Arts & Culture

“NOID”: Tyler’s Horror Movie

By |

In a 2014 interview with Larry King, Tyler the Creator said that for the future, “[when] people mention my name, I’m next to Wes Anderson or Quentin Tarantino” — some of the world’s greatest film directors. Tyler made his directing debut with his music video for “Yonkers” in 2011, amassing over 150 million views, and since then he has continued to direct for the past 13 years. Knowing this, it was beyond thrilling watching Tyler drop music videos for his new album, “Chromakopia.” Last Friday, he released the music video for his new song “NOID” based on the fear and paranoia he has experienced that ensued with his rising popularity, crazy fan encounters and stalking paparazzi, and how these feelings have led to distrust and a constant anxiety when around the public. Using horror movie tactics, the emotional themes in “NOID” work not only to comment on the lack of boundaries between celebrities and the world, but also to instill the same anxiety in viewers. 

“NOID” asks us to feel paranoid. The opening scene, in which Tyler walks against an angry and disgusted crowd, delivers the audience a palpable sense of isolation.

Arts & Culture

Charli D’Amelio and Broadway: Disaster or Earned?

By |

Whenever I buy Broadway tickets, I always look at the cast before I go. Normally, I wouldn’t know many of the names of those performing with the exception of a few big Broadway stars — like when I saw Ben Platt in Parade (my friend won a contest and I saw him for $40) or when I saw Jordan Fisher in Hadestown (my favorite Broadway musical to this day). Still, I don’t go to Broadway for the celebrities, but to watch a show with a hardworking and passionate cast. So you can imagine my slight discomfort and shock when I heard that TikTok star Charli D’Amelio was joining the cast of & Juliet on Broadway. 

For those of you who have not heard of this musical, & Juliet is a continuation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet except that Juliet doesn’t die in the end; instead, she wakes up and continues living her life. The show capitalizes on Juliet making her own decisions while using popular songs like “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson and “I Want It That Way” by NSYNC.

Arts & Culture

“Hot Glue”: Sticking to After Six

By |

If you’re new to Cornell and looking for more on-campus bands to listen to, you may have heard of After Six, a band made of Cornell undergraduate students. After Six, who opened for Slope Day 2023, mixes jazz, pop, R&B and neo-soul to adhere not only to each member’s own taste in music, but also to make their art very open to anyone and everyone despite what your favorite music genre might be. They recently released a new single called “Hot Glue,” a song that won’t just have you turning your volume up to dance around the room while your roommate is out, but might also have you thinking about that certain someone that makes your heart pound every time you see them. Compared to their other single, “A6 Funk,” which plays more with a hip-hop, street-style sound, “Hot Glue” brings along a jazzy bass line, a brass section spotlight and riffs to die for. 

The song opens with a slow piano introduction and some beautiful riffs, which then lead to bits of bass, drum and harmonization from vocalists Noëlle Romero ’24, Summer Seward ’25, and Austin Burgett ’25. The piano keeps a primary melodic motif, this being the descending three notes we hear repeated in the verse.