English 2100 x 81: Fall 2020

An In-Depth Look Into ANNIVERSARY, by Bryson Tiller

https://www.popdust.com/roy-orbison-crying-2640609026.html

After browsing the web for several short and underwhelming reviews of this great album, I finally came upon one that elaborated on the beauty of this piece of art.  First off, the critic heavily emphasizes on the background of ANNIVERSARY as well as Bryson Tiller’s musical career in general and his launch into stardom with the release of TRAPSOUL. And during a time where Tiller was surrounded by fake friends and demeaning family members, the article gives insight into how his life has changed over the course of three years. The reason why I am giving so many props to this inclusion of context is that it necessarily details why Tiller decided to sing/rap about whatever it is he wanted to include. From relationship issues to his faith, all of Tiller’s lyricism strives from the events that transpired in his life all that time ago. I also admire how the article touches down upon Tiller’s inspiration for samples and lo-fi tracks on tracks such as “Inhale” and “Outta Time”. The critic ends on a powerful statement wrapping up ANNIVERSARY:

“Tiller is still R&B’s misunderstood introvert, but now he seems less preoccupied with being saved by a woman and is realizing (in full 2020 fashion) that we all are responsible for our own happiness.”

Critique of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

https://www.salon.com/2019/06/28/i-was-wrong-about-spider-man-into-the-spider-verse/?fbclid=IwAR3D5nV6m4XVeaC_w7BiTqoLlQWVnUxKKcJIgyb1wmMGX0Zd8Fv1KoRqwUM

This critique, written by Matthew Rozsa of the Salon, describes how he initially misjudged the movie Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse. At first, he saw the movie to be “soulless” and basically a movie that doesn’t hold any meaning or make any significant impact. I saw this movie a total of two times and during my first watch, I would’ve agreed with him. I didn’t receive any central message from the movie and just saw it as a Spider-Man movie with great animation. When I rewatched the movie on Saturday, I saw a completely new side of the movie, just like Mr. Rozsa. He claims that the reason why the movie is so significant is because of how relatable and complex the characters are. Usually, a movie with so many different characters with many stories wouldn’t be ideal as some characters might get lost or it will make the story too complicated, but this movie uses it to its advantage. The movie uses the backstories and actions of the characters in order to carry out many of the themes, such as teamwork, dealing with loss, resilience, and accountability. This movie also relies on the use of the appeal to the emotion of the viewer, or pathos, in order to make the movie trigger feelings and relatability for the audience. The music selection in this film helps accentuate the pathos, for instance, in death scenes or scenes in which the character is going to do something great. These rhetorical aspects are why Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is such an amazing film.