“Claws protracted, but we’re not
scratching / We boost each other
up/ ’cause I just want to hype my
best friends, man / I just wanna
hype my best girls,” Sadie Dupuis
sings in “Hype,” a track off Slug-
ger, Dupuis’s newest release under
her solo project, Sad13. Slugger is
self-produced and, as seen from
the lyrics above, focuses heavily on
encouraging positive relationships
between women.
“The point of the record is cele-
brating friendship and prioritizing
friendship and prioritizing com-
munities of support,” Dupuis said
in an interview, noting that Slug-
ger’s sound helps to embellish the
themes it strives to portray.
As she leaned back casually
against her chair in the bar area of
El Club, a music venue in Detroit,
Dupuis’s multicolored hair shone
like a beacon through the sea of
dim lighting, as bright and as fun
as the music she creates in Slugger.
“I’ve always liked pop music, but
guitar is my primary instrument,
and they don’t always go hand-in-
hand,” she said.
Even though the contemporary
pop aspect of Slugger might have
presented a challenge to her, it’s a
struggle that doesn’t appear in the
finished music; every song has a
natural, easy-going flow that trans-
forms the album into an airy work
of art as enjoyable to listen to as it
is well composed. The subtle R&B
aspects found in “Devil In U” flow
smoothly into the more synthetic
electronic components of “Kram-
pus (In Love)” which, in turn, is
juxtaposed perfectly next to the
more direct, driven beat of “Hype.”
Throughout Slugger, Dupuis
imperceptibly
shifts
between
slightly differing styles of music.
The album is only held consistent
because it never falters in deliver-
ing upbeat, buoyant songs, a feat
that has something to do with the
fact that Dupuis went into the cre-
ation of Slugger with the sole desire
to create a pop album.
“I knew I wanted (Slugger) to
be a pop record … some of the lyri-
cal concepts, I don’t know if I had
a clear sense of that when I started
it, just that I was doing a pop record
and as I kept writing, it turned into
what it is,” Dupuis said.
And “what it is” turns out to be a
lighthearted procession of optimis-
tic songs that are both structurally
and thematically similar.
“(Slugger) was written sort of
quickly. I tried to do a song a day for
two weeks … the thematic concepts
of the songs relate to one another
because they were all done so close
to one another,” she said.
The ambitiously speedy con-
ception of Slugger not only helped
the album’s unity but also allowed
it to become a cohesive piece that
advocates for positive, healthy
interactions within the realm of
significant others, friends and even
within the music industry itself.
“I’ve always gravitated more
towards music that has something
to say … I’m not really interested in
lyrics that are vacant,” Dupuis said.
Slugger is anything but vacant in
the way lyrics directly addressing
the importance of non-destructive
female friendships are master-
fully interwoven between Dupuis’s
more personal accounts of regain-
ing strength from past abusive
relationships. But this album isn’t
a story of recovery; it’s a story of
optimism, told through the vibrant
cover art, lively harmonies and
animated vocals. Sadie Dupuis has
created an album that not only cel-
ebrates life but, most importantly,
celebrates constructive interac-
tions in life, a concept that can be
difficult to find in the cutthroat
world of music.
Difficult but not impossible,
as Dupuis herself is constantly
inspired by a wide variety of influ-
ential female artists who are both
currently relevant and/or iconic.
“Grimes’s … (Art Angels) came
out last October/November, then
I recorded (Slugger) in January,”
Dupuis said. “I was definitely pret-
ty excited about that record at the
time. I was listening to Solange …
and then certainly there’s a lot of
sort of backing vocal harmony stuff
that I maybe take from liking mid
to late ’90s R&B. Or girl groups
like TLC, Destiny’s Child were
pretty huge for me, as a kid.”
Like many of her inspirations,
Dupuis commemorates powerful
women in her songs through pro-
viding a non-toxic space where
topics like uplifting female friend-
ships and the importance of not
being afraid to take charge are
pushed into the spotlight.
“Writing a pop album, I think
my lyrics are always sort of in
conversation with pop culture,”
Dupuis said. “I almost felt like I
was trying to undo some of the …
negative concepts.”
Dupuis made Slugger into a pop
album not only as a way to explore
her sound in distinctive genres but
also as an effort to negate the more
harmful rhetoric toward women
and derogatory images of women
that can be found in many other
pop songs (hello Robin Thicke).
It’s an understated sort of rebel-
lion that can be seen in a variety
of different music genres, but most
significantly visible through the
passionate feminist punk rock of
riot grrrl, which Slugger shares
some ideas with.
Riot grrrl bands like Bikini
Kill and Sleater-Kinney helped
establish a feminist movement
in the early ’90s that focused on
female empowerment and allowed
women to express themselves, in
all their angry glory, the same way
their male counterparts had been
doing for many years. The riot
grrrl wave eventually moved past
music and evolved into a larger
subculture. Through DIY art, such
as zines, and activism that focused
on ending racism, homophobia
and sexism, riot grrrl music pio-
neered inclusion of women in the
punk scene and also permanently
influenced the larger fabric of
society.
Although quintessential riot
grrrl bands have become signifi-
cantly less prevalent since their
conception, the overall messages
of inclusivity, liberation from dam-
aging social gender norms and
support for other female artists
that these bands preached have
not disappeared. Instead, these
ideas have spread throughout the
music sphere over time, influenc-
ing artists of various genres both
directly and indirectly.
Sad13 exemplifies this evolu-
tion. Even though the neat, pol-
ished Slugger is a far cry from the
messy, underground style of iconic
riot grrrl songs like “Rebel Girl,”
the themes of these two contrast-
ing pieces parallel one another; the
same encouragement of women to
take pride in both their femininity
and how they choose to express it
that was screamed out with pride
in the ’90s is seen, modernized
and with a contemporary twist,
in songs like “<2” or “Coming Into
Powers” out of Slugger.
Above all, what the bands of the
riot grrrl era inspired and what
their modern-day counterparts
continue to uphold is a space where
women are not torn down but rath-
er supported wholeheartedly as
they explore personal expression
in music.
The fact that riot grrrl hasn’t
died, only been transformed and
customized as the years passed,
truly epitomizes the transcendent
quality of music. The ability to turn
on the radio and listen to songs that
motivate, inspire and empower
women is and will always be need-
ed. As seen with riot grrrl’s lasting
significance, music, much like all
other forms of artistic expression,
has the power to ingrain itself in
the very core of a society, going
beyond solely entertainment for
entertainment’s sake in order to
produce enduring social reform.
ARTIST
PROFILE
IN
CARPARK RECORDS
Sadie Dupuis is currently the lead singer of Speedy Ortiz.
SHIMA SADAGHIYANI
Daily Arts Writer
On Thursday, Nov. 17, The
Maize Collective sponsored
an event at the Michigan
Union with touring rappers
Machine Gun Kelly and Mod
Sun, who spoke to students
and guests alike about the ins
and outs of the production and
performance of hip hop. MGK
covered topics from growing
up poor, getting picked on
as a kid and his supposedly
grand contributions to hip-
hop performance, while Mod
Sun
brought
his
signature
positivity
along
with
the
occasional witty comment.
Maize Collective is a new
student-run record label on
campus that is designed to
foster a community among
students interested in music
production, mixing, publicity
and everything in between.
Along
with
extracurricular
involvement, they also offer a
for-credit course through the
University. The group’s goal is
to create resources for students
with multiple interests within
the music industry.
At the panel, MGK embodied
stardom, donning hot pink
corduroy pants and a white
overcoat — nearly a complete
opposite to Mod Sun’s relaxed
vibes.
With
the
dominant
personality, he barely paused
between
sentences
for
a
breath, making it clear from
the start that music isn’t just
a hobby, it’s his entire life, and
saying “Music is God to me,” at
one point.
He described how, through
being
bullied
in
a
tough
neighborhood, he found his
roots in music.
“How I got in the game was
me being picked on and lashing
out,” he said.
His creative outlet has been
anger — an anger which has
skyrocketed him to fame. On
the other hand, his tourmate
Mod Sun is known for his
positivity.
To Mod Sun, MGK said,
“Tell them how you became
happy all the time.”
“Just smile for five seconds,
and you’ll feel better,” Mod Sun
replied.
This marked Mod Sun’s
unfortunately limited time on
the mic, giving the audience
short quips on happiness and
his view of making music.
“You can create your own
reality,
your
own
world,”
Mod Sun said on his creative
process. As similar as the
artists’ musical styles are,
their views on music creation
are starkly different.
MGK’s
next
topic
—
performance
—
was
particularly heated. Likening
himself to Kendrick Lamar
and J. Cole, he claimed his
own
contributions
to
live
performance
were
vital
to the state of modern hip
hop, and that he is vastly
underappreciated,
but
also
acknowledged that his live
performances aren’t always
perfect.
“I’m on top of you, put your
phones
away,”
MGK
said,
voicing his frustrations with
today’s
concert-goers.
Like
many musicians in today’s
world, he’s more interested in
connecting with fans eye-to-
eye than through a screen.
“Stop
letting
everyone
into our culture. It’s not for
everyone,” MGK added on
today’s hip-hop scene. Hip
hop is clearly more than a
genre to him; it’s become a
lifestyle of which he’s very
protective.
This
exclusivity
he associates with hip hop
highlights another belief of
his — protectiveness over his
musical voice.
“You don’t sign up as an
artist, a true artist, for the
liquidity of what your art is,”
he said.
MGK
also
revealed
his disdain for his single
“Invincible,”
written
for
a
Beats
commercial
—
a
capitalistic venture he was
far from happy about. He
explained that it was a song
he had little involvement in
making, ultimately leading him
to hate the end result.
“I walked into every radio
station and said ‘this shit
sucks,’ ” he said.
As far as production goes,
MGK said his highest priority
is full musical involvement
from the artist, regardless of
the money involved.
“Let a guitar chord hit
that perfect spot,” MGK said,
which turned out to perfectly
summarize the event. In all
aspects of the music industry,
it’s important for the music
to feel right not only to the
audience, but to the artist as
well. MGK loves what he does,
and he isn’t afraid to voice his
strong opinions on the matter.
“It sucks I have to be angry
to write a great record,” he
added, a powerful reflection on
the individuality of someone’s
driving force for creativity.
Above all else, Thursday’s
panel showed MGK is going
to continue to emphasize the
importance of remaining true
to himself as a musician while
staying connected with the
fans through his passionate
performances.
DOMINIC POLSINELLI
Daily Arts Writer
Hip hop and happiness at the Union
Touring rappers Machine Gun Kelly and Mod Sun talk music production
It’s a common miscon-
ception that a song has to be
original, break some barrier
and sound like nothing on
the market at that time in
order to be good. “I Feel It
Coming” is definitely the
poster child for classic-
sounding, comfortable mod-
ern music.
The song is a combination
of the Weeknd’s crooning,
soulful vocals and the synth-
disco heaven that the whole
world loved for Daft Punk’s
2013 collaboration with
Pharrell and Nile Rodgers.
The beat thrums through-
out the entire length of the
track, and the Weeknd’s
voice is always gentle, never
more than a sweet conversa-
tional level. This isn’t to say
there isn’t passion. It’s beau-
tiful in its understatement
and blends together with the
reproachful lyrics to create
something that is a joy to
listen to.
The lyrics are sensual and
provocative, yet soothing,
and all this while being
something that you won’t
possibly be able to get out of
your head. Daft Punk sprin-
kles eclectic electronica
throughout the track, keep-
ing it up tempo and mostly
very cool. This is a beauti-
ful collaboration, where
neither outshine the other
and instead work together
to make a song that’s all the
better for both inputs.
Of course, it all sounds like
something that has been
written before several hun-
dred times. This could very
easily be a Michael Jackson
hit, just with a far more
advanced production value.
Still, it’s hard to fault a song
when it’s doing everything it
does so very well, and when
nothing to this standard on
a joint effort has been pro-
duced since “Get Lucky” was
around. “I Feel It Coming”
just proves how important
these two artists are in the
modern-day music scene.
- MEGAN WILLIAMS
SINGLE REVIEW
A
“I Feel it Coming”
The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk
EVENT REVIEW
He described how,
through being
bullied, he found
roots in music.
4B — Thursday, December 1, 2016
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com