My last column harped on my lack of excitement for Drake’s newest release, “For All the Dogs Scary Hours Edition,” but what I failed to talk about was the album I was most excited for: the legendary hip hop artist André 3000’s first ever solo album, “New Blue Sun.”
The new album marked a creative reawakening for half of the ‘90s hip-hop duo Outkast, as there was no rapping — or lyrics in general — on the masterpiece which mainly features André himself playing the flute. What originally drew me to the album, other than the name of the artist behind it, was the song titles. They are three to four times longer than your typical title, with each coming off as a statement or a story that André chose not to tell in a lyrical form.
Ahead of finals week, if anybody needs good background music to play, I would heavily suggest the masterpiece of melodic woodwind excellence.
After listening to “New Blue Sun” countless times, I headed home to Columbus with my girlfriend for Thanksgiving break. Given the location alone, that should tell you right where my family lands in terms of their ties to “The Game” that, in the words of commentator Gus Johnson, is practically the first playoff game of the college football season: the matchup between Ohio State and Michigan.
Before that, we had a great Thanksgiving dinner with family. Sadly, we had no mac and cheese this year, but the turkey exceeded expectations and the desserts pulled through with pumpkin pie and sweet potato casserole. However, with our bellies full, we started emotionally preparing ourselves for “The Game.”
After losses in back-to-back seasons, my family and I took our spots on the couch to cheer on our Buckeyes with what turned out to be false confidence. The first interception from Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord was spirit-breaking, but the second was spine-snapping as nobody in my family was able to muster any words for what seemed like hours.
I would love to say I have hope for next year, but with arguably the greatest offensive weapon to wear the scarlet and gray since the turn of the century, Marvin Harrison Jr., off to the NFL, it is hard to pinpoint any reason for optimism.
Now, back on campus, I am starting to recover mentally and emotionally from the loss, but it hasn’t been easy. As a basketball fan, watching both the Buckeyes and Bobcats (men’s and women’s) start to pick up steam has been great. Although I know any time my hometown team is brought up, the Wolverines will be haunting any conversation, regardless of the sport.
Overall, it has been a much needed break from school as we head into the final stretch of the year. I’m lucky enough to not have any in-person finals this semester, but as I study for my final projects and assignments, you can be certain that “New Blue Sun” is playing in my headphones.
Logan Adams is a sophomore studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Logan know by tweeting him @LoganA_NBA.
