by Andrew Auclair ’29 on January 22, 2026

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A&E - Music

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Most reading this have probably never heard of Foxy Shazam, nor is it likely that they know anyone who has—at least not beyond one song. It’s a shame, really, because underneath their current obscurity lies an incredible group of musicians who create fantastic works of art. Admittedly, I only discovered the band this past September, as have some others, through their song “Oh Lord,” which was featured as  the opening song for the second season of James Gunn’s television series Peacemaker (2022). Not only did I think the show was great, but I enjoyed its opening sequence a lot, I thought the song was fantastic and fit well with the themes of the show. After I finished the series, I checked out the song and discovered it was part of a full-fledged 11-track album. There’s nothing I like more than finding a new album worth listening to, so I gave it a shot. What I found was a wonderful fusion of piano rock, glam rock, and pop rock; its track list offers a slice of optimism, a slice of love, and a slice of life.

Foxy Shazam’s self-titled album was released in 2010 and is truly an underrated gem of modern glam rock. From its energetic opening acts in “Intro / Bombs Away” and “Wanna-Be Angel” to the moody yet self-aware tunes like “Second Floor” and “Evil Thoughts,” Foxy Shazam’s third studio album is simply unique; I have never heard anything quite like it. Somehow, until its recent debut as the opening song for the second season of Peacemaker, the track “Oh Lord” slipped through the cracks since its release in 2010. This song is genuinely amazing in every aspect, from its stunning instrumentals to its touching lyrics and fantastic sound. Throughout the album the themes of being who you are and being comfortable with where you come from are very passionately portrayed. I love how, for as many songs as there are about being sad and alone, there are two more about getting back up again and showing the world who you really are. One of my favorite moments on the album occurs in the song “Wanna-Be Angel,”  when lead singer Eric Nally disregards all of the haters who stereotype his music within the line, “I want my fans to think I’m so punk rock / So punk rock and roll! / And all you hipsters say I’m gay / Well I’m not gay at all!” Foxy Shazam makes the music they want to make, and it is clear that they don’t give a crap about what people have to say.

Despite the constant praise I shower this album with, I would be absolutely wrong to say it isn’t without its flaws. To begin with what I don’t like about the album, I will say that its replayability (at least for me) isn’t very high. Upon my first few listens, I thought it was one of the greatest works of art ever made, but as I listened to it more and tried to dig deeper below its surface-level themes, I couldn’t find much more than repeated lyrics. I think this is because some of the songs are a little shallow and aren’t meant to offer much more than simple lyric writing and charming instrumentals. Another gripe I have with the album is that the last three to four songs fall a little flat. I love when an album has a great opening act and hooks the listener right away, but if it fails to keep my attention toward the end, I feel it’s wasted potential. Another album that has a similar problem is Social Cues by Cage the Elephant, which has a killer opening but, in my opinion, lacks any solid tracks in the latter half. In comparison, The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance begins and concludes with extreme precision. When I listen to this album, I find myself becoming bored toward the end, and I rarely listen to the whole thing all the way through.

To make a long story short, Foxy Shazam’s self-titled album has many great tracks and some strong themes throughout. It’s a fantastic album, but I could see it not being everyone’s cup of tea. It’s not perfect by any means, but I’m happy to have found it, and it’s something I think deserves more recognition for how it carries on the glam rock and piano rock genres in the modern age.

by John Downey '23 on February 18, 2022
A&E Co-Editor

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A&E - Music

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2022 iHeartRadio Music Award Nominees Announced

Music Fans Ready to Celebrate the Memorable Songs and Artists of the Past Year

Talia Rueda ’23

Nominations for the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards were released on Jan. 27. The nominees represent categories ranging from country music to dance music and constitute the most-listened-to artists and songs of the past year. 

The awards ceremony itself will air live from the Shine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 22. Not only will the show highlight 2021’s iconic moments in music, but it will also offer music fans an exclusive look into what they can expect from their favorite artists in the coming year.

Notably, while the nominations have been released, many other details regarding the awards ceremony have yet to be announced, including the line-up of performers, which is one of the main reasons why fans tune into the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

This mystery surrounding the show’s production, however, effectively works to generate excitement about the ceremony among fans and in the media. Indeed, it prompts excited speculation about the possibilities of star-studded lineups and never-before-seen-collaborations. 

Another fun aspect of the iHeartRadio Music Awards is that they allow music fans to focus on artists and projects that they may have forgotten about over the course of the previous year, given how many artists release new material throughout the 12 months since the last ceremony.

One category in which this is typically not the case, however, is song of the year. The artists nominated in this category are those whose tracks have consistently met with great critical and commercial success throughout the year and are certainly recognizable to any music fan. This year’s nominees are “Bad Habits” by Ed Sheeran, “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Easy On Me” by Adele, “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat featuring SZA, “Leave The Door Open” by Silk Sonic, “Levitating” by Dua Lipa, “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X, “Peaches” by Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon, “positions” by Ariana Grande, and “Stay” by The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber.

The iHeartRadio Music Awards are also exciting for music fans because of the wide range of categories in which artists can be nominated: no matter one’s taste in music, there is certain to be a category that they are excited for, especially since there are several categories whose winners are decided by viewers.

For example, one “socially voted category” recognizes America’s favorite TikTok song. This year’s nominations for the category are: “Beggin’” by Måneskin, “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Just For Me” by PinkPantheress, “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat featuring SZA, “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X, “Stay” by The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Thot Sh*t” by Megan Thee Stallion, “TWINNEM” by Coi Leray, “Up” by Cardi B, and “Woman” by Doja Cat.

Thus, while the iHeartRadio Music Awards recognize today’s most popular musicians and their moving works, they nominate and awards these musicians with the ordinary people listening to this music in mind, whether that be through the ceremony’s more traditional-style awards in which the organization itself recognizes the artists they believe best represented a certain musical genre to listeners or through the newer style of awards that allows listeners, themselves, to decide the best of the best. 

For this reason, while the iHeartRadio Music Awards will only be holding its ninth award show this year, it is sure to solidify its place in the long tradition of music awards shows for years to come.