by Jose Calderon III

After a slew of continuous controversies in various topics, the infamous Ye has begun his return to music. The rapper formerly known as Kanye West teased his newest project titled "Vultures," which will serve as a collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign. He has confirmed there will be a trilogy set, as there will be Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Ye teased a December 15th release but continued to push it back, and now we sit here months later with a rumored February 9th release. The infamous Ye is known for his continuous album delays ever since his first studio album, The College Dropout. His most recent album from 2021, Donda, was teased for over 400 days and released over a year after it was first announced. Only an artist of Ye's caliber could get away with something like this because he always delivers.

Some compare the new "Vultures" album to "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" because of the controversy that loomed around both. When Ye released "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," it was after the Taylor Swift and VMAs incident when he went on stage and stole the microphone from Taylor Swift to say that Beyoncé deserved the award. It was a moment that will forever go down in history, leading to immediate backlash. He was already in a dark place due to the death of his mother and the breakup of his six-year-long relationship with Alexis Phifer. He was dealing with much grief, and he decided to disappear. Sometime later, he made his return and dropped what many consider the greatest album ever created, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." Ye now has the opportunity to do it again. He's faced so much controversy to fill one life with in the past year; Ye needs a career-high record in "Vultures."

Although he won't be forgiven for all his remarks, it could bring him back into the people's hearts. Ye has a devoted fanbase that stuck by his side throughout everything. He has the opportunity to make everything right with a classic. The album is rumored to have samples from the Backstreet Boys and a feature from his daughter, North West. The song was played at one of Ye's most recent listening parties, and his daughter's verse took social media by storm. The album has lots of hype, and fans expect a classic. Could Ye do it again? Is Ye back? Only time will tell if one of the most notorious figures in hip-hop can make it back to the top once again...

by Aaliyana Cifuentes

Famous American singer and songwriter Kali Uchis recently released an album called Orquideas. In this album, she sings slow songs about finding inner calm and includes also energetic tracks that shake things up. In her music videos for the song “Te mate,” she portrays the intense and captivating experience of being a powerful and alluring woman. For those of you who are confused on who Kali Uchis is , she is a singer and songwriter known for her mix of different music styles like R&B, soul, and reggae. She was born in 1993 and grew up in Virginia. Kali got noticed when she released her first music project called “Por Vida” in 2015. Her debut album, “Isolation,” came out in 2018 and became a big hit. People really like her catchy songs that talk about love and self-discovery. 

One of her popular songs is “Tyrant,” where she sings with Jorja Smith. Kali Uchus is not just about music, she's also known for her fashion sense and unique style. She brings in her Colombian background into her music and how she presents herself. Kali Uchis mixes things up and experiments with different sounds, making her music stand out.

by Arza Bhalla

After being delayed and postponed multiple times, rapper and singer Nicki Minaj finally released her highly anticipated album, Pink Friday 2, on December 8th, 2023. The original Pink Friday album from 2010 has become a classic, so many people wondered: Does Pink Friday 2 live up to the expectations? Will Pink Friday 2 generate timeless, widely known hits like “Super Bass”? 

Through a fusion of singing and rapping, the 22-track album incorporates numerous elements and genres like hip-hop, pop, and even nods to electronic music. Minaj often utilizes sampling throughout Pink Friday 2, borrowing elements from various artists including Cindi Lauper, Junior Senior, Blondie, Billie Eilish, and more. The samples used in this album are not exclusively nods to the past, but they are skillfully and intentionally worked in each track. In “Pink Friday Girls,” Cindi Lauper’s vocals add a nostalgic layer to the song, while still sounding perfectly fitting for the album. Not only does she sample several recognizable artists, but a myriad of the tracks have features from artists such as Lil Wayne, Drake, J. Cole, and Lil Uzi Vert. 

In every album she creates, Minaj reminds audiences that she pioneered the way for women in rap. But, in Pink Friday 2 especially, she asserts her dominance and power in the rap world.  “Name a rapper that can channel Big Poppa and push out Papa Bear,” she raps in song “Barbie Dangerous.” She reminds listeners that although she is entering a new era of motherhood in her life, she hasn’t put her rap roots behind her just yet. 

Each one of these songs are distinctive in their own way. Some were for my taste, and others not so much. One thing is clear though, Pink Friday 2 is full of hits. My favorites include “Needle (feat. Drake)” which was originally supposed to be on Drake’s recent album For All The Dogs. Another personal favorite is “Everybody (feat. Lil Uzi Vert)” which samples Junior Senior’s,  “Move Your Feet.” Both of these songs are upbeat anthems that prove Minaj’s versatility. 

On Pink Friday 2, Minaj only comes back stronger. She remains authentic, incorporating elements from the past, while still constantly showing fans new facets of herself. She inspires fans to be authentically themselves, and throughout this album it is clear, Pink Friday 2 does, in fact live up to its predecessor. 

By Arza Bhalla 

On October 27th, 2014, musical phenomenon Taylor Swift released her 5th studio album 1989 for the first time. 1989 received 10 Grammy nominations, and won a total of three Grammys which include Album of the year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Music Video for “Bad Blood.” It sold over 10 million copies and was deemed multi platinum in many countries.  With 1989 Swift had created one of the most influential and iconic pop albums of the time. Just a few weeks ago on October 27th, 2023, she re-released 1989 (Taylor’s Version).

Many wonder, if 1989 was selling so well, why encourage fans to stop streaming it and stream a brand new version that comes out 9 years after the original?  Well, when Swift was 15 years old, she signed a record deal that gave Big Machine Records full ownership of the masters of her songs. Swift had no control over her music and who the music could be sold to. In 2019, when Ithaca Holdings manager, Scooter Braun, bought Big Machine Records, he also gained the masters to Swift’s first 6 albums. 

Swift saw an easy solution to this, to re-record her first 6 albums. Not only is she re-recording her albums, but she includes what she calls “vault tracks” to the new albums. She adds songs that she personally loved, but was not able to put on the original album.  This incentivizes listeners to stream the the new versions of her albums due to not only the matured vocals, but the new tracks. On April 9th, 2021, the first re-recording was born into what she calls “Taylor’s Version”. 

Although in theory “Taylor’s Version” is a great idea, there are many differing opinions about it. Some believe that the original albums sound better than the newly recorded ones. While some appreciate the new more mature vocals. Others have no idea entirely what “Taylor’s Version” means. 

When I asked student Azaad Bhalla, music enthusiast, who does not frequently listen to Swift’s music, what he knows about “Taylor’s Version” he said, “I've heard the praise “Taylors version” a lot in recent months and from an outside standpoint I don't really see the point to it. Is the point just to heighten streams? I'm not entirely sure.” 

On the other hand, student Molly Guiney, who is a fan of Swift says, “I know that a few years ago, Scooter Braun sold Taylor Swift's masters from her first six albums. At first, I was really sad for her and I felt really bad because those are albums she started putting out when she was 16 years old, and for all that hard work to just get taken from her really sucks.” It is clear from the difference in these responses, that there is a wide spectrum of understanding when it comes to Swift’s re-recordings. 

Whether you understand what “Taylor’s Version” means or you don’t, it is not something completely foreign to anyone. And due to Swift’s success with her re-recordings, record labels are now making new artists sign contracts to prohibit them from re-recording their music until 10-30 years after they leave the label. This prevents artists from reaching the level of success Swift has reached with her re-recordings. Although she was met with many challenges and obstacles, Swift faced them with clever solutions and came back an even stronger artist.