By: Sophia Elmstrom

‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology’ is Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album. Taylor had been working on this album for two years before her announcement at the 2024 Grammys. Many fans had been speculating that at the Grammys Taylor would announce her re-recording of ‘Reputation’. The album was originally called ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ but then at 2 A.M. the night that the album was released Taylor surprised everyone and released a double album called ‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology’.

On the combined albums there are 31 songs in total and the whole album is a little over 2 hours long. Many of the songs on this album are about the recent breakup of Taylor and her ex boyfriend of over 6 years.

1. Fortnight (ft Post Malone)
2. The Tortured Poets Department
3. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
4. Down Bad
5. So Long, London
6. But Daddy I Love Him
7. Fresh Out the Slammer
8. Florida!!!
9. Guilty as Sin?
10. Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me
11. I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
12. loml
13. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
14. The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
15. The Alchemy
16. Clara Bow

These 17 songs are all of the songs that are on the original album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’. Overall, these songs are very clever and the lyrics are catchy and well written. This album definitely stood up to the expectations of the fans but many people who are not fans do not think this album is very good. Lots of listeners said that the album had basic lyrics that did not mean anything. Although that could be true to many I believe that the lyrics did have lots of meanings and in order to understand it you would kind of need to know a lot about Taylor’s life.

My favorite songs on this part of the album are “Down Bad” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”. Both of these songs are about the heartbreak that Taylor went through last year. I really like these songs because the lyrics are very sad while the music is very upbeat and happy.

I give this part of the album a 9/10 because a few of the songs sound a lot alike but I really liked them all.

1. The Black Dog
2. imgonnagetyouback
3. The Albatross
4. Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
5. How Did It End?
6. So High School
7. I Hate It Here
8. thanK you aImee
9. I Look in Peoples Windows
10. The Prophecy
11. Cassandra
12. Peter
13. The Bolter
14. Robin
15. The Manuscript

This second album is very good but I do not think I have listened to it enough to fully give it a rating. My favorite songs so far include “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus” because the lyrics are very good and catchy. I also think the same for “So High School” which is a song about her new relationship with Travis Kelce.

Another song that is very clever is “thanK you aIMee” which is a song about Kim Kardashian. Its a song about how all of the rude things that Kim said led to where Taylor is today.

I will give this album a 7/10 so far because I have not listened to it enough yet. I think the first album is better because I like the beats of the songs and lyrics.

By: Charlie St. Dennis

Weeks ago, I wrote in anticipation of Beyoncé’s new album. The singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” had just been released, and producer Killah B was quoted as saying, “Let’s just say, she’s (Beyoncé) on the approach of shocking the world.”

One month later, I can confirm that Killah B was right. ‘Cowboy Carter’ is currently occupying the top 27 slots on the Apple Music Country Charts, all the songs are charting on Global Spotify, became the most streamed album in a single day in 2024, occupies the top spot on Billboard Country Albums, and is headed for a third week at the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 at press time.

In her announcement post, Beyoncé writes that the album “[W]as born out of an experience that (she) had years ago where (she) did not feel welcomed… and it was very clear that (she) wasn’t.” This is in reference to when the Country Music Association Awards invited Beyoncé and The Chicks to perform “Daddy Lessons” from her sixth studio album, ‘Lemonade’. While the performance was acclaimed by critics and also gave the CMAs their highest viewership, many country music fans and audience members criticized Beyoncé’s attendance claiming she wasn’t country enough. As a result of this, CMAA deleted all promotional material and footage of Beyoncé’s performance, succumbing to the hate.

Unlike the Country Music Association, Beyoncé did NOT succumb to the hate, and researched the history of Western culture and country music and its African-American roots. And from that, we were blessed with ‘Cowboy Carter.’

I’d argue that despite having the blessings of country legends, including Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, Reba McEntire, just to name a few, this is much more than just a country album. This is not ‘country’, this is a rebirth. For so long, so many music listeners have been blind to the history of country music and the songs that define it. Beyoncé has opened eyes and exposed things that many listeners never knew. For example, Beyoncé covers The Beatles’ “Blackbird” on the album. She features 4 up-and-coming black women in country music: Tanner Adell, Reyna Roberts, Tiera Kennedy, and Brittany Spencer. When people heard the original version, it was said that the song was inspired by the call of a blackbird in India. Paul McCartney, the writer of the song, revealed in 2022 that the “Black bird” of the song should be “interpreted as ‘black girl’” as the song was intended to be a waking call in the Civil Rights movement. It is poetic that Beyoncé is choosing to spotlight black women in an environment that doesn’t always welcome them for this song, considering that is exactly what McCartney was going for.

In the opening track, “Ameriican Requiem,” Beyoncé declares that “there’s a lot of talking going on, while I (Beyoncé) sing my song” and that “there’s a lotta chatter in here, but let me make myself clear.” This sets the perfect tone for the album. It’s a tone of pride and relentlessness. It’s a tone that says “say what you want, but I’m not gonna listen.” We hear songs like “16 Carriages,” “My Rose,” and “Protector,” which affirm Beyoncé’s love of her family, and how she balances her family life. We hear interludes from Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Linda Martell, who give their blessings and introduce some of the album’s more fun tracks, like “Texas Hold ‘Em,” “Jolene,” and “Ya Ya.” We also get a speculated sequel to “Jolene” in “Daughter,” which as of right now, is my favorite song off the album. We hear genre-bending tracks like “Bodyguard,” “Spaghettii,” “Riiverdance,” and “Tyrant,” that playfully explore different genres and mash them together. The album also includes features from industry stars such as Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Shaboozey, and Willie Jones.

Lots more could be said about the lyrical depth of this album and the deep meaning and thought behind each track, and I think it’s all a very worthy and necessary conversation. I also think this is just really good music. Whether you are a casual Beyoncé fan, or a casual country music fan, you can listen to this album and acknowledge the work and genius behind it, while also acknowledging the beautifully catchy music right in front of you.

‘Cowboy Carter’ serves as a melodious homage to home, to welcoming, and to origin. It’s a perfect 10/10 for me, maybe even an 11/10. I hold the controversial belief that this might just be Beyoncé’s magnum opus. Not because all of the songs are perfect, but because she stepped into an environment where she knew she wouldn’t be fully welcomed, and made room for herself, all while making music that can appeal to everyone.

My favorite tracks as of current are: “Ameriican Requiem,” “Daughter,” “16 Carriages,” and “Tyrant.” If those tracks are all tied for first, all the others are tied for second. Even the interludes aren’t worth the skip. That’s how you know there’s no one in the game quite like Beyoncé.

By: Sophia Elmstrom

‘Found Heaven’ by Conan Gray is Conan’s third album and most recent one. This album came out April 5th, 2024 and is brand new. This album has 13 songs and is a total of 36 minutes long.

This new album is very out of Conan Gray’s comfort zone, most of his music is slow paced whereas these songs are more funky and amped up. Many of the songs on this new album are inspired by popular 80’s and 90’s music. For example, a song on this album is called
“Eye of the Night” inspired by “Eye of the Tiger”.

The song titles are:

• Found Heaven
• Never Ending Song
• Fainted Love
• Lonely Dancers
• Alley Rose
• The Final Flight
• Miss You
• Bourgeoisieses
• Forever With Me
• Eye Of The Night
• Boys & Girls
• Killing Me
• Winner

My top three songs on this album are “Alley Rose”, “Bourgeoisieses”, and “Lonely Dancers”. Both “Alley Rose” and “Lonely Dancers” were released as singles before this album came out on April 5th.

“Alley Rose” is inspired by the album ‘Abbey Road’ which was by the Beatles. Conan wrote this while he was on his way home from London after getting his heart broken there. “Alley Rose” is one of my favorites on the album because the lyricism is truly beautiful as well as the music. 10/10

“Bourgeoisieses” is a very upbeat song about the rich. This song is unlike anything Conan has written and I like it very much for that reason. This song is intentionally misspelled and is the “plural” of bourgeoisie. ‘Bourgeoisieses’ makes fun of rich people and Conan says that this whole song is just supposed to be funny. I really enjoy it and it is very very catchy. 7/10

“Lonely Dancers” was a single off of this album and is about getting ghosted and being confused. I like “Lonely Dancers” because of its upbeat and catchy music. I believe that this is the best song off of the album with the best music while “Alley Rose” has the best lyrics. 10/10

Overall, I give this album an 8/10 because it took me a while to get used to the new style of music. If you enjoy 80’s music I would definitely recommend this album because it is a modernized version of 80s music.

By: Fletcher Pike

Pinkpantheress is a popular artist known for her mixtape from 2021 ‘to hell with it’ including hit songs “Pain” and “Break it off”. Many of her songs feature echoey and soft vocals topped with fast breakbeats and low instrumental undertones. Recently, in 2023, she came out with her debut studio album titled ‘Heaven knows’. This album was released on November 10th, with several collaborations from many different artists and includes a total of 13 songs.

Track 1: “Another Life” ft. Rema

The first song on this album starts off with a scaling church organ with the sounds of rain. This turns into a catchy breakbeat with a faint piano underneath it with nice vocals, with segments with an electric guitar. Nigerian rapper Rema is featured in this song with echoey vocals. Overall, this was a really nice opening to an album, and I found the sound of the church organ to be really unique. I rate this song a 10/10.

Track 2: “True Romance”

This song opens with the shuttering of a camera, which evolves into a guitar melody and clapped beats with a unique warped guitar underneath it. I really liked Pinkpantheress’s vocals in this song and I rate this song a 9.5/10 because I did think that it got a bit repetitive at times, but it was still good overall.

Track 3: “Mosquito”

The single “Mosquito” is an upbeat song with a joyful guitar sound and a nice beat over it. I think this is one of my favorite songs from this album because I loved the melody and the instruments used in this song. I will give this song a 10/10.

Track 4: “The aisle”

“The aisle” starts off with a pulsating beat and an echoey synth sound under it. I loved the dynamics of the instruments and sounds in this song which leads me to give this song a 9/10.

Track 5: “Nice to meet you” ft. Central Cee

This song opens up with a high pitched synth sound that continues throughout the song. I liked Pinkpantheress’s vocals but personally I wasn’t a fan of Central Cee’s vocals. I thought that this song was okay overall, so I rate it a 7/10.

Track 6: “Bury me” ft. Kelela

“Bury me” starts with a growing pad sound with a choppy vocal sample with bird sounds. A low bass melody is introduced that is continued throughout the song that I really enjoyed. I loved the vocals in this song from both Pinkpantheress and Kelela. I will rate this song a 10/10.

Track 7: “Internet baby (Interlude)”

“Internet baby (Interlude)” begins with a sharp beat with an electric guitar and a theremin sound. It turns into a beat with a nice electric piano over a sharp drum beat. I’m not sure it was much of an interlude because of the length of the song, but overall I liked this song and I rate it a 9/10.

Track 8: “Ophelia”

“Ophelia” begins with a beautiful harp sound that continues throughout the song; it has a traditional rock beat over it and really great vocals. I found the harp instrument to be a nice addition to this song and adds to the vibe of the song. I rate this song a 10/10 and it is one of my personal favorites from this album.

Track 9: “Feel complete”

“Feel complete” starts off with a high pitched piano sound with a classic drum beat over it. This song also features stringed instruments and a bright guitar sound. I thought that the melody flowed well. I liked this song and I rate it a 9/10.

Track 10: “Blue”

“Blue” starts off with a glitchy synth sound with some nice drums over it. I liked the main chorus of the song since I found it to be very catchy. I loved this song and I rate it a 10/10.

Track 11: “Feelings”

“Feelings starts off with a glitchy telephone-like sound which turns into a nice beat with an airy synth pad with some drums and nice vocals. I thought that this song was pretty good and I liked the sounds that were used in the song. I will give this song a 9/10.

Track 12: “Capable of love”

This song starts off with a guitar and some glitchy vocals behind Pinkpantheress’s voice. It also includes a nice drum beat over the guitar and vocals. I thought that this song was okay, and I rate it an 8/10.

Track 13: “Boys a liar pt. 2” ft. Ice Spice

The final song on this album is one of Pinkpantheress’s most popular songs, with a collaboration with the rapper Ice Spice. This song is a continuation of one of her songs from her mixtape ‘to hell with it’, with new verses and vocals from Ice Spice. This song has gained interest and popularity all throughout social media, but mostly on TikTok. I’ll give this song a 10/10.

Overall, this album was a fantastic creation and a great debut to Pinkpantheress’s music career. I’m a big fan of the creative instruments and sounds that Pinkpantheress incorporates into her music. I am hoping to see more albums from Pinkpantheress in the future and to listen to her creative music. I will rate this album a 9/10.

By: Charlie St. Dennis

This year, we celebrate the 8th anniversary of ‘Lemonade’, Beyoncé’s concept album released after news broke of her husband and longtime partner, Jay-Z, cheating on her. The album explores all of the emotions she went through, and how she dealt with the circumstance. As Beyonce braces to release a new album this month, I wanted to take this opportunity to explore one of my favorite pieces of work by her, one track at a time. Here is my review of ‘Lemonade’, in formation.

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1. Pray You Catch Me – 8/10

The opening track of the album, “Pray You Catch Me” serves as a beautifully soft and gentle opening to the song. A piano-backed ballad, it finds Beyonce learning about her husband’s infidelity. The line “pray you catch me…” is a plea by Beyonce for her husband to find her snooping and to realize she knows what he’s been doing. I love this piece, and think that there’s a lot more to it than just piano and vocals.

2. Hold Up – 10/10

This song is one of my favorite songs of all time. With a beautiful instrumental, a loose sample of Andy Williams’ “Can’t Get Used To Loving You,” the song also touches on the societal standard that women who have been wronged by their partners are supposed to behave. We see this in the video, which begins with a spoken word piece with Beyonce in denial, but then once that’s done, she walks down a city street with a baseball bat, hitting every object in sight. Beyonce challenges these standards with the lyrics “What’s worse: being jealous or crazy? Or like being walked all over lately, walked all over lately?” She ends up deciding, “I’d rather be crazy!”

3. Don’t Hurt Yourself (feat. Jack White) – 7/10

Beyonce uses “Don’t Hurt Yourself” to dabble into Rock & Roll, and she succeeds. While Rock is not necessarily my thing, I have immense respect and admiration for her for stepping outside of her bubble. This also features the first guest on the album, rocker Jack White, who carries a verse in the later half of the song. Lyrically, this song is a plea for Jay-Z to recognize that he is married to one of the prettiest, most successful women in the world, and that he needs to show her more respect. The song has been likened to the late 60’s plea by Aretha Franklin, “Respect”.

4. Sorry – 8.5/10

This is definitely Beyonce’s most unapologetic song on the album. It is also the song that makes it most clear that it is about Jay-Z. She references “Big Homie,” which is the nickname Jay-Z gave himself on their duet, “Crazy In Love”. It uses some techno-R&B and dancehall influences, which I really enjoy. She also closes the song with the lyric, “you better call Becky with the good hair,” which I feel is a fun way to introduce Jay-Z’s infamous mistress.

5. 6 Inch (feat. The Weeknd) – 6/10

“6 Inch” samples Isaac Hayes’ rendition of “Walk On By” and is a power anthem of being hardworking, while also talking about Beyoncé’s own vulnerability. The feature from The Weeknd is great, but unfortunately, I feel this song is a bit forgettable.

6. Daddy Lessons – 9/10

I *love* “Daddy Lessons”. It’s Beyonce’s first attempt at country, and boy was it successful. I love the story this song tells, and the classic Country sounds like banjo in the background. Truly a beautiful song.

7. Love Drought – 8.5

I really enjoy “Love Drought”. Lyrically well thought out, and incorporates not-frequently-heard instrumental sounds. My favorite lyric is “10 times out of 9 I know you’re lyin, but 9 times out of 10 I know you’re trying so I’m trying to be fair,” because I really think it well sums up the difficulties she is having while trying to justify her husband’s infidelity.

8. Sandcastles – 10/10

This song was quite the emotional rollercoaster, but I’m here for all of it. She begins the song discussing the “sandcastles” she built with her husband that have since washed away. She struggles with moving on, and doesn’t know why it’s so difficult for her. By the time we get to the second part of the song, she slowly has a change of heart and realizes that she is gonna try to work things out with Jay-Z.

9. Forward (feat. James Blake) – 6/10

By far the most forgettable song on the album. Sorry, not sorry! Does this mean it’s bad? No, it’s just nothing that stands out. The song is almost entirely James Blake, who has a nice, soulful voice, but we aren’t listening for him! We want Bey! I do genuinely like the song, just wish it had more Beyonce.

10. Freedom (feat. Kendrick Lamar) – 10/10

I’d say this is one of the best off the album, for both its message and its melody. The song details the struggles that black women in our country must overcome, and the mindset they need to have. It features families of victims of police brutality, who have been forced into the movement, and have to fight regardless of whether they like it or not. It also features young black figures like Zendaya, Winnie Harlow, and Quvenzhané Wallis. And of course, Kendrick Lamar has a feature, which is beautiful. The song became a protest anthem, and has been used at Black Lives Matter rallies.

11. All Night – 10/10

Two of the best on the album, back to back! The song is essentially about forgiveness, and how Beyonce has resorted to making up with her husband and moving on. It’s a really great song, and I also applaud her for her decision here, because that must’ve been hard, and it is probably not the decision I would personally go with.

12. Formation – 10/10

Oh my goodness! So many levels to this one. While not about her husband’s infidelity, this is an ode to Beyonce’s identity and the culture she was surrounded by, notably her mother’s background in Louisiana. The entirety of the video was filmed in New Orleans. The song begins with a sample of Bounce musicians Messy Mya and Big Freedia exclaiming “What happened after New Orleans?” This is said as Beyonce stands on a police car sinking into flooded waters in the Third Ward, which is supposed to symbolize how police and the government didn’t support the predominantly black city, and how the city had to stay on top by sustaining themselves. The song has been studied at universities, used at protests and marches across the world, and captured the attention of conservative commentators who called it “Anti-American.” I won’t speak to that, but I will stay that I Stand With Formation!

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You might not know it, but you will go through a “Lemonade” moment in your life. There will be a “Pray You Catch Me” moment where you long for someone to see what you’re going through. There will be a “Don’t Hurt Yourself” moment where you discover your worth and you realize that you didn’t deserve what happened. There will be a “Love Drought” moment where you get in touch with your emotions, and a “Sandcastles” moment where you make a decision of how to go forward. And of course, there will be an “All Night” moment where you move on and you thrive. These moments have happened, are happening, or will happen, and you can resort to this album for guidance.

While my calculations have my average review being 8.5/10, I would give this album a 9/10. It is Beyoncé’s first conceptual piece, and I think that it was a brilliant way to touch on different aspects of her identity: her cultural identity, marital identity, and familial identity. She remains #1 in my book.

I hope you enjoyed this review, and I implore you to check out the album and accompanying visuals. Let me know your thoughts!

By: Fletcher Pike

Melanie Martínez is a popular artist known for her unique and creative sense of style. She most recently released an album titled ‘PORTALS’ last year on March 31st. Melanie’s trilogy of albums, ‘Crybaby’, ‘K12’, and ‘PORTALS’, all follow a tale of her character Crybaby.

Melanie incorporates both story and depth within her songs, which is found throughout her albums. In this new album, ‘PORTALS’, Melanie enters a creative new era and her character Crybaby has been reincarnated into a pink, alien-like creature in a magical forest. This album contains 13 songs in total along with an additional 3 included in the deluxe version of the album.

TRACK 1: DEATH

The first song on this album, “DEATH” represents the reincarnation of the character Crybaby, and her return to the world in a new form. The song starts out with a short interlude that evolves into a catchy rhythm that features a heavy guitar, bass, and drums with interesting lyrics that really follow the theme that the song represents. I think this is a great opening to an album and I rate it a 10/10.

TRACK 2: VOID

“VOID” is the first song that Melanie produced on her own for this album, and the first thing she wrote was the bass line featured in the song. I really enjoyed the vocals, lyrics, and drums that were in this song. I will rate this song a 9.5/10 because I do think it was a little bit repetitive.

TRACK 3: TUNNEL VISION

“TUNNEL VISION” was the very first song that was teased to Melanie Martinez’s fans through the trailer promoting the new album, making it quite popular. It starts off with a brief vocal segment that was included in the trailer followed by a unique beat featuring drums and a high pitched guitar. This is a great song and I rate it a 10/10.

TRACK 4: FAIREE SOIRÉE

The fourth song on her album, and probably the most upbeat, “FAIREE SOIRÉE” is a bright and vibrant song with a joyful melody and rhythm. It has a pop-like beat with a guitar melody over it as well as some great vocals. Recently, on February 9th, a music video was released for this song featuring Melanie and her backup dancers dressed as fairies with amazing choreography and costume design. This is a fantastic song and personally one of my favorites, so I give this song a 10/10.

TRACK 5: LIGHT SHOWER

“LIGHT SHOWER” is actually the very first song that Melanie wrote for this album, where she wrote it as a love song with her guitar. This song is beautifully written and composed and has a bit of a somber and slower tone to it. It features only a guitar along with Melanie’s vocals. I think this song is very beautiful and I rate it a 10/10.

TRACK 6: SPIDER WEB

“SPIDER WEB” starts off with an echoey harp that progresses throughout the entire song that evolves into a catchy beat with some really interesting lyrics that I enjoyed. I really liked Melanie’s vocals in this song. I think that “SPIDER WEB” was a fantastic song and I rate it a 10/10.

TRACK 7: LEECHES

“LEECHES” is a slower and more somber song, with a guitar melody and flowing vocals that I found to be very ambient and nice. I also enjoyed the string instruments that were present in this song. I thought it was a beautiful song and I rate this song a 9/10.

TRACK 8: BATTLE OF THE LARYNX

“BATTLE OF THE LARYNX” starts off with a guitar melody with a bit softer vocals that ascends into a really nice drum beat that I liked listening to. I think this song is a solid 9/10 since it did get repetitive at times but it was overall nice to listen to.

TRACK 9: THE CONTORTIONIST

The 9th track, “THE CONTORTIONIST”, starts off with a quiet string sound with softer vocals from Melanie that I really liked. Throughout the song, there is a snap-like sound representing a bone breaking due to the name and vibe of the song, which I found very creative. “THE CONTORTIONIST” is a really great song and I rate it a 9.5/10

TRACK 10: MOON CYCLE

“MOON CYCLE” starts off with an echoey guitar that ascends into a beat with slight drums and bass. I thought that overall this song was good, but I thought it lacked a bit of depth in contrast to the other songs on the album. I think this song is an 8/10.

TRACK 11: NYMPHOLOGY

“NYMPHOLOGY” is a really great song. It starts off with string instruments and a guitar that shifts into a really catchy beat with amazing lyrics. The lyrics in this song focus on themes of feminism and gender classification. I thought it was a beautiful song and I would rate it a 10/10.

Around the last minute of “NYMPHOLOGY”, there is a brief interlude that Melanie has confirmed to be named “Amulet”. This interlude might be short, but it is very catchy and I really liked listening to it. It has a beat that is reminiscent of “FAERIE SOIRÉE”, and interesting lyrics. I loved both “NYMPHOLOGY” and “Amulet” and I rate both a 10/10.

TRACK 12: EVIL

“EVIL” features a darker tone in contrast to the other songs on this album. It has a low heavy guitar melody that is very similar to the melody found in “BATTLE OF THE LARYNX” that really adds to the tone of the song. I enjoyed the rhythm and the instruments used in this song and I rate “EVIL” a 10/10.

TRACK 13: WOMB

The final track for this album, “WOMB” is a mainly guitar composed song that I found to be very nice. I thought it sounded upbeat with the guitar melody. At the main chorus, it switches into a segment with a heavy guitar and drums. Overall, it is a pretty good finish to an album, and I rate it a 10/10.

DELUXE TRACK 1: POWDER

“POWDER” is the first song included in the deluxe version of ‘PORTALS’. It features a more echoey tone with Melanie’s vocals having some sort of pitched down vocal effect, which I didn’t care for that much. It has a pop style beat with a low guitar under it. I thought that this song was pretty okay, so I rate it a 8/10.

DELUXE TRACK 2: PLUTO

“PLUTO” starts off with a waltz-like flute melody with a really nice drum beat over it. I loved the vocals and melody in this song and the lyrics were pretty good, with brass instruments included in some sections in the song. I rate this song a 10/10.

DELUXE TRACK 3: MILK OF THE SIREN

The final deluxe track for this album is titled “MILK OF THE SIREN” and features a slower tempo compared to most other tracks on this album. This song starts off with Melanie’s vocals that evolves into a slow waltz-like beat with solemn drums. At some parts it shifts into a heavy drum part with an interesting chorus. I think this is a pretty good song overall, but I thought that it was a bit repetitive to listen to. I will rate this song a 8/10.

Overall, ‘PORTALS’ is a wonderful and creative album that is a fantastic start to Melanie’s new era. It is clear that much thought and creativity has gone into the creation of this album. I am anticipating any further albums Melanie might release in the near future, which might be a while since Melanie’s albums usually have a 4-5 year gap between them. This was a great album, which leads me to rate it a 9.5/10.

By: Sophia Elmstrom

‘Minor’ by Gracie Abrams is her first ever EP and her debut music. Gracie Abrams is a fairly new artist who got her start by a school project which she never thought would lead to anything.

Gracie Abrams is a folk pop singer and her range of musical talent is truly incredible. Once you start listening to Gracie you will not be able to stop. The first time I found her was when I first listened to ‘Minor’. The first song I ever listened to was “I Miss You I’m Sorry”. This song and this whole EP truly changed the way I viewed music and how I saw Gracie Abrams as an artist.

The EP ‘Minor’ contains 7 songs in total and their names are: “Friend”, ”21”, “Under/Over”, “tehe”, “I miss you, i’m sorry”, “Long sleeves”, and “Minor”. ‘Minor’ is a breakup album with all these songs being about heartbreak in your teenage years. My ranking of these songs is:

1. Friend: 10/10
2. Minor: 9.5/10
3. I Miss you, im sorry: 8/10
4. 21: 10/10
5. Long Sleeves: 6/10
6. Under/Over: 5/10
7. tehe: 7/10

The reason my favorite song on ‘Minor’ is “Friend” is because the lyrics and music are beautiful. The lyrics show what it is like to go through a breakup and have your ex still want to be your friend. You know you cannot do this because it won’t work like that and she knows just because her ex is okay doesn’t mean she is.

I believe that this is a song many teens can relate to and I think it is an amazingly crafted song. “Friend” is 2:57 long and my favorite lyrics are “I’m sure you’re doin’ fine but I don’t wanna hear it”. I really like this lyric because it shows that she knows her ex is okay after the breakup but she really does not want to hear about it.

Another song that I believe to be crafted beautifully is “21”. This is a song about moving on and having to accept that your ex will have a life without you. “21’s” lyrics are strong and have many meanings behind them. Gracie Abrams herself said in an interview that she took many of these lyrics directly from her journal.

The song is 3:06 long and my favorite lyric is “When the night is over, don’t call me up I’m already under”. The reason I really like that lyric is because it is referencing her other song on the EP “Under/Over”.

Overall, I really like this album and it led me to love Gracie Abrams and all of her music. I rate this album a 10/10 because of the lyrics and meaning behind songs.

By: Sophia Elmstrom

“Taylor’s Version” is a term that is used widely among people around the world. It is a term that you yourself have for sure heard at some point.

You might be asking yourself what it is, well here is the short answer: re-recorded albums. Taylor’s Version is when Taylor Swift re-records her albums that she has had released for a while and calls them Taylor’s Version.

This all started in 2019 when her producer, Scooter Braun, and the label he worked with sold all of Taylor’s music without her permission. Taylor had decided to fight back and gain all her music back, she re-recorded it and re-released it with the name of ‘Taylor’s Version’. Once Scooter sold all of her music that meant that all the income would come to him and the label instead of Taylor herself. Although Taylor surely does not need the money it is an ethical thing to do by streaming Taylor’s Version and showing support for her.

There were six albums that she would need to re-recorded once she made this decision; ‘Debut’, ‘Fearless’, ‘Speak Now’, ‘Red’, ‘1989’, and ‘Reputation’. Taylor first got the idea to record these when Kelly Clarkson, a talk show host and fellow pop star, suggested it. So far, Taylor has re-recorded 4 of the 6 albums and still has to release ‘Reputation’ and ‘Debut’.

Many Swifties have their own speculations about when these albums are coming out; they call them easter eggs. These Swifities will watch music videos, lyric videos, award shows, and concerts for clues about upcoming albums and songs. During the 2024 Grammys it was speculated that Taylor would announce ‘Reputation Taylor’s Version’ while she was winning the award. Instead the Swifties got something they never would have expected, a brand new album. This album is called ‘The Tortured Poets Department’.

Although every single one of these albums were a huge success and broke records, the one that broke the most records was ‘1989 Taylor’s Version’. ‘1989’ is an album many people grew up with and were very excited about, this caused it to break many impressive records such as the most single day streams ever for an album.

Included in the recordings of these albums there are some songs Taylor likes to call “vault tracks”. Vault tracks are songs that never made it on the original album; she has about 5 vault songs for each re-recording.

My favorite re-recording so far has been ‘Speak Now’, it is the most different to the original. Many Swifties think that is bad but I love that she was embracing her new voice and trying new things out. I also think that the vault songs for ‘Speak Now’ are the best: “Timeless”, “Electric Touch”, “When Emma Falls in Love”, “Castles Crumbling”, “Foolish One”, and “I Can See You”.

In my opinion, Taylor did a great job at claiming back her music and getting many people to support her.

By: Charlie St. Dennis

Picture it. Super Bowl Sunday, 2024. 123 million viewers are tuned in, and right after halftime, an ad for Verizon appears. The concept of the ad was for Beyonce to do stuff and see if she could “break the internet.” She was alongside actor Gary Hale who, after repeatedly telling Beyonce she didn’t break the internet, was instructed to “drop the new music.”

Along with my fellow BeyHive members, I was very excited to open Instagram to find that she did, indeed, drop new music, which was part of a trilogy (this part being “act ii”). What many were surprised to find out was that the two singles she dropped, TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES, were… country?

Yep, Beyonce released country music. To many this came as a surprise, but not to me. She just completed her ‘Renaissance World Tour’, which was heavily influenced by black queer musicians in three genres they originated: bounce, house, and disco. It only makes sense that she would follow suit with another genre originated by black musicians: country!

Considering that Beyonce has been my most listened artist for years, and I can confidently say I know all of her songs, it’s safe to say that I absorb a lot of speculations regarding what her next steps will be, and here are some of the most likely theories!

1. “act iii” will be Rock & Roll This is one of my favorite theories because it stems from Beyoncé’s British Vogue photo shoot from 2021, just months before the announcement of ‘Renaissance’. She shot with 3 different themes, one being disco (potentially ‘Renaissance’), one being at a rodeo (potentially “act ii”), and one being on a motorcycle with a Joan Jett-esque haircut (potentially “act iii”, and potentially Rock & Roll!)
2. What is the title of “act ii?” Many Beyonce fans believe that the title of “act ii” will be ‘Rodeo’, considering she announced the album just days before the start of the Houston Rodeo, which is where she was born. This would also, obviously, apply to the country theme. While many fans agree that this is the likely name, some have other ideas. Other name ideas include ‘Enlightenment’ or ‘Reflection’, in the spirit of learning new genres and reflecting on their history. Another prominent one is ‘Redemption’, which many people see as a way of Beyonce announcing she’s reclaiming these genres that were once originated by people of color.

3. Guest Artists! One of the writers of “Texas Hold ‘Em”, producer Killah B, was asked if there would be any guest artists on the new album, including perhaps another music industry icon Taylor Swift, and his response was “Let’s just say, she’s (Beyoncé) on the approach of shocking the world. I’ll let your imagination decide what that means”.

Another theory about guest artists is Lady Gaga. 15 years ago, Gaga and Beyonce released the music video for their hit joint single, “Telephone,” which ends with the two stars driving on an old country road with a banner saying “To Be Continued.” Many believe that they will, finally after all these years, come together to make a new song, after the promo video for the album featured a car driving on a beaten country road.

Stay tuned for “act ii” on streaming on March 29th! We got “Texas Hold ‘Em” to number one, let’s get the whole album!