pop culture
Modern, popular, and iconic pop culture moments in music. From current events, to trending topics and more.
The Playlist Was Hedonistic
At the end of last year — like the end of every year — music critics and writers do their job of summing up the best songs of the year. Of course, with 2020, it is was also time to look back at the decade — Hindsight is always 20/20, as they say. (Okay — I know, I know — that is a bad joke.) As I see it, the problem is focusing on a colossal breakout song like Lorde’s “Royals” for its stark contrast and brooding sound compared to everything else is missing the point. Sure was “Royals” a bop? You bet it was, but how do we define the music of the past decade? What was the overarching cultural touchstone that defined the attitudes? If you don’t know where I am going with this — welcome back; this might be a summary of what you missed — I am, of course, talking about the recession.
Ryan BlairPublished 3 years ago in BeatWhat Your Favorite Music Genre Says About You
I am fortunate enough to have known an incredibly wide genre of individuals with a variety of backgrounds and musical tastes. I, like anyone else, have my own favorite genres as well as my own biases. To avoid any sort of bias, I relied on the input of over twenty individuals. I used social media apps to reach a variety of individuals that I otherwise would not have access to. I wanted to do my best to avoid having opinions coming from one niche collective of peoples.
Why Pay For Music, When You Can Stream For Free?
For years people have said this to me, and now there's a generation that has grown believing you shouldn't have to pay for music , films or anything really. It's a sad situation and a lot of it was caused by the greed of the already rich , when they saw how they could rip off their fans with the advent of CD (Elton John and Metallica I'm pointing the finger firmly at you). Also a little at Led Zeppelin with yet another round of remasters.
Mike Singleton - MikeydredPublished 3 years ago in BeatThis Male Mannequin Longs to Be Your 'Cover Boy'
Stewart Taylor is signed to MMG Models in Los Angeles and spends long days at casting calls and on photo shoots. At night, though, his inner rocker comes out.
Ben NelsonPublished 3 years ago in BeatLaura Nyro
"Wedding Bell Blues," "Stoned Soul Picnic," "And When I Die," "Stoney End," and the unforgettable "Eli's Coming." Who among us growing up in the 60's and 70's did not groove to these songs never knowing that they were penned by a delicate, young Libra girl born in the Bronx?
Julie O'Hara - Author, Poet and Spiritual WarriorPublished 3 years ago in BeatHow aware should K-Pop idols be?
The world of entertainment is a tricky thing. With this newfound burst of global popularity for K-Pop, led by BTS, everyone is trying to get a piece of the pie, from within Korea and abroad. Getting on U.S television is a big step for many K-Pop idols, and a great place for idols to land some new fans. We’ve had idols perform on morning shows, MTV showcases, celebrity talk shows, and award shows, and the number of idols making this leap to US televisions is only growing.
theKpopBBQPublished 3 years ago in BeatMisunderstood
I would like to start off by stating that it seems I have found myself in a backwards swimming motion my entire life. Being older now, I tend to giggle a little bit at the different emotions I felt while navigating my childhood, and my teenage years.
Faith MckiePublished 3 years ago in BeatUgly Girl
In 2006, punk music sounded exactly like who I wanted to be. Bands like The Distillers, Against me!, Defiance Ohio, and Bikini Kill were making music with so much raw power, I was consistently overtaken with emotion when listening. So who was I at this time? I was a late bloomer in every sense of the word. A skinny, insecure, dreadfully shy stoner chick who truly struggled through life. I was never the prettiest in the room, or the smartest. My voice was often overshadowed by a cloud of ego and entitlement that came from the popular crowd in a small rural high school. The type of confidence that came from these 16 year olds could only arise from upper middle class white families who taught them they are number one no matter what, and anyone different from you is a freak.
Haley KingsnorthPublished 3 years ago in Beat"Katarina Stratford Doesn't Care About Your Feelings"
I am certain it is obvious from the picture presented above, that I was VERY cool in my young teenage years. In this image, I am in eighth grade and thirteen years old. If it was not clear from the dip-dyed pink hair or the justice scarf or even the denim jacket, I was chock-full of angst, practically bursting at the seams with it. The majority of my teen struggles rooted in my miniature stature, standing at a whopping four feet and nine inches. Although, for someone whose personality stood at a proud six feet and six inches, I could not understand having so much to say, yet I was allotted so little time of day. I'm sure this is because I hardly ever breached anyone's line of vision for them to know I was deprived of my rations of attention; but I divulge. I am aware that the title of my playlist and this story is oddly specific, but it is absolutely important that it is. Katarina Stratford, among many other female icons in movies I watched and books I read, practically shaped my personality and outlook on life. Kat was the fuel for my raging feminism, defiant demeanor and absolute disregard for others' opinions of me. That was, of course, until I recognized the rest of the world was a situation that I was absolutely and unfortunately only a part of. How earth shattering for fifteen year old Josie, oh the tragedy! Along with the typical frustrations of teenage life and being tiny in a sea of billions, I also came from a broken family where financial struggle was commonplace and constant. I was always the mediator for my parents and siblings, needing to calculate every situation and remain calm and logical from the ripe old age of four. I had the pressure of the world on my shoulders, needing to set a good example for my younger siblings; so I joined every club, every AP and honors class, ran for every leadership position and applied for every job I could. On top of this, I was also in three sports and doing pretty well in them up until my ACL and Meniscus tears happened. There went my athletic career, but oh well, time to find another way to get into college. I did anything to get into college and be an example. I also knew I had to set myself up for my future, not having a trust fund or family money to fall back on, like many of the teens running rampant in Los Angeles. Part way through high school, I started to develop severe anxiety and depression symptoms, which I still struggle with today as I found out I have anxiety and depression. I have moved over twenty times between both households and with the interesting and incredible experiences I was exposed to, it was also upsetting not having a childhood home or a regularly functioning family unlike most of my classroom peers. It was also hard to explain at times how I lived in hotel rooms, on couches, or slept on the bean bag chair of a lovely stripper named Roxy, watching the Simpsons as I drifted to sleep at night. How does a six year old explain this to her friends? Luckily, with my parents being divorced, I had a dichotomy of experiences, moving remarkably less times with my mom, but still a lot for a child. Nonetheless, I am forever grateful for the experiences that both situations provided for me and my perspective of the way the world works. I sunk all of these anxiety and depression-inducing events and feelings into doing whatever I could to prove people wrong and be larger than my stature allowed me to be physically. I lived my life out of spite and hey, for being fueled by angst and spite, I have reached my goals thus far, exceeding a majority of them. I repeated and still repeat to myself every day “I will be more than my situation. I will be more than the limitations placed on me by others”. I have done just that and I continue to do just that to this day. Regardless of the weight of my struggles, I always had my music to fall back on. “Just throw on your headphones and forget about everything for two minutes Josie, then we can bounce back”. I have maintained this logic since I was itty bitty and if I do say so myself, it is a fantastic strategy. This playlist includes early 2000's songs as well as songs from the "10 Things I Hate About You" soundtrack. This musical masterpiece of a compilation also includes some 'angry girl rock of the indie persuasion' from this current era of music, as I think my pre-teen and teenage self would have very much 'vibed' with them. To say my teen angst has diminished over the years, being now a twenty year old junior in college, would be a blatant lie. Anyone who denies that they are an angsty teen at heart, even as an adult, is spitting in the face of both their youth and their long-expired Tumblr account. There is no one on this planet who can tell me that they didn't S(he) Be(lie)ve(d) their way through life, over-emoting in theatrical fashion at every opportunity presented. The songs on this playlist are important to me because they remind me that regardless of the rejection letters, student loans, multiple jobs I work, constant exhaustion I face, familial issues and so much more, I will always have my drama and my inner teen angst to pull me through it. Thank you to Letters to Cleo, Blondie, Gwen Stefani (and No Doubt), Gym Class Heroes, Arctic Monkeys and other artists for not only getting me through puberty, but also a significantly worse fate I am just now getting a taste of: adulthood.
Josie BurgerPublished 3 years ago in Beat"Darkness", "Evil", and Me
There's certain things that make up the early "stereotypical emo", that we've all probably heard. "Depressing" music that more often than not contains some unholy screaming in the mix, black eyeliner/lipstick, unnatural hair colors, Hot Topic clothes that may or may not consist of black band tees, skinny jeans that look like they went at it with a bear.
Lizzy RosePublished 3 years ago in BeatOld is Gold. Gold is Bold. Bold is Something That Will Never Be Old.
When I feel like I have nowhere to belong, I will always have a (more than one) simple song. Although I was not a teenager in the early 2000s, I still listen to “Angsty Teens” music from the early 2000s.
Ceo Of DyingPublished 3 years ago in Beat(8)Cos these are the best days of my life (8)
Before we start... who remembers that (8) on MSN was the musical note? Just me? No? Good, Let's go! 2004- 2012 was the time when music really supported and guided me through what can be quite a tumultuous time for teenagers. This was a time when everyone had an iPod or a Sony Walkman phone and break times at school were filled with 'bluetooth me that song' or 'send it to me over messenger tonight' or for others, music was an opportunity to just be able to take a moment to lose yourself and break up the constant cacophany, that is secondary school and teenage life.
T. Freya TaylorPublished 3 years ago in Beat