ALL ARTICLES — afterglow

Industry Insights: Clubhouse and the Merging of Tech and Music

Can this tech unicorn become a necessity for independent creators? Or will Clubhouse profit off of artists without helping them?

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXMay 19, 2021clubhouse, srija reddy, haley wood

Industry Insights: Spotify is Throwing Around its Weight, and It’s Pretty Scary

A huge chunk of K-pop disappeared from Spotify due to a licensing dispute between the streaming platform and the Korean tech giant, Kakao. Spotify won.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXMay 6, 2021wonjune lee, spotify

Songs of Protest: The Soviet Rock Scene and the Emergence of a Russian Counterculture

The popularity of rock music in the 1980s Soviet Union stoked the emergence of Russian rock as a counterculture against the Soviet government and created a generation of rebels amidst the collapse of the USSR.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXApril 19, 2021mahina adams

Songs of Protest: The Muslims Rewrite Frustrations With Racism And Police Brutality Into A Classic Song

The Muslims took one one of the most beloved pop punk anthems of the late ‘90s and put their own political, punk rock spin on it.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXApril 12, 2021songs of protest, miranda garza

One Hit Wonders: The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony” Struck the Right Chord

‘C’est la vie’ in song form, ‘90s hit “Bitter Sweet Symphony” carries a legacy as complicated as its sentiments.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXApril 8, 2021myah taylor, one hit wonders, britpop

Songs of Protest: Nobuko Miyamoto Looks to Her Past to Sing for the Future

In 1973, Nobuko Miyamoto, alongside Chris Iijima and Charlie Chin, released the first Asian American album, dedicated to showcasing their perspectives of prominent social issues of their time. Several decades later, she has lived up to the precedent she helped set by releasing a fearless album devoted to highlighting just how little the U.S. has changed since then.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXApril 7, 2021arundhati ghosh

Songs of Protest: Declan McKenna’s “Brazil” Criticizes FIFA and Brazilian Leaders

During preparations for the 2014 World Cup in São Paulo, Brazilians faced a harsh reality: their leaders’ loyalty to their country’s beloved sport overshadowed the needs of their own citizens.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXApril 5, 2021declan mckenna, katy vanatsky, brazil, football, soccer

Industry Insights: The Death of an Era: The Lost Music History of MySpace

Before Gen Z was even old enough to use social media, Millenials were coding their favorite songs onto their MySpace profiles. But all evidence of MySpace Music has vanished without a trace.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXMarch 23, 2021micaela garza

One Hit Wonders: A German Anti-War Song’s Meteoric Rise to the Top

In 1983, the obscure, Berlin-based band, Nena, unexpectedly broke through the decade's mold of big hair and brick-sized phones with its hit anti-war single, "99 Luftballons."

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXMarch 10, 2021grace robertson, one hit wonders, nena

One Hit Wonders: How Adulation Boosted Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know”

At a time when upbeat pop dominated the airwaves and rap was on its way to ruling the mainstream, Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” rode the coattails of numerous covers and an indie pop boom to become one of 2012’s unexpected hits.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXJanuary 27, 2021myah taylor, one hit wonders

Songs of Protest: “Strange Fruit”’s Persisting Relevance

Written 81 years ago, “Strange Fruit”’s constant reemergence reflects the continued racism and violence against Black individuals.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXDecember 17, 2020srija reddy

Songs of Protest: How The Gypsies Helps Cultivate An Understanding of Sri Lankan Heritage

The biggest band to ever come out of the island nation of Sri Lanka, The Gypsies addresses its beloved country’s major social and governmental issues on the laid back song, “I Don’t Know Why.” The group’s hit single has broken international borders, showing people from all over the world what it’s like to be Sri Lankan.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXDecember 16, 2020dhiren wijesinghe

Songs of Protest: Rage Against the Machine Fights Racism with Rock

From shutting down the New York Stock Exchange to playing at multiple American political party National Conventions, Rage Against the Machine has performed protest music since its 1992 debut.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXNovember 23, 2020beril lara saygin

Industry Insights: AJayII and the Impulsivity of the Music Reaction Video

If YouTube album reviews à la The Needle Drop marked a new age of music criticism in the 2000s, then music reaction videos are this decade’s next frontier.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXOctober 20, 2020myah taylor

Aural History: Deep Roots, Deep Feelings, and Deeper Music: The Overlooked Sensation of Black Psychedelia

While originally catered to the white psychonaut, much of psychedelia’s lasting influence on music was built upon a history of Black creativity and influence.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXAugust 24, 2020micaela garza

Songs of Protest: J. Cole Condemns Systemic Racism on “Neighbors”

Throughout pockets of America exists a perception — subconscious or otherwise — that simply being Black is a crime. In his thought-provoking 2017 single “Neighbors,” rapper J. Cole articulates how racial injustice infects every level of society, making it truly skin deep.

CULTURAL CONTEXTSAfterglow ATXJune 8, 2020myah taylor, j. cole