This blog was my first opportunity to really experiment with writing for the web, though there were several things that I could have improved on.
I slowly am beginning to realize that it might have been more beneficial for me to see who exactly my readers were. I needed to know what their tastes in music was like as opposed to just writing about the music I liked.
I think I would have reached a much larger crowd had I promoted my posts on Instagram or Facebook. I think the reason I decided not to do that is because then it would have been opened up to more of my friends and family who know me instead of strangers. I felt more comfortable with the thought of strangers reading my work instead of my peers.
My favorite topic that I wrote about for this blog was the Glee post. I thought it was fun and I felt more comfortable. I feel like I finally showed more of my personality.
This blog gave me some of the insight and tools I needed to run a more successful blog in the future. I was finally able to write about what I enjoyed and it was a blast. The experience helped me come out of my shell and be less awkward when it comes to writing about my opinion.
Overall, my most popular week was the week of February 17. That was the first week I ever posted anything on this blog. I got twelve views that week.
My most popular post was my introduction post and my second most popular post was my review of the album “Fine Line.” I was not surprised that was up there because I know how many people love Harry Styles.
I honestly went into this project not expecting many views at all. I regret not promoting the blog more.
As promised, I am leaving you with my top 50 tracks for the end of the semester. Farewell and enjoy!
Ryan Murphy should be served with several lawsuits for the amount of emotional distress he put us through during each episode of Glee.
While I’m still healing from the traumatic Thanksgiving episode in season 4 where the cast performed both Gangnam Style and Let’s Have a Kiki within 40 minutes (by the way, what in God’s name made Sarah Jessica Parker agree to that), I figured I would list some of the covers that I actually enjoyed.
Smooth Criminal
It’s no secret that Smooth Criminal is among one of the best covers Glee has done. That’s just a universally known fact. This is when Santana decided to find out what Sebastian had done to Blaine that landed him in the hospital that same episode. It was featured in the episode “Michael” during season three.
Me Against the Music
One of the best episodes, in my opinion, was the “Britney/Brittany” episode in season two. While most of the hype was given to the I’m A Slave 4 U performance, Me Against The Music was my personal favorite from the episode. This happened during the drug-induced fantasy that Santana and Britney shared while at the dentist.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Everyone thank Quinn for providing spot-on background vocals while giving birth during Vocal Adrenaline’s performance at “Regionals” in season one. I don’t care what anyone says, Jesse St. James was one of the best vocalists on this show and did Queen justice.
It’s All Coming Back To Me Now
After begging Carmen Tibideaux to give her another shot at her NYADA audition, Rachel nails the Celine Dion hit. It is featured during the “Nationals” episode of season 3.
My Man
Hands-down Rachel’s best solo. During the “Funeral” episode of season two, she chooses to audition for the best performer spot in the glee club with the closing number to “Funny Girl.” Even Kurt is brought to tears at the end.
Cough Syrup
This is one of the heavier scenes in the series as it depicts Karofsky’s attempted suicide while Blaine sings in the “On My Way” episode of season three.
Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)
It will become evident that Blaine is my favorite character. He sings this song to Sam in the episode “Guilty Pleasures” during season four. This makes him rather emotional as he realizes that Sam is his guilty pleasure, not Phil Collins.
Teenage Dream
All the Warblers knew how to do was dress well and drop bangers. This is the first time we ever meet Blaine. He sings for Kurt in the “Never Been Kissed” episode in season two. He also will sing it to him again during the break-up episode a few seasons late, this time it gets emotional.
If I Die Young
This heart-breaking scene takes place when the cast says goodbye to Finn Hudson during “The Quarterback” episode in season 5. This song never fails to bring me to tears because of the breakdown Santana has in the middle of the song. It’s even worse when you consider the fact that the breakdown was unscripted, it was actually Naya Rivera bursting into tears.
Marry The Night
I’m not sure whose idea it was to cast Adam Lambert in the show but they were for sure a genius. His cover in “A Katy Or A Gaga” in season five was nothing short of spectacular.
Songbird
Songbird was my favorite song off Fleetwood Mac’s album “Rumours” and during the episode in season two. Santana uses the song to tell Brittany she loves her.
Blaine sang this song with his brother played by the handsome Matt Bomer. Blaine used it to try to express his frustration with his brother in the episode “Big Brother” in season three.
Sebastian was an evil man but I am still in love with Grant Gustin. The Warblers dedicated this performance to Karofsky during the “On My Way” episode of season three and it will forever be one of my favorites.
Run Joey Run
I’m closing this list with one of the most iconic performances the show ever aired. For the “Bad Reputation” episode of season one, Rachel recruits Finn, Jesse and Puck for a video project that causes quite a ruckus within the club. It results in one of the greatest and most memorable performances throughout the show.
Before I begin, I feel that it is necessary for me to mention that I cannot play guitar so I am in no way an expert on the subject.
I was inspired to write this post when I came across TikTok user @zcorms. He had a series where he would play the most popular and recognizable guitar riffs from each decade.
I decided that I wanted to name some of my favorite guitar features.
Ohio – King Princess
One of my biggest regrets is not skipping band practice to go see King Princess at Austin City Limits in 2019. This is my favorite song of hers. It was only just released this year as part of her Cheap Queen (Deluxe) album.
This Land – Gary Clark Jr.
Would my list even be right if I didn’t include Austin’s very own Gary Clark Jr.? This Land is a single off of the album also entitled This Land. He performed the track at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Love is Blindness – Jack White
Love is Blindness is originally a U2 song but Jack White was able to cover it for The Great Gatsby soundtrack back in 2013. It was featured in the trailer for the movie and immediately grabbed my attention.
Juro Que – ROSALÍA
I can hardly imagine the level of skill it must take to play this song. The acoustic guitar can be heard throughout the single and is extremely fast-paced and exciting.
Lay Me Down – Steve Lacy
I had never heard of Steve Lacy until one of my friends mentioned him in an interview I had done with her. I since have only heard a couple of his songs but I think Lay Me Down is my favorite so far. It is off of his latest album, Apollo XXI.
Barracuda – Heart
Barracuda is probably the most popular and most recognizable song on my list. This is one of my dad’s many favorite songs and I cant help but love it too because of the guitar throughout the song.
Corazon Espinado – Santana ft. Mana
I am going to wrap up my list with the Carlos Santana. The legendary guitar player has one of the most recognizable sounds in the music industry. I grew up listening to his music and Corazon Espinado has to be my favorite.
Pitchfork is a popular music blog that I’ve actually been following for a while. They have continuously gained recognition as one of the top music blogs people should be following.
It is updated daily with features, reviews, and even news updates about what is happening in the music industry.
One of my favorite things about the site is how appealing it is. There are other music blogs that are either in your face with graphics and photos or have text that is too small, making it visually unappealing.
Another one of my favorite features is the “Best New Music” tab.
It has subheadings like “Best New Albums,” “Best New Tracks,” etc. There are links that take you directly to expanded lists that you can filter by music genre.
One of the unique things Pitchfork has to offer is the “Video” tab.
It features different interviews the site has done with popular artists such as Ozuna, Tove Lo, Clairo, etc. The interviews sometimes have themes to them such as “The Song I Wish I Wrote” or “Over / Under” where artists decide if popular trends are overrated or underrated. This is a fun tab that one can spend hours on just going through and watching each interview of their favorite artists.
Pitchfork is actually much bigger than just a website. The company actually has its own radio, podcast, and even its own music festivals. The festivals are held worldwide in Chicago, Berlin, and Paris. As of right now, the Chicago festival is set for the weekend of July 17-19. It is likely to be postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The best quality I think Pitchfork offers, in my opinion, is the variety of music the website covers. That includes R&B, Latin Pop, Alternative, etc.
Overall, Pitchfork was quick to become one of my favorite music blogs. It is great for anyone who is looking for something easy to read and can cater to their favorite music genre.
Harry Styles released his sophomore studio album entitled “Fine Line” back in December, further lowering our expectations that One Direction might ever get back together.
By now we’ve all had the chance to give it a listen and pick our favorites to cry to.
Golden
Never has there ever been a more perfect album opener. Golden is a fun, light-hearted song that sets you up for heartbreak later on in the album. One of my favorite things about this song is the way he manipulated the sounds in a way that makes it feel like the music is traveling from ear to ear (with headphones of course). Golden is the type of song you listen to while you’re out on a drive with the windows rolled down.
Watermelon Sugar
Watermelon Sugar was a great single to give listeners a taste of what was to come on the album. Listening to it now that the entire album is out, it’s as if the song has worn out its welcome. It’s a great song, don’t get me wrong, but it’s been so overplayed on the radio these past few months that I can’t help but skip it when it comes on in my car. One of the things I actually really like about the track is the use of brass.
Adore You
Like Watermelon Sugar, Adore You also seems a bit overplayed. That said, I can’t ignore that this song contains some of the best harmonies Harry has put out. I can also really appreciate how fun the guitar feature is. It’s another feel-good single.
Lights Up
A moment of silence for one of my most favorite music videos of all time. The way the director, Vincent Haycock, played with the colors throughout the video was genius. This was a great way to announce a comeback to the music scene and a great first single on the album. The song features some great piano melodies and a sound you wouldn’t expect from a former member of a boy band.
Cherry
I’m not quite sure where this obsession with fruit comes from but I actually kind of like it. Cherry is the first song on the album that really hits you hard with feelings. It’s rumored that Cherry is actually about Harry’s ex-girlfriend Camille Rowe. You can clearly hear her speaking at the beginning and end of the track. The outro features a snippet of her leaving a voicemail in French. The rest of the song offers beautiful acoustic guitar sound that plays throughout. It has a nice build to it but the voicemail at the end is just a bit creepy to me.
Falling
I first heard Falling while I was in the car with some friends and I was forced to keep my composure because I was driving and I couldn’t let them catch me slipping. Falling is one of the most heartbreaking songs I’ve ever heard. Harry really laid down some fantastic vocals while only accompanied by a beautiful piano. All in all, this is my favorite song on the album.
To Be So Lonely
This song begins with an interesting guitar riff and is followed with some light bass. This is another one of the lighter songs on the album. It’s kind of a weird song and I’m actually not quite sure why I like the song so much but I do. It’s also not one of the more popular songs because of how odd it sounds. It’s not a typical mainstream song.
She
This is another one of my favorites for the guitar feature alone. I like a nice guitar sound and that’s exactly what She provided. It’s one of those songs that you listen to at full volume while laying on your bed and staring at the ceiling. The song is actually quite lengthy at just over six minutes but I personally feel like you don’t even notice it. It’s got almost an older feel to it like an 80s rock vibe.
Sunflower Vol. 6
Maybe I’m wrong but I definitely feel like drugs were involved in the making of this song. It’s kind of weird in the sense that it sounds almost psychedelic. The sitar sound really reminds me of like the Sgt. Pepper’s era of The Beatles. It also features an interesting outro with some odd vocals. It’s yet another song that I really love but I’m not quite sure why.
Canyon Moon
Canyon Moon is a very popular song among my group of friends but it’s actually not one of my favorites. I like how upbeat and fun it is but in comparison with the rest of the album. It’s got some interesting lyrics but I feel like they don’t really fit with the rest of the album. I don’t have much else of an opinion on it because it just did not really stick with me like some of the other tracks.
Treat People With Kindness
This is my least favorite song on Fine Line. It has some great harmonies but I think it’s too weird. I like that overall message of it but there are a few questionable lyrics (“If our friends all pass away / It’s okay”). I just don’t know why that was included in the song. The beginning kind of reminds me of something you would hear in church which I don’t think suits his style very well.
Fine Line
(Quick fun fact: this was actually the first song I ever learned on the ukulele.) Fine Line was a great way to wrap up the album. There is a great build that happens about three quarters of the way through that I love. It sounds very dreamy at the beginning and then continues to build as more instruments begin to come in. There aren’t many lyrics to it but I think the fact that it’s so instrumental is quite beautiful. It is up there with some of my favorites on the album.
I’ve decided to leave you with a playlist I created for an unrelated project where I ranked all of Harry’s songs. It includes both albums, a few unreleased songs, and an honorably mentioned One Direction song.
As we all have witnessed these past few months, a deadly coronavirus has rapidly spread across the world. The US recently became the country with the most cases in the world.
None of it was deemed very serious until Mar. 12. Within an hour, all travel was suspended from Europe, the NBA season was suspended, and our beloved Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson were diagnosed with COVID-19. That’s when we finally decided to take this thing seriously.
In the midst of this pandemic, the music industry has taken a major hit. Concerts are being postponed, festivals are being canceled and album releases are being put on hold.
One of the major heartbreaks among the industry has been the halt of Lady Gaga’s long awaited sixth album, Chromatica.
After the release of her hit “Stupid Love,” Lady Gaga announced she will be releasing a new album entitled “Chromatica,” with the original release date set for Apr. 10.
She recently issued a statement explaining that she will not be able to release the album quite yet due to COVID-19 concerns.
Other artists have also felt it necessary to halt their releases has well. Artists such as HAIM and Kehlani have yet to set a new release date.
While some have decided to push back release dates, there are other artists that have proceeded to move forward with their releases.
The Weeknd just released his latest album entitled ” After Hours” and still plans to move forward with his tour beginning in June.
Dua Lipa, who is newer to the music scene, also recently released her sophomore album, “Future Nostalgia.”
The original release date was set for Apr. 3, but was released a week early due to an online leak. She explained this as she became emotional and teared up during a session of Instagram Live.
The pop star also decided to reschedule her tour. Originally set to kick off in May, the tour will not begin until January 2021.
Though the news of events being canceled and postponed might be heartbreaking, it is only necessary if we are to prevent the spread of the of the deadly virus.
With that, I’ve decided to leave you with a short playlist containing songs that have approximately 20 second choruses to sing while washing your hands.
Photo by Rebecca Rodriguez Rosalía performing her song, Malamente, at the Austin City Limits music festival in 2019.
Latin music is quickly growing in popularity all over the world. Many people have started to ignore the language barrier and decided to just enjoy the music they are listening to.
Originally from Spain, Rosalía has used her flamenco influence to dominate the music charts worldwide.
Rosalía originally tried to train herself to sing like traditional flamenco artists by mimicking them. This eventually destroyed her vocal cords and had surgery when she was 16 years old. After her rehabilitation, she then received proper training from a well-known professor who goes by the name “Chiqui”.
I first heard Rosalía when she was featured on the soundtrack for the HBO series Euphoria. A few months later I heard her on the radio singing with J Balvin and El Guincho.
I then saw her perform at Austin City Limits and she blew me away. She put on a great performance while accompanied by several backup singers and dancers.
With all of this fame, Rosalía has been radiating a bit of controversy. There is a debate about whether she should be considered a Latinx artist despite being Hispanic. Many people think she should not be receiving praise as a Latin artist. Others jump to defend her saying that most of her music has Latin elements.
Not only has the Spanish artist collaborated with popular Latin artists, she has also worked with other English-speaking artists.
She co-wrote the hit song “Barefoot in the Park” with the English artist James Blake.
Rosalía also worked with Harry Styles on his music video for ” Adore You.” She narrated the beginning of the video, describing the fictional island Styles’ character lived on.
In her most recent song release, “Juro Que,” Rosalía goes back to exploring more traditional flamenco sounds. It has a heavy acoustic guitar presence but still incorporates the new Latin pop fusion we hear from other artists today.
Rosalía has become one of my favorite artists today. I love her runs and how different her take on flamenco is. I am excited to see her grow as an artist and look forward to her future collaborations.
My name is Rebecca Rodriguez. I am a junior currently studying journalism with a minor in communications studies at Texas State University. I graduated from Brandeis High School in San Antonio but I am actually from a small town called Helotes. (That’s my sister in the picture with me by the way. I also have three brothers.) I chose journalism because I love how fast-paced and important the job is. My main goal would be to write for a newspaper or magazine, but running a blog might be a fun job as well. That’s why I am excited for this project, it is going to help me learn a new aspect of journalism.
For this blog assignment, I have chosen to write about music. I actually spend most of my day listening to music (I just really don’t like to sit in silence). Throughout this project, I hope to explore new artists, review albums, and talk about why I like some of my favorite songs. I am hoping this will be an easy topic to write about because of how passionate I am about music.
I’d like to think I have a fairly diverse taste. It has definitely evolved these past few years since I came to Texas State. My friends helped with that. They have introduced me to so many new artists such as Conan Gray, Wallows, and Alec Benjamin. Some of my favorite genres are R&B, alternative, and latin pop.
My current favorite artists are:
Conan Gray
Alina Baraz
H.E.R.
Harry Styles
Tove Lo
Rosalía
Jhené Aiko
I have linked a Spotify playlist to this post. It lists my top 50 songs for the beginning of this project. I will update it at the very end to see how much it has changed.
I am really looking forward to this semester and growing as a writer!
Rebecca's Music Blog 