Riley Combes

A&E 9/27/23 12:11am

Review: Chappell Roan’s debut seeks solace on the dance floor

By Riley Combes

Small town girl seeks stardom in the big city: It’s a trope as old as time in the entertainment industry. Crafting an exciting narrative using this theme often requires an artist willing to subvert expectations or chart new ground. Chappell Roan’s debut full-length album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” proves the power of the latter, recounting a journey to queer self-affirmation through campy pop bangers and confessional ballads that express the conflicted comfort of finding solace far from home. 

A&E 2/15/22 11:43pm

Review: Toni Morrison’s re-released ‘Recitatif’ is as relevant now as ever

By Riley Combes

Late last year, the metastasizing effort by school boards across the country to ban certain books from school curricula, many of which were written by queer and/or BIPOC authors, rose to the forefront of American politics. Glenn Youngkin, Virginia’s then-conservative gubernatorial candidate and now governor as well as Rice alumnus, supported the effort to excise Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer-Prize winning masterpiece, “Beloved,” from students’ required reading. In response, Democratic incumbent Terry McAullife’s campaign began handing out free copies of the novel at his rallies. It didn’t win him the election, but it did bolster a burgeoning countermovement to ensure that Morrison’s work retained its legacy as being among the most essential literature ever crafted. And so now we have “Recitatif,” again. 

A&E 11/10/21 1:30am

Review: ‘Something for Thee Hotties’ is an ode to Megan Thee Stallion’s fans

By Riley Combes

Megan Thee Stallion has had an eventful last couple of years. From her skyrocketing fame to the loss of both her mother and grandmother in the same month in 2019 to being shot by Tory Lanez and releasing her debut album in 2020, her rapid rise to stardom has not been spared from tragedy. She’s always used her music as a means to address these highs and lows and has a loyal fanbase, the “Hotties,” to support her through them all. It’s fitting, then, that her first major body of work released in 2021 is an ode to these fans, a mixtape of freestyles and unreleased tracks aptly titled “Something For Thee Hotties.” The collection serves as a testament to her immense talent and rapid rise to fame, a project that encapsulates everything that has led her to this point in her career while thanking her fans every step of the way.