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McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

Singer JoJo Siwa performs at Honda Center on August 13, 2019, in Anaheim, California.

You’ve got to be Jo-Joking!

Afton Ingraffia, Features Editor November 13, 2024

As the stage lights dim and the crowds anticipation increases, the media celebrity Jojo Siwa emerges in her extravagant and sparkly performance costume, embodying both adoration and outrage from her fans...

Tyler, the Creator headlines on the second night of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Indio, California.

Find your way home

Aika Villa, Page Designer November 8, 2024

A student was walking down the hallway early in the morning before the bell rang. They were looking at their phone realizing that Tyler the Creator’s “Chromakopia” was  out on Spotify. They have...

2023 was filled with many albums and music. Each month had their own best releases, but there are a few artists and songs that have stood out over the year as a whole.

2023: A year in review

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor January 11, 2024

2023 is coming to a close and it has been an eventful year. “A Tale As Old As Time”, “The Spongebob Musical”, summer break, football season, a red carpet homecoming– as we approach first semester...

MCHS's top songs of the year have been recognized and wrapped up for this year.

MCHS Wrapped

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor December 7, 2023

Spotify’s annual “Spotify Wrapped,” a tradition in which Spotify analyzes each listener's individual music habits and gives them their data, came out just last week. Listeners were delighted...

Messenger Mixtape Volume 2: Track 1 - “Meet Me In The Hallway” by Harry Styles

Messenger Mixtape Volume 2: Track 1 – “Meet Me In The Hallway” by Harry Styles

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor October 23, 2023

“The Messenger Mixtape” was a series of stories I developed last year, building a playlist in which the writers, editors and staff of the McHenry Messenger would submit songs for me to review....

Drake performs in concert at the Staples Center on Friday, October 12, 2018.

Review | Nothing is the same

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor October 17, 2023

Every Drake album cycle comes with the same promise that “this will be the return of the old Drake” and every album cycle comes with the same disappointment. His recent release, “For All The Dogs”...

Students dance and cheer each other on at last year's Homecoming dance on Oct. 8, 2022 in the Upper Campus main gym.

Playlist: A Messenger Homecoming

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor September 25, 2023

Arguably, the most important part of the atmosphere of Homecoming is the music.  Every year a healthy mix of 2010’s and late 2000’s pop and new radio hits get played at volumes that are (probably)...

From left, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg perform during halftime of Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13 2022, in Inglewood, California.

Review: 50 years, 50 rappers

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor August 31, 2023

2023 marks the 50 year anniversary of the most listened to genre in America. Born in clubs and DJ booths in The Bronx in New York City, rap has changed and evolved in many ways over those 50 years.  With...

Summer is one of the best times to listen to music since the songs we listen to most get tied to the memories we make and adventures we take.

Playlist: Summer sunshine sounds

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 25, 2023

With the 2022-2023 school year coming to an end, everyone is looking forward to the warm weather of summer break. Of course, no summer break is complete without some good music to go along with it,...

All musicians create demos, but most of those demos aren't meant for fans to enjoy. Streaming, though, has made it easier for for fans to find demos — and sites like Soundcloud have made it easier for leakers to share demos widely.

Demos, leaks and lost tracks

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 22, 2023

In the digital age it’s easy for music that artists never intended to release to be heard by general audiences. Every so often someone will get a hold of demos or unfinished tracks in mass quantities...

MCHS band Robot Man won the 2023 Battle of the Bands, played at the spring spirit rally and has become popular. The band will be releasing original music soon.

Robotman to drop first release

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 18, 2023

Local darlings Robotman burst onto the scene in early February to roaring applause. The group, composed of junior students Charlie Miller, Coco Levesque, and James Mihevic, would win the Battle Of The...

Messenger Mixtape Track 12: "I Know The End" by Phoebe Bridgers

Messenger Mixtape Track 12: “I Know The End” by Phoebe Bridgers

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 16, 2023

As the year comes to a close, so does The Mchenry Messenger. As seniors graduate and move on to their lives after high school, it felt right to have a specific theme for this final track on the mixtape...

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