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The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

Delightfully naughty and nice: “Short n’ Sweet” portrays Sabrina Carpenter in her purest form

Delightfully naughty and nice: “Short n’ Sweet” portrays Sabrina Carpenter in her purest form

by Lily Peng, Reporter September 17, 2024

A flirty wink, a casual toss of her hair, a dazzling voice. And from that voice comes simple melodies. Silly tunes ring clearly in my head, ready to erupt from my lips in off-tune shrieks and compel...

After focusing much of her career on creating chart-topping pop singles, Swift now embraces synth-pop styles. It’s difficult to pigeonhole TTPD into a singular category, and Swift, who has tackled almost every genre throughout her career, would probably uphold that sense of ambiguity.

Taylor Swift shares poetic poignancy in “The Tortured Poet’s Department”

by Ashley Mo, Tiffany Zhu, and Kairui Sun May 11, 2024

31 tracks, two hours — the longest album singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has ever released. Swift dropped “The Tortured Poet’s Department” on April 19, breaking the record for most streams in 24...

Maggie Rogers' new album “Don’t Forget Me” largely hinges on experiencing a complicated relationship with love itself. Outside of her lyrics, Rogers unites diverse instruments under a cohesive sound in her newest work. S

‘Don’t Forget Her:’ Maggie Rogers etches herself into singer-songwriter legend

by Gabe Sachse, Co-Aquila Managing Editor May 3, 2024

“Everybody’s going crazy / See them walking down the street” croons Maggie Rogers as she opens her new album “Don’t Forget Me” with an existential twist. Right away, the indie singer-songwriter...

In his new 23-track long album “For All The Dogs," Drake grapples between options for his next persona. Filler songs dilute the album’s highlights, making “For All The Dogs” a much longer and mind-numbing listen than necessary.

‘For All The Dogs:’ Is the “old Drake” really back?

by Edward Huang and Ashley Mo December 6, 2023

Canadian rapper and singer Drake has explored every corner of the musical world since breakout mixtape "So Far Gone" in 2009. He dabbled in moody atmospheres with "Nothing Was the Same," embraced dancehall...

Travis Scott's fourth full-length album "UTOPIA" features disconnected songs and thinly-veiled attempts at virality. While the album may offer moments of brilliance, it leaves listeners yearning for the depth and authenticity found in his earlier works.

Not quite utopia

by Edward Huang, Winged Post Co-Managing Editor August 30, 2023

After over five years of silence, hip-hop artist Travis Scott has finally returned. Releasing his fourth full-length studio album "UTOPIA" on July 28, the hip-hop artist marked his long-awaited return...

This is the second installment of Musical Musings, a podcast where Aquila staff members review and discuss music albums. In this episode, Erica and Irene share their thoughts on the soundtrack of Disney’s “Encanto,” released Nov. 24.

Musical Musings Episode 2: Encanto

by Erica Cai and Irene Yuan March 24, 2022

This is the second installment of Musical Musings, a podcast where Aquila staff members review and discuss music albums. In this episode, Erica and Irene share their thoughts on the soundtrack of Disney’s...

This is the second installment of Musical Musings, a podcast where Aquila staff members review and discuss music albums. In this episode, Erica and Irene share their thoughts on the soundtrack of Disney’s “Encanto,” released Nov. 24.

Musical Musings Episode 1: ‘Blue Banisters’ by Lana Del Rey

by Arely Sun and Michelle Liu January 15, 2022

This is the first installment of Musical Musings, a podcast where Aquila staff members review and discuss music albums. In this episode, Arely and Michelle share their thoughts on singer and songwriter...

An illustration of Lorde beside the title of her new album "Solar Power." After it debuted on Aug. 20, at the beginning of September, the album reached No. 5 on Billboard’s 200 Albums Chart and No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Albums chart.

In her newest album “Solar Power,” Lorde cradles the fallen fruit

by Sarah Mohammed, Features Editor September 14, 2021

Fans held their breath. They spoke about the last album, "Melodrama," four years old and still beating, slick with guttural choruses and hushed confessions. They posted daily about their anticipation to...

Olivia Rodrigo on her "SOUR" album cover. The album surpassed Spotify's record for the greatest number of streams for an album in 2021.

Brutal and beautiful: Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album shamelessly floods with feeling

by Sarah Mohammed, Features Editor August 14, 2021

“God, it's brutal out here,” 18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo exclaims in the opening track of her debut album “SOUR,” the snappy trill of her voice mingling with bass drumming and a pounding guitar...

Swift’s career over the past decade or so has been defined by bright, showy music videos and star-studded live performances complete with pyrotechnics and magnificent displays. Current pandemic limitations have obviously altered the entertainment landscape, but Swift’s latest albums are proof that her genius lies not with the flamboyance of Hollywood but with the heart of her success: songwriting.

The mastermind of Taylor Swift, ever more a transcendent musician

by Varsha Rammohan, Editor-in-chief December 14, 2020

She’s done it again. In the last sixteen months, singer-songwriter and all-around musical vanguard Taylor Swift has released 56 new songs, six music videos, three feature-length films and two albums....

An edit of Justin Bieber's "Changes" and "Purpose" albums. “Changes” dropped on Feb. 14 with 17 tracks and six collaborations.

Album review: “Changes” for the worse or the better?

by Alysa Suleiman, Sports Reporter March 12, 2020

The year is 2010. In a Youtube video online, stage lights flood the arena, filling the screen, as electric guitars, bases and drums crash to the beat of the swelling music. The beat drops, and the arena...

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