The Tortured Poets Department makes one thing clear: Swift is not bringing anything new to the table. And maybe that’s what some of her fans want from her: consistency, reliability and predictability. But when compared to artists who are experimenting and bringing new life to the music industry, like Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA and Ariana Grande, Swift starts to fall flat.
There is one specific thing Fast Five and Twilight: Breaking Dawn — Part I have in common... any guesses? Both cult classics and box office hits were set partially in Brazil. Characters danced, infused themselves in the beautiful scenery and spoke terrible Portuguese when they claimed to be fluent. Both films indulge themselves in Brazilian stereotypes and are popular portrayals of Brazilian culture around the world. Yet, Prime Video’s new film Música aims to set itself apart from the rest.
This week’s picks include Challengers, a film featuring Zendaya and directed by Luca Guadagnino, Real Americans, a novel by Rachel Khong, St. Vincent’s newest LP, All Born Screaming and “Sound of Nature,” a live musical performance and exhibition at George Peabody Library as part of the “In the Stacks” concert series.
Senior Staff Writer Alicia Guevara gives her thoughts on the JHU Barnstormers’ latest production, Be More Chill, a sci-fi, high school musical.
As the weather starts to get warmer, the end of the semester is finally in sight! This week, there’s a wide range of arts and entertainment to enjoy — from the highly anticipated new Taylor Swift album to a movie about a family of Sasquatches living in the woods.
Answering Kendrick Lamar’s viral diss on producer Metro Boomin and rapper Future’s collaboration album, We Don’t Trust You, Drake throws another bomb in a leaked diss track, which accuses Lamar’s past record label Top Dawg Entertainment of extortion.
Hopkins is often, unfairly, considered a STEM-focused school. And yet, on an almost weekly basis, I have witnessed and been deeply impressed by students on this campus engaging in art that is endlessly creative, thoughtful and even experimental. Studio North is an organization on campus that I think very few have heard of. But for those in the know, it is a deeply passionate and close-knit organization of students who devote themselves to film and the craft of filmmaking.
JHU Theatre’s performance of Galileo, by Bertolt Brecht, leans not so much into the old tradition of Brecht productions, instead using certain Brechtian elements in tandem with a general attention to character and suspenseful action.
From becoming the first Black woman to reach number one on the Hot Country Singles Billboard Chart to having 2024’s most streamed album on Spotify in one day, Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER has had nothing short of a fiery debut. Her reintroduction to the country genre in the second of her three-act album project came from a long, thoughtful journey — but the effort was well worth the wait.
Last month, the film Problemista was released in theaters. It stars and is directed by Julio Torres. The story centers around a young man named Alejandro who, after losing his job in a cryogenics company, has one month to find another job and sponsor before his work visa in the United States expires and he is deported.
In Love Lies Bleeding, Kristen Stewart embodies Lou, an exhausted but competent part-time gym manager, part-time crime scene disrupter. Lou is a reclusive lesbian and estranged daughter of a crime lord in her New Mexico hometown. In the midst of the grunt work of her daily life, she falls in love with Jackie, a bodybuilder new to town, who frequents the gym Lou manages. Before long, the two find themselves entangled in an all-consuming relationship that begins to fracture as the two enter a world of unbelievable violence.
Looking for new media to consume this week besides reels and more reels? I know I am. As we enter the next week (eclipse week!), the Arts & Entertainment section is here to give you a list of things to fill your eyes and ears. Hopefully, these will leave you feeling inspired, excited or even the good kind of sad — whatever it is, it promises to be a break from the brain rot.
Adrianne Lenker, singer-songwriter of Big Thief fame, unveils a rich project with alternating themes of the past, present and future, incorporating technological flourishes into her typical style of raw instrumentation.
Do you hear that wooshing noise? That’s the sound of this semester positively flying by! As we get into the final weeks of the semester, there’s guaranteed to be more and more live events happening on campus as students come show off what they’ve been working on these past months. The live events this week are all super cool, so definitely go check them out!
This week’s picks include Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Ursula Villarreal-Mourau’s new novel Like Happiness, Beyoncé‘s newest LP Act II: Cowboy Carter and a talk given by Emily Wilson on her new translation of Homer’s The Iliad in Room 110, Maryland Hall.
The Hopkins Philosophy department collaborates with Goethe-Institut Washington to present a script reading of Immanuel Kant by Thomas Bernhard, an absurdist play which satirizes the existential madness involved in subjective philosophy and modern technology.
The newest Netflix original film, Damsel, released on March 8, uses strikingly beautiful cinematography and imagery in what turns out to be a nice contribution to the fantasy genre, but its plot and characters have some minor flaws that detract from the overall experience.
It’s the last stretch before spring break! Are you as tired as I am? I am definitely looking forward to going home and relaxing (or at least, pretending to relax while inwardly stressing about how quickly the semester is going by).
Singer-songwriter Faye Webster’s new album, Underdressed at the Symphony, extends the indie-sweetheart genre, blending vulnerability, humility and humor to carve out new sounds and entertaining, honest verses on past relationships and the mundanity of adult life.
Dune: Part Two lives up to its astronomical expectations with stunning cinematography and interesting side characters. Although Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), the main character, doesn’t seem to be challenged and is hard to relate to, the acting performances of the full cast are incredibly intriguing, and each character seems to have a full storyline.
