Issue 52 November 2019 Issue 52 ONLINE www.thecutmagazine.com FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/TheCutMagazine ADDRESS The Cut Magazine 5000 Forbes Avenue UC Box 122 Pittsburgh, PA 15238 COVER PHOTO Michelle Ng November 2019 Editor-in-Chief Trevor Lazar Assistant Editor Jamie McArthur Digital Media Chair Cassandra Scheirer PR Editor CJ Rosado Issue 52 Design Editor Michelle Ng Letter Copy Editor Greta Markey From Writing Staff Aysha Zackria Claudia Osorio Daniel Yeh The Divya Viswanathan Eliza Hallinan Gavin Grnja Natalie Jarrett Editor Omasan Richardson Shambhavi Mishra Zofia Majewski The summer is clinging on We’ve got a brand new for dear life here in Pittsburgh, website, some renewed social but The Cut is looking ahead. media, and a whole lot of Design Staff Ajunie Virk We’ve got some amazing new excitement. Looking ahead, Erin Lee voices here, especially first- we’ve got a backlog of amazing Jennifer Shin years. Our collective music mixtape ideas that might find Shai Bhardwaj taste is always shifting, always their way into future issues. Teresa Lourie at odds with itself. The heat This group of writers, editors, has kept us in rooms with A/C designers, and artists have put and fluorescent lights, but their heart and soul into this Photo/Art Staff Aysha Zackria we’ve been going everywhere. issue. And we’re just getting Claudio Osorio started. Jennifer Shin We’ve hit tons of killer shows, talked to some amazing I couldn’t be prouder to artists, and written some present Issue 52. hilarious, poignant, and absurd articles. Some of my personal favorite this time Trevor Lazar around include a breakdown Editor-in-Chief Letter of better Charlie’s Angels trios, a synesthesia mixtape, and a new column called “My Shazams” from Divya From Viswanathan. The Editor 4 Masthead Letter From The Editor 5 Photo by Aysha Zackria What We’re 8 Listening To 9 Essays Album 22 Reviews Interview Clara Joy William Black 28 Destroy Boys 37 Concert Reviews Table of Contents 7 Songs "This Love (Will Be The Modern Your Downfall)" "Benzo" Ellie Goulding Blood Orange Campaign Song "Better Off Alone" "WHAT'S GOOD" Alice DJ by Greta Markey Tyler, The Creator "Tommy’s Party" "Some Nights" Peach Pit Prelow, Lostboycrow "Jason" Let’s start with this analogy: classics to billboard chart- the tone or reflect the ideals of candidate. Campaign songs "Hit The Ceiling" BONNIE PARKER Campaign song is to politician toppers. this candidate. are not chosen by random Thirdstory as entrance song is to sports and they are not chosen for "Mykonos" team. These songs must be Choosing between an old The lyrics themselves solely their popularity. But "Only Acting" (Radio Fleet Foxes recognizable, set the tone versus recently-released song are probably the most they are also not nearly the Edit) of the event, and, most is often a conscious choice that obvious and important most important part of a Kero Kero Bonito "I'm Full" importantly, represent what campaigns make. The age of factor when considering presidential campaign. Even Wallows the candidate – or team – a song may directly correlate potential campaign songs. if you jam out to their song, "Erase" stands for. Keep these three to the age demographic a What message are the words do some research on every Omar Apollo "Dirty Laundry" criteria in mind. candidate wishes to target of the song portraying and candidate, and make sure you Danny Brown with their campaign. For how does it connect to this vote. "Psycho" Presidential campaign example, “Good as Hell” by politician’s key campaign slowthai, Denzel Curry "Just Another Day" songs, for as long as they’ve Lizzo or “Old Town Road” values? 2020 democratic Sunglasses Kid, I Am been around, are meant to by Lil Nas X may not be candidate Elizabeth Warren’s "Wild Roses" Harlequin be earworms. A political household melodies yet, but choice of Dolly Parton’s “9 Of Monsters and Men candidate wants their name they were both picked up by to 5” connects clearly with "Hush" to be associated with a tune democratic campaigns for the her campaign based on equal "Friends" Magic City Hippies so catchy that any listener, 2020 presidential election. pay and equal rights. It may, Why Don't We whether a loyal supporter or Older generations may not however, be more difficult for an adamant critic, can’t stop know or may even dislike the socially Republican candidates "Physical" humming it. sound of newer releases, but to find songs that so easily The Aces our generation won’t be able align with their campaign In the past, some politicians to disassociate the candidate values because many of the "Goodie Bag" chose to write themselves from our favorite bops. most popular musical artists Still Woozy into popular songs from the align left. time. For example, the popular By picking any popular "Call Me by a showtune “Hello, Dolly!” song, new or old, politicians Other campaign song Different Name" became “Hello, Lyndon!” easily assure that its melody factors, such as the identity The Axidents during Lyndon B. Johnson’s will be recognizable and may of the artist or whether or campaign. Today’s campaign get stuck in a listener’s head. not proper licenses were songs generally maintain their But what makes the choice of attained to use the song, can What We're original lyrics but are chosen campaign song so important tell a voter about the values from a range of household is that the song should also set and respectful nature of a Listening To 8 What We’re Listening To What We’re Thinking About 9 Trios Gone Wrong Trios ground, her voice stuck out interesting trio whose musical vocals, riffs from Nile Rodgers, too much and didn’t mix styles were very different, but and an overall funky perfor- with Grande’s or Rey’s. the simplicity of the song with mance with Daft Punk, this only an acoustic guitar and song was one of the most The overall lack of cohesion vocals made it sound more played songs of that year. in style was very obvious, natural instead of forced. In all these examples, the because there was little to no song itself was a collabora- Article by Shambhavi harmony and the artists were Another iconic collabora- tion among similar and very Mishra barely together in the same tion of three very different different artists that happened Don’t Call Me shot in the music video. The and powerful voices would organically. They focused entire collaboration essen- be Jessie J, Grande, and Nicki on the music making rather tially came down to being a Minaj’s “Bang Bang” that fea- than the advertisement of publicity stunt to advertise tured all of their contrasting another media. This simple, Angel the movie rather than creating voices equally. Each artist was yet important idea can make good music. important and memorable in all the difference between both the song and the music trios creating entertaining and Although this particular video. unforgettable songs or, in the song was a trio gone wrong, case of “Don’t Call Me Angel,” there have been many success- Another unforgettable disappointing ones. ful collaborations in the past collaboration would be “Get such as “FourFiveSeconds” by Lucky” by Daft Punk, Pharrell With the new Charlie’s An- Starting with the style of the Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul Williams, and Nile Rodgers. gels movie coming to theaters, song itself being pop and R&B, McCartney. This was another With Pharrell on soul-filled the need for more publicity you could easily picture it came with an original song, working with Grande’s voice, “Don’t Call Me Angel,” by thus,her voice was dominating Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, most of the song. Visually, and Lana del Rey. Naturally, she was also the center of there was a lot of excitement attention with the most screen surrounding this obscure time. collaboration of three very dif- ferent artists and personalities. Rey’s voice worked quite Unfortunately, the result was well with the overall song, and quite underwhelming. as an artist with experience in various pop based genres she While the production of the was able to make her voice fit music video was well executed with the piece and stand out at with beautiful costumes and the same time. Unfortunately, set design, the song itself had the only time we actually got no chemistry between the hear her voice was during the artists both on screen and in bridge. the song. If anything, it felt as if it was Ariana’s song featuring On the other hand, Cyrus’s Miley and Lana rather than an voice felt least fitted for this actual collaboration. particular collaboration. Com- ing from a pop-rock back 10 What We're Thinking About What We're Thinking About 11 drop photo here The 21st century has led to For thousands of years, them to share their tastes with platform. the rise of many things: the music has been regarded other people. unironic wearing of Crocs, as a universal form of Other music apps––like an animated movie about a expression. It bridges gaps Spotify allows users to Soundcloud––have also panda learning Kung Fu, but between otherwise separated curate their own playlists as emerged as prominent perhaps the most notable groups of people. It creates well as follow artists, other forms of social media and revolution of this decade has a platform for artists to users and other playlists. music sharing, but what been that of social media. make commentary or release One’s profile page displays makes Spotify different is it’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, emotions.