R&B: The Evolution

Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye to Rihanna, Beyonce, Usher and Chris Brown. They’re all R&B artists. And they’re really good R&B artists.

R&B (Rhythm & Blues) dates all the way back to the 1940s when the likes of Cab Calloway, The Harlem Hamfats, Count Basie and Louis Jordan came to prominence. Eight years later in 1948, music journalist and record producer Jerry Wexler derived the term R&B for this genre of music. R&B was originally used by record companies to refer predominantly to African-Americans at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a heavy, insistent beat" was becoming more popular.

The commercial R&B music typical of bands from the 50s through to the 70s, usually consisted of piano, one or two guitars, saxophone, bass, drums, and sometimes even background vocalists. The 50s was largely dominated by artists Ray Charles and Ruth Brown, as well as vocal groups like The Drifters and The Coasters, it was only then when the genre began to metamorphose into soul.

Famous tracks from these artists in the 50s include "Bad Blood” by The Coasters which carries the theme of a guys night out and has an energetic, boisterous and freewheeling mood to it, comprising of a pop but also rock and roll feel. “Come Back (Baby)” by music phenomenon Ray Charles was also an extremely popular track, encapsulating elements of blues and soul to mix up the R&B tendencies.

Later Doo Wop, funk, dance, disco, blues and other forms of R&B music began to develop in the industry. R&B has been forever changing and encompassing new elements to evolve the genre, including components of soul, jazz, hip hop and rock. The 21st century particularly has introduced a new type of R&B featuring lighter lyrical subjects and faster beats.

Gradually, more and more artists are experimenting with the genre, developing it and revolutionising it to bring a new sound and feel. Up-tempo beats with a faster pace are common with experimental features ranging across a range of genres.

Artists to date are also experimenting with the R&B genre for each of their individual tracks produced. It’s not uncommon to discover that a song by an artist in the 21st century is R&B combined with another genre, including hip hop or pop. It is rare that a group or artist is solely an R&B producer, as they are renowned for mixing up their musical tendencies and vibes to produce fresh and different concoctions. Controversial singer-songwriter Justin Bieber evolved his music brand and overall artist outlook for himself by transitioning from elements of teen pop and R&B from tracks including “Favourite Girl” and “Baby” to more of an EDM vibe seen in “Where Are U Now” and “What Do You Mean?” inspired by electronic music producers Skrillex and Diplo.

To listen to R&B in years gone by would be extremely different to the type of evolved genre material that more recent artists are producing. In the 40s and 50s it was common to see groups singing about the meaning of love. However, recently song meanings have become less serious and much more light-hearted. The 1953 track "I Want You To Be My Baby" by Louis Jordan, despite the jazz-like and upbeat tempo connotes romantic feelings and meanings in comparison to the 2006 track by Rihanna titled “Unfaithful” which is a complete contrast, suggesting infidelity and cheating, a notion that would have likely rarely been featured in earlier R&B tracks.

Previous to the kind of lyrics we hear in R&B tracks today, which include prominent themes about the triumphs and failures of relationships, economics, aspirations, freedom, and sex; it was more regular for artists of the 40s to the 70s also to sing about and express the African-American experience of pain and the quest for freedom and joy.

In the 21st century the term R&B still, in many contexts, categorises music made my black musicians and suggests a distinct genre style in comparison to music produced by other musicians.

R&B music does demonstrate a marxist development from when and how it first originated. Despite the lyrical contexts of most tracks from this genre referring to African-American pain and fight for freedom, it is clear to see that R&B, while still being largely dominated by African-Americans, has made an obvious step forward socially and historically. 21st century African-Americans now typically refer to money, expensive jewellery, fame, sex and women, with a few exceptions including the likes of Nico and Vinz who have produced tracks focusing on African-American advancement.

It is clear to see that the genre has made social, historical and musical advances over time. But one thing that has remained the same is the quality of music and the quality of the artists.

Locked-in syndrome: The condition we should all be aware of

It was only in 2012 that long-term locked-in syndrome sufferer Tony Nicklinson died aged 58 after suffering with the condition for 7 years, denying treatment from the start. After facing many High Court battles to be given the right to end his own life were denied, he soon after became diagnosed with pneumonia and died as a result, followed by refusing to eat for several days.

The 58-year-old was said to be ‘heartbroken’ making the decision to put his life to an end and that his defeat with the High Court left him the only ‘horrific’ decision to starve himself to death.

Locked-in syndrome is a physical medical condition usually caused as a result of a stroke which damages part of the brainstem. The body and facial muscles are left paralysed but the person remains conscious and the ability for certain eye movements is preserved.

It’s important to know what causes a stroke to happen and this can be largely dependent on lifestyle or genetic factors. In the case of a stroke a blood clot blocks the blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Blood clots typically form in areas where the arteries have become narrowed over some time by plaques and fatty deposits.

Throughout life arteries can narrow naturally, but certain things can harmfully accelerate the process of having a blood clot. This may include obesity, diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, excessive alcohol in-take and also high cholesterol levels.

There has also been long-term skepticism centered around blood clot scares amongst women as a result of taking the combined contraceptive pill. 

It has been recommended by doctors that if you have a family history of blood clots you should not use this contraceptive method and seek an alternative as this could heighten your own risk of experiencing a clot.

Peter Moore, Regional Director at the Stroke Association in the North East, said: “Locked-in syndrome is an extremely rare consequence of stroke. The condition causes paralysis in all parts of a patient’s body, apart from the muscles that control eye movement.

“For many people with locked-in syndrome, the severe effects of their stroke will remain with them. However therapy can help to improve someone’s quality of life and may even enable them to return home to live with their family. Complete recovery from locked-in syndrome is rare, but people can – and do – make improvements throughout their rehabilitation.”

Christine Waddell, 44, from Chester-le-Street, has been a sufferer of locked-in syndrome for eighteen years, making her Britain’s longest survivor of the condition to date.

She describes what it’s like to live with the syndrome: “In the early days it was terrifying to an extent that no one could comprehend, so much that I used to dread each day incase the doctors thought I was dead. It isn’t scary now, just disheartening, which I use to boost my determination levels.

“When I initially had the stroke, I expected the physical loss to be the hardest, but this wasn’t the case. The inability to do things, especially making myself heard, drives me crazy. The way people view my disability as well is so frustrating.”

Kate Allatt, 44, mother-of-three from Sheffield used to have the syndrome but recovered successfully in 2010 and has since been awarded the titles ‘Extraordinary Woman 2011’ and “Extraordinary Person Endeavour 2011’.

She has also written and published a book in 2011 about her locked-in syndrome journey entitled ‘Running Free – Breaking out of locked in syndrome’ and is now also a respected spokesperson and actively involved with stroke recovery research.

She describes the condition: “Locked-in syndrome is like waking up inside your own coffin. Imagine being able to think, feel and hear everything normally, whilst being unable to move at all. 

"It’s essentially being trapped inside a physically paralysed shell; a scary and often painful experience where you are unable to stop overthinking about everything.”

Both of these inspirational survivors prove that there is a life after locked-in syndrome and their enthusiasm to continue the fight is completely contagious.

Despite the tragic situation that follows the condition quality of life can be improved and it is possible to work towards stable survival.

The Weeknd: Beauty Behind The Madness

Music is a getaway for many people and for these many people that getaway can be diverse in the industry of melodic tunes, lyrical decisions and instrumental combinations. Chart music is an obvious choice for music discoveries as it’s simply what is popular in the mainstream and is also easily accessible. However many genres of music remain neglected because of the standard UK Top 40 and most people believe that if an artist or band isn’t in the charts then they aren’t popular or not worth a listen. That’s where the audience of this generation are wrong.

Venturing out from your musical preferences can be difficult - maybe you don’t know what else there is, what you’ll like or how to find something new. The mundane output of pop, dance and house music the charts are feeding us does become tiring, however movie soundtracks can be a great journey to an exploration of many newfound and distinct genres.

“Beauty Behind The Madness” - The Weeknd’s seventh studio album, which made a feature in the long-anticipated and controversial 2014 movie 50 Shades of Grey, centres itself around the musical genre PR&B. The genre is a stylistic alternative to R&B that has also recently been popularised by the likes of singers and songwriters Frank Ocean and Miguel. The main difference to R&B is that this genre includes some elements of rock, EDM and hip-hop and the lyrics often carry mysterious and dark meanings and connotations.

One track from the album “Earned It” made its debut in the movie 50 Shades of Grey and because of this gained instant popularity and focus on the album and its other tracks. Shortly afterwards tracks including “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills” and their music videos were released and achieved success by hitting the charts and becoming a favourite amongst a range of listeners. The track “Often” which was the first to be released from the album a year ago also proceeded to thrive and too gained recognition following the fame of the movie’s popular number.

Despite The Weeknd’s disparate genre the popular tracks are not unheard of to make an appearance in bars and nightclubs accompanied by a remixed touch to convert the sounds to a more stereotypical dance-style feel; distancing from the mysterious deeper noises that are associated with PR&B.

When the artist, properly known as Abel Tesfaye, commented in an article with TIME on his relationship with the controversial “alternative R&B” he is usually associated with, he said: “Alternative R&B is in my soul. It’s not going anywhere. When I put out songs from House of Balloons in 2010 people said I made R&B cool again. I’m assuming that’s when the label was created.

“I feel honored that a good part of today’s music is inspired by it, consciously or subconsciously. The only way I could have done that was to be ambitious and grand. That’s what I want to do with Beauty Behind The Madness. I want to make pop cool again, and the only way I can do that is by being ambitious and grand.”

Artists known for their pop genre’s including Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey both make their appearance in the collection of tracks and add their own music styles to the mix to enhance the sounds and form a twist on the artist’s PR&B song structure. Labrinth is also featured on the track "Losers", bringing a hip-hop element to the album as well.

Musical sounds explored in this album range from high-pitch soft harmonising to heavy drum sets. The genre of the album definitely doesn’t fail to make use of a diverse range of instrumental and digital audio concoctions to form a genre that ensures it stands out completely from the regurgitated tracks that make it popular to date.

The album features prominently themes ranging from drugs, sex and women to the feeling of entrapment in a range of social contexts. The selection of lyrics displayed in most of the tracks carry mostly negative and dazed connotations, implying a sense of feeling lost or dissatisfied.

The first released track from the album “Often” is an overtly sexual musical piece that talks about women and sex using a provocative approach, leaving virtually nothing to the imagine. During the narrative of this track the artist makes himself out to be almost an expert in the field and boasts about his way with women.

Several more of his popular tracks on the album including “Dark Times” and “Tell Your Friends” make reference to drugs and lighten the theme in a casual and non-serious way. Other tracks on the album explore a narrative suggesting that the use of drugs can lead to a feeling of being socially and mentally ambushed, especially seen in the context of “The Hills”.

Postmodernism is largely demonstrated within the album as the contents strive to and ultimately do achieve a movement in the musical art of generic R&B. A skeptical interpretation of an original art genre is worked upon by the artist to produce a postmodern concept that works and accomplishes a new evolution of music.

So, all in all The Weeknd smashes it again; providing us with an array of fantastic tracks for some unique and enjoyable listening.

24 Hours Without the Internet: Defeated

Unsurprisingly the generation of today is heavily fascinated by amazing technological advancements and the remarkable creation of the world wide web. The internet is used for almost everything these days, from doing a quick Google search on the go to find out the best bars and restaurants in the local area to organising your life practically hour by hour. It’s a fantastic revolution, but maybe it’s too fantastic for its own good.

I put myself to the test over the weekend to discover whether or not I could banish mobile internet in particular from my everyday life for 24 hours. Let’s be honest, as a 20-year-old student who is constantly active on social media, always keeping up with local and national news and loves partaking in the online shopping extravaganza it seemed like one of the hardest tasks imaginable. But that’s only because I myself, and others of my age, have grown up with the internet and watched it evolve to become a tool that enhances our lives and generally for the better.

The Internet Society’s report 2015 discusses the benefits of mobile internet today, which is a perk that has become increasingly popular on devices since the introduction of 3G and 4G networks. 2015’s report discovers that entrepreneurs have created billion dollar opportunities developing and selling apps worldwide, there have been opportunities abound for general education and also healthcare applications are emerging for users to track their own fitness. Mobile internet is bursting with both advancements and also addictions, making it increasingly more difficult to live an internet-free life.

I found that attempting to deduct mobile internet from my daily routine was pretty much impossible. I’m one to set my alarm using my mobile phone but unlike many others won’t actively use the internet straight away in the morning when I wake up. I like to get myself ready for the day and scroll through Facebook and Twitter over a hot cup of strong coffee and some cereal.

I set myself a goal over the weekend to stop using the internet at 9am on Saturday and continue until 9am the following morning. I’ll keep it real and confess that I forgot instantly. I had intended to switch off my WiFi the night before so I wouldn’t receive any notifications to tempt me, however I opened up an email notification forgetfully and that was my internet-free 24 hours failed instantly.

Instead of trying again the next morning to start a fresh I felt it would be interesting to record the rest of the day’s internet activity based on an average day of internet usage.

Throughout the course of the day, like most other days, I found myself using the internet for a range of different purposes. My main source of internet consumption was through the use of my mobile phone as it’s usually always by my side and the easiest to use when I want to find out about something quickly or engage in instant conversation.

I recorded that I checked my profiles such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram a total of 107 times throughout the day and was active on social apps including WhatsApp, Messenger and Snapchat a total of roughly 332 times. That day I also found myself using the internet to continue my newfound Breaking Bad addiction on Netflix. However I did manage to be academically productive despite this and used the internet to plan and research some essay content.

I found that the most obvious internet distractions for me personally were the social platforms Facebook and Twitter. Statistics show that today there are over 1.49 billion active Facebook users and 316 million monthly Twitter users to date. It is clear that many different kinds of people of differing ages, ethnicities and cultures are adding themselves to the ever-growing population of social media and on-the-go mobile internet access.

To stop or even restrict internet use in today’s generation does ultimately prove to be difficult. Excluding obvious distractions for a young person including social media apps, YouTube and Netflix completing academic work requires the use of the internet too. Students nowadays need the internet access work briefings, module content, feedback from lecturers and much more. It has become a digital generation and we rely on the web a great deal for almost everything we do.

However Paul Miller wrote in 2012 about his experience discontinuing his internet use for 12 months in a feature article for The Verge, proving that the challenge can be achieved: “Now I want to see the internet at a distance. By separating myself from the constant connectivity, I can see which aspects are truly valuable, which are distractions for me, and which parts are corrupting my very soul.”

It has to be considered that the internet could be corrupting our productiveness, sociability and health, but when we have never known anything different what alternative do we have?

ETC Magazine Wedding Show Event

Last night I attended a wedding show event organised by the north east-based magazine ETC (Everything That Counts) and for me this was my first experience at any event of this kind. The prime reason I was attending was to cover the bridal show for an assessed piece of worked issue by my university as part of our module coursework. The brief stated we had to record a two-minute long video covering a story of our choice with a news-based angle using a range of camera angles and shots with experimentation of voice-overs, interviews/voxpops and on-screen graphics too. Working in groups for the project we decided that the idea to attend ETC's event would make an excellent news story and thus we headed along to Sunderland Minster at 6pm to not only enjoy the extravagant event but also get some proper work done.

Walking in to what is the beautiful building of Sunderland Minster we were greeted politely and offered an ETC goodie bag and a drink on arrival. How very swish I thought! We were granted permission to film the event and interview the organiser and independent businesses that were showcasing their items and stalls at the event too.

Initially we did some panning camera work to capture the entire feel of the show, with the very talented event singer performing covers from the likes of Rihanna, The Weeknd and Adele.

We also got the chance to speak to the lovely Rachel Meadows who owns her local bridal business Katie's Garden who told us about her stall at the event and the background of her business "We're brand new and are opening next week in Sunderland. We're modern-vintage so we're trying to do something a little bit different instead of the stereotypical charity shop regurgitated sort of things. We source original vintage dresses and re-funk them by changing the shape of them and the style of them to make them more suitable."

Throughout the event we were approached by lovely waiting staff who offered us a range of savoury and sweet canape's which were definitely not rejected by any of us.

As the event went on we got shots of beautifully decorated cakes, a range of business stalls and their goods, the models showcasing the bridal/wedding outfits and managed to grab the events manager for an insight about the ETC event too. Here's what she said "ETC has been around for five years now and ever since the magazine launched we've been doing weddings shows. As well as wedding shows we've done lifestyle shows and Christmas shows but our wedding ones have always been the most popular so that's what we've always done them and are doing more.

"We held one last year in the Minster, as we are today, and it was heavily attended and it surprised us how popular it really was. So we've done it again this year and I think it's been even better."

All in all the show was a massive success and all that attended appeared to have a great time and left with smiles on their faces, as did I.

Well done to ETC for organising such a plush and spectacular show.