Album review: Chance the Rapper’s ‘The Big Day’ explores love, merges genres through collaborations

Chance the Rapper dubbed Friday to be his big day, although his recent nuptials were certainly a contender. Four months after the ceremony, Chance has released his first for-sale album, “The Big Day,” which boasts 22 tracks and various artist features. Although the acid rapper is well-established – earning three Grammys, including Best Rap Album, […]

Album review: Beyoncé celebrates African culture and new film in ‘The Lion King: The Gift’

This post was updated July 21 at 10:07 p.m. The circle of life continues with Beyoncé’s new album, “The Lion King: The Gift.” “The Lion King” was first released in 1994. Twenty-five years later, the Disney classic is receiving new life with this week’s release of the live-action iteration of the film. And, fittingly, Beyoncé […]

Album review: ‘No.6 Collaborations Project’ shows off Ed Sheeran’s skills spanning genres

This post was updated July 15 at 10:12 a.m. Ed Sheeran’s new album is as fiery as his ginger hair. Sheeran’s fourth full-length release, “No.6 Collaborations Project,” dropped Friday and totes fifteen tracks – each one featuring a different artist. The release follows Sheeran’s 2011 EP fittingly titled, “No.5 Collaborations Project,” which includes 11 artists […]

Student’s sound sculptures explore intersection of technology and art

Dillon Bastan was instructed to draw for an art class – but instead he made his own invention. Such projects are typical for the incoming fourth-year design media arts student, who said he uses his knowledge of programming and circuitry to make art with sound. His projects incorporate music from synthesizers and sounds from the […]

Dance camp helps students new to dancing find their own groove

Individual style and group synchronization are often difficult for dancers to balance. Last weekend, PNG x Body Rock: Dance Camp 2019 aimed to address this contradiction. Passion Nurtures Growth, a dance organization, and Body Rock Dance Competition held the camp at the John Wooden Center on Saturday and Sunday. The event’s 10 master classes were […]

Student attributes success in ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ to hard work, drive

The third time was the charm for Lorenzo Rangel-Santos’ “So You Think You Can Dance” audition. The fourth-year dance student is currently competing on season 16 of the TV dance competition where he has advanced to the academy round in the show’s most recent episode. After auditioning for the past two seasons, Rangel-Santos said he […]

Concert review: Hozier’s minimalist set lets music take the front seat in cemetery performance

Hozier wrote love songs for the end of the world – it was only fitting he perform them in a cemetery. The Irish musician took the stage at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Tuesday night, performing a set list which primarily pulled from his recent album “Wasteland, Baby!” Often simply standing in place with his […]