Reviews & Trends -

Column: The underrated cult classic phenomenon

By Rishabh Sharma Vemuri | October 3

"What does one particular film mean to you? How do you relate to its characters? How do you interpret its motifs? These questions rooted in emotion can ...

Column: Don't worry, darling, you didn't miss much

By Guillermo Molero | October 2

"'Don’t Worry Darling' was lazy, unoriginal and downright frustrating. And to think the trailer and pre-premiere drama made me expect anything more. ...

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Editorial: The best albums of 2021

By Editorial Board | November 29

"A year marked by the rise of Olivia Rodrigo, the lackadaisical return of Lorde, the unwavering reign of Taylor Swift and the refusal by Rihanna to get ...

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Column: Adele is in control, as she should be

By Ira Wilder | November 21

"I certainly won’t be leaving this album behind anytime soon. Showcasing her colossal vocal talent and raw lyricism, '30' has made me fall in love with ...

Office DJ: Beats and brass — all you need is beats and brass.

By Guillermo Molero | November 4

I can’t think of anything else I’d rather have when listening to a song. Nothing else can pick me up and get me moving so quickly. Nothing else could ...

Column: Phoebe Bridgers 'could do anything she wants to do'

By Ira Wilder | September 22

"Bridgers has a unique ability of balancing the most depressing songs you’ve ever heard with subtly energetic live performance. She locked the audience ...

Column: "Certified Lover Boy" is certifiably disappointing

By PJ Morales | September 20

"Then, on Sept. 3, Drake released "Certified Lover Boy," and all my hopes died."

Column: "Lindsey Buckingham" reflects Fleetwood Mac's historic chaos

By Ira Wilder | September 20

"Though the band’s legacy is a landslide of chaos, Fleetwood Mac’s discography is preeminent and inescapable. The band’s history represents a collective ...

Column: Musgraves' "star-crossed" reaches cosmic heights of heartbreak

By Ira Wilder | September 13

"The fact that 'Golden Hour' and 'breadwinner' were written within four years about the same person quite honestly incites personal trust issues."

Column: Three chords and the truth

By Ira Wilder and Caitlyn Yaede | September 8

"We have hopes that country music will return to its diverse roots, serving not only a white, conservative middle class, but the diverse ethnic and racial ...

Viewpoints: Ranking Kanye West's studio albums

By Rajee Ganesan , Leo Culp , PJ Morales and Carson Elm-Picard | September 7

"With the latest release of his 10th studio album, 'Donda,' members of the Daily Tar Heel’s editorial staff make their rankings on which of Kanye’s ...

Column: Hyperpop defines indefinite noise

By Ira Wilder | September 6

"'Good Ones' and 'Dawn of Chromatica' each pose the same question in different ways: What are the defining limits of a limitless genre like hyperpop?" ...

Column: Ranking Taylor Swift's entire discography

By Ira Wilder | September 5

As anticipation builds for “Red (Taylor’s Version),” due on Nov. 19, here is a ranking all of Taylor’s songs. Yes, all 158 of them.

Column: "Donda" delivers ... sort of

By Leo Culp | September 2

"But with missed release dates, the Marilyn Manson and DaBaby association and the general hysteria that surrounds a Kanye release, is it selfish to expect ...

Column: Lorde's "Solar Power" doesn't produce much energy

By Ira Wilder | August 23

"According to Lorde, her new album is 'a celebration of the natural world,' or an ode to happiness, and a reflection on finding joy in simplicity. I have ...

Column: There's nothing to fear but the tears Taylor Swift has created in the studio

By Brandon Standley | April 12

When I was 10 years old, I put a set of tickets to the Fearless Tour at the top of my Christmas list. Much to my surprise, on Christmas morning, I didn’t ...

Orange County local releases “The Harris Family of Orange County, North Carolina”

By Maggie Dunn | February 16

Beverly Scarlett recently released “The Harris Family of Orange County, North Carolina,” which chronicles the history of a Black Indigenous North ...

"Positions" does it all and so does Ariana Grande

By Madison Ward | November 5

Pop sensation Ariana Grande isn’t afraid to boldly confront the confusing cross-section of love and lust. "Positions," Grande’s third album in two ...

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'Catharsis and comfort': UNC artists use music to work through mental health challenges

By Madison Ward | October 25

UNC graduate student Simon Spire captured these tumultuous emotions in his latest song, "Uncomfortable." But there’s brightness desperate to break free, ...

Review: John Maus brings worlds of pure, unfiltered emotion to Cat's Cradle

By Pranav Chintalapudi | February 13

"Never let it be said that relentlessly deconstructivist pop must always be deconstructed itself to be enjoyed."