With the beginning of the new academic year, Drexel University has welcomed 2,990 freshmen after receiving about 37,085 applications for the class of 2026/2027. 

Since the pandemic, the undergraduate admissions office has revised some of its policies and outreach to prospective students. The most popular of these changes has been the test-optional policy, originally implemented for the previous freshmen class, which no longer requires prospective students to submit their SAT or ACT scores. Over the last year, Drexel has seen a 7% increase in applications and a 22% increase over the past five years. 

Senior Vice President of Enrollment Management Evelyn Thimba believes that this increase in applications can be explained, at least in part, by the decision to make standardized tests optional.

According to Thimba, the incoming class is 51.1% male and 48.9% female. 42.8% identify as students of color, with 17.6% identifying as underrepresented students of color. This demographic includes students who identify as Black or African-American, Latinx or Native American.

Nearly 29.1% of the freshman class identify as first-generation college students, an increase from last year’s 27%. Additionally, 28.2% of students are Pell grant eligible. 

Though 43.7% of the incoming class is from Pennsylvania, members of the freshman class have come all across the country to attend Drexel. The other top states students are coming from include New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and California. 

About 10% of the incoming freshman class are international students hailing from 57 different countries. The top five countries students are coming from are India, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. 

Despite the many ongoing challenges prospective students have had to face the past few years, it is clear that there is an increasing interest in Drexel and that the university is embracing its commitments to becoming a more diverse and inclusive institution per class.

Philadelphia is known for having some of the best food in the nation such as cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, water ice, etc.— and Drexel University, being in University City, has the advantage of having some of the most popular restaurants.  

As fall starts, many chain food stores are now selling fall-flavored drinks and snacks. Wawa has freshly-brewed pumpkin iced coffee that is $2 for any size (without taxes and fees included). Additionally, they are selling pumpkin-spiced mocha, pumpkin chai tea, and even pumpkin-spiced matcha. Starbucks is infamous for its prices, but also for selling limited seasonal products. They are selling their pumpkin cream cold brew, iced pumpkin spice latte, iced apple crisp oat milk macchiato, and pumpkin spice latte. For baked goods, Starbucks has its pumpkin cream cheese muffin, pumpkin scone, and pumpkin & pepita loaf.  

Most of the restaurants on and near the Drexel University campus have $$ price ranges, according to Google reviews. The chain stores such as Chipotle, Chick-Fil-A, and Blaze Pizza are on the less expensive side since they have a $ price range. Note that the Chick-Fil-A on Drexel’s campus has limited options compared to other Chick Fil-A’s and customers are not allowed to use coupons there.  

The two pizzerias next to each other on Lancaster Avenue thrive on high ratings and popularity. Savas Brick Oven Pizza has a 4.1 out of 5 stars rating from 945 Google reviews. Savas Brick Oven Pizza allows for outdoor dining as well as indoor dining. Ed’s Pizza has a 3.8 out of 5 stars rating from 559 Google reviews. Lascala’s Fire opened last February, and although it is more expensive, they have a 4.8 out of 5-star ratings from 138 Google reviews. Lascala’s Fire sells not only pizza, but salad, paninis, antipasto, pasta and desserts. They currently have BYOB beer.  

Another Drexel staple is Landmark Americana, which has a 4.0 out of 5-star rating from 1,460 Google reviews. They allow for indoor and outdoor dining. They sell wings, fries, finger foods, seafood, soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and tacos. 

Another popular restaurant is Sabrina’s Café. They have a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating and 1,864 Google reviews. They allow indoor dining, and they are famously known for their brunch. They have both savory and sweet options. Board and Brew is another spot on campus where they sell mostly coffee and burgers. They have a 4.2 out of 5 star reviews and have currently 140 Google reviews. 

Drexel students have two options to buy bubble tea on campus: Kung Fu Tea and Boba King. Boba King was introduced to Drexel’s campus in summer of 2021 and it is relatively new. Kung Fu Tea is less expensive, though both have a wide variety of options. Kung Fu Tea has more flavors and different types of tea. They also offer savory snacks such as chicken teriyaki and shrimp tempura. 

Insomnia Cookies and Coco’s Creamery are places students can go to if they are craving something sweet. Insomnia Cookies are open until 1:00 am which is convenient for students who want to buy a snack after their night classes. Most individual cookies are inexpensive. They have a wide range and not just the typical chocolate chip cookies such as M & M, snickerdoodle, triple chocolate and they have vegan options. Coco’s Cookies and Creamery is a bit far off campus and closer to the west side of Philadelphia. Coco’s Cookies and Creamery is predominantly an ice cream shop. They do have other products such as carnival treats and milkshakes. Coco’s Cookies and Creamery have a 4.7 out of 5 star rating on Google with 129 Google reviews currently. 

Restaurants + Addresses: 

Boba King: 3200 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 

Coco’s Cookies and Creamery: 3632 Powelton Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Ed’s Buffalo Wings & Pizza –> 3513 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (A little outside of Drexel University)   

Insomnia Cookies: 3400 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104 

Landmark Americana: 3333 Market St Philadelphia, PA 19104 (A little outside of Drexel University Campus) 

Lascala’s Fire: 3200 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (In Drexel University Campus)  

Kung Fu Tea: 3175 John F Kennedy Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104 

Sabrina’s Café –> 227 N 34th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (In Drexel University Campus) 

Starbucks –> 3401 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (In University of Pennsylvania Campus) 

WAWA: 3300 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (In Drexel University campus)

Feeling uninspired in the library? Your roommate doesn’t let you study in peace in your dorm? Too many distractions on your dorm floor? Here is a list of some great places to get to studying around Drexel University.

The Rush Building AKA the Drexel Student Center’s courtyard garden and balconies

Talk about the perfect balance of privacy and background noise. This outside courtyard is located across from the Daskalakis Athletic Center (DAC) on Lancaster walk, in front of the Rush Building at 30 N 33rd St,  but most people miss it because it is surrounded by a brick wall and greenery. Follow the sound of the fountain and you will find the perfect little study oasis. There are picnic tables and balconies that are accessible if you enter through the doors that lead to the Drexel Student Centers. 

The University of Pennsylvania Libraries

The Van Pelt Library has every book for a student on a budget who does not want to buy those six philosophy books they will never pick up again. Not to mention, the ambience is unbeatable, especially in the colder months of the year. Both UPenn and Drexel students can enjoy the enormous study room with surrounding glass windows just by showing your student ID any day they are open, with the exception of the days close to final exams on Penn’s semester schedule There are also several private study rooms and nooks for a more intimate space to get work done. The Fisher Fine Arts library is also an option for those looking to fulfill a Harry Potter-Dark Academia-Rory-Gilmore-Yale fantasy. The only drawback, unfortunately, is Drexel students cannot check out books, so plan to be there for a while if you do decide to utilize their book collection.

Ross Commons

Located above Sabrina’s Cafe, this study lounge features a cozy environment and a pool table! Grab a bite in between readings at Sabrina’s below. 

Race Street Lawn

Race Street Lawn is a great outdoor public meeting place for group projects. You can set up on the grass or take over one of the many picnic tables available. Wrap up your study sesh at the Northside dining terrace after!

Hans Dining Hall

Unlimited snacks and caffeine and limited distractions in between dining hours. Hans is especially nice during the winter months when you don’t want to hike back to your dorm to study for an exam later that day.

For off campus people:

1. Drexel Park’s views cannot be beat on those days you need a little extra romanticization in your study routine. This space is perfect for both work and play, so be sure to invite your friends to join you on the grass after you finish your homework.

2. Stomping Grounds Cafe on Lancaster Ave is a new coffee shop off-campus that, according to their website, is, “A student-led, social justice cafe rooted in equity, visibility, and community.” Grab a cup and chat with local activists at this social justice cafe Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

3. The Cat Garden on Haverford & Natrona St. is a hidden space in Mantua that welcomes those from all walks of life- including those with a tail and paws. A local community member dedicated the space to house numerous neighborhood stray cats, complete with sprawling plants, plenty of seating and a lending library. 

As a first-year student at Drexel University, it may seem like you are learning new things about Drexel every day, but something that your emails probably will not let you forget is Drexel’s commitment to being a “civically engaged university.” Yet what exactly does that mean?

Two of the most dedicated on-campus hubs helping students answer that question are the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement and the Dornsife Center for Community Partnerships. The Lindy Center supports students in finding ways to serve and interact with the West Philadelphia community. West Philadelphia is marked with three major universities that have caused indegenous residents to be displaced. Most Drexel students become familiar with the history and the centers through the required course it oversees, CIVC 101: Introduction to Civic Engagement. For students who want to expand their engagement beyond the classroom, the Lindy Center compiles an online database of individual and group volunteer opportunities around the city called Galaxy. Included are one-time and long-term roles, and ways to create meaningful relationships between Drexel students and community development organizations or public schools. 

If the Lindy Center is the channel that connects students to local civic engagement initiatives, Drexel’s Dornsife Center is where these programs are given the resources to grow. The Dornsife Center was established in 2014 to foster relationships between the quickly expanding university and community residents within the surrounding West Philadelphia Promise Zone, one of a network of neighborhoods identified by the federal government as prime areas for initiatives that combat poverty and increase accessibility to quality education and employment. 

The Partnerships Coordinator at Dornsife, Dominique Coleman-Williams, since its founding and a Mantua resident herself, believes that while trust with the community’s residents is still being built, the many bonds Dornsife has formed with community organizations have brought valuable progress. 

“Before we moved to Spring Garden, we started out in a small storefront in Mantua Square where we had a computer lab and we did some pro bono legal work,” Coleman-Williams said. “Now we’re more popular among community organizations and nonprofits who want to partner with us and utilize our space, but we’re still working on building trust with community members because representing Drexel comes with challenges like gentrification and development around the university.” 

To best build that trust, Coleman-Williams says they initially asked community members what types of programs they envisioned in their neighborhood’s future and then partnered with organizations that addressed those specific hopes so that Dornsife could “serve the community completely” across all demographics and needs. The result is a sprawling ecosystem on 35th and Spring Garden stre et built through the combined efforts of all of Dornsife’s community partners: a path through the community garden (organized by Urban Growers) leads to three buildings that house everything from Action for Early Learning’s after-school read-alongs to health workshops by Lazarex Cancer Wellness Hub to dance lessons with Drexel’s Dance Department, all offered for free. 

Saana Valasma, president of the student-founded community group Sharing Excess, which redistributes unused food from grocery stores and restaurants to those who need it,has experienced creating a successful event with Dornsife firsthand. Last spring the Drexel entrepreneurship and innovation junior collaborated with Dornsife on a large-scale distribution called the Share Fair, where community members received free food from eight to ten different organizations and socialized while enjoying live music. 

She said putting it together was “exhausting but definitely worth it,” and that it shows the growth Sharing Excess had undergone since it was first founded by alumnus Evan Ehlers. Valasma said she joined not only because she believed Ehlers’ idea addressed an important issue, but because it sounded like a perfect way to help people around her while forming meaningful relationships. 

“I’m an international student, so it was difficult for me to meet people at first,” said Valasma, “but [joining Sharing Excess] exposed me to the real community and showed me the ways we affected people in a positive way.” 

Sharing Excess has grown to have chapters across the city that together redistribute over 120,000 pounds of food per week. Drexel’s chapter organizes multiple food distribution pop-ups per month and events all over campus.

The Writer’s Room at Drexel is an organization that works closely with the people of West Philadelphia. Founding director Rachel Wernick describes the community they have built as “tight-knit but welcoming.” The Writer’s Room is a group where students and community members come together for creative expression through collaborative projects, workshops, and open mics that focus on writing and incorporate other mediums like photography to impact the community and promote social justice. 

“We have workshops every second Tuesday that form the core of our programming,” said Lauren Lowe, Writer’s Room alum and programs manager, “they’re designed so that…you come in and you don’t have to do any prep beforehand. We’ll have an artist or teacher or community member leading the workshop and you write on the spot and leave having created a new piece.” 

Writer’s Room also takes on larger projects like TRIPOD, a writing and photography initiative documenting and working with students from Robeson High School who describe their experience living in Philadelphia’s changing neighborhoods, and the Second Story Collective, a project which uses writing to impact change in affordable housing. 

Writer’s Room constantly develops new programming based on feedback from their members, like taking members to watch and write in response to plays and inviting inspiring creatives to come and speak. Wernick has led Writer’s Room efforts to involve the community in big ways through their best and hardest moments, having helped organize a festival with funding from the National Endowment from the Arts and helped arrange a serious community discussion for people to voice their feelings in the aftermath of the shooting of George Floyd. Wernick says that the intergenerational community at Writer’s Room “accomplishes and faces everything together.” 

Wernick believes that Writer’s Room is so important because it creates a place where both students and community members “can be seen, and to be visible and know that you’re appreciated and respected is such an important thing.” 

Lowe echoes that message saying that she wasn’t intimidated when joining Writer’s Room as a student because “you can’t just sit back and do nothing, you’re with these people who are interested in you and what you have to offer and you just have to interact.” 

As a new student trying to navigate how things work at Drexel, serving the community may sound like additional pressure during an already stressful experience. But coming to Drexel University opens doors to volunteering at any number of programs that fit your unique interests. Similar to all Drexel’s student volunteers when they first started, you can’t be sure of the impact civic engagement can have on your life until you show up at the first meeting.

United Kingdom-based coffee and sandwich shop Pret-a-Manger held a grand opening ceremony for its new location on campus on Sept. 15. The ceremony featured representatives from Drexel Business Services, Aramark, ACC and Pret-a-Manger. 

Located at The Summit building on 3400 Lancaster Ave, the new Pret has replaced what once was a Starbucks location. Pret offers a variety of food and drink options on its menu, ranging from coffee and pastries to fresh sandwiches, wraps and salads. 

Pret prides itself on selling fresh, quality food that is also sustainable, and this location is no exception, according to its Retail Manager Jackie Acosta. 

“We are producing everything here on campus in our kitchens, so all of the food that you see, our staff is here making it fresh each day,” said Acosta. “We don’t save anything if it doesn’t sell. The next morning we’re not putting it back out. We actually donate the items each day.”

In keeping with its sustainability tradition, Pret donates everything that is not sold for the day to Philabundance, a nonprofit organization that seeks to end food hunger and reduce food waste. 

According to Operations Director with Aramark at Drexel Campus Dining, Agnès Leclercq-Randazzo, this location seeks to serve as a convenient in-between location for students who are looking for a fresh meal.  

“We have Starbucks at LeBow, [providing] great coffee for the business school. We have Chick-fil-a at Northside Dining that provides great fast food, but we really needed a retail location that provided fresh pastries, freshly made food, made that day, sold that day,” said Leclerq-Randazzo.

At the grand opening ceremony for the shop, remarks were given by Nicholas Mendez, Resident District Manager at Aramark, Don Liberati, Associate Vice President of Drexel Business Services, Jack Donovan, President and CEO of Aramark Collegiate Hospitality and Jorrie Bruffett, President at Pret-a-Manger USA. 

According to Jack Donovan, this location marks the first relationship between Aramark and Pret. Drexel is also the fourth university in North America to feature a Pret on campus. 

So far, the location appears to be popular with the student body.  Hopefully, it will improve the campus dining experience, as Don Liberati stated:

“One of the things we are constantly talking about is how do we continue to enhance the dining experience for our students, and…when this space became available, it seemed like a complete no-brainer,” said Liberati. “It seemed like such a great opportunity for us to create something that would enhance the overall experience. And then you bring in a brand like Pret and it’s absolutely win-win so from our perspective, we’re happy to have Pret on campus. We’re happy to welcome you to Drexel.” 

Pret’s hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Fridays, and 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Dragon Dollars can be used at this location.  

This year marked the tenth annual Made in America festival in Philadelphia, which took place Sept. 3 and Sept. 4. The event was set up on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with three stages, each featuring their own lineup of artists. With a lineup of over 35 artists, the festival included everything from massive reggaetón pop stars to local Philly rappers.  

The biggest stage, named the Rocky Stage, was located in front of the steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and featured the headlining acts that rounded out each day’s performances along with other popular artists during the day. The Liberty Stage, located on the right of Eakins Oval, was the second largest stage on the grounds and featured the penultimate performances each night before the headlining sets took place. The Freedom Stage was the smallest of the three stages, located at the intersection of Benjamin Franklin St. and N 22nd St. This stage housed the first set of both days at 2 p.m. and wrapped early at 8 p.m. 

Day One was a dream for rap fans. 2022 XXL freshman Babyface Ray kicked off the list of rappers which also included Larry June, GloRilla, JID, Pusha T, Flo Milli, Lil Uzi Vert and Tyler, the Creator. The Freedom Stage also featured rising artist JELEEL!, who has become recognizable for his incredible athleticism and backflips during his set as well as his viral hit “DIVE IN!”

Hip-hop affiliated indie act Toro Y Moi also performed at the Liberty Stage on Saturday at 3:45 p.m. Personally, this was the set I anticipated most from the whole festival, as Toro’s 2022 album “MAHAL” introduced some of my favorite songs so far this year. 

Saturday did not come without any mishaps. Memphis rapper Key Glock was scheduled to take the Rocky Stage at 4:30 p.m., however at 4:55 p.m. a message stating “due to travel delays, Key Glock will no longer be performing today” was shown at the Liberty Stage. This caused a large influx of people to travel instead to the Liberty Stage to see JID, who was scheduled to begin at 5:15 p.m. Coming off of his recent album “The Forever Story,” JID’s set had an undeniable energy. He performed new tracks such as “Dance Now” and “Raydar.”During the song “Stick,” he climbed onto a light pole above the fans and turned the crowd into a ferocious mosh. 

Similarly, Kodak Black’s Liberty Stage set was indefinitely delayed from 6:45 p.m. until a notification was sent through the festival’s app at 7:33 p.m. stating that “due to unforeseen circumstances, Kodak Black will no longer be performing today.” This left his DJ on stage to flounder for over thirty minutes, despite teasing earlier that the Florida rapper was indeed “in the building.” According to the Made in America app’s schedule-building feature, Black’s set was the fourth most added set out of the whole festival with 4740 people having scheduled it after the two days. The rapper has been “Back for Everything” in 2022, except for Made in America.

The final three acts of Day One were Jazmine Sullivan on the Rocky Stage, Lil Uzi Vert on the Liberty Stage and Tyler, the Creator on the Rocky Stage. Sullivan has been an underrated presence in R&B since back in 2008, but after the 2021 project “Heaux Tales” she has seen another wind in her career as a mainstream artist after many co-writing credits. 

During the later half of his set, Tyler, the Creator announced that his Made in America appearance would be the last of his “Call Me If You Get Lost” themed setlists. He had been touring this album since Feb. 10, 2022, and the performances had included selections from his projects “Call Me If You Get Lost,” “IGOR,” “Flower Boy” and various older tracks such as “IFHY,” “She” and “Tamale.” 

Despite not being the headliner, Lil Uzi Vert had the standout performance of the night in their hometown of Philadelphia. Following the release of their eight-track EP “RED & WHITE” on July 26, 2022, Uzi began their set with “GLOCK IN MY PURSE” complete with a huge mohawk and pink sneakers. Their lyrics claiming that they “wasn’t from this Earth” seemed believable as they performed songs like “Do What I Want,” “That’s a Rack,” “POP” and “444+222.” 

Also featured throughout both days of the festival were countless food trucks, a ferris wheel, various booths from foundations in the Cause Village and multiple sponsored tents for brands such as Puma, HUD and Shein. At the Puma tent, you could customize new pairs of sneakers as well as pick up Puma tote bags. The festival’s merch was created in collaboration with the brand Paper Planes, which can be found in boutique retail stores in Philadelphia such as Lapstone and Hammer. Headliners Bad Bunny and Tyler, The Creator had merchandise available as well. 

Sunday’s lineup of artists featured many international acts at the Liberty Stage, including Chimbala, Fuerza Regida, Rels B and Burna Boy. This diverse day all led up to a headlining performance by Bad Bunny at the Rocky Stage starting at 9:30 p.m. During the day, the Rocky Stage also featured reggaetón star Ryan Castro at 5:45 p.m. 

Over on the Freedom Stage at 3:00 p.m., Philadelphia rapper KUR returned to the festival for a third time to perform to a loyal audience. He performed songs off his newest project “Loyal To A Fault” along with classics that had the fans reciting lyrics. After his set, KUR stated “The love was there the first few times but this felt like, super different. I got a chance to interact with my fans, take pictures with all of them, make everybody’s day.” He also added that a deluxe version of the new album is on the way that contains multiple featured artists. 

Popular singers Tate McRae and Snoh Aalegra performed later in the day at the Rocky and Liberty Stages respectively. Dreamville affiliate Kenny Mason hit the Freedom Stage at 6:45 p.m. and threw a party for the rowdy, mosh-pit hungry festival goers. Mason reprised the song “Stick” which JID had performed during Day One since he had featured on the track as well, cementing the song as a new mosh-pit staple. 

Following Mason at the Freedom Stage was Young Nudy, who performed from 7:30 p.m. until around 8:15 p.m. Fans were anticipating this set, as chants for Nudy broke out before he appeared. His personal lack of energy was slightly disappointing, making the DJ and the hype man compensate. However fans were still treated to live performances of “Hell Shell,” “EA” and the famous “Pissy Pamper/Kid Cudi” leak.

Don Toliver performed on the Rocky Stage at 7:30 p.m. followed by Burna Boy on the Liberty Stage at 8:30 p.m. Both acts exemplified how popular they had recently become by drawing massive crowds as the night built up to Bad Bunny’s appearance. 

At 9:30 p.m. Bad Bunny took the Rocky Stage all by himself, sitting on a small sandy island set in a beach chair with a cooler beside him. From there, he performed numerous hits including tracks off his wildly successful 2022 album “Un Verano Sin Ti.” The performance was bright with color and Bad Bunny’s otherworldly charisma commanded all present at the festival to dance, whether they knew the words to the songs or not. 

Made in America 2022 wrapped Sunday night after two beautifully sunny days, a very common occurrence for this summer in Philadelphia. As someone who had attended festivals before the pandemic began, I can happily say that I returned from my first COVID-19 era festival testing negative, which was a worry I had prior to engulfing myself in people once more. With many notable performances and a safe execution, Made in America 2022 was a joy to attend on both days.

In February 2017, DJ and dance-pop producer Calvin Harris dropped a single titled “Slide” which featured Frank Ocean and Migos. With a full album planned to follow this groundbreaking release, Harris effectively changed the course of his music for the foreseeable future with the release of this groovy, laid-back song. Now in 2022, after new singles and side projects, the second volume in Harris’s Funk Wav Bounces series is here, and it has been highly anticipated. Besides Vol. 1 being very well received by the general public, Vol. 2 is the first album since 2017 from the Scottish DJ. 

Similar to the first installment of the Funk Wav Bounces series, this album has a concept. Harris brings on popular artists to try their shot at a funky collaborative album, while he curates the vibe and produces each track for a DJ Khaled-style project. Before Vol. 1, this genre had been untouched by Harris, with his previous biggest hits being dance tracks like “Summer” and “We Found Love” with Rihanna. 

The album begins with an ultra-simplified intro that barely gives you enough time to figure out what is going on before the second track “New Money” begins. Presumably, these 39 seconds are for walking away from the turntable and settling down after dropping the needle. As “New Money” and “Potion” play, it’s apparent that Vol. 2 does not start off anywhere near as strong as Vol. 1, whose leadoff duo of “Slide” and “Cash Out” might contain the two best songs of the entire Funk Wav series. 

“New Money” is carried instrumentally. There is a slick guitar riff that fits beautifully into the chords, and the bass adds some rhythm to the simple but smooth drum beat. 21 Savage has rarely ever been an energetic presence, and his vocals here sound unenthusiastic as ever. While “Potion” feels more complex than “New Money,” neither of these songs have the cohesion of Vol. 1 tracks like “Slide” or “Cash Out.”. Dua Lipa’s chorus on “Potion” contains a memorable line and melody, and overall it’s one of the smoothest and most replayable songs on the album. 

Coi Leray shines on “Woman Of The Year,” where she leans into a hip-hop flow. This track doesn’t stand out instrumentally, but each feature feels fitting. “Obsessed” is a polarizing track. While Charlie Puth’s chosen voice is a bold move that could throw some people off, his melodies on the chorus are sticky and his harmonies are pleasing despite the lyrics sounding less desirable the more you ponder them. Shenseea seems to be making a breakthrough for American audiences this year, and her personality is felt on “Obsessed.” Lyrics aside, this is one of the more enjoyable listens on Vol. 2, purely going off the sound. 

The album experiences its first trainwreck after the midpoint during the two-part song “Stay With Me.”. Halsey kicks off the track with a sing-song melody that is instantly annoying. But as Justin Timberlake appears, this becomes far less of a worry. In 2022 Justin Timberlake cannot sell anything slick or sexual, let alone over this fast of a beat. “Damn, look at those pants” is by far the worst moment on the album and possibly the worst line of the year so far. Pharrell is a slight break from the madness, but he does the same exact thing he has been doing on pop tracks for the past decade. With the slight auto-tune it’s almost as if he created an AI version of himself to sing for him. 

The lyrics on “Stay With Me” are unoriginal, and the switch to “Stay With Me (Part 2)” is barely noticeable, rendering the split fairly pointless. A far better example of how to create a long, complex song would be “New To You” with Normani, Tinashe, and Offset. This song reaches for a more cinematic progression: the string intro is like an introduction to an actual story. The lyrics feel authentic and meaningful, and the instrumental shifts drive the progression of the track. Tinashe’s bridge into the song’s outro is one of the best moments on the album, proving that she can do everything that Justin Timberlake tried to do on “Stay With Me.” “New To You” comes off as the most detailed and cohesive track on the album, and stands up to multiple cuts off of Vol. 1.

“Somebody Else” and “Nothing More To Say” are a much needed peak after the lows of “Stay With Me,”, which make the song seem even worse. The former pushes the threatening vibe nearly too far in the intro, but Jorja Smith’s laid-back delivery contrasts that of Lil Durk’s projected energy and emotion. The instrumental is a bit jerky based around the snappy bass line, but the features entertain enough to distract from this. “Nothing More To Say” is a lightweight, inoffensive track without much to complain about. 6lack’s vocals have a nice sandy texture to them, and Donae’o is basically used as an instrument providing a catchy, repeatable motif to close the track. The subtle keys are a shiny touch that adds a lot to the instrumental as well. 

“Live My Best Life” is another huge misstep for the album. The lyricism of Snoop Dogg on this track is bottom-notch, with almost every line he says sounding painfully uninspired. The “living my best life” cliche has been done to death at this point, and no new songs need to be made based around this phrase for a very long time. “Ready Or Not” with Busta Rhymes faces this same problem, but to a lesser extent, thanks to the instrumental and chorus actually bringing a bit of raw energy. These old rappers seem to have nothing left to say on this album. Obviously, Busta Rhymes can rap fast, but with a verse filled with lines such as “ it ain’t nothin’ really to it ’cause we ’bout to let it blow,” it’s hard to care at all about the song. 

Swae Lee and Harris attempt to close out the album one track early on “Lean On Me” with slow, somber chords and a decent guitar solo. However, Pharrell and Pusha T come back for a quick, introspective jam-packed with cultural references and a solid rap verse. Sadly, Pharrell’s chorus is painfully annoying, rivaling Halsey’s “Stay With Me” performance dishonorably. 

Overall, this album deserves some sympathy. After the first volume of Funk Wav Bounces, it was easy to believe another project of these tracks from Harris would be awesome. However now that it’s here and comparable to the first, no one really seems to want it anymore. Between the standards being set too high and the repetitive nature of the series concept, the project was doomed to be very underwhelming. 

Aside from the massive problems with tracks like “Stay With Me,” “Ready Or Not,” and “Live My Best Life,” this album is above average for most pop projects. There are lots of standout guest performances and catchy hooks, and while a bit repetitive the production is genuinely funky and textured. This concept from Harris is not nearly as exciting and unexpected as it was in 2017 when Vol. 1 shook the world. Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 is far from a complete swing-and-miss, but it’s missing the magic that its predecessor had in the element of surprise and in the cohesion of its tracks. 

It couldn’t have come at a worse time. Director Baz Luhrmann, known for his extravagant displays and emphasis on luxury, seemed to be the most suitable fit to direct, produce and write the story of the one of the greatest star of the 20th century, Elvis Presley. 

Presley is played by Austin Butler. He is portrayed to us as a charming, poor kid living in the whites-only subsidized housing in 1935 Tupelo, Mississippi. Presley is seemingly just an all-American boy with big dreams and a resonant voice that could impress any southern gospel singer. Butler plays a character who wishes to do right in the world with his talent and provide for his family.

Elvis Presley is the best-selling individual artist of all time. With hits ranging from “Jailhouse Rock”, “Hound Dog”, “Suspicious Minds”, “Can’t Help but Falling in Love,” and many more chart-topping hits. There is no questioning around the legacy of “the King of Rock n’ Roll.” Yet, in a political climate where it’s not only just but overdue to reveal the full truths of our beloved icons, “The King” has fallen short in the eyes of a generation that can access music history within a blink of an eye. Although his hit song “Hound Dog” swooned the post-war and Baby Boomer generation, Millennials and Gen Z have removed the rose-tinted glasses to see Elvis Presley as a culture vulture of trailblazing Black rock artists such as the creator of Rock n’ Roll, Big Mama Thornton, alongside B.B. King, Ike Turner, Ray Charles and more. 

Elvis was innovative, popular, influential, and an entertaining performer–but he didn’t invent anything. Elvis’ first hit in 1954, “That’s All Right,” came when rock was an established genre of music with its own household names in the works and on tour. Luhrmann attempts to make “The King” into a relatable character that simply tried his best–despite owning a golden toothbrush. 

However, the movie attempts to reconcile with all the controversies by having Big Mama Thornton sing her version of ”Hound Dog”, which was released four years before the more famous cover by Presley. Alongside the overdue accreditation for “Hound Dog,” he makes a casual appearance or two at the historically Black Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, the home of Rock music. Luhrmann directs these scenes to imply Presley is not merely the culture vulture made out to be in mass media but a member of the predominantly Black Rock n’ Roll community. Butler portrays Elvis as an aficionado and appreciator of the genre. Additionally, there is a short scene where he corrects who the real King of Rock n’ Roll is (hint: It’s Chuck Berry.)

The directing, while bright, bold and a bit disorienting, still manages to immerse you into the life of a true rock star decorated by pink Cadillacs and the finest clothes money can buy. We are introduced to Elvis when he performs presumably at his first show– the beginning of the hollering-craze for a man that moves in ways that are viewed as scandalous yet desirable and salacious. Thus, earning the nickname “Elvis the Pelvis.” This leads to larger issues with the national government because he is a White man singing Black music, dancing vulgarly and “corrupting” young American girls across the country.

However, this proves to be a profitable opportunity for the slick and dirty manager of Elvis’ life Colonel Tom Parker. Elvis performs at a caliber no other artist can do. Played by award-winning actor Tom Hanks, Colonel Tom Parker narrates the film through his point of view. We see the beginning of Elvis and most importantly his talent. Parker states at his first show “In that moment, Elvis the man was sacrificed and Elvis the God was born.” A kid with that voice and showmanship is what Parker believes is “the greatest show on earth” and the Colonel immediately acts on the potential of Presley. The plot thickens when just one scene later, the government unveils his illegal status as an illegal alien hiding in America. Parker’s ulterior motives are revealed as a man with an insatiable appetite for the money gained in the Presley name. 

The movie plays out to show the slow-brewing feud between Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis. The colonel sees the first performance of Elvis and immediately takes him under his management so that he can “fly.” This makes the then young Elvis over-eager and gullible to Parker’s puppeteering of the musician’s life, health, finances, sponsorships and much more. 

This leads to back-to-back touring, merchandise, the beginning of a drug addiction, women, fame and fortune for the protagonist and the stress of fame becomes too much to bear for Elvis. Yet money starts pouring in for Elvis and allows him to buy, amongst many things, the iconic Presley Graceland estate under the newly-formed and well-known Elvis Presley Enterprises. Elvis’ passive father, Vernon Presley (Richard Roxborough), spearheads the company but also falls under the control of the colonel. 

The movie continues to make Elvis wiser than his reality–marrying Priscilla Presley, fathering one child, Lisa Marie Presley and following his ups and downs of popularity. 

We are given what feels like a long montage rather than a storyline that follows Elvis’ six years of service overseas in Germany. He is mandated to serve in the army due to the scandalous dance moves we see earlier that were disapproved by the conservative-leaning government and population. He is told to either stop dancing (which prompts Butler’s character to dramatically say “If I can’t dance then I can’t sing!”) or serve in the military. Elvis agrees to become an American hero and serve his country, cut his slicked-back hair, and wipe off the funny eyeliner. It is when he is overseas in Germany that he meets Priscilla, a then 14 year-old teenage girl, whose father was an Air Force pilot. Presley returns home reformed from his “Elvis the Pelvis” scandal.

He began his dazzling acting career that spanned 11 years and over 31 feature films, the 1968 “comeback special” in front of his first live audience post 11-year hiatus featuring his political protest song, “If I Can Dream.” The song revitalizes and deepens the fame of Elvis and leads to critical acclaim. Elvis becomes cool again after the scrutinized tail-end of his acting career. Additionally, following the revival of his career, he is convinced to do a residency at the famous International Hotel in Las Vegas; the city most associated today with the name and elements of flashiness and flamboyance of Elvis. However, the money promised to Elvis and his manager from the residency deal alone pushes Colonel Tom Parker to force, delude and threaten Elvis there for five years, despite the musician’s pleas to tour overseas on his private jet. The colonel puts fear into the musician over security issues overseas. 

The casual viewer is indulged in the well-known pop culture blips of the singer’s life. We see the extravagant costumes and cape attachment, usually seen with bedazzling and/or with a large tiger stitched into the chest, the famous “Elvis has left the building!” aphorism, the moves, the hair and the music giving the viewer the full scope of not just the man but surrounding fame of his career. 

Marking the grim end of his life and subsequently darker filming, is the divorce from Priscilla. A consequence of deep drug addiction and exhaustion from performing that hospitalized Elvis in the midst of touring in his mid-to-late 30’s and early 40’s. Despite the worldwide fame, he never left the continent except when in service. However, his 1973 special, “Elvis – Aloha from Hawaii, via Satellite,” was seen in 40 countries by more than 1 billion people and made television history. It was seen on television in more American homes than man’s first walk on the moon. He performed to the fullest degree at each show. During his “concert years” from 1969 to 1977, Elvis gave nearly 1,100 concert performances despite a complete change in his appearance due to a worsening drug addiction and his status at the end of his career as a washed-out singer for an older audience.

The movie ends with the fading legacy of the king, and the grief felt over his death across the nation. The movie ends with Colonel Tom Parker telling his side of the story and his case that he was not at fault for the constant exploitation of his sole client. Yet the credits flash with summaries that state Parker lost a lawsuit in the years following Elvis’ death for exploitation. Elvis’ doctor is heavily fined for the overdose of drugs given to the late singer. (Spoiler alert: we don’t see Austin Butler dramatically die on the toilet.)

Overall, Austin Butler gives a truly Oscar-worthy performance, nearly replicating the deep voice of the late singer and personifying his moves, gimmicks and mannerisms to the fullest. Tom Hanks’ accent must be tuned out a bit in the mind to enjoy the narration throughout the movie. After watching you might find yourself humming a tune or two or revisiting a fact or pop culture event that slipped your mind and is presented back to you. The two-and-a-half hour long film doesn’t leave you bored or even angry. Luhrmann presents what feels like a prolonged montage of “the King” that never reaches a true end. Be sure to watch “Elvis” in theaters or stream it on HBO Max later this summer.

Prime Video series “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is all the rage right now. The series is a TV adaptation of author Jenny Han’s first book in her famous trilogy: “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” Season one (based on the first book) was released on June 17 and season two is already in production. 

When watching a show based on a novel, I typically like to read the book first. However, with “The Summer I Turned Pretty” I did the opposite. From the very first episode, I was immersed into the narrative. I finished the show in just under two days. While it is only seven episodes long, each episode lingers at the 45-50 minute mark. 

Isabel Conklin, starring Lola Tung, has been spending summers at Susannah Fisher’s (Rachel Blanchard) beach house in Cousins for as long as she can remember. Her mother, Laurel (Jackie Chung), is Susannah’s best friend. Up until this summer Isabel, or “Belly” to those around her, has been seen as “one of the boys” among her brother Steven (Sean Kaufman) and Susannah’s two sons Conrad (Chris Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Caselegno). Yet it’s her new, mature appearance that makes the Fisher boys truly see Belly in a different light, and act on what they have possibly felt all along. 

The main plotline is your basic love triangle, but hits harder. Belly has pinned after Conrad all her life, never believing he could feel the same. Yet, this summer she is faced with the choice between Conrad and Jeremiah. The two could not be more different. Conrad is the older sibling by a year, and while he is typically the nicer one, this summer he opted for the broody and mysterious vibe. However, Conrad cannot be fully at fault for his bad mood as he is coping with his mother’s cancer resurgence (that the kids aren’t supposed to know about). Jeremiah exudes extreme golden retriever energy, and gets along with basically everyone he meets, but he’s also a huge flirt. 

After watching this first season, I have to say I am fully team Conrad (bellyconrad to fan shippers). The connection between him and Belly is irreplicable. Their chemistry practically jumps off screen and slaps you in the face. What they have is a gentle sort of love that goes beyond superficial reasoning. It is evident that Conrad loved Belly even before she “turned pretty.” I do not think the same can be said for Jeremiah, but I digress. Don’t get me wrong though, the two still have some cute moments together. 

Not all of the relationships in the show are that of angsty teen romance. The beautiful bond between Laurel and Susannah as older women is excellently portrayed and even makes you shed a few tears at times. There is so much to unpack between the two of them and I hope their dynamic is something that is explored more in season two. We also get to see Belly’s self-confidence grow as the season progresses. Both are worth watching the show for. 

In a hungry-search for more content, I read all three of Han’s books: “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” “It’s Not Summer Without You” and “We’ll Always Have Summer.” I can honestly say I’m not ready for what is coming in season two. This is the first time I have liked a TV show better than the books. In Han’s defense these books were released from 2009-2011 and the series had a lot of needed plot upgrades. 

Among all of the differences between the books and the show, two stuck out. The first was the addition of the debutante ball to the story, which is one of the huge plot points in the series. This is where the famous “The Way I Loved You (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift scene takes place. Sounds intriguing? Exactly. Watch the show if you want to know more. 

Another notable difference is how Jeremiah’s character is bisexual in the show, providing some much needed representation for the LGBTQ+ community. It makes me wish that that was included in the books, but due to the year they were published, it unfortunately makes sense why it wasn’t. 

After finding out Han is the executive producer of the show it makes sense why every change that was made fit so perfectly into the narrative. It also explains why the soundtrack is absolutely incredible. I cannot get over it. It is one of the best TV show soundtracks to ever exist. Every song coordinates with every moment so perfectly. With snippets of tracks such as “1 step forward, 3 steps back” by Olivia Rodrigo, “As The World Caves In” by Sarah Cothran and “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish, the soundtrack is a story in itself. 

There is no string of words that can fully express how much I love this show. Aside from its amazing story and production, I do feel a personal attachment to it as someone who has spent summers at a beach house for her whole life. I am excited for season two, but I will unfortunately have to wait a bit before it comes out. In the meantime I will keep my obsession at bay with behind the scenes content, cast interviews and bellyconrad edits. 

Stream “The Summer I Turned Pretty” now! It has romance, heartbreak, and family ties all wrapped in one. But, most importantly, it gives you that warm feeling of familiarity only summer can create.

British pop trio New Hope Club headlined The Foundry in Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 12th for the first stop of their “Getting Better” USA tour. Following the recent release of two singles titled “Getting Better” and “Girl Who Does Both,” the group is beginning the rollout for a new album, the follow-up to their self-titled debut from 2019. 

New Hope Club consists of Blake Richardson, George Smith and Reece Bibby, who all sing and play various instruments. In the five years since their first release, they have amassed nearly two million monthly Spotify listeners, along with over 2.4 million Instagram followers collectively. Before the show, The Triangle had the chance to speak with New Hope Club about their new music, their growth as a band and their visits to Philadelphia.

Atticus Deeny: You’re on a world tour right now, the “Getting Better” USA tour. I saw that you played this same venue about three years ago on your “Love Again” tour, does it feel like that was forever ago?

New Hope Club: Yeah, obviously a lot has happened between now and then. We’re really happy to be back in Philadelphia. It was an amazing show last time. It just feels so exciting honestly with all the new songs we’ve been writing over lockdown, with the new album coming, obviously we just released “Getting Better” and “Girl Who Does Both” So, we can’t wait to play the new stuff. We’re really excited to see the Philadelphia crowd again. 

Deeny: How has the band and the live show changed since [the 2019] performance?

NHC: It’s changed a lot behind the scenes. I think we’ve really found ourselves and exactly where we wanted to go musically. We even have a drummer now. It allows us to have so much more freedom when we can add stuff and improvise mid-set. We couldn’t really do that before, it gives it more of that live element. 

Deeny: You have a whole album of material out already, but you said you’re going to be playing some unreleased songs tonight. Can you talk about any of them at all?

NHC: The first album we obviously released when we were quite a bit younger, and with this two-year break that everyone has had, it’s given us a lot of time to really think about this next project. That whole five-year period at the start of the band, we were still growing as people and as artists. This [album] feels for us like the real start of New Hope Club to be honest. 

Deeny: [With the first album] Were you as writers less involved compared to the new stuff?

NHC: Yeah, for sure. We were so young, when you’re put in this industry, everyone around you has so much experience so you kind of look up to them. It’s not that you just go along with everything but your opinion means less, in a way. Now we’ve become a lot more comfortable. It was hard for us to be like “No” to something because what do we know? Not that we weren’t writing songs, we’ve been writing since we were kids. Some of the biggest songs were written by us. This whole album, every decision, every song, every artwork, it’s all decided by us. It means so much more when people sing it back. When the songs are your own. 

Deeny: Your two new singles “Getting Better” and “Girl Who Does Both” are your first new releases since 2020. Has this album been in the works since then?

NHC: These two singles sort of came at different times. “Girl Who Does Both” was earlier on in the writing process. We had written the song but we just hadn’t gotten the production right. Then “Getting Better” came out, it was at the end when we thought we knew what the singles were. it just changed the whole thing.

Deeny: And that’s the name of the tour now!

NHC: Exactly. It’s super cool because we’ve written with this amazing writer called Ross Golan. When we wrote “Girl Who Does Both” he was working with us. When it came to “Getting Better,”  it came out of the three of us. The fact that that was the lead single is very special. It also sums up the whole entire album as well. I think there’s no better way to start the process of this album by releasing “Getting Better” and “Girl Who Does Both” because it shows such a wide variety of what is going to be coming on the album.

Deeny: I saw that you [Blake] have production credits on “Girl Who Does Both.” Can you talk about that?

NHC (Blake): Yeah. I’ve produced, I’d say, about 85 percent of the album. It kind of came around. We were literally staying in different houses all around the UK when we were writing this, and we didn’t have any outside producers come in and one of us has got to do it. I did a few songs on the last album and I’ve always tried to get better at it. We got to a point where we thought  “We actually don’t need anyone else,” because it was way easier to just have a conversation about it instead of it being [with] a different producer each time.  

NHC (George): We start from scratch, and then in six hours you can have a song sounding exactly how you want it to sound, go home and listen to it and then come back the next day and go, “let’s just change that tiny bit.”

NHC (Reece): It seems like every time you go into a session (with a producer) you have to explain your backstory as a band and explain your sound. Keeping it in-house is the way to go.

Deeny: What programs, like DAWs, do you use to record?

NHC (Blake): I just use Logic. We have a pretty basic setup. When we’re doing demos it’s an interface and mic, and then we go into the studio after and redo a lot of the stuff. 

We do a lot of it live as well. A lot of the time we actually plug instruments in at the same time, press record and do like three tracks at once. The “Get Back” documentary came out during lockdown, and we always knew [The Beatles] used to record like that but it was so fascinating actually seeing them all playing at the same time in the same room, putting it all together. Then you get the little mistakes, the imperfections are fun.

Deeny: Speaking of The Beatles, “Getting Better” shares the title of one of their songs from [the album] “Sgt. Peppers,” is this just a nod to them or is there anything more in-depth about it?

NHC: It wasn’t on purpose. For us, “Getting Better” kind of embodies the whole album really. It was a period of time, coming out of the last project, where we really fell in love with music again. We were having so much fun in the studio everyday writing songs and recording. Also, we want to be a bit of light to people; something they can listen to and feel better. We’re not that band who’s just talking about breakups. We just want to talk about our life. There’s not really any song on there that’s not based off our current situation. It’s all true, it’s all honest. I always prefer when you know that the artist is telling the truth and not just making up stories. 

Deeny: I’ve heard that you’ve been here in Philadelphia for a few days now. Have you had a chance to get around at all?

NHC: We’ve been to a lot of coffee shops. We stayed on a nice street called Chestnut. 

Deeny: Do you remember whereabouts in the city?

NHC (Blake): There’s a lot of shops. Clothes shops. We sort of wandered around there. Last time I was in Philly I did the “Rocky steps.” I’m a big “Rocky” fan so I had to do that. 

NHC (George): We’ve yet to have a cheesesteak. The crew has apparently had many but we have not. 

Deeny: There’s a place on South street, kind of far away, but it’s called Woodrow’s. If you have a chance, I’d stop by there. 

The first show of the “Getting Better” tour was ready to commence. The opening act vaultboy readied the crowd with a short set of emotional tracks, some off his new self-titled EP and some yet to release. During early 2021, vaultboy found viral success on TikTok with his track “everything sucks” and has been releasing new music along with remixes of the track since.

New Hope Club blazed the stage shortly after, opening up with “Getting Better.” The set consistently featured George and Blake on guitar (both acoustic and electric), and Reece on bass while all members provided vocals. At one point Blake took a turn on the drums, exemplifying the instrumental talent that the group holds. 

The group’s setlist consisted of 14 tracks spanning their entire discography, which included four unreleased songs presumably off of the new album. They prefaced a few of these songs with titles, those being “Whatever,” “Call Me A Quitter” and “Don’t Go Wasting Time.” It is confirmed that New Hope Club’s sophomore album will be released in 2023 and attending the “Getting Better” tour will provide a sense of what’s to come for the group. You can listen to them on any streaming platform.