Sound of Teenage Nostalgia: How Lorde’s, Pure Heroine, Reminds Us of Our Youth

A mirrored image of Lorde, wearing a big fur coat and a large statement ring, stands in front of a dystopian city, under the words, “Pure Heroine, An Album by Lorde”.

Sound of Teenage Nostalgia: How Lorde’s, Pure Heroine, Reminds Us of Our Youth

Bryce Sexson Music Journalist In a pop landscape dominated by aspirational tales of wealth and extravagance, Lorde emerged with her debut single, Royals’, a song so relatable it left audiences yearning for more. Listeners would hear a sixteen-year-old girl’s critique of modern music’s glamourization of high fashion and luxury, of a status that the average citizen would never experience. It was a song about frustrations with a dull hometown that […]

April 8, 2025 167 1

Members of the band “Men I Trust” pose together.

Music

Your Listening Guide to Spring

Music Journalist Bryce Sexson This week officially marks the beginning of spring, and with it comes a number of new releases from your favorite artists. This spring's musical offerings present a rich tapestry of sounds, each project carving out a distinct emotional and sonic space. This season's new music provides a variety of atmospheres, ranging from expansive and bright, to intimate and textured, and richly organic. I’ve chosen three new […]

March 25, 2025 39

Doechii, winner of the Grammy award for Rap Album of the Year” standing in front of a green alligator skin background, the symbol of her most recent album, wearing a beige blazer with brown beads in her hair.

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Hip-Hop/Rap

Rappers to Watch Out for in 2025

Music Journalist Bryce Sexson We’re only two months into the new year, and it’s already been a record-breaking year for rap. Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance broke Michael Jackson’s record for the most viewed half-time performance, and Doechii’s win in the Grammys “Best Rap Album” category, makes her one of the three women to ever receive the award. With monumental wins and historic performances, it’s clear that the world is […]

March 17, 2025 234 6

Adam Granduciel standing underneath the name of his band’s album, “The War On Drugs: Lost In The Dream”. To the far left is a burning piece of paper.

Album Review

Album Review: Lost In the Dream by The War on Drugs

Music Journalist Bryce Sexson Some music groups take pride in reaching a large audience, but the real hidden gems lie in music created without limitations, considering the creative boundaries artists have to account for when catering towards a wide audience. The standard for successful music, typically, is songs with a catchy chorus and memorable accompaniment that usually are refined to three minutes. Rock and Roll, however, is successful because of […]

February 25, 2025 104

A gold gramophone, the symbol of the Grammys, pasted on a black background.

Music

Does a Grammy Even Matter?

Bryce Sexson Music Journalist Music’s “biggest” night first took place on May 4, 1959, to recognize the musical achievements of the year prior. There were 22 categories, and the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra took home awards for jazz performance and album cover photography, respectively. Fast forward today, the award show has been overhauled, featuring 94 categories. Even with this large number of categories, many artists still go […]

February 10, 2025 161

A cutout of the trio, De La Soul, posing for the press of their debut album, “3 Feet High and Rising”. They sit underneath the title of their group, De La Soul. They are surrounded by a large amount of flowers, varying in sizes, that resemble a style most likely drawn from a hipster-inspired design.

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Hip-Hop/Rap

De La Soul: Alternative Hip Hop’s Underappreciated Pioneers

Bryce Sexson Rap/Hip-hop Journalist Well before hip-hop was dominated by the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Drake, there was a small group that emerged from the New York underground rap scene called De La Soul. This group, composed of Kelvin “Posdunos” Mercer, David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur, and Vincent “Maseo” Mason, pioneered the genre of “jazz rap” which paved the way for some of today’s most notable rappers. Although this […]

January 28, 2025 221 5

Bryce Sexson