By Abby Van Duyn, ’24

Staff Writer

These past few months have been full of new releases and a ‘boom’ in pop culture. From new movies to album releases, many fans have enjoyed new media from their favorite artists. Five recent releases stick out as leaders from the past few months. 

Midnights by Taylor Swift

An idea of 13 songs written during sleepless nights turned into a historic album release for Taylor Swift. The highly anticipated release of Midnights includes songs from all genres of music. Fans are given a variety of style options while listening to the album. With the songs dominating charts for two weeks now, Swift’s most recent achievement rivals a release by The Beatles in their prime. With this new album, which is adored by her fans, Swift was quick to announce her upcoming 20-stadium tour, which has left people scrambling to find tickets to be able to hear her new songs in person. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

The release of the sequel to the popular Marvel movie Black Panther was bound to be bittersweet. Wakanda Forever comes after the tragic death of lead actor Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer in August 2020. There have been mixed reviews from critics: many think it lives up to expectations while others say it struggles to satisfy audiences as much as the original. The story tells the continuation of the fight to protect Wakanda after the death of King T’Challa.’ It is thought to be an effective tribute to Boseman’s career and has been well received by fans and audiences.

Her Loss by Drake

A collaborative album between Drake and 21 Savage was a long-awaited release for fans, but many were left disappointed. From dissing other celebrities to making questionable comments in the lyrics, the album left listeners with a bad taste in their mouths. As the NME website states, “chauvinistic album that’s packed with the kind of cheap misogyny that most of the world’s best rappers ditched years ago.” But, despite this backlash, the album maintains second place on the music charts. 

Enola Holmes 2

A fun and whimsical film made for all ages has hit Netflix. The main character Enola, played by actress Millie Bobby Brown, is the younger sister of famed detective Sherlock Holmes. Like her brother, she loves a good mystery. In this sequel to the 2020 movie, she’s tasked with solving the case of a missing girl. The show follows her along on this journey while all those who watch slowly fall in love with the characters. Enola Holmes is based on a young adult mystery series written by Nancy Springer; Sherlock’s little sister did not exist in the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories from the 1800s. The combination of good acting, an elaborate storyline and a mysterious plot brings the show great success and is a must see for fans of Brown.

Being Funny in a Foreign Language by The 1975 

The 1975 has made its comeback with the release of Being Funny in a Foreign Language. This album greatly resonates with its listeners, while also being unique from other works in recent history. Matty Healy, the lead singer, has become somewhat of a controversial figure, but has left many fans loving his complexity and quirks. Gen-Z has specifically found a love for the band, for apps like Tik Tok have been buzzing with their content.

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