Opinion – Why BTS leader RM’s thoughts on colonialism are so important
‘In the West, people just don't get it’, Kim Nam-Joon, leader of world's biggest music group, BTS, exclaims when asked if the cult of perfection and over-achievement are Korean cultural traits. Here’s our attempt at an explanation. ‘Korea is a country that has been invaded, razed to the ground, torn in...
Current in Media
Spotify launches AI DJ for personalised playlists with virtual hosts
Everyone wants their go with the aux, and Spotify is no different. The ubiquitous music streamer has created an AI DJ feature capable of curating original playlists while providing intermittent commentary like a radio host. Let’s face it, AI is inevitably coming for all of our livelihoods - commercial or...
Glastonbury festival criticised after announcing all-male headliners
‘We’re trying our best,’ said organiser Emily Eavis as she unveiled the first 54 names on the 2023 line-up and called on the music industry to rectify its ‘pipeline’ problem. Without a doubt the most iconic festival in the world, Glastonbury’s annual line-up announcement traditionally marks a very exciting date...
Teens pay more attention to Andrew Tate than political leaders
A poll by an advocacy group ‘HOPE not hate’ has found that teenage boys in the UK know more about Andrew Tate than Rishi Sunak, the nation’s prime minister. What does this say about the power of social media? Andrew Tate has become a household name over the last few...
Opinion – Rihanna’s halftime show radiated women’s empowerment
In the lead-up to the Super Bowl halftime show, fan excitement grew with the possibility of hearing long-awaited new music from Rihanna. I’d argue that what we got was even better. It will come as a surprise to absolutely no one that I thought Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance was...
Opinion – Harry Styles’ win highlights complexities of privilege
After a career-pivoting and rather surprising ‘Album of the Year’ win sent fans into a frenzy for its ‘tone deaf’ claims of adversity. But is there a case for considering who Harry meant by ‘people like me’? Beyonce, Adele, Lizzo. Harry Styles was certainly up against some stiff competition for...
2023’s Oscar nominations fail to make meaningful progress
No Black actors were nominated for leading categories this year. Once again, they deserved better. When the 2022 Oscar nominations were announced, Black actors and directors ruled the roost. It was a comforting – and deserved – outcome after years of ‘#oscarssowhite’ protest, a nod to the academy’s consistent failings in diversity and inclusion. But this year, it seems that this positive shift was only a phase. Despite a slew of Black...
A deep dive into KSI and Logan Paul’s PRIME
Logan Paul and KSI’s new drinks company became a success as soon as it hit UK stores. Is it really worth the hype, and how authentically involved are KSI and Logan? When Logan Paul and KSI announced they were collaborating to produce a hydration drink, fans were overjoyed to see two people who used to be boxing rivals become business partners. The two influencers came together to release PRIME Hydration,...
Opinion – Tate’s privacy ruling shows the rich can spoil everything
Residents of luxury glass-walled flats opposite Tate Modern’s public viewing platform have won a landmark ruling that their privacy is being impinged upon. It seems the rich have power to shape even our most public spaces. In 2021, affluent neighbours of the Tate Modern decided that the glass-walled luxury flats they’d chosen to live in weren’t offering enough privacy. Sitting adjacent to the Tate Modern’s famous public viewing platform, which offered...
Opinion – Sam Smith reaction proves androgyny is selective
‘No fat people’ is a comment I have often seen on Grindr profiles plastered in their bios as if some shining medal of glory - fatphobia inside the queer community is not uncommon. Sam Smith's new music video is a victim of the same. It was never easy to proudly attach the adjective ‘fat’ to myself. The term has long been used as a slur, a curse word, and a sign...
