Why are so many musicians calling off shows and tours?
Drake has just announced he is cancelling the remainder of his Australia and New Zealand tour, with some debate as to whether he truly sold out every show. He isn’t the first to do so, either. What gives? Drake’s team has stated that all remaining shows on his Australia and...
Current in Media
Mikey Madison’s celebration of sex workers is important
The ‘Anora’ star thanked the sex work community in her BAFTA acceptance speech. It was a powerful and timely call to arms for a profession so often misjudged and maligned. ‘You deserve respect and human decency’, Mikey Madison said as she took the BAFTAs stage in London last weekend. The...
Why Japan’s government created a state-mandated dating app
In light of the country's low national birth rates and worsening lonely deaths epidemic, a government-mandated dating app has been created for Japanese citizens. Can the state's involvement solve the cultural issues driving these worrying trends? The declining birth rate in Japan has been declared by the country’s former prime...
New NTIA study shows young people ‘priced out’ of nightlife
Fresh research by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) shows that young people in the UK are going out less than they were a year ago. It seems like Gen Z may be unable to go out in the evenings due to financial pressures. New research conducted by Obsurvant on behalf...
Taylor Swift becomes biggest female artist of all time in the UK
Taylor Swift has now become the biggest female artist of all time in the UK, with the most UK No 1 albums ever. The record means she has officially surpassed Madonna. The rise and cultural dominance of Taylor Swift continues with no real end in sight. She has just broken...
Hawk Tuah girl returns after crypto scam controversy
Haliey Welch went viral last year for her ‘hawk tuah’ TikTok interview moment. Since then, she’s amassed over 2 million Instagram followers, launched a podcast, and faced controversy for a pump-and-dump crypto currency scheme. She’s now returned after two months offline. ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl is back, everyone! 22-year-old Haliey Welch...
The artist vs person debate at the heart of the Emilia Perez scandal
Backlash against lead Karla Sofia Gascón points to the morality minefield of consuming an artist's actions alongside their work. Karla Sofia Gascón is the first trans woman to be nominated for Best Lead Actress at the Oscars for her role in Netflix underdog Emilia Perez. I use the term underdog because the film itself, which focuses on the story of a cartel kingpin transitioning to live as a woman, features an...
Exploring Reggaeton’s roots and political history
Reggaeton is widely recognised by its uptempo beats and raunchy lyrics, but there is another side to the genre we see less often. Through live events and powerful lyrics, reggaeton artists have used music as a tool to call out political corruption, discrimination, and to generate a feeling of solidarity. Reggaeton, a blend of reggae, hip hop, and dancehall, first began in Panama in the late 1980s. Starting out as a...
Kendrick Lamar wins five Grammys for ‘Not Like Us’
The smash 2024 summer hit ‘Not Like Us’ has taken home five Grammys, making it the most prolific diss track of all time. If anyone was in doubt as to who won the rap beef last summer, the Grammys just put the final nail in the coffin. This year was the 67th annual Grammy awards ceremony. Kendrick Lamar won five Grammys for ‘Not Like Us,’ the hit diss track that...
Green Day swap ‘American Idiot’ lyric for Elon Musk’s name
While performing in Elon Musk’s home country of South Africa, punk band Green Day replaced a lyric from ‘American Idiot’ with his name. Elon Musk has been causing controversy this week as he steps into his new role as Administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency. During his speech at the second inauguration of Donald Trump, Musk appeared to perform a Nazi or Roman salute several times. He declared that...
