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(04/30/25 6:04pm)
The third episode of the fantastic network slopfest that is 9–1–1 features one of its leads, Chimney (Kenneth Choi), getting what my roommate affectionately refers to as “Phineas Gage’d” and coming out of it pretty much unscathed. His wife Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) recently survived a brutal throat–slashing incident with little more than a line across her throat. This is a show that had shark attacks on the freeway in its second season and recently featured a subplot about a man cheating on his girlfriend with a woman who looks identical to his dead ex–wife (played by the same actress). So why did my over–the–top, feel–good firefighter show decide to get real sobering, real quick, decimating the plot armor that has always protected its leads without warning?
(04/30/25 4:00am)
I meet Simon Richter the morning after a thunderstorm. I’ve wandered to a far corner of campus, pointed in the right direction by a friend on Locust Walk. I step around puddles, toeing stray leaves and browning petals mashed into the brick pathway leading me towards Gregory College House.
(04/24/25 7:26pm)
What makes a Hollywood comeback?
(04/30/25 4:48pm)
“Thank you for trusting me today.”
(04/29/25 8:58pm)
It’s Lesbian Visibility Week, which means two things: a) I’m posting a link to my Venmo on my Instagram story every day in the hopes that a few charitable souls take the bait (I got $8 last year, thank you very much), and b) I have been legally mandated to rectify one of the greatest oversights of my life—I’ve never seen the 1999 cult classic But I’m a Cheerleader. Complimentary cup of tea in hand, I made myself comfortable on the green couch in the Kelly Writers House and pressed play.
(05/04/25 8:20pm)
When Carlee “Lee” Reid (W ‘25)—also known by her stage name carLEEE—came to Penn as a freshman in August 2021, she had never sung in front of an audience before. Though she had a liking for music and songwriting since she was a kid, music was nothing more than a hobby, a distant aspiration. Four years later, after releasing her debut single “chew” alongside a self–produced music video, Lee can hardly believe that her love of music was once confined within her bedroom walls. The singer’s college years have been a whirlwind of musical talent, passion, and discovery, establishing herself as an involved musician within the Penn community. But how did she get here?
(04/28/25 6:21pm)
Djo had quite the year in 2024—a spike in success spurred by the sudden popularity of “End of Beginning”—a single from his 2022 album DECIDE. It became the alternative, nostalgia–provoking power–ballad of the summer. In a way, Djo proved that you could have it all—a successful acting career starring in one of the biggest shows on Netflix and a top 20 mega–hit to boot. Riding the wave of this success, Djo announced his triumphant return this year with his third studio album, The Crux, a concept album where he details his adventures through the lens of a fictional hotel and its guests. Really, the record has emerged as some kind of performance test for the artist: Will he be able to recapture the hearts of his audience again, or is it … djover?
(05/28/25 1:40am)
Are you really a Tate McRae fan if you can’t recall her YouTube days; an image of her playing the keyboard in her bedroom, singing a song from the perspective of an angsty teen butting heads with her parents? What do you know about the Troye Sivan and Tyler Oakley collabs? Have you ever watched meticulously as Conan Gray taught you how to make a five–minute microwave mug cake? What looming connection exists between Joji and chaotic internet persona Filthy Frank? Or maybe you caught a glimpse of Shawn Mendes during his Magcon days?
While these may sound like scattered trivia about today's chart–toppers, they point to an awkward truth: many of our favorite artists have their roots in early to late 2010s influencer culture. While today the musical ventures of influencers like Dixie D’amelio and Chase Hudson, also known as Lil Huddy, are frequently dismissed as desperate cash grabs, something just seemed to “click” for past aspiring internet personalities, successful in their transition to “serious” artists. In fact, their unfledged digital footprints have become ignored vestiges to current audiences, who hardly associate these artists with their previous online presence. So, why were they able to ditch the influencer image, while so many current creators seem to be unable to?
(05/22/25 7:22pm)
When pre–teens scratch their goals for their lives onto a piece of scrap paper, it is bound to be marked by green tea stains and develop creases from folding it onto itself multiple times. It is a well–loved document, collecting years of dust in a sacred desk drawer; only the owner of the document knows its location but never really expects it to be completed. Just the idea of creating the list is most compelling, because it reflects individuals’ aspirations for their future selves, while also demonstrating the kind of person you were at the time. A bucket list like this is not necessarily only for checking off all the things you want to accomplish; it can be used to reconnect with family members, fuel self–discovery, and even bring love in the most unexpected way.
(04/27/25 4:55pm)
Just as I could tell spring had arrived on campus by the daffodils and cherry blossoms pushing up from the flowerbeds down Locust, the barrage of micro shorts and belt–on–belt fit pics on my Instagram feed let me know Coachella season was here. Like any major pop–culture festival, Coachella is just as much a parade ground for proving how well you can dress in front of 80,000 sweaty strangers as it is a music event. Those who could afford to go religiously posted daily fit checks, while those who couldn’t posted reviews of those outfits with equal fervor.
(04/24/25 6:39pm)
Whether you obsess or abhor the grassy, sweet, and bitter flavor, chances are you’ve had matcha. In just a few years, matcha went from a niche import to a ubiquitous flavor in the United States, found in drinks, desserts, and more (check out this matcha rotisserie chicken). As we grew more health–conscious during the pandemic, matcha surged in popularity. Offering a healthier, caffeinated boost, it quickly emerged as the go–to wellness alternative to coffee. And unlike coffee, which has long been coded as jittery and utilitarian, matcha arrived soft, pastel, and ritualistic; packaged as a slower, more mindful kind of energy.
(04/27/25 4:46pm)
Enchanting, eerie island–themed music plays over a stretch of ocean at golden hour as a luxury boat glides through the pristine water. A sheen of beauty, a bedrock of sin. Everything seems perfect, and nothing is as it seems.
(04/22/25 1:52am)
My relationship with Minecraft is, as I’ve gathered, a common one. Every so often, I remember I have it. I play it for ten hours a day, every day, for a week or two. And then classes pick up, or work gets busy, and I forget it exists for six to eight months—until the cycle starts all over again. The beauty of it? This cycle tends to repeat a few times per year, meaning the game has been a consistent part of my life since its release in 2011. Nearly 14 years of tirelessly collecting cubic supplies, venturing into the fiery depths of the Nether, and bringing entire cities to life later, and we’re still going strong. There’s something about the game’s endless possibility—the quiet stillness of the open world, the crisp lines of a perfectly constructed building—that keeps me coming back, after all this time.
(05/28/25 3:55pm)
To the joy of insufferable teenagers and 20-somethings everywhere (myself included), Playboi Carti released his much–awaited MUSIC (followed by the rather aptly–named MUSIC—SORRY 4 DA WAIT) this March. After five long years of leaked songs and a stream of cryptic fit pics on Instagram, Carti reinforced his title as one of the more unorthodox and elusive figures in the rap scene. A part of that elusive identity is his ever–morphing visual persona—one that deserves as much critical attention as the music itself. NPR calls him an “anti–star”; Pitchfork coins him as a man of “eras, like you would Taylor Swift.” Reviewer Alphonse Pierre amusedly writes Carti from his time as the irreverent, high–energy face of SoundCloud rap at the beginning of his career through his transition into full–fledged Opium extravagance today. Carti isn’t just a chameleon; he’s a contradiction. A punk in luxury threads. A recluse who feeds a cult fanbase. An artist who skips the verse but nails the silhouette. So no, this isn’t a MUSIC review (there are plenty of those)—it’s a review of Playboi Carti’s many eras.
(05/29/25 6:41pm)
What do bath salts, honey, popcorn, pasta, beeswax candles, honey lemon cake, and tea have in common? All of these goods were featured in the first episode of With Love, Meghan, a new Netflix cooking show that features Meghan Markle and her friends.
(04/21/25 7:56pm)
Walking into MOM’s Organic, I picked up some okay hummus and a handful of drinks, dressed in an all–black ensemble that told the world, despite my banal snacks, I was in for a fun night. The crowning jewel of my outfit, however, was the Poppy t–shirt from three tours ago, my only real tell to the night I was about to have—something my check–out assistant immediately picked up on. We talked about the artist’s one–of–a–kind status; her ability to bridge the gap between female pop icon and hard–rock superstar, transforming from internet oddity to the first female Grammy–nominated metal act, all without being cringe. But mostly, we talked about how jealous he was that I got to go to her show at the Fillmore—and for good reason, she was incredible.
(04/21/25 8:05pm)
Her boyfriend? Shockingly identical to her brother. Her Wicked press tour? Overshadowed by her weirdly codependent relationship with Cynthia Erivo than the movie itself. Homewrecker allegations still slam her from all sides. The Oscars left her empty–handed; the Grammys, under–nominated. Ariana Grande had one mission with eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead: to polish the dents in her image and maintain her status as a pop superstar. And she delivered.
(04/14/25 2:49pm)
When I started Apple TV+’s Severance three years ago, two things struck me most: The first was its primary setting—Lumon’s headquarters—which happened to be a familiar and frequent study spot 20 minutes from my home in Jersey. The second, and perhaps more universally relatable, was its music. The opening theme is immediately engrossing, strange, and cinematic, introduced with eerie keys and crescendoing into swelling strings and electronics. Paired with the title sequence’s trippy visuals, it’s one of the strongest hooks I’ve ever encountered in television.
(04/11/25 9:46pm)
Rohana Gullapalli (C ’25, W ’25) sits with me in Perry World House in her running shoes. Even though she is busy serving on the board of large campus groups such as AIS, she makes time to test her new limits and go out of her comfort zone by running half–marathons, and getting her scuba diving license while balancing her dual degree.
(04/20/25 6:21pm)
I have a question for you. What is the definitive movie about climate change? Take a moment to think about it. Does anything spring to mind? I’m going to be honest: It took me a while to come up with my answer. And that right there, that need for reflection, is absolutely fascinating.
