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

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Arts & Entertainment

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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. 

by The Cowl Editor on December 11, 2021

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Arts & Entertainment

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Long Live the Legacy of Taylor Swift

How the Artist’s Career has Already Blazed Trails for New Stars

Julia McCoy ’22

How does society judge an artist’s influence? Success is often judged not only by their accolades, but also by their ability to influence future generations of artists. That is exactly what Taylor Swift has been able to do throughout her career. Even more impressive: she’s only 31 years old (32 later this month). 

Since her debut album, Taylor Swift, hit the radio in Oct. 2006, Swift has accumulated eleven Grammy awards and become the most decorated artist in American Music Awards history. Swift has released nine studio albums and is beginning to re-record those albums that she does not yet have ownership of, with two of them already released this year. 

Something that the well-decorated artist has been aware of, however, is the possible ephemerality of her career and fame. On her re-recorded album, Red (Taylor’s Version), Swift released a song “from the Vault” featuring Phoebe Bridgers titled “Nothing New.” Originally written in 2012, it speaks to Swift’s fears of losing her “radiance” as she gets older. Listeners were quick to notice the way that these lines resonate with Swift’s career today. Swift sings that new artists will use her as inspiration: “She’ll know the way and then she’ll say she got the map from me./I’ll say I’m happy for her/ Then I’ll cry myself to sleep.” At 22, Swift clearly feared what the future might hold for her. A decade later, those stars that “got the map” from Swift are luckily also blessed with her devoted support. 

Swift’s success on the stage is only complemented by the impact that she has had on younger artists and a newer generation of music. In 2021, artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray, and Maisie Peters are among the most prominent “Swifties” gaining their own success in the music industry. 

Rodrigo’s Sour is steeped in Swift’s influence. Her song, “1 step forward, 3 steps back,” features an interpolation of Swift’s “New Year’s Day” from reputation. After Rodrigo’s hit “driver’s license” broke records, Swift reached out as a friend and mentor to for the young artist. When sharing the iTunes charts together earlier this year, Swift commented on Rodrigo’s post, saying, “I say that’s my baby and I’m really proud,” a quote inspired by Swift’s own mother at the beginning of her career. Rodrigo now sports a ring gifted by Swift that is similar to the style that the elder singer wore while recording Red. 

When Swift lauded Gray’s song “Wish You Were Sober” on her Instagram Story, Gray responded, “I honestly feel like you raised me both as a writer and a human and I cannot express in words how much this means to me.” Rodrigo and Gray were each given an exclusive first listen to Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and were tasked with advertising the first re-recorded album on TikTok. They often identify themselves as Swift’s children, calling her “mom” because of her influence on their careers. 

Lastly, Peters is also a fan and took inspiration from Swift’s writing style this year. On July 24, 2020—the day that Swift’s folklore album was released—Peters found inspiration in Swift’s storytelling in “betty” to write her own story-like song, “Outdoor Pool.” She was able to understand through Swift that she could craft experiences based on different perspectives. 

Swift’s “Nothing New” opened her audience’s eyes to how she feels about her career and legacy. As she seamlessly moves through different creative periods, Swift’s words and work blaze a trail for generations to follow. And they’ve already started. 

by The Cowl Editor on December 11, 2021

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Arts & Entertainment

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A Fantastic Weekend of Concerts at PC

Orchestra, A Cappella, and More!

Jack Downey ’23

Over the past week, there were many concerts at Providence College as the semester begins to wind down. The first was a performance at 4:00 p.m. on Dec. 3 featuring the PC Orchestra. Helmed by Dr. Sang Woo Kang, the talented musicians captivated the sizable audience with several classical standards such as “Concerto No. 4 in F minor” by Antonio Vivaldi. This song in particular featured absolutely outstanding work by concertmaster Hashim Hassan ’23, though it cannot be understated how well the blend of PC students and local musicians performed throughout the duration of the show.

Later that night, at 7:00 p.m., the PC jazz band, directed by Dr. Eric Melley, took the stage over at ’64 Hall. The band came out at full force with the Sonny Rollins standard “Tenor Madness,” featuring a blazing solo by tenor sax player Tommy “T-Bone” Hebert ’23. As the set progressed, the band took on all different styles of music, the most surprising of which being ’80s pop. Grace Maffucci ’22 joined the group on stage for a couple of songs, the last being “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper. Despite the fact that this song is anything but jazzy, the band’s sparse rendition, accompanied by Maffucci’s standout vocals, made it one of the concert’s highlights.

Saturday saw the long-awaited return of rock band St. Joe and the Dorms. Donning Christmas-themed clothing for this performance, the trio tore the roof off McPhail’s with a mixture of rock classics and holiday staples, including Wham’s “Last Christmas,” Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run,” and Bruce Springsteen’s take of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Conrad Drezek ’25 held nothing back with his drumming, Griffin May ’24 captivated the audience with his guitar playing and charisma, and yours truly held down the fort on bass and vocals, even if that meant nearly suffering a concussion after flying backwards during one of the more energetic songs. One must face physical injury in the name of rock, after all.

Also on Saturday was Lessons and Carols. Returning after a year of hiatus, PC’s Liturgical Choir and PC’s Chorus joined together and performed classical church hymnals and carols to ring in the season. The combination of music and Gospel readings truly added to the experience. Some highlights included the beginning of the service, with solos by Maffucci and Logan Johnson ’23, as well as cantoring by W. Cole Patno ’24. Another memorable moment came when Dominican Schola joined the combined group to sing a Gregorian chant. Presiding over Lessons and Carols was Father  Kenneth Sicard, O.P., President of Providence College.

One would be remiss not to mention the a cappella concerts that occurred this past weekend. The three groups, Strictly Speaking, Anaclastic, and Special Guest, held two shows. The first fell on Dec. 3 at  7:30 p.m.; the second, Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Having two shows turned out to be a prudent move, since people absolutely packed Smith Concert Hall to see the groups perform. First on stage was Anaclastic, the all-female group. The audience was left speechless by the beautiful harmonies and powerful solos that radiated from the stage, the natural reverb of the concert hall making the group sound like one three times their size. 

After them came Strictly Speaking, the co-ed group. They had the audience raving as they sang their way through multiple fan favorites, including Lorde’s “Bravado,” which was led amazingly by Grace Stewart ’23. The set closed with Bastille’s hit “Pompeii,” with Jack Wilmot ’24 taking lead as the rest of the group dutifully backed him up throughout. 

The final of the three to perform was the all-male group, Special Guest. Coming out with gusto, the group grabbed the attention of those in attendance with their clothes, which featured blazers and turtlenecks, as well as their entertaining stage presence. The latter was exemplified by members of the group dancing during some of the songs. One of the highlights was The Bee Gees’ “More Than A Woman,” which featured Dom DaSilva ’24 on lead vocals. Their set concluded with a show-stopping rendition of Silk Sonic’s “Leave The Door Open” with solos by Christian Willett ’24 and Nolan Donato ’22, and on that note, the door closed.

This past weekend was truly an eventful one for music at Providence College, and it was great to see how positive of a reaction each event received. Hopefully, such musical events at Providence College will be met with this appreciation next semester and for years to come.

by The Cowl Editor on December 11, 2021

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Arts & Entertainment

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How Storywriters Inspire Songwriters

Popular Musical Artists Take Inspiration from Famous Works of Literature

Madison Palmieri ’22

From The Great Gatsby to the Harry Potter series, many well-loved novels have inspired hit movies or television shows. Less frequently discussed, however, is the degree of inspiration that the world of literature provides the music industry. 

Some examples of this phenomenon are more obvious than others. For instance, several tracks from famed English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, “Brave New World,” “Lord of the Flies,” “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” and “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” retell the literary works of those same names by Alduous Huxley, William Golding, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Edgar Allen Poe, respectively. 

Another renowned artist who has adapted literature into his music is Elton John. Like Iron Maiden, John has a song titled “Lord of the Flies.” Another one of his tracks, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” is based on the famous World War I novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque. Although its title is a bit less obvious, yet another Elton John song, “Restless,” is inspired by George Orwell’s 1984.

Similarly inspired by this dystopian novel is John’s fellow musician David Bowie. Three of Bowie’s songs, “1984,” “Big Brother,” and “We Are the Dead,” retell aspects of Orwell’s book.

Yet another famous act was compelled to write a song about 1984: Tears for Fears. While the group’s song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” is a less obvious tribute to Orwell than Bowie’s tracks, a close look at the lyrics, especially the bridge, makes it clear where the band drew their inspiration for the song from.

British rock band U2 has taken a unique approach to literary allusions in their discography. They named their 13th studio album, released in 2014, Songs of Innocence and named their 14th studio album, released in 2017, Songs of Experience. These titles are directly taken from a collection of poetry by William Blake. Blake originally published Songs of Innocence in 1789 before republishing it with new poems in a combined volume titled Songs of Innocence and Experience in 1794. Notably, like Iron Maiden and Elton John, U2 was also inspired by Lord of the Flies. Their song “Shadows and Tall Trees” off their debut album Boy takes its name from the seventh chapter of Golding’s novel.

Another British rock act inspired by literature is Bastille. Their song “Icarus” retells the myth of the same name, “Four Walls (The Ballad of Perry Smith)” recounts the true events detailed in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood—and name-checks the novel’s title—and “Weight of Living, Pt. 1” relates the events of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Also, in a Twitter Q&A, Bastille frontman Dan Smith revealed that the group’s song “Poet” was inspired by Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18.

Folk rockers Mumford and Sons have similarly taken inspiration from sources ranging from The Bard to 20th century American literature. “Sigh No More” is inspired by Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and actually incorporates multiple lines from the play into its lyrics. “Dust Bowl Dance” is an interpretation of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Their song “Timshel” was inspired by another Steinbeck novel, East of Eden.

Other notable literary-inspired tracks include “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry, inspired by Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott,” “Cassandra” by ABBA, inspired by Homer’s The Iliad, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Metallica, inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s novel of the same name, and “The Ghost of Tom Joad” by Bruce Springsteen, inspired by The Grapes of Wrath.

Another song, “Lost Boy,” was inspired by J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. More specifically, singer-songwriter Ruth B. had the idea for the track when she was watching Once Upon a Time, a television series that weaves different fairy tales and similar stories together and places their characters in the modern world.

It should come as no surprise that the artist whose fans have nicknamed her “the music industry” boasts perhaps the most impressive amount of literary references across her eleven-album discography. Indeed, while Taylor Swift’s most obvious homage to literature is her smash-hit “Love Story,” which retells Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and includes a nod to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the singer’s albums are full of tributes to her favorite novels and characters.

1989’s “Wonderland” plays off of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; reputation’s “Getaway Car” borrows from the opening lines of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” from that same album name-checks The Great Gatsby.

However, it is Swift’s two most recent albums—rerecordings not included—sister records folklore and evermore, in which her love of literature is most visible. On the former, “cardigan” references the Peter Pan characters Peter and Wendy, “invisible string” gives a nod to a famous line from Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, “illicit affairs” paraphrases Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” and “the lakes” name-checks famed poet William Wordsworth—who resided in England’s Lake District.

On the latter, “‘tis the damn season” directly incorporates “The Road Not Taken” as a lyric, “tolerate it” subtly retells Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, and “happiness” alludes to The Great Gatsby’s infamous green light.

Needless to say, story-writers have provided songwriters with plenty of inspiration across all genres of literature and music alike. Just as directors and actors bring book-to-screen adaptations to life, musicians build upon others’ works and create new and enjoyable forms of art.

by The Cowl Editor on November 4, 2021

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Arts & Entertainment

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Album Preview: Red (Taylor’s Version)

Fans Ready to Feel “Happy, Free, Confused, and Lonely in the Best Way”

Olivia Riportella ’25

Swifties: the time is near. Red (Taylor’s Version) will officially be out next week. For those who are not Swifties, do not worry: here is everything you need to know about Taylor Swift’s latest re-recorded album.

Swift is adamant that musicians own their own work, and acquiring such ownership has been an overlooked struggle which artists often face in the music industry. She has been busy re-recording six—that is right, six—of her nine studio albums recorded with Big Machine Records, since the rights to the master versions of them were sold to Scooter Braun. Braun proceeded to sell the masters to an investment group for payout. Swift claims that she was not given the opportunity to purchase them herself, and to make the best of this bad deal, she has decided to re-record these “stolen” works, carefully re-creating an astounding 25 to 30 songs per album.

Red, released in October 2012, is Swift’s fourth studio and features 16 tracks. Upon release, Red was a massive success, with smash-hit singles such as “22,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,”  and “I Knew You Were Trouble.” Notably, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” landed Swift her first career Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single. Red debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 171 weeks while also selling 1.21 million copies. 

Red (Taylor’s Version) will feature a whopping 30 tracks with nine bonus songs from the vault. One of these tracks is “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” which is the original demo of the heartbreaking album classic, “All Too Well.” Fans have been eager to hear this version for years, and they are finally getting it after many teasers and hints. Swift released the full album tracklist after testing her fans with a word search that contained the names of the new tracks’ titles. There are some big-name collaborations featured on these vault tracks, such as Phoebe Bridgers, Chris Stapleton, and longtime Swift collaborator Ed Sheeran. 

This re-record will be the first out of the four albums Swift has released in the last year and a half that will be released on a vinyl format on the same day that it will be released in digital formats. 

Red (Taylor’s Version) will be released on Nov. 12, 2021 This date is a full week earlier than the original one she set, Nov. 19, 2021. Fans have speculated that the change came because Swift learned that Adele planned to release her upcoming album, 30, on the 19th, although neither artist has confirmed these rumors. 

In a June statement, Swift wrote, “I’ve always said that the world is a different place for the heartbroken. It moves on a different axis, at a different speed. Time skips backwards and forwards fleetingly. The heartbroken might go through thousands of micro-emotions a day, trying to figure out how to get through it without picking up the phone to hear that old familiar voice. In the land of heartbreak, moments of strength, independence, and devil-may-care rebellion are intricately woven together with grief, paralyzing vulnerability and hopelessness. Imagining your future might always take you on a detour back to the past. And this is all to say, the next album I’ll be releasing is my version of Red.”

Needless to say, fans should prepare to be taken on an emotional rollercoaster with Red (Taylor’s Version).

by The Cowl Editor on November 4, 2021

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Poetry

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by Max Gilman ’25

 

I cease to dry my body,

As my towel falls to the wet floor,

Soaking the towel,

In puddles of shower water,

I stand there for a brief moment,

While listening to a melancholy song,

And I think about it,

The song I am playing,

And I think about them,

The people outside the shower,

Hearing my music,

I think about how the song might make 

them feel.

Small droplets of water begin to fall from my skin,

I then think of how the song makes me feel.

The song makes me feel pleasant

But thoughts of them

Crowd my mind,

Like a hoarder’s house,

Filled with the same item,

The dripping of water begins to stop,

They,

The ones who listen to my music,

Beyond the shower’s curtain,

Do they really care about my music?

My music,

But I don’t own any music.

How can one

Own art?

I notice that the sound of water hitting the tiled ground has stopped,

And now my towel is drenched,

In the water below me.

Before I reach for my towel

I begin to reconcile,

To myself,

About the music,

But before I can conquer a cohesive thought,

The song ends.

I never took a moment to enjoy it.

It’s quite ironic,

To stand here alone,

So naked as to only hone my bare skin,

But shielded by an inch-wide shower curtain,

Unseen by those observing my music.

My music,

My mind in thought.

by The Cowl Editor on November 4, 2021

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Arts & Entertainment

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A Closer Look at The Life Support Tour

Madison Beer’s Authentic Connection With Her Audience

Talia Rueda ’23

Madison Beer has finally made her touring debut eight months after her first album, Life Support, was released. She has added an exuberance to the world of pop, not only with her histrionic tendencies, but also with her eagerness to relate to her audience. Beer has had a devoted online fan base since 2013, when she was discovered by Justin Bieber.

Beer’s first string of live shows proves the potential that Bieber saw in her eight years ago, while also finally allowing the connection that has been developing between her and her followers since 2013 to manifest itself into a tangible experience. 

Throughout the album, Beer works to evoke emotions from her listeners through an expression of her own experiences. Although she succeeds in doing so throughout the entirety of the record, it is quite possible that this endeavor is even more powerfully realized during a live performance, hence fans’ excitement for The Life Support Tour. 

Beer’s lyrics display a universal nature that perfectly relates to the young generation that mostly comprises her fanbase. For example, one track from Life Support, the third song she performs during her tour setlist, is “Stay Numb And Carry On,” which includes the lyrics, “Stay numb and carry on/Too young to hate someone/Truth is, it was never love/Your fault if you thought it was.”

These lyrics hold great importance. Obviously, they are the first words in the song, so they are the first that the crowd hears. More notably, however, while they appear to be quite standard lyrics for an artist such as Beer, her audience knows the significance these words hold for the artist and her personal experiences.

Beer’s online fanbase has followed her through her seemingly iconic but apparently emotionally abusive relationship with fellow social media star Jack Gilinsky. Additionally, she has been questioned by the media for years about her stunning appearance, with rumors circulating about whether she had undergone plastic surgery procedures and snide remarks that she should just “stick to modeling” rather than pursue a music career.

With this knowledge of Beer’s personal life in mind, the crowd is already on their toes as those lines open the third track as they are well-aware of their meaning. Audience members know why Beer has preferred to stay numb to the pain instead of reacting. 

Fans also relate the feelings she describes to their own lives. Indeed, Beer’s main fanbase, members of Gen-Z, are around the same age as her.

Beer has done a fantastic job of not only forming her community of fans, but also maintaining it. Indeed, she has birthed an audience that is receptive to her life experiences and journey as an artist, and she shares these moments with fans on stage. On social media, videos have circulated in which she demonstrates her intense gratitude to her fans during her live shows, visibly crying while thanking them.

Since Beer’s first performances on The Life Support Tour, she has posted several remarks on social media that showcase the magic of an artist’s developing career on their first tour. She writes, “What an absolute dream come true,” and, “Can already tell I’m probably gonna cry tonight sheesh I’ve sprung a leak.”

Aside from her evident emotional connection with her fans, other notable aspects of Beer’s tour set include those that showcase a more fun side to the artist. “Girl power” anthems including “BOYSH*T,” “Baby,” and “Good In Goodbye” offer the same emotions as songs like “Stay Numb and Carry On” but take an entirely opposite approach to expressing them. Indeed, although Beer discusses similar ideas in these anthems, such as ending relationships or false rumors, she addresses them with more power and capability in the former than in the latter. Performances of such songs are the moments of Beer’s set that are the most pulsating: when her strength is exemplified in her jolting bass rather than her wallowing chords.

Throughout the first half of her set, Beer appears inside of a clear rectangular cube and is pulled around the stage by her dancers. As the show progresses, she ditches the cube and inches closer to the audience. This choreography unfolds as she sings her more intimate songs—the tracks that listeners fell in love with in the first place.

In many ways, the concept of the cube confining Beer at the beginning of her performance, but then no longer being able to contain her, shows her growth as an artist. Life Support deals with serious subject matter, such as Beer’s battles with borderline personality disorder, abusive relationships, and detrimental false narratives about her. Beer has emerged victorious from these fights and rid herself of the means by which the industry has tried to confine her.

An artist’s first tour aims to showcase an ability to conquer the muddled exterior of the world and focus solely on a connection with fans for the first time. Beer has done just that.

by The Cowl Editor on October 7, 2021

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Arts & Entertainment

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Album Review: Lorde’s Solar Power

The Personal Growth of the Artist and Her Listeners

Talia Rueda ’23

Lorde came into the music industry in 2013 in full force. She offered a distinctive music style to the world of Tumblr-lovers while also being highly relatable. Her first album, titled Pure Heroine, gave listeners the iconic singles “Royals” and “Ribs” that still evoke the utmost emotion today, even after fans have graduated from the grunge-Tumblr era. Lorde’s first album did exactly what it was meant to do as she entered the industry, which was to make her mark as a blossoming artist. She was young, and so were her listeners, who were displaying their emotions on social media for the first time. Indeed, in several ways, the artist and her listeners have grown up together.

This was certainly evident with Lorde’s second album, Melodrama, which blessed listeners’ ears in 2017. Fans saw a new chapter of the singer’s life, one with a less innocent point of view. The album’s title was a superb fit for its content, and the artist successfully appealed to listeners’ emotions. Something was different this time around: Lorde was growing up and learning to navigate the brutality of being a young woman.

So, what stage of life are Lorde and her fans at with her third album, four years later? Its title offers a clear indication of the answer to this question.

Solar Power was released on Aug. 20, 2021. Listeners were anxious to see what Lorde was going to make them feel this time. What many have probably found, though, is that Lorde did not have to make them feel anything: they were already on the same page.

The album demonstrates a significant amount of growth from her last release four long years ago. This did not come as a surprise. Not only had Lorde taken four years to release a new project, but she also removed herself from the grid in the meantime, disappearing from both social media and the public. Avid followers know that she took time to reflect, perhaps on her grief as shown on Melodrama, or maybe on climate change as she traveled from New Zealand to Antarctica.

One thing is clear from her new release—Lorde seems truly content and untroubled. In a departure from her past albums, her lyrics and production have a new sense of freedom, and she seems to want her listeners to feel the same delight she has been experiencing. For instance, Solar Power’s second single, “Stoned at the Nail Salon,” contains lyrics expressing a carefreeness that seems so different from the intensity of Melodrama. These lines read, “Cause all the music you loved at sixteen, you’ll grow out of / And all the times they will change, it’ll all come around / I don’t know / Maybe I’m just / Maybe I’m just stoned at the nail salon again.”

These lines seem to perfectly capture Lorde’s internal growth. Indeed, “Stoned at the Nail Salon” in particular discusses how her mindset has changed from when she was 16 years old. She also acknowledges that it is okay to grow apart from the habits and interests of one’s youth.

In addition to the lyrical differences between the artist’s earlier work and her latest release, the production of Solar Power takes an easier approach. The music itself is much more simple and reserved in its organization. Lorde even allows some harmonies from other artists on this album, including iconic indie singers Phoebe Bridgers and Clairo. In these and other aspects of the album, from lyrics to harmonies, it is clear that Lorde has become significantly lighter and seems glad to share this radiance with listeners.

Lorde’s newfound perspective, as expressed on Solar Power, embodies the new chapter of life that she is in. After years of privacy and remoteness, she is back to showcase how she has healed.

Many of Lorde’s fans have felt the emotions expressed on her highly personal first and second albums, drawing connections between her life and theirs. Her listeners have always been on the same page as her. Solar Power is different, though. If fans did not already feel a connection to the relief that Lorde has experienced, they will after listening to the album. The artist has chosen to nurture healing and peace in her own life, and the album’s therapeutic softness may do the same for listeners.

by The Cowl Editor on October 7, 2021

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Arts & Entertainment

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PC’s A Capella Groups Face Off in a Riff Off 

Pitch Perfect-Inspired Event Draws Music Fans to McPhail’s

Grace Whitman ’22

On Thursday, Sept. 30, Providence College’s three A Cappella groups, Special Guest, Strictly Speaking, and Anaclastic, competed head-to-head in their annual Riff Off. Hundreds of students packed into McPhail’s, with standing-room only starting 30 minutes before the Riff Off began. Hosted by Board of Programmers’ Olivia Lescinskas ’22, the event started off with a spin of a wheel containing three song categories, one for each of three rounds: “TV Show Theme Songs,” “Love Songs,” and “Throwbacks.” The winner of each round was to be determined by which group earned the loudest cheer from the audience in McPhail’s. 

The contest was not quite held exactly how it was in the Pitch Perfect movies, which provided the inspiration for the event. In the films, different groups interrupt one another with different songs, joining the last word of one song with the first word of a new song. At the McPhail’s event, in contrast, PC’s A Cappella groups were given each round’s category and asked to perform a song in that category. 

Special Guest hit the stage first, belting out the theme song from Phineas and Ferb. It was a funny way to start off the night, with the crowd singing lyrics like “Come on, Perry!” back at the group. The next song came from Anaclastic with their rendition of “Leave it All to Shine,” a mashup of the iCarly and Victorious theme songs. Although the audience certainly enjoyed both renditions, the clear winner of the first round was Strictly Speaking with their performance of The Rembrandts’ “I’ll Be There for You,” more commonly known as the Friends theme song, led by Sorieba Fofanah ’22. 

After a quick break, during which the audience snagged some Insomnia Cookies, the show was back for the second round, which was dedicated to love songs. It opened with Anaclastic performing “Love Story” by Taylor Swift. Next, Strictly Speaking sang “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder. 

While both groups finished to raucous applause, it was the all-male group, Special Guest, that slammed the door shut on the competition with their rendition of Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open.” Christian Willett ’24 and Nolan Donato ’22 brought Bruno Mars’ suave to the stage and the rhythm and beat created by the rest of the group had the audience enthusiastically voting for them to win that round. 

The final round was dedicated to “throwback” songs. In a clever homage to Pitch Perfect, Strictly Speaking sang Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone”—much more eloquently, however, than the auditioners in the movie performed it. Special Guest’s final song, “Mambo No. 5,” was led by Dougie Schettino ’23. “Mambo No. 5” was the perfect song for Special Guest to showcase their vocal abilities and pull the audience into the performance. Indeed, what sets Special Guest apart is their ability to get a crowd excited about their performances and about A Capella in general. 

Anaclastic closed the Riff Off with a throwback to 1996. Their performance of “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls, led by Maddie Rich ’24 and Caleigh Lynch ’23, earned the loudest applause of the final round, resulting in a revote for the entire event. 

Although there were certainly loud cheers for all the groups and it was hard to truly measure how much applause each received without a decibel meter, Strictly Speaking was crowned the winner of the 2021 A Capella Riff Off. 

Be on the lookout for more events hosted by the A Capella Club this semester, including their fall concert. 

 

by The Cowl Editor on September 3, 2021

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Arts & Entertainment

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A Milestone in the “Free Britney” Movement

Spears Makes Gains in Her Fight for Freedom

By Nikki Idelson ’22

 

For the past thirteen years, American singer and pop culture icon Britney Spears has been forced to live under an arrangement known as a conservatorship. According to The New Yorker, a conservatorship is “a legal structure in which a person’s personal, economic, and legal-decision making power is ceded to others.” It is “intended for people who cannot take care of themselves.”

Spears’ conservatorship was enacted nearly fifteen years ago due to personal struggles that affected her decision-making skills. However, since then, the singer has received the help she needed and experienced much personal growth as a result. For this reason, she and her fans have fought for her to be free from the conservatorship’s control in a movement dubbed “Free Britney.”

At the center of Spears’ battle for freedom is a struggle against her father, Jamie Spears. She and her legal team have been seeking his immediate removal as one of her conservators. Until recently, it appeared that he would retain control over his daughter’s life and affairs.

However, on June 23, the singer was finally granted time in court to share how truly controlling the conservatorship has been. This court appearance was significant as Spears’ team had previously not allowed her to discuss the conservatorship with anyone. She gave a heart-wrenching testimony about how her life has been controlled.

According to Spears, the limitations on her freedom include everything from only being allowed to post certain content on social media to a lack of autonomy to make decisions about her own body. For instance, she is unable to remove her IUD. According to NPR, Spears explained that, “I wanted to take the IUD out so I could start trying to have another baby. But this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they…don’t want me to have children.”

In court, Spears was completely open and honest about her feelings towards those responsible for her limited freedom. According to NPR, when talking about her father, she reflected on “the control he had over someone as powerful as [her]” and asserted that “he loved the control to hurt his own daughter, 100,000%. He loved it.” This statement suggests that Spears’ father has encouraged the conservatorship to continue not out of concern for his daughter, but rather because he enjoys having complete control over her.

Spears also shared what touring has been like under her conservatorship. She discussed how in 2018, she was forced to go on tour and work incessantly under the threat of punishments such as “not being able to see her kids or boyfriend.”

The singer’s heart-breaking testimony makes evident that her conservatorship has resulted in a complete loss of freedom and control over her own life. While some fans have been hoping that members of her team would help her cause, many of them, especially her father, have financially benefited from her conservatorship: her money and success have provided them with housing and other forms of financial support.

Unfortunately for Spears, the court chose not to make a motion for considering even minor changes to the conservatorship. However, since her appearance in court, there has been a small victory in the fight for her freedom. According to NPR, “Jamie Spears has filed a document in Los Angeles Superior Court agreeing to step down as the conservator of his daughter’s estate.” Even though this is not a complete win for Spears, it marks a promising first step towards ultimately regaining her freedom.

Indeed, she has finally been able to speak her truth, and the public has finally been able to hear how controlling the conservatorship is. For Spears and the devoted members of the “Free Britney” movement, these small wins are promising signs of victories to come.