MONTERO

courtesy of columbia records

Montero is the first studio album released by Lil Nas X. It debuted in September of 2021, just in time for the beginning of the school year. When it was released, I played the album all the way through and had it on repeat for the next couple of weeks. Montero is essentially the diary of Lil Nas X that documents his journey through life in 15 songs.

“Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” was the first single released and the first track. Lil Nas X posted to Instagram, dedicating the song to his younger self. The music video sparked much controversy among Christians and conservatives as it shows Lil Nas X giving Satan a lap dance. The song and music video play on the hypocrisy of Christianity that treats homosexuality as a sin. But, the song is more about the love we need to teach ourselves rather than the religious hate towards gay people.

“Dead Right Now” is the second track on the album and is a narrative about his family and friends who didn’t support him growing up. Now that he’s hugely successful, these people have tried to come back into his life.

“Industry Baby” is the third song and features Jack Harlow. This song highlights that Lil Nas X is not just a “one-hit wonder” as he boasts about his accomplishments as an artist with his multiple Grammy wins.

“That’s What I Want” comes next and tells the story of Lil Nas X’s love life. It highlights the struggles he has faced while trying to date as a black, gay man. There are limited portrayals of black, gay men in relationships in media, so a relationship like this has seemed unattainable for Lil Nas X. But he remains hopeful and knows he is deserving of love.

lil nas x at the 2021 met gala: image courtesy of teenvogue.com

“The Art of Realization” is a 24-second interlude. It acts as a transition between the previous song and “Scoop.” “Scoop,” which features Doja Cat, focuses on how Lil Nas X often seeks companionship through casual hookups. He acknowledges that even though he wants a relationship, he often settles for the next best thing: a casual relationship.

“One of Me” focuses Lil Nas X’s criticisms on his way to stardom. He also touches on how he’s often not taken seriously as an artist. The song features Elton John, who received similar criticisms after coming out as gay during his career so, while this pairing is unexpected, it’s appropriate.

Lil nas x’s satan shoes designed in collaboration with mschf for the promotion of montero: image courtesy of cnn.com

“Lost in the Citadel” tells the story of how Lil Nas X lost himself in a past relationship. He was so infatuated with his partner that he was blind to how toxic the relationship was.

“Dolla Sign Slime” features Megan Thee Stallion and is essentially the two of them playing off one another about their successes.

“Tales of Dominica” touches on Lil Nas X’s insecurities and the pressure for him to succeed. Even though he’s wildly successful now, he still questions the possibility that the people in his past were right, that he’ll never amount to anything.

In “Sun Goes Down,” Lil Nas X expresses his struggles with depression and being suicidal. It touches on how he was picked on for being black and gay. Despite encountering these obstacles growing up, he’s glad that he decided to be unapologetically himself.

“Void” shows Lil Nas X’s vulnerable side. He sings about how he often feels alone, even though many people look up to him

“Don’t Want It” is about how if you want something, you can have it, and Lil Nas X sings that he is proof of this message.

“I think Lil Nas X really epitomizes the idea of expressing yourself through style. I love how he keeps breaking boundaries through his music, through his videos and with his style choices.” - Donatella Versace for GQ magazine.

“Life After Salem” has a punk-rock sound that complements its message of how an ex-lover that caused him pain and heartache ultimately left him feeling numb.

The album finishes with “Am I Dreaming.” It features Miley Cyrus, whose dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, helped Lil Nas X start his career with “Old Town Road.” Having this song last is Lil Nas X’s final way of saying, “I made it.”

Not only is this album a joy to listen to, but it also tells a wonderful story of how a young, black, gay man rose to the top, despite having so many people tell him that he would fail.  

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Molly Briggs-Webb

Molly is a student at Algonquin College. She loves writing, traveling and photography.

DAMN.

Courtesy of top dawg entertainment

Kendrick Lamar released his album DAMN in April of 2017. When the album came out, I had it on repeat for a good few weeks. DAMN was the album that really introduced me to rap. I had only heard the occasional Eminem or Kanye West song, but I had never listened to a rap album all the way through. I originally listened to it simply because I loved the music but I never thought much about what the lyrics actually meant. It never even occurred to me to think about the story he was telling through the album.

Like many albums, DAMN has various theories for its storyline. But generally, people seem to agree that the album highlights what America was like in 2017. Specifically, how divided the country was when Donald Trump was elected. At the time, republicans and followers of Trump only heard what they wanted to and ignored what they didn’t. The same mindset applied to liberals.

"I gotta stay creative, I gotta stay writing - I’m usually writing every day. I can’t miss a day without writing, whether it’s a line, a verse, or an idea. I always have to have that creative flow going."

When you listen to the songs on DAMN in pairs, they contrast each other in opposing political and social issues. The first song on the album, “Blood,” is a short and somewhat vague story about police brutality. The blind woman in the song is a symbol for the justice system and she eventually shoots the bystander who is only trying to help. The vague nature of the song shows that police brutality isn’t one particular issue but a systemic problem.

Following “Blood” is “DNA” which is longer and more detailed. It acts as a narrative of Kendrick telling the listener about all the things that make him up, the good, the bad, his failures and his successes. In comparison to “Blood,” “DNA” is more popular. This illustrates how people will turn a blind eye to police brutality and systemic racism.

“Yah” and “Element” show two opposing sides of Kendrick’s self-esteem. “Yah” shows Kendrick feeling depressed and that he has nothing to live for. But in “Element” he is extremely confident and bragging that he is the greatest rapper of all time.

courtesy of americansonwriter.com

“Feel” and “Loyalty” also contrast emotions. “Feel” highlights isolation from others while “Loyalty” fittingly shows the loyalty he feels from being connected to his peers. These two songs could be Kendrick’s connections to other people or his relationship with God. From the God perspective, “Feel” is about how people are losing their religion so “Loyalty” is God asking for people to be faithful again.

The middle songs on the album are “Pride” and “Humble.” For these two songs, the meanings are actually flipped. “Pride” is about humility while “Humble” is about being prideful. “Humble” was the first single released from DAMN and with a staggering 1.5 billion plays on Spotify, it is the most popular song on the album.

“Lust” and “Love” offer a straightforward contrast of desire and affection. “Lust” sounds somewhat eerie and outlines the selfish things people do to take advantage of others. “Love” is more upbeat and Kendrick repetitively asks someone to love him despite his possible shortcomings.

“XXX” represents chaos while “Fear” represents consistency. The music in “XXX” changes throughout the song and the lyrics don’t follow a specific storyline. “Fear” is specifically about how fear is a constant throughout life.

“God” and “Duckworth” contrast intention and free will. In “God,” Kendrick asks to not be judged for his mistakes but it is worthless because he is already damned. “Duckworth” shows that even the smallest decisions and actions can have a great impact on your life.

“When my time has come on earth, I want it to live longer than me, for the grandkids and their kids.”

When you listen to the songs on DAMN in pairs, it brings greater meaning to the album by contrasting views. The topics of the song are still relevant today, seeing as America is still very much divided after Biden won the election.

Watch Kendrick Lamar talk about his album, DAMN.

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Molly Briggs-Webb

Molly is a student at Algonquin College. She loves writing, traveling and photography.

My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade

courtesy of reprise records

The Black Parade is the third studio album by the American band My Chemical Romance. The album was released in October of 2006 and earned the band their first number-one single in the UK with “Welcome to the Black Parade.” The Black Parade is a rock opera that revolves around the central character known as “The Patient,” who has cancer. The album tells the story of his death, his experiences in the afterlife and his life reflections. This album has many interpretations of the storyline so, understandings differ from listener to listener.

“We wanted ‘The End’ to make you feel like you were about to be taken on a journey.” – Gerard Way (2006)

In my interpretation, the album begins with the death of The Patient and follows his journey to the afterlife. The Patient dies during the first two songs on the album “The End.” and “Dead!”. “The End” starts with a heart monitor beeping, and “Dead!” begins with the sound of the machine flatlining. “Welcome to the Black Parade” is The Patient’s experience of dying. Death comes for The Patient in the form of a parade. Lead singer, Gerard Way, believed that you are met by a prominent memory from your life when you die. In the case of The Patient, he is met by a parade he attended as a child. “Welcome to the Black Parade” was the first single released for the album and arguably the most well-known. If you’re ever in need of a song that’ll hype you up, I would recommend “Welcome to the Black Parade.”

“I Don’t Love You” shows The Patient’s fears and regrets as well as all the mistakes he’d made in his life. He sees his past lovers and how terribly he treated them yet, he still doesn’t want to take responsibility for his actions. “House of Wolves” shows The Patient a glimpse of hell. “Cancer” is The Patient’s final realization of what his death means to those who love him, and “Sleep” represents The Patient finally apologizing for the destructive things he did throughout his life.

“Famous Last Words” represents The Patient’s passage into either heaven or hell. The song has many rock-heavy parts leading some to believe he goes to hell. The bridge, however, is peaceful, which leads others to think he goes to heaven.  

band members from left to right: bob bryer, frank iero, Gerard way, Mikey way, ray toro. courtesy of abcnews.com

There is much debate about where The Patient dies. Some believe it is during “Welcome to the Black Parade,” meaning that “The End” is the initial thought of dying and “Dead!” is him realizing that he is going to die soon. There is also speculation that The Patient decides to fight back and keep living in the song “Famous Last Words.” The song “Blood” begins with a minute and thirty seconds of silence before the lyrics begin. These two songs together have led many to believe that The Patient survives and wakes up in the hospital as the music starts in “Blood.”

In their performances following the album’s release, the band would often dress in matching black marching band outfits. The performances were theatrical, with Gerard Way assuming a character as a member of The Black Parade, which I would have loved to see.

“The intention was to make something that was classic, something timeless.” - Ray Toro (2006)

The Black Parade was a staple during my wannabe-punk phase, and 15 years after its release, it is still being talked about and played.

Listen to MCR talk about The Black Parade

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Molly Briggs-Webb

Molly is a student at Algonquin College. She loves writing, travelling and photography.

Green Day - American Idiot

Green Day was one of the most famous — and possibly the most influential — pop-punk bands of the 1990s. American Idiot was recorded over ten months and released in September of 2004. Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong said the album was inspired by American political events such as the Iraq War, 9/11 and George W. Bush’s presidency. “American Idiot” and "Holiday” are the most explicitly political songs on the album, but the album casually connects the social dysfunction of America with Bush’s presidency. The album's content is reflective of the time it was released, but many of its themes still apply today. Armstrong derived inspiration from rock operas by bands such as The Who, David Bowie and Pink Floyd. Broadway musicals and rap artists such as Eminem and Kanye West also influenced the album.

“Formats are constantly changing, there are really no rules for the way you put your records out anymore.” - Billie Joe Armstrong

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Idiot#CITEREFDiPerna2005

As a concept album, American Idiot has multiple characters created by Billie Joe Armstrong — Jesus of Suburbia, St. Jimmy, and Whatsername — all of whom have their own songs. The first character introduced is the anti-hero Jesus of Suburbia, who is the album’s central character. Jesus of Suburbia is a lower-middle-class teenager living in suburban America. He hates his town, so he leaves for the city. St. Jimmy is introduced next as a punk rock freedom fighter. Whatsername is the nemesis of St. Jimmy and acts as a figure of revolution in the track “She’s a Rebel”. St. Jimmy and Whatsername reflect the album’s theme of rage versus love. St. Jimmy is motivated by self-destruction and rebellion, while Whatsername is fixated on encouraging others to follow their own ethics and beliefs.

courtesy of radiox.co.uk

The songs on the album follow Jesus of Suburbia’s decision-making on whether to follow St. Jimmy or Whatsername. In the last song, titled “Whatsername”, it is revealed that Jesus of Suburbia does choose Whatsername following the apparent suicide of St. Jimmy. However, in the song, Jesus of Suburbia eventually loses touch with Whatsername, hence her name. All of this being said, the album's ending is largely unspecified because the group didn’t know where the story would end up. Armstrong eventually decided that the actual ending could be left up to the listener’s imagination.

At the time of its release, Armstrong wanted the album to highlight the transition of a child becoming an adult in America. He wanted to include more political content in American Idiot than the band had included in their previous albums. Armstrong felt he needed to increase the amount of political content in his albums as he became older and grew as a musician. Along with its political content, American Idiot also touches on interpersonal relationships.

In 2004, Billie Joe Armstrong said, “Everybody just sorta feels like they don’t know where their future is heading right now, you know?”

I was only 6 in 2004, so I wouldn’t have had any reason to pay attention to what he was saying. But, I think this quote is even more relevant today. With everything that is going on in the world today, such as Covid-19, the climate crisis and the resurfacing of the Taliban (to name a few), I don’t think anyone knows where the world, in general, is headed. Many of the messages in Green Day’s American Idiot are still relevant today, making the album a timeless masterpiece.

See what Billie Joe Armstrong has to say about Donald Trump.

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Molly Briggs-Webb

Molly is a student at Algonquin College. She loves writing, travelling and photography.