Arts

Music

On ‘The 7th Hand,’ Immanuel Wilkins seeks divine inspiration

By Miles Singer | February 23

Although he is only in his early 20s, saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins has already risen to prominence as one of jazz’s brightest stars.His debut album, “Omega” (2020), released on the famed Blue Note record label and earned a No. 1 spot on The New York Times Best Jazz Albums of 2020 list. On his sophomore album “The 7th Hand,” which was released on Jan. 28, Wilkins brings together the same quartet featured on “Omega,” consisting of pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Daryl Johns and drummer Kweku Sumbry.

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Arts

‘Inventing Anna’ captures the glamorous tragedy of scammers

By Henry Chandonnet | February 23

We are living through a scamming golden era. American pop culture loves a scammer, especially when an individual uses the self-improvement narrative foundational to our economic system for personal, albeit criminal, benefit. This fascination is heavily represented in the media, whether it be feature films on Tammy Faye Bakker using her televangelist audiences as cash cows or the journalistic fascination with Caroline Calloway and her steeply priced ‘creativity workshops.’Elizabeth Holmes, famed fraudster and biotech giant, has both a buzzy miniseries and film about her coming out soon. Still, none have captured this scamming fascination quite like the story of Anna Delvey. Delvey built herself a life as a fake German heiress and New York socialite and was ultimately arrested for defrauding banks, hotels and friends of thousands of dollars.Shonda Rhimes recently adapted this story into a Netflix miniseries, “Inventing Anna” (2022), which attempts to translate Anna Delvey’s crime trajectory into a television drama. Though the series fails at many of its basic entertainment goals, it is effectively able to capture the glory and downfall of scamming that so intrigues American culture. 

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Column

K-Weekly: How do K-pop groups work?

By Odessa Gaines | February 23

If you’re new to the world of K-pop, chances are you've given one look at a performance or group photo and been left confused. A typical comment Western listeners have to the world of K-pop is: Why are there so many members? 

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Arts

'Peacemaker' shakes up the superhero genre with high-octane action and humor

By Nate Hall | February 22

Everyone loves a good superhero story. In 2021, characters like Scarlet Witch, Loki, Shang-Chi and Spider-Man captured people’s attention and dominated the entertainment conversation. What do they all have in common? They come from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Marvel continues to reign supreme, its main competitor, DC, has begun to pose a threat to Marvel’s untouchable status. After releasing two successful films last year, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” (2021) and “The Suicide Squad” (2021), DC is trying its hand at television with “Peacemaker” (2022–), a new series that’s worth a watch.

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Arts

Gracie Abrams sells out The Sinclair for ‘This Is What It Feels Like’ tour

By Ryan Fairfield | February 22

Gracie Abrams has quickly become an artist many have grown to love and admire at the young age of 22. From partying with Taylor Swift at her 32nd birthday to her music inspiring the hit song “drivers license” (2021), Abrams has shown that her music and character have impacted fellow artists and fans alike, making it come as no surprise that she was able to sell out her concert at The Sinclair in Cambridge on Feb. 12.

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Columns

A Compendium of Actors: Steven Yeun, indie darling

By Henry Chandonnet | February 22

Steven Yeun is a rising force within the film industry. He gained his initial fame on the television hit series “The Walking Dead” (2010–2022) but soon segued that television fame into bigger film roles. “Burning” (2018) brought Yeun a big hit, gaining popularity in indie circles and expanding into some modest Oscar buzz.It wasn’t until 2021, however, that Yeun would get his Oscar nomination with his leading role in the dazzling “Minari” (2020). Yeun now continues this strong career trajectory with a recent role in the film adaptation of Stephen Karam’s “The Humans” (2021) and is soon to star in Jordan Peele’s newest project, “Nope” (2022). In sum, Yeun has successfully used his acting prowess and cult following to carve a role for himself within the industry.

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Arts

Chuck Klosterman’s book “The Nineties” and why we shouldn’t care

By Sadie Leite | February 17

Chuck Klosterman writes about society’s most prevalent topics, including pop culture, sports and music, in his many works of nonfiction and fiction. The bestselling author’s newest novel showcases his brilliant, blunt writing style. “The Nineties” (2022) tackles one of humanity’s most tumultuous decades.

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Columns

Micro-Trend of the Week: Inspired by the children’s section

By RaiAnn Bu | February 17

Pretties Venice is '90s supermodel nostalgia captured in a bottle. The clothing brand is certifiably authentic and from the mind of Linda Meltzer, a stylist credited for the popularization of the baby tee of the '90s and the built-in bra cami. Back in the ‘90s, Meltzer’s brand, then called Tease Tees, attracted the influential ‘it’ girls of the decade as Meltzer’s clientele: Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon, Naomi Campbell and more. The brand owner’s style influenced a decade, and we can see her work in definitive ‘90s cultural moments, like in "Friends" (1994–2004), "Clueless" (1995), famous photoshoots and music videos.

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Arts

Doja Cat's ‘Planet Her’ is the Grammys’ strongest Album of the Year contender

By Jack Clohisy | February 16

With 10 nominees up for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards later this spring, one holds its own amongst the rest: “Planet Her (Deluxe)” (2021) by Doja Cat. With an array of massive hits mixed with an out-of-this-world concept (pun intended), “Planet Her (Deluxe)” cements itself as the deserving nominee vying for the coveted Album of the Year award. “Hot Pink” (2019), Doja Cat's previous studio album, became a viral success after the explosion of track “Say So” across the internet, popularized on platforms such as TikTok. This time around, Doja Cat’s fanbase has grown substantially, and when the announcement of her third studio album hit the mainstream, it was the recipe for success.

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Column

K-Weekly: K-pop, an acknowledgment of Black culture

By Odessa Gaines | February 16

This Black History Month, I felt the need to shine a light on the Black American influence on K-pop and the industry as a whole.

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Arts

'The Fallout' authentically captures grief in the wake of loss

By Ryan Fairfield | February 15

Content warning: This article discusses the cinematic depiction of a school shooting.

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Columns

A Compendium of Actors: The Andrew Garfield culture craze

By Henry Chandonnet | February 15

Andrew Garfield has been living the high life. Whether it be his starring role in “tick, tick…BOOM!” (2021), which garnered him an Academy Award nomination, or his eye-catching turn as Jim Bakker in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” (2021), Garfield has worked hard to prove his acting talents. Combined with his brief role reprisal in the recent “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021), the year has brought a new and overwhelming cultural phenomenon: Garfield-mania. 

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Arts

Black Country, New Road's 'Ants From Up There' shows emotional rawness and pure genius

By Geoff Tobia Jr. | February 15

One of the most promising bands out of the United Kingdom, the six-piece Black Country, New Road has a catalog, albeit very small, that shows true musical prowess and ability to create one-of-a-kind timbral environments. “For The First Time” (2021), the band’s debut album, features instrumental arrangements that teeter on gorgeous yet terrifying, and guitarist and lead singer Isaac Wood’s lyricism and shaky vocal delivery leaves deep emotional impressions on its listeners. To their fans’ dismay, Woodannounced in anInstagram post at the end of January on the band’s official page that he was leaving the band for personal reasons. While the remaining members of the band will continue to operate, the newly released “Ants From Up There” (2022) is the band’s final release with the vocal sound that Wood made so characteristic of this band. Nevertheless, Wood and everyone else in the band encouraged everyone to enjoy their latest record, and the record in question is full of things for fans to admire. Borrowing some of the best stylistic choices from their previous record, while also adding some new twists, “Ants From Up There” goes as swimmingly as any band could ever hope for their sophomore release to be.

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Music

Your Valentine’s Day love song recommendations

By Odessa Gaines | February 14

This Valentine’s Day, let’s not talk about anything but love. Today, we’re dropping some songs that you have to play this Valentine’s Day, whether you’re spending it with a lover, friends, by yourself or with your cat.

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Arts

Kim Kardashian: An American icon and the 2022 Winter Olympics

By RaiAnn Bu | February 14

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, beginning Feb. 2, have officially kicked off with each country parading through the “Bird’s Nest” for the opening ceremony. In addition to the opening ceremony allowing each home country to share its history and culture, it is also a large fashion show, showcasing uniforms that exemplify the culture and pride of each country.

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Columns

The Art of Good Soup: We so hungry

By Sadie Leite and Ellie Lester | February 14

This week we went to Nijiya Sushi in Medford Square, and we had a lot to celebrate: a birthday and a girl both gorgeous and COVID-free. 

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Arts

Weekender: 'Artists Call' at Tufts University Art Galleries promotes historical dialogue

By Sadie Leite | February 11

For about five years, curators Abigail Satinsky and Erina Duganne have worked on the new Tufts University Art Gallery “Art For the Future: Artists Call and Central American Solidarities,” which opened Jan. 20 on the Boston and Medford campuses.

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Column

Public Cinemy No. 1: Introduction

By Sacha Waters | February 11

I have always loved that moment when the lights go down in a movie theater. Whether you’re watching a summer blockbuster with friends, laughing and sharing popcorn or absorbing the newest avant-garde French feature straight from Cannes, moviegoing transports you into another place, another life, another mind. I’ve spent my life captivated by the art, from begging my grandma to let me watch Tim Burton’s vampire flick at nine years old to memorizing the "Teen Beach Movie" (2013) soundtrack as a tween to watching "Parasite" (2019) every day for a week straight during quarantine. I am a political science major because of Armando Iannucci, and I don’t know how much of my personality developed naturally and how much I stole from "Megamind" (2010). The art of film and television is beautiful, fascinating and complex, and every time I watch a new favorite movie, it feels like the director is peeling back the layers of my heart.

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TV

'Euphoria' Season 2 struggles to uphold its reputation

By Ashley Chung | February 10

Content warning: This article discusses drug addiction.

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Podcast

From 160 episodes to 3: Mike’s Mic recaps 'Pretty Little Liars'

By Ryan Fairfield | February 10

If there is one defining trait of the 2010s, it is good television. The 2010s was an iconic era for teen television dramas. From “Gossip Girl” (2007–2012) to “The Vampire Diaries” (2009–2017), the world was unable to look away from some of the most memorable moments in teen drama to date. Whether you were watching “The Fosters” (2013–2018) and wondering what trouble Callie was going to get herself into that season, or “Glee” (2009–2015) and trying to guess which pop song the New Directions were going to cover, there was never a dull moment in teen television dramas. Although one could argue that any of these shows was the “best” or “greatest,” one show stands out among the rest — "Pretty Little Liars" (2010–2017).

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