It started with a promo of RuPaul’s Drag Race. In a pink, flowing Roman princess gown draped out from the arms, Roxxxy Andrews fawns herself with a large golden fan in front of four pillars with pegasuses flying around her. Her blonde hair fans out from her golden brown face, and black eyeliner and lashes hide the color of her irises.
Music is a universal language. Of its many genres, one sticks out among the rest: jazz. The sound is crisp, coolness personified. Jazz was created by Black Americans in New Orleans, Louisiana’s red-light district in the 1920s. It quickly became the ambient art form of its time. In honor of Black History Month, I have compiled a selection of 10 jazz songs to add to your musical palate.
With some of the biggest hip-hop heavyweights combining forces to put on a performance, it’s like the Avengers assembled on stage.
Imagine you are sitting on your couch on a romantic Valentine's Day, flipping through channels or scrolling through streaming apps. One genre is prevalent across all platforms: romance movies. They are everywhere but nothing can beat the carefully crafted formula of Valentine’s Hallmark movies. Filled with C-list actors, cliche plot lines, and over-the-top romance, what more can you ask for?
In a room attached to the kitchen of Erica Robinson Moody’s home sits two salon chairs. A cabinet is filled with different colored hair dyes, an apron hangs on a hook near a large mirror and products stand in single-file lines on the counters. Her son, Brooklyn Moody, sits in a salon chair where his mom said he often falls asleep, while she takes a comb, twirls it tightly on a small section of his hair and creates a tight, springy curl an inch or two in length. Dozens of these curls lie across his head. Brooklyn’s hairstyle takes 45 minutes to style this way, and the style only stays for about a week — a reality for biracial hair.
Chicago-based actor E.M. Davis remembers entering their freshman year at Ball State as a “wannabe actor.” Davis wanted to major in acting in college, but they had some discouraging conversations about becoming an actor with previous high school teachers and family members.
When Taylor Swift’s Red first came out over nine years ago, I vividly remember going to the mall, walking into Justice, and seeing stacks and stacks of the CDs next to the sparkly camisoles; meanwhile, “I Knew You Were Trouble” was playing over the store speakers. Now I am 20, and in my anticipation of the rerelease of Red, I felt the exact same butterflies in my stomach as my 11-year-old self did that day inside Justice.
What is Christmastime without music? Holiday music allows families and friends a chance to relax and enjoy “the most wonderful time of the year.” Below I have compiled a list of 10 underrated Christmas songs, both original and covered, that may exceed your expectations just in time for the holidays. If you are looking for the Queen of Christmas herself, Mrs. Mariah Carey, you will not find her on this list. Instead, I have opted to share the spotlight with tunes that have missed their kiss under the mistletoe.
The plot includes a few popular tropes common in young adult romances: clandestine relationships, different backgrounds, second chance romance, etc. These tropes often manage to diminish the importance and validity of relationships that end up shaping how we interact with love in our adult lives. Normal People manages to evade the shallowness of these stereotypes, instead finding depth in an uncommonly truthful perspective on young love and life.
The 1970s are back, decked out in large Bourbon-colored sunglasses, revere collars, Embassy cigarettes, and crushed velvet suits. I absolutely love it! In a world where rap has become the number one musical export, many are left asking where’s the “real R&B” music in 2021? Where did music with instruments, captivating vocal performances and heart-wrenching climaxes go? Contrary to popular belief it never left. The existence of Childish Gambino, The Internet, Janelle Monae, H.E.R., Kali Uchis, and Miguel are a testament to the modern R&B scene. In March 2021 there was a fortuitous attempt to make R&B mainstream again, thus giving birth to November’s Artist of the Month: Silk Sonic.
Joseph Robert Bellah—Prod. JRB—answers the Zoom call with a beaming smile spread across his face and a friendly attitude. He's repping his new-found home, BobbyBoy Records, with him wearing their dad hat. On Nov. 3, I got the opportunity to interview the up-and-coming producer. We discussed the 14-year-old’s journey throughout the music industry, how he began producing, how he got signed to BobbyBoy Records, his debut beat tape—Legacy—and much more.
The "It boy" of the 90s was a Hollywood bombshell with an upturned button nose, long blond bowl cut, and sparkling blue eyes. His name was River Phoenix. This teen heartthrob was known for his down-to-earth personality paired with a striking appearance. The late actor achieved many accomplishments during his lifetime. He was awarded the 1992 Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for his performance in My Own Private Idaho. Phoenix was unlike any actor Hollywood had ever seen. His scattered press interviews allow Generation Z an introduction to his precocious, often unique approach to an emotional acting style.
The past few days held some of the most popular celebrations of death. Oct. 31 was Halloween and Nov. 1 and 2, El Día de los Muertos. We wanted to dive deeper into how people celebrate death among different cultures and religions. To start, we’ve compiled interviews and information to further observe three different cultural celebrations around their deceased.
I believe YA fiction books are universal across all cultures, time periods, and walks-of-life. These books, in no particular order, best fit my definition of the best YA fiction books of all time.
After watching the film for the first time, I can’t tell where the confusion lies - it is clearly a Halloween movie, not a Christmas one. After all, the title does read The Nightmare *Before* Christmas
The moment I knew there was a museum dedicated to taking selfies with friends, I wanted to get a group of my own friends together and go to SelfieWRLD Schaumburg and make a day of it. Although I didn’t expect to make a trip to Chicago and back in a day, it was worth every twist in the plan—which included forgetting about the time change and spontaneously stopping at “The Bean” in Millenium Park.
Queen Bee, also known as Ziyoou-vachi, utilizes bright colors, creative themes and costumes, octave changes, and diverse discography completely enraptured me. After first hearing some of their music, I decided to research more into who exactly this group is.
Who would beat who in a fight? Now you have the chance to help decide who would win in a fight in the metaphorical boxing ring of horror villians. This is a breakdown of all the statistics for the featured villians. Your votes directly relate to who moves on in the bracket.
One thing’s not quite the same this season—there’s no trace of infinity scarves, thigh high boots, or cream-colored sweaters. Have the days of “Christian Girl Autumn” finally been eclipsed? Why did it exist in the first place? And do darker days lie ahead?
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was not predicted to be a box office hit in the wake of movies releasing simultaneously in theatres and onto streaming services. Furthermore, it features a lesser-known Marvel protagonist that had a lot of people doubting the movie’s potential. Despite this speculation, Shang-Chi was a smash hit. While this is incredibly encouraging given the film has a strong Asian protagonist and supporting cast, I can’t help but be a little irked by people acting as though this is a first for Asian representation in the form of a strong protagonist. Just because Liu as Shang-Chi is the first time you have noticed a strong Asian protagonist, it does not mean they haven’t been present in the film industry.
