Music project part 2 - Celebrity Cultures/Divas

Programme

Sonya Mohubaliyeva (voice), Kym Jasmin (guitar), Janice Wong (kit), Tonia Fung (backing vocals), Eion O’Connor (bass), Gabriel Scudder (voice)

A diva is usually understood as an artist with exceptional talent, a strong personality, and the ability to stand out and influence others. In popular music, being a diva is not only about vocal ability, but also about confidence, independence, and emotional honesty. Rihanna fits this modern idea of a diva, and the songs performed today: Umbrella, Stay, Diamonds – played an important role in shaping her identity and helping her become the artist she is today.

Umbrella (2007) - performed by Robyn ‘Rihanna' Fenty (b1988) - Terius ‘The-Dream’ Nash (b1977); Christopher ‘Tricky’ Stewart (b1977); Kuk Harrell (b1974); Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter (b1969)

                I chose ‘Umbrella’ because this was the moment when Rihanna began to be seen as a major figure, rather than just a successful pop singer. Written by The-Dream, Tricky Stweart, and Kuk Harrell, the song became her first truly global hit. For me, ‘Umbrella’ represents the beginning of her diva status through confidence, influence, and leadership. Rihanna sounds grounded and assured in this track, and it is from this point that her authority within the industry really starts to be felt. By performing this song today, I highlight the starting point of the power and recognition that later turned her into a cultural icon.

Diamonds (2012) - performed by Robyn ‘Rihanna’ Fenty (b1988) - Sia Furler (b1975); Benjamin ‘Benny Blanco’ Levin (b1988); Tor Hermansen (b1972); Mikkel Eriksen (b1978)

                I chose this song because it represents a mature stage in Rihanna’s development as both an artist and an individual. The song was written by Sia and produced by Benny Blanco and Stargate. There is no sense of needing to prove anything or of emotional excess; instead, ‘Diamonds’ feels like a statement of self-worth and inner stability. For me, this song captures the moment when Rihanna is fully formed as a diva-confident, self-sufficient, and independent of industry expectations. By performing ‘Diamonds’, I present the result of her journey: quiet strength and self-confidence.

Stay (2012) - performed by Robyn ‘Rihanna' Fenty (b1988) - Mikky Ekko (b1988); Justin Parker (b1983)

                This song shows a very different, yet equally important side of what it means to be a diva – the ability to remain honest even at the height of fame. The song was written by Mikky Ekko and Justin Parker and appears on the album ‘Unapologetic’. Unlike the image of a n untouchable star, ‘Stay’ is quiet, intimate, and personal. What makes this song important to me is that Rihanna does not hide behind a persona, but allows herself to be real. In the context of diva identity, this is not weakness but courage – the courage to express emotion without disguising it. I perform ‘Stay’ to show that a modern diva is not only about control and success, but also about honesty with oneself and the audience.

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Frank Trump (electric guitar), Elliott Leach (electric guitar and vocals), Alex Mather (bass Guitar and vocals), Aabir Ghoshal (drums)

Five Colours In Her Hair (2004) - McFly (2003-present)

Five Colours In Her Hair was released in 2004 as a debut single for McFly. It’s upbeat guitar riff, fast tempo and catchy melodic hooks made the song immediately appealing to a teenage audience and establishing their pop-rock style. McFly played up to this in their live performances and television appearances rapidly building a celebrity status. Their image is emphasised through their playful and energetic stage presence, focussed on audience participation and exaggerated physical movement. A big part of their shows is their connection to the audience, allowing the fans to feel closer to the band. In the case of this song, it is constantly gaining momentum with the rhythm guitar part retaining the excitement all the way through. The energetic rhythm and bright tone encapsulate McFly’s on-stage persona and their relatability with the audience which makes them so fun to watch.

The guitar part is simple, allowing the guitarist to engage with the audience through movement, a central part of McFly’s playful celebrity image. This along with the dynamic contrast between the sections help in creating a high-energy atmosphere for both the band and listener.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps (1968) - The Beatles (1960-70)

While My Guitar Gently Weeps features on The Beatles’ 1968 self titled, or ‘White’, album. The album was recorded after The Beatles had made the decision to stop touring due to exhaustion, poor sound quality at venues, and their own personal safety. This encouraged collaboration, and allowed them to become more experimental in the recording process as they moved away from their earlier ‘pop’ personas. The song was written by George Harrison as a reflection of his disappointment in humanity and the lack of unity among people. It started out as a tender acoustic piece however, when Harrison invited Eric Clapton to play on the recording it evolved into a rock anthem, with Clapton’s expressive blues-inspired performance becoming a defining feature of the track.

At the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the song was performed with Prince playing lead guitar. He paid tribute through displaying his virtuosity, whilst retaining the emotion and character of the original version. His stage presence is integral to the performance, engaging the audience through not just the music but the dramatic visual. The song’s lasting impact shows The Beatles ability to write music that transcends generations.

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Leo Newstead (guitar), (drums), (bass), (rhythm guitar), (voice)

Avenged Sevenfold is a Heavy Metal band from California formed in 1999. The band emerged into the metalcore genre with their album sounding of the seventh trumpet and experienced the height of their fame with the album Hail to the King. This performance will feature 2 pieces one highlighting the bands rise to fame and the other the consequences of that fame.

Hail to the King (2013) - Avenged Sevenfold (1999-present)

Hail to the King is the second song on the album it’s named after and to date is the bands most popular song. It was clear that this piece was integral to include as it highlights the bands rise to fame and clearly shows their early influence from other celebrity figures such as Metallica as the band is still developing their own unique sound. This is a process common among almost all celebrities on their journey to fame and aligns with Chris Rojek, a professor of sociology, theories that present celebrity culture as a cyclical system where fame, exposure and public image are reproduced continuously, encouraging individuals to often model themselves on existing celebrities to gain recognition.

Avenged Sevenfold aligns with this theory, as presented by this piece, which shows their rise to fame but also their conformity to their genre in order to maximise potential for success by conforming to existing likes and dislikes of fans. This contrasts heavily to their later pieces that try to escape this conformity and break down the walls of genres. These ideas highlight how in some cases, fame can only be achieved through the replication of others success.

So Far Away (2010) - Avenged Sevenfold (1999-present)

Celebrities have been subject to invasion of their private life since their beginning. This is one of the many attributes of fans that can both drive surges of popularity and also cause damage to a celebrity. In Avenged Sevenfolds case, the piece So Far Away highlights this key nature of a fan in which their desire for involvement with the celebrity’s everyday life on a personal level causes breaches of privacy.

On the 28th December 2009 the bands drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan passed away. So Far Away was composed in honour of the lost drummer and embodies the essence of private life invasion as the band lost the ability to mourn his death privately. Instead, it can be argued that the expectations of fans to be included as part of the bands life could have pressured Avenged Sevenfold into releasing this song due to the publics

expectation for them to address his passing and as a result, contorting the ways in which each band member may have mourned differently. Therefore, this piece serves as a symbol of how fans sever the wall of privacy that protects an individual’s private life from the world, as their mourning became public.

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Alice Suppiah (vocals), Noah Bennell (keyboard/piano), Yaman Neng (bass guitar), Jake Marshall (drum kit)

Stevie Wonder is widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, blending soul, funk, jazz, pop and R&B, testing musical boundaries. He has been awarded 25 Grammy Awards, with multiple Album of the Year awards.

                His prolific career started at age 12, and since then, he’s compiled and released 23 studio albums, pioneering synthesisers and electronic musical instruments. A multi-instrumentalist and producer, he was truly a genius and, despite his incredible success, his music remained grounded in powerful commentary on the Black experience, as well as authenticity, love, gratitude, and pain.

                ‘Songs in the Key of Life’ was released in 1976 and is his most successful work. To illustrate the prolific genius of Stevie Wonder, this was a ‘double album’ plus a bonus EP, comprising 21 self-written, produced and composed tracks. The album cover showcases numerous concentric rings in bright, childlike colours - as if like tree rings. Each layer could symbolise a stage of life, from childhood to now with a theme of universal joy.

We chose our list of songs because we aimed to emulate Stevie Wonder’s glamour to the fullest extent. ‘Sir Duke’ and ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ are among Wonder’s most popular releases, which capture his ability to create easy-listening hooks combined with the flow of funk and syncopation. ‘Summer Soft’ is among the lesser known tracks, but showcases immense creativity in jazz harmony, instrumentation and lyrics. ‘I Wish’ is a celebration of the joys of childhood, combined with an incredible groove with several interacting layers.

As a 4-piece band, with only one keyboard, one bass, a Drumkit and a vocalist, we cannot truly showcase Wonder’s clever use of textures and timbres. But we can portray his funk, his tight, infectious grooves and transcendental harmonies.

Through these songs, we can explore the idea of the virtuoso, how immense talent allowed Wonder to become an ‘Achieved Celebrity’ (as outlined by Chris Rojek in his analysis ‘Fame Attack’), with Stevie having been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at 38. In addition, themes including imitation of celebrity, individuality, and celebrity society can be explored through these pieces.

Sir Duke (1976) - Stevie Wonder (b1950)

Stevie Wonder wrote this piece as a celebratory tribute to jazz pioneers and celebrities, including Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald. He expresses gratitude for how these musicians transcended the racial divides. Released in 1977, it was extremely popular, spending 3 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 (US) and reaching Number 2 in the UK.

The original piece includes a brass section, paying another symbolic homage to famous jazz band leaders (Sir Duke). In our version of this piece, we do not have a brass section, so we will attempt to emulate this through our vocalist (Alice Suppiah) scatting the prominent unison riff, along with the keyboard and bass guitar.

This song explores the theme of imitating celebrity - how these Jazz Greats before Wonder influence his own music. It also explores the concept of white bias in celebrity, and Wonder is ensuring these black music celebrities aren’t forgotten.

I Wish (1976) - Stevie Wonder (b1950)

This song reflects on childhood memories, exploring themes of nostalgia and gratitude for the simple joys of life. As an authentic depiction of his life experiences, Wonder looks back to simpler times despite the challenges he faced growing up in poverty. The repeated refrain of ‘I Wish’ captures the bittersweet longing for those days, while also acknowledging that one cannot remain in childhood forever. This song truly captures the essence of his album.

Released as a single two months after the album hit the public in 1976, It became one of his most iconic tracks, reaching no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and soul singles chart the following year. The driving funk rhythm of the groove is trademark to Stevie Wonder’s writing, and clever layering of instrumentation and textures cements the feeling of joyousness. Now regarded as a timeless classic and standard for musicians to learn and imitate from.

This piece captures Robert Van Krieken’s theory of celebrity society, how society shapes a celebrity, and a celebrity’s glamour amounts from their ability to reflect societal values. Here, Wonder is expressing gratitude for his past, which among society is a respectable notion, especially considering his background of poverty, disability, and challenges due to his ethnicity.

Isn't She Lovely (1976) - Stevie Wonder (b1950)

One of his most popular tracks, Isn’t She Lovely is about Stevie’s love for his new born, Aisha. There is a genuinity in the lyrics as he talks about how much Aisha means to him, which makes it feel more like a love letter to his daughter than anything else. With this song he goes into a more private part of his life and it gives a feeling as if he’s making a direct contact with the listener by communicating his feelings without a filter. These celebrities can sometimes feel unreal and not like a human being which makes this song all the more important as he relates to anyone who had the privilege of having a child.

We chose this track because, while he gets help with composing, he plays all the instruments which shows his diversity as a musician. While having a fairly simple melody, this song captures the essence of Stevie

Summer Soft (1976) - Stevie Wonder (b1950)

Despite not being one of Stevie’s most well-known pieces, 'Summer soft’ is considered a poignant track on the album due to its rich instrumentation and emotional depth. This song combines Stevie Wonder's fingerprint as a pioneer of RnB music with his early jazz influences particularly through its harmonic extensions and progressions.

Overall this song encompasses Stevie’s overall messaging with this album with its changes to multiple keys throughout the piece to reflect the lyricism of the changing annual seasons. In our performance we aim to emulate his piece by including all the modulations and musical ‘licks’ that characterise him as a multi-instrumentalist and performer.

The song's complexities can be attributed to Stevie Wonder's celebrity ‘glamour’ as a celebrated musician, showing his creativity and talent despite his disability as a blind musician, similarly linking him to one of western classical music’s greats, Beethoven, as a heroic overcomer. He chose to include all these virtuosic elements which made them less commercially marketed but more true to his own curated style. Perhaps this highlights one of the key attributes of pioneers in music - dedication to their unique persona and becoming an aspirational figure for future musicians.

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Interval

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Amy Wilson (vocals and piano/guitar)

My performance includes two songs, “Camden” by Gracie Abrams and “Pushing It Down and Praying” by Lizzy McAlpine. Both songs have deep meanings that link in a detailed way to my critical essay, which is on the topic of artists' mental health, including how audiences tend to respond to it.

Camden (2021) - Gracie Abrams (b1999)

In “Camden” by Gracie Abrams, she speaks about her struggles with intrusive thoughts about herself, including self-image, thoughts about the world and the need for constant validation. She's almost talking with herself about personal struggles that she is going through, and that she feels completely broken. With lyrics such as “I really hope that I survive this” and “I can't picture anything past 25”, the latter of which actually opens the song, adds deeper meaning to the song within the idea of mental health, leaning more towards the depression side, which I speak about, referencing other artists, in my essay.

Pushing It Down and Praying (2024) - Lizzy McAlpine (b1999)

Lizzy McAlpine wrote “Pushing It Down and Praying” about being in a relationship after a breakup with someone she loved, and not being able to stop thinking about that ex. She speaks about how she feels when she thinks of that ex a lot during that relationship, and has to push those feelings and thoughts down and pray that her current partner doesn’t notice what is going on.

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Kaie Ames (vocals), Matthew Veris Reynolds (piano)

This performance explores how the concept of the diva and fame is displayed across musical theatre. All three characters and their songs deal with aspects of fame: Bobbi is a singer at a nightclub, Sally is a performer at the KitKat Club and Lola is a drag queen. All three songs are originally scored for varying sizes of orchestra.

With Every Breath I Take from 'City of Angels' (1989) - David Zippel (b1954) and Cy Coleman (1929-2004)

City of Angels is the only musical with lyrics by Zippel and music by Coleman, taking inspiration from the 1940’s with elements of jazz and golden age broadway, integrating two stories revolving around a writer and the screenplay he is writing; the song itself taking place in a flashback to introduce the character of Bobbi to the narrative, taking the role of a femme fatale. The song is a jazz ballad with an ABAA format, largely rubato in delivery through the sparse use of extended chords. Haunting melodies are paired with use of space to emphasise the melancholy. The song is also reprised as a duet in the second act between Bobbi and Stine. The musical won many awards at the time, including the Tony for Best Musical, but has been largely forgotten over time, only seeing a single West End transfer and one revival

Maybe This Time from 'Cabaret' (1966) - John Kander (b1927) and Fred Ebb (1928-2004)

The musical is based on the play “I Am A Camera” and the second of Kander and Ebb, between Flora, The Red Menace (1965) and The Happy Time (1967). At this point in the story, Sally has had sex with Cliff and has been given hope that she may finally find romance, but the text speaks to a wider sense of yearning for recognition. Lines like “Everybody loves a winner” speak to concepts of group appreciation and demonstrate an aspirational mindset towards the concept of celebrity. The song is characterised by a plodding harmonic bass and chromatic progression. The growing instrumental complexity and final verse key-change reflect the excitement and hope Sally feels. Cabaret is additionally set against the backdrop of Nazi Germany, rendering the song bittersweet as external factors stop the characters from being together. Cabaret was initially controversial due to some of its provocative content, but went on to run for over a thousand shows on Broadway, gaining a West End production and the famous film adaptation in 1972.

Hold Me In Your Heart from 'Kinky Boots' (2012) - Cyndi Lauper (b1953)

The musical was the first and only with music and lyrics written by Cyndi Lauper following a long line of success as a popular artist, adapted from the 2005 film of the same name and revolving around the story of a shoe factory that turns to creating high heels to save their factory. The song is sung to her father to convey how he was never accepting of her choice to be a drag queen. The musical style is largely inspired by 80’s pop with the song following pop ballad conventions, including numerous key changes throughout the AABCB structure driving towards the finale. This song mourns the loss of support in pursuit of your goals, overcoming those who doubt you. Kinky Boots initially saw mixed reviews, but went on to win six Tony Awards and gain countless global productions, cementing its legacy as a great modern musical.

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Aaliya Nadeem (voice), Theo Hosking (piano)

Diamonds are Forever (1971) - Shirley Bassey (b1937)

Diamonds are Forever was used for the 1971 Bond movie going by the same name and was sung by Shirley Bassey. The song was composed by Jon Barry and lyrics were written by Don Black which resulted in a strong melody line led by Shirley's strong vocals against the original arrangement in a large ensemble. The song's lyrics explore the idea that a woman needs nothing but her diamonds as they are more reliable than a lover and have nothing to hide or otherwise the song also opens itself up to more sexually suggestive undertones. Bassey took part in 3 Bond films in the late 20th Century, each time creating a perfect musical backdrop for the film's storyline and characters. This particular piece connects with the plot of the film by reflecting the lavish lifestyle portrayed in Las Vegas throughout the film. This song went on to have a positive reception from the Bond franchise lovers and went on to be one of the most defining overall, taking Shirley Bassey with it as she is now known for her iconic musical portrayal of the films.

Skyfall (2012) - Adele Atkins (b1988)

Skyfall by Adele was released in 2012 for that year’s addition to the James Bond collection of films. Having just released her second album, 21, She got to work writing a Bond song in time for the film’s release. We will be performing a piano reduction of the full orchestration, but this song lends itself particularly well to piano accompaniment. Adele has developed a name for writing and performing slow ballads, and even though Skyfall certainly showcases Adele’s unique compositional style, she has also cleverly used fragments of iconic musical material to truly set this song apart from her others as a Bond song in its own right. For example, Adele uses the iconic motif of 3 ascending semitones followed by 1 semitone back down in her accompaniment, which is a motif closely associated with the James Bond franchise. Also, the piece opens with a strong sustained minor 9 chord in the orchestra, a sound also very closely linked to the 007 franchise. This song had an excellent reception from critics, and won Adele the Academy Award for best original song, a Golden Globe as well as a Grammy. Its release certainly helped to elevate Adele’s celebrity status even further.

Writing's on the Wall (2015) - Sam Smith (b1992)

Writing’s on the Wall, written by Sam Smith and Jimmy Napes, was released in 2015 for the James Bond Film Spectre. Despite its mixed reception on release, Writing’s on the Wall became the first Bond theme to reach no.1 in the UK singles chart, and went on to win Sam Smith a Golden Globe for best original song, and an Academy Award as well. We will be performing a piano and solo vocal reduction of the full orchestral original score, attempting to cover the harmony of the accompaniment in a way in which nothing is missed out. The opening captures the essence of Bond excellently, with a full soaring orchestral motif, making use of the semitonal melodic line writing closely associated with the Bond soundworld. The first verse then begins with a sparse piano accompaniment, with the orchestra gradually coming in building up to full orchestra coming back in with a very grand accompaniment for the chorus. This track is a great example of how media exposure plays a huge part in the establishment of celebrity. Despite mixed reviews at the release, being associated with the 007 franchise has boosted Sam Smith’s celebrity image.

No Time to Die (2020) - Billie Eilish (b2001)

No Time to Die was released in 2020 in anticipation of the most recent of the 007 films. This piece was anticipated by fans of both the Bond franchise and Billie Eilish who it was originally sung by. Billie Eilish wrote the song alongside her brother Finneas O’connell who produced the track with Stephen Lipson. Eilish also had successful composer, Hans Zimmer orchestrate the piece for a full sized orchestra. The film No Time to Die has undertones of love and betrayal and in its entirety leaves a sense of regret and remorse behind it. To accompany these dark themes the song’s lyrics mainly focus on feelings from James Bond towards his love interest who he believes left him behind to die after he did so much to keep her safe. The song builds a heartbreaking atmosphere with its dramatic orchestration. When the song debuted it reached the top of the UK singles chart and became Eilish's first number-one in the UK and also went on to win a Grammy, Golden Globe, Critics' Choice Movie Award and an Academy Award. This boosted Billie Eilish’s career and her celebrity status became even more relevant than it was before.

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Miguel Giron-Salazar (electric guitar), Annecy Trott (voice), Jake Marshall (drum kit), Yaman Neng (electric bass)

Neon (live in LA) (2007) - John Mayer (b1977)

John Mayer is a 48-year-old American, Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. Most known for his popularised pop, rock and blues genres, he is also known for his profound dexterity in his guitar-playing abilities. He was educated at Berklee college of music before moving to Atlanta. He is respected amongst guitar legends like BB king and Eric Clapton. We chose John Mayer because he is an intermediary between Samara Joy and Laufey, as he is involved in both popular media (like Laufey) as well as having virtuosic approach to his guitar playing (like Samara Joy’s vocal style). His engagement with the media stemmed from his experience in the music industry and his virtuosic playing style song-writing skills. He quickly gained approval from many renowned musicians after the release of his award-winning album ‘Room for squares’, containing the song ‘neon’, rapidly achieving global recognition as a staple challenge in the guitar community. This engagement with the popular media was later expanded due to the shift in focus from his music to his private life. This includes details such as his dating history, (Taylor swift, Jennifer Aniston and Katy Perry), personal well-being (surgeries), and controversies (racially charged comments during an interview).

From The Start (2023) - Laufey (b1999)

Laufey, a 26-year-old Icelandic jazz pop singer/songwriter is a living example of Sharon Marcus’s model of celebrity, where her persona is involved in all three factors this this model. Her fan base, appropriately named the ‘Lauvers’, shows how the public plays a role in her celebrity status and allows Laufey to connect her artistry to her fans through a shared love of more classical jazz, romance, and timeless music. Her rise to fame was also partially due to her songs going viral in TikTok trends, possibly pushing her songwriting style into a more mainstream sphere, heavily reflecting the involvement of the media in her successful music career. Furthermore, she has collaborated with many other artists like KATSEYE, her twin sister (violinist), Steven Sanchez and D4VD, all who have also rapidly gained fame through their own use of social media. More recently, D4VD has been arrested and faced charges of murder, this has of course brought controversy to Laufey having collaborated with him. This brings in the final factor of Sharon Marcus’s model of celebrity, where Laufey was able to release a statement during this controversy, expressing her values, opinions, and speaking on her relationship with the accused artist.

Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?) (2021) - Samara Joy (1999)

Samara joy is a 26-year-old Grammy award winner, best known for her classic jazz repertoire and her arrangements of them. She has a rich tone, allowing her to deeply express certain emotions in her performances, ultimately leading to fans and critics referring to her as a ‘jazz diva’ in the 21st century. We see Samara joy as a parallel to the 20th century jazz and blues singer Bessie Smith, known as the Empress of the Blues. Bessie recorded with quintessential jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong, heavily integrating her into jazz culture, making her a major influence on future black female jazz artists. Bessie established a powerful vocal technique that blended various genres effectively. This brings us back to Samara Joy and her expertly developed vocal technique and style she uses in her performances, this was developed by her roots in gospel music, being educated at SUNY Purchase College's Conservatory of Music, bringing out her extensive contralto range. Despite having won 5 Grammys, she is not as mainstream as Laufey and John Mayer. This is due to her concentrating more on vocal agility and having an in depth focus on jazz, rather than appealing to mainstream media with more popular music.