By Emily Murphy
Taylor Swift's recent “Eras Tour” has warmed the hearts of the millions who were able to attend, while leaving heartbroken those fans that were unable to snag tickets in the notorious Ticketmaster controversy. Beginning in March of 2023, it is estimated that there are approximately 72,000 attendees at each show, amounting to about $2.2 billion in ticket sales alone, making “Eras” the highest grossing tour in history (CNN). With many fans purchasing tickets at record-high prices, that begs the question, “Is it worth it?” As someone who personally experienced The Eras Tour along with some friends, I can tell you that Taylor Swift not only flawlessly delivers her songs, but puts on a memorable performance. For each concert, Swift performs forty-four songs, including two “surprise songs” that she chooses specifically for each performance, adding a special and exclusive element to each concert. Both surprise songs are played acoustically. On special occasions, Taylor Swift will sometimes bring out a guest performer to sing her songs with her; artists such as Ice Spice, Phoebe Bridgers, Marcus Mumford, and Aaron Dessner have all made appearances.
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By Gwenyth Davey
Book Two is finally here! After a little bit of a wait, Rebecca Yarros has released her second book in the Empyrean series, called Iron Flame. The book picks up almost exactly right where the last book left off, so there are no time skips, which makes it very easy for the reader to re-immerse themselves in the plot very quickly. However, there were many things about this book that I was a little disappointed in. In my opinion, I rated this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. I absolutely loved the first book in the series and definitely had high expectations going into reading Iron Flame. Unfortunately, I felt slightly disappointed and, while I had almost nothing negative to say about the first book, I do have some things to say about the second book. One of the biggest critiques that I have about this book is that it is incredibly long. This book took me forever to read and, a lot of the time, I felt discouraged looking at how much more of the book I had left. The first book, Fourth Wing, was only 498 pages, which, to some, may seem like a lot. However, Iron Flame is 623 pages – a very daunting number! I also noticed that the font size in Iron Flame is a lot smaller than the font size in Fourth Wing, meaning that it is even longer than it may seem at first glance. By Emily Murphy
On September 8th, 2023, Olivia Rodrigo released her second album, Guts. After the release of her debut album, Sour, fans did not hear from Rodrigo for about two years and had little idea of what to expect from her new album. However, the majority of fans were pleasantly surprised by Rodrigo's “new sound.” Olivia Rodrigo was 18-years-old and fresh off of her Disney Channel original, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” when Sour, her first album, was released. Recently, while reflecting on her rise to stardom, Rodrigo described herself as being “wide-eyed and bushy tailed,” according to E! News, but a lot has changed in two years. Rodrigo now talks about struggling with her newfound fame throughout Guts, specifically in “all american *****”, "teenage dream,” and “making the bed.” By Gwenyth Davey
“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead.” Fourth Wing, written by Rebecca Yarros, is a fantasy novel that contains a bit of romance and has recently taken readers by storm. The book is set in a place called Navarre and it follows 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail, the daughter of the commanding general, who is sent to the rider’s quadrant at Basgiath War College. In the rider’s quadrant, cadets are trained for their threshing, the moment when a dragon will choose its rider. The majority of the cadets in the rider’s quadrant will either die during threshing or before it. Since Violet is the smallest of the cadets and has a condition known as EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), she is expected to be the first to fail. I read this book over the summer, and I absolutely loved it. Fourth Wing is reminiscent of the Divergent series combined with Harry Potter, and offers a pathway through which childhood fans of those series can experience a nostalgic and exciting world of a similar making at an older age. By Mia Bencal
Kyoto Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Bridgers recently rose to fame after opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, and following the success of her band, Boygenius. Her successful solo career can be attributed to hits like “Funeral,” featured in Prime’s The Summer I Turned Pretty, and “Scott Street,” a heartfelt song about childhood. “Kyoto,” written about Bridgers’ time in the Japanese city, is a perplexing song with a deeper meaning, which causes the listener to fantasize about a long drive. The upbeat indie sound gives crisp, cool vibes, making it perfect to listen to whilst curled up with a mug of hot coco or watching the snow fall out your window. Let The Light In Lana Del Ray Known for combining modern lyrics with classic style, Lana Del Ray does just that on “Let The Light In.” The song tells of the simplicities of love, whether grabbing something to eat or listening to The Beatles. “Let The Light In” is a sullen tune with a catchy chorus, emanating a cozy feeling. Exile (The Long Pond Studio Sessions) Taylor Swift ft. Bon Iver “Exile (The Long Pond Studio Sessions)” is another hit from Taylor Swift. The original version of “Exile,” the fourth track on Album-of-the-Year winning Folklore, is a tragic tale of two ex-lovers. Bon Iver’s voice adds another layer to the story, immersing the listener in the narrative. The Long Pond Studio Sessions capture the rawness of both the instruments and musicians. By: Emily Murphy
If you’re not living under a rock, you’ve likely heard at least one song from the hit album, SOS. Solána Imani Rowe, better known as SZA, has been topping charts and making headlines since her first album in 2017. Since then fans have been waiting for a new album; on December 9th, SZA delivered. By: Gwenyth Davey
Taylor Lautner, known for his many roles throughout the years, most notably his role as Jacob in the Twilight saga, has recently gotten married to Taylor Dome. Lautner, who is 30-years-old, and Dome, who is 25-years-old, have been dating since 2018 when they went public with their relationship. They were first introduced by Lautner’s sister when he decided to take a break from acting. Dome had actually been a huge fan of the Twilight series and knew exactly who Lautner was when they were introduced.. When opening up The Final Gambit, I am instantly brought back to the Hawthorne Mansion in Texas, watching as the main protagonist, Avery Grambs, solves every last puzzle and mystery that was left behind for her by the deceased billionaire, Tobias Hawthorne.
The Final Gambit is the last book in The Inheritance Games trilogy written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Barnes is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 20 young adult novels. The Inheritance Games, which is the first book in the trilogy, was nominated for the GoodReads Choice Award, the Edgar Award for young adult and YALSA’S Teens Top Ten. The first book in the series was rated a 4.5, the second book was rated a 4, and the last book was given a 4.3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads. The whole series is classified as mystery with a sprinkle of romance, and involves a love triangle between Avery and two of Tobias Hawthorne’s grandsons, Jameson and Grayson. By: Isabella Morhaim
Taylor Swift has done it again. Swift has released her second re-recorded album, Red (Taylor’s Version), originally released on October 22, 2012. Swift also released eight new songs from the vault, which is making fans go crazy. Taylor Swift started her music career at the age of sixteen, releasing her debut album, Taylor Swift. Swift got into country music, although, around the age of seventeen, Swift wanted a change; Swift wanted to make a cautious entry into pop music without alienating her country fans. Swift released Fearless on November 11, 2008, which quickly became a pop-country icon and expanded Swift’s signature sound. Music critics found more interest in Swift’s music knowing that she had the capability to create a successful country-pop album. However Scooter Braun, a record executive, and her record label, Big Machine, would go on to take advantage of Swift by restricting her right to her own music, while simultaneously profiting off of it themselves. In order to reclaim her music, Swift began to re-record previous albums, showing fans and the world that present day Swift knows exactly what she is doing. By: Leah Cerami Will Gold, most commonly known as Wilbur Soot, is a Twitch streamer who has always had a love for music. Once he started the band, Lovejoy, his first album was a huge success. Lovejoy’s Pebble Brain was meant for a teenage demographic, but the album’s reach extends to young adults and people in their late twenties, as well. Not only does the album start off with a fun exciting beat, but it transitions into sad lyrics, sharing the reality of life as an adult, which makes the album more accessible and relatable to a variety of ages.
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