Weida Ju's Music World

E-Portfolio Memo

This portfolio is about the music that I want to share with my audience. Portfolio with many different visuals in such as text, pictures, and videos could help me express thoroughly of my thoughts in music with my favorite singers and songs. Music is the great thing that people have to communicate with each other with their deep feelings in a different way. Two WPs are about music from my favorite rock band-Coldplay, and the album that I would bring to my desert island. They are all about my favorite songs that I would like share with others. I choose to revise the WP#1 – Track by Track Annotated Playlist and WP#2 – Desert Island Disc mostly because all my classmates and instructor gave me great feedback and I have room to improve these two WPs. Due to my classmates and the instructors’ suggestion I have improved the following places: revise the layout of the WP with adding proper more pictures in with future usage of the online medium; change the sentences’ structure and the grammar, and revise some repetitive paragraphs to make the blog easy and fluent to read; change the title to a more attractive one; discuss the connection to the album and songs more.

These two WPs are all about songs and albums from Coldplay, and I use these two WPs as the great chance to show my personal experiences with music and with writing about music to public audiences. The first WP#1 – Track by Track Annotated Playlist shows about my mix tape that I feel best represents the band’s career. This WP reflects my personal experiences with music. I come from China and I grew up in China, but due to some reasons from my mom since she loves listening to English songs, I listened music songs from an early age. Coldplay is my favorite British rock band and they are also popular in China some years ago. Since I do not listen too many artists or bands singing in English, Coldplay then becomes important in my experience of listening to English songs. I introduced songs that I like from Coldplay and also choose one of my favorite albums of Coldplay from the second WP. This is my first time writing about music to the public, and this experience of writing about music to public audiences is really precious to me and it also helps me get used to write music to the public.

The two WPs and revision of my WPs provides me a lot great suggestions and experience of how I will approach music and music writing in the future. I will write about music with the clear opening context of the artists, history, songs, my battle with depression before working through the specific songs or album, and etc. In the body of the writing, it’s important to connect with my personal understanding and analysis to the songs; insert the mediums of pictures or videos to help the audience know more about the music; make the structure of the body more clearly of the analysis; resonate as much as my audience with my feelings; provide a meaningful title and a great conclusion in the end. I have to know that the true emotions and the good structure are important in the music writing. The good structure could make the article easy and fluently for audience to read and understand, and the true emotions from me could resonate as much as my audience of my favorite music and band. These are important things that I will approach music and music writing in the future.

My portfolio including the memo and two revised WPs show thoroughly of my understanding of how music and music writing connect with and influence t he broader culture about rock music and English songs. My first language is not English, but I love listening to the great singers and bands. Coldplay is my favorite British rock band and I love many songs from them. The music influences the broader culture even though they are in different language and having different cultures. From Coldplay’s songs, I could know about the passions and true emotions about life, friendship, parents, puzzles that people have, and etc. Music has no boarders. This music writing helps me to devote myself in thinking, feeling, and analyzing Coldplay’s music from a kind of professional way. The music writing could also help me to examine the deep reason of why I love their music and how I could arise resonate as much as others with my feelings about Coldplay. Music and music writing influence the broader culture in a deep and completed way.

In conclusion, between two revisions of WP1 and WP2, I’m most interested in WP2 of revising and I think both of them could represent my skills as music writer. I would like to revise WP 2 mostly because I have more rooms in it since I did the following things: further discussing my connection to the album and songs with adding more of my personal emotions; change the repetitive and stated more personal reasons of why I like the album; revised the structure; wrote a more meaningful and attractive title; added more images. I did the similar thing in my revision of WP1. WP1 could show more of my personal emotions of those songs since they are top 9 in my mind about Coldplay and I love all the songs that I selected the best. Both of these revisions of WP1, WP2, and even WP3 could represent my skills as a music writer since I devoted all my true emotions and efforts in these music writing. Welcome to my music land.

Live Review: Lang Lang and His Friends

The concert that I have attended is in December 30, 2019 in China, a concert of Lang Lang and his Friends. Lang Lang is a Chinese pianist who has performed all over the world with leading orchestras. Lang Lang is one great pianist with a young age in China. He has received many awards and made many television appearances. His DG recording of Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 4 with Christoph Eschenbach was nominated for a Grammy Award during the year of its release. In 2001, after a sold-out Carnegie Hall debut with Yuri Temirkanov, he traveled to Beijing with the Philadelphia Orchestra on a tour celebrating its 100th anniversary, during which he performed to an audience of 8,000 at the Great Hall of the People. With the fame of being the great pianist, Lang Lang had ran many tours before. Now, he began the world tour of Lang Lang and his Friends“ in classic piano pieces. In this long concert of over 2 hours, 21 pieces of music were performed by Lang Lang wit with the orchestras and Lang Lang’s friends.

This concert is held in Jinan, Shandong Province. Despite of the traditional Chinese songs of “Ode to the red flag; Jasmine Flower; I love you China”, Lang Lang plays piano pieces of music from the famous greatest musicians of Chopin, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Debussy, Schubert, Mozart, Johann Strauss, and etc. Lang Lang’s friends: other pianist and children pianist also played in this concert. I would say that this concert is really a great one with so many great pieces of music to listen. It’s a big orchestra on the stage of playing music to audience.

I would say that piano with orchestra together made really beautiful melodies and music to us. I really enjoy listening to this concert and see how those musicians devote themselves in those musical instruments to show us the beauty of the piano and other musical instruments. I want to introduce you some pieces of music that I love very much from this concert.

The very first piece that Lang Lang played in this concert is Chopin’s “Grande Valse Brillante in E-Flat Major, Op. 18, No. 1”. This is a solo of piano. It’s obvious that this piece show the happiness. This is Chopin’s first published waltz for solo piano, expertly handled under Lang Lang’s fingers. Grand Valse Brillante is one of Chopin’s most famous piano pieces, and it’s easy to see why with its cheery tune and dancing bass line. I could hear the cheers and happiness from this waltz that played by Lang Lang, and it brought the good mood of audience to continue hearing of this concert.

The second piece that lead the deep impression to me is Beethoven’s “Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor “Für Elise” WoO 59, and it is almost the most iconic opening piano rift out of ALL of the piano riffs. The composition is an elegant piano solo. I love this piece of solo piano played by Lang Lang very much. What’s more, it seems this piece is also special to Lang Lang since his wife’s name is Gina Alice.

The third piece that I’m impressed is Jasmine Flower, a tune of typical Chinese song mainly praising the beauty of Jasmine. Jasmine is also a flower that Chinese people love with the simple good smells and the little white flowers. There is also a Chinese tea called jasmine tea with the special smells. Chinese people also using Jasmine to metaphor the beauty of Chinese ladies. This tune is so great to convey all of those deep meanings that I talked above of Jasmine. This piece of music has the beautiful rhythm, which is also easy to hum even for those who firstly hear this song. Many friends of mine from America fall in love this piece of song at the first time that they heard. I love Lang Lang’s playing of this song with piano solo very much since he throughly show about the beauty of Jasmine to the audience.

This is such as great experience for me to listen to Lang Lang and his friends’ concert with so many great pieces of songs. My parents love Lang Lang and this concert very much. Music makes people have the same feelings and movings.

Revision WP2: “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends” in Desert Island

The album that I choose to bring with me to the desert island is the fourth studio album of Coldplay—“Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends”. Coldplay is one of my favorite rock bands in the music area. This album was released in the year of 2008 and I like most of the songs from this album. This album is different from others because of the attitudes that this album conveys with the passion for life and also the attitudes towards death. Love, life, and revolution are the eternal theme that people are carrying about. The font page of this album is the famous picture “La Liberté guidant le people” depicts about the July Revolution in France. It has a more universal approach, it deals with personal problem and more with issues of humanity.This album expresses about the musician’s thoughts about life and death and it leaves the listeners large room to consider about this eternal theme.

My favorite rock band Cold play is from Britain and the band was founded in London in 1996. The band members are including Chris Martin, the vocalist/pianist; Jonny Buckland, guitarist; Guy Berryman, bassist; and Will Champion, drummer. Coldplay has achieved the worldwide fame with many songs and albums. Coldplay has released eight albums in total during these years. Till this year, they are still keeping in releasing album. The Coldplay musical style and genre have generally been regarded as alternative rock, pop rock, and pop. I like Coldplay’s music mostly because I like the passions that they passed through their songs and the direct talking about people’s true feelings towards love, death, life, friendships, and the world.

Talking about my personal connection to this album, I may tell you about the story that I have: almost five years ago I have been through the dark time in my life with many bad things happen. One of them was the depression, it was really a hard time. While, during that dark time, I happened listen to Coldplay’s new releasing album, which fresh my mind with a sunlight. The passion for life and the longing for goodness in this world made me began to feel that I need to live better. I love almost all of the songs from this album and I treasure all songs. This album is the one brought me the deep understanding of life, passion, and death. I love the lyrics and the rhythms a lot which makes me feel really different. This album is just like the thing that I could handle in the sinking days. That dark experience is just like the desert island that I have ever been, and this album is the sunlight and the key to my new life. If I would go to the desert island again, I will definitely bring this album with me!

The very first song that I liked most is this famous Viva la Vida, this album set the situation in the French revolution, with the burden of war and death, the dawn and the dawn of hope. The song Viva la Vida is a song full of energy with turning black-and-white images into colorful worlds. This song is not like the typical Coldplay’s type, but with a freer containment. This song celebrates the life and this track is built around a looping string section in unison with a digital processed piano. Besides, it has other layers construct to a whole one. This song directly plucks my chord and it sings about the lush life. I could feel about the handling of the world and the handling of myself with the strong beats and the lyrics in. I could also feel about the isolation of myself to face this world. I like it very much.

“I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning, I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand”

The second song that I want to show you is “Lovers in Japan” and this song features a honky-tonk piano. This song is built around an introductory track piano sound, then followed by chiming guitars and soaring choruses, supported by the pianos and rhythms that accompany the song’s lyrics. The tempo of this song is fast. “Lovers keep on the road your on/ Runners until the race is run/ Soldiers you’ve got to soldier on/ Sometimes even right is wrong/ They are turning my head out/ To see what I’m all about/ Keeping my head down/ To see what it feels like now/ But I have no doubt/ One day, were gonna get out”.I think the main theme of this song is about lovers and soldiers with the attitude of insistence “Reign of love/ I can’t let go/ To the sea I offer/ This heavy load”. I could feel about the love always blowing hot and cold to people. I long for love but I think love also get me hurts.

The third song “Lost!” is influenced by tribal music. This song’s musicscape features a church organ riff, tribal drum-circle groove, and minimal handclaps. Towards the end of the track, it builds into a “rhythmically soaring, Edge-like” guitar solo. I have to say that Coldplay’s use of “exotic” instruments for majority of tracks in the album, including in this song “Lost!” was a result of a goal in wanting to present their songs differently, something “which have never been heard” in previous releases. I have the total feelings of “Just because I’m losing/Doesn’t mean I’m lost!/Doesn’t mean I’ll stop/Doesn’t mean I will cross”. Yeah, I’m losing but I’m not lost by myself.

“Strawberry Swing” is special with the psychologically relaxing songs ever recorded from Cold Play. “Strawberry Swing” contains influences from afro-pop and highlife music, and is built around finger-picked, distortion-free guitars with a heavy bassline and psychedelic synths. This song has the track contained both a jerkily funky beat, and a vaguely African-sounding guitar line. What’s more, it has the mid-tempo featuring echoing guitars, piano ballad-inspired melodies and bittersweet, anthemics, falsetto vocals. This song makes me feel about the sweetness of my life and whenever I listen to this song it makes me think about the happy times, and it’s truly suitable to listen in the desert island.

“Violent Hill” contains distorted guitar riffs and bluesy undertones bring me total different feelings. It utilises a marching tempo, supported by the pianos and rhythms that accompany the song’s lyrics. A very important thing here is “Violet Hill” is the first anti-war protest song from the group. Martin sings about medieval imagery of carnivals, cathedrals, religion and war, culminating in a soaring chorus with an anthemic theme. One part that moves me most lasts in the end of the song that it ends with Martin playing the piano and singing, and pleading in nearly spoken-words: “If you love me, won’t you let me know?” I do not like bad things happen in my world especially for the sorrows of conflicts and wars even in the desert island.

The rest five songs are “Life in Technicolor” “Cemeteries of London” “42” “Yes”, and “Death and All his Friends”. The song “Death and All his Friends” directly talk about the theme of death. The song begins with Chris Martin singing softly to a piano accompaniment before morphing into an uplifting arrangement featuring drums, chiming guitars, and a choir recorded in an art gallery in Barcelona. All of these five songs depicted different themes to the audience but I could feel about the greatness of the true love and passion for this world.

In conclusion, I like this album very much mostly because of the themes that this albums displays and the songs that I love very much. Coldplay is the rock band from Britain and always bring me good feelings about music and thoughts of our life. Even till now, Coldplay is still releasing albums. Just listen to these songs and this album, you will feel your life and passions are burning. In the desert island, this album could accompany me to feel about passion for life, the attitudes towards death and war, and it builds me the strong confidence in life waiting for rescue.

Discussion Post # 3

Part A) Lester Bangs’ “On Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks” is one of the most famous pieces of music writing in US history (by one of the most revered music writers). How does Bangs intermingle his own mindset as he listens to Astral Weeks with his analysis of Morrison’s songs and performance of them? How does Bangs go from being depressed in his bedroom armchair to his close analysis of Morrison’s album – “What Astral Weeks deals in are not facts but truths?”

In this article, Lester Bang talked that clearly about his experience of 1968 that he had been through a physical and mental wreck, he had a serious problems both in physical and in psychological. He sunk in an armchair in his bedroom. Then it shows up in the television, and Lester Bang then realizes that it was the subject of this piece, the rock record with the most significance in his life. He treated it as a beacon and expresses others things rather than “nihilism and destruction” (p.179). Lester Bang explained that it sounded like the man who made Astral Weeks was in terrible pain, pain most of Van Morrison’s previous work had only suggested; but also included the redemptive redemptive element in the blackness with the connection of pure beauty. He believes that “Astral Week” was the product of the era talking about US history. Lester Bang then connects with the characteristics of Van Morrison such as his interests in musical or verbal information into a small space, note, word, sound, or pictures together.

Part B) Compare Ellen Willis’ “Velvet Underground” to Jeff Chang’s “The Meters.” What is each author trying to accomplish in their essays? How does each author use music and specifics from the album to help them achieve their goals for the essay? Be specific.

Ellen Willis in the article “Velvet Underground” tries to accomplish about making the comment and express his thoughts on this album. As what Ellen said, this album “Velvet Underground” are all about sin and salvation. Ellen Willis explained about the experience of Velvets, the punk music in America, how Velvets straddled the categories and the rock and roll music. Ellen Willis then make the music reviews for the songs of “Velvet Underground”. Jeff Chang in the article “The Meters” introduces about the desert island to us the New Orleans music of jazz, punk music, and others to connect with the historical events that happened with music.

Part C) Discuss how Greg Tate develops his piece in contrast to an additional desert island piece (not the ones from Parts A and B). How do the authors use personal experience to develop their piece?

Greg Tate talked about his desert island of Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew in this article using his personal experience of listening to them and his special understanding of it. Greg Tate firstly talks about the story of Miles Davis, and then explains that the album Bitches Brew remains the undiscovered country today since it’s an album of ciphers and gestures, signs and runes, hints and haints, mysteries and prophecies (p.107). Talking about other reasons, Greg Tate just mentioned that without it, he would never embarked on his true love. The author just used his own personal experience of the true feelings that he had when listening to this album.

Part D) Brainstorming: What are two albums in contention for your desert island? Why are they so important to you?

Two albums in contention for my desert island are Coldplay’s “Album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends” and Eason Chan’s “U87” in Cantonese. On of my favorite band is Coldplay, and I like his album of “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends” released in 2008 best mostly because of the songs that show up in this album. I think this album is different from others since many songs just show the passion of life and the considerations and thoughts that the band have for the world and people. Eason Chan is a singer from Hong Kong, China, and he’s one of the very popular Chinese male singers in pop music. The album “U87” is named because of that type of microphone. In this album, Eason Chan sings about the absurd of human being and their lives, the feeling of sorry for the passing of time, and the singer’s understanding of life.

Discussion Post #1

1. Hi, everyone, my name is Weida Ju, an international student come from China. This is my third year here. I expected to educate from DU in two years. I will stay in Denver during the Christmas session and the summer session. My favorite band is Coldplay. I like popular music, blues, Rock and Roll, and etc. My favorite show is from a Chinese singer Eason Chan, who sings Cantonese and Mandarin songs. My email address is Weida.Ju@du.edu

2. Three features of an album review as a genre of are such as analyze the album itself, making research, give your review whether it’s negative or positive. We also need to pay attention to the features of how we use our own feelings and understanding to know the albums. We also need to think about do not be afraid of making things wrong in our own review. I think Blam, Powers, Derogatis did a really good job in music review. From reading their reviews, we could hear clearly of what they are truly think about the album, positive or negative. They have their own thoughts, and they write as if they are really important. Amanda Petrusich weaved some information about Courtney Barnett when reviewing about “Tell Me How Your Really Feel” with the life of Courtney Barnett. At the very beginning, Amanda told about Courtney’s nonchalance. Her experience of swells shut. The experience of Barnett with her releasing of album. The inner side of Barnett’s mind, and how she expressed with the lines and rhythm to the music. To be honestly, I think Amanda just adds a lot interpretation of the whole album, which is helpful for us the readers to know better about Barnett’s music and herself.

3. The album that I choose is Australian singer-songwriter Angie McMahon’s album Salt released in July 2019. After listening to the 11 songs from this album for twice, I realize that this album is a good one to reflect and express the singer’s emotion to us. Most of songs are with low voices and with the guitar. Most songs just sing the emotions to us about the singers but also like ourselves. I think the rhythm of this album is mostly slow. There are not too many happy songs, but sad ones. Checking out for the first song of this album, “Play the Game”, the first track is a slow, heartfelt build at first-her voice low and husky before peaking at pivotal moments for necessary relief-and it left us in awe in that TriBeCa alleyway. Like McMahon herself, it’s quiet and restrained in a thoughtful way, before crescendoing into what feels like a much-needed sigh-a testament, perhaps, to how helpless we feel in the grips of love.

Angie Mcmahon is an Australian singer, songwriter and musician from Melbourne. She’s only aged 25 to 26. Her debut album, Salt, was released in July 2019 and peaked at #5 on the ARIA Chart. Eddy Lim from Beat Magazine said “While Salt is primarily driven by deft guitar work and a tight rhythm section, it’s McMahon’s stunning vocal performance that unequivocally captures the spotlight.” adding “Her stunning vocal range takes notes from K.D. Lang, Florence Welch and Lucy Rose with a timbre that sporadically oscillates between husky intimacy and cathartic clamour.” Dylan Marshall from The AU Review said “Angie McMahon is a tour-de-force, an artist demanding to be listened to and heard. She is a musician second, and a human first. She’s put her lived experiences into these tracks. There’s a special sentiment to be gained there. Salt is an album that in ten years time will be looked back on as being pivotal in the shaping of so many artists.” Kayleigh Hughes from Consequence of Sound said “Salt exhibits McMahon’s lyrical prowess time and time again.” adding “For those who are feeling lost and needing to really listen, Salt will speak loud.”

You say that we’re not playing We’re not playing well And I’m not proud of all the loud things I’ve been saying I lost my way inside our house”. It completely describes about the singer’s hesitation, the unconfident, and the negative feelings toward the other person and the life that she lived. “I don’t know how to play the game. You say that we’re not playing. We’re not playing well” is the main theme of the song. The second song that I want to share is Missing Me. This song also has the low voice, the slow tempo. The lyrics tells about “Loving you has thrown me. Loving you is lonely. Loving you is lonely. Oh, you can swagger. You can gather attention. But I’m sick of your photographs. I’m so sick of your photographs. Oh, you can chatter. You can talk me to nothing. But I’m tired of being your sweetheart. I’m tired of being your sweetheart”. This lyrics tells about the hesitation and the failure of the singer to her lover and the love. It seems the young men or people always have these type of negative feelings and emotions in their lives. The artists especially have the sensitiveness in knowing people’s feelings in love. This song not only describes about the failure of the love but also this song full of the doubt of the singer to herself. It maybe not a good thing for people to miss themselves in the relationship. This album is expressing the negative feelings of the singer mostly.

Revision WP1: My Playlist-Coldplay

In this Track-by-Track Annotated playlist, I want to introduce you about one of my favorite British rock band Coldplay founded in London in 1996. The band members are: Chris Martin, the vocalist/pianist; Jonny Buckland, guitarist; Guy Berryman, bassist; and Will Champion, drummer. Coldplay has achieved the worldwide fame with many songs and albums. Coldplay has released eight albums in total. The recent album that they released is “Everyday Life” on September 26, 2019. The Coldplay musical style and genre has generally been regarded as alternative rock, pop rock, and pop. I have selected 9 tracks that I feel best represents the band’s career from the first album to the eighth one.

Track #1 Trouble -2000 (Album: Parachute)

This is a piano ballad. Martin just showed he was a master of the “I’m sorry I was a jerk” love song. The light sound with the lyrics pictured us the love story with the lover and the regret and sorry that the singer has to cause trouble to others. This is a light song and full of true motions for apologize not only to the lover but also the twisted and complicated feelings that the singer has. This is a soft song with full of emotions.

Track #2 Yellow-2000 (Album: Parachute)

“I came along / I wrote a song for you / And all the things you do / And it was called ‘Yellow.’” The vocalist was showing in the music video alone in the seaside. Yellow brought the huge breakthrough of Coldplay. The simple lines with the sad tone but thoroughly display the lethargic and the true feelings and emotions of the singer. Yellow brought the huge population to Coldplay and so that people from other countries began to know them. Yellow just brought me the deep memory when I was very little.

Track # 3 The Scientist-2002 (Album: A Rush of Blood to the Head)

The Scientist is a continuation of the song of “Yellow” using a large number of keyboards in the music arranging. We could also hear the powerful piano and the magnificent orchestral sound, and all these things add the great charm to this song. This song is full of emotions and touching to people’s mind. Checking out for the things that this song delivers especially in the chorus, which expresses something deeper about human. “Nobody said it was easy / it’s such a shame for us to part.” A sad, emotional, and deep song that we could listen to.

Track # 4 Fix You-2005 (Album X&Y)

This is a sad rock song singing about love. Using the piano interludes in this song thoroughly expresses the deep feelings and emotions about love. There are several hallmarks of Coldplay in this song: the piano accompaniment at the beginning, the integration of electric guitar and drums, and rock. The solemn synthesizer tone of using the organ expresses the emotions. The piano interludes also flow out slowly with the accelerated using guitar and drums. This is a song from Christ Martin to his wife. “Lights will guide you home/ And ignite your bones/ I will try to fix you/ High up above or down below/ When you’re too in love to let it go”. Just so beautiful!

Track #5 Viva La Vida 2008 (Album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends)

I like this song best! This album set the situation in the French revolution, with the burden of war and death, the dawn and the dawn of hope. The song Viva la Vida is a song full of energy with turning black-and-white images into colorful worlds. This song is not like the typical Coldplay’s type, but with a freer containment. Coldplay performed this song at the Super Bowl in 2016. This song celebrates the life and this track is built around a looping string section in unison with a digital processed piano. Besides, it has other layers construct to a whole one. This song directly plucks my chord and it sings about the lush life. This song is just like the sunlight in my darkness during my depression some years ago. The ongoing beats provides me really great feelings about sunlight and life against dark and death.

Track # 6 Paradise-2011 (Album: Mylo Xyloto)

This is a rock song with slow tempo but full of emotions. At the moment of the violin enters my ear, the rums begin to roll out of nowhere. The languid voice of Martin introduce us a mysterious religious story. This song is like a magnificent horn, blowing beautiful moments to the audience. This song begins with an instrumental star, followed by a simple piano accompaniment. It’s easy to get into audience’s head of the chorus. The lyrics are not just about a woman’s dream, but it’s also about a wonderful world that you and I stand in. The bubbling strings of the musical notes, the combative synthesizer and the heavy bass beat of the song bring the audience a great musical feast.

Track # 7 Midnight-2014 (Album: Ghost Stories)

Ghost Stories is Coldplay’s “divorce” album. It’s no surprise to hear songs of broken hearts in this album. “In the swirling of the storm/ When I’m rolling with the punches and hope is gone/ Leave a light, a light on”. You could feel about the broken heart and the sorrow from the music. It just makes me feel quiet and sad again to remember my sorrows in the past. Coldplay is trying to express the sad within themselves to the audience and the listeners.

Track # 8 A Head Full Of Dreams-2015 (Album: A Head Full Of Dreams)

“Oh I think I landed in a world I hadn’t seen/ When I’m feeling ordinary when I don’t know what I mean/ Oh I think I landed where there are miracles at work/ For the thirst and for the hunger come a conference of births/ Saying it’s true it’s not what it seems/ Leave your broken windows open/ And in the light just streams/ And you get a head/ A head full of dreams”. This is a fast speed song with strong beats. I like this song mostly because this song is really energetic and it brings energy, passion, and strength to me. Normally, Coldplay delivers about the deep emotions and feelings to use with their songs. But this one just bring me the great passion and energy. So great!

Track #9 Daddy 2019-(Album: Everyday Life)

This is a total different style of Coldplay released in this year. Daddy is a song that brings people’s tear out. “Daddy, are you out there?/Daddy, won’t you come and play?/ Daddy, do you not care?/ Is there nothing that you wanna say?” This is a song to remember dad. I’m not the first person that cries of listening to this song. This is a like a poem expressing the deep love to daddy and to life. The lyrics are simple but the feelings and emotions are so deep. The direct expression of emotions and feelings provide total different thoughts to Coldplay.

Overall speaking, Coldplay is a band that formed for so many years but, what a luck, they are still writing songs, singing songs, and performing on the stage. I read one comment that “my parents lived in time of Beatles, and I’m living a time of Coldplay”. They are so great to bring the pop and rock music to us for so many years. Coldplay showing us about their inside words with the changes in emotions. Lately, it seems they begin to care more about the world and the relationship besides of lovers but other relationships such as parenthood. It’s also a great pleasure for me to listen to them for so many years. I love their new album and I love them!

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3. The album that I choose is Australian singer-songwriter Angie McMahon’s album Salt released in July 2019. After listening to the 11 songs from this album, I realize that this album is a good one to reflect and express the singer’s emotion to us. Most of songs are with low voices and with the guitar. Most songs just sing the emotions to us about the singers but also like ourselves. I think the rhythm of this album is mostly slow. There are not too many happy songs, but sad ones. Checking out for the first song of this album, “Play the Game”, the first track is a slow, heartfelt build at first-her voice low and husky before peaking at pivotal moments for necessary relief-and it left us in awe in that TriBeCa alleyway. Like McMahon herself, it’s quiet and restrained in a thoughtful way, before crescendoing into what feels like a much-needed sigh-a testament, perhaps, to how helpless we feel in the grips of love.

Let’s then listen carefully of some songs from this album and checking out for what she tries deliver to us. This song is with a low voice and slow rhythm. Guitar is the very outstanding musical instrument that used in this song. With the lyrics, we know that it trying to say that “I don’t know how to play the game You say that we’re not playing We’re not playing well And I’m not proud of all the loud things I’ve been saying I lost my way inside our house”. It completely describes about the singer’s hesitation, the unconfident, and the negative feelings toward the other person and the life that she lived. “I don’t know how to play the game. You say that we’re not playing. We’re not playing well” is the main theme of the song. The second song that I want to share is Missing Me. This song also has the low voice, the slow tempo. The lyrics tells about “Loving you has thrown me. Loving you is lonely. Loving you is lonely. Oh, you can swagger. You can gather attention. But I’m sick of your photographs. I’m so sick of your photographs. Oh, you can chatter. You can talk me to nothing. But I’m tired of being your sweetheart. I’m tired of being your sweetheart”. This lyrics tells about the hesitation and the failure of the singer to her lover and the love. It seems the young men or people always have these type of negative feelings and emotions in their lives. The artists especially have the sensitiveness in knowing people’s feelings in love. This song not only describes about the failure of the love but also this song full of the doubt of the singer to herself. It maybe not a good thing for people to miss themselves in the relationship. This album is expressing the negative feelings of the singer mostly.