Annika Pillai

Arts

Bon Iver finally finds the light

By Annika Pillai | April 14

Justin Vernon has long been a reluctant prophet of pain. Ever since his now-mythologized retreat to a Wisconsin cabin to record “For Emma, Forever Ago” in 2007, the Bon Iver frontman has stood at the center of a tension between raw emotional expression and the performance of that expression — between self-exploration and the expectation of sadness. But “SABLE, fABLE,” Bon Iver’s long-awaited fifth studio album, dares to ask a question few saw coming: What if Bon Iver, but happy?

Arts

Is fast fashion the new luxury?

By Annika Pillai | March 13

PrettyLittleThing was once the face of fast fashion’s glitzy, in-your-face appeal, known for bodycon dresses, flashy patterns, cut-out tops and influencer endorsements –– particularly with the cast of Love Island. The brand represented a carefree, fun aesthetic focused on quick, trendy styles at rock-bottom prices.

Arts

Tate McRae comes so close to stardom with ‘So Close to What’

By Annika Pillai | March 12

Is Tate McRae our new pop princess? She’s certainly trying. On “cut my hair,” the opening track of her sophomore album “THINK LATER,” McRae reflects on how the “sad girl bit got a little boring,” nodding to her past hits like “One Day,” “you broke me first,” and “chaotic.” Her earlier music, with its slower tempos and melancholic vibe, firmly cemented McRae’s place in the ‘sad girl pop’ genre.

Arts

Alessia Cara embraces growth and freedom with “Love & Hyperbole”

By Annika Pillai | February 19

Canadian singer-songwriter Alessia Cara’s career began as a teenager on YouTube. The artist started by posting acoustic covers of songs such as Justin Timberlake’s “Mirrors” and The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather.” In 2014, she signed with EP Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings and, only a year later, released her debut single “Here.”

Arts

TikTok’s future remains uncertain as legal battle continues

By Annika Pillai | January 24

If you tried to open TikTok late on Saturday night, chances are you were blocked from your typical never-ending doom scroll. At around 10:30 p.m. — just hours before the impending ban — the app went completely dark for users, only displaying a brief message: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Stay tuned!”

Arts

TikTok’s looming ban promises devastating consequences

By Annika Pillai | January 17

TikTok has been facing a looming ban for perhaps the last four years, seemingly managing to escape unscathed every time. However, its final fate may be decided very soon. In April 2024, President Joe Biden signed a law setting a one-year deadline for TikTok’s Chinese-based owner, ByteDance, to sell the U.S.-based portion of the app to a non-Chinese entity. Today, the Supreme Court will consider the constitutionality of this law, hearing oral arguments from TikTok’s lawyers and the Department of Justice.

Arts

How online influencers are shaping the 2024 election

By Annika Pillai | November 5

This influence was perhaps most formally acknowledged at the Democratic National Convention in early August. The national party’s nominating convention welcomed five influencers to speak at the convention: Deja Foxx, Nabela Noor, Carlos Eduardo Espina, Olivia Julianna and John Russell. Combined, they have a total of more than 24 million social media followers.

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Arts

The Bachelor franchise has failed its first Asian-American lead

By Annika Pillai | September 9

American reality dating show “The Bachelorette” debuted over 20 years ago; the series, a spinoff of “The Bachelor,” follows a single woman and a panel of men vying for her affection until the season finale, in which the final man standing proposes to her. Typically, the lead of “The Bachelorette” is a well-liked contestant from a previous season of its counterpart show. Despite running for over two decades, the franchise had never cast an Asian lead –– until this spring. Jenn Tran, the Vietnamese American star of the 21st season of the show, seemingly made history. At the time of the announcement, Tran had expressed enthusiasm over her casting, saying she felt “so grateful and so honored to be the first Asian Bachelorette in this franchise” and that she was excited “to see Asian representation on TV.”

Arts

Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’ dismantles anxiety fear-mongering

By Annika Pillai | September 3

In 2015, Pixar Animation Studios released “Inside Out,” an animated coming-of-age film centered around the mental landscape of Riley, a young girl who just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco. The protagonists are the personification of Riley’s basic emotions: Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness; whichever emotion was controlling the central console determined what emotion Riley was feeling. The film was considered a massive success, grossing $858.8 million at the box office against its $175 million budget, cementing itself as one of Pixar’s most influential and successful children’s films. At the end of the movie, the emotions gather around a large button that appears on the central console labeled “Puberty” to which Joy dismisses, saying “Things couldn’t be better! After all, Riley’s 12 now. What could happen?”

Arts

Tasha Oren on the past, present and future of film and media studies at Tufts

By Annika Pillai | May 16

This year, 49 students are graduating from Tufts with a degree in film and media studies — 36 with a major and 13 with a minor. What is currently the largest humanities program at Tufts, interestingly, didn’t even exist 10 years ago. Branching off from a communications minor, the program was created due to a high interest in the sphere of film and media. In its first year, FMS only had six students. Now, it has over 170.

Bon Iver finally finds the light

Is fast fashion the new luxury?

Tate McRae comes so close to stardom with ‘So Close to What’

Alessia Cara embraces growth and freedom with “Love & Hyperbole”

TikTok’s future remains uncertain as legal battle continues

TikTok’s looming ban promises devastating consequences

How online influencers are shaping the 2024 election

The Bachelor franchise has failed its first Asian-American lead

Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’ dismantles anxiety fear-mongering

Tasha Oren on the past, present and future of film and media studies at Tufts

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