Despite internet hype, Zara Larsson’s ‘Midnight Sun’ remix album falls flat

By Marri Shaeffer ’29

Staff Writer

Zara Larsson’s Midnight Sun: Girls Trip released on May 1, 2026.

This album, featuring 20 songs in total, includes remixes of the ten songs originally released in Larsson’s 2025 album, “Midnight Sun.” With collaborators such as PinkPantheress, Tyla, Shakira and Madison Beer, Larsson attempts to elevate what is already a summery, upbeat, glittery and dance-forward album.

Larsson’s “Midnight Sun” has gone insanely viral in the past few months, particularly praised for its boardwalk, summer, bright neon aesthetic. It’s completely unique and original, which feels especially significant in an era where pop music feels like it’s blending together into one bland sound. This aesthetic is absolutely what helped “Midnight Sun” gain as much popularity as it did.

Before “Midnight Sun,” however, Larsson gained internet popularity due to a meme featuring her vocals. Clean Bandit’s “Symphony,” which Larsson is heavily featured on, originally went viral in August of 2024 due to a meme that featured the song laid over images of Lisa Frank-esque dolphins, with captions proclaiming some concerning thought that the poster had. It was this meme that inspired the aesthetic of “Midnight Sun,” which puts an emphasis on that bright feeling that only summer can bring. With lyrics proclaiming that “summer isn’t over yet,” Larsson’s album begs the listener to soak in that feeling for just a few moments longer.

Her tour for the original album started in Oct. 2025. While performing her song “Lush Life,” she would pull audience members on stage to sing and dance with her. In November 2025, one audience member surprised her by performing the choreography to the song, starting a trend that later fans would follow. This trend caused “Lush Life,” originally released in 2015, to re-enter worldwide record charts.

The amount of hype for Larsson has been steadily increasing, and with that hype came expectations for new music. These hopes were answered when the pop singer teased her remix album with an Instagram post on April 15. However, when the album was released, it was to disappointment and mixed reviews. While some fans agreed that the collaborations added significantly to the music, others thought that this album fell flat.

I fall somewhere in the middle. I think that “Midnight Sun” managed to capture such a unique, summery feeling, and there was no way Larsson would have been able to add onto that. Additionally, the original song was Larsson’s first Grammy nomination, nominated in the Best Dance Pop Recording category at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. The remix with PinkPantheress is definitely fun, almost club-y music, but it lacks the warmth and charm that the original track has. PinkPantheress, known for her plaid, preppy aesthetic, clashes on a track that feels like a very distinct contrast to that aesthetic.

“Pretty Ugly - Girls Trip” is another flop for me. The remix features rapper JT and producer Margo XS. This remix, almost more than anything else on the album, felt so unnecessary. The mixing isn’t great, with awkward moments such as JT’s first verse on the song. The backing track comes off as aggressive and almost harsh, and not in an appealing way. It’s especially frustrating knowing that each of the artists on the song have great vocals. It just seems that the production of the song managed to turn that vocal talent into something hard to listen to.

However, some tracks absolutely benefit from their collaborators. “Hot & Sexy - Girls Trip” is one of these. Tyla’s feature on the song absolutely transforms what was already a great song. Her voice melts into Larsson’s like honey and blends in a way that draws you into the hot girl summer Larsson and Tyla are undoubtedly experiencing. This song feels like glittery tanning lotion, soft beach towels and sunsets while you’re laying on the sand.

“Crush - Girls Trip” is also completely changed with the addition of Massachusetts-raised singer Eli. Larsson’s smooth, almost silky tone is juxtaposed with the slightly raspy, enchanting voice of Eli. They contrast but don’t clash, and help to turn this song into something unique. The addition of Eli adds a sort of whimsy and fun to the song, and when paired with Larsson, feels like late night drives on the beach with the windows down.

While I do appreciate some of the songs on this remix album, I just think as a whole it reads as unnecessary and a little bit redundant. The features are good, with heavy hitters like Shakira, and I just think they’re wasted on a remix album. Larsson struck absolute gold with the original album, and I think with more time, she’ll be able to continue that hype into an equally successful album.

Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27 contributed fact-checking.

‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ sits with a changing fashionscape

By Aspen Pearson ‘28

STAFF WRITER

“The Devil Wears Prada 2”, starring Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt, is an insightful and surprisingly refreshing sequel to the cult classic “The Devil Wears Prada.” While it’s not a film that necessarily demanded a sequel, there’s something compelling about the way it expands our view of the fashion industry as it exists today. It engages pretty directly with modern anxieties — artificial intelligence, the death of print media and the rise of fast fashion — which makes it feel like it actually has something to say rather than just relying on nostalgia. It feels like a movie with its own point of view, instead of just a cash grab from a big studio.

Fans of the first film return to it for its glamorous clothes, sharp wit and complex relationships. The sequel keeps these elements intact: The costuming is chic, stylish and bold. While maybe not as instantly iconic as the first, the looks still carry strong storytelling, and nothing ever feels dull or careless. Simone Ashley’s character, Amari, has some of the best looks in the movie. My personal favorite was her Monse UFO-printed mini dress.

The movie is also just as witty as ever. Miranda continues to dominate the screen with sharp, cutting one-liners, and the film does a great job of keeping the complexity of its women intact. Miranda, in particular, feels more human here with a shift from the colder boss persona in the first film. The audience gets glimpses of joy, sadness, and vulnerability, but none of it undercuts who she fundamentally is. She never loses her edge or her commitment to her work, and importantly, she’s never framed as “weak” for having emotions in the way women in media often are.

The romance subplots with the male love interests feels unnecessary. It reads like an afterthought, as if the movie felt obligated to insert a traditional romcom structure rather than trusting the audience to stay invested in the women themselves. The male characters are not particularly compelling; the only romance that feels somewhat necessary is Emily’s, mainly to move the plot forward. Andy and Miranda both having boyfriends, however, feels inauthentic and distracting.

What really stands out about this sequel is its awareness of the fashion industry and its genuine respect for the craft behind it. There’s a balance between admiration and realism; it doesn’t pretend the industry is in a great place, but it also never loses respect for it. It engages directly with fast fashion, the loss of prestige in fashion, and a culture that increasingly prioritizes performance over quality. The film faces that shift head-on, especially in how it shows fashion becoming more tied to profit and reputation than artistry. But even while it’s critical, it still holds onto what makes fashion compelling in the first place: the creativity, the labor and the idea that clothes can still be treated as art, even in a system that often forgets that.

Ultimately, The Devil Wears Prada 2 doesn’t try to replicate the original, and that’s what makes it work. It’s less about the fantasy of fashion and more about what it looks like now: Messier, more self-aware and more uncertain. It doesn’t hit everything perfectly, but there’s something refreshing about a sequel that isn’t just chasing nostalgia. Instead, it sits with how much the industry has changed, and what gets lost when fashion becomes more about profit than art.

Madeleine Diesl ’28 contributed fact-checking.

Mount Holyoke’s quadrennial Faculty Show: An incredible showcase of spirit

Danny Alarjawi ’28

Staff Writer

This year’s facility show was incredible! It told the story of a Mount Holyoke College taken over by artificial intelligence. It was the tech bros and AI bots against Mount Holyoke faculty. The show included guest appearances from our dear old friend, Jorge, and the ghost of Mary Lyon played by the person best fit for the role, Professor of Psychology and Education KC Haydon. Mary Lyon was present throughout the show watching, as AI took over and Mount Holyoke College was transformed. Her appearance combined with narration provided by Robert L. Rooke Associate Professor of Mathematics Dylan Shepardson advanced the plot in a really entertaining way.

The late great Jorge’s appearance was through a video, where he was interviewed four years ago by Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Behavior Marta Sabariego, briefly reviving him so the audience could witness his charm. This was a very special and nostalgic appearance for those who knew Jorge, and gave a glimpse into the silly guy he was for those who joined the College after his death.

In the show, there was poking fun at the use of AI, tech bros, Gen Z slang, and even student evaluations. A turn of events led to a talent show-like contest between the tech bros and the faculty. The highest point of the show was an incredible faculty performance of Bad Bunny’s “BAILE INoLVIDABLE.” The tech bros danced to ’90s music, ending their “Backstreet Boys” performance with a cartwheel; shoutout to Professor of Psychology and Education Jared Schwartzer. However, the faculty definitely won with line dancing, a K-pop performance, and the divine intervention of Rosalía's “Berghain.”

The show took many turns, ultimately ending with a graduating ceremony where AI ruined the event, much to the frustration of Mary Lyon and our President, Danielle Holly. Lyon and Holley had had enough and unplugged the bots. All celebrated this accomplishment, concluding the show with Chappel Roan’s Pink Pony Club.

The faculty show is a wonderful way to connect students with the College’s faculty. Many of their wonderful personalities shined though the performances giving the students a taste of how creative and fun they all are. I want to send a huge shoutout to the psychology & education, Spanish, biology, chemistry, computer science, neuroscience, mathematics & statistics, philosophy, and all other departments who made this show so special for students across many different disciplines. No review of the performance would be complete without highlighting professors Haydon and Sabariego, who took on multiple amazing roles throughout the show. Everyone involved made it a night to remember!

Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27 contributed fact-checking.

The Lookout Honeys: Punk, riot grrrl and Latina rock & roll

By Marri Shaeffer ’29

Staff Writer

In an era of music made to go viral on TikTok, The Lookout Honeys are redefining what it means to create art through their music.

Originally a The Stooges cover band, this bilingual, punk, all female melting pot of a band from New York City creates absolutely electric tracks that beg listeners to get up and dance. With a blend of loud, fierce rock and roll and enchanting lyrics, the Lookout Honeys draw their audience in, not only allowing them to hear the music, but also inviting them to be a part of it. Their first album, Aguacatero, was released in March 2025, and features twelve songs. 

I had the opportunity to speak with Mexi Cohen, the lead singer of the Lookout Honeys, and Maegan Dolan, the band’s guitarist and backup vocalist. They spoke about their goal for the band, the responsibility they felt as alternative musicians in a politically wrought time, and the creative choices they made for the album. I also had the opportunity to speak with them about their upcoming music video for their song Perro, which will release on April 24, 2026.

According to Cohen, The Lookout Honeys “are a band that creates a certain energy.” She describes their sound as “very fast, and fierce, and dark at some points of some songs.” However, the overarching word that both Cohen and Dolan agreed on was “feminine.” 

When asked to expand on this, Cohen said “this kind of patriarchal thing [that women] should be in competition is unacceptable … the only way out of this big, huge mess that we've created for ourselves is to support each other and to lift each other up and to make the other shine.”

“I think beyond the responsibility of being an all-female group, beyond the responsibility of bringing our influences, our culture, our heritage to the music and the scene, it's really important to keep on doing it, to build community and keep on providing those safe spaces for everyone to express themselves as who they are.” 

Dolan agreed with this, saying “I also believe in the power of sonic waves to make change. I believe in the power of music to create real change, whether it's in a person or in a larger group, it's a beautiful thing.”

Originally from Mexico City and El Salvador, Cohen has found that “Latin American society is very restrictive when it comes to women.” For her, this band was an escape. “I wanted to liberate myself from that and say, "Well, I can be fierce. I can be aggressive. I can be sensual. I can take on this idea that only men can express themselves this way through this kind of music and make it our own and give a message [that] we can take on this kind of power and take up space in this way."

Although each woman in the band comes from a different background, it was important for Cohen and Dolan that each person felt represented within the album. “We all brought a piece of what we ourselves loved in music into it. Just different backgrounds. I hear so much of this beautiful Irish folk storytelling in Megan's songs. It's so beautiful. It's ancient and it's this kind of storytelling that is generational … it's not a scene, it's not a fad, it's not a new thing, a new wave thing. No, it's like this ancient storytelling that goes on from this Irish folk, same with Aileen. And then I bring my Latina influences of what I was listening [to] in Mexico, but also very kind of a gothic aesthetic that I really enjoy,” Cohen stated.

It was this meshing of culture and specific energy that really defines what The Lookout Honeys’ signature sound is. The album features distinctly different songs that blend perfectly, with songs such as “Off The Radar,” a loud blend of Spanish and English with a heavy guitar line and aggressive drums, and “Empty Stairs,” a slower, quieter song with a more emotional edge.

The title of the album, “Aguacatero,” represents this as well. A slang word for stray dog in El Salvador, Cohen felt that that the word represented the band well.

“First of all, we're all mutts. We come from different influences, not only culturally, but sonically too, musically too. And we really like to be adventurous … we enjoy that freedom. [A] stray dog [gets] to go out and have an adventure without an owner or a thing that owns that being.”

For Dolan, the album title also served as an act of protest.
“I also like the idea of us embracing the inner animal in all of us and as an act of rebellion of active freedom [and] liberation.” 

Their song “Perro” represents this idea as well. Cohen explained how they used this track specifically to continue the theme of liberation present throughout the album.

“Perro is the cover of a Stooges song that's called I Want to Be Your Dog. And that is the only song that we kept from our time covering the Stooges, decided to translate it into Spanish and make it our own in that way ... And it gave it such a different cognition to it where I feel like “I Want to Be Your Dog” is sort of a submissive play on what he's saying. Perro is more like a taunt.”

On my first listen of the album, this was the song that initially drew my attention. Cohen’s voice is loud, and demanding, with an almost inhuman growl in her voice that’s reminiscent of the titular dog.

A music video for “Perro” was released on April 24, 2026.

Dolan spoke a bit about the basis for the video, including the setting, saying,“The video is actually shot in the empty house that [our bassist] grew up in … [the] idea of this was like, we were … coming into this house after some activism to let out our rage through music.” 

She explains the animalistic transformation the band goes through during the video, eventually donning dog masks. Dolan wanted to convey “how music transforms you.” 

When you listen to this album, do it late at night, with day-old eyeliner still on and all the lights off in your tiny dorm room. Put headphones on, and let yourself immerse completely in the pure female power that is The Lookout Honeys’ Aguacatero. 

Maeve McCorry ’28 contributed fact-checking.

POTUS: Or, behind Rooke’s second spring production are dedicated actors

Sindy Maldonado ’27

Contributing Writer for A&E

From Thursday, April 16 to Sunday, April 19, Rooke Theatre showcased its second production of the 2026 Spring semester. “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive” by Selina Fillinger was directed by film media theater major and music minor, Natalie Werthamer ’26. The cast includes seven main characters, such as the First Lady, Chief of Staff, Secretary, Press Secretary, and others who are all trying to solve the President’s latest PR scandal that has led to an even bigger problem. 

Rehearsals took place over the course of three months, and the show did not fail to impress its audiences, receiving eruptions of laughter after almost every line. The show takes place over the course of a day at the White House, opening with a tense, yet humorous discussion between the Chief of Staff and the Press Secretary. The two are grappling with the fact that the President had publicly insulted the First Lady, Margaret, played by Noelle Gonzales Jackson ’29, who is introduced promptly in the next scene.

Gonzales Jackson, who is a first year and relatively new to the world of theater, met with Mount Holyoke News on April 16 to discuss her role as FLOTUS. Regarding the personality of her character, Gonzales Jackson said her character could come off as “easily frustrated,” due to her independence and mistrust in others. In studying the character, Gonzales Jackson found it’s because Margaret has “been undermined her whole life” and has “had to work a hundred times harder than everyone else,” and still is not viewed beyond more than just her marriage. 

Regarding this fact, in response to the question of her favorite way to embody this character, Gonzales Jackson replied, “I tried to embody her in … the way I hold myself. She has a lot of tension on her shoulders.” One of the methods Werthamer used for the cast to let go of preconceived notions of their characters was having them all switch roles, and to this Gonzales Jackson replied with, “that was really fun.”

Every character in this show is intertwined with all of the others, from interview scenes to dance breaks in the bathroom. Audiences continue to be introduced to characters in the first act, including a notable character that ensues chaos, Bernadette, POTUS’ sister, played by Molly Malloy ’26. 

Malloy an environmental studies and politics double major, who is “passionate about environmental activism and policy research” but just so happens to garner a love for theater as well. Meeting with Mount Holyoke News on April 12, they stated that although they’re not pursuing theater career-wise, they have a history attending theater camp throughout their childhood and participating in theater during high school. Malloy has felt fulfilled with the fact that non-FMT majors are able to participate in productions. They have been in other shows as well, such as “Marie Antoinette” and “As You Like It.” In order for them to get into character, they start off simple, highlighting their lines and searching for the ways their character is described by other characters. Other things they like to do are make playlists or build some backstory for their character. 

It is worth mentioning that the POTUS is not a physical presence on stage.When asked what it felt like to work around a character that doesn't even exist, Malloy replied, “I think it really works to the show's advantage by completely centering the women in the show. The whole show's making a very clear commentary on how women are subjugated by powerful men. And if you had a physical person playing the president, I think that there would be a lot of attention given to that man and taken away from the women.
And that is the antithesis of what we're getting at, you know?”

 Malloy also referred to exercises conducted by Wethamer to prepare actors for their roles. More specifically, the director had the cast “walk around space as our characters, changing different things, seeing what really worked.” 

Werthamer offered some insight to Mount Holyoke News via email, stating “for each new rehearsal, I encouraged them to discover or focus on one new thing — whether it was a relationship, a new physical choice, or a beat change.” 

For Werthamer, the moment she read the show, “music was already playing and lights were shining.” 

The physical set was complex, with walls that could turn, a plethora of props and fake intern badges for the crew. Werthamer wanted these transitions to feel natural, so she “incorporated actors into the transitions as well as crew in order to fuel that. Music was also huge in feeding the impulse of the previous or following scene.” Here, her passion in music shines, with “the preshow music being USA patriotic anthems, the intermission music being female rage rock anthems, and ending the show with ‘I have a woman inside my soul’ by Cornelia Murr.”

Werthamer’s true goal for this show? To bring people who don't usually go to the theater, out to the theater,” Werthamer stated. 

From creating a special menu at the Frances Perk Cafe to taking opinions from peers, she said she wanted “something that would make people laugh, talk, and bring their friends back. What better way to do that than to put on a political comedy with seven kick ass imperfect women trying to save a man?”

Maeve McCorry ’28 contributed fact-checking.

From high school situationships to the high seas: Games to relax with

By Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27

Editor-in-Chief

2026 started out with a bang, featuring a comically long winter that rocked the northeastern U.S. With temperatures starting to rise, the age-old question rises with them: “What video games should I play to take my mind off my rapidly approaching finals?” 

Well, without further adieu, here are some games for Mount Holyoke students to destress with, featuring summer vibes, perfect for mid-April!

For those in need of a healthy dose of nostalgia: 

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

Play as Swann Holloway, an awkward-teenage-lesbian-turned-awkward-adult-lesbian, as she reunites with her high school friends to piece together their scattered memories of their last — and tragically, their only — summer together. With gameplay and mechanics styled after Life is Strange, the studio’s previous hit game, DontNod’s Bloom & Rage switches between the past and the present intermittently, with decisions made in one temporality frequently influencing the other. 

The story is heartwrenching, joyful, and everything in between; my only major critique is that the second act definitely could have been longer. Pacing issues aside, it’s brilliantly written and wonderfully choreographed.

Come to terms with the past in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage on Playstation, Xbox, and Windows.

For those battling Pokopia-related FOMO:

Ooblets

Ooblets is a fantastical jaunt into a lovely world occupied by humans — as per usual — and Ooblets. What exactly is an Ooblet you ask? According to the game’s website, “a creature that grows out of the ground and has a face.” Players can grow and care for Ooblets, engage in marvelous dance battles, customize their own character and their home, and go on quests around town. 

The graphics are cute and the game runs quite smoothly, making for an enjoyable experience on just about every front. Overall, Ooblets is one-part farming sim, one-part card strategy game, one-part virtual pet game, and all-parts adorable.

Befriend Ooblets on  Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and Windows. 

For those looking to live out their middle school pirate obsession:

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

While Pillars of Eternity II is technically the second entry in the series, no knowledge of the first is required to play or enjoy it. Embark on an epic journey through the Deadfire Archipelago. Ally yourself, or don’t, with several major factions — you don’t actually have to be a pirate if you don’t want to — and make decisions that will influence the entire fantasy world of Eora for years to come.

I especially recommend this one for those who enjoyed any of the Dragon Age or Baldur’s Gate games. The gameplay is relatively similar, but the ideas explored and the setting are markedly different and, often, very refreshing. I never quite knew what would happen next.

Hunt a god in Pillars of Eternity II on Xbox, Playstation,  Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Maeve McCorry ’28 contributed fact-checking.

‘Something Very Bad is Going to Happen’ Now...Wait..Now!..Wait...

By Sarah Berger ’27

Arts & Entertainment Editor

“Something Very Bad is Going to Happen,” a new Netflix horror series, focuses on a couple — Rachel and her fiance, who is so forgettable that I had to look up his name for this article; it’s Nicky — as they’re traveling to Nicky’s family cabin in the woods.

A lot happens on the drive. Nicky and Rachel find an abandoned baby; later, Rachel is stalked in a women’s bathroom, finds a dead fox and stabs her keys through a man’s hand. When they arrive, it’s not a cabin they find, but a mansion inhabited by his creepily reverent sister, Portia, his potentially-perverted brother, Jules, his serial-killer-esque father, Dr. Cunningham, his relatively normal sister-in-law — and ex — Nell, her son, Jude and Nicky’s obsessive mother, Mrs. Cunningham.

There is also a potentially real, potentially fabricated serial killer haunting the area. Rachel is, understandably, freaked out, but she is gaslighted by Nicky’s family, who remind her that since she has no family, she probably just doesn’t understand what having one is like. It’s all a bit crazy, but not as atmospheric as it sets out to be.

The show suffers from an excess of jump cuts, as well as an attempt to make every moment uncanny. The first episode is excusable, but by the second, it’s exhausting. We don’t really learn anything about the characters besides their quirks, and all 45 minutes unfold in glimpses and gasps, slices and whispers. The show is dark and cool-toned, exemplifying recent critiques of movies looking colorless. Despite attempts to create drama, there isn’t really much on the screen to keep your eyes on it.

Without spoiling too much, by the end of the second episode, it is revealed that everything that the show was building up to was essentially nothing, at least nothing supernatural or devious; just something sad and deeply uncomfortable. The ultimate promise of the show is to be scary, and it succeeds at times, but it can’t resist undercutting itself with the next big reveal or plotline switch. Every bit of dialogue is so infused with melodrama or desperate attempts to be quirky that it becomes impossible to suspend your belief. Every single thing is reminding you that “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen,” and by the middle of the fourth episode, I was wondering when it would hurry up and happen already. By the end of the fifth episode, I gave up finishing the series in time for me to finish this review.

Spoiler alert: The series has been building up to the revelation that Rachel has a family curse that means she must either marry her true love or die at the altar. If she refuses to marry him, the curse transfers to his bloodline. This in itself is lackluster because we are told over and over how in love she and Nicky are, so it’s unclear why this would be such a bad thing, besides the fact that his family sucks.

In an effort to hide the corniness of this plot point, the show’s creator, Haley Boston, has said that the show carries a subtle message of heterosexuality being the true horror. Which would be fine, if the series did any examination of heterosexuality. Besides providing a cast of creepy husbands and weird wives, it doesn’t touch the issue at all.

“Something Very Bad is Going to Happen” has a few solid actors, most notably guest star Victoria Pedretti, who stuns in whatever show she’s in. All in all, though, the cast is wooden and over-the-top at the same time, so it can sometimes feel like you’re watching a poorly-executed mix of Seinfeld and Hereditary. I recommend watching almost anything else. Personally, I’ll probably return to watching “You” seasons 2 and 3, where I can see Pedretti without all the other mess.

Maeve McCorry ’28 contributed fact-checking.

Students share their favorite ice cream flavors at Blanch

Graphic by Aspen Pearson ’28

BY ASPEN PEARSON ’28

STAFF WRITER

One of the most popular items at Blanchard Dining Commons is the ice cream. With warm weather right around the corner, I polled the Mount Holyoke community on ice cream preferences. The Dining Commons cycles through a wide range of flavors throughout the year, but a few clear favorites stood out in student responses.

The most popular picks were Graham Central Station and green tea ice cream. Graham Central Station is a creamy graham cracker-flavored ice cream with notes of brown sugar. This is one of the more common flavors in the Dining Commons, popping up often in the coolers and usually disappearing quickly once people notice it’s there. It’s a pretty reliable choice if you want something classic and sweet after dinner.

Green tea is a more rare occurrence in the freezer. When it does appear, it tends to generate excitement among students who enjoy its lighter, more subtle flavor. Emily Berg ’28 noted in a survey conducted by Mount Holyoke News: “Part of me wishes the green tea flavor was around in the winter, but perhaps it would be less special … something to look forward to for spring/summer.”

Green tea is a pale green, creamy ice cream with a light matcha flavor that isn’t overly sweet. It also pairs surprisingly well with other flavors if you’re the type of person who mixes scoops. Green tea and strawberry together is a popular combination, but it also works well with vanilla.

Another campus favorite seems to be strawberry cheesecake, a spring flavor that's been out the last couple of weeks.

The ice cream comes directly from Maple Valley Creamery, just down the road in Hadley, Massachusetts. The Dining Commons rotates its flavors often, and over the course of the year students might see flavors that feel tied to different parts of the semester. Some of these seasonal flavors include my favorite, eggnog, along with apple, pumpkin oreo, and peppermint.

For some students, these seasonal flavors become tied to specific memories on campus. McKenzie Phelan ’28 wrote about her favorite, peppermint: “I first found out about this flavor in December during finals week, and it became a kind of coping mechanism for me. The candy cane vibes of it all reminded me that Christmas was soon, and I needed that hope of something beyond my next essay.”

Ice cream seems to provide a common comfort to the Mount Holyoke community. Whether you are stressed from a long week of classes, grabbing dessert after dinner with friends, or just wandering through the Dining Commons looking for something sweet, a scoop from the freezer has become a small but familiar ritual.

Barrie Ashby ’28 summarized these sentiments in words I’m sure all of us can relate to: “I love Blanch ice cream.”

Madeleine Diesl ’28 contributed fact checking.

Not a losing dog: Mitski's new album stunningly portrays loneliness

Graphic by Isabelle Peterson ’28

BY SARAH BERGER ’27

A&E EDITOR

Mitski’s new album, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me,” focuses on the imagined life of a lonely woman. It is her first album in three years, releasing quietly following her last album “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We.” 

Although the album is a new narrative, it shares many themes with her previous work. Many of the songs focus on changing yourself in order to be loved, being an outsider, and not understanding life. However, this album is particularly notable for its heavy emphasis on loneliness. Previously, Mitski has expressed feeling like an outcast, but her music has never embodied it so heavily. In past songs “Townie,” “Washing Machine Heart,”, and “Love me More,” she writes about the perils of interaction and flirts with the idea of reclusion. In “Nothing’s About to Happen To Me,” she actually is alone, grappling with all that it entails. 

The lead single, “Where’s my phone?” is an anthem for the digital age. Few artists are able to capture the fogginess of living half online, half in the — disappointing, misunderstood — flesh, but Mitski is up to the challenge. 

Mitski has always walked a fine line between emotional vulnerability and dramatics, between honest and tumblr-esque. There are a few times her lyricism crosses over into the sophomoric, or at the very least the cliché. This is particularly evident in “Rules,” where she sings “But I'm only crying 'cause it feels good / I'll have a new haircut, I will be somеbody else / And when I lеave my body / Please pretend that you don't see / How I'm no longer there behind my eyes.”  Or in “Dead Woman,” “Would you have liked me better if I'd died / So you could tell my story the way it ought to be?” That said, reading these lyrics on the page doesn’t give the same impression as hearing them out loud, sung in Mitski’s haunting voice, accompanied by her beautiful melodies. She could make the ABCs into a profound work of art. 

Although there may be thematic parallels with Mitski’s earlier work, there are clear musical differences apparent in her newest album. “If I Leave” will certainly be a hit for everyone who was grabbed by “First Love/Late Spring.” It’s a lovely album to put on during a rainy drive or when you want to commiserate with someone else about things just feeling off. Mitski has always had a talent for conveying depth of emotion, and that gift continues to follow her throughout the entirety of the album. 

Madeleine Diesl ’28 contributed fact checking.

The historical significance behind Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show

Angelina Godinez ’28

Managing Editor of Social Media

Sunday, Feb. 8 marked a historical halftime performance by Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny. Leading up to his performance, the politicized Puerto Rican singer faced backlash for his spot in the halftime show, with many people horrified at a mostly Spanish-speaking performance, a fear that is no doubt due to the current political climate, a climate where racial profiling is normalized and often utilized to justify deportation at worst, and un-Americanism at best. As such, right now, it is important to understand the complex history between Puerto Rico and the Colonial United States. Something that is not only important for allowing Americans to resist anti-immigrant rhetoric, but also to best understand Bad Bunny’s historic halftime show.

Formerly a colonial territory under the Spanish empire, Puerto Rico became an unincorporated colonial territory of the United States following the Spanish-American War and the creation of the Treaty of Paris. Amidst racial profiling toward the greater Latine population in the United States, Puerto Ricans are lumped in with a racially motivated idea of immigrants, which ignores the complex relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States. When Trump campaigned for his return to office, a campaign rally in New York City’s Madison Square Garden sparked debate as Tony Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage." The GOP attempted to disconnect themselves from Hinchcliffe’s comment to protect their ballots, but this comment was not as isolated as it was made to appear. Prior to Hinchcliffe’s comment, a similar “joke” was made by Trump, where he referred to the U.S. as a "garbage can for the world,” a metaphor for the quantity of immigrants residing in the U.S., despite President John F. Kennedy once formally labelling the country as the “Nation of Immigrants.” This depiction of the U.S. as a garbage disposal of crime and terror caused by immigrants is a narrative that is not new or isolated. Rather, it is heavily related to the racism of the past, and our history of colonialism, including that which the people of Puerto Rico have and continue to face. These are themes Bad Bunny continuously combats through his lyrics, performances and bold political statements.

The Super Bowl halftime performance opened with a man wearing a pava, a traditional hat used by agricultural workers in Puerto Rico’s countryside and also famously tokened as the logo of Puerto Rico’s 1938 Popular Democratic Party founded by Luis Muñoz Marín. Aside from highlighting the cultural relevance of the sugar cane labor done by Puerto Ricans, the performance also serves as a clear political reminder of Marín, Puerto Rico's first democratically elected governor following the U.S.’s colonial “ownership” of the island, and his fight for equality and economic growth alongside the U.S. Despite formally fighting for independence from the U.S. as a colonial territory after the Spanish American War, Marín strategically shifted his focus and prioritized the development of Puerto Rico as a commonwealth, paving the way for Puerto Rico to create its own constitution and authorize autonomy from the racial limitations of the U.S. Constitution. This is significant to the start of the performance as it mirrors Bunny's prior reminders that Puerto Ricans are American, despite constantly being marked as “racial others.” Still, the performance celebrated the unique culture of Puerto Rico with the opening statement of, “Qué rico es ser latino.”

This statement is followed by a clip panning over the supposed sugar cane field, representing the sheer number of Latine laborers that not only go unnoticed but are targeted in Trump's campaign despite their historical economic contribution to the U.S. As Bunny begins to perform his popular hit song “Tití Me Preguntó” we are met with a beautiful representation of not only Latine laborers but Afro-Latine people, a reminder of many Puerto Ricans’ mixed Afro-Caribbean culture.

Throughout his performance as he navigated his way through the sugar cane fields, Bunny used the stage of America's favorite pastime to highlight common Latine narratives and careers that too often go unseen by non-Latines or wrongfully stigmatized as “illegal” behavior. Within the first five minutes of his performance we see a coconut fruit vendor, elderly Latino men playing a game of dominos, nail techs, construction workers, piraguas, taco stands, professional boxers, jewelry vendors and much more. Although it can easily go unnoticed by non-Latines, this beautiful homage to Latine culture and family dynamics validates the Latine experience both on and off the island in a political climate that criminalizes the celebration of Latin American culture.

In addition to emphasizing the various economic and social contributions of Latinos in America, Bunny's house-like stage featured various celebrities such as Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, Karol G, Jessica Alba and Young Miko. Their cameos further highlight the diversity of Latine culture with direct representation of Chilean, Dominican, Colombian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican peoples.

As Bad Bunny continued performing popular songs such as “Yo Perreo Sola,” “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR,” Daddy Yankee's “Gasolina” and “EoO” he formally introduced himself as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, saying “Es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí. Tú también debería, tú también deberías de creer en ti. Vales más de lo que piensa, créeme.” This translates to, “It's because I never, never stopped believing in myself. You should too, you should believe in yourself. You're worth more than you think, believe me.”

These motivational comments segue into the marriage between two performers, and Lady Gaga performing an alternate version of “Die with a Smile”; in this performance, the union between the couple is celebrated in addition to unique Latine marriage traditions and musical influence. Although there were mixed reviews on Gaga’s performance and cameo in the superbowl halftime show due to her political relations with Israel and others arguing a Latina artist like Cardi B or Karol G should have been the musical cameo, it is important to remember the performance serves as a celebration of various diverse cultures, and focusing solely on Gaga’s appearance waters down the significance of an otherwise all spanish performance.

Aside from Gaga’s minute-long performance, Bunny held to his promises and performed solely in Spanish. This is influential as Latine artists in the music industry are commonly pressured to assimilate to American culture and perform in English or better cultivate themselves to appeal to an American crowd, as seen with Shakira’s past Super Bowl halftime performance. Not only is Bad Bunny persistent with his Spanish lyrics and motivating non-Spanish speakers to learn the second most spoken language in the United States, but with ICE detentions and deportations rising, he refused to perform within the United States as a safety precaution for his large Latine fanbase.

This refusal to assimilate is what sparked conservative backlash as Trump shared a post on his conservative leaning social media platform, Truth Social, saying "absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!” followed by “nobody understands a word this guy is saying.” and that it was “an affront to the Greatness of America.” These comments were mirrored with thousands of conservative-leaning Americans as they chose to tune in to Turning Point USA, “All-American” Halftime show which only drew 6.1 million viewers as opposed to Bunny’s all-American performance — Puerto Rico is part of the US — viewership of 128.2 million. Gaga’s cameo was topped off by Puerto Rican singer, Ricky Martín, commonly understood as a key incorporator of Latin American music in the United States with hits such as “Livin’ la Vida Loca” and “La Copa de la Vida.”

Following these notable cameos and homages to not only young Benito but also broadwr Latine culture in the United States, Bad Bunny ended his performance by saying his only line in English: “God Bless America.” This comment was followed by a celebration of various nations that makes up the Americas such as Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, Las Antilles, the U.S., Canada and last but not least, Puerto Rico.

This Super Bowl started and ended as a reminder of what truly makes the “Americas,” an important thing to note in this day and age. Despite this term commonly being used to describe a person born and raised in the United States, it also extends to South America and commonwealth territories such as Puerto Rico, making their citizens just as American as those who boycotted the 2026 halftime performance.

Madeleine Diesl ’28 contributed fact-checking.

Before Hallmark cards, there was Esther Howland

Chiara Bian ’29

Staff writer

Did you know that Esther Howland, class of 1847, is also known as the “mother of the American valentine”?

Born in Massachusetts, Esther Howland was the woman who helped make Valentine’s Day cards popular across the United States. Soon after graduating from Mount Holyoke College, she received a Valentine card from her father’s business partner. At that time, most Valentine cards were imported from Europe and decorated with lace, delicate cutouts and fine details. The card amazed Howland and sparked an idea. Inspired, she decided to create even more beautiful cards in America.

She asked her father to order special materials from England which she used to make more than a dozen sample cards by hand. Through her brother, a traveling salesman, she began selling them. At first, she did not expect much. But the response was shocking: She soon received $5,000 in orders, an incredible amount for a young woman in the mid-19th century.

Encouraged by this success, Howland decided to build a real business. She turned a room on the third floor of her home into her first workshop. Each worker focused on one step of the process and together, they worked like a simple assembly line. One by one, elegant cards were created, as tempting as small, decorated cakes. Howland also hired women who could work from home, giving them rare chances to earn their own income. In this lively and supportive environment, women earned fair pay while sending love and joy to households across the country. At its peak, her company, The New England Valentine Company, made up to $100,000 a year; they were a powerful business led by women.

On Valentine’s Day, I visited Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections to see our collection of historic Valentine cards. I had to be extremely careful when handling these cards because the lace edges and embossed patterns have yellowed over time, and the paper is fragile. The exhibit followed the timeline from the earliest cards to later designs. Along the way, I saw how styles slowly changed: Early cards often showed angels and romantic couples, while later ones focused more on mothers and children.

Some designs were also surprisingly creative. There were frame cards that could stand up and hold photographs, vase-shaped cards that opened like fans, andeven hanging cards that unfolded like a long strip of pictures. Each design felt playful, clever, and full of imagination.

One of the most interesting discoveries was a group of cards inspired by William Shakespeare. His works contain some of the earliest literary mentions of Valentine’s Day. One famous verse appears in Hamlet, written around 1600. In Act IV, Scene V, Ophelia sings:

“To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s day,

All in the morning betime,

And I a maid at your window,

To be your Valentine.”

This refers to a popularly held belief at the time, that the first woman a man saw on Valentine’s Day would become his true love. It is fascinating to see how this idea traveled from literature into popular culture and finally onto greeting cards.

But not all Valentine cards were sweet. As we kept turning the pages, we discovered something very different: Victorian “Vinegar Valentines.” These cards were sharp, sarcastic, and sometimes even cruel. They carried jokes and insults about politics, gender, race, and social behavior. People sent them to annoying salesmen, rude neighbors, or even strangers on the street. Love was not always the goal.

By the end of the visit, my eyes were tired, but my heart was light. I felt excited, curious, and strangely happy, like a small bird singing on one’s shoulder in February. These cards carry far more than lace and paper. They hold stories of love, humor, creativity, and bold imagination. I strongly recommend visiting the Archives to experience them in person. You might walk in for history, but you will leave with wonder.

Madeleine Diesl ’28 contributed fact-checking.

Chloé Zhao’s ‘Hamnet’: A profound ode to love, loss and art

Graphic by Brianna Stockwell ’28

By Chiara Bian ’29

Staff Writer

Chloé Zhao, born Zhao Ting, is a 2005 graduate of Mount Holyoke College. Zhao was born and raised in Beijing and is one of the most acclaimed directors in the film industry, having won two Academy Awards. Her fifth directorial work, and the subject of this review, “Hamnet,” was released a few months ago, in 2025.

For me, this film is like a beating heart. From the first second to the last, I can feel the very pulses of humans, nature and emotions. When the film ended, in a moment of blankness, I clearly heard my own heart trembling powerfully with my stirred breath.

Spoiler alert from here on!

At the very start of the film, Agnes, played by Jessie Buckley, appears as the camera slowly pans down from the lush tree canopy. She is lying on the brown soil in a long red dress, with tree roots winding around her and a dark, bottomless hollowed-out tree beside her. In the background, only the wind, the rustle of leaves and birdsong can be heard. In this quiet environment, I breathe together with the forest and Agnes, the child known as the forest witch.

Later, Agnes meets Will, a Latin tutor played by Paul Mescal, when he visits her in the forest. When Agnes asks to hear a story, he tells her the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. In this legend, Orpheus, a musician with a moving voice, falls in love with Eurydice, who is killed shortly after their marriage. Grief-stricken, he decides to go to the Underworld to bring her back, overcoming numerous difficulties on the way, before finally finding her. Orpheus was allowed to bring Eurydice back to Earth, but only on the condition that she had to follow him, and he could not look back. Gradually, he could no longer hear her footsteps, only his own heartbeat and silence. When he was almost at the gate of the Underworld, he could not bear it and looked back, trapping Eurydice there forever.

After telling the story, Will looks up and asks Agnes if she likes it. Agnes does not answer. The silence at this moment is a tacit understanding between them, the beginning of their love. Later, they have a child out of wedlock, leading Agnes to cut off ties with her family and move in with Will to marry him. Soon after, she gives birth to their first daughter, Susanna, in the forest. When Will arrives, he picks up the daughter. At this time, the camera moves to the dew-covered leaves and tangled vines. The next scene shows Will jumping into the water, swimming hard forward and then falling into the water. There is no baby's cry in the background; at this moment, only his chest rises and falls. Breathing is not only a symbol of the newborn's life but also a mark of Will's transformation into a father.

Quickly, Agnes is pregnant again and gives birth to twins, a boy and a girl. She names them Hamnet and Judith, respectively. Judith is pronounced dead at birth, but Agnes insists that her daughter is alive. When Agnes holds her in her arms, the baby does not cry, but gradually takes weak breaths. Both children survive. As the children grow, the loving couple teach their children to read, to know the land, and how to use all kinds of medicinal herbs.

Unfortunately, their happiness is short-lived. In Stratford, Judith contracts the plague. Hamnet sees Death in the room. He lies beside his sister and breathes with her, hoping that Death will mistake them and take him instead. The camera shoots from above, and with the faint breathing sounds come Hamnet's whispers: "I give you my life" and "I'll be brave." Judith recovers miraculously, but Hamnet's condition is critical. No matter how hard his mother tries to sprinkle salt and herbs on him, he finally dies in her arms.

At that moment, I thought I would hear a mother's heart-wrenching, continuous wail, with Agnes's mouth wide open, but instead, she cannot make a sound. From that moment on, the loss of her son cries out in her heart every second. Will comes back and is grief-stricken when he sees his son's pale body, but he knows well that the world will not stop turning for this. In the early morning, Agnes silently taps boiled eggs on the table and peels their shells, while Will packs his luggage and is ready to go back to London. Agnes cannot believe he is leaving the family that has just suffered such a heavy blow. The crack of eggshells and the clear sound of a slap signal that a rift has appeared in the family.

Time passes, and Agnes' stepmother, Joan, shows her a playbill for a production of Hamlet in London. Agnes is surprised to find that it is a tragedy, not a comedy as her husband described. She decides to go to the Globe Theatre to watch the premiere of Hamlet.

At first, Agnes is angry that her son's name is profaned. But when she sees William play the ghost of Hamlet's father and speak of his guilt towards his son, she realizes that the play is a tribute to Hamnet. The sword fight scenes interspersed in the play also fulfill the action role that Hamnet dreamed of playing when he grew up, as he told his mother in his childhood.

At the end of the film, when Agnes reaches out to touch the void in the theatre, she is both saying goodbye to her son and accepting art as a form of life continuation. When her son walks towards the dark tree hollow on the stage backdrop, she laughs from the bottom of her heart again. At this moment, Hamlet is a comedy for her, and her alone. It is a reconciliation of personal pain with universal human emotions, and of natural order with civilizational creation. Through this moment, the film reveals its core message: Love can cross the gap of death, and art and memory are the brightest bridges among them.

Through Agnes and Will's different paths, the film shows that true redemption in the face of grief is neither complete forgetting nor blind indulgence, but the act of learning to find a balance between memory and hope, pain and sublimation.

Chloé Zhao’s directorial mark is clearly visible in the film; her focus on the marginalized, her use of natural imagery, and her depiction of the dignity of "failure" all make this historical work resonate with modern audiences. As she said at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards, "The most important thing of being an artist is learning to be vulnerable enough to allow ourselves to be seen."

Through this film, and its beautiful, hopeful, vulnerability, viewers may take away many different messages. For me, this much was clear: we need to listen to every breath we take, whether it is strong or weak.

Emelin Chuquimarca '28 contributed fact-checking.

The ‘Stranger Things’ season five finale ‘sucked a fat one’

Graphic by Gabrielle Orta Roman ’28

By Marri Shaeffer ’29

Staff Writer

Netflix’s “Stranger Things” began airing its fifth season on Nov. 26, 2025.

Prior to the release of this season, “Stranger Things” was hailed for its intriguing plot and relatable cast of characters. It appealed to nostalgia, with iconic actors like Winona Ryder and consistent callbacks to popular ’80s culture. Within the first 35 days of the first season’s release, the show averaged 14.07 million viewers. It was an instant success, and the next three seasons were met with equal enthusiasm.

However, the release of the fifth season brought that momentum to a speeding halt.

On paper, the season sounded like the perfect conclusion to an incredible show. It would answer questions that had been floating around since the show’s release, feature queer representation unheard of for a show set in the 1980s, and would end in an epic fight. Unfortunately, many of these promises went unfulfilled.

For many viewers, one of the most intriguing parts of the “Stranger Things” finale was the conclusion of Will Byers’ struggle with his sexuality, which was present throughout the show. Vecna, the main villain of the show, uses Will’s sexuality to control him by convincing him that revealing this secret will trigger rejection from his loved ones. As such, Will is terrified of that part of himself.

In season five, Will is finally able to come to terms with his sexuality in some capacity. He shares a heartfelt conversation with Robin Buckley, who is in a relationship with another woman. They discuss Robin’s own queer experience and how she accepted herself. It’s a deeply emotional moment where Will realizes that he too may be able to live truthfully as a gay man. It felt relatable and real, almost as if Robin was speaking to me directly.

I was shocked at how accurately my own queer experience was being represented in a TV show. However, those good feelings didn’t last for very long.

In the penultimate episode of the show, Will realizes that, in order to fight Vecna, he must overcome his greatest fear. The group is gathered together, Will comes out to them and, in a shocking twist of fate, everyone is completely fine with it.

Initially, it’s presented as though Will is going to talk to only his closest friends. Instead, however, the whole cast is there. It’s odd, and feels unnatural to have virtual strangers included in what should be an intimate conversation. In addition to this, it’s saddening that he is driven by fear to reveal this secret. It isn’t that he’s come to terms with himself completely, but rather that he has to reveal his secret, or Vecna will do it first. Robin’s touching message feels useless because of this fear.

Beyond this strange, even negative message on queer people and sexuality, the last episode, “The Rightside Up,” was, in my opinion, one of the worst recent television finales. With a runtime of over two hours, it drags on incessantly with little to no payoff. After four seasons of struggle, the main villain is killed with just a few swings of an axe. It’s anticlimactic, and not even close to the expected battle.

Despite the main villain being dead, there is still an hour left. This final hour is painstakingly slow and overall unrealistic. Mike goes missing, but is swiftly found. Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas and Max graduate together, despite the fact that Max was in a coma for just under two years. Jonathan, Nancy, Steve and Robin reunite after a time apart, and Hopper proposes to Joyce.

The episode ends with the main cast playing a round of Dungeons and Dragons, finishing their final campaign. It ends similarly to the Vecna fight, with an unfulfilling and abrupt ending. Max comments on the ending, calling it trite and unsatisfying, almost as if the Duffers are attempting to poke fun at their own show. Mike, as the dungeon master of the campaign, denies this, calling it realistic instead, and explains the endings for each character, including Eleven. Mike has theorized that she’s alive somewhere, a theory that is difficult for many viewers to agree with. Finally, Holly Wheeler runs downstairs to play Dungeons and Dragons, just as Mike had at the beginning of the show, symbolizing the start of a new generation.

This ending was bad. It was unfulfilling, and left plot holes so enormous that many fans began to theorize. The most popular theory, dubbed “conformitygate,” originated on X from user 67gate. According to this theory, everyone is trapped in Vecna’s mind, unable to escape and cursed to exist in a “conformed” state. It blew up on social media, and even attracted the attention of some celebrities, such as Jimmy Fallon. This theory pointed to the existence of a secret ninth episode. When the time came for this secret episode to air, however, there was nothing.

Fans instead got a documentary detailing the writing process of the show. Included in this documentary were shots of the writers’ laptops with ChatGPT open, worrying fans about the authenticity of this season’s writing, and signifying a larger problem for all productions moving forward.

Nevertheless, somehow, despite bad representation, one horrible finale, and possible AI use, the biggest crime the Duffer brothers committed in the end, was making Robin a Smith student.

Emelin Chuquimarca '28 contributed fact-checking.

Staff picks: Escape the cold with these video games during break

Graphic by Audrey Hanan ’28

By Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27

Editor-in-Chief

With the pressure of finals and the emptiness of winter break rapidly approaching, Mount Holyoke News’ staff have put together a list of eleven games from a variety of genres for Mount Holyoke students to try out. Beat exam-induced stress and the subsequent winter-brought boredom with these game recommendations, spanning everything from action-adventure RPGs to cozy games.

Action-Adventure RPGs

Dragon Age II

Starting off with my personal favorite game of all time, we have Bioware’s 2011 dark fantasy RPG Dragon Age II. Clocking in at around 30 hours to complete, this short game is both deeply flawed and full of heart. Join refugee Hawke and their scrappy friend group — consisting of several queer criminals and also straight boy Sebastian Vael — on a quest to obtain power and freedom, maybe even becoming the savior of a city in the process. Dragon Age II features a relatively standalone narrative, so players don’t have to be familiar with the first game in the franchise, Dragon Age: Origins, to understand its story.

Dragon Age II has its fair share of issues — from its gameplay to its politics — but every time the end credits roll and Florence and the Machine’s “I’m Not Calling You a Liar” begins to play, I still find myself crying. Players interested in unreliable narrators, tragedy and copious amounts of blood may get a kick out of this game. Because of its age, Dragon Age II is most easily accessible today via Steam on Windows.

Avowed & The Outer Worlds

For those searching for a more recent contribution to the action-adventure genre, Obsidian Entertainment’s games Avowed and The Outer Worlds may be the perfect fit. Avowed, set in the high fantasy Pillars of Eternity universe, takes a more lighthearted — but just as soulful — approach to storytelling compared to Dragon Age II. For those who prefer sci-fi, The Outer Worlds takes place a few hundred years in the future, on the other side of the Milky Way galaxy.

These two games are characterized by epic stories, vibrant environments, fast-paced combat, a healthy dose of humor and difficult choices. Fans of Fallout: New Vegas, one of Obsidian’s older works, may especially enjoy their gameplay mechanics and narratives. Both are available on Windows, Xbox and Playstation. The Outer Worlds is also playable on Nintendo Switch.

Co-Op & Multiplayer

Untitled Goose Game

For those feeling nostalgic about the College’s dearly departed Jorge goose, indie developer House House’s 2020 hit Untitled Goose Game may scratch that waterfowl craving. Honor and embody  Jorge’s unique hater spirit in this fun sandbox game where players take on the role of a chaotic goose with a singular purpose: To make everyone else’s life as difficult as possible. As the game’s website says, “It's a lovely morning in the village and you are a horrible goose.”

Untitled Goose Game can be enjoyed alone or with a friend on Windows, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Playstation and Xbox. 

Castle Crashers

If you’re in the mood for combat, you should check out indie game developer The Behemoth’s 2008 game Castle Crashers. Castle Crashers is a wonderfully illustrated sidescrolling 2D fighting game in which up to four players can team up to rescue four princesses who have been kidnapped by an evil wizard. The variety of environments, enemies, and weapons keep the game from feeling repetitive or boring. The multiplayer aspect is easy to manage, as players can drop in or out of a game as they please. While the combat can be intense, the game overall still feels relatively casual, and isn’t too difficult for newcomers to jump into.

Players can jump into Castle Crashers on Windows, Xbox, Playstation and Nintendo Switch.

Cozy

Potion Permit

Farming simulator fans looking for a career change may enjoy Potion Permit, a lovely 2022 game by indie developer MassHive Media. This life simulator features mechanics similar to games like Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons, but with an alchemy-inspired twist. Players travel to Moonbury as an aspiring chemist, where they can forage for ingredients, fight enemies, form friendships, play minigames to diagnose illnesses and craft medicines, and so much more.  As players progress through the story, they can improve their lodgings, unlock new areas to explore, and even fall in love!

Potion Permit can be played on Windows, Mac, Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Those who’d prefer to pursue a variety of professions may take to one of LEVEL5 Inc.’s newest releases, Fantasy Life i. A sequel to their 2012 3DS game of a similar name — Fantasy Life — Fantasy Life i expands upon its predecessor’s premise, allowing the player to freely rotate between 14 different jobs, which include everything from miner to tailor to paladin. Travelling through time on the back of a dragon, players can build a town, explore an open world, and uncover a secret plot that jeopardizes the fate of an entire island: Past, present and future.

Fantasy Life i is available to play on Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox and Playstation.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood 

If you’re looking to escape the concept of a day job entirely, look no further than indie developer Deconstructeam’s 2023 interactive visual novel The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood. Play as Fortuna, a witch exiled to an asteroid, who makes a deal with an eldritch entity to regain her fortune telling powers and provide guidance to her friends. Featuring a mystical space aesthetic and thought-provoking narrative about community and identity, this game offers a brief reprieve from the boredom and loneliness of winter break. As Contributing Writer Emily Finnila ’27 describes it, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is “a cozy queer game about tarot reading and witches!”

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood can be played on Windows and Nintendo Switch.

Strategy & Management

Hearts of Iron IV

Fans of Sid Meier's Civilization looking for a new take on the strategy genre may find Hearts of Iron IV to be a breath of fresh air. In this 2016 game, players can take control of a country during World War II, re-enacting history or changing it entirely. According to Copy Chief Karishma Ramkarran ’27, “HOI4 is a pretty complex game and takes a bit of time to get into. But the arduous effort made to learn the mechanics is extremely rewarding and fun.” 

Hearts of Iron IV can be played on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Pixel Cafe

Pixel Cafe is a 2023 time management game by Baltoro Games in which players assume the role of Pixel, a barista who’s recently left behind her small-town life for the big city. The game primarily consists of fast-paced levels in which the player must cook food, brew drinks and serve customers interspersed with slower narrative scenes, which beautifully craft a picture of Pixel’s life outside her job. Fans of Overcooked who are looking for a fun game to play solo may especially enjoy Pixel Cafe’s mechanics. 

Come for the satisfying gameplay and stay for the story: Pixel Cafe is available on Windows, Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.

The Sims Series

The Sims is one of the most well-known franchises in the life simulator genre. The Sims 4, the newest main release in the series, is probably the most popular, but there are also several previous iterations of the game that are still available for purchase and play. For those looking for a classic experience, The Sims 1 is available for purchase on Steam and EA Games, and is listed as The Sims Legacy Collection. If you’d prefer to try out its chaotic and beloved successor, The Sims 2 Legacy Collection is also available to play on Windows. Both legacy collections come packed with most of the games’ DLC, so players get access to a wealth of content without having to break the bank. 

All games in the mainline Sims franchise — from 1 to 4 — are known for being flexible to players’ wants and needs. As Mount Holyoke News’ HR Coordinator Abigail McKeon ’26 puts it, “I think it’s a game that can suit most people’s interests as you can pretty much do whatever you want, from playing as a suburban mom of 2.5 kids to being abducted by aliens. There are also a ton of easily downloaded custom content items and mods that you can use to enhance your gameplay for free, which I enjoy.”

Karishma Ramkarran ’27 contributed fact-checking.

2026 Grammy nomination highlights, lowlights and no-lights

Graphic by Betty Smart ’26

By Quinlan Cooke ’29

Staff Writer 

On Friday, Nov. 7, the nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards were announced. The Grammys are awards given to musicians and other musical artists. This award ceremony is run by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, also commonly referred to as the Recording Academy. This ceremony happens every year, and the eligibility period for the 2026 ceremony ran from Aug. 31, 2024, through Aug. 30, 2025. The nominations for the ceremony for the coming year have brought many surprise snubs and repeat nominations. 

There are over 75 Grammys in all, but only some are televised in a ceremony, and there are a “big four” categories that are most coveted. These categories are listed as 1. Record of the Year, 2. Album of the Year, 3.Song of the Year, and 4. Best New Artist. There are other categories that have to do with genre, music videos, composers and producers, but they are not televised on prime time. 

Artists, songs, albums and producers are not chosen at random. To be nominated, the artist’s label or a member of The Recording Academy has to submit the music they want to be considered. The Recording Academy then sifts through all the considerations, narrowing things down. They verify if the submission fits the categories submitted to, and if they are “worthy” of nomination in said categories. Some artists try to campaign for nomination and release posters or billboards with what they want nominated, while others do not say anything under the chance that their submission is not nominated. 

This year, the lack of nominations for The Weeknd comes as a shock to many. In 2021, he announced a boycott of the ceremony after his releases that year were not nominated. The lack of nominations is especially notable after his surprise performance at the 2025 Grammys ended his boycott of the ceremony. His album “Hurry Up Tomorrow” was eligible and submitted for consideration, but was ultimately rejected. 

Jack Antonoff was nominated for seven categories this year, but he was not nominated for the category most would associate with him: Producer of The Year, Non-Classical. Two nominations for record and album of the year—“Manchild” and “GNX,” respectively — were produced by Antonoff. He is also under two of the other “big four” categories, with two nominations for each category. It is a shock that someone with so many nominations in such big categories would be passed up for the position of Producer of The Year, Non-Classical. 

Alt-pop duo, Twenty One Pilots, was also noticeably missing from the 2026 nomination lineup. While their most recent album, “Breach,” was a month shy of eligibility, they had two singles submitted for consideration for several categories. “The Line” was released in November of 2024 as a single featured in the series “Arcane,” and the lead single for “Breach”—“The Contract”— did not garner any nominations. “The Contract” made it to #33 on pop charts, but it hit #1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart. Some believe the duo is blacklisted from future Grammys, as they accepted their most recent award by stripping down to their boxers when they stood up to walk to the stage. Despite this, I am still holding out hope for 2027. 

The most surprising lack of nomination this year, in my eyes, has to do with Gigi Perez. Her “Sailor Song” charted wildly and still gets radio play; it even made an entrance onto the Billboard Hot-100, and was vastly popular on TikTok. During the summer of 2025, Perez opened for Grammy-winner Hozier — known for his song “Take Me to Church”— on tour. 

While “Sailor Song” did not meet the criteria to be nominated on its own, it was released one month shy of the eligibility period, Perez’s album “At the Beach, In Every Life” does. This album, released April 25, 2025, houses the song “Fable.” “Fable” also became a hit, with radio play and TikTok fame. It also made it to the charts, peaking at 55, and it stayed charting for 7 weeks total.

Perez submitted for consideration for 5 categories, and was not selected for any of them. I find this to be criminal, especially considering those nominated for Best New Artist. For a few, I could not name any songs they have sung, and I do not believe that they have had the same radio impact. 

Nevertheless, despite several snubs, many of the nominations were well deserved and happily received by both artists and fans. Truthfully, the Grammys will never leave everyone happy; everyone will always have something to say about them. If this weren't the case, there would be no show. 

Abigail McKeon ’26 contributed fact checking. 

Kate Eberstadt’s ‘heaven on earth’ is heartbreak in album form

Kate Eberstadt’s newest album, “heaven on earth,” doubles as her debut, and was recently released

BY MARRI SHAEFFER ‘29

STAFF WRITER

If you watched Timothée Chalamet in “Call Me By Your Name” and were instantly taken aback by his outstanding performance, you’ll likely find yourself equally obsessed with Kate Eberstadt’s debut album, “heaven on earth.”

The first track on the album is “timmy chalamet,” a song in which Eberstadt uses Chalamet’s name to reminisce about her life pre-breakup with a long term partner. The music video for this song is a love letter to the movie as well, featuring Eberstadt in the iconic striped shirts worn by Chalamet throughout it, and a nostalgic atmosphere primarily invoked by the use of film to shoot the entirety of the music video.

While this song is instantly intriguing due to the standout nature of its title and subject matter, it’s simply one part of the wonderful whole that is Kate Eberstadt’s “heaven on earth.” This album, released on Nov. 11, blends club music with indie pop, and is absolutely soaked in emotion. If you’re looking for a new artist to yearn to this dark winter season, Kate Eberdstadt very well might be it.

“heaven on earth” is a complete standout in its genre, and the intersection of classical instrumentation — such as strings and piano — with electronic sound effects instantly causes it to be an album I want to have on repeat. Eberstadt’s voice is a standout as well, with deep, sultry tones that invite the listener in. 

While this is Eberstadt’s solo debut album, it is not her first contribution to the music scene. After graduating from Columbia University, Eberstadt, along with her sister, taught music to refugees in Berlin. Following that, they debuted as a duo under the name DELUNE, in 2018. In addition to her music career, Eberstadt is also a theatrical composer, and currently has residency as an artist at New York City’s Ars Nova.

It’s clear that Eberstadt has put a piece of her own soul into this album. Each song tells a story, whether it’s the club nights of  “candy” or the desire to escape that’s explained throughout “rv.” She appeals to pop culture reference-obsessed college students with “tarantino angel,” “that vampire weekend song,” and of course, “timmy chalamet,” and yet somehow bypasses the cringe typically associated with reference-laced songs in favor of deeply touching lyrics.

When I first listened to “candy,” I could instantly tell the world that Eberstadt wanted to bring me into. The instrumentals of the song are a blend of pure club music with a fast pulse, and slower, more intimate moments, which make me feel like I’m the mirror Eberstadt is singing into when she states that there is “another face in the mirror,” and she doesn’t “know her anymore.” 

When the pulse speeds up, Eberstadt’s voice fades as if I’m right next to her at the club, and the music is too loud to hear her anymore. While it’s upbeat and could easily be played at a party, the lyrics are heartwrenching, painting a direct narrative of the feeling of losing your identity in favor of being a more entertaining version of yourself.

I didn’t originally expect to be able to find a piece of myself in this album. However, “rv” explains the exact sense of longing that I felt when I was deciding to move almost 2,000 miles away from my hometown. I too had that “little daydream” of having my “bags packed for a long long trip.” 

Eberstadt is singing of her own experience of wanting to escape with her partner, and fears that they might leave her and she would have to “start over” without them. While I can’t relate to that part exactly, something about the smooth combination of Eberstadt’s voice and the voice of her producer, Jake Crocker, makes me feel as if I absolutely could. 

The throughline of every song on this album is that Eberstadt not only tells a story, but gives the listener a place in it too. Her lyrics and unique use of instrumentals make it extremely easy to close your eyes and imagine yourself in her place. I suggest finding yourself the most Pinterest-esque location on campus, such as a chair near a window in the Reading Room, or a study room when it’s dark and drizzly outside, and letting yourself completely immerse in the absolutely stunning narrative that is Kate Eberstadt’s “heaven on earth.”

Angelina Godinez ’28 contributed fact-checking. 

'Iris' by Mount Holyoke professor staged in Springfield

Photo by Quill Nishi-Leonard ‘27

Rooke Theatre is home to the theater portion of Mount Holyoke College’s film media theater department; it is located on the southern end of campus by Gorse Parking Lot, Creighton Hall, and Buckland Hall.

BY GENEVIEVE ZAHNER ‘26

NEWS EDITOR

Visiting Assistant Professor in Film Media Theater Olivia Finch recently had the opportunity to present her play, “Iris,” in a staged reading at the Majestic Theatre in West Springfield. “Iris” follows a couple, Harper and Iris, through their grief following a miscarriage. Different characters — including Iris’ mother and an unnamed child — flitter in and out, representing different experiences and moments in the couple’s journey. The realistic and emotional tone draws the audience into the moment with the characters, allowing them to feel the grief as if it were their own.

Finch told Mount Holyoke News in an email, “I wrote Iris because I'd never seen a play in which a miscarriage was the narrative's entire focus … But a single pregnancy loss can be a life-altering experience.” She said that the “cycle of creation and transformation” that happens during a pregnancy loss was “rich and compelling” material for a play. 

Finch also noted that she wrote “Iris” because it was a play that she wished she had seen in her own experience of loss. “That's normally how my process begins. I write the thing that I haven't yet seen but feel like I need,” said Finch. Finch wrote how it can be healing to see a representation of one’s own experiences, and that “the theatre is a unique place of collective witness,” which is one of her favorite qualities about playwriting. 

“Iris was a commission that was part of a fellowship that I did after my MFA in Iowa. I got to spend a year writing and developing it through the University of Iowa and the Dee Silver new play commission,” Finch said. This is the third staged reading but the ninth draft of “Iris.” “It can be challenging to feel like you're still "discovering" two years after starting writing, but I've learned to trust the process as much as possible.”

Additionally, Finch loves the collectivism of the theatre and working on pieces for an audience; being in rehearsal is her favorite part of the process. “I love how much actors and a director bring to a piece, that they bring it to life. I always feel so grateful that something I wrote alone at a desk allows a bunch of people to come together and make something.” 

For Finch, the most rewarding part is sharing the play with others, in collaboration with actors and directors, as well as audiences: “To hear how the piece resonates with other people and how it touches them is really rewarding.” 

At the performance on Nov. 17, the audience reacted viscerally, with some members wiping away tears, or murmuring in agreement during key moments. The play took place in the rehearsal space for the Majestic Theatre, with rows of chairs set up black box-style and actors carrying stands around the minimal set and stage space. While at times the silence was palpable, occasional tension was broken with light laughter, and people seemed to really appreciate the intense attention to detail of the nuances of this play.

Angelina Godinez ’28 contributed fact-checking. 

Director of ‘Sugar’ breaks down staging & domestic violence focus

Chiara Bian ’29

Staff Writer

The short play “Sugar,” performed in Rooke Theatre on Oct. 24 and 25, explores hidden domestic violence through a seemingly mundane neighborly interaction, and resonated deeply with audiences. Centered on Lilia, who is confronted by new neighbor Jaden’s urgent request for sugar, the production stands out for its experimental staging and emotional depth.

Following the Oct. 24-25 performances of the short play “Sugar,” Director Betty Liao ’27 sat with Mount Holyoke News for an exclusive interview, sharing in-depth insights into the production’s creative journey, thematic intent, design choices and advice for future directors — all while unpacking the story that hides vital meaning beneath a seemingly simple "sugar-borrowing" premise.

To begin, Liao cited the collaborative development of the play’s "circling" climax as the most memorable creative moment. “The original script is [of a] totally different design, as it asks the actors to whisper at this moment. However, I do think this moment is the climax of the whole play, so Lilia and Jaden are on their emotional burst,” she said.

However, the team’s initial plans for a "triangle movement" — right, upstage center, downstage left — did not fall through due to weak visual impact, Liao said. With guidance from Noah Ilya-Alexis Tuleja, a short play festival instructor, the team revised the blocking: Actors freeze, jump to downstage, circle, then return to their original door-side positions.

"We used the last [two] rehearsals to figure out this movement," she said. “I was impressed by the actors of how they used all of [their] energy and switched their emotions so quickly and precisely at this peak moment. And it turned out that our audience love[d] this moment the best in the play,” Liao added.

Liao also opened up about why she chose the “Sugar” script in the first place. Her search for a script with diverse casting and social relevance led her to “Sugar.”

“Sugar is a particularly tricky piece because the two main characters spend most of the time in the play separated by a door, which limits the ways in which the actors can connect and interact,” she said. “However, this challenge also gives me more room to experiment with directing, allowing me to incorporate physicality and experimental elements into what is otherwise a dialogue-heavy play."

Beyond the play’s artistic appeal, its subtle take on domestic violence aligned with her advocacy. "I am deeply interested in issues related to women’s rights and gender equality, and I’ve learned that many people still view domestic violence as merely a form of family conflict. In reality, it is a deliberate act of harm that requires legal intervention,” Liao said. “Through this production, I want to raise awareness that domestic violence is a crime, and to encourage those suffering from abuse to find the courage to stand up for themselves.”

To better convey this theme and enrich the storytelling, the production also featured a series of thoughtful design choices that served its narrative and themes, starting with the absence of a physical door. “The reason for not having a door is that I don’t want to entirely separate the two spaces inside and outside the door with a physical item. The door could be a real door, or Lilia’s door in her heart, and it could also be a door to open her mind,” Liao said.

In addition to the "invisible door," lighting played a key role in signaling tonal shifts throughout the play. A spotlight during the scenes “can make the audience clearly realize that we have entered an imaginative space rather than the real world,” she said. Meanwhile, the final blackout of Lilia’s room before Jaden’s line, "Welcome to your new life," carries weight: “Here, Lilia … no longer belong[s] to her boyfriend,” Liao said.

Makeup, too, proved crucial in filling narrative gaps that the script did not explicitly state. “Although this story is related to domestic violence, no words or phrases related to violence appear in the text. So the bruises on Lilia's face and neck [need] to be particularly obvious, along with some hints in the lines, to make the audience understand that she has been constantly abused by her boyfriend,” Liao said. Notably, a new addition to the original script aided by makeup — Jaden revealing her own scar — reinforces hope: “My design here is that Jaden uses this to comfort Lilia that she was in similar situations, and since Jaden can escape from this nightmare, so can Lilia,” Liao said.

When asked about the play’s thematic core, Liao pointed to a brief exchange between the two leads, in which Lilia and Jaden talk about human nature and helping those who are “sick.”

"Here, ‘sick’ is ‘abused.’” Liao said. "The degree to which society attaches importance to domestic violence is just like treating someone with a cold. As long as one doesn't get close, they won't be affected or "infected"... Although there are many laws now severely punishing the abusers, there are still many people who are suffering from domestic violence and cannot be relieved.”

Finally, Liao offered advice for those who dream of becoming directors but eager to take the first step. For those hesitant to start, Liao stressed preparation and clarity. “I suggest gaining some prior experience before taking on a production [by] enrolling in acting or directing related courses offered at the FMT department. During my sophomore year, I took a directing class and directed a scene from “No Exit,” which was similar in length and cast size to “Sugar.” That experience helped me develop my directing skills rapidly,” she said.

Beyond formal training, she added that core qualities matter just as much: “I believe that being a good director requires strong communication skills, the ability to guide actors effectively, and, most importantly, a clear and confident creative vision. You need to be the person who knows the play best, and someone who truly knows what they want for the show,” Liao said.

Sophie Francis ’28, Karishma Ramkarran ’27 and Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27 contributed fact-checking.

Students enjoy Bruce Springsteen biopic at Tower Theaters

Sindy Maldonado ’27

Contributing Writer A&E

Storytelling lies at the heart of both music and film, and the new Bruce Springsteen biopic, “Deliver Me from Nowhere,” combines them to offer audiences a deeper understanding of Springsteen and his artistic process. In an interview for E Street Radio on Sirius XM, Springsteen described the film as “a character-driven drama with music.”

The biopic began showing at South Hadley’s Tower Theaters on Oct. 23, a day before its national release. Directed by Scott Cooper and starring Jeremy Allen White, the film takes place between 1981-82, and focuses on Springsteen’s sixth studio album “Nebraska.” “Nebraska” has darker themes than his previous releases, and features several childhood stories, making it a significant part of his musical career and personal story. Filming took place from fall 2024 to early spring 2025.

Rather than tell Springsteen’s life story, the film is set near the peak of his career in the early 1980s. Cooper was determined to “capture the singer-songwriter’s struggles in addition to his success.” 

White’s Springsteen is introduced in a concert scene with the E Street Band. We also meet Jon Landau, Springsteen’s manager played by Jeremy Strong. The film follows Springsteen as he returns home to Colts Neck, New Jersey after the tour for his album “The River.” There he wrote and recorded “Nebraska” on a four-track tape machine. 

Throughout the film, he occasionally performs at The Stone Pony located in Asbury Park, New Jersey and enters a whirlwind romance with a woman named Faye, a fictional character based off of several of his past romantic relationships. Quickly, Springsteen realizes he is not able to balance his career, personal life and harrowing past. 

Springsteen’s first and only choice for the leading role was White, despite White not knowing how to sing or play guitar.  Filming took place at the same time of Springsteen’s 2024 tour, but the star made sure to visit set. Although Springsteen didn’t want to get in the way of White’s acting process, the actor  said it would’ve felt strange to make the film without Springsteen’s presence. “There was permission in your presence,” White said to Springsteen during the SiriusXM interview.

Several fans of Springsteen who watched the film at Tower Theaters discussed the film with Mount Holyoke News.  Mia Gottesman ’28 saw it on Oct. 23. She had planned to watch the film since the end of 2024 because she shares a love of Springsteen’s music with her girlfriend and father. “Going to see this movie allowed me to learn more about one of my favorite artists, listen to a bunch of my favorite songs and learn the stories behind them, and explore an interest that I share with two of my favorite people,” Gottesman said.

Elizabeth Neumann ’28 also saw “Deliver Me From Nowhere” on Oct. 23 and praised the film, comparing it to “A Complete Unknown,” the Bob Dylan biopic. “I think it falls in a similar vein as the Bob Dylan movie, but is honestly much better,” Neumann said in an email interview with Mount Holyoke News. As a fan of “Nebraska,” they found the story behind the album fascinating, and was especially fond of scenes depicting “[Springsteen’s] dates in Ashbury Park and his creation of the initial tracks of Nebraska.”.

South Hadley local, Michael Berthiaume, watched the film on Oct. 25. “One scene that stood out to me in particular is one in which Mr. Springsteen is sitting with a therapist, struggling to even get a word out before breaking down,” Berthiaume said, having been hit “close to home” by the scene. Berthiaume appreciated that the focus was not on the high points of Springsteen’s career, but instead the period of his life that led up to them. He believes learning about “Nebraska” is more interesting than mainstream albums people know of already, such as “Born in the U.S.A,” because it is more personal.

The fans all said they would recommend the movie to others, for its performances, musical elements and the insight to one of rock and roll’s most beloved artists.  

Sophie Francis ’28 contributed fact-checking.

A non-swiftie pontificates on ‘The Life of a Showgirl’

By Sarah Berger ’27 

Section Editor 

If you’ve been online recently, chances are you’ve seen something about Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl,” which has been incredibly negatively received. Since Swift is so popular, I was curious if her new album was as bad as everyone was saying, or if it was simply a case of expectations that were too high. 

The cards on the table: Although I don’t listen to Swift’s music, I occasionally read r/travisandtaylor and r/Swiftlyneutral on Reddit. As someone born in the 2000s, I’m familiar with her general lore, and I’ve enjoyed some of her hits. Since then, I’ve come to find her over-saturation grating, as well as her occasional presence around my hometown. Still, I set this aside, resigned myself to giving Swift the tenths of pennies that my stream would inevitably generate, and pressed play. 

I was pleasantly surprised by “The Fate of Ophelia.” It’s catchy. I found the references to Travis Kelce’s team cringey, but it was a decent song, and it certainly wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. “Elizabeth Taylor” was the same. It was catchy and upbeat, and although it’s not a song I would choose to go back to, it didn’t strike me as particularly bad. 

It was while listening to “Opalite” that I began to notice the lyricism, which is less than stellar. The metaphors conjure an idea of what she’s talking about, but they’re sloppy. “She was in her phone / and you were just a pose / and don’t we try to love love?” “Father Figure” began to lose me. Perhaps it’s because I’m not familiar with the lore Swift has built around herself, but I was confused regarding what the song was actually about. 

By "Eldest Daughter” I was tapped out. The song begins with Swift talking about how the internet brings out the worst in people. I have a personal vendetta against mentioning the internet in music. Not because it has to be bad, but because it somehow always is. The song itself is fine, but it’s hard to appreciate it over the repeated croons of “I’m not a bad bitch / and this isn’t savage.” 

“Ruin the Friendship” was the first song I actually thought was bad. It reminded me of something a singer/songwriter might release early in their career and heavily promote on Instagram, which is fine for them, but when it’s a billionaire on her 12th album, it feels a little different. “Actually Romantic” continued the decline. The song focuses on how Swift doesn’t care about the drama people create about her. If she doesn’t care, it seems strange and petty to write a song about it. 

I can respect that she’s made sharing her life her brand, even if her life was never my cup of tea. A lot of the content on her early albums focused on her desire for a simple romance. However, the aspirational mundanity rings hollow when she can’t keep it up. One moment, she’s saying that she wants to “have a couple kids” and a “driveway with a basketball hoop” and differentiating herself from people who want “bright lights and Balenci shades / And a fat ass with a baby face.” The next, she likes her friends “cloaked in Gucci and scandal.” 

The whole album is at once an ode to getting what she’s wanted and a complaint that she ever had to face adversity in the past, and the two don’t mix very well. This is exemplified by “Honey” where she writes; “And when anyone called me ‘Lovely’ / They were finding ways not to praise me / But you say it like you’re in awe of me”. I understand what she’s trying to say because as a female artist, it’s incredibly irritating to only be praised for your looks. However, it is merely irritating, it doesn’t merit a song or a mention. If the worst thing that someone’s said about you is that you’re a “Boring Barbie,” who cares? You’re a billionaire. That’s sort of the issue with the whole album. Someone on the way to getting everything they’ve wanted shouldn’t be obsessed with past slights. 

The cultural context matters here as well. Swift has built her empire partially off of her womanhood, which is exemplified on “The Life of a Showgirl.” But post-Eras tour, her identity is more than just womanhood. It’s capitalist, billionaire, and sure, showgirl. 

On the day Swift announced her engagement to Travis Kelce, Israel bombed a hospital in Gaza. Swift did not speak about it, and her engagement was the primary news story of that day. In addition to her silence on most global issues, Swift fails to acknowledge that her position in life is better than the vast majority of the population. In fact, her album overfocuses on slights that most people can’t afford to consider. When she acknowledges her success, it’s flippant bragging. Even her fantasies are presented in contrast to the less worthy desires of other people. As a longtime observer of her success, I’ve never been so confounded by it. 

Eliza Cline ’27 contributed fact-checking.