By WVUD Staff, Intro and Compilation By Macayla Cook
As temperatures and colorful leaves begin to drop across campus, we here at WVUD are dedicated to providing you with adequate tunes. Below, you’ll find the 2024-25 Ops Board’s ultimate picks for the best songs to usher in autumn!
James Kelly, General Manager:
“In The Air Tonight” – Nonpoint
It should be noted that while I do love the original by Phil Collins, it is the Nonpoint version that subconsciously makes me crave tomato pie, don a UD football jersey, and paint my face blue and gold. I am a Newark native, where tailgating and attending home games is a birthright. Though I didn’t know much about football as a kid, the music was at its peak during my childhood and that’s what made me love going to games. This song would blast through the stadium and get the crowd roaring at both third downs and when we gained possession of the ball. Huh, maybe I did know a bit about football.
“Silver Joy” – Damien Jurado
While this song has more of a late-fall into winter vibe, I first heard it in the movie “The Holdovers,” the night before Thanksgiving. My friend Chris (who you’ll read below) and I went to see this for his birthday late that night, and the movie opens with this song. It instantly became my favorite Christmas movie, but whenever I hear this song, it puts me back in that theater. The crackling of the film, the flickering of the bulb in the projector– all things that give you that fall feeling of coziness and warmth.
“Wading In Waist-High Water (Solstice Version)” – Fleet Foxes
While the original is just as moving, this version is my favorite because it was recorded live in a cathedral and it feels as if there’s more weight and depth to the voices singing. That being said, this song tells an interesting story; one that I’ve come to interpret as the story of someone sad to see the days of certainty slowly fading away, but embracing the willingness to explore the unknown with the one they love. The days of summer are behind us, but there’s beauty to be embraced in the coming times of colder weather and colorful leaves, as well as in the fellowship that comes with the fast-approaching holidays. It’s the perfect calling card for anyone sad to see the warm weather moving away for now.
Gretchen Hartenstein, Program Director:
“Dark Blue” – Jack’s Mannequin
This song doesn’t inherently sound like fall, but it’s the memories that make it a fall song for me. I didn’t even know it existed until last year, when I saw frontman Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness live with our Promotions Director, Melissa. This show was a pretty pivotal fall experience for me and it spurred an obsession with many of Andrew’s earlier songs, with “Dark Blue” quickly becoming a favorite. It also takes me back to cold nights and an 11:30 pm “Pot O’ Fries” at Homegrown with someone very special. They know who they are.
“(Feels Like) Heaven” – Fiction Factory
Once again, memories bring Fiction Factory to my mind when I think of fall songs. This time, we head back to the fall of 2020 and my senior year of high school. This song is featured in the first season of Netflix’s “The Umbrella Academy” (highly recommend seasons 1 and 2), a show that I was enjoying during that time in my life and that arguably helped get me through COVID.
I can only describe this song as having a chilly instrumentation but warm vocals. Thus, it’s the perfect means to describe fall. It makes me want to curl up on my couch in a hoodie with a hot cup of tea and a warm blanket.
“Wake Me Up When September Ends” – Green Day
I daresay this is pretty self explanatory. It’s hard to not think of this iconic Green Day song when thinking about the fall. As a college student, fall is a lot. It’s the joy of reuniting with campus and friends and activities you love, while at the same time adjusting to classes and a new schedule once more, deciding how you want to spend your time, and trying to stay afloat. I’ve spent most of my life trying to be a fall person. I was born in October, for crying out loud. To this day, I don’t know if I’ve talked myself into it yet. But at least I know that I am still a marching band kid at heart, even though the activity isn’t a part of my life anymore, and a fall baby, so there’s got to be something in me that’s partial to the fall.
Melissa Wood, Promotions Director:
“Ophelia” – The Lumineers
For this song in particular, I am still unsure as to why exactly it feels like autumn to me. Perhaps it’s the way Wesley Schultz’s voice echoes and cascades hauntingly throughout the chorus. Maybe it’s the subtle yet bright piano ebbing through the background instrumentals which ultimately reminds me of sunlight delicately peeking through colorful leaves on a tall oak tree on windy autumn day. It could even be the pure nostalgia that’s embedded into this song for me that underlines the autumnal vibes. If I’m being honest, it is most likely a conglomerate of all three factors. Either way, this song is definitely deserving of a spot on your fall playlist!
“seven” – Taylor Swift
What would be a fall playlist without at least one Taylor Swift song, particularly from either Folklore or Evermore? An incomplete fall playlist, that’s what! Therefore, if you want a tune that reminisces about the summer’s “sweet tea” and childlike wonder, look no further than “seven.” With a melody cloaked in a mellow beat and soft twinkling vocals that cradle an aura of cold breezes settling in at the farther edge of September, this song makes an excellent addition to any fall playlist.
“Sweater Weather” – The Neighborhood
Of all my picks, I feel like this one needs the least amount of explanation. Everyone knows that when it comes to fall, cozy sweaters are a staple for the majority of the population. Pair that with the fiery imagery of keeping another warm in the midst of a cold thunderstorm, and you have “Sweater Weather.” In addition, this song is another sentimental melody for me, so it naturally embodies a sense of remembrance and supplements perfectly with the season that marks the end of another year around the sun.
Rebecca Lewis, Production Director:
“We Fell in Love in October” – Girl in Red
This song requires little introduction for how it relates to the fall season, and uses the lyric “we fell in love in October, that’s why I love fall” to open the song, continuing to repeat the line throughout. Fall is my favorite season, and this song does resonate with me, especially now, because the first time I said I love you to my current partner was in October (actually not on purpose).
“Sunsetz” – Cigarettes After Sex
This song may not directly reference anything about the fall season, but I find myself queuing this song more often in this time of year. Being from Connecticut, a place that has lots of hills and beautiful greenery (even though many people do not expect that), I play songs like this one when I am driving, as to me, the slow burn of the song emphasizes the autumn colors and beauty splashed over the hills and mountains of the horizon. The title “Sunsetz” also fills me with fall excitement since the sunsets happen earlier as we draw near the colder winter months.
“Pulling Leaves Off Trees” – Wallows
For my people pleasers <3.
Sophia Shull, Music Director:
“Fallen Leaves” – Billy Talent
As the title suggests, this song makes reference to the seasonal change of autumn, but it carries a little more weight than that. October is National Substance Abuse Prevention month, and while Billy Talent pays tribute to a friend suffering from a drug addiction, this song is a perfect rock anthem to blast while the leaves fade from green to orange.
“Spellbound” – Siouxsie and the Banshees
Something about the guitar intro just really helps me picture fall leaves, pumpkin patches, and toasting marshmallows over a blazing bonfire. Siouxsie has really charmed me into diving into each album. A melodic voice backed by powerful instrumentals can always help me picture a clear scenario in my head. In this scenario, I’m running from door to door in my neighborhood, collecting candy from cheerful ladies and vampiric dads. Let my inner witch go wild and free!
“In the Autumn of My Years”- Tigercub
Perhaps there is no more fitting of a song for the fall season than this Tigercub masterpiece. The slow build of eager guitars and thunderous drums creeps through the melody until reaching a powerful tipping point. This almost melancholic composition makes me look back fondly on all the past times I’ve frolicked in leaf piles and stayed warm by the fire on a chilly night. The smells of fallen foliage and burnt marshmallows are no strangers to these muses.
Sanaa Mason, Sports Director:
“NFL on FOX Theme”
What better way to ring in fall than with a rainy day of football with a Wawa Hoagie in one hand and the smell of autumn leaves running through the slightly open window? Fall will always remind me of Sunday Night Football, which, while not a specifically UD thing, is a nationwide celebration. The football anthem truly let you know that it was time to sit down on the couch and scream for your favorite team as they were playing in the worst conditions known to man.
“My Girlfriend Is a Witch” – October Country
I’m not all about sports! A great fall-y song that also references witches which is very Halloweenie.
“Roslyn” – Bon Iver & St. Vincent
While occasionally sad and depressing, this song sometimes warms me up like a fall candle just thinking about the turmoil that is the Twilight Series. Don’t let that deter you from this magical song though; it truly soothes my soul like a Boo Basket in 55 degree weather.
Macayla Cook, News Director:
“Season of the Witch” – Lana Del Rey
In my opinion, no fall playlist is complete without a bit of Lana. So many of her songs have such a pensive, slightly creepy tone to them, which in my mind is exactly what the fall is all about. Especially on “Season of the Witch,” the eerie tone of Lana’s voice is on full display with dry-toned guitars and rhythmic backup vocals that, combined with the spooky lyrics, encapsulate the autumnal season perfectly.
“Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy” – Fall Out Boy
Alright, so maybe the most glaringly pumpkin-spice part of this song is the title, but I also think that fall is a great time to engage in nostalgia, and few albums are more nostalgic than Fall Out Boy’s 2003 masterpiece Take This To Your Grave. I experienced this song live last summer and I genuinely have not been the same since. Happy “you need him? I could be him” season to all those who celebrate.
“There It Goes” – Maisie Peters
I feel like fall is not only a time to enjoy hot chai lattes, it also always ends up being a time for me to do some thinking. “There It Goes” is triumphant, bittersweet, and reflective, in the way that autumn so frequently is. It also has not one but TWO fall months in the lyrics, meaning that there is no better time to finally let go of that one situationship because now you can yell “I’m doing better, I made it to September” and “I wake up and it’s October, the loss is yours” about it.
Chris Malinowski, Training Director:
“Autumn Love” – Death Cab For Cutie
Not to sound like Seth Cohen from The O.C., but I feel like there is something truly fascinating about the vibes that come off of any song from the alternative band Death Cab for Cutie and how heavily their music is able to relate to fall as a season. “Autumn Love,” taken off of their ninth studio album Thank You for Today, showcases Death Cab at their highest element. Through immaculate guitar chord progression and lyricism focusing on self-growth, this song is highly recommended for listening while sitting in a cafe watching the leaves fall outside.
“Campus” – Vampire Weekend
“Campus” by Vampire Weekend is a go-to song for me when it comes to navigating the hustle and bustle of walking on campus due to its eclectic instrumentation, as well as its ability to bottle that weird fuzzy feeling of returning back to college in the fall. As I pass through all of the freshmen walking too slow and see all of the bikes and scooters whizzing by way too fast on The Green, it’s nice to have a good fast-paced song playing through my headphones as I make the journey to my next class.
“Where’d All The Time Go?” – Dr. Dog
To me, I view autumn as a time for self-reflection while the weather changes and time slowly continues marching forward. As it is the last full academic year for me as a student at the University of Delaware, I’m finding myself currently reflecting on the journey that the past few years have been, while also spending time with some of my closest friends on the operations board at WVUD. It’s a bittersweet time for sure, but I think it’s good to look forward to the future while also reflecting on good memories, and I feel as though “Where’d All The Time Go?” encapsulates that feeling all too well.
Neil Irungu, Treasurer:
“Bitter and Sick” – One Two
I found this song on the TV show Reign when I was younger. Intense show. Adelaide Kane is gorgeous. I enjoy harmonies and call-and-response kind of songs; it makes it very fun to sing along, choose which artist you’re going to be singing with, or just add your own harmony all together. This song feels like someone singing a lullaby, or maybe two people singing around a campfire. Regardless, a very autumnal song.
“My Sweetest Tone” – Tender Glue
The bass in this entire song is my absolute favorite and a key reason as to why I’m saving up for a bass to add to my collection (one black Squire Stratocaster named Sirius). I like how it feels calm, repetitive, and warm. It’s also the song I’m most likely to accidentally loop when I’m studying, since its mellowness makes me feel focused. Picture me with code reflected on my glasses, my lava lamp the only light in the room, while this song plays for the sixth time in a row. That’s me on a Monday night.
“The Bottom” – MICHELLE
Hands down the best song to walk around campus to, and considering my commute is sometimes 20 minutes, having good walking songs is highly necessary. This song has been tested multiple times, but feel free to conduct your own research. MICHELLE is just fantastic to listen to in general, and this is one of their more upbeat songs, but it’s not too intense. Fantastic guitar riffs, which I also associate with autumn.
It was the last night of the annual WVUD Operations Board retreat. This year was interesting, in that the females lead males six to one as far as department heads go. Being outnumbered by the opposite sex has never been an issue for me, however, at chow time, I found myself wanting to sit with the group where conversation tends to cultivate contemplation.
Who do I mean? The Old Farts, of course.
This league of un-extraordinary gentlemen sat out on the screened-in porch of the cottage, discussing what ailed them as well as the foods they could not tolerate. Steve doesn’t like onions and calls mayonnaise a “vile condiment.” He was cleaning the hearth (camping grill) that blazed the meat from a wild beast (cow) that the knights sat ‘round the table (members of the AARP) feasted on.
Steve, who seemed busy and needed help, declined many offers to assist in his task of post-feast sanitation. So, naturally, when one declines offers of help from their peers, they have inadvertently invited those watching to heckle as you struggle. This is what the men did. This is what I did.
I choose to sit with men older than myself because I relate to them more despite being a third of the average age at the table. I quote “M*A*S*H” and listen to Tony Bennett. Men my age have haircuts that resemble broccoli and wear boxer shorts to class. I have very little in common with men my age, and it’s not because I wear my pants over my boxer shorts.
It is due to the fact that I myself am old. Or at least have older values.
If you ask me what the perfect evening is, it would’ve been out there on that porch with The Old Farts. Talking about what ails us and the foods we cannot tolerate. I like listening to what they have to say and engaging in conversation. Turns out they do, too.
Rich, who sat with his back to the water that flowed calmly through the inlet, asked me what younger people were worried most about the upcoming election. I told him “the economy” and “abortion rights.” I told him that we wanted to be able to afford a house someday.
He was looking for the bridge between the generations. Rich knows the value in learning what young people care about and remembering what issues he cared about when he was my age. Turns out, it wasn’t as crazy a time when he was graduating college in the 1980s. He said we have more we worry about than he and his friends ever did.
The inlet bridge, not too far away in the background of this picturesque evening, had just changed its signal lights from white to red, and its pillars lit up red, white, and blue.
To my left sat Dave, the smartest man I have ever met. Dave began to tell me why the lights on the bridge change from white during the day, to red at night. A red light is softer on the eyes in the dark than a white light. I hadn’t thought about that but it made sense to me.
He also explained that the bridge has a second power supply to power the red lights. This is so the power depletion isn’t doubled by the addition of a second bulb to the system. I guess this made sense to me as well.
I sit with men older than myself because I want to learn from them. I could learn new things from men my age, but I have no interest in learning fifteen different ways to make a bong out of household items. I have no desire to learn how much they bench or what their fantasy football standings are.
I especially have no desire to attend a party and be offered a can of Natural Light when I have a taste for Yuengling.
Drinking, however, is something Larry can’t do anymore. The octogenarian army vet–per his doctor’s instructions–is not allowed to consume alcohol anymore. When this happens to me, I wish to be taken behind the barn and shot. He is in the final stages of his chemotherapy and immunotherapy for lung cancer, leaving his liver in shambles.
This, however, is nothing new to his liver. Larry used to rely on alcohol in his younger years to pass the time until the day he lost his taste for it as a crutch. Up until last year, he would partake in his biannual consumption of a single bottle of beer.
Larry is one of those guys who has seen it all, but would tell you he remembers everything being relatively normal throughout his life. An interesting outlook from this visibly weary and weathered man. Maybe he has seen the worst of what this world has to offer, but also the good to keep the balance.
The evening continued, slowly but surely. The conversation was winding down and the words dwindled. The sunset pierced through the clouds and for a few moments the sky was adorned in acres of orange and gold and purple. God’s parting gift of the day.
I feel a sense of duty to seek out the wisdom and knowledge of older generations. I don’t want to let their stories die with them. I want to be able to say that I sat and talked with them for a while. I want to share an anecdote, laugh, and cry with those who’ve walked this Earth long before I arrived.
I sat with them on the porch, listening, learning, and eventually coming to a realization about life. Well, a fact of life that one day I’ll have to come to terms with myself, but I feel that I will have dutifully prepared should I have listened and learned as much as I could.
That fact? Drinking: a young man’s game. With lots of old men sat around the table.
The 2024–2025 academic year has begun. As the semester gets underway, we extend our warmest welcome to the new voices and faces that will be joining us, as well as our best wishes to all of our returning students.
Since Firefly Music Festival no longer exists, many Delawareans–and those adjacent–are trying to fill an outdoor, multi stage festival-sized hole in their hearts. Not wanting to travel as far north as Massachusetts leaves out Boston Calling, and now that Oceans Calling in Ocean City, Maryland, is sold out, the question has to be asked: who you gonna call?
We picked up the phone and found Musikfest, a festival we think is sure to make up for lost time not spent at Firefly, probably because it spans eleven days. From August 1st all the way through the 11th, festival goers can bounce around between any of the nineteen locations that are showcasing both local and national acts–the best part is, most of it is free. The headlining acts each night are ticketed, and the headliner kicking off Musikfest 2024 was none other than Greta Van Fleet.
Nearly a year ago, a few WVUD Operations Board Members went to see GVF at the Wells Fargo Center. Macayla Cook wrote a blog post for their time at that concert, and as I’m writing this, I’m interested in seeing what parallels there are between the two once I’m done. Please take a jaunt through her piece before continuing here.
Deep within the “ye-old” Bethlehem Steel complex now sits a few concert stages that are used during Musikfest, as well as for a few pop-up concerts here and there throughout the year. GVF played the main stage which sits adjacent to what’s now called the SteelStacks, where iron ore used to be smelted to make the steel that built America’s skyscrapers. While it might look like the ruins of District 13 from The Hunger Games, it’s pretty damn cool. Abandoned warehouses everywhere and rusty smokestacks that no longer billow smoke set the sketchy vibe that would remain if there wasn’t music playing. It almost feels like you shouldn’t even be allowed inside–and yet, here we are, about to see GVF rock the place alive again.
The band opened with “The Falling Sky,” “Caravel,” and “Heat Above,” all the while we were in the pit taking pictures. A plethora of pyrotechnics during these three songs left us drenched in sweat and without eyebrows. We most certainly could feel the heat, Josh, stop asking. After they finished, we were escorted out of the pit and back into the main alley where we could go through security to go back into the concert. Unfortunately, there were issues with our tickets and they did not let us back in despite being media. The score so far: WVUD – 0, Musikfest – 1.
WVUD Photographer, Gretchen Hartenstein, seen here wondering how indeed she got there.
Not wanting to walk away just like that, we decided to take advantage of having parked so close to the stage and sat by the car to listen to the rest of the concert. We heard, albeit muffled, some of our favorites like “Highway Tune,” “Black Smoke Rising,” and “Light My Love.” These songs range from three to four and a half minutes on the albums, but live in concert? Try close to eight minutes each. Between each song, they would do an instrumental interlude to pass the time. This is when we determined something about going to see them at Musikfest. If you paid with the mindset to see the band perform your favorite songs, or just even a broader variety of their music, you would feel a little gypped. They only played ten songs over two hours.
However, if you went in just wanting to see the band play live, then you would’ve had a great time. While we were up in the pit taking pictures, a few people on the barrier in the front row were crying. I love that for them. I love that they got to see their favorite band perform. What I don’t love is the value for money for everyone who found themselves wanting to hear more, experienced. We got to see them for free, for the brief moment we were inside, but even then, when we were out in the parking lot, we enjoyed our free snacks while we listened to a free concert. So as far as I’m concerned, we got our money’s worth, and that’s worth two points in my book. The Final: WVUD – 2, Musikfest – 1.
For more photos from GVF at Musikfest, check out Gretchen’s photo gallery here.
Greta Van Fleet’s performance at Musikfest on August 1st was only the second concert I’ve ever photographed. Needless to say, it’s a big jump from the tiny, intimate, indoor stage at XL Live in Harrisburg (check out my photos and article from the Stephen Sanchez concert), but no less amazing of an experience.
Clearly, I am far from being a seasoned concert photographer, but everyone has to start somewhere and I will admit…my starting block is a pretty good gig. I’ll always be grateful that I’ve had this opportunity to photograph concerts through WVUD and be mere feet away from artists like Greta Van Fleet. Check out James Kelly’s review on the full concert experience.
Jake Kiszka, electric guitarist (this man does not ever stop moving)
Since starting college, my photography hobby has taken a backseat to things like classwork, feeding myself, and, of course, radio. That being said, I am overjoyed that I was able to take photos that I’m proud of at this concert. I was painfully reminded that concert photography is no joke: the lighting is always changing, the subjects always moving. This show had the added inclusions of a much taller stage, a dozen other photographers jostling for a few feet of space…and a lot of pyrotechnics. But while the conditions can be difficult to work with, they make for some pretty wicked photos if you can catch them.
Sam Kiszka, bassist (he was barefoot the whole time)
You may notice lots of elbows, speakers, and various other objects in the edges of the frames in these photos. These are the unfortunate consequences of being 5’3″ standing next to a stage of about the same height and being surrounded by maybe twenty other media and security folks. Photobombs may not be ideal but I do think they give my work character and remind me of the chaotic reality of live events.
Daniel Wagner, drummer (the only non-brother)
Photographing concerts combines my love of photography with my love of music and I’d do it just about every weekend if I could. It still generates some major imposter syndrome, once I start to think about the fact that my camera is likely the cheapest model in attendance and every other photographer seems much more qualified than myself. But in the end, there’s always that one shot that boosts my confidence again. I’ll round off the gallery with what I consider to be the shot of the night…
Josh Kiszka, lead vocals (yes, he really does just put his hand in the air a LOT)
Summer of 2024 has been a good one for pop music. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” is topping the charts, Chappell Roan is taking the world by storm, and the eternally iconic Charli XCX is leading the charge for a messy, recklessly fun “brat summer.” I of course have been enjoying all of these incredible songs and artists, as if I am two things and two things only, I am a pop music lover and a girls’ girl.
July has brought in a new round of tunes from some of 2000s pop’s OGs, with both Katy Perry and Kesha releasing singles within a week of one another. The reception of the songs, titled “Woman’s World” and “Joyride” respectively, have been drastically different. And it’s not just because “Woman’s World” is wildly unlistenable (what? Who said that?).
To understand the modern context of these songs, we have to go back and understand the history between Katy and Kesha (trigger warning for sexual assault).
The dawn of the 2010s brought with it a new crop of pop stars, and Katy Perry and Kesha were both among the first to break out into the new decade of music. Despite making songs within the same genre and both donning uniquely flamboyant aesthetics, the biggest similarity between the two was that they each found massive success in that era.
Kesha’s debut single “Tik Tok” dropped on August 7, 2009, as the lead single off her first album, Animal (2010). The song would go on to spend nine weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified eightfold platinum. It also, on a personal note, is one of the first favorite songs I remember having, despite the fact that I was a first grader with no clue who P. Diddy or Mick Jagger was.
In May of 2010, Katy Perry, who was already a recognizable singer due to the, looking back on it, extremely questionable success of “I Kissed A Girl,” would release the lead single off her upcoming third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). “California Gurls,” which featured verses by Snoop Dogg, peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and has been certified diamond in the US.
While researching for this piece, I also learned that Katy Perry is in fact from California, which is a relief considering the song title. For some reason, I could’ve sworn she was from Michigan, but nix that, she is fully qualified to melt your popsicle.
The most important thing to know here is that “Tik Tok” was produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco, the guy now dating Selena Gomez. “California Gurls” was produced by the same duo along with Max Martin. All three of these guys were huge producers at the time, and Blanco and Martin have continued to be successful. However, a little wrench got thrown into Dr. Luke’s rise to stardom when in 2014, Kesha filed a lawsuit against him.
Now, the legal drama here is very difficult to wade through, but here’s the simplified version: Kesha sued Dr. Luke for allegedly repeatedly drugging her and having sex with her, with or without her consent. She also stated in the suit that his abuse was what caused her to develop an eating disorder. Dr. Luke countersued Kesha, her mother, and her management for defamation.
During the very long legal battle, Kesha and her team would claim that Dr. Luke also assaulted Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Gaga’s team denied such an incident occurring (though Gaga has been adamant in her support for Kesha), and Katy herself testified that Dr. Luke had done no such thing.
Ultimately, Kesha would go on to lose her case, in large part due to Katy’s testimony and the lack of corroborated evidence that such assaults had happened.
Now, I’m not saying that Dr. Luke is a rapist, but I am saying that sexual assault is a very difficult crime to prove in the American legal system. I am saying that a lack of evidence in court doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen. I am saying that a man not assaulting one woman isn’t proof that he didn’t assault another. And above all, I am saying that I believe victims.
However, regardless of what you think of the court case, things between Katy and Kesha were pretty icy afterwards. This brings us to the modern day, where the pop phenoms are both still releasing music, albeit extremely different tunes.
Kesha released “Joyride” on July 4, as the lead single off her upcoming sixth studio album and her first release as an independent artist. The song features a kitschy accordion sample, her signature talk-singing verses, and lyrics that embrace a ditzy, party girl aesthetic like “a label whore, but I’m bored of wearing clothes.” As of the writing of this article, there is no official music video for the track.
A week later, Katy Perry dropped “Woman’s World,” the lead single and first track on her upcoming seventh studio album, 143. The song boasts verses discussing the many facets of women (ie. “She’s a flower, she’s a thorn”) and a chorus featuring Katy belting the tagline, “it’s a woman’s world and you’re lucky to be living in it.” Did I mention Dr. Luke produced it?
The accompanying music video is divided into two parts.
In the first part, Katy occupies a Barbie-esque world where women do anything men can do, like be construction workers or pee at urinals (I don’t get how that one works but slay). Yet, they still are catered to the male gaze, wearing outfits that absolutely would not be allowed on real construction sites for fear of somebody losing a boob. I’m happy for these girls in that they’re all absolutely gorgeous, but they’re also clearly being objectified.
Then, Katy and her Rosie-the-Riveter-style bandana are quite literally squashed by a giant anvil mid-chorus. I found this to be slightly jarring.
There’s a weird social media interlude that I really don’t see the point of, then Katy is in what seems to be the real world, strutting around a city in a white bikini and robot-style metallic chaps. For some reason, everyone else in this city seems quite angry, except for two gay guys making out in tennis shorts. I guess somebody liked Challengers.
After Katy legitimately pumps gas into her own butt (I wish I was kidding, I do not understand this video concept AT ALL), Trisha Paytas arrives pulling a monster truck by a rope. After stealing some girl’s phone on a ring light shaped like the female symbol, Katy eventually comes to the heavy-handed realization that she’s allowed to be imperfect because she’s a real woman, not a male fantasy. She of course has this realization while looking perfect.
This music video currently has 597,000 dislikes and only 389,000 likes. When the top comment on your girl power music video is “this looks like something that would be a satire for feminism in The Boys,” you may have done something wrong.
Of course, the criticism of this song isn’t that it’s necessarily a bad message. Women are multifaceted creatures that exist for themselves, not to please men. However, the message feels hollow and outdated coming from Katy Perry.
“Women aren’t objects” is an extremely simple message that you would hope people know by now, and if they don’t get it yet, an extremely generic-sounding pop song isn’t going to change their minds. While this sort of sentiment would’ve done numbers in 2014 when it was enough to simply say that you were a feminist, it takes a lot more to be a champion of women in this day and age. Plenty of people are feminists, it just feels weird and performative to make a song belting about girl power if you aren’t saying anything deeper.
It’s also now time to look back at the fact that Dr. Luke was a producer on this track. Dr. Luke, who, in case you forgot, allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted Kesha.
Pretty tough to be a girl power anthem if an alleged rapist helped make it.
The internet was quick to point this out, saying that Katy can preach shallow messages of women’s rights all she wants but at the end of the day, working with an alleged rapist is not in line with the girl’s girl image she’s trying to project with this song. Just because he didn’t assault her doesn’t mean he didn’t assault other women, and if Katy were a true feminist, she would believe victims rather than continuing to work with Dr. Luke.
Aside from that, this song is also just deeply boring to listen to, so he didn’t even do a good job producing it. Despite the six writers (one of whom was also Dr. Luke), the verses don’t really say anything of substance. The chorus is just the tagline along with the line, “You better celebrate/cause baby, we ain’t going away,” which like…yeah, women will probably continue to be good at stuff, not that this song is evidence of that.
It genuinely sounds like music that plays faintly in the background while you shop at T.J. Maxx. The synths are super bland, the bass in the chorus is weirdly punchy, and there’s pretty much nothing else going on. Standard drums, simple background vocals, and a solid lead from Katy that just isn’t nearly enough to save the song.
This would’ve already been bad, but contrast it with “Joyride” and Katy Perry and her rapist-sympathizing ways might as well be dead in the water.
Kesha has managed to make an absolute masterpiece of dance pop, using all sorts of weird samples and a fun attitude in what I would describe as an absolute tapestry of sound. Starting with an accordion sample is already a refreshingly zany choice, but the song also features clever lyrics, a vocoder on the bridge, and Gregarian-style backup vocals that mix perfectly with Kesha’s biting lead. The song is not only way more fun to listen to, it’s also infinitely better produced as far as I’m concerned.
The producer on “Joyride” is Zhone, a specialist in hyperpop who is also responsible for Troye Sivan’s Grammy-nominated club hit “Rush.” He genuinely might be my favorite up-and-coming producer right now and I cannot wait to see what else he comes up with. I’m a huge fan of songs that are simply fun to listen to while also being notably well-made, which is something I would say Zhone has excelled at so far.
He also hasn’t ever been accused of having sex with an unconscious 18-year-old client who went on to develop an eating disorder from the abuse! Score!
All of this is a very long-winded way of saying, Kesha’s new track is a total hit, while Katy Perry’s is a complete flop. I don’t think Katy Perry is a fundamentally bad person, but I do think this song is a totally awful look for her, especially since she sided with the rapist and still got completely shown up. It’s embarrassing, honestly.
Katy, you and Dr. Luke can keep your shallow empowerment. I’m implored to get in for the joyride, and I recommend you all do too.
