F RI DAY, OC T O B ER 11, 2019
ILLUSTRATION BY: SAMUEL NELSON AND ELOISE OWEN/THE HOYA
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019
THE HOYA
Playlists Promote Expression Through Curation ELENA ERGENER AND YU YOUNG LEE
Special to The Hoya and Hoya Staff Writer
The snap of AirPods cases opening and shutting. The visible struggles of untangling headphone wires. The echoes of beats vibrating from portable speakers. Faint lyrics heard over the whirring of the coffee machine at Midnight Mug. Fingers tapping touchscreens, shuffling songs. From Lauinger Library to the Leavey Center and beyond, everyone is walking to a different beat. Georgetown University’s campus has no shortage of people with their headphones in, plugged into their own smaller worlds of rap, indie, pop and rock — and anything in between. The ways students are listening to their tunes have drastically evolved from the mixtapes recorded and passed around decades ago. With the advent of streaming, younger generations are shaping a new culture of
music sharing. The industry is changing, and, as platforms like Spotify and Apple Music rise in popularity, students at Georgetown are embracing the freedom of expression, creating and sharing their own playlists that represent them. This modern form of music consumption is fostering community in an unprecedented fashion.
FROM STEREOS TO STREAMING
The advent of the digital age has transformed the nature of music consumption. Gone are the days of recording the radio to achieve the perfect mix of songs, in favor of carefully curated online playlists. The music industry has evolved to further represent the changing times, said professor of music history Benjamin Harbert in an interview with The Hoya. “The big crisis over sharing music started over cassette tapes,” Harbert said. “You’d record one song and then hit stop or pause and
pop that out and put another song on, or a lot of times it would be taping things from the radio. But it was all linear and it was all limited to a certain amount of time.” As technology progressed throughout the 1980s and 1990s, recording the radio began to be replaced by burning CDs, according to Harbert. “CDs came out and they just sounded better than tapes, and so a lot of people moved over to CDs,” Harbert said. “There was a big push by the record industry to move over to CDs as well — they could make more money off of it.” In 2019, streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have long outpaced cassette tapes and CDs. According to the Recording Industry Association of America’s “Mid-Year 2018 RIAA Music Revenues Report,” 75% of music revenue in 2018 came from streaming platforms, with traditional album sales lagging behind at only 22%. Streaming music services have offered a new avenue for music exploration and encourage a more casual listening environment, according to professor of music Anna Celenza, who spoke to The Hoya in an interview. “I think streaming has made us aware of a much broader repertoire and exposed us to a lot of things,” Celenza said. “And it doesn’t cost you that much.” Streaming platforms now boast over 220 million active users across the world, with more than 140 million of those users being paid users. As these streaming services continue to expand their user base, their influence over music consumption will only continue to rise. Streaming allows and encourages users to discover new music, especially through features like Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlists and personalized Daily Mixes based on users’ current activity and streaming habits. Nickie Demakos (SFS ’21), who uses Spotify frequently, spoke about her own playlists and the social aspects of the platform in an
interview with The Hoya. “I feel like, before, it was really hard to find new artists, and Spotify has shed light on up-and-coming artists,” Demakos said. For students using a streaming service, accessibility to a wide variety of music is one of the most important factors in platform choice. Just having a music catalogue on their devices and ready at their fingertips is reason enough for some to switch to streaming. The shift to streaming, however, falls short of providing a living wage for smaller musicians, according to Celenza. Streaming services pay out anywhere between $0.0006 and $0.01284 per play, which can require millions of plays to offer a pay level equivalent to that of the United States’s monthly minimum wage. “[Spotify] pays the worst to artists, but it has the biggest user base. So that’s why more artists, instead of shunning Spotify, say, ‘Okay, I’ll just be on everything. I’ll put myself on iTunes; I’ll put myself on everything,’” Celenza said. “Streaming is not going to be your main source of income — there’s just no way.” For some, this lack of money going directly to their favorite artists can encourage them to support them in other ways. Concerts, merch or anything in between are alternate ways to support a favorite artist, according to Maya Cassady (COL ’23), who uses Spotify, in an interview with The Hoya. “If I really like an artist I try to go to their concerts — I’ll buy their merch — and if I really enjoy them I’ll buy their album, so I’ll buy a record or a CD or something,” Cassady said.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU PLAY
From streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, a new artform is emerging: playlist curation. Where there used to be constraints — listeners limited to the dozen tracks on an album or the familiar riffs of the same genre — a movement of acoustic personalization has been born.
JULIA ALVEY/THE HOYA
The changing tide of technology has brought about a transformation in music listening experiences across campus with the advent of new ways to both share and listen. Though Spotify curates its own playlists, both for the general user base and for specific listeners, students can still use their playlists as forms of identity and self-expression.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019 The process of curating the perfect playlist requires a number of factors. While some playlists may stick to particular decades, musical styles or artists, other students have truly explored the potential of the platform with bold experimentation and eclectic mixes through their playlists. With the freedom to reconcile genres as diverse as 1980s disco funk, 2000s dream pop and a touch of modern trap, no combination is too out of the ordinary. A song’s fit on a playlist and how it captures the mood of an event is one of the most important aspects of playlist curation, according to Peter Hunziker (MSB ’20) in an interview with The Hoya. The art of playlists allows for creative expression, which can take different forms in either trying to match the energy of an event or in offering something for oneself. “For my playlist ‘cookin in the kitch,’ if I’m actually cooking, I don’t really want EDM bangers. I want chill music. If I want to be amped up, I have playlists for that, too,” Hunziker said. “If I’m making a playlist, I’m always asking, ‘Okay, what’s our vibe tonight?’” Some playlist curators, including Harbert, can see their creations as important documentations of their most cherished personal moments and connect their treasured memories to a specific set of songs. “There’s one that I created for when my son was born. It has like Iron & Wine, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Civil Bear, Sufjan Stevens,” Harbert said. “It’s just gentle stuff, but it has significance. So we kept it because we associate it with that time.” Taking the time to conscientiously curate songs, Demakos, like many other Spotify users, considers this new and novel way of self-expression and an integral part of who she is on campus. Demakos spoke about her “gtown 1-4” playlist, which gathers the songs that she feels encapsulate and continue to mark her years as a Hoya. “It’s like a journal, but with music. It’s my college experience in a playlist,” Demakos said. In the same way a portrait hangs in an exhibition, each playlist marks itself an invaluable creation in the museum of an individual’s life. Hidden in the minutes of a dozen songs are people’s stories and how they share them with the world.
THE NEWEST SOCIAL MEDIA
As it continues to grow in popularity, Spotify has joined the ranks of other social media giants as an outlet for users to share snapshots of their lives, with a layout and interface that highlight the communal act of listening to music by allowing you to easily publicize your current activity. Spotify’s social media function allows for these connections to be made and people to discover new music that their friends are listening to, according to Demakos. “On the sidebar I can see what my friends are listening to — I can follow people, I can follow their playlists,” Demakos said. “I like the social media aspect of Spotify; it makes it really nice to discover new songs and figure out what other people are listening to.” Spotify also allows for the creation of collaborative playlists, allowing multiple users to add songs to the same playlist. This collaborative function allows users to share their music as a communal experience and connect with one another in new ways, accoring
THE HOYA
to Hunziker. “We made a collaborative playlist for our summer trip,” Hunziker said. “Everyone was adding stuff; it was so great. One friend added this super random song, but it actually ended being the anthem for the trip — and our friend group.” Spotify’s evolution as a social media is tied to the rise of social media as a platform. The impulse to share and post fuels activity on all of these predominant platforms, and Spotify is no exception, according to Celenza. “I know a lot of students who share music with their friends or will post when they hear something they like,” Celenza said. “I think a lot of students want to find something new, and they want to discover someone that someone else hasn’t heard. It’s a desirable thing to discover somebody new, and I think that’s a very new mentality.” Where radio used to provide a sense of community that some feel borders on conformance, Spotify promotes exploration into a wider and more diverse range of music through personalized playlists and the ability to see what artists other users love. The aspect of human interaction on the platform provides the social framework that keeps users engaged, according to Harbert. “I don’t want Siri to tell me what to listen to. I want you to tell me what to listen to. I want you to give me a recommendation,” Harbert said. “Music is a way of intensely organizing your own relationships with people.”
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TOP: ILLUSTRATION BY SAMUEL NELSON/THE HOYA, BOTTOM: @SPOTIFY/INSTAGRAM
Music streaming services like Spotify also wield powerful algorithms that serve as the new curators of music, personalizing mixes to users’ listening trends and personal information.
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THE HOYA
CONCERT REVIEW
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019
MOVIE REVIEW
Pond Mesmerizes With Theatrical Dreamscape
CANAL+
Director Pedro Almodóvar’s Spanish language film “Pain and Glory” is heartfelt and genuine as it examines the role of art in giving meaning to life through the lens of a fictional washed-up filmmaker. The cast in particular shines, giving emotional and convincing performances that elevate the film into a provoking cinematic masterpiece.
‘Pain and Glory’ Explores Trauma, Love in Art Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar Starring: Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz CHRISTIAN JOSEPH Special to The Hoya
“Pain and Glory” presents an uncompromising look at the trials and tribulations of the life of a Spanish filmmaker in cinematic legend Pedro Almodóvar’s latest release. Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas) paints a reflective portrait of a filmmaker after his prime and examines the intersections and shortcomings of one man’s creative and emotional life. This Spanish film is heartfelt and discusses themes of addiction, childhood and love. The film’s title captures the main tension that runs throughout the story of a filmmaker in the tail end of his career. As Salvador now suffers from back pain, tinnitus and the lasting effects of abusive figures in his past, he relives simultaneously the emotional trauma and cinematic successes that determined his directorial career. Pedro Almodóvar, the film’s director, first gained national recognition directing in Spain’s countercultural renaissance, beginning in Madrid and expanding to various Spanish cities. He began with his
cult classic debut, “Pepi, Luci, Bom.” For the next three decades, Almodóvar went on to direct 20 more films, perfecting his craft and conveying personal and dark themes. “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” propelled Almodóvar to international stardom with a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1989 Academy Awards. Almodóvar won two Oscars for his later films, 1999’s “All About My Mother” for Best Foreign Language Film and 2002’s “Talk to Her” for Best Original Screenplay. The film then opens, in light of Almodóvar’s real life directorial success, to the movie’s fictional director Salvador rereleasing the film he made in 1980 that launched him to fame in the present day, and this return to the spotlight provides the backdrop for Salvador’s ruminations on his past. “Pain and Glory” succeeds in documenting how an artist can translate their past experiences, relationships and trauma into beautiful art. The editor, Teresa Font depicts the passage of time with distinct and lush colors. In scenes
that depict Salvador’s childhood with his mother Jacinta (Penélope Cruz) and his father (Raúl Arévalo), the whitewashed walls and clear skies of his hometown Paterna transport the audience without breaking up the film’s momentum with a jarring transition. The film’s content has an intense impact, but it could have packed more material into its runtime that does not even go over two hours. The film forgoes any depiction of Salvador’s life into his teenage years and transition into adulthood, but the film was not so pressed for time that it had to cut these parts out. A more dedicated look at Salvador’s motivations and later career in filmmaking would have served the film well, as it goes unmentioned in both the scenes depicting his childhood and his time as a burgeoning writer and director. With the newfound attention that stems from Salvador’s rerelease, Salvador reconnects with the lead actor of the film, Alberto Crespo (Asier Etxeandia) after not communicating with each other for 30 years. This reunion displays one of the film’s not-quite-parallels to Almodóvar’s
actual life: Almodóvar and Banderas say they never had a falling out in real life like Salvador and Alberto, but the pair did take a 20 year hiatus before returning with the 2011 film “The Skin I Live In.” The film ends up focusing on Salvador so exclusively, though, that other characters feel like static props that further his development rather than characters in their own right. At one point, Alberto gives a compelling monologue recounting Salvador’s story about his chaotic lover Federico (Leonardo Sbaraglia), but almost immediately afterwards falls out of the movie’s spotlight. “Pain and Glory” stands the test of time as a provoking, if relatively short, cinematic masterpiece. Banderas’ performance proves the range of characters that he can portray on screen, and Almodóvar does not disappoint with his creation of this movie as the next in his illustrious career. This Spanish master of cinema will not disappoint U.S. audience members with the message that, despite a tumultuous life full of heartbreak and hardship, a true artist can still forge beauty out of it.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019
THE HOYA
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‘Sneakers and Speakers’ Panel Dissects Sneaker Culture MEGAN WEE
Hoya Staff Writer
“You are your shoes, and they define who you are,” said Georgetown University’s first hip-hop artist in residence Marco Pavé during the “Sneakers and Speakers” panel discussion Oct. 4 in the McNeir Auditorium. The panel discussion was hosted by Critical Frequencies, sponsored by the GU department of performing arts and the department of African American studies. The panel is one of several planned for the school year that aims to elaborate on the intersection of African American culture with hip-hop music and its impact across spaces and on people. The event featured a variety of voices, including Foot Locker Marketing Manager Anthony Steele, founder of Philadelphia-based sneaker restoration company Mike Thompson, stylist and sneakerhead Kash Aboud (GRD ’19), artist and creative director Laci Jordan and St. Louis hip-hop artist Mvstermind, who also performed after the panel. McNeir Auditorium was adorned with blue and red lighting, with paintings featuring Air Jordans and physical pairs of Jordans and Yeezys dotting the stage.
The DJ played songs by Meek Mill and Metro Boomin, among others, as the panelists walked onto the stage. The panelists gave their reasons for their interest and love for sneakerhead culture. Thompson cited watching basketball as inspiration for his love of sneakers started, through which players like Allen Iverson inspired him to appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of shoes. For Jordan, it was simply “the culture of the South” that influenced his love for sneakers. Aboud shared their experience being transgender and finding an identity in fashion and sneakerhead culture. “Even if I feel uncomfortable, I have fresh kicks on, and it’s a distraction from that. It’s something to talk about,” said Aboud. Mvstermind then went on to talk about sneakers as an art form and how colors on shoes served as pure metaphors for concepts. The discussion then shifted to current social issues surrounding sneakerhead culture, such as class and racism. Discussing the barriers in acquiring sneakers, Mvstermind talked about the financial struggle in trying to purchase sneakers from a poorer background, and Jordan discussed the role location
plays in sneakerhead-related opportunities, comparing her experience with the relative ease of buying shoes in Los Angeles against the difficulty of finding sneakers in her native Alabama. To the amusement of the other panelists as well as the audience, Aboud supported this claim by going back in history to Karl Marx’s critique of fashion. Aboud stated that elites, as they have since Marx’s time, perpetuate the cycle of “hype” and “drop culture;” by the time the lower class can afford a trend, focus shifts away to another article of interest. Steele spearheaded a discussion on race in relation to sneakerhead culture by stating that he “didn’t see race -- [he] only saw sneakers.” Jordan identified sneakers and the obsession surrounding them as having been important to “her and her people,” and said it was a clear example of black influence. Aboud elaborated on sneakers being the intersection between hip-hop and basketball. The NBA was integrated in 1950, and, by 1972, Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s popularity had risen to new heights — and so did his “Superstar” sneakers. More than a decade later, rap group Run-DMC released the song “My Adidas” in 1986. During what is now
their iconic show at Madison Square Garden, thousands of fans lifted their Superstars into the air during the group’s performance of the song. “White culture has been catching up to what black people have been doing for years,” Jordan said. Sneakerhead culture is no exception. “The shoes are produced in the third world, popularized by African Americans, but the money goes straight to wealthy White Americans,” said Pavé. The topic of social media and the internet relating to sneaker sales was also discussed in depth. “Instagram is a tool,” said Steele, that allowed him to see what trends and changes in sneakerhead culture were going on around the world, such as in fashion hotspots like Paris and Tokyo. Previously, the industry required interpersonal connections to even get access to sneakers, as Aboud and Jordan put it, but the advent of sneaker reselling websites like StockX has made acquiring a pair physically easier yet has raised the costs of more limited edition pairs. “Able-bodied people walk around the globe six times in their lifetime, which is why it’s so important what we put on our feet,” Pavé said.
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF PERFORMING ARTS
The “Sneakers and Speakers” panel discussion brought together some of the most important names in sneaker style all in one place, including Mvstermind, above. The group discussed sneaker culture as part of Critical Frequencies, a program examining African American culture and its intersections with hip-hop.
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019
THE HOYA
RECORD REWIND
Vampire Weekend Meets Real Life, Loses Identity Ellie Yang I was first introduced to the band Vampire Weekend through the song “Step,” off the band’s third album, in which the band’s frontman Ezra Koenig’s airy voice effortlessly riffs on a modern love story that casually drops references to both an ancient king and a RunD.M.C. album in one line. “Step” remains my favorite Vampire Weekend song because it represents the band at its best to me: The band members are sufficiently cosmopolitan to write such lofty and niche lyrics, but still human enough to feel the pangs of jealousy for a girl at the same time. The release of Vampire Weekend’s newest album “Father of the Bride” in May 2019 marks the band’s 11th year since their eponymous debut album back in 2008. If it were not for the familiar, smooth voice of Koenig, these two albums would hardly seem to be from the same band. The evolution shows how they have grown more emotionally mature and
complex, but time has also dulled the smart, distinct edges of their twenty-something, right-out-of-college selves, making them lose the identity that gave them their edge at the beginning of their career. Just like their covers, Vampire Weekend’s music has changed, especially in what it deals with. The band reminisced about their newly ended college life in their self-titled debut, but their sharp observations about relationships and modern romance end on a superficial level. In the song “Campus,” a college guy tries to avoid a lover but, even when he fails, the most serious consequence is having to study with her in a class. Since that album, though, one of the band’s main songwriters and instrumentalists Rostam Batmanglij left Vampire Weekend in 2016 to start a solo career; Koenig moved to Los Angeles, became a parent and made an animated series called “Neo Yokio” for Netflix. Life’s experiences have taught the band a few lessons, and their newest album is rife with what they have learned. “This Life,” my favorite from this album, is a breakup song between a pair of lovers who repeatedly cheat on each other and experience inevitable and unstoppable pain, hate and disease in their destructive relationship. The exultant rhythms cannot gloss over the abjectness in the song’s
underlying currents. Koenig even sings that he is not only cheating on the girl, but is “cheating through this life” and questioning if he is “good for nothing” — sobering observations from a character that differ greatly from the ones that Koenig sang about on his first albums. Now, the band makes it clear that a broken relationship means more than just an awkward moment in class. The other songs in “Father of the Bride” are also imbued with a newfound depth. “How Long” repeats the question of “How long till we sink to the bottom of the sea?” “Unbearably White” describes a coming avalanche. “My Mistake” deplores false hopes for kindness. Compared with the Columbia University campus that inspired the first album and is where the band’s members met, these emotions make Vampire Weekend’s newest album much more relatable and approachable, even if much less specific and original compared to the band’s first three albums. Even the album covers showcase how much the band has changed. The first two covers evoke Andy Warhol’s Polaroid photographs, and the subjects — a classy party scene under a chandelier and a close-up portrait of a girl in a white polo — directly dial back to Warhol’s interest in taking Polaroid shots of his many celebrity friends and their luxurious lifestyles. Presenting a much larger perspective, the
third album cover features a bird’s-eye view of New York City on its smoggiest day in 1966 but still uses the same style and framing. Everything about the band, from their lyrics to their album covers, was meticulous and filled to the brim with references to art, literature and popular culture. Those three covers look consistent: photographs with a vintage vibe, the white frames and the same large white font for the band name. “Father of the Bride,” however, looks entirely new. It’s flat in a twodimensional way, the band name is now in black and much more inconspicuous, and the art feels, just like the music, less inspired without the multifaceted references that the polaroids showcased. It is exciting to see a band grow emotionally and musically — the newest album is looser and includes a variety of styles unseen in their three other albums — but through the transformations, Vampire Weekend has lost their originality. Without their preppy college grad and metropolitan identity, their identity remains an enigma. As the band adjusts from four members to three, maybe they will find an answer in time.
Ellie Yang is a junior in the College. RECORD REWIND updates online and in print every other week.
BECOMING U
Celebrate Your Strengths Without Insecurity Nicole Marion Growing up, I would constantly tell myself the following: “Fake it until you make it.” I would repeat this phrase as I got dressed in the morning, ate my cereal and drove to school. That phrase reverberated in my head throughout the day as I went to classes, participated in after school sports and studied for my exams. I couldn’t quite place what I was faking at the time but, upon reflection, I know that, simply put, I was faking feeling confident. Low confidence, specifically among women, isn’t uncommon. Only 4% of women worldwide would consider themselves to be “beautiful,” according to a Dove Global Survey. Beyond statistics, my own personal experience has made it clear just how big an effect low self-esteem can have. The prominence of low self-esteem among my peers became particularly apparent one night early in my freshman year. After years of faking it, I had finally made it — feeling
confident in myself, I didn’t hesitate to voice the fact that I looked good as my friends and I headed out the door. Instead of receiving support from my friends, I received the opposite. My comment was met with raised eyebrows and side glances — not necessarily because they disagreed, but because my willingness to acknowledge my own beauty was awkward for them to hear. Throughout the rest of the year, it became clear how uncomfortable women my age felt when made to address their own beauty or capabilities. Whether it was getting ready for a night out or applying to an internship, the girls around me who were undeniably capable and talented just couldn’t embrace their self-worth. Being able to acknowledge one’s own value should not be uncomfortable. I and other girls around me growing up have been taught to make themselves less very early on. In grade school, I saw loud girls get called bossy, hardworking girls get called snobs and pretty girls get called b-----s. To avoid this backlash, many girls understandably try hard to be anything but noticeable. Among other cultural influences, I quickly learned that being center stage often leads to harsh critique. Having grown up in a world that consistently critiqued my actions and appearance, it’s no wonder I had trouble
seeing the capabilities I possessed. Not only are we taught to take this criticism to heart, but we’re also caught in the midst of an endless cycle that generates insecurities, reinforces those insecurities and then attacks anyone who is able to break out of those insecurities. Spending their whole lives in such an environment, women often end up reinforcing this societal narrative without even realizing it, just like my own friends did during my freshman year. As a young adult, when a woman can identify herself for what she is — whether it be beautiful, intelligent or powerful — she often faces the same backlash she did as a child, some of which can come from the very women who we know. After spending a lifetime attempting to free myself from the expectations our culture has set for me, it only takes a few backhanded comments from my peers to push me backwards. Even more so, no matter how successful or beautiful a woman may be, praise only seems acceptable when it comes from an external source. Even then, women are expected not to acknowledge the truth of these statements. Having spent my freshman year with this in mind, I made it my goal to not only be open with myself about my own potential, but also to go out of my way to acknowledge it in other people. My goal is inevitably and
consistently a work in progress. This ideology is so ingrained within our consciousness that even as I wrote this article addressing this problem, I sometimes felt uncomfortable making positive statements about myself. Even so, one of my favorite things this year has been watching as the women around me realize that this type of behavior should be encouraged, not shunned. In a world that oftentimes attempts to undermine you, it’s brave to refuse to let that change the way you think about yourself. While low self-esteem is prevalent among young women, this issue goes beyond women. Perhaps one of the biggest hurdles any of us can face is looking into the mirror and feeling confident not just with the way we physically look, but with our intellectual capability to succeed in whatever we want to do. As much as self-confidence stems from internal dialogue, these issues are more complicated than what can be solved with a single pep talk. How we react when others express it is imperative to gradually changing our society into one in which all of us, especially girls, can feel comfortable in our own power.
Nicole Marion is a sophomore in the College. BECOMING U updates online and in print every other week.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019
THE HOYA
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ALBUM REVIEW
@KIMPETRAS/INSTAGRAM
A year after she released her Halloween-inspired EP “TURN OFF THE LIGHT, VOL. 1,” German singer Kim Petras has added to the project with a total of nine new tracks. Despite the presence of some slightly undeveloped songs, the addendum to the record is successful and results in a more expansive sound.
Kim Petras Fleshes Out Concept of Halloween Album ‘TURN OFF THE LIGHT’ Kim Petras KIRA POMERANZ Special to The Hoya
One year since German alt-pop songstress Kim Petras released “TURN OFF THE LIGHT, VOL. 1,” an EP that drew inspiration from the holiday of Halloween, Petras has altered the concept by adding nine more tracks to the EP, fleshing out the premise to its logical and indulgent end — a full Halloween album titled “TURN OFF THE LIGHT.” All eight tracks from the original EP make up the second half of the album, but the album features a new closer track, “Everybody Dies”. Petras has given “TURN OFF THE LIGHT, VOL. 1” a more all-encompassing sound by connecting concepts explored on her EP with more material. The new songs mostly help Petras expand on the EP’s original eight tracks by spending more time creating the dark Halloween universe that exists on “TURN OFF THE LIGHT.” For example, “Death by Sex” highlights Petras’ experimental side, which has become more prominent in her recent work. Petras uses beats with more distorted audio and alters the capacity of her own voice with pitching and autotune, pushing her
music to an exciting and edgy space that fits her subject matter. Lyrically, Petras’ familiar, opulent bubblegum pop flair and playfulness that place her in the same genre as fellow alt-pop singer and frequent collaborator Charli XCX are still present, even when singing haunting and extravagant lines like “Give you the face, serve you the body (Body) / Skinniest waist, you’re gonna love it (Yeah) / You’ll be missin’ me in the afterlife / Tonight’s gonna be the night of your life / You’re never, never gonna make it out alive” on “Death by Sex.” Even on a Halloween album, Petras still centers her own sound and keeps fans of her usual music entranced. Petras transforms her album’s spooky theme from an emotional experience to a religious one; for her, the macabre becomes the sacred. Her songs take the holiday seriously, and Petras manages to examine each aspect of what Halloween can mean to an older audience obsessed with all things grim. “Bloody Valentine” highlights how Petras can take simple phrases and still create a cohesive track. However, the lyrics lack complexity — it is just Petras’ voice heavily pitched down, repeating the
phrase “My Bloody Valentine / You’re out of time” — but the repetition compounds the phrase and turns it into a blood-chilling chant. The heavy production and synth backed beat add to the scare value but, more importantly, turn it into an electrifying club song. Its pop quality and ominous message make it a perfect track for a Halloween dance party. Adding more context by turning the EP into an album helps enhance certain tracks, like “Turn Off The Light,” featuring Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Much of the original EP consists of ambient tracks without lyrics, and the added tracks help build a story off the EP’s thematic framework. In “Turn Off The Light,” Elvira, Mistress of the Dark’s haunting phrase, “Only in the darkness will you find your true self / Howl at the moon to awaken the spell / One cannot judge what the eye cannot see / Outside the realm of humanity / Embrace your fear, don’t dare to run / Only then will you be what you’re meant to become,” makes more sense after a series of tracks that develop the album’s concept instead of just jumping directly into Elvira’s call to action. However, some of the new tracks could
have been more developed to make them exciting and coherent. The song “Massacre,” for instance, subtly plays with the melody of “Carol of the Bells.” The incorporation of a Christmas classic does not immediately make the Halloween album sound like a gimmick that simply parodies the Christmas genre. The “Carol of the Bells” reference could have served to further push the subversive fun and irreverence found throughout the album if it had been expanded upon and made more prominent on the track. If the melody of “Carol of the Bells” was more persistent, “Massacre” could have been a haunted take on a Christmas standard; instead, it comes off as a ploy to connect two disjointed concepts. Petras’ album feels like a ride with a witch on a hot pink, sparkling broomstick en route to a crowded club; hard synth beats and the dark lyrics drive the entire album. Although jams like “Monster Mash,” “Thriller” and “Spooky Scary Skeletons” are Halloween classics, Petras has made new and more mature Halloween music that transports the season to its darkest extremes and captures the freedom inherent in a night where monsters can roam.
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019
THE HOYA
What to Do in DC
MUSIC
New Releases
STEVEN BOTSOE Hoya Staff Writer
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ZAIN SANDHU Hoya Staff Writer
@TRAVISSCOTT/INSTAGRAM
@XDANNYBROWNX/INSTAGRAM
TRAVIS SCOTT ‘HIGHEST IN THE ROOM’
DANNY BROWN ‘CHANGE UP’
After a handful of teaser performances during live shows in addition to an appearance in a commercial for one of Kylie Jenner’s cosmetic products, Travis Scott’s nebulous track “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM” garnered a fair amount of excitement over the past couple of months. Now, having finally released it as a single, Scott has officially delivered on its hype. With its spacey trap instrumental, autotune vocals and adlibs, the song is quintessential Travis Scott and is catchy enough to guarantee a spot on the charts.
“Change Up” is the first song off of American rapper and songwriter Danny Brown’s most recent album, “uknowhatimsayin¿,” The song, much like the rest of the project, is marked by exciting production — helmed by rap veteran Q-Tip — and an impressive rap performance from Brown. Despite the fact that Brown is only on his third official record and is already 40 years old, “uknowhatimsayin¿” is remarkably refreshing, and Brown’s energy as a current hip-hop phenomenon is palpable.
AUTUMN EVENINGS AT THE HIRSHHORN
The second night in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden’s “Autumn Evenings” series will be Friday, Oct. 11. Taking place on the museum’s outdoor plaza, the event is an exciting space for conversation, casual drinks and exposure to new artwork. The exhibit will explore new additions to the Hirshhorn Collection on view in “Feel the Sun in Your Mouth: Recent Acquisitions.” Additionally, the event will feature screenings of the film “Looking for Langston,” which explores the private life of Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes. This event will be the last in the “Autumn Evenings” series, as the series ends Oct. 11, so make time to see it soon.
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FAMILY FALL FESTIVAL
The city of Alexandria, Va., will mark the commencement of the fall season with its annual Family Fall Festival on Oct. 12 at Armistead L. Boothe Park, located at 520 Cameron Station Blvd. The festival is free, with activities that include scarecrow building, inflatables, pumpkin painting and entertainment, in addition to food and beverages.
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@CAMILA_CABELLO/INSTAGRAM
Camila Cabello continues her hot streak with “Cry for Me,” the third single released in the promotion of her forthcoming album, “Romance.” The song, while upbeat and catchy, details Cabello’s mourning process as she gets over an ex. “Cry for Me” isn’t exactly the most inventive pop single, but given the success of Cabello’s two previous singles this year, it’s not unlikely that this song will end up being a hit.
@LAFLARE1017/INSTAGRAM
GUCCI MANE FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION ‘BIG BOOTY’
“Big Booty” is the latest single from Atlantabased rapper Gucci Mane. With its repetitive beat and uninspired lyrics, the track is rather reductive. A redeeming appearance from Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion, however, salvages the single. Megan’s punchlines hit hard, and her flow complements the beat well, infusing the track with a much-needed breath of energy.
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VISIT ALEXANDRIA VA
SELENA PARTY
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History is throwing a celebration to pay tribute to the “queen of Tejano music,” Selena, for Hispanic Heritage Month. The event will feature a party with music by DJ Dave Nada, a screening of the film “Selena,” starring Jennifer Lopez, cumbia dancing lessons and demo activities by the museum. The event is in partnership with the Smithsonian Latino Center.
CAMILA CABELLO ‘CRY FOR ME’
HIRSHHORN MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDEN
SMITHSONIAN THEATERS/FACEBOOK
ALL THINGS GO FALL CLASSIC
The All Things Go Fall Classic Festival stretches across Saturday and Sunday and will feature performances from Chvrches, Melanie Martinez, Léon, Allie X and many more. The festival will take place in Union Market and will additionally feature food from various Washington, D.C. food vendors including &pizza, D.C. Empanadas, Nando’s, Rocklands and Shake Shack.
@ALLTHINGSGO/INSTAGRAM
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019
CONCERT REVIEW ART REVIEW
THE HOYA
B9
Pond Mesmerizes With Theatrical Dreamscape
KASSIDY ANGELO FOR THE HOYA
The Maria and Alberto de la Cruz Art Gallery on the first floor of the Walsh Building, is hosting a creative exhibit that conceptualizes alternate uses and presentations for common products and materials. The exhibit engages with ongoing statements on the relationship between consumption and the environment in bold new ways.
De la Cruz Gallery Imagines New Sustainable Futures MAEVE SILK
Special to The Hoya
Unconventional furniture and sleek versions of mundane household objects fill the Maria and Alberto de la Cruz Art Gallery. Walking around the new exhibit in the Edmund A. Walsh Building, one feels as though they catch a glimpse of the future. Although the exhibit is small, it contains powerful pieces that highlight the ability of a variety of waste materials to transform into artwork and functional items. The exhibit, titled “Design Transfigured/ Waste Reimagined,” showcased art created by many different artists spanning the globe, each of whom made their pieces from a variety of unconventional materials. Some of the innovative pieces serve as furniture, clothing and other utilitarian items, while others are abstract sculptures. This exhibit opened Oct. 3 and will run until Dec. 15. At the exhibit’s opening reception on the evening of Oct. 2, people circulated throughout the room, observing the art and conversing about the materials’ implications within their own lives. Outside of the exhibit, there was an enjoyable and interactive craft section where visitors could use recycled projector slides to build objects and play with yarn made from recycled plastic bags. This activity gave participants the chance to
link the subject matter of the pieces in the exhibit to their own creativity. The artwork within the exhibit showcases a diverse range of materials and industries, successfully representing an accurate picture of the myriad waste products that go unused and unrecognized in contemporary society. The pieces included works from artists like Sinae Kim, whose collection of “Urine Ware,” featured a ceramic bowl in the shape of a bladder covered in a glaze made of urine, and Oksana Bondar’s “Wiggy,” a stool formed from hair, seem peculiar or even revolting at first glance. Despite their relative oddness, these designs use human waste in a novel way while challenging viewers to consider all the possible ways in which used materials in their lives could be repurposed. Most of the items showcased are minimalist in their design and medium while being both aesthetically appealing and concordant with current trends in interior design. The distinctive textures of many of the objects capture the viewer’s attention; it is tempting to touch them. From the smooth top of Sophie Rowley’s marbled collection “Bahia Denim,” a table made of jean remnants, to the sharp, crystalline structure of Charlotte Kidger’s “Material Futures,” composed of sawdust, tactile imagery engages the senses
throughout the exhibit. “Design Transfigured/Waste Reimagined” excels at showcasing the thoughtful and complex artistic processes that were used to create the objects on display. Within the exhibit, a technology station is set up where visitors can use headphones to learn more about the artists and processes behind the works, adding more context to their design. In the case of Christien Meindertsma, whose “Really” industrial textile is used in the exhibit’s components, the artist’s book is included, showing details about the process of her design. The inclusion of this book emphasizes the careful design, planning and creation that has gone into every piece on display. Furthermore, each artwork featured in the exhibit comments on an important social or environmental issue. By incorporating fashion items, such as shoes, a backpack and a shirt, the exhibit addresses the topical discussion of ethical consumerism in fashion. In a time when “fast fashion” companies such as Forever 21 struggle to survive as consumers turn to more ecologically responsible options like thrifting, the concept of creating clothing from used materials is promising. Perhaps some of the furniture in the exhibit is more aesthetically appealing than
it is pragmatic for use in the typical American household, but its inclusion makes an important statement about the need for an increased focus on sustainability within the furniture industry. “Design Transfigured/Waste Reimagined” provides a platform where sculpture and construction can redefine the concept of beauty. There is an indefinable quality stemming from the age of the pieces within this exhibit; the materials’ histories and past uses give them a story that shines through the art. The collection is diverse and inclusive — the artists come from a wide range of geographical locations and backgrounds, and the repurposed items represent a variety of different industries, including agriculture, fossil fuel production, lumber and plastics. By combining all of these different settings with art, the exhibit develops original images of solutions to waste that stretch across disciplines and build off of each other. This exhibit was a refreshing break from consumer culture and serves as a look at art as something both functional and aesthetically pleasing. It illuminates novel ways in which materials can be reused in an artistic setting, and inspires further discussion. “Design Transfigured/Waste Reimagined” helps to imagine a more ethical future for manufacturing and waste, while outlining some of the steps that can be taken to achieve this ideal.
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019
THE HOYA
CONCERT REVIEW
Lauv Gives Exciting, Vulnerable Performance at The Anthem ANNIE GOTT
Hoya Staff Writer
Lauv faced the distinct challenge of taking care of his mental health while also finding success with A-list collaborations and smash singles over the last year. Now, though, he is ready to revel in the success and share his hardships. Kicking off his largest U.S. headline show to date, he wore his heart on his sleeve at the first show of the “~how i’m feeling~ Tour” on Oct. 5 at The Anthem. As he gushed about the significance the night held for him, the crowd beamed, exhilarated to bear witness to it all in an engaging and promising show. When “Welcome to the Land of Friends” flashed across the large screen, Lauv, clad in a colorful hoodie and matching bottoms, emerged for the upbeat “Drugs & The Internet.” His ending falsetto elicited big cheers, and he went on to play numerous songs from his first project, “i met you when I was 18. (the playlist),” off of the momentum. Gearing up for the release of his debut studio album “~how i’m feeling~,”
Lauv has released a series of singles that have gained serious traction and launched him to stardom. After the jazzy “Paris in the Rain,” he pulled out his guitar for the rock-influenced “Paranoid,” confirming his musical versatility. The glitchy graphics synched to the beat, matching each song’s mood perfectly, especially for “Sims.” After performing the new single, he thanked the audience again and professed: “I literally never expected to play a venue like this. Ever, ever, ever, ever, ever in my wildest dreams.” An unforgettable highlight of the night was his smooth song “Easy Love” for its extended run time and the different movements of the song compared to the studio version. Lauv displayed an energy his fans could not help but soak in. He played an extended guitar solo, remixed the signature electronic part of the song on the drum pad and initiated a call and response with the crowd. Lauv faced a small technical difficulty: The pad stopped working near the end, which made for an anticlimactic finish
to a really great performance of the single. Lauv, though annoyed, joked that at least the crowd knew he was not faking his performance. He continued on with one of his most iconic tracks “i’m so tired…,” which he recorded with Troye Sivan. Lauv also took the opportunity to capture the crazy liveliness of the crowd during one of the crowd’s most energetic moments by taking a photo to capture the memory. Lauv then left the stage and took the opportunity to discuss his recent mental health struggles with a voiceover piece with corresponding words flashing on the screen. He confessed: “In January 2019, after spending much of 2018 slowly spiraling downward, I found myself at a low I never thought possible.” He then reappeared for “Sad Forever,” and people turned on their phone lights — a meaningful moment that the entire audience got to share in. Lauv also played an unreleased track which only featured one mic and an acoustic guitar. It was hard to hear because of his distance from the singular mic, but it
forced the audience to remain extremely quiet to hear him, and people quietly sang along at the end. The set up and planning could have been executed better, but this production made for a vulnerable and completely raw sound, which is rare for bigger concert venues. The concert came to an end, and when it did, the crowd roared for the encore. Lauv answered the crowd’s cheers and came out again to play “Never Not” with distinctive a capella singing. He ended the night with his smash “I Like Me Better,” which left everyone on an uplifting note despite the concert’s heavy material. Lauv showcased his musicality, playfulness and vulnerability over his near hourand-a-half set. He expertly worked the stage, even as he stood upon it for the first time. The support from the audience offered a poignant contrast to the struggles Lauv discussed about his mental health and other darker themes off of his album. The night did not end up feeling lonely or sad at all, but rather a colorful celebration and a triumph for Lauv.
SUBUL MALIK/THE HOYA
After a relatively rapid rise to fame with standout singles featuring pop stars like Troye Sivan and Anne-Marie, Lauv dazzled at The Anthem to kick off his first headlining tour across the country. Baring his soul for the audience with an honest recounting of his struggles with mental health, Lauv built community in his electrifying show.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019
THE HOYA
B11
ALBUM REVIEW
@SUMMERWALKER/INSTAGRAM
Summer Walker’s debut album “Over It” offers a powerful and emotionally vulnerable exploration of raw themes like sex, love and loss. By expanding on the patented R&B sound that brought her to fame earlier this year, Walker cultivates her rising stardom and assures her place within the pantheon of modern R&B singer-songwriters.
Summer Walker Exudes Passion on Debut Album
‘OVER IT’
SUMMER WALKER GRANT BROWN
Special to The Hoya
In her debut studio album “Over It,” Summer Walker shows her range as an emerging R&B artist exploring complex themes such as love, loss and relationship struggles. Across 18 tracks, Walker rides off the same sexually confident message of her 2018 studio EP “Last Day Of Summer,” delivering tracks spanning the range from fun, powerful bangers to slow, soulful ballads. The 23-year-old Atlanta native hit the music scene with a bang with the release of her 2018 hit single “Girls Need Love,” establishing herself as a bold R&B singer exploring sex, love and relationships from a female perspective. The popular track was widely praised and received particular commendation from Drake, with whom Walker recorded a remix of “Girls Need Love” featured on “Over It.” Prior to the release of her new album, Walker released two lead singles, “Playing Games” and “Stretch You Out” featuring A Boogie wit da Hoodie. Sam-
pling from the Destiny’s Child anthem “Say My Name,” Walker integrates the iconic chorus into “Playing Games” to ask her partner for more public attention and acknowledgement. “Stretch You Out” represents a radically different postbreakup mood, in which Walker disputes her past lover’s claim that she did not commit enough to their relationship. The two singles established early on Walker’s intention of spreading confidence among her female listeners and reminding them to recognize their worth. In “Over It,” the opener and title track on the album, Walker powerfully addresses her partner to let him know his neglect has gotten out of hand. She immediately establishes herself as a woman who will not sit back and wait to be given the attention that she deserves, setting the theme that will carry through the rest of the album. She explicitly furthers this message in the following track, “Body,” in which she asserts she could easily find another man to replace him but confesses she still feels an emotional connection that
cannot be so easily severed. This combination of undoubted love and demand for reciprocation reappears in the songs “Anna Mae” and “Nobody Else,” encouraging listeners to express their passion for the ones they love. Despite the confident tone of the tracks early in the album, Walker also conveys her vulnerable side and confesses she is not always the strong woman she makes herself out to be. She admits and confronts her insecurity that she is not desirable in the raw, unedited vocal track “Fun Girl” and in the postbreakup track “Off Of You.” In the two-part track “Drunk Dialing… LODT,” Walker first laments the experience of drinking and calling her ex and then changes tone to a ballad about, once more, her one-sided relationship. The raw emotions Walker explores are resonating and relatable, a creative departure from the inspirational sermons for which she is known. In the several big-name collaborations on the album, Walker affirms her talent as a rising star and her ability to hold her own. Walker draws inspiration from
R&B icon Usher’s 1997 song “You Make Me Wanna…” in her collaboration with her fellow Atlanta native on the track “Come Thru.” In a testament to her creativity, Walker makes the track her own by integrating modern R&B sounds and altering the narrative on unfaithfulness to fit her ode to self-worth. Walker also collaborates with Jhené Aiko on the track “I’ll Kill You,” declaring her fiery passion for her lover is so strong that she would kill for him. Other collaborations include the upbeat track “Like It” with her former tourmate 6LACK, the insecure confession “Just Might” featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR and the extended version of “Playing Games” featuring Bryson Tiller. Walker embodies the essence of R&B as she takes on the passionate highs and heartbreaking lows of relationships throughout her debut album. Without falling into the trap of letting her foundations in R&B fall away in favor of elements of pop, Walker demonstrates her ability to bring ingenuity to her music by combining old R&B rhythms and themes to fit her own narrative and style.
ILLUSTRATION BY: SAMUEL NELSON AND ELOISE OWEN/THE HOYA