Author Archives: wsbubuzz
Why “beerbongs & bentleys” is so Important
by Zachary Stryffeler
Think of a place where the entire world feels surreal around you. It could be many places: a diner after 1 A.M, a rest stop along a lonesome highway, or even a back corner in your local library. These places feel different to us, as if reality was distorted and what we see as the world around us just wasn’t the same as it was before. Post Malone has created this feeling and captured it in an album. Post has created a modern masterpiece that will always bring us back to when and where we first heard the songs when we listen in the future.
Post Malone released his single “Psycho” on February 23rd, 2018, and it was instantly a hit. Take your mind back to that night. There were people huddled around laptops in dorm rooms, people sitting alone with their headphones, people at friend’s houses just waiting for midnight when this song dropped. I can remember exactly what I felt the second the bass kicked into the song around the 27 second mark. My friends and I were gathered in a dorm room upstairs with another friend who had the best speaker system. I felt the song wash over me, the bass seemed to coat my mind and take everything away. I know that there was nothing else in my mind at the time, and I know my friends felt the same. There was no talking when the song was on, just acknowledgment that this was special. This is a shared experience for our whole generation. The album itself dropping was no different. @swhiting1322 tweets that she felt “peace and serenity” when she first heard beerbongs & bentleys. @thenetts remembers sitting up with his friends and listening to the whole album straight through.
There is no other way to describe this album drop than that Post Malone has created a phenomenon. This was something that will stand the test of time. This is as significant as an Abbey Road or a Led Zeppelin IV. beerbongs & bentleys is an album that we will remember and listen to long into our lifetimes. It will be a staple at barbecues, office parties, weddings, and high school reunions. It will be played not just for the music, but the feelings and memories that it brings with it.
Mac Miller’s Swimming Makes a Big Splash
By: Matt Mackenzie
Amazing. Marvelous. Superb. All words I would use to describe my first thoughts coming off this album. The past year has been a ride for Mac Miller. Originally making headlines for his time spent dating pop icon Ariana Grande, he then held a negative social view for when the relationship ended and dropping a single the day Grande released a single of her own. He was accused of trying to sully her important day out of bitterness. I hope that was not the case. Either way, we the listeners got a taste of what Miller was preparing to release. Weeks later on August 3rd, Swimming was released to the general public and boy did it blow me away. Listeners have come to the conclusion that the entire album is a dedication to his time in the lime light with Grande.
Their time together is hinted at within ‘What’s the Use‘ when the lyric “Time we don’t waste much, **** and we wake up; They have her sing just like Celine Dion; catch me if you can, you never catch me damn” since Grande has a Celine Dion impression she does. The following track ‘Perfecto’ seems to be about the break up and the possibility of missing her with lyrics such as “Bare feet, runnin’ late, her car started; Even though the only thing that she driving a hard bargain; More important is I’m kinda sorta out the door; But she put me back together when I’m out of order.” Fans are crediting his relationship with Grande for such a power piece of work.
For myself however, the tracks that are the best of the album would be ‘Self Care’, ‘Ladders’, and ‘Small Words’. I hear very soulful pieces that attempt to emphasize his true feeling in the three tracks. Making it more possible to communicate his thoughts to us, the listener. There may be portions of the album where he would sound whiny or groaning about the past, but in those instances he has his best sound. The entire album manages to keep my attention upon every listening. Having an artist manage to do that should be a top priority for everyone, and not just myself. Swimming is an amazing listen and is such a pivot from Mac Miller’s roots as we also saw in 2016 with The Divine Feminism. I will continue to support Mac Miller in anyway because his music has been a huge part of my life and is always a reliable listen.
Taking Back Sunday At Festival Pier in Philly
by Ashley Gallagher
During the middle of July, what is better than a concert by the water and on the sand? That is exactly what Festival Pier in Pennsylvania has to offer. On July 28th, Taking Back Sunday and Coheed and Cambria took the stage with a little help from The Story So Far. The trio was a perfect arrangement of different styles of rock. The Story So Far played a newer version of pop punk that catered to the younger audience that found their way to the show. The crowd responded well to their style by crowdsurfing and singing along to their music. As they were finishing up, the venue was slowly becoming more packed with people who either decided to stand front and center or even decided to enjoy the music from the side near the merch stands.
Wherever you were during Taking Back Sunday’s set was enjoyable. The band was lively on stage with a backdrop catering to their most recent album, Tidal Waves. But what would a Taking Back Sunday set be without Adam Lazzara’s signature mic swing? The fans showed up for a performance and Taking Back Sunday sure did deliver. Aside from the band itself, I found that one of the most enjoyable parts was watching the people in the audience. The ages varied from people in their twenties, their thirties, their teens, and even parents’ who brought their children to the show. There was one little kid who danced to every song while wearing headphones and a few people would stop to dance with him before rejoining the crowd. In addition to that, I saw people running from the merch and food lines the second “Makedamnsure” began, a clear crowd favorite. Coheed and Cambria carried the same energy in their set and the crowd was far from slowing down.
Not only was this one of the most enjoyable concerts I have been to in a long time, I could tell the energy was unmatched on this summer night. It was a perfect concert and I look forward to getting an opportunity to experience a Taking Back Sunday Set again.
