Counterpoint: Taylor Swift’s new single is gloomy and messy


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“Is she about to rap?” asked my roommate as we pressed play on Taylor Swift’s new single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” and heard the progression of 90s-esque minor chords. The single comes from Swift’s long-awaited sixth studio album, reputation, which is slated for release this November. Luckily, Swift did not rap. She did, […]

Taylor Swift’s new single solidifies her pop stardom


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Taylor Swift is back — and she’s finally shed her skin. In one of the most stunning comebacks in recent music history, Swift “rose up from the dead” with a single proclamation in her heel-turning single “Look What You Made Me Do”: The “old Taylor” is officially dead. Since its release, “Look” — the lead […]

On the Run is a mediocre disappointment


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Atlanta-based DJ Niko the Kid recently released his EP On the Run. In the past, he has commissioned beats for Akon and Gucci Mane, as well as remixed tracks for CeeLo Green, Tinashe and Parson James. On the Run represents his debut on the label Dim Mak, as he blends elements of electro, speed garage […]

Quirky museums showcase LA’s underground counterculture


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With heavy hitters like  the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The Getty Center right in USC’s backyard, Los Angeles is undoubtedly a world-class destination for the fine arts. But really, you can only look at so many pleasant post-impressionist paintings before you start to crave something a little quirkier, and a little more […]

REVIEW: MTR performs coming-of-age musical Edges


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On Friday, the Musical Theatre Repertory at USC presented Edges, a song-cycle musical comprised of individual songs performed in a sequence and written by songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The musical is made up of 15 songs: Each song contains unrelated stories and characters, but still possesses similar coming-of-age themes that are indelibly […]