BYTE

Artist of the Month: Silk Sonic

 The 1970s are back, decked out in large Bourbon-colored sunglasses, revere collars, Embassy cigarettes, and crushed velvet suits. I absolutely love it! In a world where rap has become the number one musical export, many are left asking where’s the “real R&B” music in 2021? Where did music with instruments, captivating vocal performances and heart-wrenching climaxes go? Contrary to popular belief it never left. The existence of Childish Gambino, The Internet, Janelle Monae, H.E.R., Kali Uchis, and Miguel are a testament to the modern R&B scene. In March 2021 there was a fortuitous attempt to make R&B mainstream again, thus giving birth to November’s Artist of the Month: Silk Sonic.  



BYTE

How Prod. JRB found his way to BobbyBoy Records

Joseph Robert Bellah—Prod. JRB—answers the Zoom call with a beaming smile spread across his face and a friendly attitude. He's repping his new-found home, BobbyBoy Records, with him wearing their dad hat. On Nov. 3, I got the opportunity to interview the up-and-coming producer. We discussed the 14-year-old’s journey throughout the music industry, how he began producing, how he got signed to BobbyBoy Records, his debut beat tape—Legacy—and much more. 


BYTE

History Of: River Phoenix

  The "It boy" of the 90s was a Hollywood bombshell with an upturned button nose, long blond bowl cut, and sparkling blue eyes. His name was River Phoenix. This teen heartthrob was known for his down-to-earth personality paired with a striking appearance. The late actor achieved many accomplishments during his lifetime. He was awarded the 1992 Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for his performance in My Own Private Idaho. Phoenix was unlike any actor Hollywood had ever seen. His scattered press interviews allow Generation Z an introduction to his precocious, often unique approach to an emotional acting style.



BYTE

History of: Celebrating Death in Different Cultures

The past few days held some of the most popular celebrations of death. Oct. 31 was Halloween and Nov. 1 and 2, El Día de los Muertos. We wanted to dive deeper into how people celebrate death among different cultures and religions. To start, we’ve compiled interviews and information to further observe three different cultural celebrations around their deceased. 



Ball state junior, Elysa Goldberg, takes a photo of Ball State junior Emma Lang in the “cellfie” room at SelfieWRLD Schaumburg, 10/02/21.  Photo by Savannah Jordan
BYTE

But first, let me take a selfie at SelfieWRLD Schaumburg

The moment I knew there was a museum dedicated to taking selfies with friends, I wanted to get a group of my own friends together and go to SelfieWRLD Schaumburg and make a day of it. Although I didn’t expect to make a trip to Chicago and back in a day, it was worth every twist in the plan—which included forgetting about the time change and spontaneously stopping at “The Bean” in Millenium Park. 


BYTE

Artist of the month: Queen Bee

Queen Bee, also known as Ziyoou-vachi, utilizes bright colors, creative themes and costumes, octave changes, and diverse discography completely enraptured me. After first hearing some of their music, I decided to research more into who exactly this group is.


BYTE

The Coven S8E3: Women in journalism

Welcome back fellow witches to another season of The Coven! This episode, Ball State Journalism professor, Kate Elliot, discusses what it like to be a woman in the journalism industry today with our host Shwetha! How are women faring in the journalism industry today? What are some new challenges arising? What can aspiring journalists expect once entering the workforce?






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