Entertainment

Ahdre "Dre" Richards aka “NHC Dre” started his rap career at the very young age of 10, while a devoted Christian. During this period of his life Richards lived in Monessen, but he soon made the move to Belle Vernon, still attending his church, Union Baptist of Monessen and was even the choir leader at this impressive young age. Unfortunately, his church closed down during the start of the pandemic. Richards said he has drifted away from his religious beliefs at this current period of his life, but he feels he possibly may rekindle that devotion later down his path.

Moving a little further down his timeline, Richards recorded his first song in eighth grade named “Shoota”. His first taste of feedback was not good, Richards says, “It was very bad. This guy in my comments said 'just cause school isn't for some people doesn't mean music is.' That comment definitely stuck with me.

Now Richards is a senior, pumped with his dedication to recording and making new tracks like “Remember (51 diss)”. This song is now sitting at 4,000 views on SoundCloud and close to 1,000 on YouTube. Richards' feedback has improved tenfold, with not only close friends stating the song was good, but from the audience it reached. Others started to pay attention. Richards hopes he can soon finish the song he has been working on, “Dilemma”. At this point in his new career, Richards feels there is only one way to go, up.

It's back on! The popular singing competition, American Idol, has returned for its 20th season with judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Ryan Seacrest hosting. The top 24 contestants have been selected, and they are now battling to see who is number 1. The top 24 were given the opportunity to perform at the Aulani Disney Resort in Hawaii. Junior Lacey Bubarth who is excited for the this season says, “I really like this season, but I was kind of annoyed when they didn’t give the one artist I liked any screen time.”

The competition started to heat up as the top 14 were picked, then three talented people were eliminated from the competition, and most recently, the top 10 singers remain in the competition. Soon it will be seven, then five, then the top three. There are six rounds left in the show until the finale where only one talented singer will be crowned America's next idol. America’s votes, trips, and singing have entertained audiences as the show's contestants get eliminated and the fans at home can only hope their vote helps their favorite singer move on to the final rounds. Fans who want to know who will be the next American Idol can watch the show on Sunday and Monday nights at 8:00 p.m.

Welcome and come on in! After concluding the Fine Line era, Harry Styles is releasing his third album titled, Harry’s House. The album comes out on May 20, releasing 13 new tracks. Styles announced the new studio album on March 25, via all social media platforms. While working on the new album, Styles has also been busy starring and acting in two new movies called Don't Worry Darling and My Policeman.

Devoted fans have been predicting the release of a new album for a long time now. Styles has been giving them a tease of some new material by creating a website, Twitter page, and Instagram page called You Are Home. While posting on You Are Home, different doors are posted with various backgrounds, possibly hinting at song titles. On the journey to the release date of the Harry’s House album, Styles released his first single off of the new album called “As It Was” which has taken the world by storm and is still number one in every single pop chart. Senior Ashlyn Radocaj, exclaims, “I saw him live back in October and it was the best concert ever! I can’t wait to hear his new album and possibly see him again!”

Music lovers everywhere go ballistic as Record Store Day returns. Record Store Day is an annual event, initially beginning in 2007, held on a Saturday every April and every Black Friday in November. This year, the beloved day took place on Saturday, April 23. This specific day was created to celebrate and commemorate the culture of locally-owned record stores. Essentially, it is a day where limited release records are put out for sale. Various artists utilize this day to release new albums as well as re-release old albums - sometimes that can mean a new color scheme, or an alternate cover. What makes this day so highly anticipated is that every single record that is released on Record Store Day is a special edition. Only a select amount of copies are pressed and distributed. Therefore, after Record Store Day, they are not made again, creating the opportunity for some copies to become extremely rare. This element is another factor why the day draws in numerous collectors and vinyl enthusiasts.

Large chain stores are not allowed to participate, only locally-owned stores can be on the list. It is a long process to get on and receive the limited releases, making it less common for locations to host Record Store Day. Fortunately, CD Warehouse, located in Greensburg, is newer to the event, waiting 10+ years to get on the list, but in the past two years they have attracted a large crowd. Senior Kate McVay has been working at CD Warehouse for the past couple years and Record Store Day is one of her favorite days to work. She stated, “I enjoy Record Store Day because it is a fun-filled day and it brings new people into the store.” Overall, the day brings together fans, artists, and thousands of independent record stores around the world. Although Record Store Day is over, you can still support your locally-owned CD Warehouse all year.