ABOUT THE EDITOR:
new MUSICTaylor Swift has released her eleventh album, The Tortured Poets Department. Listen now!
BOOK MARKThe newest edition to the Crescent City series, House of Flame and Shadow, is out now!
this month's
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the tortured poets department
BY: CADEN FELLOWS
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Last Thursday at 10 PM Mountain Time, Taylor Swift released her eleventh album, The Tortured Poets Department. Usually when she releases anything, everyone online starts absolutely slobbering over her. For the last however many albums, the Swifties online all go feral and will defend Swift with their lives. Even though they still exist, this album has the Swifties in a war at the moment. Some think this is the best album of all time that should have endless praise, and others think it’s the worst thing ever made. As for my opinion, I fall somewhere in the middle, and that seems to be the consensus. To me, The New York Times sums up my opinions best with this headline. They said, “On The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift could use an editor.” An editor to cut back on some songs, some lyrics, and even some beats. This album has a whopping 31 SONGS. Thirty….one. The longest album I’ve ever listened to was Cowboy Carter at 27 songs, and unfortunately, many of these 31 songs are very forgettable. Pitchfork rated this album a 6.6 out of 10, which compared to her other albums, is a slightly lower rating. They said that, “this album gives the impression that she can’t quite hear herself over the roar of the crowd.” They continue to state that many of the songs don’t have outstanding lyrics that leave you speechless, which is bad since that’s easily her strong suit. Her vocals are good, but her songwriting is phenomenal, which makes it harder for this album to get away with worse lyrics. While I was in debate a few days ago, we had a very big discussion about this conflicting album. Fellow freshman Anna Luiza Rivelles says that she “doesn’t really like Taylor Swift, mostly because of her fans.” Other people in my class hold the opposite opinion, but are still conflicted on this album. If you asked for my opinion, I would say it’s mediocre. Although there’s little gems hidden throughout, it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack of basic lyrics, basic beats, and boring songs. I could write an entire dissertation on this if I could, but I have a word limit, so I’ll wrap up my thoughts with the sentiment that she seems to be prioritizing quantity over quality. POSTED 4/29/24 my taylor swift album ranking1. Evermore (fight the wall)
2. Folklore (sorry she's best in her indie pop era) 3. Midnights (gives me nostalgic vibes) 4. Red 5. Speak Now 6. 1989 7. reputation 8. Taylor Swift 9. The Tortured Poets Department 10. Lover 11. Fearless (sorry) WHY I LOVE THE ROCKY SERIES
BY: SHANNON BOND
STUDENT LIFE INSIDE EDITOR “Yo Adrian, I did it!” Perhaps you’ve heard this iconic line before. Or maybe you are familiar with the famous one hand punch at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps. Both of these quintessential movie references belong to the astounding, inspirational, romantical, comedic, cinematic masterpiece that is the Rocky Series. I have a special place in my heart for the series and I will be naming my firstborn daughter Adrian. You might be thinking, aren’t the Rocky movies just some stereotypical boxing movies? Yes. BUT, they are done so well. Honestly, they are what other stereotypical boxing movies wish they were. They set the framework for the genre. The characters go through such great character development, there is a wholesome romance, and of course the best boxing matches you’ve ever seen. Even though, spoiler alert, you know Rocky will always win, you are sitting at the edge of your seat, yelling at your screen for Rocky to win. |
The first two were released in the 70’s and the next two in the 80’s, the golden age of pop culture. The third movie has Mr. T, and the fourth one even goes into the Cold War. As a lover of the 70’s and 80’s, it really encapsulates the time period, and makes me love it even more.
Being released in that golden age also means that the soundtrack is IMPECCABLE. (I highly recommend listening to it before a competition, during a workout, or just anytime you need a boost of motivation.) It is the perfect mix of dad rock and inspiration.
And of course, going hand in hand with the soundtrack, there are the famous training scenes that make me feel like I could sprint up Mount Everest, swim across the pacific ocean, and then lift a car.
These movies were directed by Slyvester Stallone, written by Slyvester Stallone, and starred - you guessed it - Slyvester Stallone. This allowed for the movies to be extremely cohesive and well thought out. Even Junior Max Adams commented “I think it’s cool that Slyvester Stallone directed it, which makes it better.”
As mentioned before, these movies are so inspirational. The main character Rocky once said, “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” Absolute bars. Now tell me you don’t want to persevere through every challenge life throws at you.
“I’ve never seen them,” says sophomore Tess Walker. Don’t be like Tess. Do yourself a favor and watch at least the first two. You’ll probably end up watching the rest because you’ll be hooked. Thank me later.
POSTED 4/15/24
Being released in that golden age also means that the soundtrack is IMPECCABLE. (I highly recommend listening to it before a competition, during a workout, or just anytime you need a boost of motivation.) It is the perfect mix of dad rock and inspiration.
And of course, going hand in hand with the soundtrack, there are the famous training scenes that make me feel like I could sprint up Mount Everest, swim across the pacific ocean, and then lift a car.
These movies were directed by Slyvester Stallone, written by Slyvester Stallone, and starred - you guessed it - Slyvester Stallone. This allowed for the movies to be extremely cohesive and well thought out. Even Junior Max Adams commented “I think it’s cool that Slyvester Stallone directed it, which makes it better.”
As mentioned before, these movies are so inspirational. The main character Rocky once said, “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” Absolute bars. Now tell me you don’t want to persevere through every challenge life throws at you.
“I’ve never seen them,” says sophomore Tess Walker. Don’t be like Tess. Do yourself a favor and watch at least the first two. You’ll probably end up watching the rest because you’ll be hooked. Thank me later.
POSTED 4/15/24
ROCKY FUN FACTS
- The original script was only 90 pages long
- Slyvester Stallone wrote the script in 3 days while staying in a New York hotel room
- In Rocky IV the actor of Drago actually hit Stallone so hard he had to go to the hospital
- Eye of the Tiger by Survivor was written specifically for Rocky III
- Charlie Chaplin and Elvis Presley were fans of the movies