Carly Bogie is a TikToker, Spotify playlist curator, and music lover. I first stumbled across Carly on TikTok (@hahakcoolgtgbye), where she was showing her audience a playlist she had made. I’ve been following her for months as her following has increased and so has her quality of content. Carly has amassed over 66 thousand followers on TikTok, and her Spotify closely follows that number, clocking in at over 65 thousand followers. With over 200 public playlists, some with thousands of followers, encapsulating themes from Harry Potter houses, colors and enneagram placements, Carly has perfected the art of making playlists.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Carly and talking about all things music.
What inspired you to start making music TikToks? And what came first: your TikTok or your music Instagram?
I’ve always been someone who really loves music and I love talking about music and finding new artists… and sharing new music with my friends. And it kind of got to the point where I was like, I’m talking to my friends so much about music, like, they’re probably getting so annoyed, it’d be fun to have an outlet where I can… do that. And me and one of my friends were kind of joking around and being like, oh, like, let’s see, like, who can get famous on TikTok first, but then I started posting stuff about music and a few of them… kind of took off a little bit. And I was like, oh, there’s a place for this… I can start doing this more and people are… interested in what I have to say… So that was really cool. It kind of just came out of nowhere, like I wasn’t really expecting anything to come out of it. But it’s been…a super cool experience. […] And then yeah, my music Instagram kind of came… a few months into it. I think I just wanted… a place where I could talk more about it. And I think it was around the time where like, people were like, “Oh is TikTok going to be like taking down?…” And so I.. decided that like, the next step could be a music Instagram. And that’s been super nice. Because, like, I don’t know, I’d also been getting a lot of DMs from artists or people like you, who wanted to talk about music and stuff. So it’s nice to have a place on Instagram to do that.
I follow another music TikToker who has a Patreon, where you can pay to have her make a playlist for you. Would that be something you ever are interested in doing? Or has there been any other opportunities that have come from this that you haven’t expected? Or are you mainly just doing it for fun?
I guess the things that I’ve done that are more like, people ask me to do stuff… is more like promoting people’s music or… adding it to my playlist or talking about it on TikTok or Instagram or stuff like that. So yeah, that’s all been stuff I never expected… to come into. I’ve been approached by some record labels… who have asked to work with me. Like, that’s all been stuff I never expected. I never expected to be a part of the music industry in that way. It’s been a super cool experience.
So you go to college right, and what’s your major, is it related to the stuff you’re doing with music and TikTok?
I’m actually a chemical engineering major. So like, my major is completely outside of what I do with music and stuff. I guess music and making playlists, especially at first, was just kind of … a creative outlet. In high school, I did a lot more art along with the science and stuff. But in college, I hadn’t been able to do that as much. Making playlists is a way to like, have that creative outlet that I could do while still focusing on school and stuff. So it’s, yeah, it’s very much a separate part of what I’m studying. But now that I’ve gotten more into it, I have started to consider, like, career wise, this is something I could do. I have some opportunities within the music industry. Yeah, we’ll see.
Your Tik Tok blew up before your Spotify. Did you gain a lot of Spotify followers from this?
Yeah, I guess they kind of blew up around the same time. Like, from my TikTok people went straight to my Spotify because like that’s what it was all about.
Which of your own playlists do you like to listen to the most? I feel like a lot of what you do is you’re making things for like other people but what’s the one that you personally gravitate to more?
It really depends. I go through phases of liking different things. I have the main emoji ones (see below) which are ones I’ll normally turn on if I just, like, want something easy to listen to in the car or whatever. My playlist “song of the day” that’s not as much a curated playlist it’s more just the songs I really like at the moment. […] I really like to have ones that are for the specific moods I’m feeling.
Carly’s “emoji” playlists
Do you have any music like guilty pleasures?
I am a huge One Direction fan. Like, probably way too much. And it always makes me laugh because like, I … have like thousands of followers on Spotify who can see what I’m listening to… and I’m supposed to be like this cool indie music person. But I feel like half of the time I just shuffle One Direction.
How much time do you spend making TikToks and Spotify playlists?
It really depends. So normally, I just listen to music throughout the day. So, I’m constantly updating playlists, and listening to new stuff. So that’s the kind of stuff I do like, while I’m working at school or studying. And then I try to do TikTok stuff or Instagram stuff for about an hour. …Yeah, it really depends. On weekends I have more time to do stuff like that.
Your favorite band is Hippo Campus, what is your favorite song by them? I know there’s so many to choose from but are there any that stick out to you?
Yeah, the one I normally say is “Bambi.” I love that song a lot. The lyrics are just so good. And I have a lot of good memories associated with it. That’s probably my favorite. But I also like “Baseball” and “Golden” on occasion. Like sometimes I’ll say those but like, I feel like “Bambi” is the one that sticks with me the most.
I’ll be the first to admit it; I am not a big Jasiah listener. That being said, I love Denzel Curry and can get behind a lot of Rico Nasty’s discography, so when “Art of War” dropped on June 4th, I was intrigued. After listening many times and looking more into Jasiah’s other popular songs, I’ve formed my complete take on this track.
Simply put, everyone on this track goes in. “Art of War” is truly hard and the ZillaKami influence is clearly present. As a whole, the song brings a high power alarm-based beat with supporting instrumentals, many lyrics that pack a punch (or something a bit more serious), and the expected yelling from Jasiah.
Curry’s verse is perhaps my favorite on the track. From religious mythology to Dragon Ball, his references are bountiful. His signature fast-paced flow is clean and smooth and he was certainly the right choice for Verse One.
Rico Nasty plays a downright hater on her verse and she fully executes the role. She brings high energy, high vocals, and pure talent that really round out the song.
Jasiah is responsible for the intro with Curry, the pre-chorus, and the chorus. All three are enjoyable, though I do wish he’d had an additional verse to tack on after Curry and Rico’s verses. What is present on the song, however, is seamless and fun.
“Art of War” is a driving song, party track or generally hype play. Jasiah, Curry and Rico are a trio that fit well together and I look forward to the potential of hearing more from them. I’ll have to listen to more solo Jasiah, too.
The day that Lorde fans have been waiting for has finally arrived: new Lorde music. After nearly four years without any new music, and with her general absence from the internet, Lorde fans have been aching for any hint of a return. There was even a ruckus when she rebooted her onion rings review Instagram account.
There have been stirrings on the internet for a while that she might come back this summer, and the other day when the album cover was posted by Jack Antonoff (her producer and long-time collaborator) on Instagram, fans knew her return was imminent. With the title “Solar Power,” and Lorde’s connection to nature (see: her trip to Antarctica), there was an assumption that the song would come out on June 21st, the day of the summer solstice.
On Thursday, June 11th there began to be rumors that the song was coming out that day at 6pm EST. This caused a panic, and there were even a few short minutes where the song was available to stream on Amazon Music, Tidal and Apple Music multiple hours before the supposed release. The song was quickly removed, but leaks spread like wildfire because of this error.
With backing vocals from Claire Cottrill (better known as Clairo) and Phoebe Bridgers, Lorde has branched out in a lot of ways. The track is mellow and happy, distinguishing itself from her past work, which is often introspective and moody.
In an email to her mailing list, she told fans that “Solar Power” was also the name of the album. She described the upcoming album as a “celebration of the natural world.” She also said that fans should “look to the natural calendar for clues” about when she might drop her album. Immediately, fans began looking up when the next solar and lunar events were, scrambling to figure out when it may come.
If we know one thing, it’s that this Lorde era is going to be unlike anything she’s ever done before.
The new moon is a time to reflect and set intentions for the month to come. This month I found so many new artists and it was an amazing time for new releases. I hope to continue to listen to great new music, but also go back and revisit old favorite artists and find new bangers.
I made a mix of new releases to refresh your queue. There are some older songs sprinkled in to ground you, but I included a bunch of June releases (including new Lorde that just dropped) to kick start this new moon.
JBrekkies’ new album “Jubilee” has been on my radar for a while with the singles “Be Sweet” and “Posing in Bondage”. The whole album is amazing but “Paprika” might be my favorite right now. Frontwoman Michelle’s vocals shine on this track. The big band instrumental lifts the entire song. This is something I will be listening to for the rest of the summer.
Moon – Bachelor (Jay Som and Palehound)
The brainchild of Jay Som and Palehound AKA Bachelor might be the best musical project to come out of 2021. Their album “Doomin’ Sun” is full of hits, with punk and garage influences. “Moon” is grungy with delicate vocals. This soft rock hit is a great driving song.
Hocus Pocus – Summer Salt
This new single from surf rock legends Summer Salt is giving me witchy energy. I love how tranquil the track is with heavenly vocals and chill guitar. “Hocus Pocus” is a perfect track to calm your mind. I’m looking forward to their whole album, “Sequoia Moon”.
I hope your new moon is fulfilling and your queue never runs dry.
If you’re like me, you despised “Let’s Rock,” The Black Keys’ most recent album behind “Delta Kream.” It lacked all the gritty, garage blues of their previous releases, and seemed to indicate that the rock duo was moving closer and closer to pop. Needless to say, I was not necessarily looking forward to listening to “Delta Kream,” thinking it would be comprised of the same kind of stuff.
Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised. “Delta Kream” could not be more different than their previous album. It’s a magnificent homage to the Mississippi Delta blues that Patrick Carney (drums) and Dan Auerbach (voice & guitar) drew their original musical inspiration from. Comprised of covers from classic artists like R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough and Johnny Lee Hooker, it’s a masterpiece of slow, crawling blues. In fact, Burnside’s bassist (Eric Deacon) and Kimbrough’s slide guitarist (Kenny Brown) play alongside the duo throughout the entire album.
Recorded in just ten hours at Auerbach’s Nashville studio, it has the spontaneous energy of a jam session, rather than a meticulous, drawn-out album. Studio chatter and little mistakes fill the gaps between songs, reminiscent of a true rock ‘n roll spirit. You can tell that there were no rehearsals and little planning, just a group of amazing musicians coming together. Nevertheless, each song is incredibly nuanced. The addition of Deacon and Brown creates a sound that is wonderfully layered and free-flowing, unlike the usual hard-hitting simplicity of the Black Keys’ work. Though I’m a real sucker for their original sound, “Delta Kream” is a refreshing pull in a new, yet classic, direction.
Some would argue that there’s not much variation between the songs, but it is a tried and true tribute to country blues. Many of the tracks are classics that have been covered and re-covered for decades. Originally performed by Big Joe Williams (but made famous by Johnny Lee Hooker) “Crawling Kingsnake” is made into a muddy, six-minute-long jam, contrasting the twangy ’60s rock version by The Doors. “Going Down South,” a Burnside track, stands out with a rare falsetto appearance from Auerbach and some truly amazing sliding guitar work.
You can really sense how passionate Carney and Auberach are about country blues, especially the work of Junior Kimbrough. Their 2006 album “Chulahoma” is comprised entirely of his work, and “Delta Kream” is nearly the same. The song “Do the Romp,” one of Kimbrough’s originals, also appeared on The Black Keys’ first album. It’s incredible to hear the difference in their style and how they’ve matured after nearly two decades of fame.
Yes, better covers of the songs in “Delta Kream” exist. It is certainly not the best blues album in the world, but The Black Keys’ spirit and passion is tangible. It’s clear that their hearts lie with country blues, and they sure are good at it.
Ah yes…an internet rave…the seventh circle of pandemic “hell.”
Upon first glance, a Zoom call and a rave may sound like they are on opposite ends of the human interaction scale. However, after attending my first Zoom rave, I can assure you they are far more similar than not.
Last Friday and Saturday, I attended two back to back Zoom raves organized by Bien Agiter, a nightclub based in Vancouver, Canada. Embarrassingly, these events came to my attention because of my TikTok For You Page which has gotten scarily accurate in the past few months. What initially drew me in was that rave-goers could win prizes for being the most “on-theme” with their attire (I really like winning prizes).
The first night, the theme was “Pink and Silky” but the second night, which I was most excited for, was “Hackers” themed. Friday night I was pretty nervous before I logged on, as I had absolutely no clue what to expect. I ended up signing on 30 minutes after 11pm, the expected start time. Unexpectedly, I was one of the first people on the call because, in typical rave fashion, there were “technical difficulties.”
Looking at all of the individuals present at the rave, I immediately felt at home. The organizers, DJs and ravers were all so welcoming and it was obvious that this was a safe space for all kinds of people. My screen looked like a kaleidoscope of beautiful people, neon lights, and moving backgrounds. To put it simply, it was beautiful.
In terms of the music, DJs from all around the world tuned into the event to perform 30-minute sets. The sets were primarily electronic and no different from what you would see at a pre-pandemic rave. Since the event was online it allowed a lot more freedom in terms of who was able to perform and attend. It also gave rave goers the opportunity to go all out with their attire, as there was far less external social pressure to present a certain way.
While Bien Agiter did an absolutely fabulous job putting this event together, there is something to be said for in-person raves. Yes, the music was great and the energy was high. However, there is a sense of camaraderie that comes with being around a group of people that simply can not be replicated via a computer screen.
All in all, internet raves truly are a blast. They are a great way to enjoy live DJs sets from the comfort of your own home and see DJs from around the world perform. Even with the current state of technology, I don’t see them overtaking in person raves anytime soon. However, I am not saying never.
