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Inkspot

Whatever you are interested in, we've got it covered.

Inkspot

Whatever you are interested in, we've got it covered.

Inkspot

Writing music and inspiring people is my passion, its what I love to do, Benson Boone said in October 2023. 
Two years ago, the TikTok star turned American Idol drop out wasnt so sure.
Photo Courtesy: WB Music

Benson Boone: ‘American Idol’ exit to excellent EP ‘PULSE’ [review]

Inkspot Staff
Feb 14, 2024

It was Valentine’s Day 2021 when Katy Perry fell in love with Benson Boone during the 18-year-old’s audition for the nineteenth season of “American Idol.” Boone would punch his ticket to Hollywood, with judge Perry predicting to the up-coming singer, “I see you winning American Idol if...

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From guilty pleasures to surprising obsessions, our team looks at their top song of the year, peeling back the curtain on why their most-listened-to artists and songs racked up so many plays.
Screen Capture // NCHSinkspot Spotify

Behind the beats: The Inkspot staff’s 2023 Spotify Wrapped reveal

Inkspot Staff
Dec 19, 2023

Each year, Spotify takes us on a trip down musical memory lane with a look back at the songs, the albums and the artists we had on repeat.  When Spotify Wrapped hit the app on Wednesday, Nov. 29, recapping our most-played music, the Inkspot couldn't help but wonder if Wrapped really encapsulated...

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On the Spot: Unwrapped – Students, staff share their top Spotify streams of 2023

In this edition of On the Spot, the Inkspot asked: "What's on your Spotify Wrapped?" [video]
Spotify Wrapped, the streaming service’s annual recap of users’ most-played artists and songs, hit the app on Wednesday, Nov. 29. So the Inkspot hit the halls, asking students staff share their top Spotify streams of 2023
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Analog audiophiles’ playlist picks [Spotify Playlists]

Analog audiophiles’ playlist picks [Spotify Playlists]

Kirsten Santana, Senior Staff Reporter
Oct 4, 2023

Mr. Stefen Robinson, in his interview for the Inkspot article 'Vinyl Revival' commented he “occasionally [likes] listening to curated playlists, especially when a friend makes it for me,” Robinson said. “You know, that's beautiful.” The Inkspot tasked Robinson and the two other main sources...

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No mixed emotions: 20 picks for the perfect love song playlist

No mixed emotions: 20 picks for the perfect love song playlist

Once upon a time, to make someone a mixtape meant hours of dedication -- waiting in front of the radio for a certain song to come on, pressing record just after the opening notes played, inevitably cutting off a few seconds of the song. Each song was unique -- intros clipped, the DJs voiceover bleeding...

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Sounds Off: Top 10 movie soundtrack songs

Sounds Off: Top 10 movie soundtrack songs

Kelsey Kern and Hannah Kocar
Feb 13, 2023

James Cameron’s epic, action-packed "Titanic" returns to theaters Friday, February 10, in celebration of the film’s 25th anniversary.  The box office sensation — a tragic romance set aboard the largest moving object ever built — the “unsinkable” RMS Titanic, hits theaters in 3D 4K High...

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No mixed emotions

No mixed emotions

20 picks for the perfect love song playlist

John, Paul, George and Ringo thought it was all we needed; Whitney Houston’s was undying. Rihanna and Calvin Harris found it. Elvis couldn’t help falling in it… Love. On top, in the future… Crazy in it. From “Love Shack” to “Love Story,”—we love songsabout love. Endless love,...

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Off the Record: Top 10 Taylor Swift Tracks

Off the Record: Top 10 Taylor Swift Tracks

Jan 4, 2023

In honor of the release of Taylor Swift’s 10th original studio album, “Midnights,” Senior Staff Reporters Tyler Chapman and Marielsie Iglesias rank their Top 10 Swift songs in the first edition of “Off the Record.” The Inkspot staffers pressed shuffle--diving into the pop diva’s discography....

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Homecoming 2021 student suggestion playlist

Homecoming 2021 student suggestion playlist

The Ironmen let us know what they wanted to hear at Homecoming 2021 -- take a listen to the playlist
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Two takes on One Direction

Two takes on One Direction

Charlotte Calmes is an O.G 1D fan; Kelsey Kern is a recent convert -- the two Inkspot staffers share their love of One Direction
Charlotte Calmes and Kelsey Kern
Mar 6, 2021

One Direction.  When those two magical words are spoken, they have the power to make minds jump to the products of the group's instant "X-Factor" successes. Songs like "What Makes You Beautiful" or "One Thing." Or to chart-topping singles -- "Sign of the Times" and "Slow Hands" -- songs that gave...

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While the Grammy Awards have been postponed, take a look at the Inkspots picks for the best albums of 2020

2020: Monumental year in music

Top albums of 2020
Charlotte Calmes, Editor-in-Chief
Feb 1, 2021

2020 was a monumental year in music. While the pandemic, political turmoil, and the underlying uncertainty in nearly every aspect of life could have served as distractions and hampered creativity --  artists did what they have always done best. They prevailed, releasing career-defining masterpieces...

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Fleetwood Mac vinyl records, including Tusk (1979), Mirage (1982) and Tango in the Night (1987), are now sold at Walmart in Normal.

“Dreams” awakens new generation of Fleetwood Mac fans

Charlotte Calmes, Editor-in-Chief
Dec 18, 2020

A TikTok video set to a single from 1977 propelled a 90-year-old cranberry juice company and a band that has been around for more than half a century into the spotlight.  When 38-year-old Nathan Apodaca posted a video to TikTok from a sunset longboard ride, lip-syncing “Dreams” and drinking Ocean...

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The $4.99 EP reached 27 on the iTunes US Albums charts the day of its release.

Wallows ‘Remote’ EP review : L.A trio still upbeat, more produced on quarantine recording

Hannah Kocar, Senior Staff Reporter
Nov 23, 2020

With daylight saving time stealing the sunlight from the day, summer feels out of reach. But with Wallows’ latest release, “Remote,” listeners will no doubt feel like it’s July again. The upbeat six-song EP from the alternative rockers gives listeners that “summer drive -- windows down, music...

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Taylor Swifts Folklore: new sound adds to artists lore [review]

Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’: new sound adds to artist’s lore [review]

Charlotte Calmes, Editor-in-Chief
Jul 28, 2020

To say that Taylor Swift has made a name for herself within the music industry would be an understatement. Swift has practically dominated the genres of pop, country, and rock, and fans like me have grown to love her ever-evolving style. But when the artist abruptly announced on July 23 via social...

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MIX host Chris Petlak on air from his wifes closet during the Illinois Stay at Home order

Adding a closet into the MIX: ISU alum on radio hosting during COVID

Olivia Plangger and Mantra Dave
Jul 15, 2020

Shifting from a spacious radio studio to a close-quarters closet did not faze Chris Petlak, host of Chicago's 101.9 THE MIX's evening radio programming when the Stay at Home order was issued in March. Although the circumstances looked unusual, Petlak's wife's closet's sound quality was the best his home...

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