"Hours In Silence" Spends Hours in my Head

Circle → Clock → Hours in Silence? No? ok

A deep dive into my favorite song off of Her Loss.

Good songs don’t have to be ones that have fire lyrics and beats. For me, a tantalizing beat is enough for me to label it as a favorite, as long as the lyrics aren’t too terrible. For “Hours In Silence,” both pass the test. From the very beginning, right when the sound of speaker static begins and is met with the beat drop, my soul is taken over. And while I’m not a stickler for lyrics being on point, I can attest that Drake & 21 Savage did the job well.

Drake (unsurprisingly) humble-brags about the ability he has to make a girl forget about a man on her mind all while describing to us how good she looks to him. Many consider Drake a true "Certified Lover Boy,” and he manages (almost all the time) to remind us that he is. But for this chune, he’s okay with loving them and leaving them.

At the bridge of the song, Drake shows self-awareness about the new boundaries he wants to set. He sings to us slowly that he “gotta stop going Van Cleef, third week / I like it, but I’m too geeked, tryna turn you up.” We feel this not only through his lyrics, but the slowed-down, sultry beat the song seamlessly transitions into while he speaks. He enjoys showering women with expensive gifts but wants to lessen the frequency because he claims women tend to misread him. (Still the same Drake who created a previous-engagement necklace out of 42 diamonds, but whatever sounds good in the stu, right?)

21 Savage is found in the background of the song, but not in a backseat role. His vocals add the sazon to the vibes as he reminds a girl that, just like Drake, he isn’t lacking in the financial department. Moreover, he can’t commit to her because his “nickname’s ‘true’ [to the game].” The boys are clearly on a different vibe for this track with their charm present throughout.

For this joint album, Drake and 21 Savage take turn singing on the beat in ways that make you feel like you’re gliding along with them as you listen. For 21 Savage fans, hearing the UK-based artist dive deeper into his vocals on this song is a pleasant surprise. This, paired with Drake’s signature ability to give us a look into his mind over an alluring cadence, something he’s proven consistent throughout his discography, makes Her Loss nothing short of a banger. 

Ice Spice: The baddie who gets what she wants, especially with Jupiter in Taurus

The Princess Diana of the Bronx's quick rise to fame can be attributed to her hustle, fans and believe it or not, the cosmos.

I remember the day I saw Ice Spice online for the first time. It was on Twitter (now "X" *rolls eyes*) and her video for No Clarity was trending. I looked at her and knew she was from New York by her recognizable demeanor, energy, and voice. The comments were mixed. Some gravitated toward her while others were too busy making Cabbage Patch Kids memes as a mockery of her hair. In the span of a few months, the jokers were completely replaced by stan accounts as her popularity skyrocketed.

The Bronx princess is in a league of her own. She rose to the top after just a short time of social media exposure- her music video for "Name of Love" being one of the earliest circulated songs of hers. Her climax (which isn't tapering off anytime soon, thanks to the VMAs crowning her as this year's Best New Artist) came after the release of "Munch," which quickly became a social media favorite, solidifying her place as an artist to look out for.

Countless people spoke as though she'd be a one-hit-wonder. Not every fan or hater was confident Ice Spice would surpass the social media craze. She proved everyone wrong with her confidence, competitiveness, talent and the help of planetary alignment. I know, I know, this might sound crazy to those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about. Stick with me.

Niambi Shele, spiritual teacher and tarot reader (who many refer to as "Empress") has spoken a great deal across her platforms about the power of the cosmic energies happening in 2023. She mentions multiple transits, including the overall shift into the Age of Aquarius, which focuses on "communication and technology," according to Vogue India. This connects to the social media infatuation we saw with Ice Spice that boosted her career.

Another one of the most relevant planetary movements to her blow-up can be attributed to how fast people are receiving opportunities, wealth, and more- Jupiter's placement in Taurus.

"Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It represents luck, learning," Shele said. "It's the Oprah of the planets. The gift-giver." Shele stated that Jupiter amplifies any energy that you are in. When we look at the energy that Ice Spice has been in just this year alone, which is in her bag in every aspect, it's clear to see how Jupiter helped her hop into it fully.

The kicker here is that Jupiter expands all energies, not just positive. "It will amplify anything that your mind is thinking of and anything going on in your spiritual diaspora," Shele said.

Foreshadowed in 2022 (when Ice Spice signed a $3 million record deal with 10K Projects at 22-years-old), what took people longer to do a couple of years ago is talking half the time now. Jupiter being stationed in Taurus- the sign of all things earthly, glamorous, and material- could not be a better cosmic cocktail for the Bronx baddie.

The disclaimer here is that planets' voyages aren't in 100% control of our lives. We all have free will. This explains why you'll notice patterns in people with the same zodiac sign, but also come across others who completely break the stereotype.

While Astrology is a vast science that can be used for prediction, revelation, explanation, manifestation, and many other -tions (my mind jumped to MJB), I am in no way stating that Jupiter outweighed her capabilities, connections, or resources. But it would be remiss not to note the correlation between the artist's path and the recent planetary alignments. They're not just moving up there for no reason. Even Ice and her girl Taylor both nod to the cosmos in the visualizer for "Karma," released earlier this year on May 23rd, nine days after Jupiter officially stationed in Taurus.

Visualizer or not, the Universe is on her side despite people's iffiness. Artists of all levels- from Pink Panthress for "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2," to Nicki Minaj for "Barbie World (with Aqua)," one of the songs on the Barbie movie soundtrack, have collaborated with her, which has helped further sediment her place the music industry.

As if having collaborations with A and B-list artists in addition to her Overnight Celebrity-esque come-up wasn't enough, Ice Spice was one of the few new artists of color to be invited to the Met Gala, an exclusive event that selective celebrities are able to partake in. We know this because at a certain point, even the Kardashian crew were not invited.

This year's New York Fashion Week is another prestigious event that her name has been on the list for. But high-class appearances aren't the only thing she's been blessed with. Brand deals such as her campaign with Ivy Park are also on her resume. And as a reminder, this all happened in just a 2-3-year span, with 2023 being the most poppin' for the 23-year-old prodigy.

We refer to Ice Spice as Princess, but her rapid journey to success, and beautiful energy that she's harnessed along the way, emulate that of an Empress.

Saw Avril Lavigne and felt like a motherfuckin' princess

Catching this tour added years to my life.

A few months ago, I was bored and curious about what concerts the Xfinity Center here in Hartford was hosting this summer. Since I was a teenager, it's been a hotspot for summer music events due to its famous (and affordable) lawn section and dirt lot fit for tailgating. Wanting to spice things up and have something to look forward to, I checked the XC Instagram page (and wondered why I hadn't done that in the past to stay in-the-know). That's when I saw that the Avril Lavigne was booked this month.

I immediately hit up my best, emo friend to ask if she wanted to go with me. Knowing she'd say yes, I excitedly awaited her text message asking me how much tickets cost, and the rest was history. Fast forward to this past Wednesday when we were in the same vicinity as the motherfucking pop punk princess. We loved it.

Girlfriends

The concert started off with Girlfriends- a band that I hadn't heard before, but was grateful to listen to. They performed a few of their songs, and I think a couple of covers before introducing the next act. They made an unfortunately relatable introduction to the song, the lead singer stating that it was dedicated to a girl from California who "demolished" his heart. Knowing that feeling all too well, and genuinely liking the song, I looked up a few words from it on Apple Music while they were still performing.

I managed to successfully find it by repeating the chorus in my head:

Life's a bitch and her name is Brittany

...and boom:

*insert screenshot of Apple Music screen here*

I was so happy.

Simple Plan

Next up was Simple Plan. While I didn't really listen to them that much growing up, I'm not as uncultured as it sounds. "I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare" had been on my FYP for a few weeks now, reminding me of a song that got stuck in one of my dusty brain files. It was also really nice to witness them perform "What's New Scooby Doo" in person :') Pierre Bouvier's voice is one that sticks out to me from childhood/teenage memories, and it was really nostalgic and special to hear it in person!!!!

Avril Lavigne

Now, for the princess herself- AVRIL LAVIGNE!!! She opened the concert up with "Girlfriend," probably the best choice for her set list possible. (I argue Sk8er Boi is a close second.)

I can't explain how I felt at this moment. It's like my 6 and 26-year-old self collided in the most ethereal of ways. I threw my head back while singing along, realizing simultaneously how the lyrics are much more relatable now than they were over 20 years ago.

As you can probably imagine, this happened multiple times throughout the rest of the concert. "Complicated," "When You're Gone," and "Happy Ending" sent me into quantum leaps of happiness, sadness, joy, excitement, grief, etc. etc. etc. I am so grateful to have heard that from her in person.

Had to screenshot this comment under her "Happy Ending" music video, now 13 years old. My heart screams reading that age. And it screamed all night last night along with my vocal chords at the Greatest Hits Tour in Hartford, CT.

I had no idea it was Simple Plan that sang the "Scooby Dooby Doo, I'm comin' after you" song. Hearing and seeing them perform it live was a blast to the past and a treat I didn't know I wanted or needed after not remembering many of the songs they sang. That's the thing about concerts that I will forever love- you get reminded, in the best way ever, of tunes once forgotten.

I only have two complaints- I wish I was closer and I wish she brought out Lil Mama to perform the remix to Girlfriend <3

*video here*

Let Go changed many of our brain chemistries in the best ways. And I know for Avril it did the same.

LOVE U A.L.- the best pop-punk princess alive- & Simple Plan & Girlfriends) <333 xxxx

p.s. I found some archival content of AL on this cool website. Check it out :)

Got a Crush on 2Hollis?

via @2Hollis on IG

I recently discovered the alternative artist after a video of him opening up for Ken Carson appeared on my For You page. I liked it immediately. There was something about the techno-angle of his sound that drew me in.

Surely, techno and other club or Electronic Dance Music (EDM) beats have been incorporated into hip-hop/rap within the last decade, 2016 being the year that started it all for me. Think Lil Uzi’s “Money Longer” when it was still partially underground (yet helping us through college), and more recently, Destroy Lonely’s take on digital beats that we've heard in songs such as "Patience." This vibe is most straightforward in "CRYSTLCSTLES," where he quite literally nods to Crystal Castles, an EDM group from Toronto, who has also gained notoriety in recent years. Regardless of the root of their inspiration, all of these artists' unique angles of Electronic music (and support from fans using them as sound bytes in social media posts) skyrocketed them out of SoundCloud’s cubby spot. And for 2Hollis it's done the same.

It's been rumored that his mom is allegedly in the music industry herself on the backend, but he didn't want to take advantage of his connection and raised himself up, as per TikTok comment section gossip.

What makes 2Hollis interesting is that he can't be put into a particular box. He's not necessarily a rapper. He's not necessarily a singer (or is he?). He can't be put into hip-hop or its many subgenres, but his fanbase and friend group make him adjacent to it. His sound and overall identity reminds me of Virgil Abloh’s business advice- You take 3% of another brand and build on it. The underground subgenres that we've seen pop out over the past decade has consisted of artists doing just that.

The layering of strobe-like beats and his femininity make me feel like I can jump up in the air wearing pig-tails in the most coquette-ish of ways. But it also makes me feel like I could get away with wearing an Opium-down fit, too. You see why he can't be pinned?

p.s.

(Are people just becoming more enamored by what's been rocking my little heart since I was a pre-teen? I think yes.)

Olivia Rodrigo ain’t as bad as i thought..

Design by Digital G

We complain that there's not enough middle-ground for the impressionable tweens and teens of our era. But are we sure about that?

I'm not gonna lie- I didn't always like Olivia Rodrigo. When her SOUR album released back in 2021, it didn't hit me like it did this afternoon. There are a couple of reasons for that: I was exploring my liking of much different genres of music at the time, I felt like she was for the younger crowd, and her type of sound wasn't my usual cup of tea.

I was also knee-deep in a toxic relationship with someone who harshly judged my music taste and made it hard for me to impress him. We had a lot of music genres in common- the main being underground and emerging artists we both found and admired on SoundCloud. But liking anything outside this was fair game for him to shut down and make me feel bad about. And I was completely under his manipulation. Maybe that speaks to why I clowned Rodrigo's music- it was raw, it was pop, it was authentic to her. And I couldn't relate because I had lost myself.

Three years later, I'm sitting here typing this in my room as a sexy, single woman (we made it, y'all!), finding Rodrigo's lyrics on this album a little too relatable.

"All the things I did,

Just so I could call you mine"

WHEW CHILE! A little too close to home lol.

What I love about this album, now that I'm randomly listening to it for the first time in October 2024 on a Friday, is her authenticity. It makes me uncomfortable. But in a way that is teaching me not to be ashamed of how I truly feel. She is so vulnerable and true to herself, putting all her feelings out there for us to hear. This is the representation that young girls and women of all ages need.

All throughout history, we have been villainized for our emotions while boys and men got to express theirs however they wanted. We quite literally were diagnosed with hysteria, given lobotomies, and told that we were silly for being who we were. There is still a box on how feminine-presenting people feel and express who they are. This gets multiplied the more intersectionally-oppressed you are. So if you're a woman and you're Black, your feelings are more shut down than your white woman friend's. Add LGBTQ+ to your identity, and that makes you even more shunned.

Olivia, our Filipina-American girlie, resists that in this album- and her whole existence.

I do agree that we could do better with representation. I wish there were Black and Brown Olivia Rodrigo's at her caliber of fame who we could see ourselves in even more. But when I think about how Hannah Montana, Aly & Aj, Hillary Duff, Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hudgens, etc etc etc raised me, and I don't regret one bit of it, I feel we can still enjoy her. No matter how you slice it, we can learn from the rawness this 21-year-old has shown is okay to share with others- even on an international level.

This Friday Realization has taught me that different genres of music feel and sound differently depending on who you are and where you're at in life at the time you listen to them. It reminds me of when I saw someone online say something along the lines of "you don't read books; they find you when you need them." As a lifelong bookworm, I can attest to that truth. As a lifelong music junkie, I think we can all be a little more open-minded.

I think the kids are alright.

Signed,

a 26-year-old girl still learning the ropes, too

Meet Crystelle002: The ‘vintage girl’ your playlist has been asking for

Graphic by Digital G

GF: What’s your name and where did the idea come from?

Crystelle002: The origin of this name…I’m basically into electronic music. With the music that I make, it has that futuristic kinda vibe.

So I thought maybe I should make my name more robotic. So I added the 002 to make it seem like I’m a prototype.

GF: That’s fire. I like that.

Crystelle002: I didn’t wanna be basic and be like “oh, 007.” I was like, “nah- let me switch it up.”

GF: We know your name now. Tell us what your gender identity is and your pronouns so we know how to refer to you.

Crystelle002: So I am a woman. My pronouns are she/her. And I am a bisexual woman on top of that.

GF: We love to see it. What’s your zodiac sign?

Crystelle002: Aries. I was born on April 15th, 2002.

GF: Okay! I’m a cancer. I’m a water sign

Crystelle002: Okaaay!

GF: I’m a water sign, but I love my fire signs. I have a cousin who’s an Aries and she’s dope. She’s one of my favorite people because once she feels a way, she makes everyone else feel it, too. I just admire her for that because she don’t hold back. Water signs tend to hold back but fire signs put it out in the open. If I had to rate, I would put Aries first, Sag second, and Leo last due to some bad experiences I’ve had. I’m into Astrology so I try not to judge because I know everybody’s built differently, but Leo is an honorable mention.

Crystelle002: Yeah, I’m friends with a couple of them.

GF: I hope that they’re better than this one person I knew. But like I said- not all Leos, not all zodiac signs are built the same. So I don’t doubt that they’re dope people.

Crystelle002: Exactly.

GF: Okay, next question: your favorite color?

Crystelle002: My favorite color- I hate to be boring- but it’s black. A lot of the clothing that I own is black.

GF: That’s dope. Do you feel like there’s a reason why you’re drawn to black more than any other color? How does it make you feel? What is it about black that makes it your color- your power color?

Crystelle002: I really like dark colors because I feel most comfortable in the dark. Not to be like, emo, but truthfully, it does embody who I am because I’m more into the mysterious, dreamy kind of things. I’m most active in the nighttime so I feel like maybe that’s what correlates. I just feel like that’s what complements my skin better, you feel me?

GF: It’s crazy that you mention it makes you feel most comfortable. I was just learning more about aura colors from this famous aura color reader on TikTok (@spiritontap) who said that people who are drawn to black are into protecting their energy. But apart from that- black is just that color.

Crystelle002: motions period

GF: Speaking of color- what’s your next hairstyle idea?

Crystelle002: I’m glad you asked. I’ve been getting into ponytails. My hair is growing so I can do some ponytails now. So last time I did a singular ponytail but next thing I wanna do- ‘cause I’m very much into 2000s hairstyles and I always try to showcase that in how I dress, in how I style my hair- so I wanna do pigtails braided. And I want them to have the classic…you know when we were little girls and we had the little bo-bo’s? I wanna do something like that. Maybe like a clear pink- a translucent pink goin’ on. We’ll see when I get in the beauty supply but that’s definitely on the next-hairstyle [list]. Either that or a platinum blonde wig. Or a mullet. ‘Cause I haven’t gone full blonde yet with my wigs, so.

GF: I personally feel like you would eat with all those three. I’ll definitely look forward to see what you post and come up with. I like the idea of them all. It’s inspiring to me because I feel like I still struggle with how to style my hair, so maybe that’s something we can talk about a little later.

Crystelle002: No forreal!

GF: Okay so we touched on your hair and now I want to talk about your nails. What’s your go-to way to do them?

Crystelle002: I’m french-down. French-tip down. It could be short, it could be long. Either way- french tips. Classic, white tips...But for my birthday I plan to [take] a different route and do them black. I saw it on Pinterest and I was like hold on- they did suttin’. I just had some nails on, too, but I finally took them off. It was gettin’ in the way of my work.

GF: That’s how I am too. I’m bare right now. I’m all natural because I’m a writer.

Crystelle002: Of course!

GF: Exactly! I’m always typing so it does get in the way. But ion know. Suttin about having nails it just turns it up a notch. Oh my gosh. Like you ever feel that bad bitchery. You be doing anything just to show them off.

Crystelle002: Like when you point- “Over there?”

GF: Yessss. Like, “Oh, what did you say?” You be using them nails for everything. Your vibe is very 2K and in the 2000s, french was IT. And it’s always gonna be IT.

Moving away from beauty and all things external, I’d like to shift the conversation to more random shit. I want you to think broadly rather than narrow-mindedly.

What’s something you’ve done for the plot recently?

Crystelle002: So basically…what I did recently for the plot…I messed with somebody who I’ve had my eye on for a while. And…should I have done it? No.

GF: But why? Why do you say no?

Crystelle002: I say no because it’s like…I kinda already saw the signs that he wasn’t fully ready to do anything serious. And neither was I, but you know, I was still open, you know what I’m saying? But I went through the motions of it.

But here’s why I shouldn’t have done it: He already told me like, “okay, Crystelle, you know, I’m young. I’m not ready.” And I was like, “I’m not really looking for anything serious either.” But I still wanted to experience them. And me being me, I’m always like, “I could change them.”

GF: Mmmmmm. That’s where we go wrong, Crystelle!

Crystelle002: Every. Single. Time. I think it’s gonna be different- it’s never different. You know, we had our fun while it lasted, and you know, that’s it.

GF: There we go.

Crystelle002: It is what it is- you feel me?

GF: Yes. Exactly. At least you had fun even though it hurt a little bit. I feel like everything we go through is a lesson even if it’s small. I feel like it’ll help you learn yourself more and that’s not the only person out there. You know what I’m saying?

Crystelle002: Exactly.

GF: There’s more where that came from.

Crystelle002: Exactly. We’re still young. I’m gonna be okay. We’re all gonna be okay.

GF: “We’re all gonna be okay.” I needed to hear that. The losses be wins.

Crystelle002: Exactly. ‘Cause it’s like you said before: does it hurt? Yes. Nothing valuable comes easy. Something of value is not gonna be too easy. You gotta go through the hard shit to figure out what you really need.

GF: And that hard shit be haaard! Like…I don’t want the lesson!

Crystelle002: Literally, like, let me vibe.

GF: Forreal. Like damn, I couldn’t just have this lil one? Alright.

Crystelle002: Literally. Life is humbling as hell. But we are each other. I can’t be mad at somebody who’s figuring out themselves, too. So i’m like, you know what, fine. If they need to go elsewhere, then let them go elsewhere so they can also learn that shit ain’t sweet. There’s ongoing lessons for everybody involved. So

GF: We’re all connected. Romantic shit aside, just in general- everybody’s on their own journey…We just gotta respect that and use the energy that we would to think about their shit and put it into ourselves so that we can level up, step into the baddest-bitch era that we ever could- every single era, ‘cause I feel like there’s no limit to how bad we can become in every aspect of life…When shit don’t work out, it happens for a reason so that we can tap back into ourselves. We can remind ourselves of that when shit don’t go our way, feel the feelings because we’re still human, but then keep it movin’. Better things are on the way.

He missed out. But you’re on your way to better shit.

Not just romantically, but in general- what are your biggest turn-offs/icks?

Crystelle002: Turn-offs in relationships that are not just romantic. Hmm…everything bothers me so though which is also another thing.

GF: Yo…I felt that.

Crystelle002: One thing I do hate is people [who] are just so easy to anger. Especially when you’re just being yourself. Let’s say I’m hanging out with somebody and I’m just being myself. I’m being quirky, I’m being goofy, and they’re like, “ew, what the fuck are you doing? Like, shut up.” You know what i’m saying? If you’re quick to snap at me, I can’t be around you. Because you’re gonna snap…a lot. And that’s not really fair to me because one thing I don’t like is limiting myself and downplaying myself for the comfort of others. I’ve done that for too long and I don’t wanna do that anymore. So when I see that i’m bothering you in any way, even though it’s not intentionally, I’m just gonna leave you alone. I can’t do it.

I hate when somebody is constantly leeching off another person. Like why don’t you have the energy to want to do it yourself? “Oh, I have a friend that knows how to do my makeup.” “Oh, I have a friend that can drive so I know that she’s gonna bring me.” Girl, come on, you know you can do this little thing, so why aren’t you doing it? But I feel like people are just too comfortable being one way. You gotta be able to move past stuff and experiment. You feel me? I’m also learning this, too. Cause I see the potential.

And something that goes hand-in-hand with this is people who are not trying to make shit shake for themselves. Not that it’s a bad thing to have some discernment, but…you can’t hold back and then be mad that you’re not involved in that thing. You had the chance.

GF: I feel like people like that could also be easy to resent and be jealous.

Crystelle002: Just know that we only have one life to live and you gotta go ahead and do it because at the end of the day, nobody really cares that much. Give yourself a chance to live. Give yourself a chance to breathe.

GF: I love that. Ouu. That’s deep and makes me self-reflect too. When you’re a powerful woman, it’s so easy for you to see power in others because you see others as a reflection of yourself. That’s how we view the world- through how we would do things and how we would approach things. When you’re powerful, you want other people to see their own power. Like “yo- you are so good at this thing. You have so much potential.” So when they don’t act on it it’s like damn, really? You could support people and bring the horse- what’s that phrase?

Crystelle002: You can bring the horse to the water but you can’t make them drink.

GF: Exactly. So it’s like are we gonna continue to spend our energy bringing that horse to the water or are we gonna drink it for ourselves? When you love somebody, you’re always gonna wanna empower them and fan their flame. But I feel like with us powerful women, we have to know what our boundary is when it comes to that because at a certain point- we can’t save everybody.

Watch the rest of the interview on the GF Media YT