Who is your favorite music artist?
Feminist pop
To be honest, I tend to have a new musical obsession every month or two so picking a favorite is really hard, but at this moment my favorite artist is probably Halsey. I’ve been relistening to a lot of their albums and, even though I’m usually not big into pop, I love everything she does. The feminist undertones in their music, and her honest and emotionally charged lyrics, have me hooked. Halsey is my go-to workout music right now, and I love every one of their older albums as well as her new releases.
-Grace, LIFE Editor
Chill rhythms
My favorite music artist lately has been Frank Ocean. Ocean has many songs that allow his music to act as a great way to escape the moment I may be in. Songs specifically that I recommend are “In My Room” and “White Ferrari.” Frank Ocean’s music style is very much a modern rhythm and blues type.
These songs take me to a calm and relaxing place. I recommend others to give these songs by Frank Ocean a listen if you could be looking for something similar. When I listen to Frank Ocean it is very smooth like a bird flying on a calm summer day. I think being able to produce music like this allows Frank Ocean to be able to also show who he is. A smooth, calm and expressive individual— the same as his music.
-Ducati, writer
Nostalgic beats
My favorite band of all time is difficult to choose but it would have to be The Police. The band is comprised of three members with Sting playing bass and singing vocals, Stewart Copeland playing drums and Andy Summers playing guitar.
They’re my favorite band because of the variation in their music. The Police are a part of a style of rock called new-wave, which took inspiration from multiple different styles of rock. Earlier on they focused more on a reggae or ska style and eventually pulled in more punk as well.
The names of their albums are recognizable in the way that they sound like no other album. One of their albums, “Zenyatta Mondatta,” even got mentioned in Overwatch as the name for a hero and their brother. I also have a sentimental attachment to The Police because I can remember listening to them with my dad from a really early age.
-Connor, Multimedia Manager
Underrated artist
My favorite artist is probably Childish Gambino. I think he is one of the more underrated artists of the 2010s with three solid albums. Both “Camp” and “Because the Internet” are amazing rap albums with “Because the Internet” being my favorite album of all time. He also made “Awaken, My Love” which was a beautiful soul album that really showed his range as a musician.
In 2020 he released “3.15.20” which I think is criminally underrated. Gambino really does a great job of telling a story through an album and giving each of his albums a unique sound to them.
-Mark, Opinion Editor
Too many to decide
Answering the question of who my favorite artist is was simple before I expanded my horizons. For most of my teenage years, it was NF, but now I’d say I have a Mount Rushmore of favorites.
Pop band AJR has a more upbeat discography that’s great for getting hyped up. Watsky creates rap/hip-hop songs with a wide range of themes and topics. His album “Cardboard Castles” is one I’d consider unskippable. Jay 1:40 is another rap/hip-hop artist, but his music is better for when I need something I can relate to. His new album “324” has also become one that I would call unskippable.
I’ve started to love alternative band The Mowgli’s more recently, but they have quickly become a favorite and a staple of every road trip I take. I enjoy each artist for different reasons, but they all have one thing in common: they all make absolute bangers.
-James, Sports Editor
Dark and grunge
My all-time favorite artist is the Queens of the Stone Age. They are described as a grunge, stoner-rock group and their albums showcase these descriptions very well. Each album is drastically different from one another and has a list of guest artists that is amazing. Mark Lanegan, Billy Gibbons, Jesse Hughes, Elton John, Dave Grohl, Trent Reznor and Alex Turner to name a few.
My favorite album of QOTSA is “…Like Clockwork” which was one of the darker albums dealing with depression and death, but still having their rock sound from past albums. “Like Clockwork,” “I Appear Missing” and “Vampire of Time and Memory” are songs that talk about loneliness, death and the futility of life. While “Smooth Sailing,” “I Had a Tail” and Fairweather Friends” are in your face rock songs talking about owning the world and forgetting about the status quo.
-Daniel, Digital Director
Indie-pop
Figuring out my style of music has been a journey that I’m still on today, with college helping me explore my tastes. Saying I’m into modern rock or alternative music can sound like a pretentious way of saying pop, but that’s the best I’ve figured out.
My favorite group would be lovelytheband, an indie-pop band that took the airwaves with their hit “Broken” back in 2018.
Their upbeat songs like “buzz cut” are perfect to belt along to in a car with the windows rolled down. Most of their songs have an emotional appeal to them whether talking about heartbreak, friendships or unrequited love, like their song “maybe, i’m afraid.” I also appreciate that they don’t necessarily take themselves too seriously, leading to things like a Twilight inspired music video “Games” with Tessa Violet which I recommend checking out.
-Haadiya, Editor-in-Chief
Check out The Argonaut’s Tik Tok for snippets of the staff’s favorite bands.
The staff can be reached at [email protected]