March 2020

Whether it’s on a date or just talking to an acquaintance, the question “What music do you listen to?” will always arise. 

When I share my musical tastes, it’s usually greeted with respect and mutual interest. I tell them how much I relish music from the 60s through the 90s. The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Tom Petty are usually mentioned first, along with a few contemporary artists like Adele or Post Malone for good measure. 

But there’s one artist that’s almost always met with either a sour frown of disapproval or a derisive exclamation of “Why?” 

That artist is Billy Joel, The Piano Man. I bet some of you reading this made that exact same face of disgust or confusion. 

“Ugh, the ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ guy?” 

“Oh my god, does he do ‘Tiny Dancer’? I love that song!”

Yes, that guy. And no, he doesn’t do that song.

I’ll be honest: I love Billy Joel. He’s my all-time favorite singer-songwriter. Period. His songwriting and stage personality is unmatched by very few — in my book.

Being a musician myself, I constantly cover his songs at gigs and insist on playing at least one tune of his when I work with other musicians. I’ve seen him live six times in five separate cities. I love the guy, and I love his music. 

And I’m far from the only one. Joel has sold over 150 million albums and has had multiple Top 40 hits in the 70s, 80s and 90s. He’s won Grammy Awards, has 20 Platinum Record awards and his music has been streamed more than 1 billion times. He is the 6th best-selling recording artist of all time. As he nears his 71st birthday, he continues to sell out stadiums, with his Madison Square Garden residency concerts being one of the top 10 highest grossing concert series of the past four years. He has a fanbase that spans multiple generations. He’s no slouch. 

A lot of people love Billy Joel. The proof is in the pudding. So, why do so many critics and listeners continue to hurl insults at him? Maybe some are jealous that he married supermodel Christie Brinkley? Maybe a lot don’t know much of his material outside of “Piano Man” or “Uptown Girl”? Perhaps some people just prefer Joel’s contemporaries, like blue-collar rocker Bruce Springsteen or the glitzy and glamorous Elton John?

But I digress.

Although he has stopped writing pop songs, Joel is, and forever will be, a songwriter. He has no definitive style yet many at the same time. He is a musical chameleon who has written hundreds of songs across the genre spectrum, many of them commercial hits. 

With all of that said, I asked myself a serious question: If I had to pick 10 songs that could convince a Joel-hater to think differently or turn a new listener into a fan, what would those songs be? 

So, I’ve chosen five of Billy’s biggest and most well-known hits, along with five lesser-known gems that hopefully give an idea of his flexibility as a songwriter and a pop star.

I’m not saying these are the best Billy Joel songs, or even all of my favorites. If “Uptown Girl” comes on the radio or up on my queue, you better believe I’m singing along at full volume. These are just 10 songs that I believe best represent Joel as a versatile songwriter and as a legendary hit-maker. 

Spoiler Alert: “Piano Man,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and “Uptown Girl” didn’t make the cut. 

1) “Only The Good Die Young”

      Album: “The Stranger” (1977)

      Hit or Gem: HIT  

“Only the Good Die Young” was written while Joel was on tour as the opening act for the Beach Boys in the mid 70s. Originally written as a reggae song, Joel, his then drummer Liberty DeVitto and producer Phil Ramone reworked the song into a rock shuffle complete with a walking bass line, bright guitar jabs, jangly piano and a squealing saxophone. 

The song was an initial dud. Its pro-lust story of convincing a strict Catholic girl to shed her religious ways and have a little fun — and a little sex — with the song’s protagonist stirred controversy amongst Catholic colleges and communities, resulting in numerous radio station bans. But once something isn’t allowed, people want it. In an act of rebellion, droves of young adults ran out and bought the single. The song skyrocketed up the charts soon afterwards. Joel would later write letters to the Catholic archbishops saying, “Thank you, please ban my next record.” It’s an irresistibly catchy song that nails the energy and impatience of youth. It has remained one of Joel’s most popular songs and it’s one of his best — and my personal favorite.  

2) “Summer, Highland Falls”

      Album: “Turnstiles” (1976)

      Hit or Gem: GEM 

Before Joel released “The Stranger” in 1977, which garnered him four Top 25 hit singles and propelled him to superstardom, he was a relatively unknown artist. He had a modest radio hit with “Piano Man” in the early 70s, but he still struggled to find the real commercial success of a true pop star. However, he persevered and released a string of small-time albums that slowly built up a following.

“Turnstiles” happens to be one of those under-the-radar albums, and the crown jewel has to be “Summer, Highland Falls.” The song is an incredibly mature and reflective ballad that focuses on a couple’s struggles after the honeymoon phase of their relationship has ended. Although the two lovers may care for one another, they begin to realize that they are two different individuals with different desires and aspirations. The musical composition also reflects the characteristics of manic depression. The melody moves up and down constantly — just like the moods of anyone suffering from the affliction. It’s a beautiful, underrated soft rock song that shows Joel’s knack for emotive and relatable songwriting. 

3) “You May Be Right”

       Album: “Glass Houses” (1980)

       Hit or Gem: HIT 

“You May Be Right” is one of Joel’s hardest rocking tunes. Written for his first wife, Joel convinces her that although he may be pugnacious, edgy and crazy, that’s the whole reason why she loves him in the first place. The song opens with the sound of a window shattering (a tongue-in-cheek nod to the title of the album) and dives straight into the crunchy, Beatle-esque riff. Joel spits out the lyrics in a fashion similar to Mick Jagger, and the driving drums and sax solo seal the deal. The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top 100, and has remained a live encore favorite and typically closes every show. 

4) “Vienna”

      Album: “The Stranger” (1977) 

      Hit or Gem: GEM 

Perhaps one of Joel’s most beloved album tracks, “Vienna” is a delicate composition with a strong message. When Joel was a child in the 50s, his father left him and his mother to live in no-longer-Nazi-occupied Europe. Fast forward two decades, we find Joel meeting his father again in Vienna. Billy was captivated by the city and its culture and decided to write a song dedicated to its beauty and promise. 

However, even though the ballad has a Middle European flair, complimented by an accordion and strings section to go with Joel’s vocals and piano, the song isn’t specifically about the Austrian city. It’s more about pursuing your passions, but also recognizing the value of taking your time and making sure you don’t burn out too early. Joel uses Vienna as a metaphor for the rest of your life, reminding listeners that their dreams don’t have to come true next week. 

5) “It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me”

        Album: “Glass Houses” (1980)

Hit or Gem: HIT 

In the 1980s, traditional rock and pop were being challenged by new wave and punk sounds. Music was becoming more of a fashion statement than an artistic one, and materialism gripped America during an explosion of credit card popularity. These new movements in the music culture of America were seen as completely revolutionary and game-changing by critics. But Billy knew better. 

“It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me” was written as a social commentary on how punk and new wave was just rehashed 60s garage music, and how the music industry and the public were focusing too much on an artist’s looks, clothing choice and material possessions instead of their melodies or message. The stompy guitar and bass driven song is full of acidic lyrics that point out the hypocrisy of the music business and fans too blind to understand the reality of their “new” music. It was Joel’s first Number 1 hit, and remains an encore during his live concerts.

6) “And So It Goes”

       Album: “Storm Front” (1989)

       Hit or Gem: GEM 

Originally written as a poem, “And So It Goes” is one of Joel’s most touching and underrated compositions. The song discusses the sorrow and insecurity that comes from being in a doomed relationship, along with a lover’s eventual romantic departure. It’s a sparse arrangement, featuring only Joel’s vocals and his piano along with a subtle string accompaniment. The song’s atmosphere is hymnal and stately, leaving the listener with a hauntingly lonely and all too familiar feeling of lost love.

7) “Pressure”

      Album: “The Nylon Curtain” (1982)

      Hit or Gem: HIT 

Billy had a rough time in the early 1980s. He was going through a divorce. He was in a motorcycle accident which temporarily damaged his piano playing hands. One of his biggest musical idols, John Lennon, had recently been assassinated. On top of all of that, he was juggling songwriting, recording, touring and all of the other struggles of fame. All of this culminated into the synth-driven rocker “Pressure.” 

The arrangement is an organized clutter and chaotic fit of anger, speed and frustration that symbolizes the concept of pressure itself. The lyrics throw caustic barbs at all the naive and pampered individuals who don’t understand the true meaning of life’s struggles and anxieties. The music video for the song also received praise for its innovative editing techniques. 

8) “New York State of Mind” 

       Album: “Turnstiles” (1976)

       Hit or Gem: GEM 

Before Frank Sinatra crooned “New York, New York” and before Jay-Z rapped “Empire State of Mind,” Joel wrote the quintessential Big Apple homage that perfectly captures the magic of the concrete jungle’s vibe and culture. Being a proud native New Yorker, it was easy for Joel to pen a song so heartfelt and accurate. The jazz rock song which features a soulful Joel emulating Ray Charles has become synonymous with New York City, as well as the Piano Man himself. Although not a commercial hit, it’s one of his most recognizable tunes and proudly displays his Long Island roots. 

9) “An Innocent Man”

      Album: “An Innocent Man” (1983)

      Hit or Gem: GEM 

The album “An Innocent Man” was Billy’s homage to doo-wop and early rock and roll groups of the late 50s and early 60s that he grew up listening to as an adolescent. The album had massive hits like “Uptown Girl” and “The Longest Time,” but the title track is an impressive feat of songwriting for Joel. 

Sung and recorded in a style similar to groups such as the Drifters and the Righteous Brothers, “An Innocent Man” paints a musical picture of a man trying to convince an insecure and heartbroken woman to put aside her pain from the past, while assuring her of his patience and his innocence. With a strong sense of dynamics, the chorus soars with strings and high notes from Joel, and the verses cool down with whisper-like crooning and finger snaps. 

10) “The River of Dreams”

       Album: “The River of Dreams” (1993) 

       Hit or Gem: HIT 

It’s only fitting that this song closes the list. After 12 albums, Joel felt like he’d had his say. “The River of Dreams” was his last pop album, and he hasn’t recorded a new song since. Despite it being his last, it was a massive commercial smash. 

The title track, which the album is named for, is an upbeat combination of rock and gospel styles. The song’s lyrics are loosely based around biblical allegories and locations, whereas the melody came to Joel in a dream and refused to leave his head even after he tried to shake it. The song hit Number 3 on the Billboard Top 100 and Number 1 on the Adult Contemporary charts and remains a staple in Billy’s live concerts. 

Well, there you have it. 10 songs. That wasn’t so bad, was it? Well, maybe if you can’t stand Billy Joel it was. But maybe you’ll pull up a few of these on Spotify or YouTube and have a change of heart, or a change of ears.

Much love to the Piano Man, and happy listening.

The idea of “snubbing” is a rampant one that punctuates the Twitter-sphere at the beginning of each year. Award show nominations are announced, the people get mad their favorites didn’t make the cut, and the cycle continues until March comes. 

This year’s movie award season notably left out some incredible movies. Fans of “Us,” “Uncut Gems” and “Midsommar” were understandably upset when the Golden Globes and Academy Awards left out Lupita Nyongo’s, Adam Sandler’s, or Florence Pugh’s (who instead got nominated for “Little Women”) strong performances. Unfortunately, leaving horror and thriller-dramas out of award shows is not surprising, and it will still take them a few years to catch up. Yet strong, independent dramas such as “Honey Boy” and “The Farewell” are unfairly being shut out against big-budget, blockbuster films — a fact that stands to prove a point that award shows have a long way to go to promote the inclusion it claims to support. 

“Honey Boy” and “The Farewell” are both female-directed, semi-autobiographical films from their writers. In “Honey Boy,” Alma Har’el directs a slightly warped version of Shia Lebeouf’s life as a child actor. He plays a character modeled after his own father, and portrays the rough edge he was forced to walk upon as a kid. The script was originally written as a form of therapy by Lebeouf while in rehab after being diagnosed with PTSD, and wasn’t initially meant to ever see the light of day. That is, until Har’el, a close friend, read through it and helped convince Lebeouf to create the project with her help directing. It’s a raw and emotional film that runs deep with metaphors of how Hollywood can twist the children that work in it. Still, it got zero nominations at the Golden Globes or Academy Awards.

“The Farewell,” on the other hand, is certainly a bit lighter, as Awkwafina acts out the true lie that director and writer Lulu Wang experienced when her family refused to tell her grandma she was dying of cancer. To say their goodbyes without being suspicious, the family puts on an elaborate wedding ceremony, where everyone is in on the secret except for the grandmother. 

The film is spoken mostly in Mandarin, with Awkwafina occasionally interrupting in English, a fact that was vital to Wang’s portrayal of the situation. The story closely analyzes Chinese culture surrounding family death and contrasts it with the American lifestyle that Awkafina’s character, Billi (based on Wang), is used to. It’s a complex narrative that uses the dark edges of death to create an uplifting viewpoint on life, especially considering that Wang’s real grandma beat cancer and still lives today. 

Fortunately, it had a much larger audience than “Honey Boy,” and garnered several Golden Globes nominations, including a Best Actress win for Awkwafina. Still, there were no nominations at the Academy Awards. 

Since awards season, the two movies have had the distribution rights bought by Amazon, so the two are available on the Prime Video streaming platform. Hopefully with this easy availability, the two movies will gain the larger audience they deserve and viewers will be encouraged to gush over their strong performances and writing. The nomination absence of these films leaves much to be said about how the Academy lacks support when it comes to smaller indie films, and proves that we still have a long way to go to continue to be diverse.

Makeup has always been shaped by popular culture. Makeup throughout history has been seen on both men and women, yet at some point in history, there was a harsh shift. Some historians pin the sudden change of opinion on makeup to Queen Victoria’s reign in the late 1800s, who proclaimed it was impolite and shameful to wear makeup, seeing as it was associated with the sex workers of the time. After this period it became less common to see men wearing makeup, as it shifted culturally to be seen as “too feminine.”

Makeup today has become a symbol of beauty for all people, no matter what they identify as. A notable shift has been made in the beauty community over the past couple of years with the introduction of James Charles as the new face of Covergirl, and male makeup artists gaining large followings on Youtube. Brands such as FentyBeauty, Covergirl and NYX Cosmetics have been recognized for using men in their campaigns. Although this step is a good one, some up and coming brands have taken things one step further. 

Gender-neutral makeup has been a hot topic in the media for some time now as new companies reinvent the old ideas that come along with using makeup. These brands have based their whole identities of inclusion of all genders and races, intending to work towards a more welcoming community. Not only do these companies base themselves around the idea of inclusion, but they also are clean products, meaning they aren’t tested on animals and don’t contain harmful ingredients. Some of the most talked-about companies are Fluide, Jecca Blac and Non-Gender Specific. 

Fluide was launched in 2018 by Laura Kraber, who claims she was deeply inspired by the activism seen today for LGBTQ+ and gender identity issues. Kraber took this inspiration and created Fluide in its wake. The company has continued to show that they stand by their company’s message of creating makeup for “him, her, them, everyone.” 

Jecca Blac was created by Jessica Blackler, who had an unwavering vision of inclusivity in the makeup world for the transgender community. 

Non-Gender Specific was created by Andrew Glass in 2018 when he noticed the large divide within the makeup community between men’s and women’s products. With this in mind, he decided to create this company with the company’s main message being “Non-Gender Specific is the brand for all humans.” 

The growing popularity of these companies has helped start a conversation about the outdated ideas behind masculinity and femininity. We all desire to recognize a part of ourselves in the ads we see, and the LGBTQ+ community deserves the same representation. These companies are creating a safe space that allows all people to feel comfortable in their skin. As far as I’m concerned, that is the truest form of beauty. 

After a long and highly anticipated two years, Lil Uzi Vert is back and better than ever. Uzi is back with “Eternal Atake,” an album fans thought would never see the light of day — mainly because Uzi has had a horrible experience with record labels that momentarily led him to quit music. However, “Eternal Atake ” is an album like no other that Uzi has released. 

“Eternal Atake” displays an overwhelming sense of mythical auras. Uzi gives us a taste of space thrillers, abductions, aliens, money, girls and heartache. In an epic hour-long album, Uzi delivers a seamless mixture of melodic croonings and beats that keep up with the recent hip-hop trends. “Eternal Atake” is also a loose concept album that illustrates Lil Uzi Vert’s journey through space — otherwise known as his life. 

The album is divided into three parts and each part consists of Lil Uzi’s personas. If you listen in order, songs one through six demonstrate Baby Pluto, Uzi’s street rapper persona who is too excited to spit bars that he sometimes races past the beat. On “POP,” the beating heart of Baby Pluto, the audience gets a whiff of nostalgia as we’re taken into the realm of a dystopian society that is “The Terminator.”

Uzi’s second persona, Renji, is showcased on songs seven through twelve. Renji is Uzi’s most vulnerable identity in which he displays his post breakup emotions. Starting with “I’m Sorry,” the strongest and most vulnerable song off the album, Uzi questions himself if his fame is really worth it since it prevents him from making personal connections.

Lyrics like “I’m so high I can’t land now,” implies the idea that Uzi is too caught up in his fame that he refuses to settle down. But the phrases “I’m sorry for everything I ever said” and “she caught me acting all sad,” suggests heartbreak. Essentially this track is an apology to his past lover in which the relationship went sour due to his fame.

The last and final persona of the album is Uzi himself. The transformation and his journey is displayed in the last songs. “Urgency” and “Venetia” speak about the multi-colored allure of the nebulas and “Secure the Bag” communicate the unimaginable expansiveness of the cosmos. 

On “Eternal Atake” you will witness Uzi’s best rapping. He’s always been capable, he has talent without a doubt, but before “Eternal Atake” his older songs leaned more into the pop genre and gave off an earworm vibe. Whereas, in “Eternal Atake” Uzi does not hold back. You will not encounter any pop songs, but instead you will find space odyssey in a limitless hip-hop form. “Eternal Atake” is Lil Uzi Vert’s finest album to date. 

Go stream Lil Uzi Vert’s newest album “Eternal Atake” followed by the deluxe version “Eternal Atake – Luv vs. The World 2” that dropped on March 13, 2020. Available on all streaming platforms. 

Justin Bieber is back, happily married and dangerously in love. Sharing a life with his wife, being in love, having sex — Bieber is enjoying it all. So much so that his newest album, “Changes,” is dedicated to it and essentially comes off as a love ballad to his wife, Hailey Bieber. “Changes” celebrates the stability he has been searching and longing for. 

The Prince of Pop returns, after a quiet and unsettling four years, with the newest album since “Purpose.” The new album, “Changes,” resembles a honeymoon phase, but in R&Bieber form. It is definitely sweet and tender, but also a bit simplistic and boring. None of the songs on the album are bad, but they’re not necessarily catchy or vibey either — something Bieber was previously known for. 

On songs like “Forever,” he questions if his lover would “be here with me forever?” And in “Second Emotion,” featuring Travis Scott, he begs for reciprocated feelings of adoration. However, neither of those songs scream “Sorry” or “What Do You Mean?” which are hits from his 2015 album,“Purpose.”

“Changes” was anticlimactic even before its release. His first single off the album, “Yummy,” is a foolish R&B wannabe that was intended for the shortened attention span of  TikTok users. The song itself is repetitive, boring and childish with a chorus such as “yummy yum,” which is not good considering the single is supposed to introduce the genre of the album and what fans are to expect. Ultimately, the album is missing special elements of malleability, which is what Bieber possessed as an artist. 

The album was labeled as “R&Bieber,” but his new music does not live up to the true R&B trap-soul, nor does it live up to the expectations of his 2013 mixtape “Journals,” which is claimed to be the epitome of true “R&Bieber.” In “Journals,” Bieber gave us a preface to his newly found adulthood; it was an album that detoured from its usual pop chart topping tunes to dominating rap-trends, messy implementation, rap artists collaborations and lively club dance beats. As pop music becomes more blurred and indefinite, in “Changes” there was little-to-no transformation. And although Bieber has had a good streak with making each of his albums different from the one preceding, and being in tune with the continuously changing pop trends, “Changes” is an unimaginative cliche that we’ve all heard before. In a total of fifty-one minutes, Justin Bieber is entirely coasting through the album. 

Justin Bieber has, without a doubt, an amazing voice and talent. He is also a good lyricist, showcased in the song “That’s What Love Is,” including lyrics such as “never understood what it meant [to] submit to love,” and “don’t nobody else deserves my time.” In these lyrics, Bieber admires the significance of a relationship, what it means to love and be in love, and, most importantly, the lessons he has learned while being in love. In “Love Yourself,” Bieber openly displayed  vulnerability to explain his hurt and betrayal and conveyed a paradoxical love ballad that establishes the idea of him moving on. In “That’s What Love Is,” Bieber has definitely moved on, but has also vividly illustrated this vulnerability by showing his love and adoration for his newly-wedded wife. However, it is not enough to capture the audience and make them want to stay and listen to the album all the way through. 

As the album comes to a close, it is safe to say the album was made for hopeless romantics and for sex appeal. But his lyrics are so vague and bland, it’s almost as if they were written to only be used as social media captions. It’s nice to know Bieber is doing well and his life is great and loving, but, unfortunately, his music is not. Although demonstrating those emotions through music is therapeutic, he could have done a better job.