This October 9th marks the beginning of the Harriman-Jewell Series’s 62nd Season. Founded in 1965 by William Jewell College professors Richard Harriman and Dean Dunham, the series brought the world’s finest performing arts to the Kansas City community. Now, over 6 decades after its founding, the Harriman Jewell Series continues the legacy of Richard Harriman with this year’s world-renowned lineup; Patrick Page, Les Arts Florissants, Wynton Marsalis, Lang Lang, Audra McDonald, and more. From the Baroque era to Broadway, piano to pirouettes, there’s something for everyone at one of this year’s twelve performances. Shows will be held in the historic Folly Theater and also Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 

One of the benefits of being a student at William Jewell College is access to free tickets for Harriman-Jewell Series events. To pick up tickets for these performances, stop by the Series Box Office in the Yates-Gill College Union, room 107B (right across from the cafeteria). Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see world-renowned performers in Kansas City’s most iconic venues for FREE! 

Summer brings nostalgia for many people. Whether it’s going on vacation with family or attending summer camps with friends, memories of this time are often cherished. Another key point to this season is the music we listen to and what we deem our soundtrack for the summer. Every year the listening vibe changes based on artists and mood. Last summer it was the song “Ordinary” by Alex Warren, and the year before that it was “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter. These songs are very different from one another, but they still fall under the pop category. “Ordinary” is very emotional and is an outpouring of the singer’s feelings for his significant other, where “Espresso” is more of a fun and upbeat tune that makes people want to dance. With both of these exciting hits, what will the next Summer showstopper be?

Olivia Rodrigo’s new album “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” is set to be released on June 12, and is already showing a lot of promise. Rodrigo released a single titled “Drop Dead” from the album earlier this year and it grew in popularity quickly. With this single climbing the charts, and the success she gained from her last two albums, it is safe to assume she could have one of the leading sounds this Summer. It is also likely that the trends will stay consistent with the pop theme that has been present in previous years. 

My favorite album to listen to during the summer is Staying at Tamara’s by George Ezra. This album was released in 2018, and it has not failed me for a summer yet. The mood is slower with a more mellow feeling throughout the album. Ezra uses storytelling along with an acoustic sound to paint the listener a picture of a blissful time. My personal favorite to listen to with my windows rolled down on a nice summer outing is “Shotgun.” It talks about a simple life where the only thing the singer is worried about is riding in the front seat of a car on a beautiful day. This album is the perfect way to start a summer road trip or barbeque with friends and family. As I said before, summer brings many memories, and music holds a lot of memories as well. Therefore, instead of only playing the new hits this June, it might do us some good to hear from previous artists that have paved the way for new summer hits. All in all, when it comes time in a couple weeks, you better believe I will be riding shotgun and listening to my hit sounds for the summer.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in an Apr. 24 print edition of the Monitor.

After a four-year hiatus, the “Baby” singer is back, better than ever…with YouTube Premium. At Coachella’s grand stage, Justin Bieber became one of the highest-paid artists ever to perform at the festival, earning $10 million between two weekends. Rocking baggy jorts and a T-shirt, Justin revisited old songs and memories while sitting on a stool, laptop open, searching his old music videos and memes on YouTube, where he started it all. While some complained that the performance was “lazy,” others believed it was a night of time travel full of reminiscing about adolescent years.

Songs from his SWAG album, like “All I Can Take” and “Go Baby,” kicked off the night. The middle was dedicated to that thirteen-year-old bedroom, where you danced in front of the mirror with a hairbrush in hand, featuring some Bieber favorites: “Favorite Girl,” “Never Say Never,” “That Should Be Me” and the golden, but never forgotten, melody of “Baby.” Bieber further surprised the audience by bringing The Kid LAROI onstage—marking his first Coachella appearance—as the two performed their hit collaboration “Stay.” Alongside performing covers of songs by Chris Brown and Ne-Yo, the 32-year-old singer also invited guest artists such as Dijon, Wizkid, Tems and Mk.gee to join. Whether critics hated or loved it, Bieber returns to headline the final weekend of Coachella after he made $5.04 million in merchandise sales the weekend prior. All in all, it can be confirmed that the teenage heartthrob is back and better than ever.

While Bieber stamped his night with old YouTube clips, other performers made history in other ways. Kacey Musgraves returned with a brand-new hit, “Middle of Nowhere.” Friday night’s headliner, Sabrina Carpenter, was joined by Will Ferrell, Samuel L. Jackson and Susan Sarandon; cameos that made Variety scratch their head, but fans deemed it as “iconic.” The all-Filipina-girl group, Bini, became the first Filipino act at Coachella, bringing down the house in shiny boots, ruffled skirts, energetic vibes and fierce attitudes. While the average ticket was priced at $649, and resale costs skyrocketed to $5,000, the sold-out 2026 Coachella performance delivered three unforgettable weekends for fans and the celebrities that attended, posing the question of what will be in store for 2027.

Simone’s Playlist Suggestions (Coachella-inspired):

1. All I Can Take – Justin Bieber
2. Stay – Justin Bieber, the Kid LAROI
3. Things You Do – Justin Bieber
4. Baby – Justin Bieber
5. Beauty and a Beat – Justin Bieber
6. Confident – Justin Bieber
7. Yukon – Justin Bieber
8. Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
9. Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido – KAROL G
10. Break It Off – PinkPantheress
11. Middle of Nowhere – Casey Musgraves
12. Talk Down – Dijon
13. No Type – Swae Lee
14. Bad Dreams – Teddy Swims
15. RATHER BE – GIVĒON
16. Bad Bad Bad – Young Thug, Lil Baby
17. Lover Girl – Laufey
18. Sailor Song – Gigi Perez
19. Gabriela- KATSEYE
20. Sprinter – Central Cee, Dave