“The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” by Chappell Roan
Kawena Jacobs (Arts and Culture editor)
When you think of a pop song, most envision squeaky clean lyrics and an infectious, heavily produced beat underneath. But while Chappell Roan has a clear grasp on the pop sound, her biggest strength is saying things your favorite pop darling wouldn’t dare or — she’s pearl-clutchingly weird and that’s what makes this album so perfect. The rising star is at her best when she delivers cheeky lines such as “I got a California king/Okay, maybe it’s a twin bed,” and “Wishing you the best in the worst way/Using your distress as foreplay.” The full transparency is what makes each song so relatable.
“The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” boasts a wide range of emotions, from the unapologetic exploration of queer desire in “Red Wine Supernova” to the scathing and honest depiction of a casual relationship in “Casual.” Tracks like “California” and “Pink Pony Club” draw from her experience leaving small-town Missouri (hence the Midwest princess moniker) to launch her music career in LA.
My first run in with Chappell was the song “Naked in Manhattan” — a tale of slumber parties and bi-curiosity — from there it was history. She reeled me in with a glittery synth wonderland, and I stayed for her infectious enthusiasm and the desperate edge to her vocals that proved she meant what she was singing. Don’t miss out on this breath of fresh air for pop music enjoyers.
Contact Kawena Jacobs at jacobsk@oxy.edu
“Boys of Faith” by Zach Bryan
Mollie Barnes (Arts and Culture editor)
When we weren’t watching James Bond, my dad and I would share blueberry pancakes (or if I was lucky, chocolate chip) while Otis Redding and Stevie Ray Vaughan sang to us. From his childhood in Austin to the drum set in our basement, his fondness for Texas blues was never in question. As I grew older, dinners after ballet class were accompanied by Caamp and The Head and the Heart, the first of my exposures to what I now think of as Coloradan music. His taste evolved, parallel with our summers backpacking in the Rockies, but never strayed too far from Texas. This new folky, sing-songy music seemed wholesome and warm to me, and still reminds me of summer Red Rocks shows and picnics in City Park.
“Boys of Faith” combines all these aspects of my childhood music. “Sarah’s Place” — featuring new Caamp-adjacent Noah Kahan — fills this warm place in my heart in its folk facets. The bluesy buildup of “Deep Satin,” “Nine Ball” and “Pain, Sweet, Pain” remind me of the twang of the guitar and vibrato of the harmonica played in my house growing up. “Boys of Faith,” featuring emotional indie singer Bon Iver, draws on the nostalgia I felt listening to The Head and the Heart no matter the emotions it draws out.
Now, whenever I return to Denver for school breaks, my dad and I cook dinner together with Zach Bryan on shuffle.
Contact Mollie Barnes at mbarnes@oxy.edu
“Past Lives” soundtrack
Anna Beatty (Media editor)
Nothing has crushed my soul more this year than gently falling asleep to the soundtrack of the A24 film “Past Lives” — but in the best way possible. A24 films have the most tender and delicate soundtracks, and “Past Lives” is no exception. The film follows the reconnection of two childhood friends, Nora and Hae Sung, as they confront fate, destiny and what it means to have and give love. Because this is a rather stripped-back soundtrack with only a few instruments, it encourages us to embrace the beauty of stillness, silence and suspension not only in the music itself but in the human experience.
The song that eclipses all the rest is “See You.” This is played while Nora is dragging her feet home after saying her last goodbye to Hae Sung. It is at this moment she begins to contextualize who Hae Sung is to her. From the slow piano chords to the lower strings building tension, Nora and Hae Sung’s familiarity with one another even after decades apart is conveyed. Listening and swaying to the strum of the guitars this summer, I asked myself what to do with the love I received from someone whom I wasn’t sure I could have. Nora and Hae Sung’s story ends differently than mine, but this soundtrack encapsulates the journey of discovering various forms of intimacy and endearment.
Contact Anna Beatty at beatty@oxy.edu
“Volcano” by Jungle
Ava LaLonde (News editor)
The otherworldly sounds from Jungle’s new album “Volcano” can only be topped by its companion music videos that transport listeners to a realm of movement and rhythm so unlike anything else being produced right now. “Volcano” is a landscape I stepped into, devoid of genre boundaries and predictability. It envelops me with warmth and soul, but infusions of pop, disco and hip-hop mean I can’t sit still for long. “Back on 74” rose to popularity because of its stunning video with tasteful choreography and costumes.
Upon diving deeper into the visual album, I found a throughline of talent, both in front of and behind the camera. “Volcano” includes some game-changing features from artists that fit so seamlessly with Jungle’s eruptive sound. My favorite tracks include “Candle Flame” and “I’ve Been In Love” with features from Erick the Architect and Channel Tres. I’ve become addicted to these songs and music videos, not wanting to leave the Jungle cinematic universe.
The array of voices and faces left me bewildered at first: Who is Jungle? How many of them are there? Are they in any of the videos? But the more time I’ve spent inside the “Volcano,” the less I’ve wanted to ask questions. The album is so vibe-centric that any investigation into its mechanics or the identities of its makers may ruin the magic, and I’m unprepared for the effects of that. For now, I’ll live in the world it has created, and I invite you to move here with me.
Contact Ava LaLonde at lalonde@oxy.edu
“Let’s Start Here” by Lil Yachty
Sebastian Lechner (Managing editor)
Lil Yachty has been evolving, but for those that have been listening since 2015’s anthem, “1Night” this is nothing new. I feel like Yachty has been the poster child — and therefore the punching bag — for the derogatory concept of the mumble rapper, and was foretold to fall off equally by old and newheads after 2017’s stagnant “Lil Boat 2.” But Yachty’s creativity and lust for life is much more far reaching that being defined by one album, or one concept. His 2021 releases showed a sharp turn into Michigan rap, he started hanging out with Drake, and perhaps most importantly, skyrocketed back on the charts in 2022 with the ecstatic single “Poland,” an earworm so infectious, that one listen will have you singing “I took the wo-o-o-o-o-ck to Poland” in the library — or maybe that’s just me.
With the popularity of “Poland,” one would think that Yachty would release a trap album in a similar vein, with his new signature vocal style. But Yachty never fails to surprise us, and his next release was instead a psychedelic rock album. What’s surprising about “Let’s Start Here” is not that Yachty shows an intricate knowledge of the genre, but how the album soars. The intro, a Pink Floyd inspired medley, haunts the listener throughout the album with Diana Gordon’s voice, and the entire album elicits themes of nature. In a dreamy world of synths and electric guitars, Yachty croons about sunshine and being in love; journeying through time and space through sheer creative power. The sense of wonder Yachty evokes through his love of music might be unparalleled in contemporary music. But it’s more than that, it’s a celebration of being, literally a new start. And, if anything, it inspired me to paint my nails.
Contact Sebastian Lechner at slechner@oxy.edu
“The Book 3” by YOASOBI
Bonnie Lai (Opinions editor)
I spent my Spring semester in Tokyo, and I could not get away from YOASOBI’s “Idol,” featured on their 2023 EP “The Book 3.” Convenience stores, karaoke parlors, the streets of Shibuya city and Shinjuku’s Kabuki-cho – everywhere I went “Idol” was already playing on the speakers.
According to their Spotify page, YOASOBI has 9.5 million listeners monthly. The composer Ayase and vocalist ikura are known for their pop-hits – their first single “Into the Night” ranked No.1 on the “Billboard Japan Top 100” in 2021. Another song, “Monster,” was chosen as one of “The 10 Best Songs of 2021” in the US, and YOASOBI was Spotify’s “most streamed Japanese artist in the overseas market” that same year – and still is. That’s to say, nobody was surprised when YOASOBI dropped another Jpop chart-topper, but “Idol” changed the game.
“Idol” topped the Billboard Japan Top 100 for 21 consecutive weeks upon release, making it the longest-running No.1 song in Japan – ever. It was also the highest ever charted Japanese song, also at No. 1, on the Billboard Global 200 (excl. US). “Idol” also broke the record for fastest song surpassing 400 million streams in Japan.
So this spring, “Idol” reached idol status, and I spent my nights in Tokyo listening to the song blast from the speakers of the gas station next door. I sang it at karaoke-kans in Shinjuku, and listened to it echo back from other rooms until dawn. I danced to it at clubs, heard it in department stores, and let “Idol” be my top song of 2023, and “The Book 3,” my top album.
Contact Bonnie Lai at jlai2@oxy.edu
“Snow Angel” by Reneé Rapp
Mali Abel (Media editor)
“Snow Angel” by Reneé Rapp was an album released in Aug. 2023. I will admit, I listened to this album once and then didn’t touch it until a month and a half later before preparing to attend her concert. Seeing her perform these songs live provoked a serotonin-filled experience I was not expecting to have, something I desperately needed during a rough first month of my senior year. The song that resonated with me the most was “Gemini Moon,” most likely because I have a Gemini moon in my birth chart, with the lines “I exist on a pendulum swingin’ high or swingin’ low” that stuck out to me the most. What this song means explicitly to me is acknowledging that I am a lot to handle, but instead of using that as an excuse, I just need to be a better person to the people around me. The rest of the songs in her album feel like the words we’re too afraid to say out loud. These are words of sadness, anger and redemption; she turned those thoughts into lyrics, which brought 5,900 people together, including me, in the Greek Theater Sept. 30. This will forever be a moment I will cherish as being the most cathartic concert I’ve ever attended.
Contact Mali Abel at mabel@oxy.edu
“Stick Season” by Noah Kahan
Olivia Fishman (Community news editor)
“Are you ok?” is what the flight attendant asked me as I boarded my return trip to LA after a semester studying abroad in Berlin. Tears were rushing down my face, drenching my sweatshirt, but I softly nodded and sat down. I was leaving behind the best experience of my life, everything until that point remains my most cherished memories. Yet, it was only a few hours earlier that I learned my cousin took his precious life. I still cannot articulate how twisted and tangled my feelings were. In eager anticipation of returning home to grieve with my family, I put in my earbuds and began listening to Noah Kahan’s latest album “Stick Season.”
Since transitioning back into my daily routine at Occidental and work, processing the loss of my cousin is something that I continue to grapple with. The album in itself was healing for me and comfortably assured me that mourning is an endless process. As Kahan added some songs for the album’s deluxe version in June, he became more open about his struggles with depression, only empowering me to persevere and find sparks of joy in life. Out of all the nights I fell asleep to this album, the song “Call Your Mom” always got played. I consider this song to be the most heart wrenching of them all, touching on the delicateness of mental health struggles. My cousin was a beautiful human and listening to this song helps me remember our joyous connection.
Contact Olivia Fishman at ofishman@oxy.edu
