Beach House is back, baby! Get ready for the micro-dosed, four-chapter release of Beach House’s eighth studio album “Once Twice Melody.”

Dream-Pop Sovereign Returns

Fans of the Baltimore-based dream-pop duo could not be more thrilled. After three torturous years since their last album release “7” in 2018, Beach House has returned with their pandemic-produced, and first-ever self-produced, album, “Once Twice Melody.”

The Beach House duo, self-proclaimed “musical soulmates,” is composed of singer and multi-instrumentalist Victoria Lagrand and multi-instrumentalist Alex Scally on backup vocals. Beach House has been creating music for 17 glorious years, perfecting their dreamy, electronica-shoegaze, synth-pop sound and taking their place at the top of the dream-pop pyramid. 

Since their beginning in 2004, Beach House has released numerous tracks igniting their fame, such as their hit “Myth” from the cult-coveted album “Bloom,” as well as their top-streamed supernal track “Space Song” from their album “Depression Cherry.” It goes without saying that Beach House’s avid fanbase is hungry for new music, and with the periodic release of “Once Twice Melody,” fans will be fed in four neat courses.

“Once Twice Melody”: A Four Chapter Release

“[The album] took on a very strange but exciting form, which was this kind of long-form expansive release,” said Scally in an interview with Apple 1 Music. “Then as we started to understand what it meant and what the songs meant, we realized that the chapters were forming on their own. And that was really, really exciting.”

Although Once Twice Melody is not a conceptual album, the songs follow a steady narrative that the duo has split into their four respective releases. “They 100% fit as one overarching, 1-18 story,” said Legrand, “And so that was part of the discovery of realizing that it could be broken into four chapters, but also work as one.”

The first of the four vignettes was released on Nov. 10, 2021, composed of tracks “Once Twice Melody,” “Superstar,” “Pink Funeral” and “Through Me.” “This chapter one is [one of] the most metaphysical chapters,” Scally said, leaving the rest of us on the edge of our seats for the three remaining releases. 

Caught on a Cliffhanger: Chapters to Come

Fans needed not wait in suspense for too long, as chapter two arrived on streaming platforms on Dec. 8, 2021, with tracks “Runaway,” “ESP,” “New Romance” and “Over and Over.” Chapters three and four arrive in 2022, with the third installment’s debut on Jan. 19 and the fourth and final album release on Feb. 18. In tandem with the Chapter release dates, Beach House has also announced a 2022 headlining tour across the United States and Europe. 

With the album release dates and 2022 tour lined up, what should we expect from “Once Twice Melody?” According to Scally, “There’s so many confines in music that really dominate everyone’s minds … like the four-minute songs, and the 10 song album … so it kind of sticks in your mind that a record should be uniform to some degree. And I think in the past we’d always really been controlled by that.”

Beach House plans on moving away from industry standards that define what a record should be, indicated by the album’s unique release sequence, stupendous 18 track length, and avoidance of the need to sound coherent. Thus far, Beach House has returned with tracks that itch the usual scratch of their discography, but fans should keep their eyes, ears, and minds peeled for upcoming tracks that subvert the status quo.

a.greig@dailyutahchronicle.com

@theaveinaverge

The post Beach House Begins Incremented Release for Anticipated Album ‘Once Twice Melody’ appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

Net Impact, a University of Minnesota student group, worked with Gray’s Cafe in Dinkytown throughout the fall semester to survey customers and increase their presence on social media.

The group operated Gray’s social media and gathered survey results through the fall semester and they plan to continue in the spring semester. The over 400 respondents indicated that they were college-aged and used the space to study.

The group worked with nonprofits in past semesters, but took an interest in Dinkytown’s small businesses this year.

“I wanted to expand into local businesses in Dinkytown because I’m passionate about the way it looks right now,” said Madison Romain, a third-year student majoring in supply chain and operations management. “When I first started attending the University, it made college feel like home, and it’s been hard to watch some of the local businesses there start to close.”

Romain led the student team working with Gray’s Cafe, which has been in Dinkytown for over 100 years.

Owner Lynn Nyman gave the students access to the social media accounts and they went to work. The group posted on social media and hung up fliers around campus with QR codes to fill out a survey about the cafe.

“I wanted to let them do their thing without interrupting daily business,” Nyman said. “It seemed like a good opportunity for all of us.”

Olivia Alberts is a third-year student double majoring in computer science and management information systems. She attended Net Impact meetings and analyzed the data from the survey.

“I was intrigued by the opportunity to make a real impact at a community business I visit with my friends often,” Alberts said.

Alberts said that the larger sample size helped the accuracy of their findings.

The survey asked demographic questions such as age and why the participants visited Gray’s Cafe. Participants also answered how likely they were to participate in different events, such as karaoke nights, and how likely they were to buy happy hour deals.

“It became clear that students ages 18 to 24 primarily view Gray’s as a study spot, but they would like to go to Gray’s for the bar aspect as well,” Alberts said. About 70% of students answered “coffee shop vibes” as their perception of Gray’s.

“When asked which deals they would be most interested in, ‘alcohol deals’ was the top choice, with an overall 82% approval rating,” Alberts said. Coffee deals were a close second.

According to Alberts’ analysis, 29% of people who filled out the free response section said that price was an important factor.

“This shows that above being a study spot or a bar, price is the primary motivating factor for students,” Alberts said.

Net Impact members created advertisements, a strategy proposal and a social media toolkit, particularly for Gray’s Instagram account.

Alberts said the group intends for the project with Gray’s to continue into the spring semester. Romain said she also plans to assist more Dinkytown businesses, such as The Book House, a local used book store that opened in 1976, and Alpha Print, a print service shop.

“I’m excited to keep the ball rolling with this project now that we have a better understanding of what the Dinkytown community wants from Gray’s,” Albert said.

Devoid of spark, ‘West Side Story’ is rough, unfortunate film adaptation

20th Century Studios/Courtesy

Grade: 2.0/5.0

Contains spoilers for “West Side Story,” directed by Steven Spielberg.

“West Side Story” has an outstanding legacy. The original musical, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, won two Tony Awards and marked a turning point in musical theater with its dark themes and emphasis on social problems. The 1961 film adaptation was nominated for 11 Oscars and won 10, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, and the film has been deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress. Needless to say, the 2021 film adaptation of “West Side Story” has some large dancing shoes to fill — but equally obvious is its inability to do so.

Set in 1950s Manhattan and inspired by “Romeo and Juliet,” “West Side Story” follows the rivalry between two gangs: the white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. A forbidden romance forms between Tony (Ansel Elgort), a former Jet and best friend of its leader, Riff (Mike Faist), and Maria (Rachel Zegler), the sister of Bernardo (David Alvarez), the leader of the Sharks. 

There are several minor plot changes throughout this latest adaptation. For instance, Bernardo now joins Anita (Ariana DeBose) in singing “America.” Anybodys (Iris Menas), originally a tomboy, is now transgender, and Doc’s Drugstore is now owned by Doc’s Puerto Rican widow, Valentina, a totally new character. Most of these changes have little significant effect on the plot and only serve to slightly switch up and modernize this retelling. One of the more ambitious changes, however, absolutely steers the story to take a turn for the worse.

Tony is given a new backstory in the latest “West Side Story,” and it simply does not work. The audience receives an explanation as to why exactly Tony is no longer an active Jet: He brutally attacked a rival gang member at a previous rumble and served a year in prison for it. Although giving Tony’s character a history and more depth was an innovative — and important — decision, this particular choice makes Tony seem violent and incapable of change, snowballing at the climax of the film. Elgort’s Tony comes off as careless and dangerous, and unfortunately, Maria isn’t much more likable, either.

Maria appears naive throughout the film, which in itself isn’t much of a problem. She is 18, after all, and on paper, her greenness makes her love-at-first-sight romance with Tony all the more exciting. Her naivety, however, is pushed to its limits when she decides to run away with Tony even after he kills her brother — a tragedy made far more irredeemable in this adaptation due to Tony’s violent history. From this point on, Maria’s character is spoiled by selfishness and shortsightedness. 

Although the film tries, this decision is impossible to sell under the guise of true love. Elgort and Zegler have little chemistry, and their characters’ romance feels incredibly rushed and artificial. Tony comes off as creepy, and Maria seems obsessive, creating a love story that audiences cannot eagerly root for.

There are, admittedly, some good qualities about “West Side Story.” Riff and Anita, Bernardo’s girlfriend, are interesting and well-rounded. They’ve endured adversity and worked hard to actively pursue their goals — it’s a shame the film doesn’t center around them. The music and dancing in “West Side Story” are also decently fun, though never groundbreaking. 

The film’s best feature, however, is its large amount of Spanish dialogue that isn’t accompanied by subtitles. If audiences know Spanish, they’ll understand these lines. If not, they won’t. The subtitles in “West Side Story” do not imply that English is the standard or default language, and the film isn’t afraid of forcing its non-Spanish speaking viewers to listen to long passages of Spanish dialogue.

Despite a few positive points, “West Side Story” is a love story that completely crumbles with its weak, often off-putting central romance. It marks a disappointing installment to the development of “West Side Story,” and hopefully, viewers won’t have to wait another 50 years for a redo.

Contact Joy Diamond at jdiamond@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

Santiago Gaughan/The Cougar

In The Cougar’s weekly anonymous advice column, I talk about TV shows to look out for, ways to manage burnout and your favorite gift giver. To submit your questions for future issues, click the “Ask Ashley” button on our home page.

Ashley, what are some TV shows you’d recommend?

Howdy anon. I have to commend your excellent question because I love television. I can probably talk about this for hours, so I’ll try to make it as short as possible.

For starters, I do love comedic sitcoms where you kind of fall in love with all of the characters. Do you get what I mean? I think a good example is “New Girl,” where I didn’t have a particular favorite (well, Nick and Schmidt constantly competed for number one) and I loved all the characters equally. The show “New Girl” has had a special place in my heart since I remember watching its first airing. I take extra pride in knowing I was one of the OGs. 

Another sitcom I like is “The Mindy Project.” Mindy Kaling is good at making romcoms where the main character is a train wreck, and I think that’s why I like her other show, “Never Have I Ever.”

Another show that has the “main character is a train wreck” energy is “Hart of Dixie.” Aside from sitcoms, shows with a good or intense storyline are always fun to watch. I’d suggest “Outer Banks,” “Grace and Frankie,” “Ted Lasso,” “Narcos,” “Dexter,” “Gotham,” “Arrow,” “Supernatural,” “True Blood” (but I heavily rebuke the final season) and “The Americans.”

I do have a lot more to suggest, so if you want me to suggest shows based on what you already like, you know whom to call or anonymously send in your question through a Google Form.

Ashley, I’m so burned out from all the work I do. How do you suggest I relax?

Hey bestie, sorry you’re down bad. I don’t blame you, I’m currently feeling that way after taking these finals back to back.

Decompressing doesn’t have to be anything extra and should focus on your body’s needs. So it really could be something as simple as sleeping for days or eating your favorite food while watching your favorite movie.

Also, feel free to indulge in anything you feel like doing. Do you have the college student urge to spend your paycheck on new clothes or food? Do it! Money isn’t real anyway. 

As for me, the way I decompress is through doing things that make me happy. So that includes sleeping, eating and getting back into hobbies I stopped doing. 

I hope this helps anon. Make sure you take care of yourself.

Is Santa Claus real?

Yes. And you know what anon, I have a secret. It’s a really big secret, and you can’t tell anyone. But I am Santa Claus. Whoa right?

I’m not surprised you asked this question because I left breadcrumbs for people to follow and later question me about it. Aside from being a gift myself, I’m constantly gifting you and others with content, and what does Santa do? Give gifts.

I know it’s a shock, and I honestly hope you can recover. Make sure you send me a letter about what you want this year. I’ll hook you up with everything on there, I promise. 

Sike, he’s not real. Happy holidays though! I hope everyone has a nice break!

arts@thedailycougar.com

—
“Ask Ashley: Advice on television shows, burnout, more” was originally posted on The Cougar

If you have only seen the recent HBO remake of “Scenes from a Marriage”and not Ingmar Bergman’s original, you are missing out on very interesting closing credits. An anonymous voice intones, “And while you look at this footage of Fårö, here are the closing credits,” over shots of the Island where Bergman lived and filmed a great many of his works. In his movies shot on Fårö — such as “Persona,” “Through a Glass Darkly” and “Hour of the Wolf,” the craggy landscape of the Baltic Sea Island comes off as bleak and forbidding, reflecting the torment of his characters.

Relationships and Creativity

In Mia Hansen-Løve’s new movie, “Bergman Island,” a filmmaking couple, Chris (Vicky Krieps) and Tony (Tim Roth), travel to Fårö. Tony is presenting a movie at a film festival, but, mostly, the couple is looking for artistic inspiration and hope that some of Bergman’s genius will rub off on them.

They are rather shocked to find that Fårö is an enchanting, beautiful countryside, far different than what was captured in the movies they have seen. The camera captures Fårö with such beauty that it makes one immediately begin planning a vacation in their mind.

Tony and Chris spend their days exploring the area on bicycles, swimming in the sea and trying to write. Krieps and Roth have an easy chemistry that conveys the short-hand that develops during a long-lasting relationship. Though one gets the sense that turbulence is building underneath the still waters.

“Bergman Island” truly comes alive during the second half when a film-within-the-film is introduced. Chris is stuck on her screenplay and begins to explain the plot to Tony in hopes that he can help her. As Chris narrates, the audience is spirited into her movie, “The White Dress.”

Amy (Mia Wasikowska) is a young filmmaker traveling to Fårö for a friend’s wedding. During the trip, Amy is reunited with Joseph, played by a charming Anders Danielsen Lie, a teenage first love that turned into a twentysomething disaster that turned into a yearning passion. This section jolts “Bergman Island” to life with youthful energy and aching emotion. It is swooningly romantic.

While “Bergman Island” is full of references to Bergman’s life and movies, Hanson-Løve’s approach is far more airy and lyrical. The simple loveliness of the frequent scenes where the characters have heady discussions during long walks is tinged by Eric Rohmer.  

A Jumping-Off Point

Hanson-Løve uses Ingmar Bergman and his work as a jumping-off point to examine creativity and the divide between life and art. The discussions of Bergman’s private life raise the question of how you reconcile the fact that beautiful art can be made by ugly people. Where does creative inspiration come from? How could Bergman have created such bleak and foreboding stories in a place as beautiful as the Island of Fårö? How much is the relationship between Amy and Joseph in the movie-within-the-movie inspired by Chris and Tony’s?

Mia Hansen-Løve is too intelligent to provide easy, pat answers to those questions. She offers some thoughts and ideas and then provides the audience with the space to come to their own conclusions.

m.fisher@dailyutahchronicle.com

@abovemegan

The post ‘Bergman Island’ is a Lovely Tale of the Divide Between Life and Art appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Dec. 1 regarding the abortion provider Whole Women’s Health Clinic in Jackson, Miss. The crux of the case is whether the Supreme Court will overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision from 1973, which guarantees a federal right to abortion up until 24 weeks.

The oral arguments were telling of where the Justices’ minds were in terms of having a preliminary decision. Justices typically come into arguments having ideas about the case and then refine their ideas, or perhaps their to-be written opinions, based on the information received during the arguments.

Professor of political science and law at the University of Minnesota, Timothy Johnson, said this is a very common schedule for Justices, even when important decisions are to be received by the Supreme Court.

“The arguments were last Wednesday, so last Friday, they would have held conference where they would have taken preliminary vote,” Johnson said. “They have conference and that’s where they all meet together in private to take their initial votes, and discuss the case, and so they sort of know where things are going.”

Justices in the minority or majorities circulate opinions among each other, but do not talk about cases outside of conference, according to Johnson.

“While they see each other in person, they have lunch together, they hear oral arguments and other cases together, they don’t really talk about this specific case orally with one another ever again in person,” Johnson said. “That’s sort of a norm of the court.”

Impact on University students

According to an annual report from the Minnesota Department of Health, those who have at least some college education had 2,631 abortions statewide in 2020 out of 9,108 total.

First-year student Zoe Mentz, who is pro-choice, said that talk of this pending case is not widely talked about on campus and that abortion is generally a private subject on campus.

“You can still get an abortion up to 24 weeks in the state of Minnesota. So I think that’s another reason that it’s not something we talked about on this college campus as much,” Mentz said. “Abortion is also a very taboo subject, and it’s kept private.”

Students also say they are wary about talking about such a politically charged and controversial issue, according to third-year student Noah Guyette, who is also pro-choice.

“It’s a political issue that I feel like no one really wants to talk about and, this isn’t an insult but, they also really don’t know that much about it because they don’t want to talk about it,” Guyette said.

College Republicans did not reply to requests for comment on this issue, and Turning Point USA is a non-profit organization that is not authorized to have members speak on the record.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh signaled that he would overturn or revise the precedent case. Kavanaugh cited examples of other instances where the Court overturned long standing precedent, including in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, which ruled on racial segregation and overturned a prior decision, according to a report from Vox.

Johnson said Justices “don’t like to overturn their precedents, because we come from the common law system of England where precedent is everything.” He went on to clarify, however, that no decision is binding and can be overruled by future courts or Congress.

“Without clear social change, or social opinion, [the Supreme Court] has to uphold things because otherwise we’ll just keep flipping and flopping back and forth, based on whoever is on the court at the time,” Guyette said. “And that just makes it really hard to follow up as a law.”

Of the roughly 35,000 Supreme Court cases handed down since its inception, only 233 have been overruled.

Johnson said the more moderate members on this issue — Kavanaugh, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and Chief Justice John Roberts — could prevent the more conservative bloc from entirely overturning Roe v. Wade and instead mirror something like the other major abortion case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992. In that instance, the justices did not decide based on an outright majority but instead different small groupings agreed to different portions of the opinion.

“Technically, the lower court decision will stand. But then the U.S. Supreme Court is going to have to set, even in a plurality group, is going to have to set some new standard that the lower court judges can use and understand and apply in future cases,” Johnson said.

The Supreme Court likely will not have a decision until the last week of June, according to Johnson.

Staffing shortages, student misconduct trouble UC Berkeley libraries during RRR, finals weeks

Can Jozef Saul/Staff

Library employees at campus’s Moffitt and Main Stacks libraries — which have been open 24/7 amid finals — have reported issues with shortages in staff and student misconduct.

As Moffitt Library and Main Stacks have extended their hours around the clock throughout Reading, Review and Recitation and finals weeks, library employees have reported staffing shortages and increased student misconduct.

According to Doe and Moffitt libraries circulation supervisor Tom Brown, the end of the semester brings high levels of traffic to the library at a time when the library is staffed at the “bare minimum” due to student workers studying for finals. The library has insufficient staff to enforce its policies, he added.

“If anyone is sick or has a review session rescheduled we are left scrambling for a cover,” Brown said in an email. “For the students that do come into work, this leads to an increase in stress since they have to pick up the cover and possibly cover multiple desks.”

According to senior associate university librarian Elizabeth Dupuis, shifts are flexible around student workers’ schedules. Some student workers welcome the extended hours as an opportunity to make additional income before winter break, she added.

Prior to the end of the semester, one student library worker, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation by peers, worked 13 to 14 hours weekly in Moffitt and Doe libraries. With the extended hours, he is now working 20 to 25 hours — a difficult workload during finals, he noted.

The worker confirmed he did not feel pressured to work additional hours and felt supported by his employer. The primary challenges at his job during dead week instead came from students, he noted.

The worker noted that with the increase in library traffic, there is a greater incidence of students attempting to enter the library without an ID, not wearing masks, moving furniture and generally behaving poorly.

“Students come up to us demanding so many different things and feeling really entitled to our time or being very rude to us,” he said.

He noted one situation where a library patron reportedly failed to wear a mask and coughed for 10 to 15 minutes. He also described the “emotional stress” caused by one instance where he was berated by a student for a situation beyond his control.

The anonymous source added that he believes the naked run has become a “spectacle” and a “hazard” during which people rush the library doors and trigger emergency exit alarms.

“If they want to run around naked, they should find somewhere else to do it,” the worker said. “That just puts us as student workers in uncomfortable positions.”

To relieve strain on staff, Brown recommended the library should maintain 24/7 hours but end services at 2 a.m. Finding students to staff the circulation desk late at night is difficult, he added.

The library is hiring more student workers and staff for the spring semester in response to student demands for longer library hours, according to Dupuis. Additional staff was not hired specifically for the end of the fall 2021 semester due to logistical challenges, the anonymous worker noted.

Condemning student misconduct, ASUC Senator Muz Ahmad stressed the importance of long library hours to help students study for final exams. He added campus could fill staffing shortages with nonstudent employees.

ASUC Senator Osirus Polachart echoed these sentiments, describing the attitude of some students toward student library employees as “immature” and “classist.”

“Telling students how to behave should not have to be a part of the job,” Polachart added in an email. “Students should know how to act.”

Library staff noted that part of the solution must come from students.

Brown recommended that students remember to bring their Cal ID card for entrance to the library, while the anonymous student worker urged his peers to “take personal responsibility” and respect library staff.

“I just think students need to have a little bit — a lot more — compassion for us,” the worker said. “Once we step into these roles as workers, I feel like a lot of that camaraderie and that peer-to-peer kind of relationship gets lost.”

Contact Gabe Classon at gclasson@dailycal.org, and follow him on Twitter at @gabeclasson.

The Daily Californian

Protocols such as indoor mask mandate and weekly testing will continue to stay in place.

Baristas on bicycles soon will be riding on the University of Utah’s campus, with the addition of various Brewbike locations preparing to open their doors to students in need of their next caffeine fix.

“Brewbike is a coffee company on a mission to empower the next generation of leaders through entrepreneurial experience,” said Brewbikes’s Vice President of Brand and Digital, David Silverman. “We do that by enabling college students to run their own real coffee business on campus from end to end.”

Brewbike is a chain of coffee shops, with a two-wheeled twist. They are called Brewbike in reference to their baristas that ride around campus on bicycles serving cold brew. 

According to Brewbike’s Market Manager for Utah, Hope Mayernike, they have three different ways they sell their products: bars, shops and bikes.

“We have three different models which we launch on campuses,” Mayernike said. “The bike is a cold brew tap system, the bar is a module set up that gets thrown on campuses in smaller locations and then the shop is a full-blown cafe with [an] espresso machine, a counter with pastries [and] food. It’s a full Brewbike cafe.”

Brewbike prides itself on being entirely student-run.

“There are campuses where students get to work at places and be the barista at a cafe or a shop, but we actually have students leading the entire process,” Silverman said. “They really do run a business, from brewing coffee to employing people to serve the coffee to marketing the coffee [and] learning what it means to manage a business.”

According to Silverman, Brewbike works to create a community formed by students and for students.

“I think that having students on both sides of the counter creates an experience in the community that lets student culture thrive,” Silverman said. “That’s truly the special part of it.”

They began with their first location at Northwestern University.

“Brewbike was founded in 2015 by a group of undergrads at Northwestern University, where I went to school,” Silverman said. “They realized as coffee got better on campus [and] as the quality got better, the lines got extremely long. There was no convenient way to get great coffee on campus.”

According to Silverman, this inspired the creators of Brewbike to mount their bicycles.

“So, they got a bicycle and started serving cold brew to their peers,” Silverman said. “It was a big success — people really loved the cold brew. The student-run concept really rang true and connected with students.”

Brewbike has grown since its beginnings at Northwestern University. It currently has locations at six campuses across the country, with plans to expand to five more, including the U’s campus.

“To be a student-empowering business coming to campus is amazing,” Mayernike said. “All the feedback I get from students I run into, or even higher-ups at the school — they’re super excited to have us, and I think that drives the excitement for us and the brand.”

According to Mayernike and Silverman, the A. Ray Olpin Union building, Kahlert Village and the upcoming College of Humanities’ Student Success Hub will be getting a Brewbike location, with a tentative launch of the first two locations to happen before winter break.

The University of Utah Brewbike locations currently have many job openings, looking to fill campus CEO, chief operating officer, front house manager and barista positions. According to their barista application, they are looking for individuals who are personable and bubbly and enjoy connecting with customers.

d.oldroyd@dailyutahchronicle.com

@oldroyd_devin

The post Baristas on Bikes Coming to U: Coffee and Entrepreneurial Experience Through Brewbike appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

After a thrilling group stage, anticipation is high for the Europa League knockout stages, and with some big of Europe’s biggest sides dropping down to the continent’s secondary competition from the Champions League, including former European champions Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, this year’s tournament has the potential to be one of the best in years.

There’s still a long way to go though. So, as the dust settles on the group stages and excitement begins to build for the knockout round play-off, where the eight Champions League rejects will play the eight sides who finished second in their groups, we have scoured sites like Betdaq to find out who the favourites are to lift the Europa League trophy at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville next May. Read on to find out more!

Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund have become a knockout stage regular in the Champions League in the last 10 years or so, failing to make it out of the group stages on just a couple of occasions. However, after missing out on second place to Sporting Lisbon on the basis of inferior goal difference, they dropped down to the Europa League. It might not be a bad thing for BVB though, as Marco Rose’s side are now the favourites to win the tournament and they certainly won’t turn their noses up at the possibility of winning silverware — especially as Bayern Munich tend to sweep everything up domestically. Dortmund will get their campaign underway against Scottish champions Rangers and they will surely fancy their chances against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.

Barcelona

Playing in the Europa League certainly isn’t ideal for Barcelona. Not only will their fans believe they are too big for the competition, but with over £1 billion racked up in debts, the Catalan side could have really done with the Champions League’s much larger prize money. However, when they shake off the embarrassment of finishing behind Bayern and Benfica in Group E, Xavi’s side will knuckle down. Despite being a shadow of their former selves, they still have a great chance to win the trophy and that could be crucial in them playing Champions League football again next season, as they currently sit eighth in La Liga. Getting the better of their knockout round opponent, Napoli, will be no easy feat though!

Sevilla

Sticking with Spanish sides, Sevilla are the joint-second favourites to win the Europa League alongside Barça. Los Nervionenses have been a dominant force in the competition in recent years, winning four of the last eight renewals, but haven’t had as much luck in the Champions League. They’ve dropped down again this year and Julen Lopetegui will be hoping that he can guide the side to glory in the secondary cup for the second time after their success in the 2019-20 season — when Sevilla beat Inter Milan 3-2 behind closed doors at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne. They’ll kick their Europa League campaign off with a clash against Dinamo Zagreb, who finished behind West Ham United in Group H.

Atalanta

Just when it looked like Atalanta were beginning to become a consistent outfit in the knockout stages of the Champions League, after reaching the quarter finals and the round of 16 in the last couple of seasons, the Italian side find themselves back in the Europa League. After failing to qualify for any of Europe’s club competitions for almost 30 years and with the realistic possibility of going much further in the Europa League than in the Champions League, we’re sure they won’t mind though. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side will face Olympiacos in the knockout round and have a great chance of reaching the round of 16.   

The post How the Europa League outright odds are shaping up after the group stages appeared first on The Emory Wheel.