Sunday, May 3

Second Take: Beyoncé’s recent ‘7/11,’ ‘Ring Off’ signal thematic shifts

Followers of Queen Bey everywhere, rejoice: There are two new tracks in town. On Friday, Beyoncé spontaneously dropped a music video for dance anthem “7/11” and the full track for “Ring Off” after short clips of both had leaked online. Read more...

Photo: Beyoncé released a music video for her new track “7/11” Friday without previous advertising. The music video currently has more than 20 million views on YouTube. (YouTube: Beyoncé)



Fifth annual KnockOut Poetry Jam to speak on mental health

For student poets like Eunice Gonzalez and Kevin Yang, writing poetry has a therapeutic value. On Tuesday in the Kerckhoff Grand Salon, seasoned and beginning poets alike will take the stage at the fifth annual KnockOut Poetry Jam, a noncompetitive performance organized by the Social Awareness Network for Activism through Art, a student group that uses art to raise awareness about social justice issues. Read more...

Photo: Through poetry, students will aim to raise awareness on mental health Tuesday at the KnockOut Jam, organized by Social Awareness Network for Activism Through Art (above). (Courtesy of Danielle Nguyen)



Across the Pond: Jamie T returns with more mature sound after five-year hiatus

There’s something about the British Isles that consistently produces musical greatness; it is inherent to the country, its people and its culture. Popular culture has been defined by bands and artists from the UK; they have consistently created new genres and musical subcultures – from the Beatles’ psychedelic rock in the ’60s all the way through to the explosion of dubstep and drum ‘n’ bass in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Read more...

Photo: After a five-year hiatus, British singer-songwriter Jamie T returns to the music scene in 2014 with the release of his album “Carry on the Grudge.”(High Road Touring)


Alum Michael Soll self-publishes first novel, ‘Scorched’

Between classes, UCLA alumnus Michael Soll navigated the stories that unfolded in his imagination. These thoughts often progressed to the next phases of Soll's writing processes, into his phone, then to his computer, on which he would write from his dorm room desk. Read more...

Photo: UCLA alumnus Michael Soll released his first novel, “Scorched” in October. The book has been ranked second on Amazon’s top free 100 list for Teen and Young Adult Action and Adventure. (Jintak Han/Daily Bruin)