Arts

Arts

Best albums you missed in 2024

By Nate Hall | January 15

2024 was a great year for music. Breakout stars Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter dominated the pop scene, while Beyoncé, Post Malone and Shaboozey rocked the country charts, and Kendrick Lamar emerged victorious in his long-running feud with Drake. However, in an industry that often prioritizes celebrity over sheer musical talent, some of the year’s finest albums emerged outside of the cultural mainstream. Let’s take a look at some of the best albums you might have missed in 2024 from artists that didn’t top the charts or win awards but deserve your attention nonetheless.

---

Arts

The year ahead in arts

By Ryan Fairfield | January 15

2024 was certainly an exciting year in the world of arts and entertainment. Whether you gave in to the energy of “Brat”and had yourself a brat summer, started playing tennis after watching “Challengers” or purchased a pair of Adidas Sambas after seeing them everywhere, there is no denying the cultural and artistic impact of 2024. However, as we celebrate the dawn of a new year, there are plenty of new releases and art moments to look forward to in 2025.

---

Arts

All the movies you can’t miss in 2025

By Odessa Gaines | January 15

Hollywood brought us many things in 2024, from musicals to biopics to comedy duos, and 2025 looks to be a similarly packed year. Today, we look forward to what remakes, sequels and new scripts will be finally hitting our screens over the next 12 months.

---

Arts

‘Gladiator II’: A brave sequel in the shadows of its original

By Bharat Singh | December 10

Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for “Gladiator II.”“I will see you again, but not yet. Not yet,” Djimon Hounsou’s character, Juba, muttered in an empty Colosseum as the closing line of Ridley Scott’s 2000 masterpiece “Gladiator.” To the backdrop of Lisa Gerrard and Hans Zimmer’s riveting “Now We Are Free” track, a lone soldier’s arm gently ruffles through a wheat field lit by soft golden rays — a moment etched in cinematic history.

---

Arts

‘A Man on the Inside’ explores community, aging with humor and love

By Odessa Gaines | December 10

Netflix dropped all eight episodes of their new original series “A Man on the Inside,” starring Ted Danson, on Nov. 21. The show follows Charles, played by Danson, a year after the death of his wife. Now a retired engineering professor with a grown daughter, Charles spends most of his time alone. However, when he finds an ad from a private investigator looking for a spy, he soon finds himself undercover at the Pacific View Retirement Community home looking to expose a thief among the staff and residents.

---

Columns

Read, Write and Be Merry: ‘The Most Fun We Ever Had’ by Claire Lombardo

By Merry Jiao | December 10

How does our parents’ relationship define what we look for in a partner? How does being the youngest child of four impact our self-perception? Who gets to define a home and a family? These are some of the questions this book attempts to illustrate and answer.

---

---

Arts

Tuning up to lead: Interviewing Nathan Cole

By Amelia Colafati | December 10

Nathan Cole’s concertmaster solo at the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent performance of Kevin Puts’ “The Brightness of Light” involved him tuning his violin loudly and intentionally amateurishly. While not a show of technical virtuosity like many other concertmaster solos, in some sense this one was particularly apt: Cole, recently selected as the BSO’s concertmaster, is tuning up the orchestra and himself in preparation for his tenure.

---

Arts

Kendrick Lamar’s ‘GNX’ moves on from spring feud, returns to West Coast style

By Josué Pérez | December 9

Kendrick Lamar released his sixth studio album, “GNX,” on Nov. 22 with essentially no notice. A surprising but not unexpected drop, Lamar delivers a distinctly West Coast-style project. However, the feud with Drake cannot be ignored in the discussion of this album.

---

Arts

Adventures of an A-Lister: Letterboxd, green witches, midnight rats

By Odessa Gaines | December 9

At the start of the summer, several of my film friends discovered that not only did I not have Letterboxd, but I also did not have an AMC Theatres A-List membership. I tried to explain to them that I had no clue what Letterboxd was and I did not see enough movies to merit an A-List pass, but my explanations fell on deaf ears. Instead, here I am several months later, with a column about AMC and a Letterboxd account finally made. So, with the end of the semester approaching, I have to ask myself: Was it worth it?

---

Arts

In Photos: Porter Square Books turns the page with new expansion

By Stella Jeong | December 9

In November, Porter Square Books celebrated the official grand reopening of its Cambridge location — an expanded space 1,000 feet away from the previous shop. At 1815 Massachusetts Ave., the new location inside the Lesley University mall enabled the independent bookstore to expand its shelf capacity and offer more cafe seating. Page & Leaf Cafe makes its debut in the new space. Take a look inside the expanded world of Porter Square Books.

---

Arts

Inside the Vietnamese dinner doubling as an experimental art exhibition

By Fiona Hinrichsen | December 6

On Friday, Nov. 23, An Ha, a third-year combined-degree student at SMFA, hosted a home-cooked Vietnamese dinner in the SMFA Library in collaboration with the Clay Club. 

---

Arts

Best fashion trends of 2024

By Spring LaRose | December 6

Fashion has been slowly degenerating since the 1970s. Today’s world is a wasteland of sweatpants, spandex and graphic T-shirts. While the future of clothing culture may look grim, the present is not wholly without merit. There have been glimmers of hope in the 2024 trend cycle, signs that maybe, just maybe, something greater than stay-at-home athleisure awaits the generations to come. 

---

Arts

Read, Write and Be Merry: ‘Eleanor & Park’ by Rainbow Rowell

By Merry Jiao | December 6

This book is probably the cutest story I’ve ever read. It’s so simple and so straightforward, yet manages to capture the adorable giddy moments of a blossoming relationship.

---

Arts

‘The Brutalist’ is an epic tale of dreams built on shaky foundations

By Noah Goldstein | December 5

While many understand that Rome wasn’t built in a day, few realize the same applies to the town of Doylestown, Pa. Situated just 40 miles north of Philadelphia, Doylestown might seem unassuming at first glance. For director Brady Corbet, however, it serves as a microcosm of post-World War II America, providing the backdrop for his ambitious third feature, “The Brutalist” (2024).

---

Arts

‘Wicked’ is reimagined on the big screen

By Odessa Gaines | December 5

On Nov. 22, the long-awaited film adaptation of “Wicked” finally hit theaters. After holding space for “Defying Gravity” and basking in the musical theater glow, “Wicked” is sure to become one of the most memorable movie musicals of the modern day. Complete with fan-favorite cameos, massive ensemble dances and colors that burst out of the screen, paired with a packed cast, impressive vocals and stunning cinematography, “Wicked” is a film for the books.

---

Arts

Best movies of 2024

By Odessa Gaines | December 4

This year has been nothing less than insane. Every hour there seems to be new breaking news, another exposed politician and, of course, a new movie hitting AMC theaters. From good to bad, scary to heartbreaking and completely ridiculous to hilarious, 2024 was a packed year for movies. So, in no particular order, here are the top movies of 2024.

---

Arts

Between the Lines was a ‘Try-not-to-cringe challenge’ — and the cast won

By Shannon Murphy | December 3

Some things should stay in 2017. “Between the Lines” is one of them. Student-run theater group Torn Ticket II performed this musical in Balch Arena Theater on Nov. 21, 22 and 23. Based on the 2012 novel of the same name, “Between the Lines” explores the life of 17-year-old Delilah McPhee, played by sophomore Zoe Browning. Her home life has fallen apart after her parents’ separation and she struggles socially at school. During moments when reality overwhelms her, she finds solace in books.

---

Arts

‘Mindplay’ is a mixed bag of mentalism

By Nate Hall and Odessa Gaines | December 3

Note: Nate and Odessa have been writing theater reviews together for four semesters. This is their 16th co-written article. For the first time ever, their opinions on this production were so different that they decided to split this article up into two separate reviews. One of the final productions ...

---

Arts

Sammy Rae & The Friends have “Something For Everybody” at the Roadrunner

By Nate Hall | November 25

Sammy Rae & The Friends just released their debut album, “Something For Everybody,” in September. But you wouldn’t know it from the band’s performance at the Roadrunner on Nov. 16, the second of two shows at the Boston venue and thefinal night of their first nationwide tour. From the moment frontwoman Samantha Bowers stepped onstage with the confidence of a veteran performer, the audience was electric, cheering and singing along with Bowers and her uber-talented bandmates.

---

Arts

In Photos: Tufts Ballroom Competition 2024

By Briana Chen | November 25

The annual Tufts Ballroom Competition brought collegiate teams and amateur ballroom dancers to the Joyce Cummings Center for a full Saturday of dancing. The Tufts Ballroom Team, the competition host, sent several pairs to the finals. Competition Coordinator Alejandro Forero Rey and Junior Competition Coordinator Eli Newman organized the event. 

---