Zayn Malik’s sophomore album flies too close to the sun

Zayn Malik released his sophomore album, “Icarus Falls,” on Dec. 14. This sultry and rhythmic R&B album contains 27 tracks and is separated into two discs. Since leaving boyband One Direction in 2014, Malik has released many hit singles, appearing alongside top selling artists such as Sia and Taylor Swift. His first solo album, “Mind of Mine,” debuted at No. 1 on British and American charts.

It appears that “Icarus Falls,” however, will not be following Malik’s prior success. After half-hearted promotion from Malik and his team, “Icarus Falls” has struggled on the charts since day one. Though he released singles off the album leading up to its release, they all went virtually unnoticed and received little air time from radio stations. There is no stand out single, and therefore a lack of interest being generated about the album as a whole.

The album is conceptual and is modeled after the legend of Icarus. According to Greek mythology, Icarus received wings made of wax from his father, who warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, or else the wax would melt. Icarus ignored his father’s advice and flew as high as he could before his wings melted and he fell into the sea. This is not exactly a hopeful message to base a long-awaited for second album off of, and Malik’s wings seem to be melting already. The first disc contains 13 tracks, and seems to illustrate Icarus’s flight. The second portion of the album then symbolizes the inevitable fall back down to earth.

The first disc is more or less a classic R&B album. Most of the songs depict a relationship with a woman and speak to themes such as true love and lust. The opening track “Let Me” showcases Malik’s breathtaking falsetto that shot him to stardom in the first place. The song is mellow and vibey, and introduces Malik’s softer side, which is explored in the first 13 tracks. The woman in the songs seems to be a motivating force in Malik’s life, and a savior in some ways to him. The third track, “Back to Life,” is a catchy and passionate tribute to this woman. The track opens with calm guitar strokes and Malik’s soft rifts rising in power. In the chorus, Malik belts out “Honestly, she’s the only one that’s watching over me,” hinting at Malik’s struggles in life while also maintaining the theme of the power of true love.

Of the first 13 tracks, “Common” is by far one of the strongest. A gentle piano plays in the background of a strong beat, and Malik’s powerful yet soft voice is hypnotic. When Malik belts put “When I hold you in my arms / There ain’t nothin’ common ’bout us” the listener can truly feel his passion for the subject of the song. While this song stands out, many of the rest fail to do so. Songs such as “Natural,” “Imprint,” and “Flight of Stars” feel generic and, due to the lengthy nature of the album, are entirely forgettable. The listener may wonder why some of the more generic songs were not cut from the final track-list all together. The length of the album is by far a downfall, especially with so many song that do not feel necessary.

After the album’s 13th track “Icarus Interlude,” the themes and production of the following songs paint a much darker image of love, fame and what Malik truly thinks of himself. “Icarus Interlude” opens slow and melodic, with Malik’s voice murmuring “guess I flew too close to the sun / Myth will call me legend.” The concept of flight portrayed in the first 12 tracks sets up the idea of  “falling” in the remaining songs. The 14th track “Good Guy” opens up with alluring, yet ominous guitar notes as Malik warns his love interest “Don’t you fall for me, girl / I’m not the right kind / I’m a bad man.” This song marks a shift of the lovestruck, tender man in the previous songs.

The rest of the second disc explores the darker side of Malik’s mind. He speaks to the hardships of fame and the superficiality he sees in those around him. “Satisfaction” opens up with thudding drum beats and Malik’s hauntingly soft voice singing that “life is always in the way,” possibly speaking to fame and how he has struggled in the spotlight. “Satisfaction” succeeds in utilizing Malik’s voice to convey emotion in ways the songs “Insomnia” and “Entertainer” do not. It is not as though Malik’s voice ever wavers in strength or talent, but the songs feel like replicas of any R&B artist, with nothing personal holding to Malik.

Malik has always been a sort of enigmatic figure in the industry, and the release of his second album does nothing to define who he is as an artist in any way. After being molded into the “bad boy” of One Direction, Malik grew evidently miserable over the years of constant stadium tours and the carefully crafted persona Malik had to maintain in order to please his fans. He eventually split with the band in 2015, and has since been floating around the limelight, without ever fully immersing himself in his potential.

One of the second disc’s strongest ballads, “Good Years” will have any One Direction fan aching with nostalgia and pain for what the band put its members though. Even before Malik split with the band, it was evident that he had lost a spark and had been struggling with the idea of being in the spotlight. Among drug and alcohol abuse, Malik also struggled with an eating disorder. Listener’s can’t help but reminisce on the stadium tours he participated in with his fellow boybanders when Malik belts out “I close my eyes and see a crowd of a thousand tears / I pray to God I didn’t waste all my good years.” “Good Years” is a tragic song about regret and conveys the feeling trapped that Malik felt while in One Direction.

Malik is also at his strongest in the album when he explores new sounds and experiments with the genre. There are funky, synth-inspired beats in “Sour Diesel” and “Rainberry.” It makes the listener wish Malik was more experimental in more of the album’s 27 tracks. “Rainberry” is also an example of smooth and sexy funk that breaks from his typical R&B mode. These songs are mysterious and maintain Malik’s brooding image, yet they sound distinct and could really define him as an artist. The only problem is that they are drowned out by the 20 other more generic, less inspired songs.

Overall, the album is too long and convoluted, which shows in record sales. Despite a long tracklist, no song stands out. “Icarus” does not deviate enough from “Mind of Mine,” and many of Malik’s new songs feel as though they were mere leftovers from his first album. The instrumental production of each song feels too similar, and it is hard to truly pull each track apart or find a distinction between them.

The concept of Icarus is gently touched upon, but mostly feels forced on the album. The concept of flight and fall is interrupted and distracted by the album’s length, and therefore is not as poignant as the message could have been. While it is understandable that this previous boybander may have gotten so close to the limelight that his wings may have melted, it is not a strong message to send for his solo career. Icarus falls to the earth never to return again. Let’s hope that Malik’s solo career does not follow in the same direction.

Written by: Alyssa Ilsley — arts@theaggie.org

Saying goodbye to minions, welcoming in the Grinch

When “The Grinch” was released on Nov. 9, there was a lot of buzz surrounding it. Some of the buzz was due to the soundtrack that ranged in sounds, featuring rap artists like Tyler, the Creator and Run-DMC, while still containing other more “grinch-typical” Christmas songs from the Supremes and Nat King Cole. It’s often a comical combination when childhood remakes synthesize with more contemporary and relevant artists or pop culture symbols, such as the unique and radical sound of Tyler, the Creator as he raps about such a common and popular Christmas figure. For many college students, this juxtaposition is almost intriguing in its opposition, and because of that, an interest has intentionally been sparked in The Grinch.

While many would argue that the Grinch never left as a cultural celebrity and name in American culture, the publicity and advertisement for this new film was  promotionally similar to the way the minions from Illumination’s “Despicable Me” franchise took off as a cultural phenomenon.

For a film that has devoted $80 million to various promotion campaigns, the most recent Grinch movie has surpassed all other promotions for previous versions of the movie. In an article by Deadline titled “‘The Grinch’ Global Promo Campaign Grows Several Sizes from First Movie to $80M,” the various portrayals of the Grinch in advertisements are compared and expanded on in regards to past portrayals.

The article writes, “first time partnerships for the studio with Grinch include Wonderful Pistachios, Ebates, Pur and China Glaze. There’s also returning Illumination partners too including as IHOP, Bloomingdales, 23andMe, General Mills, Puffs and BarkBox.”

While IHOP focuses on Grinch-green colored pancakes and hot chocolate, Bloomingdale’s windows feature Grinch-themed decoration and decor, while Puffs has created holiday boxes that center around the Grinch and other Whoville characters.

How this promotional campaign differs is through its choice to appeal to a wider ranging audience, which can be seen in its soundtrack but also in its ad campaigns and partnerships with the NBA. In Ringer’s article, “The Story Behind ‘The Grinch’ and the Weirdest Marketing Campaign of the Year,” Illumination’s partnership with the Grinch is explored in great detail, questioning why a movie that is classically focused and geared towards a younger audience is attempting to attract a different age, specifically the age group of 18-34 year olds that most frequently watch NBA programming. In addition, the article explores various realms of social media that have been created as advertisement techniques to mimic the voice of the Grinch in a comical and mature (yet still appropriate) manner, as the Grinch tweeted on the turnout of a sports game.

The article ended reflecting on the current state of advertising and consumerism saying, “In an era of unceasing appetites and fleeting attention spans, perhaps a movie’s best bet is to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks, even if it happens to be at J.R. Smith’s expense.”

In addition, many of the Grinch billboards were specific to the cities they were placed in, with slogans that said “I could watch you crawl through traffic all day” and “Rent is so cheap here” along an all green billboard with the Grinch on it. These snarky billboards add to the comical persona that Universal and Illuminations helped craft of a 2018 Grinch that would say things such as “I put gluten in your smoothie” and other slogans that helped evoke the comical negativity of the Grinch.

While this push in advertising can be attributed to its goal of getting more people to go see “The Grinch” in theatres, it has kicked off a more cultural trend of Grinch costumes, funny Youtube makeup videos, and catchy music (including Tyler, the Creator’s album titled “Music Inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch”). As the modern day Grinch has attempted to rebrand in matters that echoe the comical interests of millenials and young adults in advertising attempts, he still remains accessible for children to enjoy.

Many children’s films that have gained attention recently have been similar in that they are continuing the legacy of movies that ages 18-34 remembered as kids. Movies such as “Monsters University,” “Incredibles 2,” and the highly anticipated “Toy Story 4” have gained attention from and attracted an older audience because of the resonance and attachment that many had to these films as adults.

Although the Grinch is a character that everybody grew up with, this attention to advertising and creating a franchise among older people seemed to be echoing and attempting to invoke the same emotions that these other continuations and remakes have gained without holding the exact same level of endearment in terms of cultural importance. Partially, this disconnect seems to be in the difference between the Grinch as a character that has been created, and these other films as entire stories and worlds that were adored.

Nevertheless, this influx in promotion and advertisement has been exciting this holiday season as the snarky, negative Grinch has taken over and appealed to all ages, urging them to buy in (pun intended) to the new accessible version of the Grinch.

Written by: Rosie Schwarz — arts@theaggie.org

Ali, Mortensen deliver a heartwarming performance

The movie “Green Book” features stars Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali as they make their way through the Deep South during the Jim Crow Era. Ali graces the screen as the renowned African American pianist Don Shirley, who tours high-society venues throughout the South with the goal of changing racist perspectives with his performances.

“Green Book” begins by introducing the Italian-American Tony Vallelonga, played by Mortensen. When the nightclub where Vallelonga works as a bouncer closes for renovations, Vallelonga finds himself struggling to pay rent and support his family, going so far as to compete in a hotdog eating competition.

Shirley hires Vallelonga as his driver and bodyguard for his tour. While Shirley is refined, dignified and holds a doctorate in Psychology, Music and Liturgical Arts, Vallelonga is crude, vulgar and illiterate. Vallelonga is also racist. An early scene finds Vallelonga’s wife, Dolores, offering lemonade to African American repairmen, to which Vallelonga responds by tossing the used glasses in the trash. He reluctantly accepts the job as Shirley’s driver.

To be expected, Vallelonga clashes with Shirley, and the two begin the eight-week tour in mutual dislike. Vallelonga becomes increasingly impressed with Shirley’s classical performances and the high end venues. He writes his wife that he thinks Shirley is a genius.

Vallelonga also becomes more and more aware of the blatant prejudice Shirley endures. He is forced to refer to a pamphlet called the Green Book, a guide for African Americans on where they are welcome to shop, eat and sleep.

The duo manage their way through segregated hotels and bathrooms, sundown towns and violent exchanges. Throughout the trip, Vallelonga writes letters to his wife detailing his experiences and attempting to express his love for her. With help from Shirley, Vallelonga improves his romantic prose and a new understanding between the two men develops.

While the movie is ripe with comedic moments, a dialogue is opened about race in America. At one point, Vallelonga claims that with his low-income and living situation, he is more African American than Shirley. He cites the fact that Shirley was raised in a high-class society, lives in an ornately decorated apartment above Carnegie Hall and is not at all familiar with the stereotypical food and music of African American culture. Shirley shuts him down by distinguishing between race and class. Even though poor and uneducated, Vallelonga is still white and this ultimately grants him privilege and access.

“Green Book,” directed by Peter Farrelly, is based off a true story. Vallelonga’s son, Nick Vallelonga, wrote the screenplay based on his father’s letters to his mother and interviews with his father and Shirley, who reportedly remained good friends. There has been recent controversy, however. Shirley’s living relatives condemned the film for overstating the friendship between the men, in addition to falsely portraying Shirley as isolated and uncomfortable with his identity. “The Green Book” also depends on the problematic “Magical Negro” trope, where a black man and his story only exist to help a white man with his problems, which is seen is “The Green Mile,” “Ghost,” “Shawshank Redemption” and “The Legend of Bagger Vance.”

Despite this, “Green Book” is a feel-good optimistic film. While at first glance the film comes across as formulaic, subscribing to both the buddy movie and road trip plot cliches, the phenomenal acting by both Mortensen and Ali contribute to a fresh, nuanced performance.

So far well-received by audiences and critics, “Green Book” is already generating awards season buzz. The National Board of Review has named it the best film of 2018.

“Green Book” is playing at Regal Davis Stadium 5 as well as at multiple theaters in Sacramento.

Written By: Cheyenne Wiseman — arts@theaggie.org

“Hereditary” actor burdened with dark remembrance from time on set

When an artist becomes too invested in the craft, it can consume the mind. So is the tale of Alex Wolff, an actor with post-traumatic stress disorder from his lead role in A24’s latest horror film, “Hereditary.” Wolff’s character, Peter, is a disengaged teenager that toes the line between masochism and innocence in the face abysmal despair. Peter’s wretched fate is to be expected, but not Wolff’s; for the post-production symptoms he describes having are concerning to say the least.

In an interview with Vice, Wolff said that the nerve-racking production left him in a “raw and volatile state.” Furthermore, he described having fits with memory loss, as he couldn’t remember shooting some of the film’s most iconic horror scenes, not to mention the post-production flashbacks he has experienced regularly. Much like his character, Wolff isn’t letting this torment consume him, but he is aware of its presence and mindful of its gravity.

For anyone who hasn’t seen “Hereditary,” it will go down in history as an “Exorcist”-esque family drama that wheels through perpetual grief and satanic rituals only to leave the audience with a black hole where their soul once was by the time the ending credits roll. In the film, every character either ends up decapitated or possessed in some way. To say that the cast had to embody a level of darkness for their role is putting it lightly. Even watching the movie is emotionally taxing, as it is a two hour cinematic dance with one of the eight kings of Hell.

“It’s hard to describe eloquently, it’s just a feeling,” Wolff said in his interview. “I don’t think you can go through something like this and not have some sort of PTSD afterwards.”

Although vague at first, Wolff’s statement makes sense after seeing what his character goes through in the film. To omit the main spoilers, Peter’s torment in “Hereditary” is, in some ways, relatable to Frodo Baggins’s plight in “The Lord of the Rings,” if, instead, Frodo fell into the pit of Mount Doom and watched Middle-Earth turn to darkness as he slowly burned alive rather than returning home to the Shire at the trilogy’s end.

Wolff, a rising star on the silver screen, is widely known for his role in “The Naked Brothers Band,” a Nickelodeon musical-show that he starred in as a child in the early 2000s. Then for his recent acts in “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and “Patriots Day,” where he proved his acting prowess as an adult. But Wolff’s most recent performance in “Hereditary” sheds light on the darkness he is willing to embody for a serious acting career, as his dedication to the role required some weighty preparation tactics.

In discussing the film and the repercussions it had on his psyche, Wolff revealed that some of the movie’s disturbing scenarios haunted him during the filming process and is still doing so today. But Wolff does not shy away from the abyss, instead he sees it as a petrol for an acting career.

“When I started talking about it, all these flashes with all this disturbing sh*t I went through sorta came back in a flood.” Wolff said, “It kept me up at night to where I got into a habit of emotional masochism at that point of just trying to take in every negative feeling I could draw from.”

Wolff described the darkness he forced upon himself in order to tap into the role of Peter. He described it as sitting on a furnace: rather than abandoning the pain, he would sit and soak every ounce of the inferno until it became unbearable — then remain seated.

“It’s a reverse emotional thing […] I had to do the exact opposite of that and absorb the pain and let it burn.” Wolff said.

When asked why he took on such a traumatic role, Wolff responded, “I sorta hate myself, so that’s probably it. I just want to punish myself and give myself the hardest time possible.”

“The unique experience of ‘Hereditary’ was that I was very very isolated in a way that I had never really experienced.” Wolff continued, “I just felt like I was literally in the wilderness, literally. I was in the middle of Park City, Utah, [the setting of “Hereditary”] so it’s like me and a hotel clerk that was like that one dude from ‘The Shining.’ Just this terrifying experience.”

In one of the more terrifying scenes of the movie, Wolff’s character becomes possessed in the middle of a highschool lecture and breaks his face on a classroom style desk. What’s more appalling was Wolff’s dedication to that scene.

“I remember telling Ari [Aster] when we were talking about it to give me a real desk.” Wolff said, “I told him, I wanna do a real desk man, and he was like, ‘I appreciate the commitment, but I’m pretty sure legally, I’m going to get sued if I do that.’ So we went with a foam desk.”

However, Wolff went on to describe how he intentionally jammed his face onto the foam desktop so hard that it began to flow with real blood. And being the young, dedicated actor that he is, he simply laughed it off and called it, ‘a unique experience.’” But an experience is not much if it can’t be remembered.

Wolff commented, “I watched [“Hereditary”] for the first time and I was like, holy sh*t, I don’t remember shooting that scene. I’m not even kidding, I was like, what the f*ck is going on?”

Wolff is proving that his post-production PTSD is merely a facet of his ability to act. He has a few upcoming movies to be released and is well recognized for his groundbreaking performance in A24’s highest grossing film. Amidst the darkness, the future’s looking bright for Wolff. But one cannot help reminiscing to recent years where another actor fell too deep into their character.

In 2008, Heath Ledger portrayed a terrifyingly, unforgettable likeness of the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s Batman film, “The Dark Knight.” Known for his method acting and weeks spent in isolation to prepare for the film, Ledger did not live to see the screening, as he died from a prescription drug overdose months before the film’s release.

That is not to say that Ledger’s role consumed him to the point of death, but the eeriness of the situation is that he kept a personal diary for the Joker, filled with disturbing entries that acted as triggers for him to break into the persona. And one of the final entries that Ledger added was, “Bye Bye,” etched in a large disordered font across an entire page, as if to say goodbye to the life of the Joker. But, sadly, there was more tied to the Joker than just a script, and shortly after that entry, Ledger passed away.

The surroundings and situations of both actors are similar in ways and vastly different in others. There are a hundred different stories where acting has gone too far and, in turn, corroded a vital part of an actors subconsciousness; when taken seriously, character portrayals have the potential to consume a person to a point of erraticism.

It is important to remember that pain is pain; it is relative to the beholder. Many will take their pain and create an art piece with it, while few will embody the world’s pain and create a masterpiece. Though we were not bred for this: to become a vessel which collect the world’s despair. It may be the formula for a masterpiece, but it requires something more than just dedication. It requires a soul.

Written By: Clay Allen Rogers – arts@theaggie.org

Travis Scott creates a world worth seeing

Travis Scott released his album “Astroworld” to high praise on Aug. 3, 2018. The album accumulated a score of 85 on the review aggregating website Metacritic.

Scott Glaysher, a writer for XXL Magazine laid out his thoughts on the album in a review for the magazine.

“While Astroworld has some slight flaws, the project is Travis’ best, most-progressive and most-well-rounded album to date,” Glaysher wrote. “Hip-hop’s token rager is becoming a truly unstoppable force.”

The album was named after Six Flags Astroworld, which originally existed in Houston, Tex., but is no longer open. Scott has consistently presented his newest album and tour as being a theme park of its own and the album’s cover conveys the presence of this element.

Scott began his “Astroworld: Wish You Were Here” tour on Nov. 8, 2018, which recently arrived at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento for an inimitable experience.

Sheck Wes was the first of the night to take the stage. He performed a few songs including his incredibly popular hit song “Mo Bamba”, which certainly elevated the energy level and set the ball rolling for the following performances. Gunna was the second and last opener before Scott performed. Gunna kept the energy high and delivered trippy rhymes conjoined with wavy, heavy-hitting beats.  

A few minutes after Gunna’s performance, the lights went dim. A video erupted on the center screens assuring everybody that Astroworld was beginning. Almost instantaneously, Scott shot out from underneath the stage and began performing “Stargazing,” which is also the opening song on the album. Scott painted the stadium with energy and his musical performance was accompanied by what seemed like an unlimited supply of lighting equipment, pyrotechnics, huge digital screens and roller coasters.

Most of the show was comprised of fulfilling and bombastic moments that satisfied any prior expectations as to what Astroworld would be. At one moment, Scott entered a circle shaped roller coaster, strapped in, made a complete 360 degree loop, all while continuing to both talk and rap. Scott also embarked on a much larger and truly impressive roller coaster track, which was suspended in the air. He performed while slowly moving to both ends of the track above the audience.

During the performance of “R.I.P. Screw,” a giant veil released from the ceiling and colorful images were projected onto this draping veil for the entire stadium to see. Some of these images were “Astroworld,” “Wish You Were Here,” smiley faces, carnival tents and others that were thematically relevant. The show was full of alternating set pieces that resulted in a constantly changing atmosphere for a show that never ran out of surprises. Videos were shown intermittently throughout the performance and these videos were both mysterious and cryptic, but appeared to reveal tidbits of Scott’s life and the paths he has traversed. Scott performed most of the tracks found on “Astroworld,” but he also paid fans service by playing a few of his more popular tracks from the past.

The performance was one of a kind and provided plenty spectacular moments, but it was not perfect. Most of Scott’s vocals were easily heard and sounded on point, but the sound was inconsistent. Scott’s auto-tune style is by no means a detriment; he uses an electric sounding voice to provide a unique take on rap, but when performing live, the sound was not at the same level as his studio recordings. Something about the effect applied to his voice sounded a bit off when inside the enormous Golden 1 Arena. The volume was also incredibly loud and made it even more difficult to discern the presented layers of sound. The vocals were still quite enjoyable, but certainly not perfectly mirroring the quality found on his albums.

Scott tweeted after the performance to display his pleasure with the performance.

“Sac town kicks the west coast off something serious. Oh my geeze” Scott said on Twitter.

Each song Scott performed was accompanied by perfect choreography and effects executed with incomprehensible precision. Scott performed his sharp and swift rhymes with ease and a layer of immense intensity, his psychedelic tones were on full display with music so loud, it could be felt throughout the entire body and he provided a visual spectacle so grand that it can best be described as remarkable and unrepeatable. Experiencing “Astroworld” was a one of a kind experience. It solidified my appreciation for Scott as an artist and performer and I look forward to seeing more of what he has to present in the future.

Written by: Ethan Pearson — arts@theaggie.org