Do accents still play a big role in our identity?
In an increasingly globalised world, people have progressively more puzzling accents. Do accents still play a role in how we identify ourselves and others? ‘I’ve definitely not been believed when I say I’m Norwegian,’ says Lea Dzifa Seeberg, who grew up in Oslo before moving to the UK a little...
Current in Culture
Saudi Arabia is set to build another super skyscraper
The latest futuristic design coming out of Saudi Arabia is a 19 sq km structure to be based in Riyadh named The Mukaab. In recent months, Saudi Arabia’s abundance of oil money has sparked the design of some absolutely insane architectural projects. First was The Line, put forward by the design...
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...
How discarded cocoa beans are turned into eco-friendly materials
Only half of every cocoa bean harvested is utilised to make food products, with the rest going to waste. A team of Italian-Ecuadorian designers saw this as an opportunity to generate a material that would transform the traditionally linear and wasteful commercial cocoa industry into a circular one. We’re suckers...
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 flawless. The Barbados-born icon, who has been on a musical hiatus for most of the last decade, finally re-emerged on one...
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 Album of the Year at the 2023 Grammys. But in a rather surprising twist, his album ‘Harry’s House’, a bubbly album...
The female golden resistance takes centre stage in Manhattan
Across New York City’s Flatiron district, a rare and long overdue golden resistance is taking place. Havah…to breathe, air, life is a new public project showcasing a duo of female-figured sculptures. Created by Pakistani-American artist Shahzia Sikander, Havah…to breathe, air, life aims to address recent ‘setbacks to women’s constitutional progress’ following significant events such as the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the reversal of Roe v. Wade last...
Oil from Super Bowl food is being turned into airplane fuel
The greasy snacks bought by some 15,000 Super Bowl attendees on Sunday will imminently be used to sustainably power commercial airplanes. Work that one out. What was your highlight of the Super Bowl LVII on Sunday... Rihanna’s questionable yet spectacular halftime performance, perhaps Kansas City’s dramatic late comeback spearheaded by injury doubt Patrick Mahomes? All close contenders, our standout moment resided in the stadium carpark where three 270-gallon vats filled with...
