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hermioneisavirgo-blog · 5 years

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Lover Album Review

After listening to Taylor Swift’s 18-track album all the way through, my mind is blown. I grew up with Taylor’s music, as I first heard “Fearless” when I was 12 years old and have been an avid listener ever since. I just moved into my first apartment in Minneapolis, and I am so pleased that “Lover” can be the soundtrack to the beginning of the rest of my life.

“I Forgot That You Existed” is a banger for a first track. This song emulates a different emotion than we have heard from Taylor before. The upbeat background and snaps create a foundation of optimism, goofiness, and sheer “indifference”. The lyrics are words that anybody can relate to - who hasn’t experienced that blissful feeling when you recognize that you haven’t thought of that dreaded person who shall not be named for days, or even weeks? I was instantly pulled in with this opener.

“Cruel Summer” made me fall in love even more. The beat immediately made me feel like an August night of sitting in the back of an Uber with my friends on a Friday night, windows rolled down and hair going crazy. With this track, we get our first “blue” used in the album. If you’ve listened, you know that the word “blue” appears all over the place. Taylor exemplifies the poetess in her with lines like, “Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes, and if I bleed you’ll be the last to know.”

“Lover”...what can I even say? Not much - this is first dance wedding reception material. This gives me such flashbacks to some of Taylor’s older country-esque songs, with bright-eyed excitement. I get the same feeling here as I do when I listen to “Enchanted” or “Hey Stephen”. However, in contrast to those songs, here she is taking control and stands in a pool of her own confidence as she boldly professes that she has grown and made strides from her days of hopelessly pining for men who weren’t really worth her time.

“The Man”. Okay. Thank you so much for this, Taylor. Made me think of “If I Were a Boy” by Beyonce. This is infused with the feeling of being “tired and angry” like “somebody should be”, which is how Halsey describes similar feelings of being bothered how the lowly boys of this world seem to get whatever the heck they want. You really would be the man, Taylor. Think, for real, as she’s even said in interviews: if she were a man writing songs about even the shortest of flings, that would never be considered taboo and worthy of shaming. This is made evident by the thousands of male singer-songwriters who do just that and are widely accepted.

“The Archer” gave me “Red” album vibes, but that’s just me. “I hate my reflection for years and years...” really got me. From the very beginning of this song, the underlying line grows steadily. It almost feels like one of those never-ending videos where the tone appears to be increasing but never really does...gave me a sense of infinity. Very lush, injected with an emotional pen as she recalls different perspectives from different lovers and relationships.

“I Think He Knows” made me want to DANCE. And I did. A lot. The beat is almost hip-hop club-ish with the bass. It seemed like such an interesting song in contrast to “I Know Places”, from “1989″, which has a haunting sound and alludes to the idea that it’s hard for Taylor to ever feel like she has privacy with her private life. With this song, she isn’t focused on the people looking in at her life, but instead she delves into that private relationship. It makes me feel like she is caring less and less about what people see and what people know. She’s just LIVING her life.

And now, we have reached my favorite song of the album. Thanks for this one, Taylor. Seriously. “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” doesn’t even sound like any “type” of Taylor we’ve heard before. With the very beginning notes, I called it that I would cry by the end of this. The first verse immediately made me picture the “You Belong With Me” music video with the band uniform and prom dress. Taylor portrays two different sides of a coin in that video, and I feel a bit of that in this song. I really hope she does a music video of this song. I have always loved her more haunting melodies, particularly in the “Red” album (or in “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” - the most underrated song on "reputation”), but this took it to an entirely new level. I am OBSESSED.

“Paper Rings” is so playful, and a great mental break after processing the absurd depth in the previous song. Gave me “Stay, Stay, Stay” vibes. She sound so jovial and happy in this song, and I am so glad to hear her this way.

“Cornelia Street” is one of the fully Taylor Swift-composed songs on the album. This type of song I see myself rocking out to as I power walk down the street in autumn. In the lyrics, she talks about how losing this love would be devastating to the point of taking eternity to heal from. It is a familiar feeling, when you are in so deep with someone who you feel has become a part of you, impermeably and forever.

“Death By a Thousand Cuts” starts off by explaining just what she means. “Saying goodbye is death by a thousand cuts...” which is an interesting line to hear right after “Cornelia Street”, which invests in the narrative that saying goodbye would be an impossible feat after experiencing connection this strong. The instruments in this song are layered (clear guitar at the beginning with shuffling beats that come in and even something that sounds like a harpsichord??) and even though the message is a painful one, this baroque-poppy feel makes me want to DANCE MORE. But maybe with a lot of moves that make it look like I am in excruciating pain lol.

“London Boy”’s beat is fire flame. It’s a give-in that this song is about Joe Alwyn and as someone who has seen “The Favourite”, I can attest to the dimples and the accent. It’s clear her relationship is not only a a deep love, but also lots of fun, adventure, stepping outside her comfort zone, and recognizing that she can find home in someone who doesn’t live in her own backyard (*ahem* “White Horse”).

“Soon You’ll Get Better” (feat. Dixie Chicks) is simply beautiful. Reminiscent of her country days, as well. Reminds me of “Never Grow Up”. Since the speculation is that this song is about her mother, I find it poignant and very “Taylor” that it’s track 12. “The Best Day” is also track 12 on “Fearless” and was always one of my favorites. Underneath the main message of trying to find comfort in a super tough and scary time, I find that Taylor is enunciating the idea that she is growing up and things will change in her relationship to her parents no matter what. That’s just the way of life. Very moving.

“False God” begins with a sexy little saxophone riff. Shortly after, we get to hear that poetic line she teased on her Spotify playlist: “And I can’t talk to you when you’re like this...staring out the window like I’m not your favorite town - I’m New York City!” The message with this song gives me a “bigger picture” sense. Even though she is making references to heaven and hell within interactions with her lover, I can also view the “times like this” that “they warned us about” as the times we are living in now: terrifying and unclear with a leader who professes division and tearing down much more than love and building up.

“You Need To Calm Down” is by far the single that I listened to the most before the album dropped. As a queer woman who “passes” as a “straight” cis woman and who took a very long time to admit to herself and others the truth, this song greatly boosted my confidence in Taylor as she opens up about where she stands, loudly and proudly. And that beat is so VIBRANT and fun.

At the start of “Afterglow”, we get yet ANOTHER use of “blue”. (There are lots that I didn’t mention, but it just is so prominent here.) This is a beautiful, lush, apology song in which Taylor unveils how deeply she wants her lover to stay despite her shortcomings and miscommunications. I felt this one hard and wish I could play it for a lot of my ex-best friends.

“ME!” (feat. Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco) is colorful, glorious, confident, cheerful, and is something that I could see being played at a pep rally. The message is clear: being yourself will ultimately win you every prize that is yours to win. Whether that be a lover or whatever your heart desires!! This is a truth I have come to realize recently. It’s a hard, treacherous lesson, and I feel that Taylor is showing that she’s finally finding out what it means to be truly herself with this tune.

“It’s Nice To Have A Friend” is the cutest song Taylor has ever written and recorded, by far. I think I hear steel pan in the background, adding to the layered sound of playfulness. That trumpet in the middle is so triumphant and an interesting addition to the dynamic! It feels very innocent and loving, maybe she wrote this with her cats in mind :)

“Daylight” is a gorgeous closing track. As this wraps up the album, it is quite clear that Taylor feels like she can breathe more deeply now that she has met, known, and loved her lover. It appears that everything has changed, and she can see much more clearly. This song made me think of “Clean” from “1989″, due to the notion that she is leaving the darkness and fogginess and entering a world where she feels fresh and sees everything clearly. Her lover is obviously a wonderful match for her spunky, stoked, sensitive, Sagittarius self. “You are what you love.” What a precious way to close my favorite new album.

Overall - Taylor’s “Lover” incorporates many familiar Taylor sounds while also introducing lots of new things we’ve never heard. From the lush synths in “Cruel Summer” to Cautious Clay’s influence in “London Boy”, it is clear that Taylor has crafted something that signifies a new era for her. As she turns 30 at the end of this year, she has seven studio albums to be extremely proud of. Thank you, Taylor, for being such a strong beam of light as I navigated high school hallways, college parties, and the ups and downs of falling in love.

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930club · 5 years

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GET FAMILIAR: Weeks of August 5 and August 12, 2019

COMING SOON: half●alive

Release Title: Now, Not Yet (LP)

Release Date: Friday, August 9, 2019

What To Expect: Using their uplifting, quirky electronic music and a must-watch viral video for their song “still feel.”, Los Angeles-based trio half●alive have suddenly found themselves on the brink of superstardom in only a year’s time. Josh Taylor, the former frontman of Long Beach band The Moderates, left his old outfit to form half●alive along with drummer Brett Kramer in 2017, later adding bassist J Tyler Johnson to round out the group. Since the release of “still feel.” in August 2018, the band has experienced a whirlwind of success, racking up millions upon millions of views on Youtube and nearly selling out a 12-date US tour in early 2019. The band has already put out a few EPs and singles, but they are preparing to release their first full-length studio project this Friday with Now, Not Yet.

The album’s tracklist features a few songs that fans will already be familiar with in “arrow” and “RUNAWAY” as well as their aforementioned viral hit, but the band has previously shown the ability to incorporate funk, pop, and rock elements into all of their records so there’s no telling what the rest of Now, Not Yet will sound like. The latest offering from the band before the album’s drop is “ok ok?” which sees the group slowing things down a bit while adding in a couple of psychedelic harmonies and some good ol’ fashioned electric guitar riffs for good measure. The group has been excitingly innovative when it comes to how they present themselves and their music, and with Taylor at the helm, it seems like almost anything is possible for these three dreamers.

Don’t miss half●alive at 9:30 Club on September 27th - bring your dance shoes and grab your tickets here!

WEBSITE ● TWITTER ● FACEBOOK ● MUSIC

LOCAL LEGENDS: IDK

Release Title: ISHEREAL (LP)

Release Date: TBD (August)

What To Expect: PG County’s own IDK has masterminded quite the album release campaign for his upcoming project ISHEREAL, scheduled to drop sometime this month. Starting at the end of 2018, the rapper began posting percentages to his Instagram stories, Twitter feed, and in Facebook posts and claiming that they were in relation to the status of ISHEREAL. Each time the number seemed to inch closer and closer to 100%, but there was no discernable pattern for months and months. Finally on May 19, he tweeted, “HELLO FOLKS. FIRST SONG FROM ISHEREAL DROPS ON MY BIRTHDAY. TELL A FRIEND,” and, just like that, the real fun began.

Just a few days later, IDK unleashed “Digital,” a biting, abrasive track, unto the world. “Digital” sees the young spitter reflectively delivering bars about his past and how it led him to this point in his career. IDK has always had a penchant for storytelling, and the song doesn’t shy away from getting into the gritty details of his upbringing and the environments he grew up in. Fans, who were already excited by the single, were even more pleasantly surprised when he took to social media again on June 18 to hint at even more big news. The next day, Forbes published the exclusive premier of his new venture, an independent label associated with Warner Music that he would be heading up called CLUE. It was a massive announcement for an artist who has lived in relative obscurity outside the DMV to this point, but IDK wasn’t done making waves just yet.

On July 8, he filled his fans in on a digital scavenger hunt that would reveal a secret message about the project. Within hours, there were hordes of fans attempting to crack the code, which ended up reading “ALBUM NEXT MONTH, SINGLE THIS MONTH.” The final step in the rollout was the release of the single “24,” which premiered on Zane Lowe’s Beats1Radio station. “24” follows the short and sweet model of “Digital,” and sees IDK using a boom bap flow and ominous production to create a captivating and slightly disturbing listening experience. ISHEREAL is due this month with many speculating that it will drop sometime over the next two weeks. All I know is that if IDK put this much thought into the rollout, I absolutely cannot wait to see what he has in store for us with this album. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for what could easily be the project of the year.

WEBSITE ● TWITTER ● FACEBOOK ● MUSIC

WILD CARD: AUGUST 08

Release Title: Happy Endings EP (EP)

Release Date: Thursday, August 8, 2019

What To Expect: 88RISING is the mass media company at the forefront of bridging Asian culture with hip-hop and modern music. It’s the brainchild of industry vet Sean Miyashiro, who described it as a “hybrid management, record label, video production and marketing company” to Highsnobiety just last week. Featuring a roster full of heavy-hitters such as Rich Brian, Joji and the Higher Brothers, 88RISING has established itself as a group that will turn heads for years to come with their combination of talented artists and business minds. They’ve even curated their own music festival called “Head In The Clouds,” which will have its second run this fall, and while it’s easy to point to Miyashiro’s steady leadership as the driving force behind their commercial success, it’s a little harder to pinpoint why their music resonates with so many fans across the globe. Enter AUGUST 08, the group’s most elusive and seemingly out-of-place member; that is until you hear him sing.

“AUGUST 08 is the pillar of the creative family that is 88RISING. As a songwriter, he’s 88RISING’s secret weapon when it comes to creating hits for Joji, Rich Brian, NIKI, and many more,” said Ones To Watch in mid-2018, going on to say that, “[h]e is the glue to this family that represents music’s ascendant globalism.” The LA-native started out his career under his birth name August Grant according to his Apple Music profile, landing a feature on DJ Khaled’s summer smash “I’m The One” before landing on Rich Brian’s 2018 track “Amen” and subsequently releasing his debut single “Funeral” as AUGUST 08 through 88RISING. Joining the 88RISING team helped kickstart his career, and he’s been steadily racking up co-signs from some of the industry’s biggest names ever since.

Earlier this year he released the club-rap banger “Simple Pleasures,” which recently scored a remix from DC’s GoldLink in July. It’s a funky, afro-futuristic track that shows an exciting new direction for the young R&B singer. He announced that he would be releasing a project titled Happy Endings EP that is appropriately set to drop this Thursday, August 8. If the EP follows the precedent of “Simple Pleasures,” then we’re in for a high-energy, electro-influenced project that is sure to be the perfect backdrop for a night on the town. That said, things are never how they appear on the surface with the 88RISING crew, so it seems like we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out exactly what AUGUST 08 has up his sleeve. Check him out, and make sure to follow the rest of the 88RISING crew as they continue to work their way to the top of the music charts.

WEBSITE ● TWITTER ● FACEBOOK ● MUSIC

- Matt Singer

#Get Familiar #Matt Singer #half alive #half●alive #Now Not Yet #Upcoming Shows #9:30 Club #IDK #ISHEREAL #AUGUST 08 #Happy Endings EP

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