Music has the power to change the landscape of the world, to build and destroy empires, and to save millions. It is being listened to in the crowded school hallways, in the comfy confines of homes, and even by favorite content creators! It is integral to self-expression and connecting with others. According to BBC UK, Professor Catherine Loveday, a cognitive neuropsychologist, “Music is one of the most fundamental ways that we can express emotions.
Because it can be so diverse, HyBreeze decided to take a look at BBHHS’s students favorite artists:
Freshman, Botao Zhao’s artist of the month is Kanye West, also known as “Ye”. Kanye is well-known worldwide for his ability to make hits, produce beats, and be himself unapologetically. Zhao picks Kanye because he’s inspirational. While he doesn’t have 1 particular song that is his favorite, many people feel that Kanye’s songs like “Power”, have an inspirational tone to them. Another artist who is contending for that #1 spot is Kendrick Lamar, who recently has been making waves across the rap world with his song, “Not Like Us”. Zhao’s reasoning, “His lyrics have very deep meaning.” Lamar is well-known for his consciousness and authenticity and has songs like, “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” that are powerful examples of Lamar’s deep lyrics which are rooted in the tragic reality of life.
Sophomore, Clair Varaga’s artist of the month is Zach Bryan because she went to one of his concerts. Zach has songs like “Dawns” that can be relatable for many people., Varaga’s personal favorite: “Fear and Friday’s” gives listeners a peek into Zach’s mind, memories, and his outlook on life. Another contender for #1 is actually a band called Treaty Oak Revival who have the same quality of relatability within their songs as Zach Bryan does.
Senior, Adyn Cale’s artist of the month is Ice Cube because of his ability to make good music. Cale says, “They’re all bangers.,” With an artist like Ice Cube, it’s hard to argue because he’s a classic. Cale likes Ice Cube’s song, “It Was a Good Day”. Cale also likes the artists, The Gorillaz and Iron Maiden. They are also currently battling it out for the #1 spot on his playlist as well. Even with that, he believes there is still a musical artist “ above all,” and “has his own spot,”: MF DOOM, all caps when you spell the man’s name. This is because of his supreme lyricism. MF DOOM is highly acclaimed for songs like “Beef Rap” and “Doomsday” because they give the listener his background story while also interweaving it with metaphors of the famous Marvel supervillain, Dr.Doom.
Last, but not least, Brady Bourquin, science teacher weighs in on his musical artists of the month too. They are the Avett Brothers. He says, “I appreciate the lyrics that they put together, the thoughtfulness that they have behind them all.,” He also feels like you don’t get that combo of the cello, the banjo, and rock and roll too often, so to have them do it successfully is very impressive. Bourquin says, “They’re pretty locked in,” referring to their spot on his list, but he does have another artist up there, Jack Johnson. His favorite theme from one of the Avett Brothers’ songs, is “There’s no man who can change me, no man who can affect me in a negative way”. This song explains Mr.Bourquin’s very positive approach he comes with daily.
