My Favorite Artists

Another one of my favorite artists that is a more indie style is the Lumineers. They’re an American band that has been around since 2005 and has been making some amazing music ever since.

Their music is a blend of folk, Americana, and rock, with catchy melodies and really amazing lyrics that make me want to sing along. One thing that I really love about the Lumineers is their authenticity. They write songs about real-life experiences and emotions that everyone can relate to. Whether it’s the joy of falling in love or the pain of heartbreak, their music captures the essence of human emotions in a way that few other bands can.

Their hit song “Ho Hey” is an example of an instant classic that has been covered by countless artists. Their albums “The Lumineers” and “Cleopatra” are both masterpieces that are full of amazing tracks.

One of my personal favorite songs from the Lumineers is “Ophelia”. It’s an upbeat and catchy tune that always puts me in a good mood and is such a summer song for me. It reminds me of blasting music with the windows down and driving with my friends in the summer. The song is about a girl who is struggling to find herself and highlights her journey.

Not only do they make amazing music, but the Lumineers also tackle serious issues like addiction, mental health, and social justice in their music as well. For example, their song “Stubborn Love” is a powerful song about the struggles of addiction and recovery, and it’s a song that has helped many people through their own struggles. The song speaks to the idea that love can be both a source of strength and a source of pain when dealing with addiction. It highlights the complexity of addiction and serves as a reminder that recovery is not a linear process, and that setbacks and struggles are a normal part of any journey.

They are also committed to social justice and advocacy. Over the years, the Lumineers have supported numerous social causes and used their platform to raise awareness about important issues affecting their communities and the world.

One of the causes that the Lumineers have been actively involved in is the fight against hunger and poverty. In 2017, the band partnered with the nonprofit organization Conscious Alliance to launch a food drive during their “Cleopatra World Tour”. The band encouraged their fans to bring non-perishable food items to their concerts, which were then donated to local food banks and other organizations that support people in need.

The Lumineers have also been vocal supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement and have used their music to amplify the voices of those fighting for racial justice. Their music video for the song “Ophelia” features a diverse cast of characters, including people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities, sending a powerful message of inclusion and equality.

Overall, the Lumineers are a band that truly has a passion for their music and their fans. They write beautiful and relatable music that I really love listening to. If you haven’t listened to their music yet, then I highly recommend that you do. You won’t be disappointed!

Alec Benjamin is one of my favorite artists that I love and recently discovered. I think his music is extremely underrated in the music industry as he has a completely unique sound and his lyrics tell really great storiesa. Alec Benjamin is a singer-songwriter who first gained attention with his song “Paper Crown” back in 2014, and he has been making music ever since.

What makes Alec Benjamin’s music so special is the way he tells stories through his lyrics. His songs are honest and vulnerable, and you can really feel the emotions he puts into his music. Whether he’s singing about heartbreak, anxiety, or self-doubt, his words are relatable and hit close to home.

But it’s not just Alec’s music that I absolutely love. His music videos are also something that really makes him stand out to me. Each one is like a mini-movie, with its own unique storyline and theme. For example, his video for “Let Me Down Slowly” tells a story about a young couple who is dealing with the aftermath of a car accident. The woman is in critical condition and is fighting for her life in the hospital. The video then shows flashbacks of the couple’s relationship and how they fell in love. The man is desperate to save his partner and is shown visiting her in the hospital and reminiscing about their time together. The video is beautifully shot and does an excellent job of capturing the emotions and the struggles of the characters, which really makes the song resonate with me.

The song “One Wrong Turn” is another one that I really love the story of. It’s about the consequences of making a bad decision and how it can change the course of one’s life. The lyrics tell the story of a person who made a mistake while driving and made one wrong turn, resulting in them ending up on a path they never intended to take. The song emphasizes the idea that life is unpredictable and that one decision can have a huge impact on one’s future.

What I love about Alec’s music videos is that they’re not just there to promote the song – they add another layer to the story he’s trying to tell. They’re like short films that give you a deeper understanding of the lyrics and the emotions behind them. If you haven’t heard Alec Benjamin’s music before, I highly recommend it. He truly has a unique approach to music-making that I think makes him stand out among all other artists.

Kanye West has released some of my favorite songs and his music is on a lot of my playlists.  He has established himself as a star by releasing 11 studio albums, a multitude of collaborations, and other works, and has 51 million monthly listeners on Spotify, making him the 19th most popular artist on the platform. His work in high fashion has also helped his rise in fame, from fashion collections to his brand Yeezy, now known as YZY, a collaboration with German sportswear company Adidas. For the past few years, however, West has spurred numerous controversies due to his increasingly controversial claims spread on social media. 

In March, West was banned from performing at the Grammy awards. In April, he was withdrawn from headlining Coachella. In October, it appeared as though the internet had enough when West wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion week and then made a number of antisemitic remarks, later doubling down on the rhetoric and aligning himself with white supremacists. 

West insinuated that Jewish people control the music industry and darkly referred to going “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” in a now removed tweet on Twitter. 

Kanye has also been known to speak out on political issues, often expressing support for controversial figures like Donald Trump. His statements on politics have drawn criticism from many in the industry, with some calling for a boycott of his music.

In response, many brands cut ties with him and denounced his words, including Adidas. After weeks of his erratic behavior and offensive language, the company and the key to his “fashion empire” announced that it would cut ties with him. The move is anticipated to cost the company 250 million euros ($246 million) this year.

With all of that, I wonder if separating the art from the artist is okay or if we should hold artists accountable for their actions. 

Some believe works of art are entities in themselves. They should be valued separately from the creator. For others, supporting works of art means supporting its creator and therefore giving the creator’s actions and opinions a platform to have influence on people.

Do we remove the artists’ songs from our playlists? Do we stop wearing their clothing brands? Or do we continue to listen and support them knowing that their beliefs and actions don’t align with our own morals? 

Ultimately, I believe it’s okay to separate the art from the artist, as I still enjoy listening to Kanye West’s music, though I don’t support his ideas.

Another one of my favorite artists is Kendrick Lamar. Most of his songs are rap and he’s also a songwriter, and record producer. One thing he’s known for is his socially conscious and politically charged music. Throughout his career, he has used his platform to shed light on issues such as racism, poverty, and injustice, inspiring change through his lyrics and actions. I think this is one reason his music has always stood out to me and made me admire him more as an artist.

Lamar’s music has been praised for its raw honesty and authenticity. I appreciate how he is not afraid to tackle difficult topics, and is willing to confront uncomfortable truths that resonate with his fans around the world. His lyrics are often a reflection of his own personal experiences, but they also speak to the larger societal issues that affect us all.

One of Lamar’s most powerful songs is “Alright,” which was released in 2015 as part of his album “To Pimp a Butterfly.” The song became an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement and was often heard at protests and demonstrations. The lyrics speak to the struggles faced by black people in America, but also offer hope and encouragement in the face of adversity.

Another of Lamar’s popular songs is “DNA,” which was released in 2017 as part of his album “DAMN.” The song is a powerful assertion of his own identity and heritage, and acts almost as a rebuttal for those who would seek to deny or erase his history. The lyrics are a call to action, urging listeners to stand up for themselves and their communities.

Lamar’s music is not only inspiring change through its content, but also through his actions as an artist and a human being. He has used his platform to raise awareness of important issues, but he has also donated millions of dollars to charitable causes and started his own foundation to support underprivileged youth.

In addition to his music, Lamar has also collaborated with other artists to produce socially conscious works. In 2018, he curated and produced the soundtrack for the Marvel movie “Black Panther,” which celebrated African culture and featured an all-star lineup of black artists.

Overall, not only do I love his music, but Kendrick Lamar’s music has had a profound impact on the world around him. He has used his platform to shed light on important issues, inspire change, and support communities in need which is something that every celebrity should do in my opinion. His music proves how powerful art can be in driving social change, and that we all have the power to make a difference in the world.

Another one of my favorite artists is Taylor Swift. She made some of my favorite songs that are classics from my childhood like her entire Fearless album, and with time her music matured as well. While, Taylor Swift’s music remains iconic, I also think she is such an inspirational person who has made such a positive impact. I definitely appreciate another side of her that extends beyond her music as well. In many ways, her words and actions outside of her musical career will leave a lasting impact. Although her songs touch on themes such as L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ visibility and equality, Taylor Swift is more than just a musician. She was honored with Billboard’s inaugural Woman of the Decade award on December 12th, 2019 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, which was presented to her by Jameela Jamil. She consistently speaks out against industry shortcomings and the ways in which women are unfairly judged. Something else that sets her apart from other artists, particularly male ones, is her willingness to address gender inequalities. Although some male artists also attempt to raise up female voices, they may not have experienced firsthand the sexism prevalent in the industry, and therefore may not feel as compelled to advocate for gender equality.

Taylor Swift not only advocates against inequality and prejudice present in the music industry, but she also takes immense pride in her music and refuses to compromise her artistic vision. Her influence extends beyond music, and she has inspired numerous women and girls to do things from pick-up guitars to speaking out about political issues. Speaking out about political beliefs is not encouraged for artists in the music industry. Record labels often look down upon taking a political stance given that it could alienate fans or result in social media backlash. Despite this, Taylor Swift is unafraid to speak out about unjust political policies or candidates she does not agree with. Although many artists shy away from discussing politics for fear of being judged or attacked, she aims to inform her fans about voting and political views.

It is admirable that Taylor Swift is genuine and candid in her lyrics, and even though there are those who criticize her, her music has had a profound impact on many lives and serves as a great source of inspiration. Swift has a unique ability to connect with her fans and possesses a relatability that is not often found in artists.

Overall, apart from her iconic music, Taylor Swift is such an motivational person that serves as an inspiration for so many women.

In honor of her iconic Super Bowl performance, I have been listening to a lot of Rihanna’s music this past week. I know some people thought her performance wasn’t up to par with the usual Superbowl standard, but I enjoyed it. She sang some amazing classics that I forgot even existed. Some of my favorite songs of hers are Pon de Replay, Umbrella, and SOS.

I really love Rihanna, not only because of her music but because I think she is an incredibly inspiring person. Rihanna is a philanthropist who is big on giving back to her community and people in need. In 2014, Rihanna was chosen by MAC to represent their Viva Glam lipstick and lip gloss campaign, benefitting women and children living with HIV/AIDS. Additionally, to better the standard of living for people throughout the world in the fields of health, education, and the arts, Rihanna established her foundation, which she named after her grandparents. A charity event called the Diamond Ball is held annually by the foundation, and it raises millions of dollars through expensive entrance tickets purchased by numerous celebrities and participation in live auctions.

For example, her beauty line – Fenty Beauty – fosters women’s empowerment and body positivity. We’re more powerful together, and Fenty Beauty is a perfect example of something that brings all women together. Fenty Beauty is unique in how inclusive it is. It is suitable for every skin tone and race, making it a special brand. Her company is marketed as welcoming women of all different colors by providing 40 distinct foundation shades, enabling women to feel included and considered. At the time of Fenty’s launch, there wasn’t a brand that truly reached everyone from the lightest skin to the darkest. Many undertones, such as olive ones like mine, were also underserved in beauty. Rihanna quoted, “Fenty Beauty was created for everyone: for women of all shades, personalities, attitudes, cultures, and races. I wanted everyone to feel included. That’s the real reason I made this line.” I think that Fenty Beauty as a brand stands for things that are really important such as diversity and inclusiveness. It is amazing for other women to see themselves in people of color and women of all body types in mainstream media.

I also loved Rihanna’s little Fenty plug during the Superbowl performance where she pretended to check her makeup. I almost missed it and wondered how effective of an advertisement it would be, but upon doing some research I found out that the setting powder she used is now sold out.

This week has been one of the busiest ones I’ve had since coming to college. I am a part of a club called Infusion which is an intercollegiate Bollywood fusion dance competition that is coming up this weekend, so we have been spending several hours each day getting ready for the events. I am also rushing a business fraternity this semester which also had events all of this week. I’ve noticed that when I have more things going on like I did this week, I tend to listen to more music. I have limited time to get all of my schoolwork done and so I need to be extremely focused when I do have the time. Interestingly, blasting music on my AirPods makes it much easier for me to focus and complete tasks more quicker.

This week, I’ve been listening to a lot of Conan Gray. Conan Gray was one of my top five artists this past year and for good reason in my opinion. Recently, his album “Superache” was released, and it has something that I haven’t gotten sick of listening to it since it was first released in 2021.

One of his songs that I personally find to be most relatable is “People Watching.” The majority of Conan’s songs, though, really hit home for me. In the song, Conan describes how he enjoys watching couples and individuals interact while wishing he could share their feelings and experiences.

Along with the passion in his voice, the percussion and piano instrumentals add a particular depth to the song. It retains this positive attitude and pleasant energy throughout. My favorite part in the whole song is definitely the chorus “I wanna feel all that love and emotion |  Be that attached to the person I’m holding |  Someday, I’ll be fallin’ without caution |  But for now, I’m only people watching”. I love how vulnerable this line is and I think it is so easy to watch other people’s relationships and solely see the positive sides to them, when in reality there are many facets and nuances to every relationship.

This really resonates with me because I am a huge people watcher. Any of my friends will attest to the fact that I get so distracted by anyone walking by when I’m working by anyone walking by. I love watching other people’s interactions and normal day-to-day things. The concept of People Watching is so interesting to me too. I love being able to observe and imagine scenarios about them in mind for fun is an easy distraction from the mundane.

This week, I did not really discover any new music, but I have been listening to a lot of throwbacks. One artist, in particular, is Selena Gomez. Growing up, I only really knew her from movies and shows like Wizards of a Waverly Place and the Princess Protection Program. However, I recently watched her new documentary My Mind & Me and I thought it was an amazing watch. I think Selena Gomez is a truly inspiring person and her story about living with Lupus while bringing awareness to her medical diagnosis is hard-hitting. I also love her new song My Mind & Me. While the sound itself isn’t anything amazing in my opinion, I think the lyrics paired with the release of her documentary are moving. The song is about mental health awareness and is truly powerful and relatable for many. She successfully captures the message that struggling with mental health is real and should not be overlooked. I’m not the biggest fan of Selena Gomez’s music, other than a few of her hits from my childhood, but I am a fan of her as a person and think that the work she does is amazing. Plus, I absolutely love her makeup line!

Another two songs I’ve had on repeat this week are Lonely Eyes and Canada by Lauv. I’ve been listening to these songs while I study or do my homework because they’re super chill. I love these types of songs because it’s fairly repetitive and I don’t really dwell on the lyrics, so I am able to focus on my work and be more productive. I really love all the other songs in the “how i’m feeling” album and there are collaborations with a lot of other artists that I love as well, including Alessia Cara, BTS, Troye Sivan, and Anne-Marie. I didn’t know what genre of music he makes, but after looking it up I learned that it’s called R&B-influenced pop. 

One last song I’ve listened to a lot this past week is Supercuts by Jeremy Zucker. This is a super light-hearted song with a quick beat and it has a fun tempo. It makes me want to sway along to the music whenever I hear it. It begins with a simple guitar riff and pop-style beat that continually grows throughout the song. There is a stark contrast between the emotional lyrics and cheerful sound. Supercuts for me is the perfect summer song and it reminds me of spending time with my friends on breaks with nothing to worry about.

Music is a huge part of my life and I’m usually listening to a playlist for the majority of my day, whether it’s on my walk to class, during my meals, or while doing homework. I’m the type of person who has a million playlists for each random mood or emotion I have. I really love how music can make me feel a whole range of emotions like for example, energized in the mornings, calm before sleeping, or even serve as a supplement to a crying sesh. I also think it’s really special how we associate certain memories with a song, especially when that memory is something happy you always want to hold onto. Every usually find a new song to fixate on every few days, playing it on repeat until I’m sick of it and never want to hear it again. My passion blogs this semester will be about my favorite songs of that week. Through these blogs, I hope to document all the songs I discover and love this semester so I can look back at them reminisce on the memorable things that occurred.

This week, I’ve been listening to a lot of Bollywood music. I’ve grown up watching Bollywood movies, and they have played a huge role in my life. Bollywood hits different in my opinion and I love how it helps me connect back to my culture and the things my parents grew up surrounded by. During the snow day on Wednesday, a few of my friends went to the big lecture hall in Thomas and watched Bollywood movies and listened to music. One song specifically that I’ve been listening to on repeat this week is called Hamari Adhuri Kahani. This was sung by a famous singer named Arijit Singh who is known for singing amazing romance songs in Bollywood. His voice is extremely soothing and I love all of his songs. This song in particular is really beautiful not only because of the music, but because of its lyrics. The title of the song translates to “our unfinished story” and is about an unfinished love story. My favorite lyric is “waqt ki ret pe kuch mere naam sa”. This roughly translates to “on the sand of time, you left something like my name written.” I thought that was a really beautiful metaphor. A lot of the times when I listen to music I kind of brush over the lyrics and what the song is actually saying, but I think this is the kind of song where once I understood the meaning, I appreciated it so much more.

Two other songs I’ve had on repeat this week is Open Arms and Snooze from SZA’s new album. I especially love Travis Scott’s part in Open Arms. I’ve been listening to Sza’s album while I work because I think they are so chill and help me focus rather than making me energized or distracted.