Features Music News Why It Mattered: Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black by Tammy Moir Amy Winehouse painted a portrait of heartbreak, addiction, and self-doubt When Back to Black arrived in 2007, it wasn’t just an album—it was a cultural moment. More than the accolades…
Music News Why It Mattered: Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ by Tammy Moir Parton’s masterful storytelling and emotional honesty, born from a moment of jealousy, have cemented ‘Jolene’ as a country masterpiece Dolly Parton‘s ‘Jolene’ recently claimed the coveted number one spot on…
Features Music News Why It Mattered: The Beach Boys ‘Pet Sounds’ and the orchestration of teenage angst by Tammy Moir Few will argue that this is the greatest Beach Boys album ever recorded, we delve into why Pet Sounds is so iconic The Beach Boys, synonymous with California sunshine, surfboards,…
Features Music Why It Mattered: Isyana’s genre blurring ‘Isyana” by Tammy Moir Released in May of this year, “Isyana” is a genre-blurring, modern musical masterpiece. SXSW Sydney 2023 is rolling into town, bringing a wave of musical talent to Australian shores. Among…
Features Music Why it mattered: Lorde’s ‘Pure Heroine’ by Tom Disalvo In honour of New Zealand music month, Happy Mag is taking a look back at one of the country’s shiniest anti-pop stars. Nearing a decade since its release, Lorde’s 2013…
Features Music News Why It Mattered: Buddy Guy’s Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues by Happy Buddy Guy’s album Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues is a commercial comeback masterpiece that earned him the recognition he deserved after a decade-long hiatus from recording his own music….
News Why It Mattered: Beck’s ‘Sea Change’ by Tammy Moir With its raw emotion, introspective lyrics, and haunting melodies, Beck’s “Sea Change” is an album that has captivated listeners for years and continues to be a touchstone in his extensive…
Features Music Why it mattered: Lucinda Williams’ ‘Car Wheels on a Gravel Road’ by Tom Disalvo Lucinda Williams takes to the road, recounts her heartache and births a new genre on Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, a seminal album that turns 25 this year. Often,…
Features Music Why it mattered: Frank Ocean’s ‘Channel Orange’ by Tom Disalvo More than a decade on from its release, we’re taking a look back at Frank Ocean’s seminal, near-mythical debut studio album, Channel Orange. When Frank Ocean dropped his debut studio…
Features Music News Manic Street Preachers – ‘The Holy Bible’: Why It Mattered by James Peppercorn The Holy Bible from Manic Street Preachers is a document of pure truths, showing us our world’s horrors and failings in their most confronting form. CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses…
Features Wu-Tang Clan – ‘Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)’: Why It Mattered by Happy Here’s what went into making Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), regarded as one of the touchstones of hip-hop. By Oliver Newland and Anthony Sfirse With the golden age…
Features Kendrick Lamar – ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’: Why It Mattered by Dave Stano We take a look back at Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, one of hip-hop’s most unique, stylistically diverse, and dense records. Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, released in 2015,…
Features Cat Stevens – ‘Tea for the Tillerman’: Why It Mattered by Dan Shaw Cat Stevens was already recognised as a prodigious songwriting talent, but with Tea for the Tillerman, he elevated his art to a new level, with a fresh and simple approach….
