issue 28// vol 46 Celebrating culture with the new Riz Ahmed album » ‘The Long Goodbye’ helps when you feel detached from your homeland Udeshi Seneviratne Illustrator wkweK KY A unapologetic, funny, and original concept album that uses the metaphor of a toxic relationship to describe how Riz feels it is to be an immigrant unwanted in your own home. Even though the album is a sad and poignant description of what some see as the reality for immigrants and minorities in most countries—the tracks on it remain high-tempo and energetic throughout. Ahmed takes lightning-quick swings at colonialism and the racism he sees in British society with strong and emotional rap verses. Ahmed compares the feeling of heartbreak and the feeling that the country you grew up in wanting nothing to do with you. The album focuses on themes like how British-Asians are treated in a country that, in his view, was built by immigrants. He incorporates skits to drive his message home. The tracks also use South Asian Sad songs for dark times » Alt Rock bands but make them sad and soulful piano ballads Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor t is well known that the effects of COVID-19 travel farther than the virus itself; the pandemic is affecting otherwise physically healthy people by deteriorating their mental health. No matter the root cause, people seem to be sadder nowadays, and if there’s anything I’ve learned it is this: sad people like sad music. And, if there’s anything else I’ve learned, it’s that I havea disposition to Alt Rock. If you do too, you'll know what I’m talking about. If you don’t generally listen to these bands, you're in for a treat. The sadness of radio music may only run so deep, helplessly attempting, and failing to relate to the bitter soul-aching anguish you may be feeling. And further, repeating playlists of the same miserable tunes may make the world feel bleaker and duller than it already does. Of course, if possible, I do not advise you to wallow for too long or you may become stuck ina loop. If you do feel unusually sad or alone, please reach out to your loved ones and call your doctor in case there may be an underlying issue. Now, as Paramore says, “I’m in the business of misery. Let’s take it from the top.” Paramore Perhaps your sadness stems less from existential dread and more from heartbreak. Or maybe both—in more of a headbanging and carelessly dancing type of way. In any case, I’d recommend Paramore’s instrumentals and Qawwali harmonies, creating extra depth. In providing his own personal brutal examinations of the current political system in the UK, Ahmed’s first song “The Breakup (Shikwa)” is tightly packed with verses of Ahmed’s view on colonialism told through a story of his own relationship experiences. The song starts with how Britain or “Brittney” came to trade and refuses to leave. Then “carved a scar down my middle just to leave me stretched out [...] see, my cashmere jumper’s still stained red,” is an ode to the Kashmir region, still inflicted with war between India and Pakistan. Some, including Riz, blaming the UK’s partion for it. The album is filled with wordplay and metaphors of Ahmed being mistreated by his girlfriend that he once trusted which he has a home and child with. The voice delivery throughout the album ranges from anger, to sadness, to acceptance. In the podcast Hip Hop Saved My Life, Ahmed explained how he goes through the five stages of grief, much like what people tend to generally go through in a breakup. “Tell Me How,” “26,” “Last Hope,’ and “All I Wanted.” “Tell Me How” captures what it’s like to no longer being close to someone who was once your best friend. “26” has lyrics that may capture what this entire article means to say: “Reality will break your heart, survival will not be the hardest part. It’s keeping all your hopes alive when all the rest of you has died. So, let it break your heart.” I recommend the live version of “Last Hope,’ which deals with having rough times but pushing on because of “a spark [that’s] enough” to keep you going. “All I Wanted” is the epitome of pining and heartbreak. It will probably have you crying even if you've never dated anyone in your life. Twenty One Pilots Wait! Hear me out! I know that their 2015 Blurryface album (with chart-topping “Stressed Out”) was incredibly cringey. Sadly, their following album Trench was no longer cringey, but did not gain nearly as much popularity. Though, I’m not here to talk about either of those albums. Twenty One Pilots’ earliest albums are their dreariest—and worth every second of listening. Their self-titled album Twenty One Pilots (2009), Regional at Best (2011), and their major label debut album Vessel (2013) deserve far more recognition for how well they speak to the depths of depression. Although there are definitely all- around tragic tunes (“Trapdoor,’ “Addict With a Pen,” “Fall Away,’ etc.) there are many more hopeful but still dejected With the enjoyable fast and steady pace throughout and fast-paced rhymes, the skits after every track can be interrupting to the flow. Ahmed had famous brown artists like Mindy Kaling, Hasan Minhaj, and Yara Shahidi call in to offer support, advice, and even words of consolidation on how bad Brittney is looking at the moment. Even though the skits are entertaining and enhance the similarities between a breakup from a relationship to that of a country, they are often abrupt. 1 love how original and emotionally heavy The Long Goodbye is. It shares various glimpses of what it feels like to songs. I suggest “Friend, Please,” which has vocalist Tyler Joseph singing, “I know you want to leave but friend, please don't take your life away from me. Would you let me know your plans tonight? ‘Cause I just won't let go ‘til we both see the light.” There's also “Semi-Automatic” where Joseph sings, “Night falls, with gravity. The earth turns, from sanity. Taking my only friend I know. He leaves a lot, his name is Hope.” Nothing But Thieves I would argue almost all Nothing But Thieves songs are sad in one way or another. To be honest, most of their tracks flow like a story so it’s difficult to pull just a few lyrics out. Vocalist Conor Mason adds soul to the heart-wrenching songs, but the music itself is phenomenal. Whether it be a hauntingly beautiful ballad on love (“Lover, Please Stay”), the hopelessness of depression (“Soda”), ora song that describes events already lived through that are so bad that Hell itself would feel homey in comparison (“Hell, Yeah” )—this group has done it all. Honourable Mentions Lorde’s “Liability,” will always make the listener's heart ache. It is grief and insecurity put into music. The chorus stings, singing, “I understand, I'ma he Rw AA CO Illustration by Morgan Hannah be betrayed and rejected, especially in a country you feel you contributed much to building. The album can be relatable to all that feel unaccepted in their homes. It is funny, personal, and celebrates South Asian cultures in the midst of complex examinations of an identity crisis. Still from 'Car Radio’ music video by Twenty One Pilots liability, get you wild, make you leave. I'ma little much for everyone.” Fall Out Boy’s “Golden” which ends with the lyrics “And all of the mothers raise their babies to stay away from me and pray they don't grow up to be” implying that not only do young mothers want nothing to do with the lyricist, but that they hope they do not grow up to be like them. The 1975's “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)” perfectly encapsulates loneliness and isolation. Matty Healy sings, “If you can't survive, just try.” On Genius, he’s annotated this lyric with “I know how it feels but you just gotta, you just gotta do it. You just gotta grin and bear it you know, unfortunately,” There are tons of sad songs out there, but personally I feel that too many of them are too on the nose, taking away from metaphors and imagery that allow the listener to be enveloped in the anguish. The tracks I’ve talked about feel especially gut-wrenching to me, so if you're looking for catharsis in these trying times, I hope this music helps.