Arts

On Demand: An ode to 'Halt and Catch Fire' and the glory of new beginning

Wishing my life was a TV show has the same energy as romanticizing trips to Costco and pretending The Sink baristas are the archetypal “popular kids.” Although I don’t need it, I just want an excuse to battle through song ("Glee," (2009–15)) and speak in an Irish accent ("Derry Girls," (2018–)) and drink coffee for lunch ("Gilmore Girls," (2000–07)). Instead, this column is my chance to ramble, uninterrupted, about TV shows I love and to imagine myself as the Athena to Ryan Murphy’s Zeus (i.e. a screenwriter’s brainchild).

'Montero' is monumental

It has been almost three years since the release of the multi-platinum certified “Old Town Road” (2019) which started rapper Montero Lamar Hill, better known as Lil Nas X, on the proverbial road to fame.Over the course of those years, Lil Nas X went from working two jobs at Zaxby’s and Six Flags Over Georgia to becoming a global superstar.“Old Town Road” was the song that changed his life, and the music scene, dramatically. Pulling together a banjo, collaboration from rock band Nine Inch Nails and a $30 beat,Lil Nas X created the most certified song in history. It seemed likely that Lil Nas X might be a one-hit wonder or struggle to find his footing in a music industry that is often openly hostile to people of color, especially those who identify as members of the LGBTQ community as he does.

Injury Reserve's 'By the Time I Get to Phoenix' expresses pain through groundbreaking music

Injury Reserve’s future suddenly became uncertain following the passing of key member Stepa J. Groggs in June 2020. The experimental hip-hop trio, composed of rappers Groggs (Jordan Groggs), Ritchie with a T (Nathaniel Ritchie) and producer Parker Corey, was suddenly a duo. This summer, they finally announced the release of their newest album“By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (2021). The album, released Sept. 15, is their sophomore studio record and it is a genre-demolishing, mind-bending album full of sadness, aggression and hope.

'Golden hour faded black': 'Star-Crossed' and Kacey Musgraves' magnificent rebound

Dusk came quickly for Kacey Musgraves soon after winning Album of the Year at the Grammys for her glistening piece "Golden Hour" (2018). Divorce meant the bitter end for Musgraves' most acclaimed era, and with the glow of her iridescent fourth LP fading behind her, it was time for Musgraves to pick up the pieces and pioneer forward. Despite the vicissitude, pain turned to progress, and Musgraves stitched back together her broken heart with "Star-Crossed" (2021).

The Emmys disappoint with COVID-19 concerns and questionable wins

After a painfully long three-hour ceremony stuffed with awful sketches, lengthy acceptance speeches and questionable wins, television’s biggest night is finally over. Allow me, also named Emmy, to walk you through this year’s Emmys. 

‘Certified Lover Boy’ is a boring and bloated rehash of Drake’s previous work

On Apple Music, 34-year-old Drake describes his newly released album “Certified Lover Boy” (2021) as “a combination of toxic masculinity and acceptance of truth which is inevitably heartbreaking.” For better or worse, this cringeworthy description only applies to a few of the songs on the album. Drake built up his “Certified Lover Boy” persona for over a year, going as far as cutting a heart into his hairline, only to release a bloated and unoriginal album nearly indistinguishable from his music of the past five years.

'Monet and Boston: Legacy Illuminated' leaves a lasting impression

Claude Monet (1840–1926) is arguably one of the most important painters of all time. With his extraordinary impressionist works, he captured nature’s fleeting moments in an entrancing manner and forever left his mark on art history. Though he never visited Boston during his life, the city has still served as a popular hotspot for collectors to buy and sell Monet’s works. Some of these compositions were eventually donated to museums, including Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts.

The Met Gala's 'American Independence' theme gave celebrity outfits too much freedom

New York Fashion Week is back and better than ever

New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2022 kicked off on Sept. 7 after three seasons of virtual shows due to the pandemic. Despite the barrier of required proof of vaccination, the show was a welcomed return to normalcy. 

Tiffany & Co. creates controversy with new campaign

Launched in print globally on Sept. 2, Tiffany & Co.’s “About Love” marks the luxury jeweler's first collaboration with the legendary Carter duo as they celebrate modern love. 

'Cinderella' attempts musical take on animated classic

Kay Cannon’s "Cinderella" (2021) teeters on the line between a classic fairy tale and a pop star’s music video. Starring Camila Cabello, a singer and songwriter who once belonged to the music group Fifth Harmony and has since led a successful solo music career, "Cinderella" loses the class of the original fairy tale and instead lands itself as a sad attempt at a pop culture-filled musical. 

Ella Jane shares debut EP 'This Is Not What It Looks Like'

Content warning: This article briefly mentions body dysmorphia.

Resurrection of the music scene: The summer 2021 roundup

After the tumultuous, pandemic-enwrapped cacophony that was 2020, musicians had to navigate the ever-changing music industry during the long months of quarantine. Summer 2020 saw some of the best works imaginable: “Chromatica” (2020) from Lady Gaga, the Album of the Year-winning “Folklore”(2020) by Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers’ sophomore LP “Punisher” (2020), just to name a few. 

'The White Lotus' was the best show of the summer

In mid-July, as the delta variant just began to tighten its grip on American communities, viewers turned their minds to the luxurious Hawaiian fantasy presented in HBO’s “The White Lotus” (2021), which follows a spattering of ridiculously wealthy vacationers and staff at a fictional resort of the same name. Instead of blissful escapism, though, the series offers occasionally sharp social satire mixed in with top-notch character work that proves the show to be much more than a lowly pandemic binge.

Kanye tells flawed but epic story of faith and family on 'Donda'

After three listening parties spanning a month and a half, a 24-hour livestream in Mercedes Benz-Stadium showing the tantalizing happenings of a small, converted bedroom, unreleased songs being played randomly on the radio and just an overall lack of transparency on when his album would release, Kanye West finally allowed “Donda” (2021) to hit the airwaves two Sundays ago. 

Tufts graduate Adam Wilson breaks down novel 'Sensation Machines'

Novelist Adam Wilson (LA’04) first published his new novel “Sensation Machines” on July 7, 2020. Soho Press released the novel in a paperback edition on Tuesday with an in-person event to follow on Sept. 13.

Tufts to hear the people sing (and play winds and brass) once more

For the first time in over a year, all musical ensembles at Tufts University will return to in-person modalities with full participation this semester. Vocalists, winds and brass players, whose participation in ensembles was restricted during the 2020–21 academic year, will be required to wear instrument-specific personal protection equipment; all such PPE will be provided by the Department of Music to any student who wishes to participate in an ensemble or engage in solo practice. 

The Prison Book Program extends support through books, community

The Prison Book Program has spent almost 50 years with one central mission: providing incarcerated people across the United States with free books from its headquarters in Quincy, Mass.

Senior profile: Panella reminisces on a fulfilling 4 years at Tufts

Disclaimer: Chris Panella is an arts editor and a columnist at The Tufts Daily. The Daily’s editorial department acknowledges that this article is premised on a conflict of interest. This article is a special feature for Commencement 2021 that does not represent the Daily’s standard journalistic practices. Chris was not involved in the writing or the editing of this article.

Senior profile: Eliopoulos reflects on musical journey at Tufts

Eliopoulos, a Medford native, joined the Tufts music community in middle school when he participated in the Department of Music's Community Music Program and attended weekly Saturday morning classes in the Granoff Music Center. He continued in high school playing cello with the Tufts Youth Philharmonic, and he even squeezed his way into the back of the undergraduate orchestra for a performance during his senior year. Today, Eliopoulos is the principal cellist of the Tufts Symphony Orchestra and a household name around much of the Granoff Music Center.