MODELLE Magazine

MODELLE

BLAST FROM THE PAST

WORLDWIDE TOURS FROM EVERY GENRE

THE NEXT BIG THING YOUR NEW FAVOURITE PLAYLIST

TAYLOR SWIFT TAYLOR SWIFT

WRITER OF THE YEAR

WRITER OF THE YEAR

OUR AUDIENCE

MODELLE is a music-based magazine created to cater to every music taste, genre, and pop culture behind it all.

We create articles supporting every kind of music and art seen through the means of instrumentals. Our goal is to provide everyone with a subtle pop culture update surrounding what's occurring in the music industry while making nods to past generations.

As we spotlight a new artist in every issue, this time around Taylor Swift is the artist on display. Readers will receive insight on career updates, re-recorded album reviews, and a few games surrounding the singer.

We hope you love it, The MODELLE Team

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BLAST FROM THE PAST

The greatest throwback artists and what they're up to now

TAYLOR SWIFT

THE woman of our generation; a lyrical genius, a true mastermind, and the highlight of this issue

"ALL THE GENRES"

From country to rap, the latest and greatest songs and musicians

THE FINAL SHOW

As the curtain starts to close on Thin Lizzy, the opening act of the night, the crowd starts to get increasingly louder as the anticipation is finally coming to an end. The years of saving up, the months of waiting for the day, the hours in line to guarantee a decent view, and the minutes before the show; all of the built-up expectations and hopes finally turning into a reality within the blink of an eye. Stevie, Lindsey, Mick, John, and Christine all arriving on stage behind that closed curtain, Fleetwood Mac was finally ready to perform.

As the lights dim and the crowd yells, the curtain drops as the opening chords to “Go Your Own Way” fills up the atmosphere throughout the arena. Lindsey Buckingham teases us with a longer introduction to the song but finally serves us with the beginning lyrics, which drives the audience to madness. The acoustics, flashing lights, instrumental solos, and vocals provided by everyone apart of the band have never been better. This is the concert of the year, I am witnessing history.

The one thing stopping me from completely riding out this high is the large crowd of people ahead of me, floor tickets do not guarantee you a perfect view! After standing in the Los Angeles heat for two and a half hours, you’d think I’d be a little closer than I was but the dedicated fans started their camping-out journey last night at around five o’clock in the afternoon. The show started twenty-six hours later. The heat mixed with the claustrophobia of the pit provides your typical concert ambiance, but somehow the band manages to distract every audience member from the stuffiness of their surroundings to the point in which they have us hypnotized.

A Fleetwood Mac concert perspective written by, Leila Durante

The concert featured every song off their most recent album, Rumours and they added a few old-time classics to the setlist as well. We were able to hear “Angel” and “Heroes Are Hard to Find,” which is increasingly rare as Rumours takes over the world and will soon become their most sought-out record. The performance of each and every song adds a certain emotion that is rarely displayed in live performances anymore. During “Silver Springs,” the interaction between Lindsey and Stevie is undoubtedly the most noticeable dispute during their set. The hatred they show towards each other during this song provides a whole different perspective on the band as a whole. The two front liners manage to keep the audience more than obsessed with their every move, they have everyone either on the edge of their seats or standing on their tallest toes in order to receive a clear view of the magic occurring right before their eyes.

As they close the show with “Rhiannon,” one of their biggest hit singles, the intro guitar chords have the crowd roaring more than I’ve heard all night, which to be fair, I didn’t think was possible. Stevie introduces the song by adding “this is a song about a witch” and adds simplistic lyric and note changes throughout the song that the crowd was most definitely enjoying. There is absolutely no doubt that this concert has been one of the best I’ve been to in an exceptionally long time. The emotion, passion, and skill these artists enthrall are unlike any other. Lindsey leaves us with a never heard before fiveminute guitar solo at the very end of “Rhiannon.” It has a mellow yet sultry and verbose feel to it, something the audience was most definitely not expecting.

This whole show was full of surprises, those which account for making it the best performance of our time. Rumours, its tour, and the band behind it will certainly go down in history and I’m extremely stunned to confidently state that I have witnessed greatness in the form of music and art. Fleetwood Mac is a must-see live band and Rumours doesn’t do justice to how beautiful this group really is.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

DavidBowieinterview discoveredfrom1982by,Leila Durante

As I enter the vibrant atmosphere of Cafe Wha located in Greenwich Village, the New Yorkers greet me with a warm New York City welcome, “Who are you here for?” one of the bartenders asks, “David Bowie” I return.

As I’m seated backstage with the man himself, my first question has got to be why here? Why did we meet here, on a Monday evening? “You know, not many people know about this place—and I guess that’s not lasting too long after this interview.” We exchange a few laughs and he continues, “I love this place man, it’s where the best of the best started out, [Bob] Dylan’s one of this place’s alumni! The history this place has is just… unforgettable. One of the best joints in the city.”

Anybody interviewing or standing in Bowie’s presence can agree that he exudes such energy that I’ve never seen before. His crafted makeup looks made to match his bold outfit choices make him stand out like a sore thumb but in the best way possible.

“Choosing to generate a completely new look that society isn’t generally used to is so hard to execute properly. You obviously have your typical haters that discredit everything you do for your brand, but the fans… the fans are amazing. They quite literally support my every move. I would not be here without them, whatsoever.” As Bowie explains his love for the fans, I can’t help but blush because, to be honest, I’m a huge fan. Hearing this is most definitely a fan's dream. At this moment, I’m starstruck.

I decided to address the inevitable —his new collab with non-other than, Queen. “Under Pressure” serves as the song we’ve all been waiting for; the sultry vocals, the iconic bass line that will be forever recognized in years to come, and the way Freddie Mercury and Bowie’s artistic techniques combine to create something magical. “It was kind of an unexpected collaboration for sure. Freddie [Mercury] and I always said we’d do a song together someday, and well, it happened! Honestly, this was probably one of the most exciting records to make.”

Bowie and Mercury in one room, making a song together. What a dream! “It never truly feels like a job but this time, it most definitely did not. It felt fun, you know? Doing what I love, surrounded by people I love, and knowing it’ll have the power to make the fans go wild.”

Bowie creates an atmosphere like non-other. The laid-back, hipster, persona he displays adds to his brand, music genre, and influences pop culture immensely. He knows how to make someone feel welcome and is humble enough that at the moment you’re communicating with him, you forget you’re talking to THE David Bowie.

“It’s been such a pleasure talking to you, thank you for coming all this way to Greenwhcih Village for this, I know the Rolling Stone office is pretty far from here, so thank you for making the trek.” As David Bowie is thanking me for coming to talk to him, I can’t help but realize just how exemplary this man really is. There is no one quite like him. Make your way over to your nearest record store to grab a copy of Queen’s new single called, “Under Pressure” featuring, non-other than, David Bowie. The song will have you on the edge of your seat, just waiting to hear what happens next. It adds a sultry ambience to any room you’re listening to it in. You don’t want to miss out on grabbing your copy before they sell out; this song will, without a doubt, go down in history as one of the best songs of all time.

"Let's Take a Stop at the Record Shop" Going old school, on a budget.

Article by, Leila Durante

Seeing as listening to music on vinyl has become the next big thing all over again, where exactly are the BEST places to acquire them? We're here to help you find any album on a record!

To start, the tried and true 'Kops Records.' Realistically speaking, Kops genuinely provides practically every album you'd ever need! From throwback classics like, Guns 'N Roses and Pink Floyd, to present-day artists like Harry Styles or Olivia Rodrigo. They carry all genres and truly know how to pick the bests albums from each.

To add, second hand record shopping is another perfect way to achieve ideal albums on vinyl, especially on a budget! Stores like BMV Books (which happened to be sanctioned all throughout the city of Toronto) carefully pick the perfect albums to buy from customers and sell them to other customers. To display truly how amazing their collection really is, the other day a Doors, Rolling Stones, and Taylor Swift album was discovered at their location near Yonge and Eglinton; what a find!

We hope this helped provide insight as to the where perfect vinyl stores really are. Happy shopping and listening!

LUKE COMBS

The Bigest Country Star of our Generation Article by, Robyn Soro

Luke Combs is a country music star who has risen to fame in the past couple years. We had the chance to sit down with Combs and discuss everything from his first hit song to his recent performance at the grammys. His song “Hurricane” was released through Columbia Nashville in 2016 after initially hitting the charts in 2015 and since then Combs has had continuous hits. We asked if he felt the pressure after having such a successful song to produce many more He said “It is always nerve racking when you release a song that gains such positive feedback that the others won’t do the same but I find it easiest to block out the other song and expectations in order to write something new and authentic. When I was writing my song “Beautiful Crazy” I actually had doubts and mental blocks in the song writer process. I decided to rent a cabin in my hometown in North Carolina and that's when I was able to disconnect and express myself through lyrics”. Beautiful Crazy is now one of his biggest songs to date. With all the fame and success Combs explained to us that he stays grounded by spending time with his family and maintaining his country property in rural Tennessee.

The thing that makes him most happy is being able to play and sing his very own songs for his one year old son. He doesn’t only love country music but the slower lifestyle of small town living that country music represents. To understand how Combs got to where he is now we asked him how he got started in country music. He said to us “I love the story telling aspect of country music, that's why I began to write songs and I eventually started getting booked for small bars and just grew from there”. His success is very impressive because there are many aspiring country musicians playing in bars all across the south, it's his distinct voice and powerful lyrics that separate him from others. Since Combs has risen to fame he has many new amazing opportunities such as performing at the recent 2023 grammys. We asked how it felt being one of the only country singers performing and if he felt nervous singing in front of huge stars like Taylor Swift and Beyonce “I was nervous to be performing on live television but I wasn’t nervous about the other artists there because we all have respect for each other's music even though it may be different styles. .

I was honoured to have the opportunity to share the stage with people I have looked up to and singers who I have immense appreciation for” Combs explained. We loved having the chance to talk to Luke Combs and learn a little bit more about him and were impressed with his kind, humble demeanour. He deserves all the success and were excited from his new album “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” coming out on March 24

HOW TO Create the Best Summer Playlist

Article by, Robyn Soro

Summer is a time for relaxation and fun; a huge part of that is formed by music. Good music can make any occasion ten times better. In this article, we will be guiding you through important steps to take when creating the ideal summer playlist.

The first and, quite frankly, most important step when creating a summer playlist is to incorporate all different types of music so everyone can enjoy the music being played. To begin with, rap is a great start-out genre because it's upbeat and can hype up the situation. Then followed with country music. It really brings the summer and outdoorsy feeling, similar to pop. Pop music has a positive spirit to it and it will be songs that practically everyone knows. Lastly, we suggest some rock and alternative music due to the insane guitar riffs and every acoustic generated from many of these songs; they’re guaranteed to remind you of summer and the sun.

Another tip we strongly recommend is creating a summer playlist as early as possible, even if you know you're not going to use it any time soon. This way any time you hear a song that reminds you of summer, or you think it will fit the playlist, you can easily add it to your playlist and not forget about it leaving you. You’ll never be left wondering what that perfect song you heard a couple months ago was! When summer rolls around you will have a playlist built up and ready to go which you can keep adding to all summer long.

Something else to remember is that you don’t want the playlist to be too short as the songs will get repetitive really fast. You also want to make sure it’s not too long as there will be songs you may never get to hear or that don’t match the mood. We think the best length is 3-4 hours max as you will get to know every song but it won’t be too repetitive.

Now we are going to get into songs and artists that we think are musthaves on a summer playlist. When it comes to country we strongly suggest More Than My Hometown and 865 by Morgan Wallen, Beautiful Crazy and One Number Away by Luke Combs, and of course the extremely popular country song Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band. Taylor Swift is a musthave when it comes to summer playlists because, let's face it, there's lots of romance and heartbreak during this season. Some Taylor Swift songs we recommended are Cruel Summer, Getaway car and The Way I loved You as they provide just the best summer vibes. Two songs that scream spending time at the cottage in the summer are Bobcaygeon and Wheat Kings by The Tragically Hip and we think any Tragically Hip song would be a great addition to the playlist. We also love Island In The Sun by Weezer and Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison. Songs that follow under the rap genre that we recommend are Unforgettable by French Montana and Swae Lee, Jackie Chan by Tiesto, Dzeko, Preme, and Post Malone as well as the song Slide by Calvin Harris, Frank Ocean, and Migos.

Overall creating the best summer playlist all comes down to your personal music taste and songs that you feel represent summer. If you combine your own music preferences with our suggestions we believe you will be left with the perfect summer playlist that will make your summer and memories of it that much better.

FameFromBehindthe Shadows

Article by, Meghan Hasan

From a small town in Ontario, with a population of less than 50,000 comes James BayWood. Or as most people refer to him by his stage name, Mr. Rizz. Mr. Rizz has taken the world by storm, with his incredible mixes of techno beats and his unique voice, he has definitely made his mark in the music industry. But what came before this Grammynominated sensation? Well, just 12 km north of Toronto is a quaint town surrounded by acres of dense woods, a place no one would guess a superstar would emerge from. James attended Brookside High up until this year when his hit single, Drip on ‘em like that, went viral. “I never would have expected any of my songs to blow up like this, and the fact that it was my first ever song

was just crazy to me.” Says the teen sensation. James was just 15 years old when he first produced his music on Soundcloud. “I was just dabbling here and there when it came to my music, I was never serious about any of this until The Hollywood Agents reached out to me and asked me to fly out to LA.” Says, James. After a sit-down interview with the star, we have come to learn how our megastar is not only good at mixing beats, but also hockey. That’s right, Mr. Rizz was actually considering going pro before his rise to stardom. “I was figuring out where I was going to get signed for the following seasons and all that when I first ever produced Drip on ‘em like that and it was only 2 years later that it all really blew up like this.”

James says he was given an ultimatum between continuing his music career or hockey, and he says that this was no easy decision to make. “I grew up with hockey all my life cause you know I’m from Ontario and here it’s almost like a rite of passage for any boy to grow up with sports, especially a Canadian one”

TaylorSwift’sNewest Comeback

Anupdateonhercareer phenomenonby,MeghanHasan

Taylor Swift has been on the rise to success at a rapid pace since the debut of her first album, Taylor Swift. Since then, the world-renowned pop star has touched the lives of millions with her lyrical masterpieces. Swift has made appearances at multiple award shows, venues, talk shows and the occasional surprise guest performance at a few of her neighbouring artists such as her first time performing her hit, Exile, with Bon Iver. This sent fans into a frenzy as our fav blonde hasn’t hit the stage for years. Her last two albums, Folklore and Evermore, were released during the months of the pandemic, July and December of 2020. Due to the WHO mandatory restrictions of social distancing and quarantine, there wasn’t much anyone could do. But when Swift made her guest appearance at Wembley Stadium alongside Bon Iver, fans and the media went wild.

With all eyes on her once again, Swift has announced she is back and better than ever as she produced and released her most recent album Midnights. A few of the lyric and musical aspects of the songs confused fans as they were sent into an analytic state trying to decipher the relatable lyrical puzzles our girl has whipped up for us. The atmosphere Swift has set for the audience with this album has gotten fans’ attention as they claim it is a lot more unique than her last pop album, Reputation. After a few listens of Midnights, critics have described this album's vibe as “flowery vernacular”. Taylor has come out and stated that these 13 songs are “ a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams.” And as we all know, 13 is an infamous number in the Swiftie universe.

With hit artist Lana Del Ray accompanying Taylor’s vocals on track number 4, Snow On The Beach, critics ate up the perfect blend of both artists’ voices and how genius their minds were when working together to whip up this majestic song. Not to mention the production of this album with the help of Swift’s long-time friend, Jack Antonoff, who hasn’t been involved in her album production since the release of Red, in 2012. With all these new beginnings and collab potential, there is no telling if Swift is yet to be on the rise to the top, once again to claim her long-time spot as the music industry’s Queen of Pop.

T.SWORDSEARCH

Test your Taylor knowledge with this nail-biting word search!

TS OR WS?

Taylor Swift or Shakespeare? The new internet phenomenon that has everyone on the edge of their seats.

Ask yourself who you think wrote each line! Answers are down below, good luck!

1. ANSWERS

"I'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones, in a faith-forgotten land."

2. "I do believe her, though I know she lies."

3. "Who coaxed you into paradise and left you there?"

4. "Is it romantic how all my elegies eulogize me?"

5. "Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude?"

Red (Taylor's Version)

Album Review by, Robyn Soro

Among her many other new releases Taylor Swift recently released Red (Taylor’s Version) as part of her plan to re-record all the albums she doesn’t own the masters too so she can gain the rights. Red originally debuted in 2012 and was widely successful with massive hits like “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble”. Red (Taylor’s Version) is her second re-recording as she previously dropped Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in April 2021. In this recording she also brought out songs “from the vault”. These were songs she previously recorded during the same time period of the others on the album but decided to refrain from putting them on the album. Because of the success of the vault songs from Fearless fans were excited and anticipating vault songs on Red as well. Red was such a hit because of its relatability to love and heartbreak. Many of the songs are about Taylor’s rough relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal. Her song “All Too Well” is famously known to be about him and Taylor revealed that there is a ten minute version of it. Taylor announced that she would be releasing the ten minute version as well as a short film for it The song and film are both extremely successful, winning countless awards and the video having 83 million views.

This album was created to help Taylor express her feelings throughout her heartbreaks but also to be used as an outlet for others to feel heard and as though they aren’t alone in the difficult time that follows a break up. This album was not only for those who have or are experiencing heartbreak, the catchy choruses and the strong heartfelt bridges make up songs just about anyone would enjoy. The first track of this album which is a personal favourite is “State of Grace” which is a powerful yet playful song that sets the tone for the rest of the album. From the beginning Taylor showcases the strong emotions and beautiful sounds that were going to come in this album. Some other songs from Red that we love and we became more impressed with in the rerelease were “I Almost Do”, “Begin Again” and “Come Back…Be Here”. It's so great that she was able to re-record the songs so well but add a new mature flair. The highly anticipated Red vault songs did not disappoint. “All Too Well (Ten Minute Version)” as expected was loved by fans and created even more lyrics that people could relate to. “Better Man”, “Babe” and “Nothing New” couldn’t not be mentioned because of their unique and killer bridges.

Lastly our absolute favourite song on the album and one in which we think is one of Taylor’s best ever, came from the vault. “I Bet You Think About Me” is lyrically genius and tells a story. It also has a country sound to it especially because Chris Stapelton is featured, showing Taylor’s country roots which we love. This song ' s outro is truly amazing but is also fun and comedic.

We can’t find anything wrong with this song and are so amazed by Taylor Swift and her artistry. We overall love Red (Taylor’s Version) and honestly couldn’t recommend it enough. If you have listened to it yet you need to check it out right now, we promise you won’t regret it.

MODELLE

Thank you for tuning into this month's issue. Stay tuned for ones in the future and keep on jamming!

FEATURED WRITERS AND EDITORS

Leila Durante

Meghan Hasan

Robyn Soro