Commentary
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‘The Last of Us’ and Toxic Fan Culture
A few weeks back, after seeing a remarkable number of reels hyping up the return of The Last of Us, I finally binged the first season of the acclaimed video game adaptation. With each episode, I found myself slowly falling in love with the chemistry between Joel (portrayed by Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (portrayed by Bella Ramsey), the lore of the post-apocalyptic world and the brilliant production design. I eagerly awaited the show’s return, grateful that I would not have to wait two years to watch new episodes like those who tuned in during the original release. However, I soon found my Instagram feed infiltrated by reels with a concerning…
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Metal at the Olympics?
Last year, some 50 years after its inception, heavy metal received its biggest publicity yet at the Summer Olympics. Performing alongside foreign superstars Lady Gaga and Celine Dion were France’s very own Gojira. The French mavericks held their own against pop music’s biggest names, performing a rendition of the revolutionary song, “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)” alongside opera singer Marina Viotti. They later won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance for the song. On July 26, 2024, the televised opening ceremony of the Paris Summer Olympics abruptly turned from the Seine to the Conciergerie, a former prison turned museum that once housed Marie Antoinette. From a window stands a headless…
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Unmuted: Xiuhtezcatl and the Rise of Indigenous Narratives in the Western Music Industry
In a world where mainstream music is often detached from politics or cultural identity, artists like Xiuhtezcatl Martínez offer a powerful alternative. A hip-hop singer/songwriter with Mexica — an Indigenous people of Mexico — heritage, Xiuhtezcatl profoundly redefines what it means to be an artist in the American music industry as he blends English, Spanish and Nahuatl (the Indigenous language of the Mexica) in his music while highlighting the issues Indigenous communities across Mexico and the United States face. Xiuhtezcatl’s music works to represent the ongoing struggle Indigenous people face as they attempt to reconcile their Indigenous identity within a Western society that was born from the violent displacement and…
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“For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)” (and My Depressive Episodes)
In an interview with KCRW, Michelle Zauner, frontwoman of Japanese Breakfast, quotes Virginia Woolf: “Nothing thicker than a knife’s blade separates happiness from melancholy.” “I wanted this album to capture the moments where that knife slips,” she continues. “When people want too much, when they cede to temptation, when they are seduced and punished.” Seduced might be a good way to describe my experience with Japanese Breakfast. My first interaction was watching the music video of “Posing in Bondage.” I was utterly struck by the mix of tenderness and violence, of stillness outside and a desperate longing inside, materialized in a shot of someone else’s hand holding chopsticks and pressing…
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A Deep Dive into Slope Day Artists’ Impact
Come one, come all to witness this year’s Slope Day artists: headliner Kehlani and special guest Louis the Child! For most Cornellians, Slope Day is a time of celebration, when the dreary cold and academic stress melt away, giving rise to a vibrant renewal of springtime energy. It’s a day when the campus blooms with music, excitement and collective school pride that buzzes through the crowd. This year is no different. So, consider this your guide — an introduction to the cultural significance and artistic impact that each of our incoming performers bring to the hill. Kehlani Ashley Parrish was born on April 24, 1995, in Oakland, California. Her early…