The hip-hop trio Migos first emerged in the game with their hit Zaytoven-produced single “Versace” when superstar rapper Drake remixed the track, providing a tremendous boost in recognition. Since then, the group has continued to find success and reached a career high with the release of their second studio album “Culture.” The success of the album was largely due to the popularity of the lead single “Bad and Boujee,” which featured rapper Lil Uzi Vert. While “Culture” propelled Migos to become the latest craze in hip-hop, the group failed to capitalize on their wave with  follow-up project “Culture II.”

Within Migos, Takeoff always seemed to take a backseat as the group gained recognition. The rapper even became the butt of a joke when “Bad and Boujee” took off and he did not have a verse when featured artist Lil Uzi Vert did. The two other members of the group, Quavo and Offset, have generally found more success outside of the group in their solo efforts. In 2017, Offset released a collaborative album with 21 Savage and Metro Boomin. Quavo has always been considered the stand out in the group due to his frequent collaborations with a variety of artists. Finally getting the chance to shine outside of his role in Migos, Takeoff released his debut solo album “The Last Rocket” Nov. 2.

Rarely venturing outside of the group, fans were uncertain of what a solo Takeoff album would sound like. Prior to the release Takeoff had only two solo singles “Intruder” and “Last Memory,” the latter being the lead single for the album. The project opens on a high note with the track “Martian,” a DJ Durel-produced track that embraces the album title and the rapper’s stage name. The song features a dialogue reminiscent of preparation of a rocket ship taking off, which ultimately concludes with a countdown launching listeners into the album. Takeoff explodes into the track with a catchy hook over an 808 heavy minimalist beat which concludes with the line “Takeoff, I’m outta here, Marvin.” The simple but creative line utilizes a play on words related to his own name and the Looney Tunes character Marvin the Martian, tying back into the title of the track.

The album transitions seamlessly into the second track “She Gon Wink” as DJ Durel lends his production for another song. I could not help but roll my eyes when I first heard Quavo being featured on this track. “The Last Rocket” comes soon after Quavo’s extremely underwhelming debut solo album. While at first I was disappointed to hear the front man of Migos make an appearance on Takeoff’s opportunity to stand out, I was pleasantly surprised with his performance. Quavo comes through to do what he does best, providing an autotune infused hook and guest verse. With this appearance coming fresh off the release of his own solo album it displays the truth behind Quavo’s craft, he is best in small doses.

A creative and comical moment on the album comes on the track “None to Me.” The song features an audio clip from the FBE YouTube video “Elders React to Migos.” “The fame, the money, the cars, the sexual glory that goes with all of that apparently. It was represented in this,” Mark, a participant in the video, said in the clip.

Through the lyrical content in the song, it appears that Takeoff is fully embracing these comments as he openly explores similar themes. Another highlight on the album is the song “I Remember,” produced by prominent hip-hop beat maker Murda Beatz. Takeoff reflects on the drug dealing era in his life as he lyrically paints a picture of his life on the streets for the listeners.

The clear stand out on the album is “Infatuation,” a track that caught me by surprise. The song diverges from the trap style Takeoff usually associates with and embraces an ’80s and ’90s R&B feel. The song is produced by Masked Man and features vocalist Dayytona Fox whose performance evokes the nostalgic feel perfectly. This is a love song through and through, and it comes naturally to the traditionally trap MC. While it strays from his typical genre, Takeoff displays his versatility in his artistry on this pop and R&B influenced track.

In his first solo effort Takeoff delivered a cohesive and high quality album proving that he can stand on his own outside of the group. While he delivered consistent trap content with the lyrical flow that makes him the artist he is, he also experimented with his sound and displayed a more diverse musical ability than he has shown thus far. “The Last Rocket” ultimately displays what many have speculated for some time, that Takeoff is the best rapper in the popular hip-hop trio.

While there have been over 50 direct to video Disney sequels released from 1994 to 2008, they were made by a different animation studio, as quick cash grabs with cheaper animation and are considered to be inferior to their first instalments. The only sequels that Walt Disney Animation Studios have ever produced themselves were “The Rescuers Down Under” and “Fantasia 2000.” The former ended up being a flop that is the forgotten middle child between “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.” The latter received a lukewarm critical reception but is held up by many as a classic. Twenty-eight years later the studio is once again taking a shot at a sequel with “Ralph Breaks the Internet.”

“Ralph Breaks the Internet” is an animated Disney film directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston, who were previously involved in the first “Wreck-it Ralph” and “Zootopia.” The film stars John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman reprising their roles from the first film with newcomers Taraji P. Henson, Gal Gadot and Bill Hader rounding out the main cast.

Set six years after the first movie, Vanellope is tired of Sugar Rush always being the same game and wishes for something new and exciting. Ralph attempts to help her by making some changes to her game that results in the steering wheel for the Sugar Rush arcade cabinet breaking. Ralph and Vanellope must now go into the internet in order to find a replacement part so the game won’t be sold for parts, but as the story progresses, Vanellope wonders if she even wants to go back to the arcade.

The best element of the movie is that it’s not a rehash of the first film. Like any good sequel it expands on the world shown in the first film, raises the stakes and further develops its characters. We see how Ralph and Vanellope have grown their friendship in the past few years and even see what all the characters from the first film have been up to for the small amount of screentime they have.

The look of the internet is very imaginative, creative and does a good job mixing elements from our world with websites to make them feel more like a real world such as Ebay looking like a Walmart style superstore, their Google stand-in being an information booth, and the Disney fansite looking like a fan convention.

When it comes to the new characters, Gal Gadot’s character, Shank, creates some fun character dynamics with Vanellope with them both being car driving adrenaline junkies, but the difference being Shank is from a violent action MMO game called “Slaughter Race” while Vanellope is from a game that is more cutesy and child-friendly. Both Taraji P. Henson and Bill Hader also do good jobs giving emotion and character to Yesss, the living embodiment for the movie’s Youtube stand in, Buzztube, and Spamley, the living embodiment of a pop-up ad. I feel we we didn’t really see enough of them to make much of an impression and I would have liked to see a little more of them. Another new character that I feel was a standout was KnowsMore, the living embodiment of an internet search bar, who was both funny and charming despite not having much screen time. And he is the first Alan Tudyk Disney character that I didn’t recognize the voice of until the credits (he has voiced a character in every Disney film from Tangled until now).

The movie deals with the themes of friendship, finding out where you belong and has a good message for both kids and their parents. So if you’re looking for movie to watch with your family this Thanksgiving, I would recommend that you give this movie a try.

Except for one thing. If you saw the scene with the Disney Princesses in the trailers and loved it, you’ll love the movie, and it’s everything you want it to be. When I first found out that there was a scene where they go into the Disney website where they show off all the properties they own, I hated the idea because I felt that the scene would be completely corporate and soulless. Sadly, I was right.

It was just an extended commercial. You could replace this scene with another scene where Vanellope interacts with Shank and the movie would be exactly the same. I would in no way be shocked if this whole scene wasn’t part of the first draft of the script, and was added specifically at the request of the higher-ups because they didn’t have enough faith in their own movie. It just screams of Disney going “Look at us, we can make our characters wear casual clothing and address their similar character archetypes like those kids on the interwebs.”  

While some might interpret it it as Disney catering to its fans by taking inspiration from people’s fan art and addressing commentary people have made on the archetypes of these characters, to me it just feels like Steve Buscemi wearing a hoodie, a backwards baseball cap and a t-shirt that says “band name” on it while holding two skateboards and saying “How do you do, fellow kids?” It also doesn’t help that not only are they wearing normal clothes, they’re wearing clothes with Disney related logos and slogans on them that are now available at Disney.com. So yeah, I really hated this scene, and this is coming from a guy that loves comic-cons, fanart, cosplay and everything else that is usually associated with fandom. Does it ruin the whole movie for me? Not really, but I will say that it left a sour taste in my mouth for the rest of the film. If you too are not a fan of this, then I would say to skip this movie in theaters and wait to see it on streaming, where you have the option to fast forward through that scene.

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This is a place where we gather up the pieces of pop culture we’ve been thinking about and feel the need to share. New or old, popular or waiting to be discovered. Here is what you should check out in November.

Music: “Everything You Know Is Changing But It’ll Pass” by Spark Alaska

A relatively obscure artist in Spark Alaska is a hidden gem for the acoustic indie-goers and the general public alike. These simpler, seemingly stripped songs have deep resonance with childhood memories, as hinted at by the album cover. There is something for everyone to take away from a listen, as growing pains are something we all experience and deal with, and the coming of age motif of the record is powerful yet poignant.

Music: “Pieces of a Man” by Mick Jenkins

After one listen, “Pieces of a Man” is already a favorite of the year. Mick Jenkins’ smooth and thoughtful vocals blend perfectly with production from Black Milk, Kaytranada, BadBadNotGood and others.

Music: “This Album Does Not Exist” by Dreamers

New York pop rock trio Dreamers made a big impression when they dropped their debut album back in 2016. Though they’ve followed the project up with some EPs since, the album still resonates today with tracks like “Painkiller” and “Shooting Shadows” being just as catchy two years later.

Podcast: “Table Manners with Jessie Ware”

In this podcast, singer Jessie Ware invites celebrities to dinner with her and her mother. They talk career, food, family and of course table manners. The banter between Jessie Ware and her mother would be enough to entertain, but the celebrity guests (Ed Sheeran, Daniel Kaluuya, Randy Jackson, etc.) are great too.

Movie: “Creep”

I stumbled upon “Creep,” a found-footage film from 2014 about a man who asks a videographer to document his last days before dying of brain cancer, after browsing Netflix late at night. The short film keeps you on your toes the entire time, and lives up to its name.

Television: “Schitt’s Creek”

This Canadian sitcom recently dropped its fourth season on Netflix. It follows a rich family falling from their pedestal and having to move in to the town of Schitt’s Creek which the father bought for the son as a joke years before. The show is hilarious and draws you in with the grating yet endearing characters.

I thought that I was ready for Brockhampton’s show as I walked in the doors of The Fillmore on Oct. 18, but I was wrong. I had seen footage from the night before where the hip-hop collective and self-professed “Hardest Working Boyband in Show Business” performed their first Philadelphia show on their I’ll Be There Tour. It looked like your average concert. Maybe the energy level was higher than average but nothing too crazy.

This tour follows the release of the group’s studio and Billboard topping album, “Iridescence.” They signed to RCA Records last year after releasing three albums in 2017 and garnering a sizeable and passionate fanbase. This passion correlates to the energy in the crowd at the show as I quickly found out.

The group consists of six vocalists who shared the stage throughout the night, but the arguable front-man of the group, Kevin Abstract, kicked off the show by coming out on stage and breaking into his opening verse on “Weight,” a popular cut off of the group’s new record. The rest of the group came out to join in as the song picked up pace. At this point the audience had pushed forward as much as possible and the energy was already beginning to build. People were ready to jump and scream and mosh and you could feel it in the air.

The show then launched into some of the higher energy cuts off of Brockhampton’s newest record as well as a decent amount of cuts from the “Saturation” trilogy. Most of these old cuts were front loaded in the show with some popular songs like “Zipper,” “Gummy” and “Gold” making much appreciated appearances as fans went wild and moshed their little hearts out. It was easily 90 degrees in this venue on a night that was cold enough outside to see your breath. Periodically, Kevin would call for a massive mosh pit to open up in the middle of the floor, which I tried to take part in a few times, but usually it resulted in me being out of breath and sore. I’m making this not sound fun but it was so much fun. Everyone was there to cut loose and expend energy and bond, and though it was exhausting, it was a great experience.

The stand out performances were from Abstract, Joba and Merlyn Wood, who brought unparalleled charisma and energy to the stage. Each of them got their moments to shine as well. In “J’Ouvert,” Joba got to pull his hair and scream at a level I tried to emulate but blew out my vocal chords. Wood got his moment with “Where The Cash At,” where he was accompanied on stage only by Matt Champion, who supplied a verse as the crowd bounced.

The group ended up performing most of the cuts off of “Iridescence” and a handful of old cuts, clocking in at a cool 19 song setlist. There wasn’t an opener so the group just performed straight from about 9 to 11 p.m. They did take a moment for themselves and the audience to mellow things down with a somber, haunting performance of “San Marcos,” where they brought out seats and sat in a semicircle around the stage as they crooned out their individual moments in the song behind autotune.

The only real misstep in the show’s pacing was a moment where the group had the audience sing the chorus to “Bleach” for way too long. It had to be a good three minutes of just the audience singing the chorus a capella whilst being completely drained after enduring an hour of moshing and jumping.

The group closed out the night with a encore of their most popular song from the “Saturation” trilogy, “Boogie,” which was intense for about a minute but that late in the show the audience had no energy left and really struggled to do much other than bounce around.

Overall it was a really solid and fun show and I would highly recommend catching them at least once while they are at this level of fame.

The 27th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival wrapped up Oct. 28, after having the closing night ceremonies Oct. 26. It was another great year for the festival, which held the Philadelphia premieres for such highly anticipated films as “If Beale Street Could Talk,” “Roma” and “Widows,” almost all of which sold out quickly. Film fans also had the chance to catch early screenings of others from the festival circuit as well as some select indie films. All in all, 2018 is shaping up to be yet another great year for film.

I spent the 11 days of the festival attempting to see as much as possible. Sadly, I missed out on a few intriguing options (apologies to “River’s Edge,” “Pig” and “Little Woods”), but I saw several that vaulted their way up to the top of my year end lists. Here is a short list of the films I think are worth keeping an eye on as Oscar season begins. Some may not be coming to theaters soon, and a few have smaller distribution options, but all are worth a look in some capacity. Look for upcoming reviews of “The Other Side of the Wind” and “Cam,” which release on Netflix soon.

“The Favourite”

Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest is the most fun I’ve had at the movies all year. The director behind “The Lobster,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” and “Dogtooth” returns with his most low-concept idea yet: set during Queen Anne’s (Olivia Colman) reign in 18th Century England, the film follows the power struggle that ensues between her closest confidante Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) and interloper Abigail (Emma Stone). What follows is the most deliciously nasty sniping in any period piece, with the three leads all giving outstanding comic performances that rank among their best. It should be a major frontrunner at Oscar season, and for good reason.

“Knife + Heart”

Like having an extremely gay acid trip while watching the original “Suspiria,” the second film from Yann Gonzalez is a campy, queer take on the giallo slasher genre. Following a breakup from her girlfriend, gay porn producer Anne (Vanessa Paradis) endeavours to make the film that will win her back, and finds inspiration in a series of murders involving the stars of her studio. It’s the kind of movie that features a switchblade dildo, and it’s a pleasure to see a horror film starring queer people that doesn’t involve misery. As a plus, it’s scored by Yann’s brother Anthony, who you may know as M83, providing the perfect ’70s era synthesizer soundtrack.

“Vox Lux”

People are going to hate this movie. Personally, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the second film from actor-turned-director Brady Corbet. The film follows the rise of a pop star, who was the sole survivor of a horrific school shooting when she was a teenager. Natalie Portman plays her as an adult, careening through addiction and yet another violent tragedy, this one potentially inspired by her art. Perhaps the most impressive bit is that Corbet never condescends pop music; all the songs featured were written by Sia, and they’re genuinely good tracks. It’s ambitious and unforgettable, you will not be able to shake it.

“Burning”

The most acclaimed film at Cannes this year adapts a Haruki Murakami Japanese short story to a Korean story and becomes a seductive, absorbing mystery. After reuniting with a friend from his childhood, a part-time worker named Jeong-su ends up watching her cat for her while she goes to Africa. She returns with a new friend, Ben, played to creepy perfection by Steven Yeun. Director Lee Chang-dong masterfully raises the tension in a subtle fashion, until before you know it you’re completely obsessed.

“Diamantino”

What if Cristiano Ronaldo was the face of a conspiracy to get Portugal to exit the European Union? Somehow, that’s not even the most insane part of this crazed satire that shoots wildly and hits its marks often. Tackling the rise of far-right nationalism, football, masculinity and the refugee crisis, it feels like someone threw the last few years into a blender and added fluffy puppies. Though it comes dangerously close to crossing the line in taste, it rights itself in the end, and is worth a look.

“Cold War”

Another prize winner from Cannes, this time from Oscar winner Paweł Pawlikowski. It’s a love story spanning a decade, as a singer and a conductor engage in a love affair characterized with missed connections and torment, and wastes none of its 90 minutes getting there.

“Shoplifters”

This year’s Palme d’Or winner from esteemed director Hirokazu Kore-eda is a warm slice of life about a poor family, who take in a five year old girl abandoned by her parents, resorting to petty theft in order to get by. It paints a warmly humanist portrait before tearing your heart up, despite a bit of a tangled plot.

“At First Light”

A sci-fi indie following two teenagers on the run after one of them is abducted by aliens. It’s a smart, taut piece of low budget filmmaking and a rare alien movie that features both sides genuinely wanting to help each other out.

“Pet Names”

It’s not that much different than your typical “indiewood” film: a woman going through a crisis after graduate school impulsively invites her ex-boyfriend to go camping with her over a weekend when her friend drops out. But the leads have great chemistry together, and it’s thoroughly charming without being precious. It doesn’t do anything new, but it’s a nice hangout movie.

“The Wind”

A gothic western genre bender about a woman left to her own devices on the plains slowly succumbing to what might be madness or something more sinister. Emma Tammi’s directorial debut can occasionally be a bit confusing with its chronology, but it merges its various genres and scares well enough. Caitlin Gerard is great as the hardened pioneer woman.

Netflix announced Oct. 19 that one of Marvel’s superhero shows, “Luke Cage” will not be returning for a third season. This was after a separate announcement that “Iron Fist” will not be returning for another season as well. The cancellation of “Iron Fist” is not that much of a surprise (the first season holds a 19 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and the second season wasn’t much better), but “Luke Cage” was the questionable one. The original idea that Netflix had way back in 2013, was to create a model like the “Avengers,” but for television. Starting off with “Daredevil” in 2015, “Jessica Jones” followed, “Luke Cage” and finally “Iron Fist.”

In late 2017, “The Defenders” premiered on Netflix. It was a mini series that had all the characters interacting with one another. It wasn’t a bad crossover — it just wasn’t as well written as the individual shows.

Since Netflix does not release their viewership data, many are unsure what the reason was for them to put the ax on “Luke Cage.” According to Twitter, engagement for both shows lowered significantly after their second season debut. Meanwhile, “Daredevil” has just premiered its third season and “Jessica Jones” has been renewed for a third one.

Another major argument for the cancellation has been that Disney’s deal with Netflix expires in 2019. Disney is starting its own streaming service and all of the content Disney has placed on Netflix will be pulled from the service. Talks of creative differences, and putting effort into a third season that they don’t own fully, most likely was the final decision to cut the cord. All of this could lead up to Disney making it available on their own streaming service, or a contender like Hulu (that Disney now primarily owns, once the Fox-Disney merger completes). Hulu would be the obvious decision, but it’s clear that unless they change major creative points in both of the shows, they probably won’t be able to take off on a different service.

According to CNN, Netflix added 7 million more subscribers in its last quarter and now has 137 million subscribers globally. As for spending, Netflix said in 2017 they expect to spend $8 billion in 2018 for their original content — but now those numbers are reaching closer to $13 billion. These numbers beat competitors HBO and CBS, spending $2.5 million and $4 billion respectively.

Another popular show, “American Vandal” will not be returning for a third season. Since Netflix doesn’t really own the rights to the show (CBS TV Studios, Funny or Die and 3 Arts Entertainment do) it can potentially live on through a CBS streaming service. The second season of “American Vandal” received positive reviews from viewers and critics, yet Netflix didn’t see potential in a third season. The good news is that it’s being shopped around to other networks and services (similar to how Brooklyn 99 was revived after Fox cancelled it). These cancellations for the most part are depressing, but I think the playing field for streaming will be changing soon — especially with a lot of separate companies pulling their content from Netflix.

As October 2018 comes to a close, Novo Amor (born Ali John Meredith-Lacey) can finally say he has released a full-length album. The Welsh singer-songwriter and musical renaissance man’s debut LP, titled “Birthplace,” was released Oct. 19, marking the end of a steady six-year progression.

In 2012, Novo Amor self-released a two-song single titled “Drift,” doing so under his newly formed moniker of Novo Amor. Novo Amor released a small, four-song project March 31, 2014 that was written both in a barn in The Lake District in the United Kingdom and in his Welsh home studio. The EP, which was titled “Woodgate, NY,” marked Novo Amor’s emergence into the musical world as a true artist, as he had signed with the Norwegian label Brilliance Records.

Since “Woodgate, NY,” Novo Amor has gone nowhere but forward. He fully embraced the spiritually calming qualities of his music, releasing serene singles in 2016 such as “Alps” and “Carry You” before releasing an EP in May 2017 with the title of “Bathing Beach.”

“Birthplace” is Novo Amor’s first fully-fledged product, and it delivers on all that could possibly be wanted from him. The album is a continuation of Novo Amor’s echoed style, seemingly elevated and even cleaner. He seems to be honing his sound, and sharpening his musical abilities with each passing song. The 10-track, 33-minute record leaves no wasted space, making it a joy to listen to.

The Welshman’s music is a rare find in the modern era of music, but to an experienced indie music listener there are wisps that sound all too familiar. His melodic instrumental accompaniments pair perfectly with his Bon Iver-esque vocals, creating a beautiful flow to his songs.

Novo Amor can play seven instruments, and frequently incorporates his personal touches and skill into his music — especially with his usage of violin in the background of several of his songs. It is especially noticeable on the title track “Birthplace,” as there are several rests in the song with almost no other sound beyond the violin and the occasional banjo — both of which Novo Amor plays.

One could very easily get entranced by Novo Amor’s skillful music, but along with the beauty and grace of his instruments come profoundly sad lyrics. The name “Novo Amor” is translated from Portuguese to mean “New Love,” which was confirmed by Novo Amor in a tweet. After being involved in a break-up in 2012, the moniker was founded upon the basis that his “new love” was in music, which he explained in an interview with Thomas Curry in May 2014.

The record’s opening song “Emigrate” is an intimate and folksy tune that one would play while staring out across a shoreline with the winds whipping around you in the cold gray. With that mental image in mind, the lyrics provide context to the tone of the song.

As the chorus rings out, “Hardly anything works now,” the person in the song is struggling with loneliness after depending on someone for so long. Now that the person is out of their life, the narrator has almost lost their sense of self, seeming to have nearly forgotten who they used to be.

The title track, “Birthplace,” is a call to arms about the littering of plastic into the oceans, and is saying that there is no other place to live. We have the Earth, and nothing else. Accompanying the song is a stunning music video, in which Novo Amor and the film crew he worked with spent over 35 hours underwater in Indonesia.

As Novo Amor has explained himself, there is an overarching theme of defining one’s character in the record. Novo Amor makes several references to the state of New York in not only previous EPs and songs, but also several more times in “Birthplace.” “Utican” could be taken as a term for a person from the city of Utica. The shortest song on the record, “13494,” refers to Woodgate, New York’s area code. The two cities are only 34 and-a-half miles away. The song “Seneca” could very well be an ode to the largest of The Finger Lakes, and could be Novo Amor’s personal favorite lake in New York. The record’s closing track, “Oh, Round Lake,” could also a be a New York reference to the small town of Round Lake.

All of these references to New York could be Novo Amor highlighting the influence this Northeastern state has had on his character, allowing him to draw from the state’s natural beauty to find himself and his music.

“Birthplace” has the feel of a seasoned artist putting smooth touches onto the record, and this is only Novo Amor’s beginning. He will be going on tour in the fall, and will be in New York City and Washington D.C. during his North America section. After that, more will surely follow, and odds are it will be just as good.

DragonFly 2018 was a great kickoff to midterms for students. It featured indie-pop band Walk the Moon, known primarily for their hits “One Foot” and “Shut Up and Dance.” They performed in Lot F on campus Oct. 20.

Walk the Moon is one of those bands who have some music on the radio, but are otherwise  relatively unknown. Unless you frequent the Top 40 hits, it is quite possible you had never heard of Walk the Moon before. The group  has been around since 2006, but they only became popular in 2014 with their album “TALKING IS HARD” which featured “Shut Up and Dance.”

Even though a more popular artist would have been nice to see at DragonFly this year, Walk the Moon held their own. Most of the audience was compelled to “Shut Up and Dance,” because they did not know the lyrics, but the music was physically moving.

For a free show, the concert was unexpectedly engaging and entertaining . They encouraged a lot of crowd participation, which enabled the crowd to connect to a band they were seemingly unfamiliar with. A lot of their songs have the same vibe, with a lot of “oohs” in the background, so they used that to their advantage. It was easy to get caught up in the mood that Walk The Moon had created, waving hands along with the beat and the “oohs.”

The size of the concert was ideal. It was easy to see the stage from wherever you stood, and Walk the Moon’s enticing music drew people closer.  Walk the Moon was a great choice for DragonFly because their upbeat music is great for a night out dancing. The general admission atmosphere was perfect for a band like them.

The disappointment of the night came when the band’s lead singer, Nick Petricca went to crowd surf. He could not even manage to lay down all the way before he gave up. The people in the front were too eager to capture a picture before they had the chance to prop him up.

The setlist was appropriately short. They covered all their biggest hits such as “Kamikaze” and “One Foot” with their lesser known songs like “Different Colors” and “Anna Sun” to keep the crowd interested the entire time. They kept the pace of their show and did not take pauses between songs. There were no slow songs in the set; they kept the atmosphere upbeat and light.

The one time they did pause was to address how important it is to vote. The entire crowd rallied in support of this message which was refreshing to see. Even though the topic of voting can often bring out partisan politics, Petricca did a good job of keeping the message general to not offend anyone.

Overall, the messages behind Walk the Moon’s songs were very positive and encouraging. The perfect vibe for a pre-midterm show.

Walk the Moon does not have any more Philadelphia dates on their tour, so DragonFly was the last chance to see them here in 2018. DragonFly was free for undergrad students, but Walk the Moon would definitely be worth the paid show. As a whole, the concert was extremely refreshing and uplifting. They did not take too many risks, but they did really help bring a sense of community to Drexel at their performance.

Khalid broke into the music industry when his hit single “Location” led his debut album, “American Teen,” to success. The album ultimately reached the number four spot on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified double platinum. In addition to its commercial success, the album received a nomination at the Grammy Awards for Best Urban Contemporary Album, and the song “Location” was nominated for Best R&B Song.

Since the success of his debut album, Khalid has been releasing a number of singles and collaborating with a wide variety of artists. He took a dive into the electronic world working with Marshmello and Martin Garrix on the tracks “Silence” and “Ocean.” Utilizing the success of his previous work, Khalid also contributed to the soundtracks of the films “Black Panther,” “Love, Simon” and “Superfly,” collaborating with artists such as Swae Lee, Normani, and H.E.R in the process. While he was able to build upon his success through stand-alone singles, fans anxiously awaited the project that would follow a successful debut album.

Khalid opted to release an EP, rather than an album, to follow his breakout album, “American Teen.” The new EP, “Suncity,” displays Khalid’s wide range of talent while simultaneously delivering a similar sound to the project’s predecessor. “Suncity” comes in with seven tracks and a short run-time of 21 minutes. While quality is far better than quantity, two of the tracks included are an intro and an interlude, leaving listeners with only five cuts that feature legitimate vocals from the artist.

The opening track “9.13” features an instrumental with Khalid harmonizing along with light synth tones as they are introduced into the mix. Over this we hear the audio of the ceremony in which Khalid Donnel Robinson receives the key to the city of El Paso. The intro sets the tone as Khalid continues to represent his hometown on an EP that appears to be dedicated to the city that he loves.

Khalid begins to introduce a wide range of sounds on the project with “Vertigo.” The song opens with an instrumental interpolation of the 2008 Coldplay hit “Viva La Vida.” The track features the artist asking himself a series of questions in a reflective tone as he looks back on the choices he made in life. The theme of reflection into Khalid’s life is further explored in “Salem’s Interlude” as it features dialogue from model Salem Mitchell exploring aspects of life such as one’s fears, the path of life and overall happiness.

“Suncity” continues to show Khalid’s diversity as “Saturday Nights” implements acoustic guitar into the production as the primary tone for a majority of the track. Charlie Handsome, the producer of every track on the album, has worked with similar production techniques in the past. He has been previously credited with production on the Post Malone track “Go Flex,” which displayed his creativity as he blended the genres of pop, rap and country, utilizing the acoustic guitar in the process.

Growing up in the early 2000s, most kids who have watched Disney Channel probably have come across a Disney Channel Original Movie. “High School Musical” and “Camp Rock” are probably the two most famous ones, but during the Halloween holiday season, most remember “Halloweentown.” This is the most iconic of all the original movies (just in my opinion) due to its obvious Halloween theme, and this year is the twentieth anniversary of this childhood classic.

It’s clearly a movie meant for children, but I know plenty of other college kids who still thrive off that Disney Channel nostalgia from the late 90s to the early 2000s. For the twentieth anniversary this year, the cast reunited in St. Helens, Oregon where the first movie was filmed. A couple years ago the town started an annual Halloweentown festival where residents of the town participate in Halloween activities during the whole month of October.

This small, little kid’s film has brought a lot of people together, especially since the movie was produced during a memorable time. Long before streaming, Disney Channel was the go-to for fun family-friendly entertainment. “Halloweentown” was a pivotal first Halloween moment for many late 90s and early 00s kids (long before Disney got cringe-worthy). Modern Disney just can’t quite recreate that type of nostalgia anymore, so I recommend to turn on this classic movie this Halloween to try to convince yourself its 1998, instead of 2018.