Features & Essays

Music for the End of the World: The Rise of Hyperpop

As the dystopian society mankind has feared for decades becomes more of a reality, pop music shape-shifts once again to assume the form of hyperpop. 
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“Six Cents” Podcast: Three UCSB Students Give Their Two Cents on Politics, Sports, Music and the World Around Them

For those of you who are looking to add a new podcast to your rotation, allow me to introduce you to UC Santa Barbara’s very own “Six Cents.” 
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Highlighting Nature’s Beauty, UCSB Student Alex Funk Shares His Art To Raise Money for Charity

Inspired by the natural beauty of Santa Barbara and saddened by the onslaught of tragedies in recent months, Funk wants to help his community through his art. 
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Streamlining the Social Aspects of Music, College Students Introduce Their Vision for Paddle

Along with his childhood friends and fellow college students Sam Nicholson and Matthew Dull, Cerofeci has been working on developing a music and social media hybrid app called Paddle. 
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Dance in the Age of COVID-19

For UC Santa Barbara’s dance majors, virtual classes are uncharted territory and have left many of them struggling to find their footing.
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Inside the Mind of Jordan Mitchell

If you haven’t heard him on Spotify, watched his music videos on YouTube or seen him spinning decks  in Isla Vista — you should. Jordan Mitchell is a master of his craft.
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Profiling Peter Saraf: The Man Behind Little Miss Sunshine

A producer's reflections on the Oscars, mainstream movies and following his passion for film.
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When Misogyny Masquerades as Entertainment: Looking at Today’s Rap & Hip Hop

What has made it so normalized for rappers, who lead today’s most popular musical genre, to generalize and sexualize women as much as they desire?
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Is Ariana Grande Helping or Hurting the Queer Community?

Grande and all other straight artists can certainly be allies, but they cannot claim to support their queer following while using same-sex attraction as a music video prop.
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Black Girls Like Guitars Too

Music belongs to everyone, not only in parts deemed to be fit for certain groups.
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A Word With Careless Cub on ‘Flophouse Palace’

The release of Flophouse Palace stands out not merely for its musical elements but also for the production and sound quality of the tracks.
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‘Dissect’ Is the Music Podcast We All Needed

Artsweek interviewed the host of the Spotify Original Podcast, Cole Cuchna, on passion projects, white discourse around black music and his own creative process when writing episodes for the show.
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Artist to Watch: Ravyn Lenae

The ascension into stardom coupled with the bold outline of her name on a festival lineup is on the horizon in 2019 for the powerhouse that is Ravyn Lenae.
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Dewey Bryan Saunders’ Surreal World of Album Cover Art

Dewey Bryan Saunders is one of today’s most innovative and established graphic designers who often operates within the niche realm that is album cover art.
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Julia Feldman Wants to Make a Mark

Through her pursuits of music, feminism and environmentalism, Feldman is trying to save the world.
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