CS 400U Digital Media and New Aural Cultures Fall 2024

I was in middle school when I first heard the song "Bed Peace," by Jhene Aiko & Childish Gambino on musical.ly. I heard it and instantly pulled out my Shazam because I loved the chorus so much. From that day forward, a good decade later, I am still swoon by Jhene Aiko. I love Jhene Aiko because she is one of the few people famous people (especially amongst the Diddy scandals) you can consider a genuinely good person. While other celebrities are going to "freak-offs," Jhene is at home tending to her children and meditating. I love the soft life that she promotes with her personality and her music.  One thing everybody should know about me is I am an avid concert goer, and I try my best to see everybody I like that comes to Toronto. I probably go to Scotiabank Arena or Budweiser stage once a month. Last month was PARTYNEXTDOOR, this month was A Boogie with a Hoodie, and next month is Billie Eilish. After a decade of being a dedicated fan, I thought I was the chose...

Just as we talked about in class, one way I find new songs or music genres is through the use of TikTok. One song that I really enjoyed was from a Sports edit of NHL players and that short clip of the end of the song had me interested to I looked it up on spotify and listened In the video the song used is Gone,Gone /Thankyou by Tyler the creator from his album IGOR which I would like to focus on. The lyrics used in the video are “Thank you for the love, thank you for the joy, But I will never want to fall in love again, Thank you for the time, thank you for your mind, oh, But I don't ever want to fall in love again” In this song Tyler sings about losing his love through the song he struggles with his “love” leaving you can see a mix of anger, sadness, betrayal, then it gets to the end of the song and the beat switches up and in these last parts is when these lyrics are used showing that he truly appreciated the time with them even though he doesn't want the change, ending it by...

I would like to share my Spotify top 9 songs of 2023.  I believe Spotify wrapped can say a lot about a person, there is little to no bias, it is the straight numbers of who you were listening to the most. Right away, as most people already know, we can see that Drake is clearly my top artist. However, the interesting thing about these songs being here is that Spotify Wrapped is tracked from November to November, and Drake's album “For All The Dogs” came out October 6th. Therefore in the 2 months of the album's release, I listened to enough of it that 5/9 songs in my top 5 are from that album.  As I go through all the songs in my Wrapped, the genres bounce around from pop to R&B, but the top 9 are all rap songs, and I don't even consider myself a big “rap” listener. I t is extremely interesting how Spotify can show you things that you are not even aware of. I was interested in taking this course because I wanted to expand my horizons when it comes to music and digital me...

Hi everyone! For my first post I thought I would share a spotify playlist I made called "my 3rd generation iPod nano". This playlist started with me compiling all the songs that were downloaded from the iTunes store onto my 3rd generation iPod nano when I was younger, which is how I listened to music (either with headphones or connected to the dock on my clock radio). Over time tough, I began to add more songs I remembered hearing on the radio and elsewhere from that time period.  The songs on this playlist give me a sense of nostalgia as they remind me of happy memories from when I was little and would listen to music with my family and friends. I didn't have too many songs on my iPod, so I would listen to the same 20 songs over and over again, so hearing those specific ones definitely gives me nostalgia from that time. This course interested me because I love to listen to music and podcasts, and I thought the topics in the course description would make for a really inte...

I have decided to share one of my favourite Spotify playlists that I listen to everyday. As you can see in the screenshot, I have left the name at “My Playlist #70”. Usually I name my playlist based on what they were created for such as “Gym”, or “Studying”, but this playlist is just perfect for every situation so I could never figure out the perfect name. (If anyone has any name suggestions for a playlist that fits every vibe, please feel free to add it in your reply!). I listen to this playlist when I am getting ready in the morning, when I am walking to class, in the car and so much more. This playlist is prominent in my everyday aural experience because it never fails to put me in a good mood. It includes my favourite songs that I never get tired of listening to, my favourite artists and is the perfect mix of chill and upbeat songs. When it is time for me to share music that I find meaningful with the class, it will definitely be a song from this playlist, although they’re all so i...

I recommend checking out the podcast Every Single Album hosted by Nora Princiotti and Nathan Hubbard. Every Single Album breaks down Taylor Swift's career as the hosts go through her entire discography; my favourite episodes are '1989' Every Single Album and 'Lover' Every Single Album . These links take you to Spotify, but you can watch through Apple Podcasts as well. The podcast was initially called Every Single Album: Taylor Swift, but as the hosts explored albums by other artists, like Olivia Rodrigo, Adele, Harry Styles, and more, the name changed to simply Every Single Album. Swift, however, remains the podcast's mainstay as they discuss her life, The Eras Tour, and popular culture. I came across this podcast when the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders were in effect. At the time, the podcast gave me something to look forward to weekly and became a part of my mental health walk regimen. Additionally, it was the first podcast that piqued my inter...

 The first and only CD that was ever gifted to me was the Good Girl Gone Bad album by Rihanna. I remember playing it on a radio CD player when I was little. This was before I ever knew what Spotify or Apple Music was. Since then, Rihanna has always been one of my favourite artists and I now have an album on Spotify that is only dedicated to her. One of her songs that really resonates with me is "Umbrella". This song resonates with me because she says my name in it. The lyric with my name goes "Umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh. I have a memory of being with my family and when this song came on, everyone started to sing my name and point at me. This also happens when I am with my friends. So whenever I hear this song, it reminds me of being around my family and friends.  https://youtu.be/CvBfHwUxHIk?si=nz1M6HWzD--Vu_-R   I took this course because I always had an interest in learning more about digital media because it is such a big thing in our daily lives. I am also inte...

     Recently, something in the world of digital media that I find very intriguing is a TikTok video of Chappell Roan performing her unreleased song "The Subway" at Bonnaroo. When I first heard the song, I thought it was so sonically beautiful that I let the TikTok play multiple times. Since then, the TikTok has been saved in my favourites and I find myself playing the video at random times of the day. I'm unsure why the song resonates with me, I think I appreciate how expressive her voice is and how it depicts grief. The chant "She got away" or "She's got a way" (double entendre) captures this feeling of loss, whether it be a relationship or a friendship that slips away before one can fully grasp it. In university life, where relationships and experiences are constantly evolving, I've been turning to this song to serve as a reminder of how fleeting and fragile some connections can be. Listening to this song has been a cathartic experience that...

Although I enjoy many genres of music, my favourite by far is country. The country music playlist I created on Apple Music has been the same for around seven years, and I continue to add to it every time I find a new song I enjoy listening to. I enjoy listening to pretty much every type of country, but my favourite songs are the ones that tell a story. I like creating an image of a story in my head when listening to the lyrics. Some artists featured on my playlist are Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, Megan Moroney, Luke Combs, and many (many) more. I listen to this playlist mostly when driving, but I also listen to it when I am getting ready for the day or going out with my friends. Here is the link to my playlist; enjoy!!  https://music.apple.com/ca/playlist/howdy/pl.u-yZyVDLrtYx5NbNM I decided to take CS400U because music is one of my passions, and it is something that I enjoy learning and writing about. I would love to learn more about the evolution of music genres (s...

  "Lana del Rey knows, Lana del Rey sees, and most importantly, Lana del Rey understands."

  Welcome to the CS 400 Fall 2024 Collaborative Course Blog!!!