“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

