Music Archives – The Oxford Student

Diversify your discipline: Oxford humanities and social sciences students call for a more diverse curriculum

9th July 20209th July 2020Jamie Slagel

Image description: open book with fluttering pages on black background Oxford students from a variety of disciplines have called for departments to diversify curricula and reading lists over the past couple of weeks. Students studying Politics, History, English, Philosophy, Linguistics, and Music, amongst others, are pushing for better Black and minority ethnic representation on reading […]

The beauty of raging: how Rap music has always been a political tool

27th June 202028th June 2020Myesha Munro

Image description: Stormzy at Glastonbury festival 2019, wearing a stab-proof vest designed by Banksy While re-watching the momentous Brit awards performance by South London Grime artist Stormzy, I was asked by a friend “I get what he’s saying, but why does he have to sound so angry?” Because he is, and because he has every […]

A Playlist For When the Patriarchy Gets You Down

15th June 202016th June 2020Mhairi Tait

Image Description: A sign saying ‘Smash the Patriarchy’ with cutouts of Janelle Monae, Dolly Parton and Doja Cat overlayed on top. As lockdown eases, and we begin to emerge into the big bad world (if only for a rendezvous with our ‘support bubble’), we will once again be met by the harsh realities of wearing […]

Protest Music: From Billie Holiday to Black Lives Matter

11th June 202013th June 2020Adam Hewitt

As Black Lives Matter protests continue to rock the foundations of racist institutions all over the world, protestors are following in the footsteps of Civil Rights activists by once again using the music of black artists as their rallying cry. From copies of Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit’ being mailed to senators in advance of an […]

Screaming lyrics of love at Leeds Festival 2019: a beautiful queer moment

29th May 20201st June 2020Simone Dawes

Image Description: Crowds at a festival I took my time to get into the 1975. The phenomenon of their ever-growing fame has been fairly recent in terms of universal recognition. I’ve been exposed to them for a long while though, with my high school friends overflowing with excitement over an album whose title was way […]

What “how i’m feeling now” teaches us about lockdown mentality

28th May 202028th May 2020Martha Storey

Image Description: Charli XCX performing on stage Charli XCX has long been known for her obsessive work ethic, pushing herself and their collaborators to their creative limit, often in a short space of time. Her lockdown album how i’m feeling now was written, produced, mixed and released, all within two months, which is a considerable […]

Virtual orchestra: it’s just not the same

27th May 202028th May 2020Jamie Slagel

Image Description: trombone and music stand lie on of a pile of scattered sheet music Arts and culture have proven of insurmountable importance during lockdown, and the proliferation of online resources has certainly served us well. But we all know that’s it’s not quite the same as in-person consumption. On top of that, though, is […]

Filmmaking and music videos: A student’s perspective

20th May 202023rd May 2020Iona Cargill

Image description: a shot from ‘First Thing’ music video A discussion with Flora Faulk, an Art History student at St. Peters, on her recent production of the music video for fellow student, Gigi William’s debut EP and single ‘First Thing’. Flora explains how she got into film-making and ways to get involved from a student […]

The Spirits of Music Past, Present and Future

18th May 202020th May 2020Ernest Lee

Image Description: An old MP3 player My Minecraft account must have been created on April something, 2012. I remember getting together enough money to give a friendly classmate, one of the lucky few to have access to a credit card at that age, to help me purchase the game. Once in a while I still […]

Music Battles: The Chaos We Didn’t Know We Needed

15th May 202019th May 2020Jemine Barrow

Image Description: A DJ’s soundboard The minute the world went into quarantine it became clear that we needed to get very creative with how we kept ourselves entertained. I think we’ve seen and tried it all at this point – Zoom parties, trying and failing to get into podcasts, baking, and a lot of Netflix, […]

The OxStu isolation music picks

11th May 202016th May 2020Music Team

Image description: Four album covers from the list Music is often a form of escape, and we could all use a little escapism right about now. That’s why our music editorial team have put together their mix of favourite songs to keep you dreaming of times beyond lockdown, and get you through the dull days. […]

Optimistic Oxford – a charitable week 2

10th May 202011th May 2020Jamie Slagel

Image Description: ‘Welcome to the Sunny Side of Oxford’ reads on a restaurant’s exterior From Jesus College’s vote for divestment to the reopening of Najar’s (just outside John’s), there’s plenty of good news in Oxford from second week—read on to find out more optimistic news about Oxford! Getting the Ball Rolling The Oxford University Hockey […]

TiKToK meets the music industry

30th April 20201st May 2020Myesha Munro

Image description: people performing TikTok dances It’s the quarantine hobby we were too ashamed to pick up, but are now too entangled in to give up. It’s the source of those catchy songs ingrained our subconscious, whether we truly know the words or not. It’s TikTok. Let’s be honest, you know the name by now, […]

Cyberpunk Gaia Goddess: Miss Anthropocene

22nd April 202023rd April 2020Adam Hewitt

Image description: Grimes live in Austin in 2012 You may have forgotten, but Grimes makes music. Now, a lot of her fans, myself included, have taken to viewing her recent affiliations with a side-eye. Contrary to what you find in the media, ever since her appearance at the 2018 Met Gala Grimes is more than […]

Music as a Companion in Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’

7th April 202013th April 2020Lloyd Bishop

Image Description: Paul Simon’s Graceland album artwork I confess I am a person liable to decide after a single listen that I have found my new favourite-ever song. But believe me when I say that Paul Simon’s 1986 masterpiece Graceland (an album recorded after Simon became intrigued by a bootleg cassette and ended up travelling to Johannesburg […]

Urban Architects – Constructing a Genre

7th April 202010th April 2020Anthony Walker

Image Description: The four band members The music industry is a rapidly changing entity, a constant evolution facilitated by modern media. Platforms like Spotify mean we have thousands of new songs at our fingertips every day, infinite opportunities to find a band or a song we enjoy. Except, it doesn’t always work like that. The […]

Hi, How Are You? Music to soothe the soul during isolation

3rd April 20203rd April 2020Jade Calder

Image Description: Johnston’s “Hi, How Are You” mural in Austin, Texas. There is a quote by the legendary BBC Radio DJ John Peel which has been overused by many a budding music journalist attempting to create a unique think piece on music: ‘Somebody was trying to tell me that CDs are better than vinyl because […]

Dua Lipa’s ‘Future Nostalgia’ breaks free of tired pop stereotypes

1st April 20203rd April 2020Martha Storey

Image Description: Dua Lipa on-stage at one of her performances Future Nostalgia is a clear attempt to break clean from tired pop stereotypes of recent years, replacing minimal electronics with full-bodied disco hooks. Naturally, it has generated a lot of praise from reviewers, recognising the step up from the ubiquitous One Kiss, but there is […]

Changing all the time – A review of The Sway’s new single

12th March 202021st March 2020Anthony Walker

Being in the student bubble can be nice sometimes. Not having to come to terms with what’s going on across the country: coronavirus, brexit, another 5 years of Tory rule, and all the rest. All the same, I reckon I’m not the only one that has on occasion thought about my hometown with great fondness. […]

Tag: Music

Diversify your discipline: Oxford humanities and social sciences students call for a more diverse curriculum

The beauty of raging: how Rap music has always been a political tool

A Playlist For When the Patriarchy Gets You Down

Protest Music: From Billie Holiday to Black Lives Matter

Screaming lyrics of love at Leeds Festival 2019: a beautiful queer moment

What “how i’m feeling now” teaches us about lockdown mentality

Virtual orchestra: it’s just not the same

Filmmaking and music videos: A student’s perspective

The Spirits of Music Past, Present and Future

Music Battles: The Chaos We Didn’t Know We Needed

The OxStu isolation music picks

Optimistic Oxford – a charitable week 2

TiKToK meets the music industry

Cyberpunk Gaia Goddess: Miss Anthropocene

Music as a Companion in Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’

Urban Architects – Constructing a Genre

Hi, How Are You? Music to soothe the soul during isolation

Dua Lipa’s ‘Future Nostalgia’ breaks free of tired pop stereotypes

Changing all the time – A review of The Sway’s new single

Racism, linguistics and the law

Diversify your discipline: Oxford humanities and social sciences students call for a more diverse curriculum

Call Me by My (Real) Name

“Fancy an Indian studying Greek!” How I found my place in the Classical Tradition as a British Indian

Petition calls for proper action “against racist and classist discrimination” from Oxford University

Reunited – a love affair with fast food

History Faculty sets up new Black History thesis prize

Coronavirus found before China outbreak

Oxford venues react to £1.57 billion rescue package for the arts

EXCLUSIVE: Hacked Oxford Union votes all cast in favour of James Price