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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

arts

COLUMN: Macklemore releases album without Ryan Lewis

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Do you love artists like Lil Yachty, Kesha, Offset and Skylar Grey? If so, it might be time to check out Macklemore’s debut solo album, “GEMINI.”

Ben Haggerty, also known as Macklemore, was born in Seattle. He started rapping as a teenager, and he began recording under the name “Professor Macklemore,” which he later shortened. In 2012, he released “The Heist” with Ryan Lewis, which featured the widely popular songs “Thrift Shop” and “Same Love.” 

Since the release of “The Heist,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis had released “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” before parting ways after nine years together. Macklemore released a solo album, “GEMINI,” Sept. 22, and songs from it have been making the charts since then.

In previous years, Macklemore has received a lot of flack, especially after winning the 2014 Grammy Award for the best album over artists like Kendrick Lamar. 

Afterward, he published a text conversation with Lamar on Twitter in which he was shown apologizing for winning. Some people thought this was of bad taste, and he was given a lot of criticism for it. 

That was 2014, though, and it’s now 2017. And currently, Macklemore’s “Good Old Days,” featuring Kesha is sitting under the “Best of the Week” section in iTunes, and it’s number six on the Top Songs chart. 

The song is slow, nothing like “Glorious” featuring Skyler Grey or “Marmalade” featuring Lil Yatchy,” which are his top songs on Spotify. 

“Good Old Days” showcases Kesha’s strong vocals and Macklemore’s quickly spoken, intelligently written lyrics. It starts with a piano that flows its way through the whole song, and though it picks up in the middle, it never really reaches a fast pace. It’s a great song to have an emotional, one-man-show to in the shower.

My personal favorite on the album is “Glorious.” The lyrics are well thought out, and it seems like he's trying to give the advice of living in the moment. The chorus is insanely catchy. Macklemore threads piano through “Glorious,” along with a pumping, fast beat that would fit well on a workout playlist. Skylar Grey’s clear vocals contain the perfect amount of power for the song.

“Things are just things, they don’t make you who you are,” he sings. “Can’t pack up a U-Haul and take it with you when you’re gone.”

The album is interesting, and while I could definitely see most of the songs on the radio,  it doesn’t remind me much of Macklemore. His previous work had a personal touch, with most tracks containing extremely meaningful lyrics. His song “Same Love,” featuring Mary Lambert from “The Heist” discusses same-sex relationships and was one of Macklemore’s top-charting songs.

So, while this album is good overall, it feels like it’s missing something. Or maybe something was added. On the songs that involve popular artists and rappers, you can hear a little bit of their style leak into Macklemore’s songs. 

The song with Offset have the same loud bass and beat as an Offset song, making it feel like the song just features Macklemore.When Ryan Lewis was in the picture it was more original, and personally, I miss the flair that Ryan Lewis was able to add to Macklemore’s songs. Lewis added a sense of originality to a song that took it beyond the usual bop that's heard on the radio. 

Some of his meaningful lyrics are still there, showcased in “I wanna live freely, why isn’t it so easy? I should read a book, but I keep watching this TV,” he sings on “Intentions.” Others, like “Willy Wonka” with Offset, just feel like they completely lack meaning. 

These could definitely play on the radio or at a party, but it just doesn’t sound like something I would like to listen to in my free time. It’s Macklemore, but at the same time it isn't. 

I still prefer “The Heist” with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, there are a few gems on “GEMINI” that I will continue to add to my playlists. It’s not a horrible album, but I think it could definitely be better.

This week's playlist was difficult for me to make. While I enjoy a few of the songs from “GEMINI,” and some Macklemore's other songs, it’s difficult to find another artist who is compatible to his original work. 

So, for this week, I  made an upbeat, rap playlist featuring three songs from “The Heist” and two from “GEMINI.” It is probably better to listen to it while working out or doing something more active. Listen here.

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