Insight Magazine

Taylor Swift’s eighth studio album was announced only 12 hours before its release on July 24th, taking people all over the internet by surprise. The singer was supposed to be touring music from her last album “Lover” this summer, however, due to COVID-19, she was not able to do so. Evidently, she took full advantage of the time at home, working hard to create her newest album, “folklore.”

Now on her eighth studio album, Swift has long since established her preferred music style as pop-inspired. Over the years, this is what the public has grown accustomed to hearing from her. Needless to say, it came as a bit of a shock that she had chosen to make a shift from that style. Falling back on her country roots, most of the songs on this album have a folky sound. Coming off of the high praise from her last album, this change in sound might come off a bit abrupt or odd. However, Swift enters this new era with so much grace and innovative artistry that it is almost impossible to question it. 

The album’s first single was “cardigan,” a beautiful song highlighting a relationship that didn’t work despite strong efforts. This song, along with “august” and “betty,” gained quick attention from fans for their suspected connection. The theory goes that hidden within the album is a “teenage love triangle.” Each of the songs takes the point of view of a different character, a risk that might not have worked if Swift’s talent for pushing the boundaries of songwriting wasn’t so remarkable. 

Throughout the album we see her move away from the traditional form of the first-person writing, a technique which adds another layer of depth to the album that might not have been there otherwise. Each song adds to the album’s overall plot and allure, coming together like chapters in an old book. They hold their place in time, while seamlessly coming together to tell her story. Some of my favorites from the album are “mirrorball” and “this is me trying,” for precisely that reason–they tell us her story. 

Swift has always been a natural storyteller, someone who effortlessly brings her memories and dreams to life through song. Over the course of her many years in the industry she has grown and adapted in a million ways, and we get to see that growth for ourselves in this album. Her ability to take risks with her style and pull it off is a testament to that like no other. Swift has been maturing in her music for years now, slowly growing up before our eyes, but it is in this album that we can see that maturity without a veil. She shed that layer of defense in the name of art, and what a beautiful thing that is. 

For me, these songs feel like reliving a faded dream. It doesn’t matter if that dream is fantasy or memory, nothing could make it less real. Her ability to make her listeners believe what she is saying is her power. Her ability to capture her humanity in words is why the album resonates so deeply with people. Swift used this power to give us her version of a storybook, one filled with fantasy and memory alike. The end of the album marks the end of this story, or perhaps the end of another chapter, leaving the possibilities endless for what is to come.

Four months into quarantine, Troye Sivan came to rescue us all from our boredom with new music to match our low moods, while also catering to our want to go out again. This new era of music brought us a bright red hairdo, sad dance songs, and whispers of more new music to come. 

In April, Sivan surprised everyone with his new song, “Take Yourself Home.” The song itself did not veer too far off from Sivan’s usual theme of melancholy, yet upbeat songs–though one might say it seemed more candid than anything we have heard from Sivan before. The lyrics discuss his fear of looking back on his life to find only regrets and missed opportunities. Though the lyrics are well thought out, what I appreciate most about the song is the overall simplicity of Sivan’s vocal choices. This song highlights his voice in quite a beautiful way, while simultaneously creating a slow-building tension with a somber club beat. It set the stage for Sivan to release more new music, creating a buzz among his fans over what is to come. 

A few months after his release of “Take Yourself Home,” Sivan released his second song “Easy,” on July 15. Following the theme of sad lyrics with an upbeat sound, this song compliments his last single rather seamlessly. “Easy” is a dance song through and through. It’s use of autotune and a funky beat keep it from becoming just another ballad about a failing relationship. Telling the story of a crumbling relationship, Sivan once again finds a way to dive headfirst into a rather sad topic in a way that doesn’t feel forced. 

These two songs fall in line with Sivan’s long collection of synth-pop songs that have less than happy lyrics. Sivan has mastered the ‘sad at a party’ vibe that is becoming increasingly popular among young adults today, and he knows it. Why fix what isn’t broken, right? He does this by creating music that feels almost too personal, like the listeners are reading the lyrics right out of his diary, and it works for him. His sincerity and ability to open up in such a way surely helps him create music that continues to capture audiences all over the world. With promises of a new EP to be released on August 21, “In A Dream,” I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us. 

In Max Barbakow’s feature film, “Palm Springs,” he explores the concept of the “time loop,” while also seamlessly tying in deeper messages about life throughout the course of the movie. The film made its debut in January at the Sundance film festival, receiving high praise all around. After its official release on the streaming site Hulu, the movie created buzz once again as it began trending on twitter. I knew then that I had to watch it and judge for myself if it was worth the hype. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I sat down to watch this film, but one thing is certain–it did not disappoint. 

“Palm Springs” follows the seemingly normal day of Nyles (played by Andy Samberg), as he attends a wedding. The day slowly plays out and we are introduced to more of the characters, such as the bride’s older sister, Sarah (Cristin Milioti). Nyles and Sarah meet and quickly form a bond that leads to an intimate moment in the desert near their hotel. But, after an odd chain of events, it is revealed that Nyles has been stuck in a time loop the whole time. How long he has been in this time loop is unclear, but the effects on his personality are more easily noticeable. His aloof and go-with-the-flow attitude seem to be the result of living the same day over and over again. When Sarah finds herself stuck in this time loop as well, she has a much different reaction. She tries to exit the cycle, but finds that she truly is stuck for good. With this in mind, she begins to spend more time with Nyles doing hilariously absurd things, simply because they can. Along the way the two cross paths with a man named Roy (J.K. Simmons), who has vowed to get revenge on Nyles for bringing him into the time loop after a night of partying together turned bad. Without giving too much away, this streak of reckless behavior does not last. Sarah comes to the conclusion that she doesn’t want to live in the loop forever, so she makes a plan to exit. Nyles finds comfort in Roy, who gives up on his plot of revenge after realizing that he is wasting his time being angry when he could be focusing on the positives of the situation instead. In the end, Sarah and Nyles go through with her plan, knowing that no matter what happens they want to stay together. 

Unlike most romcoms, this movie focuses very little on the kind of romantic love that most of us are used to seeing in this genre of movie. Instead, Barbakow chose to take a humorous approach to discussing more serious topics such as feeling trapped in our lives and the importance of finding joy in what we have. He created two endearingly flawed main characters, played quite convincingly by Samburg and Milioti, who embody the theme of the movie so incredibly well. 

“Palm Springs” showcases how the mistakes we make can loom over us if left ignored. But it also serves as a reminder that each day brings an opportunity to be better, and to fix our past 

mistakes. Despite all of life’s ups and downs, there is always the possibility of a fresh start tomorrow.