by Luisa Bloom
Going to an arts schools has its perks from time to time. Whether it’s one of a kind fashion or its breathtaking live performances, The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) doesn’t disappoint in the talent department. It would stand to reason that ChiArts would also have awesome taste in music, so I asked students from different grade levels about the current music they’re listening to.
Music is a beautiful gateway to conversation and understanding. Everyone listens to different things, and that’s something that makes every ChiArts student feel unique. Here are just a couple of students who had music to share with the world:
Gillian Koptik, senior
What is your current favorite song or album?
Right now it’s hard to say, but an album I’ve been listening to a lot the past couple months has been “The Soft Bulletin“ by the Flaming Lips.
Why is this one of your favorites?
I really love how complete the album feels, and how it really pulls the listener in and makes the songs feel like your own personal soundtrack. when I listen to it I feel super comfortable and relaxed, it’s a super good cool-down album.
What’s a favorite lyric from that album?
When you fell in love it was so sweet / So devoted, completely swept off your feet / Love is the greatest thing a heart can know / but the hole that it leaves in its absence can make you feel so low.
from “the spiderbite song.”
Julianna Nevarez, senior:
What is your current favorite song or album?:
Currently my favorite album is “1992 Deluxe” by Princess Nokia
Why is this one of your favorite songs/albums?:
It’s currently a favorite of mine because of how she decides to start off the album with the song “Bart Simpson.” The laid-back beat with a group of children yelling, “Leave her alone, leave her alone” before Princess Nokia begins her rap eases you into the album. Her intricate lyrics of her personal story reflect her strong character. The song is about her being a “f***up,” and she does her own thing and carries her individuality with power. Other songs on the album like “Tomboy,” “Mine,” and “Greenline” all reflect Nokia’s life growing up in NewYork City.
If this song (or album) you like has lyrics, what’s your favorite lyric in the song?:
My favorite lyrics from “Bart Simpson” would be, Always cheat on your test / don’t be like the rest .
Henry Carlson, junior:
What is your current favorite song or album?
My current favorite album is “Random Access Memories” by Daft Punk
Why is this one of your favorite songs/albums?
this is my favorite album because it is the apotheosis of Daft Punk’s musical evolution and as a whole is what I consider to be a very well-rounded album. The album follows a progression that unfolds almost like a plot diagram. The album takes you from prologue to rising action to resolution through sound alone.
If this song (or album) you like has lyrics, what’s your favorite lyric in the song?
My favorite lyric in the album would probably be, The perfect song is framed with silence, from the song “Beyond.”
Allan Ayala, sophomore:
What is your current favorite song or album?
My current favorite album is “Immunity” by Clairo. I always like to discover new music and usually what I most recently add to my music library is the music I listen to most often.
Why is this one of your favorite songs/albums?
It’s one of my favorite albums at the moment due to the Lo-Fi sound of the album combined with Clairo’s beautiful voice and the lyrics. The album was produced by Rostam Batmanglij, who was a previous member of Vampire Weekend, and I feel like that’s what most pulls it together.
If this song (or album) you like has lyrics, what’s your favorite lyric in the song?
One of my favorite lyrics off the album is from my favorite song off the album, which is “Sofia.” Sofia know that you and I shouldn’t feel like a crime. Clairo is exploring a more intimate and emotional part of herself on “Immunity,” and this one song in particular, and that lyric, has some of the most emotion.
