2024’s Top Picks: Albums You Can’t Miss

By Evie Wiant, junior writing coach

May marks five months into 2024, which so far has been an incredible year for new music. As someone averaging around 110,000 yearly minutes spent listening to Spotify, I have made it my mission to seek out and enjoy all the best new music as it comes out. This year has provided music fans with a plethora of delectable albums to dive into. In my opinion (which is the crucial phrase here), these are 3 of the most outstanding LPs released this year. 

Album #1

COWBOY CARTER by Beyoncé

I know quite a few people who were apprehensive about this new Beyoncé release, mostly due to the ubiquity of the controversial single “Texas Hold ‘Em”, which I too heard one too many times. However, to write off this masterpiece of an album because of one earworm would be a mistake. Cowboy Carter is an ode to America, from the patriotic “Ameriican Requiem” to the twang-y compositions in “Protector” and her “Blackbiird” cover. But where Beyoncé shines brightest on this record is in two very different songs: “Ya Ya” and “16 Carriages”. “Ya Ya” is an upbeat, indulgent joy to listen to, and is also impossible to listen to and not at least bop along. Meanwhile, “16 Carriages” is an inspiring ballad that not only advertises her vocal talent, but also her skill as a lyricist. 

Album #2

Bright Future by Adrianne Lenker

As a longtime Big Thief (and by extension, Adrianne Lenker) fan, I was absolutely delighted by this release. On this record, Lenker cements herself as one of the greatest modern songwriters, like on “Evol” where she uses wordplay to somehow articulate gut-wrenching but relatable emotions (“Teach, cheat, part, trap/You have my heart I want it back/God, dog, devil, lived/The giver takes, the taker gives”). Bright Future is an airy, poetic adventure into Lenker’s memories, and none of the songs capture this as well as the soft and depressing opener that is “Real House”, which covers childhood sadness and fear over beautiful flowing piano chords. Along with these, she redoes her previous Big Thief internet favorite “Vampire Empire”, with her own acoustic spin and some lyric spins. If you want to get into folk music but aren’t sure where to start, I highly recommend this LP (along with all of Adrianne Lenker’s music ventures, for that matter).  

Album #3

BLUE LIPS by ScHoolboy Q 

If you’re looking for a rap album like no other, look no further than Blue Lips. Whatever you think it will sound like after opening with “Funny Guy”, it will certainly surprise even the most dedicated rap fan. ScHoolboy Q thrives creatively on this LP, exploring an array of genres while still keeping a cohesive sound. Features are all over this record, but they never carry him, only elevate his incredible performance. In listening to this album, you will feel like you’re floating through “THank god 4 me” and the jazzy “Blueslides” and then subconsciously start bopping along to the uptempo “Yeern 101” without even realizing it. I can’t recommend this experience enough. 

No matter your preferred music genres, I hope that you can give these three records a shot, as they truly are some of the best albums I’ve heard this year! And who knows, maybe you’ll find a new favorite artist? 

AP/IB exam season is here once again: here are some tips to prepare!

By Vera Ballard, sophomore writing coach

This time of year is usually the hardest and most stressful for the majority of students. It’s time to test your knowledge and prove how much you know and have learned throughout the whole year. It is scary, but if you take into consideration some of these suggestions you will feel much more confident. 

1. Sleep 

My first tip is making sure you get enough sleep. Some exams are coming up very soon and believe it or not you will not benefit by trying to cram everything into your brain by staying up late every night. It’s best to believe that you know more than you think and at this point, so close to exams, studying through the night will not help and will only make you perform worse. It’s best to be confident in yourself and know that trying your best is all you can do so sleep should be your top priority rather than studying through the night. 

2. Ask your teachers for help/advice

The majority of teachers here at MHS have been teaching AP or IB classes, if not the same one, for multiple years. They know what they’re doing!!! It is your responsibility to ask your teachers for help when you are confused about how the exam will work or what it will entail. They know almost everything about these exams and are pretty much experts with how they work. You just have to ask. Most teachers would love to hear your questions because these exams are what they do for a living. 

3. Use your resource 

AP classroom usually isn’t used directly in class so I’ve found it very helpful to use outside of school. It has great practice essay questions and a variety of multiple choice questions for any class. For some classes there are also study review sessions at school that will help go through the most important things you need to know for the exam. Lastly, I have found youtube videos by people who have taken a specific exam before or who teach certain AP or IB courses to be very useful. For example, Heimler history is someone on youtube that has videos covering every topic for every AP history exam. There are many videos just like his that will help you review what you need to know for an upcoming exam. 

4. Set up a study schedule for next year 

This last tip of mine will not help you currently, but for the future. Those of you that aren’t seniors will likely be taking another AP or IB exam next year and if you don’t feel prepared for your exams currently then you should prepare different habits for next year. I recommend making a study schedule for the whole upcoming year so you don’t have to freak out the week before your exam. Make a plan for throughout the year on what to study or what to focus on that you struggled with when you first learned about it. This way you will have better chances of not forgetting things after they’re taught and you won’t be stressed out about not remembering anything from months ago. 

I hope these tips help, and just know that trying your best is all you can do. These classes and exams are meant to be hard so keep your head up and believe in yourself! You got this, and good luck!