Pop culture has changed drastically over the years. Many argue that the era of monoculture—when people shared the same cultural experiences, listened to the same songs, watched the same shows, and followed the same celebrities—is behind us. Audiences are now scattered across various playlists, social media platforms, and niche subcultures.[Read More…]
Tag: music
A Virgin sacrifice, live in Montreal
On Pure Heroine’s twelve-year anniversary, Lorde was reborn a Virgin at Montreal’s Bell Centre. After a four-year hiatus since Solar Power, she arrived incomplete and half-made, perpetually becoming—an invitation to get ready with her—for one tender night of confessional pop. Discussing her fourth album, Virgin, Lorde told Apple Music: “Everything[Read More…]
‘This Pretty Agony’: Our shared plight echoed in song
Uncertainty, disappointment, anger, and numbness have become commonplace descriptors for life in the 21st century. Ottawa-based rock band Touch Grass offers a beautiful exploration of these complex emotions in their debut EP, This Pretty Agony. The songs are sung and written by Adam Blasl, who is accompanied by Cameron McGetrick[Read More…]
Pondering how infinity appears in Big Thief’s newest album
On Sept. 5, Big Thief released its new studio album Double Infinity. For many, this album has been a source of confusion, as it is set so apart from much of the band’s work. For starters, the cover is optically exploratory in comparison to their others: It features a bright[Read More…]
Point-Counterpoint: Sabrina Carpenter and the thin line between submission and control
On Aug. 29, Sabrina Carpenter released her album Man’s Best Friend. But the real conversation began months earlier—on June 11—when she unveiled the provocative cover art on Instagram. It features Carpenter on all fours, in a black mini-dress and high heels, as an anonymous man grips her by the hair.[Read More…]
‘Essex Honey’ is a perfected orchestra of love, loss, and grief
Devonté Hynes, under the alias Blood Orange, entered the mainstream several years ago when his 2011 song, “Champagne Coast,” gained viral popularity on TikTok. After a six-year hiatus, he released a new album on Aug. 29, Essex Honey in which he contemplates grief, loss, and growing up. Within each song[Read More…]
Noumoucounda Cissoko’s strings of memory and resistance shine at Nuits d’Afrique
With summer drawing to a close, one festival remains a highlight of the season. For nearly two weeks in July, the streets of Montreal pulsed with the rhythms of distant homelands. From July 8 to 20, the city became the summer’s cultural epicenter, hosting the highly anticipated Festival International Nuits[Read More…]
Romancing Medievalism in the modern world
Candlelight contours and illuminates the deep reds of opalescent stained glass, the candle’s bearer traversing the vacuous shadows of the castle’s towering walls. Its gothic portals and stone arcades stand overgrown in twirling vinery and moss. Inside hangs a pastoral tapestry of enchanting animals: Unicorns, leopards, and quails. Dress fabric[Read More…]
Exploring a passion for music outside of the School of Music
McGill brings together a wide variety of students, each with unique passions and creative interests. While some choose to pursue their art through a Music degree, others take a more technical course of study and explore their creativity in their off-hours. While it can be hard to find time for[Read More…]
Preserving music on principle: How Habibi Funk sets the gold standard
As a radio host on CKUT 90.3 FM, a non-profit, campus and community radio station based at McGill, I constantly scour the internet for obscure tracks to fill the airwaves. In November, I had the pleasure of co-hosting CKUT’s World Skip the Beat alongside my friends Monique and Isla, where[Read More…]
