Second Take: Taylor Swift plays the victim to hide manipulative personality

Do not let the faux-feminism and fake country twang fool you: Taylor Swift is a snake. Swift has slithered among the music industry long before the iconic reveal by Kim Kardashian West. Swift thrives off being a victim in everything she does. Whenever she’s not praised as America’s crowning glory, she’s seen as the precious […]

Hear This Not That: Taylor Swift’s ‘Fearless’ shows promise, ‘Red’ launches her to stardom

Music fans can find it hard to decide which albums to stream and which to skip, considering the surplus of new music released. Each week, A&E columnist Sean Lee will compare two albums and recommend which one students should listen to. For The Daily Bruin A&E’s Taylor Swift issue, Lee compares the charisma of Swift’s […]

Concert review: Young the Giant at the Greek Theatre

Young the Giant vocalist Sameer Gadhia slid into a spotlight with an acoustic guitar. Set lights shined against the backdrop of the dark Los Angeles sky and the artificial starlight twinkled blue and white against a “Home of The Strange” backdrop. Opening chords and rain drop sound effects ushered in the sentimental intro of “Titus […]

Concert review: Brad Paisley turns LA Tennis Center into ‘Country Nation’

Brad Paisley’s Friday night concert made Southern California just a little more southern — and for that, country fans rejoiced. The three-time Grammy Award-winning musician drew country music fans and newbies to the Los Angeles Tennis Center, bringing the UCLA community together with his personable songs and honest, humorous commentary. Although Southern California is not […]

Movie review: ‘Moonlight’

Director Barry Jenkins has achieved something so rarely seen on the silver screen: an honest, heartbreaking portrayal of a gay black man devoid of stereotypes or oversentimentality. His film “Moonlight” shines a powerful, unflinching beam on its central character, employing a piercing gaze to reveal an exquisitely elemental story of identity, race and homosexuality. The […]

Second Take: SoundCloud creates unique platform for next generation of rappers

Sidney Selby stumbled upon a particularly infectious beat while browsing YouTube a year ago. He liked it so much that he decided to buy it for $200, and a few months later, released it as a rap song under the name “Panda.” The song quickly reached unprecedented success and was remixed on Kanye West’s most […]

UCLA alumnae defy racial archetype as Elsa in ‘Frozen – Live’

Nine UCLA alumni joined the cast of “Frozen – Live at the Hyperion,” performing as Elsa, Olaf, Hans, Kristoff or the ensemble. The live adaptation of the 2013 Disney animated film “Frozen” currently plays three times a day at Disney California Adventure after opening in May. Each week, the Daily Bruin will share alumni’s experiences working at the Happiest Place on Earth. […]