On March 29, J-Hope of BTS dropped his second official album, “HOPE ON THE STREET VOL. 1.” The album is made up of six tracks and was released alongside a docuseries on Amazon Prime Video. The release of the “HOPE ON THE STREET” project comes over halfway through J-Hope’s military service, a duty all Korean male citizens must fulfill.
Lars von Trier emerged as a filmmaker who experimented with intertwining the avant-garde and melodramatic. He and Thomas Vinterberg penned the Dogme 95 manifesto, which outlined a new generation of art house creativity. It called for all camerawork to be handheld, denounced superficial action and prohibited optical work and filters, amongst other rules. Independent films after the 1995 conception of the Dogme 95 movement, especially those from von Trier, were not all strictly a part of the movement but remained mostly inspired by its goals and guidelines. “Breaking the Waves” (1996) is a prominent and majestic example of the style in action. “Dancer in the Dark” (2000) is possibly the strangest example, while also being one of the most remarkable.
So far, I have not dedicated an entire article to one artist. However, I believe that the truthfully meteoric rise of Dallas-based singer and songwriter4batz warrants some consideration in the conversation of industry plants. Despite having just released his first song, “act i: stickerz “99”,” in June 2023, and so far, only five songs total, 4batz somehow currently maintains 17 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Moreover, 4batz received the ever-coveted “Drake Stimulus Package”— essentially, the phenomenon of when Drake remixes the song of an up-and-coming artist, which massively boosts their streams, clout and revenue.
As flowers begin to bloom and the occasional breath of fresh air becomes more frequent, we know that spring is on its way. Unsurprisingly, my cabin fever is manifesting itself in a desire for fresh spring and summer produce, as evidenced by my recent YouTube history. I’m dreaming of Saturday morning trips to Minneapolis farmers’ markets to get June ramps, July corn and August tomatoes.
“The four sisters had beat with one heart for most of their lives.” This line sums up the central message of “Hello Beautiful”: a close bond of family can span generations and survive many forms of disaster.
Last September, Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album “GUTS” (2023) brought everyone’s favorite angsty pop-punk artist back into the spotlight. With hits like “vampire” and “get him back!,” Rodrigo’s songs were inescapable on social media, the radio and your post-breakup friend’s headphones. Over six months later, Rodrigo has released her deluxe version of the album, titled “GUTS (spilled),” featuring five new songs, four of which were previously featured as “secret tracks” on vinyl editions of “GUTS,” as well as one brand new track.
A few weeks ago, I was sitting with my friend and her study group in The Commons Marketplace, working away on an assignment. As we talked spring break and the onset of March, the conversation turned to the Indian festival of Holi. “Oh yeah!” exclaimed someone at the table, “Isn’t that like Indian paintball?” I suppressed a chuckle, agreed and added that we also dance around a fire at midnight and offer a vial of our blood to celebrate springtime. The comparison did stay with me though, having struck me.
“Bohemian Rhapsody.” “Blonde.” “Oppenheimer.” “The Iron Claw.” “Rocketman.” “Maestro.” “Elvis.” “Priscilla.” “Napoleon.” “Ferrari.” “Nyad.” All are films that came out in the last six years, and all are films that denote Hollywood’s staggering obsession with biopics. Biopics have always been a staple in American cinema, but their explosion in recent years is a Band-Aid over the fatal wounds dealt to Hollywood by streaming.
Reality TV has long been critiqued for its false presentation of authenticity. The genre, which rose to popularity in the 90s, has raised several concerns in the eyes of the public. Some argue that the genre’s true purpose lies in deceiving viewers through misleading editing, coaching participants and concocting inauthentic storylines.
The La Biennale di Venezia is one of the most prestigious events in the art world and returning in 2024 to captivate audiences with an exhibition of contemporary visual art. Established in 1895, the Biennale has evolved into a platform that showcases the latest trends, innovations and perspectives in the realm of visual arts, architecture, cinema, dance, music and theater. This iconic art event is held every two years in Venice, Italy (a separate festival featuring architecture is held on odd-numbered years) and attracts artists, curators, collectors, critics and art enthusiasts from around the globe.
The stereotypical college spring break involves jet setting to the sunniest of beaches in countries with a lower drinking age. And yet, my spring break group was not yet sick of the cold. We traveled to Iceland last week and found ourselves in a remote fishing village in the Westfjords during their worst snowstorm this season.
After 10 years of silence, Kendrick Lamar has finally dissed Drake and J. Cole. Following the release of his verse on “Control” (2013) by Big Sean, wherein Lamar threatened several major hip-hop artists of the time, both Drake and Cole have released subliminal and conspicuous disses directed towards the rapper.
Fantasy and reality intertwined at the March 14 premiere of the Boston Ballet’s 2024 production of “Cinderella,” where every scene sparkled with breathtaking dance and a spellbinding set, and a classic love story was performed delicately and dreamily. The stage of the Citizens Bank Opera House went from a dusty living room to a grand ballroom, a place of hopelessness to one of romance. Through graceful movement and magical stagecraft, the familiar story of a turn of fate created a feeling of wonder the audience enjoyed for a dreamlike two and a half hours. The production, which ran from March 14–24, was a captivating journey into enchantment, fitting perfectly into the company’s impressive repertoire.
Such a view is the place from where singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens looks out at a world — cold and complex. It’s full of joy, peril and an untellable delicacy. Bordering Lake Michigan is the heartbeat of the Midwest, Illinois, a place of superheroes, zombies and forsaken love stories. In 2005, Stevens peered at the prairies and penned a 22-song mammoth of an album. It’s a collection of tunes that transcend the term ‘album’ as they fashion the experience of an ‘epic.’ The album reads like a grim, romantic and, at points, sardonic comment on the rich culture of Illinois with the ever-so exclamatory title of “Come On! Feel the Illinoise!”
Kate Middleton, also known as Princess Catherine of Wales, is dead, and Kensington Palace is trying to cover it up. At least, that’s what several royal conspiracy theorists proposed in the weeks after her public “disappearance.” When a photo released by Kensington Palace of the princess with her three children showed signs of being touched up, the public was sent into a frenzy. Either she was missing, dying or already dead. One X user wrote, “KATE MIDDLETON IS PROBABLY DEAD,” and followed it up with skull face emojis and crying faces. Aptly put by The Atlantic’s Helen Lewis, “The situation quickly turned into a ‘QAnon for wine moms.’”
Running March 8–30, SpeakEasy Stage Company brings Martyna Majok’s “Cost of Living” to Boston audiences. Winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Martyna Majok’s play speaks to the fragility of life by interweaving the lives of four individuals, each one hardship — emotional, financial or physical — away from ruin.
So, maybe hip-hop is dying? Currently, out of the four major streaming platforms, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube Music, Apple Music is the only platform with hip-hop/rap as the top genre. On the remaining three platforms, coinciding with the leading global music genres, pop music is the No. 1 genre.
E. Lockhart’s “We Were Liars” holds a special place in my heart. I’m in awe of the way Lockhart pushes the bounds of typical fiction writing. She mixes in unique line breaks so that her book sometimes reads like a poem. She also creates incredible metaphors, like the witch in the first novel, that are so vivid, they have stuck with me to this day. I haven’t reread the book in over two years and I still think about it all the time.
Alonzo King LINES Ballet performed “Deep River” on March 8 and 9 at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. “Deep River” was created during the pandemic by the San Francisco-based ballet company, and was choreographed and rehearsed in outdoor, often remote spaces. A troupe of 12 dancers came on and off stage throughout a nonstop, 64-minute performance. Prevailing themes in the show include the importance of hope and the depth of love, but it is also wonderfully abstract and very open to interpretation.
In late February 2024, TikTok user @reesamteesa posted a 50-part series spanning over six hours about her experience meeting, dating, marrying and divorcing a pathological liar. The massive playlist called “Who TF Did I Marry?!?” has gained over hundreds of millions of views and Tareasa Johnson, known as Reesa Teesa, has gained national attention for her story.
