Parasocial relationships: Gen-Z and celebrity
The way we interact with celebrity has been irreversibly changed by how and how often we consume media. If you’ve ever felt like you ‘know’ a celebrity – you may want to keep reading. Don’t let the theoretical terminology leading this topic fool you into believing it’s complex. A parasocial...
Current in Media
Opinion – Pop culture has skewed Gen Z’s perception of money
Sex and the City’s new spinoff promotes the same irrational spending as its predecessor – but how much does the content we consume shape our financial habits? Despite being just one year old when HBO’s juggernaut Sex and the City first aired, I probably devoted the majority of my teenage...
Is it time for small artists to quit big music?
Sony Music's attempted purchase of up-and-coming rival label AWAL has signalled a dangerous time for musicians’ rights. Are UK artists doomed? ‘I know it seems like I’m very loud about this,’ Taylor Swift said in an interview with Billboard. ‘But it’s because someone has to be.’ Swift, who signed her...
Music industry given new guidelines to tackle climate change
New recommendations have been put forward by scientists at the University of Manchester to reduce the music industry’s overall carbon footprint, including swapping jets for trains and offering free transport with tickets. If you live in the UK, you’ve likely seen a constant wave of Instagram stories from friends...
You decide – is the ‘Nevermind’ lawsuit about exploitation or money?
The child star on one of the world’s most famous album covers is suing for irreparable damages. Are the claims genuine or a 'get rich quick' scheme? Spencer Elden, the four-month-old baby featured on the cover of Nirvana’s 1991 Nevermind album, is suing the band for alleged sexual exploitation. US law...
Musicians are taking a stance against posthumous albums
Could we begin to see more musicians following two artists’ decision to block album releases after their death? Last week, Lana Del Rey shared a photo of Anderson .Paak’s newest tattoo, which states that none of his demos should be released as an album in the event of his death. Lana...
Lil Wayne advocates mental health in new interview
Long-time rapper and musician Lil Wayne has opened up about his experiences with depression, suicide, and mental health, advocating that people speak up and recognise when something isn’t right. Lil Wayne has been featured in the latest episode of Emmanuel Acho’s ‘Uncomfortable Conversations’ on YouTube, where he discusses his experiences with mental health and details a suicide attempt at age 12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_iKNketUXI&ab_channel=EmmanuelAcho ‘I shot myself in the chest’, he says during...
Why is DaBaby being dropped from festivals?
Rapper DaBaby has come under fire for a burst of homophobic comments during one of his shows, causing multiple festivals to suddenly pull him from their line-ups. Nearly two weeks ago, DaBaby performed at Rolling Loud Miami festival, where he denounced the LGBTQ+ community and those who were HIV-positive seemingly out of nowhere. He yelled to the crowds, ‘if you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, any of them...
Opinion – Blizzard’s lawsuit is part of a wider cultural issue
Activision and Blizzard have faced massive lawsuits and sexual harassment accusations from a tidal wave of female employees. It is horrific - but not an isolated incident. Employees at Blizzard have staged a walk out and social media strike over recent allegations of sexual harassment and a ‘frat boy’ culture that heavily discriminates toward female staff members. According to a two-year investigation, the company was found to be severely...
You decide – should we still be supporting Kanye West?
As Kanye’s upcoming album DONDA faces inevitable delays and he rents out a room in the Mercedes-Benz stadium for over $1 million USD a day, should we still be backing him as an artist and public figure? Kanye West – producer, fashion designer, artist – has been causing a buzz the last few weeks as the world waits for his latest album, DONDA. Though it was first promised to be...
