At Deej's Discretion

      It has been quite an exciting couple weeks for musical content. Boygenius released their stellar debut album "the record" just one week ago. I have been experiencing sensory overload ever since! Now, a couple of my favorite artists chose to collaborate or individually drop singles promoting their upcoming projects. These are some all-stars too. We're talking about Drake, Pharrell (with Aminé, Kaytranada), and Lil Yachty.      Let's start with Drake who is titularly responsible for this entry. "Search & Rescue" is simply Drake in his lane. The melodies are well trodden. The lyrics resonate in the same spaces as themes he has explored in the past but here he seems more open to the darkness that exists here. Drake might be boasting brazenly about the idea that he's a "Certified Lover Boy" who will likely remain the world's most eligible bachelor forever on prior records. However, on this track he seems to genuinely be sending out an ...

       I will preface this review by checking and recognizing my biases. The very topic that this show largely centers on, speaking to the dangers of "stan culture" and obsessing over a single artist, are tendencies that I embrace somewhat shamelessly. I have been a dedicated fan of Donald Glover since about 9th grade of Freshman year. I discovered a couple live performances of him paired with just drums, guitar, and bass for Last.fm and that was it. I was in and progressed gradually, at first, then exponentially. All four of his albums and even some of the songs buried on his elusive early mixtapes adorn my top 25 list for songs and top 10 list for songs. "Community" and "Atlanta" also share space on my top five favorite shows. I say all this to provide the quantifier that my feelings on this show are inextricably tied to my placement of Glover as my favorite creator. His voice shines through any project he chooses to place his energy and support behind a...

     The term often employed to refer to Boygenius is that of "supergroup". I was, frankly, a bit taken aback about how willing every publication I'd seen was in deeming Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus with this honor. This is the type of terminology used to refer to LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh on The Heat. This is the title bestowed upon Traveling Wildburys when you have the creative forces of George Harrison parring with the lyrical genius of Tom Petty and Bob Dylan. Isn't it a tad premature to coin this band of rising stars a supergroup so nonchalantly? Upon listening to "The Record" I feel the title of supergroup is decidedly apt. Synergy is another term that is somewhat elusive in an exact definition. There are many groups of organized fitness classes and lifestyle gurus who will promise a path towards guided synergy that will end in an enhanced connection with all who you meet. However, there is a genuine bond that can be fe...