ericas-music-exploration

[ericas-music-exploration]

The Rise of Mystical Syzygy

Mystical Syzygy a rock star on the come up. When looking at Mystical Syzygy you can definitely see them as a pop, rock type of person from the hot pink stars to her incredible makeup routine. Mystical Syzygy definity holds her self to her inner rock star. On the outside it’s not hard to determine that Mystical Syzygy as a growing rock star.

Mystical Syzygy (Vanessa) is a coworker of mine and I asked her some questions so I could learn about the life, feel, and thought process of a “musician in practice” or a “creative”. Growing up with music Mystical Syzygy has always had a love for it with playing the drums as a kid to singing her heart out attempting to hit those Mariah Carey high notes she always had love for music. But it wasn’t until 2020 that she took music more seriously. With the pandemic shattering souls and bringing people down Vanessa took the hurt and the grief of her loved one and drew back to music. She needed a creative outlet to release emotion and with her prior love for music this was perfect.

She began using this outlet by playing the ukulele; she then moved to guitar and then conquered the keyboard. Once the pandemic cleared up a bit in 2021 Vanessa started working for a musician who exposed her to public singing and taught her the ins and outs of the industry. Public singing was a bit challenging at first due to the fact that she thought it was terrifying as a kid, but working as a waitress and doing smaller gigs has helped Vanessa get over that terrifying feeling. As an adult she says that the people go there to listen to you so it doesn’t even matter. With all the lights in your face all these people just turn into a couple of bodies in the distance. She told me this funny story about this one time she was doing sound check for a band and they were like say something so she instantly says “something” now with the crowd hearing her they became engaged with her on stage (AWKARDDDD) since she was just doing sound check she had to say a few things so that they can check, so she decided to say the ABC’s but backwards every one was fascinated and she stopped mid way and was like “whatttt”? You’ve  never heard the ABC’s backwards”? Then continued. 

The band she was sound checking for soon asked her to join them, which was a fun experience at first but like all good things they had to come to an end. “The thing about creatives is they are sometimes the hardest people to deal with at times,” Vanessa explained. She played rhythm guitar for the band, she liked it because it is very consistent. She had a lot of fun in the “jam sessions” but, working in a band with a lot of creatives caused some major issues especially due to the fact that a band is a business and you have to treat it like such at times. She threw around the term “creatives” quite often and as a person with little to no music knowledge I had to ask what these creative people are like. I know the term as describing something but she used the term as their own people. She defined “creative” as “Someone engulfed in the madness of their mind as they find tools to express themselves in ways that feel authentic & unique. Sometimes, a psychopath cus it feels like you have to be one but that’s okay. They are also people who have an endless hunger to express themselves”. With herself included she is a fellow creative and she is just getting started. Although the band scene wasn’t for her it was definitely an experience she needed to continue her path. In the future she would prefer solo’s or collabs but the band scene isn’t her favorite.

With no straight direction she knows some avenues she wants to take. Right now she has a rock indie vibe going for herself but down the line she wants to make Tracey-darkwave club music eventually or instrumentals for poetry wherever the wind takes her I guess. She is also studying to do DJ work or engineer to find her own sounds. Or maybe she’ll branch more off into her singing career. Mystical Syzygy told me that there is a difference between what you like to listen to vs what you're capable of doing. She explains that she loves the “expression of words” and how “the voice is an instrument itself and it is so impactful” due to all her yelling and screaming from her “emo” phase has shifted her voice. She later explains how she doesn’t know what the future has in store for her and she doesn’t take it to seriously she just has fun with that being said she stated “maybe that is just the rockstar mentality”.

Mystical Syzygy is inspired by Brakence & Tamino along with Cat Clyde, Amy Lee, & Lorde. The music industry could be pretty challenging and can take people through different things but the crazy adventures each artist goes through on their own to develop themselves. I believe it is extremely important for these “creatives” to have these experiences that will shape their music. Now I am far from a musician but I truey admire the dedication and work that these musicians put into their music and its truly a wonderful thing.

[ericas-music-exploration]

Dancing in The Dark 

Rihanna is one of the most influential singers of this generation. Rihanna has a hold on her fans and any one with a decent hearing. She is one of a kind with a beautiful voice that she uses to sing about different things. Rihanna sings about being “Unfaithful”, “Running This Town”, she sings about feeling like the “The Only Girl In The World” she sings about almost any aspect you can think of. But you know what we don’t get much of from queen Riri, music that is directed to children. 

Rihanna took part in voicing “Tip” in the DreamWorks Animation movie “Home” which was a movie intended for kids but it reached a larger audience. “Rihanna’s presence in ‘Home’ is nothing short of magical. As she gives life to Tip, her infectious energy shines through every scene. Her unique vocal talents bring depth and emotion to the character, making you instantly fall in love with Tip’s determination and resilience. With Rihanna’s undeniable star power combined with her undeniable talent for storytelling through music, she elevates the film into something truly unforgettable.” Gary Gentles describes in his article on SingersRoom.

Now you might be wondering why this is worth mentioning. In the movie “Home” Rihanna sings a song “Dancing In The Dark” which shines light on what's going on in the movie. Tip and Oh are going through a lot and they somehow keep things going, fighting together, in a way they are dancing through the darkness coming towards them. The song itself is honestly amazing. The beat on the track matches what she says in a really inspiring way. 

The song starts with a repeating beat. It holds a steady “Boom, boom, boom, boom” feeling and it holds that up until Riri ups her voice a little then it starts doing a “boom bam boom bam” at a slower pace. Than when she starts singing at a faster tone saying “AT NIGHT TIME IS THE RIGHHT TIMEEEEI WANT TO DANCE IN THE DARKKKKK”. The beat catches up with her, it makes a “click click click” formed beat.

So hopefully the boom’s bam’s and click’s give you a decent understanding of how the beat goes with the lyrics. This style of booms and bams continue throughout the song. Whenever she gives more emphasis the beat matches the lyrics very well. After listening to the track a hundred times I decided to just listen to the instrumental and I got a bit of an EDM vibe from the track which I would have never thought of by just listening to the song how it is. Now this is just me having some fun. I played the instrumental louder and faster and it sounds a bit more EDM which I really wasn't expecting when I first put on the instrumental. But it does make a little sense because drawing back to the movie connection, Tip (Rihanna's character) is a bit “geeky” and cool at the same time so I could really see her listening to some cool EDM tunes.

With all that said I think the lyrics to music relate very well with each other and even with a third party in the movie. Rihanna is truly a queen and such an icon in the music industry and apparently now the acting. Now I recommend you all go listen if you haven't

Hey if you want listen to the instrumental as well

[ericas-music-exploration]

The 80’s Freestyle Scene 

 Let’s go on a time journey to the 80’s in New York City. Freestyle has a touch of hip hop rap electro beats all mixed into one. Freestyle is a perfect genre to put on if you want to dance, sing, feel good etc. With Hip Hop on the come up in the 70’s a lot of Hispanic communities began to form their own electro-beat feel good music. FREESTYLE. 

Now I know what you're all probably thinking. Freestyle? That’s just the process of making music with no specific rhythm or words, just first hand making music with not much prior thought to it. Now I wish I could say the same but for the entirety of my life my mom, dad, uncles, and aunts had me hooked on the genre freestyle, and after you learn about this ecstatic music scene you might be hooked as well.

With this background let's go back to the 80’s. Disco had just peaked hip hop was on the come up and latino’s and Italians were everywhere. The latin people of New York created a form of music that incorporated a bunch of different genres and started sending them to clubs making performances and making this impact with their music. Before looking at the music itself let's look into the people making the songs or listening. When you think about it, the Hispanic and Italian communities are typically big on cooking so I can see them using different genres as spices just throwing things in a pot to make an amazing “meal” and that being freestyle. 

“Let the music play” by shannon is considered the first and maybe most quintessential freestyle track, this #1 US pop hit and its stellar dub mix showcase the drum programming, vocal style, samp”. Many more popular artists rose from the the scene that Shannon created leaving inspiration for others such as Stevie B, Johnny O, The Cover Girls, Nice and Wild and so many more.

Now you might be thinking what makes a freestyle song different or just what makes it unique. These songs with it being an electric beat, the vocals, with a touch of latin beats and inspiration, while keeping disco alive along with adapting to hip hop since it was on a come up. Sure it sounds like it would be messy but it is such a vibe when it comes together.

With so much popularity still there are so many people who haven’t had the privilege to look into this scene. With it being less popular now the freestyle lovers are still doing what they can to keep the music alive. “Freestyle ultimately went underground, albeit with a large fan base in New York. Steve Sylvesters Freestyle Party show at the Coda in Manhattan in 2004 brought popularity back to the genre. Featuring artists like the Cover Girls and Cynthia, the show's success led to a Madison Garden Square summer 2006 concert that featured Freestyle's most popular artists and newcomers like Pitbull. Most freestyle concerts and events in the United States are still successful, with many selling out, proving that the genre is still very much alive. 2012 and 2013 saw the coming up of teen Latin rappers, including a group from Texas called Sur Lado Entertainment that has produced ethnic Latin hip hop focused on Hispanic identity in the United States. Just as Latin Freestyle was a large part of living in New York in the 1980s, it continues to be a thriving genre in the world today, thanks to its legacy that lives on.” So in the end no matter the truest freestyle fans are keeping it a live!

[ericas-music-exploration]

Just Breathe🧘🏼‍♀️

Stop, listen, and breathe. It has been proven that music increases blood flow to brain regions that generate and control emotions. Jeniffer L.W. Fink wrote a very informative article on the topic. You might be asking okay and? 

As a person who gets anxious easily, it’s very calming to have a playlist that calms me and just brings me to a better place. “Just Breathe” Is a playlist that has songs from different artists and they don't exactly relate to each other but will still give you that calming feeling one might need when a million things are going on in your head. My playlist Just Breathe has ten songs which gives you thirty-nine minutes of listening time.

“Just Breathe” has songs from artists such as James Arthur, Famy, Zayn, Tom Rosenthal, One Republic, Frank Ocean, Sam Smith, and Ruth B. I completely winged this playlist. I just added songs whenever I heard one that felt right. 

It starts with “Car’s Outside” by James Arthur. This song has a lot of strong emotion in it along with most of the others in the playlist. “Just Breathe” is used to bring me peace and this song gives me peace. I don't know why, but something about his voice just calms me. Also when he says “The cars outside but I don't want to go tonight” is a very relatable quote. If you're feeling stressed or anxious you probably have a lot on your plate and you just simply don’t want to do anything. Just like how James doesn’t want to get in the car.

Next in “Just Breathe” we have “Can I be Him” also by James Arthur. Again James Arthur's voice is honestly something else he brings me peace in a lot of his songs. This can be seen as a “sad” song because he is singing about a girl. He seems to be obsessed with her. He talks about how everything she has done was for him. He expresses that he wants to be the one for her. What I like about this song is the guitar in the background mixed with his voice. Just listening to this song is so peaceful to me and it might be for you as well.

Okay, enough James now moving on to “Ava” by Famy, the guitar and drums in this song make an amazing beat and it is just relaxing even though he is talking about being in pain for being far from his love. He mentions how he has a devil inside and the world is rabid. It is considered sad but the way he puts the songs together makes it not seem as sad but once again calming.

“Dusk Till Dawn” Is a song by former boy band star Zayn and features Sia. “It starts sweet. Like, sweet. And by sweet I mean that Malik has a voice like honey. He could sing me the Yellow Pages and I’d make it my ringtone. His first verse is a perfect precursor for the rest of the song to follow. Then in the pre-chorus, Sia joins him, and though an unlikely pairing, their voices match each other in their sultry-ness I guess? Like they both string their words along beautifully” I wouldn’t be able to put it better Priya. Sia and Zayn beautifully put this song together

“Lights Are On” By Tom Rosenthal is very well put together. It's slow and the beat stays about the same throughout the whole song it slows down a little and he quickly picks back up. His voice is just too peaceful and he carries the same tone the whole song. 

Bit of a switch from “Lights are on” we go into “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic. This is a big feel-good song and lightens the mood. There isn’t much to say other than this is a very good song. 

Okay feeling a bit “Lost”? I know this playlist is a bit of a mess but the next song “Lost” by Frank Ocean is another feel-good song. It fits “Just Breathe” because it is easy to feel lost at times so hearing about being lost but with a happy spin to it helps so much and gives a sense of normality to the feeling.  

I feel very similar to James Arthur and Sam Smith. I love the way they sing and the feeling in their songs. So “Fire on Fire” By Sam Smith is a great song. He talks about how you set fire on fire and how it can kill someone but they push past with so much desire and they are beautiful. It just sounds very good. Another Sam Smith song in my playlist “Just Breath” is “Like I Can” Which kind of contradicts “Fire on Fire”. “Like I can” he is talking about how nobody will love this person the way he can and he feels deeply for this person and you can hear his passion.

Lastly, “Golden” by Ruth B. I appreciate Ruth B’s music and I’ve listened to her since I was younger. She is talking about how she has been looked down upon and or looked passed. Discriminated for being different. Ruth says that the heat doesn’t burn as much and that she grew into loving her differences. I love how she talks about what she isn’t. She’s not weak, she’s not broken, she’s not silver, nor is she cold, she is golden. I love how she talks about how people bring her down and how she comes up from it. The song is soft and her song is so peaceful. Looking into my own life I’ve experienced a lot of battles that I had to overcome so I feel a deep connection with this song. Since she made this peaceful connection it is a nice reminder of my accomplishments.

 A lot of the correlation between these songs is that they are all talking about something deep but display it in such a beautiful up lifting way. While continuing to sing about something serious and or deep they manage to make it sound happy and upbeat which is why I find all of these songs to be beneficial. When I am anxious or stressed it is a good outlet to let out emotion and thoughts but still maintain a positive attitude

[ericas-music-exploration]

All about Jazz!! 

This Tuesday I took a trip to downtown New Brunswick to the Tavern on George to listen to a fine musical group. Every Tuesday and Thursday you can go to experience a live jazz show by the New Brunswick jazz project. You can even go Friday and Saturday for live acoustics. 

The experience I had listening to this jazz group was a bit much for me. I am not typically a jazz person and listening to very loud jazz while eating was a lot, but the music itself was decent. 

 When I think about music and eating I think about lower music so I can still hear the person next to me but here I couldn’t even hear myself think. But besides it being a restaurant the experience of hearing all the different sounds the instruments made. Along with how much emotion was displayed by the musicians was interesting . My favorite part of the live show was seeing how involved and expressive the musicians were while playing and that’s something I believe one could only feel live.

The trumpet and trombone were my favorites because they really set the frame of the whole thing along with the saxophone. The drums seemed to hold everything together while the guitar set a nice touch. The piano seemed to be more of a filler and the whole thing is very well put together. As someone who has never experienced a jazz show it was nice to experience but I think it would have to be one and done for me. I do give a lot of respect to the musicians because in every song they shine light on each instrument a little bit and they did a good job of putting their emotion into it.  They really connected with the crowd. 

The Tavern itself was very cool. I made a reservation and they had a cool little reserved piece on the table. I went with my boyfriend and we got “The Great Moz” which was a giant mozzarella stick that was  “the size of the NJ turnpike”. It was delicious. The service seemed nice, you could not get much conversation due to the noise. I felt a bit rude just being on my phone the whole time, even my boyfriend joked and said “so are you really going to be on your phone and not enjoy the music”. I was only using my phone to take notes. The crowd seemed to be all jazz lovers and it was cool seeing how many people enjoyed the performance. 

I will give my respect to the musicians because if I were someone who really enjoys jazz I would have appreciated it more. Although I walked out with a bit of a headache due to the loudness, it was a nice experience and maybe I would give jazz another chance. I’m also very curious about what acoustic music they play on Friday and Saturday. Maybe I will go back to give them a chance. 

[ericas-music-exploration]

He’s Back and Ready to Meet the world with “Boy Meets World” Sleepy Hallow

“Boy Meets World” is all about evolving and growth in Sleepy Hallow's career and himself, which I’m sure he did a lot of since we haven’t gotten an album from him since 2021 “Still Sleep?”. Sleepy Hallow did a great job displaying the different factors one might face while “meeting the world” The title of the album is like a “reality check”. The songs in this album display different feelings or lessons Sleepy Hollow has been through. The album brings good energy. Although not completely relatable he does shine a light on things most people don’t like to admit about their feelings. 

In “Drivers Seat” the very first line goes “I been in my bag way too long tell me if I’m doin’ wrong Yeah I love you but I rather be alone” This tells us as listeners that he is in the driver's seat of this “car” (his life) and even though he loves you he can’t have you sitting in the car (being in the way). Being alone probably helps him since he even expressed that he's been “in his bag way too long”.The background music is very calming and I like that there's an echoing voice in the back is pretty cool. 

“Motion” is a great song that shows the evolution of how Sleepy Hollow is dealing with his emotions. The guitar in the back makes a nice beat that seems to match him perfectly. Jordan Rose talks about an interview Hollow did and he stated “I be listening to Ed Sheeran and shit. [“Shape of You”] is fire. Ed messes with hip-hop. I might have to sample his shit and see what’s going on. If he’s jacking me then I jack it.” I can kind of hear a bit of an Ed Sheeran vibe to this song with the guitar. In the song Sleepy talks about how “She don’t love me, she just loves the motion” (referring to money) and how he “still got some feelings he trying to cope with” and I see this album as his coping mechanism.

I love ANXIETY there aren’t a lot (if any) of drill rappers talking about their feelings, especially anxiety. Sleepy goes into the feeling of having anxiety. He talks about how “it keeps trying him”, how “he feels stuck in a maze” and a slave to his feelings” and these are all feelings one with anxiety would feel. Having “Doechii” as a feature was a nice choice because her voice reminds me of old-school singers while still having a new touch.

On “OTR Freestyle he takes a toll and goes back to drill but although it is a drill beat he still proceeds to talk about the evolution he’s going through. In the song he proceeds to say that he “Don’t like parties don't like clubbing” and we can only infer it due to this anxiety he has he talks about experiences and lessons he’s learned/ been through that caused him to think and felt the way he did. 

What is a purple heart? A Purple Heart is given to soldiers who were severely wounded and or killed in the military. So why does Hallow believe he should have one? He expresses that with everything he’s dealt with, he should have one, and in other songs, he talks about experiences he had dealt with in the streets. The song has a bit of a slower tone to it and it's a good song.

“Perky Man” is kind of dumb it's goofy in a way and honestly when I first heard the album this was the song that came on and it made me not like the album. The song has a catchy feel-good beat along with all the other songs but the words are dumb and it is repetitive.

All this is new to Hallow being that he normally sticks to drill. I also agree with Jordan when he states that Sleepy Hollow is one of the “originators to Brooklyn drill” Sleepy proceeds to say that he had to figure out his own flow which he certainly did in “Boy Meets World”. “This star-studded album is a more well-rounded collective sound from the rapper. With his drill-meets-R&B style and alternative pop samples. Sleepy Hallow does not disappoint and stays authentic to the sound he is known for.” Jada Vernon said. Personally I think this album is amazing and as a person who loves R&B loves to drill, rap and slow sad music being able to get a little bit of it all in one album is great!

[ericas-music-exploration]

Me? "SOUR"? As if...

Starting as a "SOUR" teenage girl crying over her ex Olivia Rodrigo is now spilling her "Guts" with her new album. Back in 2021 the Disney Channel actor Oliva Rodrigo released her first hit song outside of Disney “Drivers License” recently after her break up with co-star Joshua Bennet (fans believe). The song was a complete success and reached teens all over the world with over 1.1 billion streams. Just 5 months after the release of “Drivers License” Olivia dropped her first album “Sour”. Olivia’s songs are a bit too relatable for anyone who has dealt with heartbreak and she is very vocal about her pain, feelings of betrayal, and all the feelings one should feel while healing from a breakup.

 In the “SOUR” album one would get more of a pop vibe to it whereas in “Guts” it leans more into rock and this was a bit of a different vibe from Oliva. In her first album “SOUR” she had one song “Brutal” that had more of a rock vibe to it but a whole rock album is different for Olivia and fans seem to be loving it. To see the pop star express herself in rock is amazing. She is still singing about a past lover but bringing a new dynamic to her previous heartbreak music. You can even tell that there's a big difference in the album covers.

Over the past two years, we assume Rodrigo did a lot of healing and soul-searching to find a new version of herself and we can not only hear it in her change of genres but she is very vocal about it in her twelve new songs. In the “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl,” she expresses that she “hate all my clothes and feels like my skin doesn’t feel right over my bones” The New York Times stated, “Olivia Rodrigo has seen the world and now she’s livid.” The songs in “Guts' ' compared to “SOUR” really show her growth and proves The New York Times right. She seemed to have a point of realization in this album whereas she was seemingly to be a bit delusional in her previous album. In her song “Vampire” she makes a few statements that show the growth she went through. Admitting that she “has made some real dumb mistakes” and how she admits that “she used to believe she was smart but you made me look so naïve' '. “Rodrigo is at her best, perhaps owing to her acting background, when delivering screeds in a kind of hyper-self-aware, spoken-word register. “Yes, I know that he’s my ex, / But can’t two people reconnect?” she poses with an almost audible wink on “Bad Idea Right?” a song on which she contemplates the self-destruction of rekindling an old romance. “I only see him as a friend / The biggest lie I ever said,” she adds, always shrewdly one step ahead of herself.”

“Overall, I see “GUTS” as the bi-curious and grungy older sister to “SOUR” and recommend it to any teenager with growing pains.” Olivia’s music is very popular and the numbers show its success and I’m positive that we will be getting more from Olivia in time. I wonder what other surprises she has in store for us…