Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, professionally known as Megan Thee Stallion, released her latest single, “HISS,” on Jan. 26, sending the internet into a frenzy, especially on X, formerly known as Twitter. Minutes after its release, stans and casual listeners alike were in shock over Megans’ diss track, especially regarding its references to Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, also known as Nicki Minaj.
Today, many on campus know Chmba Ellen Chilemba ’17, better known by her stage name CHMBA, as the DJ who performed at President Danielle R. Holley’s 90s-themed inauguration party. The talented musician has opened for musicians like American pop star Madonna and Benenise singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo. Her second EP, “Okongola Caucus,” came out earlier this year.
As fun as they are, flashy, showstopping musical numbers cannot save “In the Heights” from the criticism that emerged on social media following the musical-drama film’s release in early June. The motion picture, created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, writer and star of the Tony-winning Broadway musical of the same name, was difficult to watch. This was in part due to its failure to center Afro-Latino actors, despite taking place in the New York neighborhood of Washington Heights, known as the “Little Dominican Republic.”
Chances are that if you’ve spent any amount of time on the Mount Holyoke campus, you have probably encountered at least one of the many flyers that can be found urging students to “TAKE RUSSIAN: NOW IS THE TIME.” This past week, the department welcomed the Mount Holyoke community to the annual arts event “Wild Honey: An Evening of Russian Poetry.” The event is named after the play by Anton Chekhov and hosted by the Mount Holyoke Russian Club.
From a young age, Kay Brown ’24 has had an affinity for the arts. As a Black woman, she often did not see herself represented in the fields she was interested in. Using her Southern roots and a passion for racial justice dialogue as her inspiration, Brown launched the e-magazine “Disturbance” in August 2020. The Mount Holyoke News recently met with Brown to ask her some questions about the last six months of publication and what the future might hold for “Disturbance.”
A Black woman in an intricately patterned quilted gown examines herself using a hand-held mirror. The other hand rests delicately on her temple. Her face is frozen in a state of self-analysis.
This photograph, titled “I Looked and Looked and Failed to See What so Terrified You,” is just one image from artist and photographer Carrie Mae Weems’ series “The Louisiana Project.” Weems’ piece was the concluding image in the student-led guided art tour “Through Their Eyes: Blackness Across Media,” which took place last Friday, Feb. 5.
By Mariam Keita ’24 and Rose Cohen ’22
Section Editor and Staff Writer
Last Tuesday, Dec. 1, the Swedish audio streaming service Spotify released their yearly Spotify Wrapped personalized experience, which tells eligible users about their top artists, top songs and minutes listened. In order to receive Wrapped, listeners would have needed to have an account before Nov. 15, listened to at least five different musicians and 30 different tracks.
“I’ve seen people bond over music all the time and I think it’s a really beautiful thing because music is a universal language,” Tiwani Ariyibi ’24 explained, when asked about the music streaming platform’s annual feature. “Spotify Wrapped can build a community around your favorite artist which I think is really nice, even if the algorithm is a little messed up.”
Ariyibi, like many subscribers, enjoys the Wrapped feature. However, she was not necessarily satisfied with this year’s summary of her listening habits.
This year, the creator of the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda, appeared among her Spotify Wrapped artists.
“I really liked the [Hamilton] movie and I would play [the soundtrack] a lot, but that was a phase. It lasted like a solid month and then I never went back,” Ariyibi explained.
Mae Philippe-Auguste ’24 was also surprised by her Spotify Wrapped this year.
“A lot of my stuff also came from my sleep playlist so I didn’t even bother posting,” Philippe-Auguste wrote in response to an Instagram story about this article.
Students in the class of 2024 listened to a good deal of sad music, according to Pearl Young ’24.
“People started listening to emo music that was popular when we were younger,” she said. “I saw a lot of people in our class had Mitski [sic] somewhere in there [sic] top 10.”
Ariyibi poses one theory as to why so many people had such wistful sounds in their Wrapped this year. “In a pandemic, you can’t really see your friends or family — things that would normally bring you comfort — and you have to find new ways [of coping].” Additionally, Ariyibi explained that Spotify users are turning to the artists that they listened to in their childhood. “I listened to a lot of Lauryn Hill [which] my mom used to play when I was younger,” Ariyibi said.
Joliet Morrill ’21, who has approximately 12,000 Spotify followers and creates Spotify playlists for her Tik Tok followers, suggested that people are returning to their old favorite songs for a sense of nostalgia. “[They want to] remind themselves of a different time,” Morrill said.
Since 2020 began, Morrill found that Tik Tok users have been requesting mood-based playlists. “I have to create a story by giving the playlist an interesting title and cover,” Morrill explained.
Erica Weathers has noticed similar trends while working as a Clinical Social Worker for Mount Holyoke College Counseling Services.
“Many students that I work with use music as a way to self-soothe and relax or distract themselves from stressful emotions and to uplift their spirits. I also have had students that struggle with ADHD listen to relaxing music in the background while they're doing their work which provides just enough stimulation that can help them focus,” Weathers said.
“If I had to guess about why students are listening to music from earlier stages of their lives, my best guess is that the music they listened to when they were younger can trigger positive memories and associations,” Weathers added. “The music is something that is known to them and in that way, can bring comfort during a time of great uncertainty.”
Philippe-Auguste seemed to fit into this trend of listening to old music. “I’m a theater kid so songs from shows that I’ve been in, [they remind] me of my cast,” Philippe-Auguste explained. “I think it just takes you back to these good memories and people that you can’t necessarily connect with as much right now.”
Ariyibi thought the comeback of childhood music-related well to the year 2020. “I don’t think I can find someone who is happy about this year. Sometimes you just need music to help you cope through anything you’re going through and I think that’s why a lot of people had depressing music,” Ariyibi said.
By Mariam Keita ’24, Pearl Young ’24, Tiwani Ariyibi ’24 & Adia Samba-Quee ’24
Arts & Entertainment Editor & Contributing Writers
Whether you are currently crying over your ex or busy becoming the life of the Zoom party, this personality quiz will tell you which release from the past year will suit you best.
1. You and a few friends are in the car on a quarantine road trip. They have the aux but you hate their music — what’s the next move?
Take over the aux and tell them that their music taste sucks. They can thank you later — you’re saving them from themselves.
Start singing over the music that’s playing.
Put your headphones on and listen to your own music. Life is too short to listen to bad music.
Nothing. You don’t want to hurt their feelings. You can always pick next time.
Ask everyone in the car for their song requests and add them to the queue. Everybody wins!
2. Your friends would describe you as:
The leader of the pack.
Laidback. Chill.
Reserved.
Sensitive. Emotional. The mom friend.
Creative. Indecisive. Lovable.
3. It’s a Friday night. You’ve already made plans to:
Go on one of the many dates that you have lined up for this weekend. Being attractive is so exhausting.
Run downtown to grab boba and Insomnia Cookies.
Host a Zoom drinking game.
Stay in to watch a movie and play with your cats.
Have a recording session with your band.
4. Your friends have invited you out to a fancy 5 p.m. socially-distanced outing. What are you wearing?
A fur coat over your most fire fit, complete with your shiniest accessories.
Tight skirt, thigh-high boots, turtleneck and your sweetest perfume.
A bold makeup look and a head-to-toe leather fit.
The strawberry dress.
Whatever is comfortable. You care more about the memories you’ll make tonight.
5. You come across your friend’s partner while swiping on Tinder. You decide to:
Swipe right, but only if they’re fine.
Keep it moving. That’s all of their business and none of yours.
Make a meme and subtweet their partner.
Call your friend immediately and spend the rest of the day plotting with them.
Ask their partner before assuming the worst. Maybe they just forgot to deactivate their account.
6. Which hobby did you pick up during quarantine?
Sugar-babying. Somebody’s gotta fund this expensive taste.
Pinterest board-making.
Becoming TikTok famous.
Baking. You can make a mean loaf of banana bread.
Teaching yourself a new language, learning to play a new instrument and calling up old friends from the past.
7. Which album would you listen to all the way through with no skips?
“The Pinkprint” by Nicki Minaj
“Beyoncé” by Beyoncé
“Ungodly Hour” by Chloe x Halle
“In the Lonely Hour” by Sam Smith
“Everything is Love” by The Carters
If you got mostly 1’s:
“Ho, Why Is You Here?” by Flo Milli
Others can sense your confidence as soon as you walk into a room. If it isn’t your impeccable sense of style that immediately tips them off, then it’s the way that you carry yourself. You are the best dressed in any situation, and you enjoy treating yourself to nice things. You have your life together and people are jealous of you. You don’t have time for the haters, though — you’re too busy winning at life. The oldest album on this list, Flo Milli’s “Ho, Why Is You Here?,” is a self-love album for those who already love themselves. If you’re on TikTok, you have probably spent the last several months hearing the tracks “In the Party” and “Beef FloMix” playing in the background of people’s dance videos as they exuded pure monarch energy. If you didn’t already know about this July release, well, now you know.
If you got mostly 2’s:
You keep to yourself for the most part and those who don’t know you would describe you as quiet. They could not be more wrong! You have strong opinions but you don’t think everyone needs to know about them. You don’t like everyone in your business but you can and will tell them about themselves when needed. People turn to you when they want an honest opinion but you won’t give out unsolicited advice.
If you got mostly 3’s
“You’re a bad b----. You don’t care. You’re tired of people’s BS,” Pearl Young ’24 said about potential “SAWAYAMA” listeners. You are mysterious. No one really knows who you are but everyone wants to. People want to learn more about you but they’re too afraid to approach you. As a result, you often go overlooked. This doesn’t bother you at all. You already know you’re the best. Why would you need someone else to tell you what you already know? Just like you, the alt-pop tracks on Sawayama’s latest album do not always get the love that they deserve.
If you got mostly 4’s:
You live every moment of your life striving to fulfill the cottagecore aesthetic. Timothée Chalamet was your white boy of the month. Your plants are your best friends and you visit art museums in your free time. Scarves can be worn on your head or as a shirt and your purse is made of wicker. Some would describe you as emotional, but you prefer to believe that you are in tune with your emotions. This somber and self-reflective eighth studio album will put you in the perfect headspace to sit outside thinking about your life choices and breathing in the crisp fall air.
If you got mostly 5’s:
You are the life of the party and pre-pandemic, one would need only make their way to the center of the dance floor to find you. You are easily bored and always searching for new ways to express yourself. Wizkid’s latest work is a great match for your never-ending energy and attractive personality. Just like you, Wizkid’s October release has range. The album features a variety of artists across different genres, from Burna Boy and Skepta to Jr. Gong and H.E.R. As someone who is able to get along with just about anyone, the rhythmic yet relaxed tunes on “Made In Lagos” will be perfect for you.
Pictured above: Justin Simien (right) most recently directed “Bad Hair.”
By Mariam Keita ’24
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Director Justin Simien’s most recent work, “Bad Hair,” is certainly a lot to take in. The new movie became available on Hulu this October after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Simien is most well known for his 2014 feature film “Dear White People,” which was later adapted into the hit Netflix series of the same name.
Much like Simien’s other films, “Bad Hair” boasts a predominantly Black cast and his trademark comedic style. But unlike in his other films, Simien attempts to venture into new territory by crossing over into the horror genre.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t do it well. I found myself laughing when I was supposed to scream and yawning when I was supposed to laugh.
The film centers on protagonist Anna Bludso (Elle Lorraine), an assistant at a Black television network who is unsatisfied with her stagnant career. After a suggestion from a co-worker and under the behest of new management, Anna decides to get a sew-in over her natural hair so that she can finally advance in the company. Little does she know, her new hair happens to be possessed.
Though this movie had a budget of $8.9 million 一 more than twice the financial support that Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” received 一 it somehow managed to deliver less than half the performance. Featured among the movie’s star-studded cast were names like Laverne Cox, Usher, Kelly Rowland and Lena Waithe. However, not a single one of their characters played a role that is central to the plot.
Anna is a character without any dimension, whose life revolves almost entirely around her unsatisfying job. Her only “friends” and visible love interests are all co-workers, her relationship with her family is not stable at all and she is one missing rent payment away from homelessness. Throughout all of this, she remains a very passive agent in her own narrative, allowing bad things to happen without taking even the most rudimentary actions to fix them.
As I watched “Bad Hair,” I couldn’t shake the feeling that Simien is trying to punish Black women with this narrative.
Though I won’t spoil too much of the ending, I will say that “Bad Hair” seems to offer Black women two options: sell your soul by buying into Eurocentric standards of beauty and forgoing all bodily autonomy, or embrace your natural hair and accept the fact that you will never progress in life.
At different points in the storyline, Anna embodies both choices. She seems to oscillate between just two moods: anger and fear. As one of my friends so deftly put it during our conversation about the movie, the hair had more personality than she did.
“Bad Hair” is an example of a movie trying to bite off more than it can chew. Some subplots that the movie attempted to tackle included colorism and texturism in the workplace, sexual coercion and gentrification. However, most of these themes failed to act in dialogue with one another, creating a chaotic storyline that is difficult to follow. After watching the entire film, I still don’t understand what the writers and producers were hoping to accomplish or what I, as the viewer, was supposed to take away from it.
While it may have left a lot to be desired, the movie was not all bad. For example, I don’t know how but Simien managed to make something as simple as getting your hair done appear so terrifying and grotesque that I felt as though I was going to throw up and pass out at the same time. Another redemptive arc was the growth in Anna’s relationship with her cousin, with whom she has had a strained relationship from a young age.
If you are looking for something to watch on a Friday afternoon that will give you a good laugh and get your mind working a little bit, “Bad Hair” isn’t a terrible option. Just make sure you don’t set your expectations too high.
