes his voice go up and down. There is also a catchy chorus that is fun to not just listen to but dance to as well. This song is also not a long one to listen to, and it has the listener wanting to listen to it again.

Compared to other albums of the same genre, this album isn’t completely serious and it’s more fun. At the same time, it has that seriousness in it that the other albums do too. The effect that this has on the listener, is that they can understand the lyrics better but still groove to the beat. This makes it a replayable album.

A song that makes the album pop with its lyrics is “120”. In this song Lil Tecca is talking about how with his success now he has a lot. He sings about being able to own expensive things like a 120k necklace. This song also has a groovy beat that just makes the lyrics pop more.

Overall, ‘Plan A’ shows many different sounds and makes it a very fun and interesting listen. It really dives into all the techniques Lil Tecca has under his sleeve, and draws the listeners to the album. This makes it one of the best albums this year. Having all these sounds mixed together makes this album a really enjoyable one.

Music/Concerts

‘When Wind Meets Fire’

October 9, 2024 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Yohan Lee

Elevation Worship is a Christian band and it began in 2007 at Elevation Church. They are some of the most well known churches and worship groups. One of the most popular songs is “Praise” from the album ‘Can You Imagine?’

‘When Wind Meets Fire’ by Elevation Worship music list:

New Thing Coming
What A Miracle
Sure Been Good
Faithful Now
God Is Not Against Me
Owe You Praise
When Wind Meets Fire
Always On Time
Another One
Great Is
Easy
All Of The Sudden

For “New Things Coming” it gives like motivation because in the lyrics it says “Darkness bow down to the day. Mountains get up out of my way. Breaking out of yesterday. I got a new thing coming.” It says even though the enemy is going to come down and try to attack you, and even when you’re being attacked, you always know that tomorrow is going to be a better day and not going to be the same as yesterday.

Also in “New Things Coming”, when the lyrics say “[T]ell this giant in my face. You’re no greater than my faith.” It’s implying that even though your enemy could be bigger than you, it can’t beat your faith. If you just know that your faith is much stronger than your enemy then your enemy can’t do anything.

I think this song is pretty good. It has a lot of meaning behind it. Some of the stuff I said is not half of it.

For “What A Miracle” this song is implying that our savior is always going to love us. The lyrics that stuck out to me are “You called me from the grave and pulled me from the dirt. I love how you love me first.” For me, it says that even if you’re at your lowest point he will always somehow pull you from your lowest point to your highest point. Our savior will always love us even when we are lost.

I believe that this song is really good because it shows how our savior can still love us forever even when we did a bad deed.

For “Sure Been Good”, when the lyrics are saying “You took the mess that I was in and you have done some incredible things.” I believe that this is saying that our savior can just turn our mess and flip it to make our life better.

For “Faithful Now”, the whole song is basically you putting your faith in God and once you do he’ll do the task that is impossible for someone: like moving a mountain. If he wants that mountain to move he’ll start an earthquake. In my opinion, I really like this song because it’s catchy.

For “God Is Not Against Me”, the song is saying God will never go against us even when we make the biggest mistake. He is never going to betray you because he created us. I think this song is pretty good.

“Owe You Praise” is basically talking about how our savior has done a lot for us and he deserves our praise. Our savior will get tired but from afar it will always watch over us. I think this song is speaking the truth because after all the stuff he did for us I think he should deserve all the praise.

The “When Wind Meets Fire” song means bringing something that’s stuck in one place to another. Like imagine if the fire is all of us and we’re all stuck, but once our savior comes and touches us then we can quickly spread and move far apart. This is an opinion, but I think this is one of the best songs on this list.

“Always On Time”. This song basically is telling that our savior will always be there at our lowest and his timing is always going to be right. I like this song because it’s true. His timing is always going to be right. It could take a few minutes, a few weeks or even years, but during those times you can always learn more about him which can work or improve yourself.

“Another One” is a very good song. In the introduction it says “You do everything on purpose” which of course everything he does to us he does on purpose. It could be a test to see your faith in him or it’s just a life lesson. And in the next line it says “I’ve been praying and you’ve been working” which is saying he is working on that prayer but like again, it’s on his timing, and if he tells you about something it will happen.

“Great Is”, is another good song. This song shows how our savior can simply make something that seems impossible and just flip it. You might not know it but like everything else he does it’s on his timing. And if you have faith in him then you can trust the process.

“Easy” is a great song to show how powerful he is. Some of the lyrics are saying he can move a mountain, part seas, fight ten-thousand battles and still win and take down giants. In this song, a good lyric is “What I call impossible is easy for you”; nothing is impossible for him.

And finally, for the last song “All Of The Sudden” it tells if you just breathe him in, as in knowing or letting him in your life just a little bit, at your lowest point you’re going to feel strong all of the sudden. The strength just rushes through you and just overflows your soul.

I hope you guys will listen to one of these songs. You could even listen to a glimpse of it and it could somehow change your life. But if you do like this kind of music, I strongly recommend listening to ‘Praise’ by Elevation Worship or ‘Wake’ by Hillsong United.

Music/Concerts

Album review: ‘K-12’ by Melanie Martinez

September 13, 2024 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Beverly Stinson

‘K-12’ is the 2nd studio album released by alt pop singer Melanie Martinez. It was released on September 6th, 2019 with 13 songs and was accompanied by a musical based movie, written and directed by Melanie herself along with some other people.

‘K-12’ is my favorite album ever and I’m giving my honest opinion on every song.

Tracklist

Wheels on the Bus
Class Fight
The Principal
Show and Tell
Nurses Office
Drama Club
Strawberry Shortcake
Lunchbox Friends
Orange Juice
Detention
Teachers Pet
High School Sweethearts
Recess

It continues the story of the character Crybaby and her experience at a sleepaway school, following Melanie’s debut album titled ‘Crybaby’. Crybaby is a pretty complex character that is based off of both Melanie’s experiences with life and other peoples’ experiences.

I also just want to state that the videos are tied to the movie so you could watch it and see all the music videos there and that I won’t be getting into detail about the lore and meanings of all the songs.

And lastly, I want to say that Mel goes by she/they pronouns so I will kind of be switching between the two for different songs.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Song #1: Wheels on the Bus

Warnings: suggestive language, profanity, drug use

Wheels on the Bus music video

Wheels on the Bus lyrics

“Wheels on the Bus” is one of my favorite songs. I used to listen to it everyday on repeat and watch the music video.

It’s not one of the most popular songs on the album but I personally feel it’s important to the story and the album and definitely deserves more recognition.

I believe it signifies coming of age as it shows Crybaby going to school for the first time and immediately experiencing bullying as well as “First love” and just the chaos of school.

One of my favorite things about this song is the obvious reference to the song “Wheels on the Bus” and the samples Melanie adds from it.

8/10

Song #2: Class Fight

Warnings: violence, suggestive language, drug use (in the movie)

Class Fight music video

Class Fight lyrics

At one point, “Class Fight” was my favorite Melanie song, it really had me in a chokehold when ‘K-12’ came out. I would watch fan made music videos and the actual music video itself over and over.

I love the music, lyrics, and meaning, just everything about it.

In the movie there’s the fight scene which is honestly one of my favorite scenes in the movie, it’s not very long but it’s an interesting scene and probably my favorite time Crybaby showcases her powers.

9/10

Song #3: The Principal

Warnings: drug use, profanity, transphobia (in the movie)

The Principal music video

The Principal lyrics

“The Principal” isn’t a song I’d say is my favorite but it’s still an amazing song. I love the lyrics and the music video.

I feel like this song kinda resonates with me a little because I used to be considered a “gifted” and “talented” kid and throughout the years I ended up burning out from all the expectations and work pushed on me.

I do really love this song and it definitely deserves more recognition.

8/10

Song #4: Show and Tell

Warnings: violence, profanity

Show and Tell music video

Show and Tell lyrics

“Show and Tell” focuses more on Melanie’s experience as a growing artist.

It’s an amazing song and it was so popular at the time of release and for good reason, more people need to hear about how they make artists feel.

In the song they talk about how they feel pressured and used by their toxic fans. They have people pressuring them to make more music and have people taking pictures of them without permission. They express how they don’t feel like they can really talk about how their toxic fans make them feel because they think their fans won’t like them anymore.

The video for it visualizes how Melanie feels like they’re some sort of puppet in the music industry and that’s really creative.

10/10

Song #5: Nurses Office

Warnings: drugging, violence, profanity

Nurses Office music video

Nurses Office lyrics

“Nurses Office” was a song that really started to hit me in 7th grade.

It basically talks about how bullying may affect a person so much that they don’t want to attend class or even be in school in general and how schools don’t really do much about it. Crybaby is a character that is shown to be treated very harshly by other students and isn’t helped by teachers. To get away from it she goes to the nurse’s office since that’s the only place she can go.

I do love this song and relate to it on a personal level and Mel actually said it was their favorite on the album which makes it more special.

9/10

Song #6: Drama Club

Warnings: violence, gore (in the movie), profanity, misogyny (in the movie)

There’s no YouTube music video link for some reason

Drama Club lyrics

“Drama Club” has always been a favorite for me. I absolutely loved the video for this song as well as the lyrics.

The video is actually so sick, it has another one of my favorite scenes where Crybaby uses her powers and gives more of a glimpse of how powerful she really is.

It’s a pretty slow paced song but I feel like every album needs 1 or 2 slower songs with all the fast paced ones. It also reminds me of like 5th grade since I listened to it the most during that time.

10/10

Song #7: Strawberry Shortcake

Warnings: body dysmorphia, bullying, implications of sexual assault, sorta nudity (in the movie), misogyny

Strawberry Shortcake music video

Strawberry Shortcake lyrics

“Strawberry Shortcake” is my 4th favorite song on the album. I really relate to some parts of it as the lyrics talk about some things I go through.

This is another song that I feel might be about Melanie’s experiences but also just the subject in general. They talk about how sexism and misogyny affected them and I think about how some people made them feel about their body.

Sexism and body dysmorphia are two really heavy subjects and Melanie talks about heavy things like that all the time. They’ve never really held back on the subject and I can tell it means a lot to them.

It references how society tells women or AFAB’s (Assigned Female At Birth) that it’s their fault for getting hurt because of their clothing or the way they look.

“Strawberry Shortcake” is definitely an underrated song and it deserves way more recognition and love than it has.

10/10

Song #8: Lunchbox Friends

Warnings: profanity, sexual language, mentions of drugs, mentions of death (metaphorically)

Lunchbox Friends music video

Lunchbox Friends lyrics

“Lunchbox Friends” is one of the most popular songs on the album. It’s a song that I started relating to in 7th grade.

This song is about fake friends; in the movie the group of popular girls invites Crybaby over to sit with them at lunch and pretend to be her friends but in reality they’re just going to end up leaving her.

This is one song that I kind of involuntarily think too much about the meaning. It does genuinely make me sad when listening to it and thinking of people it reminds me of. Even so, I still love it and it will forever be one of my favorites on ‘K-12’

10/10

Song #9: Orange Juice

Warnings: eating disorders, body dysmorphia, slight gore (in the movie)

Orange juice music video

Orange juice lyrics

“Orange Juice” is a song that didn’t hit with me at first but after watching the movie and listening to the song so many times it eventually made its way to my second favorite on the album.

This song speaks about eating disorders and self hate as well as self love and acceptance. This song helped me through my own eating disorder and helped me feel more seen about my insecurities. And I honestly owe a lot of my progress with my health to Melanie and her songs, this being a big one.

“Orange Juice” is a really good song and it speaks on a big issue that a lot of people don’t ever want to talk about. It’s definitely a song that means a lot to me.

10/10

Song #10: Detention

Warnings: profanity

Detention music video

Detention lyrics

“Detention” is a song that I recently started to like more, I don’t know why I never fully listened to it though. I like the lyrics and the music and it’s all very catchy but for some reason it didn’t stick to me until like 4 years later. But as of right now, it’s my 3rd favorite on the album. I really love the music video; I feel like it’s really satisfying to watch.

I relate to this song on a huge level. It’s insane. Since 7th grade school hasn’t exactly been the most positive experience for me and I never really had any help or guidance.

There’s a lyric at the beginning of the song that talks about something I think most students experience, which is coming to school early in the morning with less than 7 hours of sleep, and some teachers expecting you to have a bright smile and positive attitude. That’s just something I think is a pet peeve for everyone.

10/10

Song #11: Teachers Pet

Warnings: grooming, profanity, suggestive language

Teachers Pet music video

Teachers Pet lyrics

“Teachers Pet” is an amazing song, it deals with an insanely heavy topic that definitely isn’t talked about enough.

I’m not going to add any of the lyrics but basically what the song is about is a teacher preying on one of Crybaby’s friends Angelita. It’s obviously based on pedophilila and grooming in the school system and how it’s underlooked.

In the song it kinda talks about how it actually feels to be the victim in this situation. She mentions Angelita feeling like a spider trapped in a cage, representing her feeling trapped in the relationship as well as hating the teacher but still not being able to leave.

Obviously, like I said, it’s a very heavy topic and that might be why some people don’t like it but it’s still such a good song.

9/10

Song #12: High School Sweethearts

Warnings: violence, profanity, suggestive language

High School Sweethearts music video

High School Sweethearts lyrics

Okay, so, “Highschool Sweethearts” is my overall favorite Mel song out of all her albums and my favorite song ever made. I’m so obsessed with the music and the lyrics and how I feel it represents me.

I might be exaggerating but I really feel like this is one of the songs i relate to more than every other song, like ever. It genuinely means so much to me.

I love the lyrics but I wanna say that the music video/scene is everything to me, the choreography is, I think, my favorite I’ve ever seen and the video is my favorite music video ever. I just love everything about it and the song in general. I cried hearing it live; it was a very important moment for me.

This is such an important song to me and it will forever be my favorite.

100/10

Song #13: Recess

Warnings: profanity

Recess music video

Recess lyrics

“Recess” is the last song on the album, and I love it so much.

This song is basically about being brave enough to take a break when things get too overwhelming in your life.

I feel like this definitely goes back to the school system and how they pressure kids. Having them take so many classes with so much work and expecting them all to be smart and understanding of all the information being pushed in their faces at one time.

It’s good for people to get reminders that they don’t have to cause themselves so much stress at one time and that they are allowed to take breaks for their own well-being because it’s so important.

This is one of Melanie’s least popular songs which I don’t understand because it’s so good. It definitely deserves way more recognition.

10/10

Overall, this album is so amazing and honestly doesn’t have any bad songs. I love that every song has a deep meaning and spreads a message.

Melanie has been one of my favorite creators since I was 7-8 years old and I love seeing her go from being on ‘The Voice’ to making her own music and spreading amazing messages and love. She was the most influential person in my childhood and she’s still a major influence now. She’s the reason why I got into writing and helped guide my start with activism.

This album really means so much to me because I relate to so much of it. And it’s a piece that should be so much more popular. It speaks about a lot of big topics that I’d say most artists wouldn’t even dare to touch. That’s something really special about it and Mel.

There is also a deluxe version of the album which adds the songs from her EP ‘After school’ which you should also check out, my favorite is “Brain + Heart”.

Lastly, I want to say how perfect the movie is. I’ve seen it so many times and it’s one of my favorite movies. It’s crazy to think about the fact that Mel wrote it, directed it, and starred as the main character. That’s not an easy thing to do and it just shows how talented she is.

I really do recommend you watch the movie! Here’s the link to it:

K-12 the movie

I hope you take the time to listen to it and show your support for Melanie and the messages and love she’s trying to send to everyone.

-Beverly

Music/Concerts

Music artists I highly recommend giving a listen to

September 6, 2024 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Julia Yang

We all like music, and if you say you don’t, you’re a liar. Everyone has different tastes in music with bias to various genres like pop, rock, country, and rap. I’d tell you what my taste is, but I listen to anything that sounds good. That’s not the point though, the point is that I’m sharing the artists I listen to so that you may expand your horizons and they can gain more support. Who knows, you might even enjoy these artists more than I do.

These are not ranked in any specific order.

#1 AJR

A little bit of a controversial opinion, but I love AJR. I don’t know why people hate them so much.

AJR is a good artist to listen to if you enjoy songs that speak upon unspoken issues like the feeling of watching the world go by whilst you haven’t changed, or being a good person all of the time but never gaining anything out of doing so. They’re sad topics, but the songs are usually really upbeat.

AJR music is usually loud, uses unusual instruments, and odd structure— but I think that’s what really sets them apart from everyone else.

#2 Will Wood (And The Tapeworms)

Will Wood (And The Tapeworms), more artists that touch upon topics that other artists don’t. They talk about feeling conflicted with self identity and advocates for understanding and acceptance, wishing for some kind of connection with the increasingly fragmented world.

Will Wood (And The Tapeworms) are a band that blend elements of rock, jazz, and cabaret into all of their songs. I will say, the sound of these songs are extremely unusual. Not in a bad way, they’re just not your usual day-to-day songs. Again, something that makes them stand out.

#3 Dagames

Dagames is an artist known to make fan made songs for popular games, one of which being “Build Our Machine” based off of ‘Bendy and the Ink Machine’— his most popular and known song. Putting aside the game songs, he also makes his own songs without building off a game! But, if you don’t play or enjoy popular games for whatever reason, this isn’t really the artist for you, obviously. Even so, you can also just ignore the whole game aspect and just enjoy the songs.

He usually makes songs that consist of metal and electronic elements, they’re usually loud and aggressive— but in a good way. Most of his songs made for games are fueled from the possible anger that the characters feel, so as one would, they’re all loud and aggressive. Love him for that.

#4 Ricky Montgomery

Something about this guys voice is incredible, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Ricky Montgomery is an alternative and indie artist who is quite popular in a variety of communities around social media. His music tends to tell wonderfully emotional stories in such a way that people can connect to them on a variety of levels— kind of like how people can connect to drawings and paintings; they’re all forms of art after all.

Ricky’s music can really get you in the feels, that’s all I can say, really.

Music/Concerts

‘Snow Angel’ album review

June 5, 2024 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Sophia Elmstrom

‘Snow Angel’ is Reneé Rapp’s debut album with only an EP out called ‘Everything to Everyone’. This album came out November 2023 and it is about 48 minutes long in total with 16 songs.

Reneé Rapp has recently gained a new level of popularity from the ‘Mean Girls’ remake which is a musical. Reneé was in ‘Mean Girls’ on Broadway and was an actor before she started her singing career. She is very popular among many teens from this movie and a majority of her fans are also musical theater fans.

The 16 songs on this album are:

Talk Too Much
I Hate Boston
Poison Poison
Gemini Moon
Snow Angel
So What Now
The Wedding Song
Pretty Girls
Tummy Hurts
I Wish
Willow
23
Messy
I Do
Swim
Tummy Hurts (feat. Coco Jones)

My two favorite songs on this album are “Talk Too Much” and “Messy”. The most popular songs on this album are “Poison Poison” which became popular because of TikTok and “Tummy Hurts” which also became popular because of TikTok.

All of the songs on this album are very good especially because of Reneé’s vocals and how great her voice sounds. She has a very powerful voice which sounds amazing in person and on the album and these vocals are mostly shown on the song “Snow Angel”.

The reason I love the song “Talk Too Much” is because I like the beat and the lyrics a lot. She has a point in the song where she starts talking a lot and I think it is clever to do that in a song called “Talk Too Much”. This song is about how she is scared that she talks too much and she is basically overthinking this relationship. I give this song a 10/10.

I also love the song “Messy” for some of the same reasons. This song is also about overthinking and how when she isn’t with this person all she thinks about is the relationship. I give this song a 9/10.

Overall, I really like this album and I believe that the vocals are amazing. I think that there are no bad songs on the album and I think she did a great job on ‘Snow Angel’. This album is full of a lot of upbeat and poppy songs and there aren’t many slow songs. I give this album an 8/10.