Ten years ago, an unknown 19-year-old named Thebe Kgositsile emerged on the rap scene as a bright-eyed wunderkind. Known to the masses by the pseudonym Earl Sweatshirt, the artist returns to the rap scene triumphant on Friday with his fourth full-length album, “Voir Dire.” 

“Voir Dire” is the long-awaited collaboration album between legendary producer The Alchemist and rap prodigy Earl Sweatshirt. On previous records, The Alchemist and Sweatshirt created independent rap classics like “Loose Change.” The familiar duo returns on “Voir Dire” with a heavy dose of moody atmospheric production from The Alchemist mixed with the ruminative rhyme schemes of Sweatshirt, resulting in the best rap album of the year. 

For Sweatshirt, his exultant return to rap dominance comes after a long period of artistic experimentation. Since the critical acclaim of his first album “Doris” in 2013, Sweatshirt has released just four full-length albums including, “Voir Dire.” In an era of consistently mediocre 30-song mixtapes by mainstream rap artists like Lil Uzi Vert, Sweatshirt took a path less traveled. 

Instead of boasting about his absence from the consumer culture of modern music, Sweatshirt released some of the most tragic and introspective rap records of the last decade. Including, the aptly titled 2015 release, “I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside” and the 2018 experimental stand out “Some Rap Songs.” 

To longtime fans, these releases felt like an update on the beloved artist and provided a view into his ever-evolving technical rapping abilities. For casual fans, though, the off-kilter flows and meandering beats felt displaced and hard to approach. 

Although he may have alienated himself to some mainstream rap audiences over the years, Sweatshirt undoubtedly held true to himself. Whether he was rapping about his journey with severe depression on the 2018 track “Nowhere2Go” or about the death of his father on the 2019 EP “Feet of Clay,” Sweatshirt never wavered in his growth as a lyricist. 

Now, on “Voir Dire,” Sweatshirt conveys a more buoyant collection of songs that honor the turbulent artistic years of the rapper’s career while ushering fresh sounds into the mix. 

On the first track of the new album “100 High Street,” The Alchemist utilizes an engaging orchestral string section and lightly echoing drum beat. Then, Sweatshirt immediately demonstrates his rapping ability over the cinematic beat, with the lyrics, “Seen Skeppy out in Shoreditch. He said the telly for the hoes. Keep them heffers off ya doorstep. Geese fеathers under forehеads. Tempur-Pedic with the reaper, got to know Death.”

On “100 High Street” Sweatshirt compares his depressive episodes to sleeping with death while effortlessly weaving in allusions to a conversation with legendary United Kingdom rapper Skepta. 

The high-level bars on “100 High Street” are just a sample size of the album’s expertly drafted rhyme schemes. On songs like “27 Braids” Sweatshirt continues his dominant lyrical performance with lyrical digressions focusing on his personal life and new role as a father, “She said I got a son on the way. Made my bed so that’s where I’ma lay. My worried bones, my heavy head I carry home every day. My momma sayin’ that I’ll never be alone. Even though she gotta know that I know she dismayed.” 

“Voir Dire” provides ample evidence Sweatshirt’s lyrical talent is unmatched in modern rap. Whether he is recalling conversations with rap royalty or unpacking personal relationship history like in “27 Braids,” the artist shifts smoothly between topics throughout the album. 

After a complicated decade, Earl Sweatshirt returns to rap dominance on his newest album “Voir Dire.” In collaboration with legendary producer The Alchemist, Sweatshirt delivers the best album of his young career. Throughout “Voir Dire” Sweatshirt showcases artistic maturity and unparalleled rap lyrcism, resulting in the best rap album of year.

The University of Minnesota alum-founded Bad Mouth Theater Company read the stirring play “Nebraska” by Mari Sitner at Waldmann Brewery in St. Paul on April 24.

Sitner, a 24-year-old Detroit-raised, New York City-based playwright wrote “Nebraska” with a tone that feels authentic to the landscape of the Midwest without relying on overused rural American tropes. The play worked, not only as an introduction to Sitner’s clever writing but as the latest move by a collective of University of Minnesota-affiliated actors.

Mysteriously though, the play takes place outside of Nebraska and all in one troubled family’s Midwest house, the exact location remaining undisclosed to the audience. To Sitner, the character study aspects mattered more than location or plot.

“I always start with character. I am less focused on what the play is about at the beginning and more focused on who these characters are and what they would say to each other,” Sitner said. “I had a vague idea of the plot when I started, but I was most interested in how it was going to play out with the individual quirks and personalities of the characters.”

The play was read by four local actors: Bridget Foy, Nate Turcotte, Garrett Hildebrandt and Bad Mouth co-founder Amanda Forstrom. Stage directions were read by Kevin Kautzman, who co-founded Bad Mouth Theater Company with Forstrom and Sitner.

“Nebraska” captures the daily intensities of working-class life. It centers around a family of three: siblings Richie and Vicki and their mother, Heather. The kids are both young teenagers who take care of themselves while their mother works long hours. This changes when a charming door-to-door salesman, Josh, befriends Heather and the kids. It remains unclear what Josh is selling to the family until much later on.

Turcotte, who read for the character Richie, is a second-year acting major at the University who previously met Forstrom and got involved with Bad Mouth during another production.

“Typically in other cities, readings like this one, just actors getting together and reading a play for the hell of it, is common … but not something that the Twin Cities has a whole lot of. I hope to continue supporting them because I think readings are so crucial to keeping the art alive,” Turcotte said.

One of the founders of Bad Mouth, University alum Kautzman, connected with Sitner through Twitter a couple of years ago before Bad Mouth even existed. An established playwright himself, Kautzman moved back to the Twin Cities from New York City during the pandemic before deciding to start a theater collective.

Nowadays, Bad Mouth creates audio content and podcasts, as well as their first full-scale production. Titled “One Good Marriage,” it will premiere at the Phoenix Theater in Uptown Minneapolis on May 19.

“Philosophically, theater is an anecdote to alienation in a wildly alienated and unsocial time,” Kautzman said. “One of the things that got me into theater in the first place was spending too much time on the internet. There’s nothing like being in a room full of adults and playing make-believe together.”

Fittingly, “Nebraska” entrances audiences with its raunchy and titillating dialogue.

Richie and Vickie bicker while dealing with the powerlessness of harsh economic realities. Their mother Heather, portrayed brilliantly by Forstrom, battles addiction, stressful work hours and an absent husband. Meanwhile, the plot twists and turns with the manipulation of Josh.
Sitner delivered a darkly humorous play with “Nebraska” and expressed a certain relief in the fruition of its first reading.

“It is hard right when you’re out of school to have a lot of creative output. You’re working jobs that are maybe not your favorite, moving around and figuring things out,” Sitner said. “It feels good to put something back into the world.”

When the semester ends at the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Daily will be taking its May break.

But just because A&E won’t be covering these events, that doesn’t mean they aren’t highly recommended. Here’s an abundance of exciting activities and events available for students this May:

Why Not (April 28) and Charly Bliss (April 29) at the Turf Club
Two small shows to check out are Why Not at the Turf Club on April 28, and Charly Bliss, also at the Turf Club, on April 29. This Friday-Saturday, a one-two punch of great bands could serve as a great introduction to The Turf Club, a staple venue known for its vintage decor and legendary bar food. Additionally, multiple local artists will be opening for both Why Not and Charly Bliss. For more information about the artists and all their opening acts check out the links here.

Art in Bloom 2023 at Mia (April 27-30)
“Art in Bloom” is an exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art that combines floral interpretations of artwork and the artwork itself. The spring-oriented celebration is put together using pieces from Mia’s permanent collection and the help of more than 100 florists. “Over the course of the four-day festival, everyone is invited to experience the floral beauty and fragrance throughout the museum,” reads Mia’s website. More information here.

“In the Mood for Love” at the Trylon Theater (May 7-9)
The emotionally triumphant film “In The Mood for Love” is screening at Trylon May 7-9. Directed by Hong Kong’s Wong Kar-wai, this 2000 romantic drama takes viewers through two strangers’ realizations that their partners are having affairs. Depending on the May weather, a movie night with Trylon’s 35mm might be the best way to celebrate the end of another semester. Showing times for “In the Mood for Love,” as well as the May calendar at Trylon, can be found here.

Colin Bracewell at the Green Room (May 11)
Local musician and University student Colin Bracewell will perform new music at his release show at the Green Room in Uptown Minneapolis on May 11. Bracewell’s music blends jangling alternative rock with sentimental lyricism — think Hippo Campus. More info here.

David Cross at The Fitzgerald Theater (May 12)
David Cross will bring his hot political takes and dark humor to The Fitzgerald Theater on May 12. In addition to this stand-up comedy, Cross is known for his role as playing the eccentric Tobias on the ‘00s sitcom “Arrested Development.” Buy tickets here.

Looking for something more consistent or local? Check out Acme Comedy Company and the Comedy Corner Underground. They both feature touring comedians and open-mic nights each week.

Rebecca Black at Amsterdam Bar & Hall (May 14)
Rebbeca Black’s music has evolved over the years since her mega-viral 2011 YouTube hit “Friday.” On more recent releases, like her newest album “Let Her Burn,” she brings forth layered electro-pop that reimagines her artistic direction. Black will visit Amsterdam Bar & Hall in St. Paul on May 14. Buy tickets here.

“One Good Marriage” at Phoenix Theater (May 19-28)
The St. Paul-based Bad Mouth Theater Company will present a production of Sean Reycraft’s play “One Good Marriage” at the Phoenix Theater in Uptown Minneapolis. Audiences may already know Reycraft’s work through his writing on The CW’s 2010s hit TV show “The Vampire Diaries.”

“One Good Marriage” opens on May 19 and focuses on one couple’s darkly comedic journey through marriage. More information here.

Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board’s “Summer Music Kickoff” (May 29)
What better way to enjoy live music than outside? On May 29 the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board is throwing a free concert called “Summer Music Kickoff” at the Lake Harriet Bandshell. It will feature performances from two local bands: Maria and the Coins and Big Mike & The Funktion.

Yeat, the rage-rap sensation, has quickly immortalized a specific post-Playboi Carti sound through repetitive lyricism and otherworldly production.

During his performance at The Armory in downtown Minneapolis on April 15, Yeat sent the crowd into a frenzy with sinister beats and morphed vocals that maintained his mysterious persona.

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Yeat rose to fame in 2021 through viral YouTube videos.

Subsequently, after the release of “2 Alive” in February 2022 and then more recently “AftërLyfe” in February of this year, Yeat successfully garnered a loyal following.

Julian Green, a University of Minnesota alum and the content director at MPR’s Black-music subsidiary Carbon Sound FM, said Yeat’s admirably weird persona contributes to his success.

“People are going to make fun of you. But there are always going to be some people who see themselves in that and really latch on to that and become a fan. Then you have that cult fan base, like Yeat does, because his fans can form that parasocial relationship with him,” Green said.

During the show, the crowd moshed with such intensity that the show stopped multiple times for the safety of the audience. When hit songs like “Poppin” rang out over the speakers, water bottles, shoes and sweatshirts were tossed into the air by fans.

Fans relished the spirited and sweaty crowd atmosphere to the fullest and many wore fuzzy balaclavas, matching the artist’s style. Dante Jones, a Yeat fan, did not jump into the mosh pits during the show but said he enjoys how much energy Yeat’s music offers.

“Yeat’s music is something to give me energy. It doesn’t matter the moment, my spirits are lifted,” Jones said.

Although Yeat barely talked to the audience between songs, the connection his fans felt to the artist undeniably contributed to the experience.

Dorborwulu Cooper, a University alum and hip hop artist, said they liked Yeat’s beats and instrumentation while at the show Saturday.

“It makes me feel geeked,” Cooper said.

Before the show even started the venue had to turn all the lights on and tell fans to back up for the safety of those on the front barricade. The crowd complied but not without a deafening chorus of “We want Yeat” chants echoing throughout The Armory.

The University of Minnesota Theatre, Arts and Dance Department performed two Shakespeare plays on Thursday and Friday, celebrating what the BFA acting program called a “Shakesperience.”

The two plays included the original Shakespearian language while remaining thoroughly engaging to a modern audience. Directed by John Maclay and performed by the BFA acting class of 2025, the University students’ performance of “Cymbeline” and “Pericles” ignited the crowds.

Both plays featured a sparse set and minimal costume design, according to Qiuxia Welch, the marketing, communications and front-of-house director for the University’s theater, arts and dance program. The minimal sets and wardrobe in the performances helped the students focus on the text and content of the Shakespearean plays.

The acting program specifically works to incorporate classic texts like Shakespeare to develop the young performers in the program, according to the press release for the shows.

“In the program, students actually spend an entire semester in England studying Shakespeare because every year the second-year students in the BFA actor training program have to perform some form of Shakespeare,” Welch said. “This year, with ‘Cymbeline’ and ‘Pericles,’ it is unique because the plays are not produced much throughout history.”

“Cymbeline,” the first performance of the “Shakespearience,” told a sweeping story of a princess named Imogen and her lost lover Posthumus Leonatus. The story is interwoven with other members of King Cymbeline’s family, who are all marked by murder, kidnapping and betrayal.

The student actors in “Cymbeline” succeeded by leaning into the absurdist comedy of the characters. The students delivered monologues with audacity and benevolence fit for a 17th century performance in the Globe Theatre.

In “Pericles,” the students portrayed the perils of the titular character and his daughter Marina. Again, the actors leaned into the violence and turmoil of the characters to deliver a performance that can still resonate today.

While many contemporary interpretations of Shakespeare often lose the early modern English vocabulary, both performances leaned into the original text. At first, the unfamiliar vocabulary off-put the audience, but the second-year students used facial expressions and immense physicality to explain the context of what they were conveying.

Released on Friday, boygenius’ debut LP, “the record,” elevates each musician’s songwriting mystique as they enter new sonic territories together as a supergroup.

Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, the three critically acclaimed queer female musicians in boygenius, each add a different style of “sad girl” indie rock. “the record” works, not only as a refreshing update on each young artist’s songwriting growth, but also as a guide through the grief of relationships and lost family.

In their solo careers, the three artists have each built their fan bases by writing and performing guitar-heavy ballads with weighty lyrical ruminations.

Bridgers’ soul-crushing album “Punisher” centers on an atmosphere of ominous instrumentals with devastatingly apocalyptic themes of broken relationships, sex, pain and death.

Dacus’ songs are delicately conceived and full of timeless lyrics. On her album “Home Video,” the songwriter embraces a tinge of country rock and combines it with stories about her relationships, growing up and falling in love.

Baker writes intimate songs about love and loss. She remains influenced by her Tennessee upbringing and her exit from the church. Nowadays, she writes stark lyrics examining fear and death on albums like “Little Oblivions.”

These solo endeavors, along with their boygenius output, have made each of the them into indie celebrity A-listers.

Bridgers, the most famous of the trio, has lent her talent to a few high-caliber superstars, most notably her stylistic forebear Taylor Swift.

Bridgers, Dacus and Baker graced the cover of Rolling Stone in January in promotion of “the record.” Oscar-nominated actor (and fellow queer indie sad girl) Kristen Stewart directed the accompanying short film, titled “the film.”

Together, these elegant songwriters blend their influences into emotive lyrics and sonic gloom. Baker, Dacus and Bridgers all sing lead vocals throughout the songs on “the record” as well as backup vocal harmonies that complement the overall fusion.

On their first release in 2018, their self-titled EP, the band introduced themselves as folk-influenced emotion-stirrers on songs like “Ketchum, ID.”

Now, on “the record,” boygenius illuminates their growth artistically as a band. After briefly parting ways to make more solo music, the three singer-songwriters exemplify that they learned to make songs particular to how they sound together.

Overarchingly, boygenius uses a more complete dose of instrumentation on “the record.”

“Cool About It” is an example of this complete sound. All three vocalists contemplate running into their exes over sparse instrumentals that seamlessly fit the stories together into one cohesive image.

“Satanist” especially helps cement the boygenius project as a major highlight in all the artists’ discographies. The song features satirical and playful lyrics about nihilism, anarchy and death.

All three sing, “Solomon had a point when he wrote ‘Ecclesiastes.’ If nothing can be known, then stupidity is holy. If the void becomes a bore, we’ll treat ourselves to some self-belief.”

Interestingly, the cohesive album ends with three songs featuring solo vocal performances, perhaps the three best songs on the album.

First, Dacus sings a touching love song about a lover who listens to her even when she feels “insane” on the song “We’re In Love.”

Next, Baker delivers a nostalgic rock ballad on “Anti-Curse” where, with expert lyricism, she unpacks a lost love from her youth.

Bridgers ends the album with an atmospheric goodbye on “Letter To An Old Poet,” which tells the story of moving on from a former lover (sad indie boy Paul Mescal?).

The last three tracks work to emphasize the best themes of “the record.” On their debut LP, boygenius succeeds because of their three distinct songwriting abilities, not despite them. With “the record,” Dacus, Baker and Bridgers cement themselves as three of the most prolific musicians of their generation.

University of Minnesota alumni Taoheed Bayo, Justin Ofori-Atta and Mark Odumuyiwa created the idea for the short film “Ààrẹ,” which tells the story of Bayo’s cultural background through visuals and dance.

All three filmmakers contributed to the mesmerizing visual allure of “Ààrẹ,” which premiered in front of a live audience for the first time on March 18.

Bayo wrote, directed and starred in the film. Bayo’s life experiences are at the forefront of the project and he said “Ààrẹ” conveys the story of “the expansive man,” a cultural concept rooted in Bayo’s upbringing in Lagos, Nigeria.

According to Bayo, the expansive man represents a “man of might on a continuous journey of self-discovery and entering a metaphysical state where his vulnerabilities and strength are settling to coexist.”

The short film is four minutes long and features Bayo wearing a shimmering headpiece while dancing to traditional Yoruba music. Different members of Bayo’s personal life, including his mother, voice different phrases of a poem in Yoruba while the dancing commences.

“When I saw that headpiece in my friend’s closet, it reminded me of growing up in Lagos, and it is very common in African culture for royalty to wear a headpiece similar to the one I am wearing in the film,” Bayo said. “That headpiece led to the beginning of the creation of the film. Then I reached out to a poet in Lagos and asked him to write a poem in alignment with royalty and expansiveness.”

The short film is a powerful snapshot of Nigerian culture and uses movement to convey emotive stories of perseverance.

“During the first round of shooting the film, there was this epiphany we had where we all realized that the project was something special and we wanted to make it special,” Odumuyiwa said.

After watching the film, the crew decided to reshoot to go above and beyond their first attempt, according to Odumuyiwa.

The attention to detail outlined by Odumuyiwa, the co-director and producer, reverberated throughout the precise sequences in “Ààrẹ.” The film engages audience members in the physical performance of Bayo with intentional style choices of cinematography throughout the film.

Director of Photography and Editor Ofori-Atta described how working with Odumuyiwa and Bayo on “Ààrẹ” became a freeing experience that elevated the entire creative process.

“This project to me represents all of our collective creative freedom and resilience,” Ofori-Atta said. “There’s a part where Taoheed gets knocked down and the screen goes completely black. You see him rise again and then he is even more ferocious in his movements. For me, that just represents that when you hit a roadblock, you have to respond even stronger than before.”

The process of creating the film resonated with Bayo on a personal level, which is expressed in the dance performance and visual style. Bayo explained how dance and movement allow for another avenue of creative output other than words.

“The film is meaningful to me as an artist because dance is another form of language for me besides speaking Yoruba and English,” Bayo said. “It is one of the mediums I can express myself freely. In the film, I use dance to express my experiences migrating from Lagos to the U.S.”

Ofori-Atta said the audience responded to the film with “awe and admiration.”

“People were so respectful of the project,” Ofori-Atta said. “You know how it feels to walk into an art gallery and everyone’s looking at the same painting quietly? That’s how it felt like when people were taking in the film.”

Mavi, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based rapper, performed at 7th Street Entry on March 21, using melodic raps and sincere lyricism to charm the Minneapolis audience.

Mavi played numerous songs from his latest album, “Laughing so Hard, it Hurts,” which he released in September 2022. The current leg of Mavi’s world tour featured opener Fly Anakin, who started the show with soulful beats and lyrically complex raps.

The Richmond, Virginia-based rapper and producer put forth a welcoming tone throughout his set by engaging with fans between songs and bringing people onstage to dance with him. Fly Anakin released his debut solo album, “Frank,” in March 2022 to critical acclaim.

Mavi’s set demonstrated artistic growth since the early releases in his career, while he was still a neuroscience student at Howard University. Mavi always delivers deliberate and virtuous lyricism, but on the album “Laughing so Hard, it Hurts,” the rapper introduced new melodic undertones to his music.

During his set at 7th St, Mavi rapped and performed with a self-assured passion that felt like the manifestation of an artist who is committed to constantly evolving. Mavi moved across the stage like a poet with an urgent message to convey to the audience.

His flow and style delve into dark areas of his psyche at times. Still, Mavi never lost the joy of performing and thanked the audience multiple times for giving him the “greatest job in the world.”

On songs like “Quiet on Set,” Mavi told stories of growing up in Charlotte and the troubles he went through along the way to become a musician. He rapped the lyrics, “We rolling, yeah. Golden, we needed motion. And so we stole. To my family, I’m beholden. Everybody else, I don’t owe shit.”

Mavi’s style of rapping accentuates the lyrical complexity of his songs by centering his rhythmic vocals. This style of vocal-centric rapping was displayed on songs like “Miracle Baby” and “Sense” during his set at 7th St.

“Miracle Baby” is a collaboration with legendary hip-hop producer The Alchemist. The song features Mavi rapping passionately over the ethereal beat of distant bass instrumentation and choral vocals.

The lyrical expertise of Mavi on “Miracle Baby” is evident with raps like, “I talk sometimes just knowing my phone the only one listening. Advertise the digit app when I spend a bag. Advertise the fitted mag when I’m finna crash. Half the time at the virulence I just sit and laugh. If we ain’t there to spark the revolution, all our Siris can.”

Throughout the entire set, Mavi deployed his lyrical raps on an entranced audience of hip-hop fans at the 7th St. Fittingly, the song “Sense” is a one minute meditation that ends with the lyrics, “Spinning outwards, lost, so she saying, ‘What kind of songs you make?’ I make the kind you gotta read, baby.”

On her eighth studio album, “Endless Summer Vacation,” released March 10, Miley Cyrus confidently cements her pop songwriting as a force to be reckoned with.

After a few stylistic albums, including the pop-party anthems of “Bangerz” and the ‘70s rock-influenced “Plastic Hearts,” Cyrus settles into a blend of styles that feels authentic to her unique voice on “Endless Summer Vacation.”

Cyrus challenged the music industry over the last decade to separate her from the Hannah Montana character she played on Disney Channel as a teenager. Still, her past albums never delivered in the way “Endless Summer Vacation” does.

“Endless Summer Vacation” combines the stylistic techniques of the past seven albums into a captivating collection of pop ballads. The result emulates the painful journey of Cyrus’ messy divorce from actor Liam Hemsworth.

Throughout the entirety of “Endless Summer Vacation,” Cyrus does not shy away from explicitly naming the discretions that occurred in her marriage. On the chart-topping lead single “Flowers,” Cyrus slyly references the fire that burned down her and Hemsworth’s home and intertwines it with a reverse of the lyrics of Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man.”

“Built a home and watched it burn. I didn’t want to leave you, I didn’t want to lie. Started to cry, but then remembered I can buy myself flowers,” Cyrus sings on the track.

On “Jaded,” Cyrus sings a rock melody of remembrance that recalls Stevie Nicks. Cyrus addresses her remorse and pain with the lyrics, “We went to hell but never came back. I’m sorry that you’re jaded. I could’ve taken you places. You’re lonely now and I hate it.”

As the album continues, Cyrus presents her most cohesive album to date without sacrificing any experimentation or creative drive. On songs like “Handstand,” Cyrus delves into a more atmospheric realm that relies on melodic instrumentation and distorted vocals.

Keeping listeners on their toes, in the song “Thousand Miles,” Cyrus reaches back to her roots by incorporating a country string section and brings in alt-country star Brandi Carlile for a stunning vocal melody. “Thousand Miles” feels reminiscent of “The Climb” from “Hannah Montana: The Movie.”

As the album concludes, Cyrus offers up two more varying sounds in “River” and “Wonder Woman.”

The song “River” fires up a dance-floor-ready pop melody that demonstrates Cryus’ ability to write catchy songs that cross the boundaries of genre. “River” uses guitar-laden production with a looping chorus to create the perfect song for any summer party.

Conversely, the song “Wonder Woman” tells the story of Cyrus’s late grandmother. The song is a touching tribute that will remind longtime Miley listeners of the 2006 song “I Miss You,” which she wrote for her late grandfather.

On “Endless Summer,” Cyrus successfully mixes vulnerable songwriting about her grief-ridden divorce with liberating pop melodies, honoring her illustrious career in the process. The pop star conveys an aura of self-acceptance and peace, and it finally feels authentic.

Early Eyes, a staple band of the Twin Cities music scene for nearly a decade, brought their ambitious new album to 7th Street Entry on March 4.

Capping off the tour of their album “Look Alive!” Early Eyes played an exuberant live show that shook the venue with joy. Their two opening acts, Trash Date and FruitPunchLoverBoy, filled out the full lineup of exciting, young local musicians.

University of Minnesota alum Jake Berglove and their friends formed the band in 2016. After a string of jangling and melodic EPs, Early Eyes shifted directions musically. Nowadays, Berglove is the only remaining member of the original lineup.

“We write music in a totally different way now,” Berglove said.

Early Eyes now consists of Berglove (keys, lead vocals), Josie Villano (guitar, vocals), John O’Brien (guitar, sampler), Megan Mahoney (bass, vocals) and Sam Mathys (drums).

The band released their full-length debut “Look Alive!” in February 2022. The album features a bright electronic haze compared to the band’s original sound. Berglove’s sparkling vocals and meditative lyricism remain a centerpiece.

However, the additional vocals from Mahoney and Villano, combined with new styles of instrumentation, unlock a more nuanced and full sound for the band.

Berglove said as the band has gained more success over the years, tour life has gone from stressful to enjoyable.

“I used to hate being on the road. As Lady Gaga said, ‘Another club, another club, on the plane, and then another club.’ It was just a really stressful experience for me.” Berglove said. “But this most recent tour was a very freeing experience. The fact that we found some success in the music industry and on the internet made it possible for us to take our friends on the journey with us and that process made it feel like we were building a community.”

Early Eyes’ live performance exemplified the community Berglove hopes the band continues to build. The show at 7th Street felt like a celebration of the band’s journey so far. Early Eyes danced in unison with the crowd throughout the entire show and expressed their gratitude for the opening acts and the Twin Cities music scene.

During “Marigolds,” the crowd sang along with the band to the laid-back and melodic tune. The confident spirit the band emulated throughout the set captured the essence of a band comfortable with their sound and identity.

Toward the end of their set, the band astonished the crowd with an animated live performance of “Revel Berry,” which sent fans into a frenzied moshpit during the chorus.

“Notice that it’s not fun. But it is fun. Everything is overdone. But we’re livin’. Overdone,” Berglove and O’Brien sang.

“‘Revel Berry’ is the song that takes the most out of us physically. We can just give it our all and then pack up. The pacing is really cool too on that one,” O’Brien said.

In the coming months, Early Eyes plans to continue to write more music and strengthen their connection with the Twin Cities music scene.

“We’re just trying to get more people involved with our process and get more involved with other people’s projects as well,” O’Brien said. “There’s a lot of really exciting stuff in Minneapolis right now, and I think that cross-pollination is healthy for any music scene.”