Embedded Files
Shadow and bone review
Shadow and bone review
By Julia Souza. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
Netflix released a new show on April 23 titled Shadow and Bone, based on novels by author Leigh Bardugo. This stunning show is a high-fantasy with 8 episodes, each about 45-58 minutes long.
This show follows three stories. One story focuses on a girl named Alina Starkov who lives in a country where an evil force called The Fold is preventing people from crossing the borders without the risk of death and Alina must find a solution, with the help of General Kirigan, to save the lives of fellow citizens.
Meanwhile, a trio named The Crows including a vengeful criminal, a sharpshooter who is a compulsive gambler, and a spy with a tragic past are sent to capture the person who could dismantle The Fold for a hefty sum of money. The Crow’s find their fate intertwined with Alina’s: she has the answers to stop this evil but the trio must pay off their indentures and poverty.
The third storyline is set in a country far from Alina and The Crows; there, Nina Zenik gets captured by an army who hates her kind: people with magic. One of her captors, Matthias Helvar, keeps her captive under a ship deck but when the ship crashes, leaving only Nina and Matthias, they must find a way to survive together and make it back to their homelands safely.
“I loved the show! I think it was one of the best book-to-show adaptations I’ve seen in a while,” Anya Mathur, BHS student said over email. “I would totally recommend it to a friend. That’s what I’ve been doing since it came out actually.”
Shadow and Bone is extremely action-packed! Even the first episode is a handful where we are already given the mission the characters had to complete. We also are introduced to the setting of the stories and slight background information about the characters is given, but their backstories are scattered throughout the entire show.
Seeing as we have three stories happening at once, the show switches perspectives a few times throughout the show, usually in the middle of scenes which leaves the audience with cliffhangers. I thought the following of the three stories was really well done; the switches between perspectives felt fresh every time even if it cut the previous story short.
The cinematography too was phenomenal, as it made the stories feel very real. The set was extremely realistic and the magic in it looked well done. Everything from the costume to the locations felt true to the original books. The new magic terms were confusing at first to people who have not had prior knowledge of the book, but everything cleared up as you delved deeper into the show.
“I thought the characters and locations were translated really well from the book to the Netflix adaptation,” Julia Griffin, BHS student, said.
The show stars Jessie Mei Li as Alina, Ben Barnes as General Kirigan, Freddy Carter as criminal Kai Brekker, Kit Young as sharpshooter Jesper Fahey, Amita Suman as spy Inej Ghafa, Danielle Galligan as Nina Zenik, and Calahan Skogman as Matthias Helvar.
Overall, this was an incredible first season to a show! It hooked me from the very episode and kept me interested until the very end where it finishes on a cliffhanger, and I wondered how the ending was possible. Anyone looking for a short, action-packed, and an authentic fantasy series will love this!
NOTE: Trigger warnings for Shadow and Bone: blood, violence, murder, implication of past sexual assault, and substance abuse
CRESCENT City: House of Earth and blood review
CRESCENT City: House of Earth and blood review
By Julia Souza, staff writer; Photo courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing ; Published on March 5, 2021
Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author, introduced a new book series called Crescent City. This detailed and thrilling fantasy murder mystery was alluring from the moment I picked it up. The first book titled House of Earth and Blood was published by Bloomsbury Publishing on March 3rd of 2020. It won the Goodreads 2020 choice award for Best Fantasy.
This book follows Bryce Quinlan, a college student living in the Midgard containing the Fae (magic people), the pack of Wolf Shifters (people who can shift into wolves), and the Merpeople(ocean people). Bryce and her best friend, Danika, are two sarcastic and slightly irresponsible party girls. Her life is perfect, until Danika is murdered in a gruesome scene, and Bryce is left heartbroken. Meanwhile, Hunt Athalar is a Fallen angel, imprisoned by the Archangels he once tried to overthrow. His only escape is to work for his boss as an assassin. As a demon wreaks havoc in the city, he is offered a closer chance to his freedom. He has to assist Bryce to cultivate Danika’s murder. As they delve into the secrets of Crescent City, they discover dark powers that threaten the safety of the Midgard, and find a passionate romance within each other.
Considering House of Earth and Blood is the first of a series, the information is new to readers. The world building, especially, had a lot going on to introduce the main premises of their magic world and how the system worked. The first hundred or so pages of the book felt slow and made little sense. The use of new words and vague explanations made the writing feel like nonsense. Though, after being shown all of these new terms, the book really picks off into action. Maas’s writing style is phenomenal, very descriptive and interesting. Those who have enjoyed The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller will adore Crescent City’s writing.
Though the writing was phenomenal, it did not help with trying to simplify the world building. The new language is presented suddenly. New concepts such as Fae species, the complex government, locations, and rituals are added with brief explanations. I only completely understood after looking up a world guide, one without spoilers is recommended when coming across unrecognizable words. It slightly helped rereading said concepts and seeing it in context with the book. The only part that stumped me until the end was the government tiers, even trying to explain it would take half a page. Maas’s unclear explanation left the first two hundred pages slow and dreadful.
Though once introduced to the world and magic system, this book felt light and breezy. Every page was packed with action or some sort of flirtatious banter between Bryce and Hunt. When they weren’t attempting to figure out the gory details of the murder mystery, there were some really friendly scenes. Maas does an exceptional job when it comes to dialogue and communication between characters.
Unlike The Shadows Between Us simple plot, Crescent City had much going on. The main premise of the book was spectacular, perfect for readers who are fans of murder mysteries and a deep fantasy setting! Bryce and Hunt went on many adventures, trying to find clues or anything that will bring them closer to Danika’s murderer. They pushed each other out of their comfort zone, which resulted in dislike for one another at first, and were put in danger when discovering the secrets of their government.
Sarah J. Maas is an American Fantasy writer. She initially became famous with her first book series, Throne of Glass, which she began writing when she was 16 on FictionPress. It later became published in 2015. Her second series, A Court of Thorns and Roses was also published in 2015. The fourth book, A Court of Silver Flame is coming out on February 16, 2021.
Overall, this book was a perfect introduction to a new series. It hooked me from the start with its fantastic writing and the comical dialogue between the characters. Anyone looking for a slow and action packed read will adore this book! Crescent City is available via Target, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Kindle, Apple Books, Books-A-Million, and ThriftBooks.
NOTE: Trigger Warning for Crescent City: death/grief, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, sexual content, violence, and murder
Throne of Glass & Crown of Midnight Review
Throne of Glass & Crown of Midnight Review
By Dylan Garvey, staff writer; Photo Courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing; Published March 5, 2021
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas is an amazing start to a series that is appealing for someone who absolutely adores fantasy series. Crown of Midnight is able to take the world that was so loveable and interesting to explore and turn it into something even more than what the first book was able to give. It even introduces many characters that you learn to love or hate from the very beginning.
The series begins with its main character Celaena in isolation as the country’s most wanted criminal and follows her journey to become the king’s royal assassin. After this she overcomes many perils and trials, and makes new allies, as well as enemies, throughout this journey to become the king's assassin.
A good book is able to provide a special experience that is unique to that world and set of characters, and the Throne of Glass series is able to do just that. They form a very unique set of races and classes within the kingdom that is mainly explored in the first two books and that makes them so exciting to read as you discover more about the world (especially for the first time).
The series so far has also been able to offer a great cast of characters, each with their own problem and backstories we slowly explore as it becomes relevant to the plot. Each character seems important, and you are able to enjoy learning about them and how they fall into place in terms of the overall plot.
The series itself gets longer with each installment; however it is a fairly quick read because of how immersed in the plot and characters you become. That is a big thing that is important to reading, that you are able to become immersed in a story that isn’t repetitive and drags on for too long.
When thinking of a fantasy series many people will likely think of a series such as Harry Potter which carries a lot of traditional fantasy themes such as the presence of magic and various types of creatures. I think comparatively both series complement each other nicely because of the overarching themes of the main characters slowly becoming more important as their roles in what is going on becomes more apparent.
Overall the Throne of Glass series has been a delight to go through so far. Anyone who enjoys a strong heroine as the main character with a great supporting cast would love the series as it is filled with plenty of twists, turns, and plot twists along the way.
Dark Souls 3 Review
Dark Souls 3 Review
By Keven De Lima, staff writer; Photo Courtesy of FromSoftware; Published March 5, 2021
During your quarantine you probably have found tons of ways to entertain yourself but are you slowly running out of things to do? Something to fulfill your boredom needs to be playing Dark Souls 3 by From Software. If you want to experience a variety of different emotions, be sure to play this game.
Expect to experience a ton of anger because this game holds back nothing. You immediately get brought into this unforgiving world where you can find dragons, monsters, and humans all trying to kill you. Your only objective in the game is killing prince Lothric; he is not performing his duties so you were sent to kill him. A majority of the time you’re just running around avoiding all fights that aren't absolutely necessary because each one of the enemies pack a wallop in every attack.
But then the game stops and a cutscene begins playing. You're watching this and the most amazingly intense music starts playing. You start getting all excited but little do you know that you just stumbled into a boss fight. These guys hold nothing back, killing you either in one hit or two.
The game is constantly keeping you on your toes and the thing that makes you want to come back is the glory of defeating something challenging. And when you finally defeat these monsters a sense of pride and drive to continue to progress envelopes your body.
The game has a total of 19 bosses in with 6 of those bosses being oppositional. But every single boss has their own strengths and weaknesses that can be exploited.
The experience is also improved by how great the graphics are, and the game's soundtrack is absolutely amazing. Each one of the songs was recorded by a live orchestra this helps set the mood of the game and improve its overall atmosphere.
Many people compare this game to Sekrio Shadows Die Twice, another game made by From Software. But in my opinion the only way that these games are similar is that they are unreasonably hard but that where it ends. Sekrio Shadows Die Twice has its main focus on you parrying swords from things with swords. But Dark Souls 3 has more of a variety of game mechanics. You can play as a swordsman, tank, mage, and more; all of these roles give the game a fresh experience every time you replay it.
If you're interested you can buy this game either digitally from Steam, The Playstation Store, or the Xbox store. Or you can get a physical copy from Gamestop.
Miracle Review
Miracle Review
By Patrick Casey, staff writer
Today’s review is on the movie Miracle. It’s a true story about the 1980 USA Hockey team beating Russia to go on to win the Olympics. It’s called Miracle because at the time the “Soviet Union”, what Russia was called then, had the best hockey team in the history of the sport. It was directed by Gavin O’Connor. The main character is coach Herb Brooks played by Kurt Russell.
Other characters include Eddie Cahill as Jim Craig who was the goalie and Micheal Mantenuto as Jack O’Callahan who is probably the player with the most interesting story on the team. These players were in college at the time and from different colleges. So some players didn’t really get along with each other due to rivalries and other things. But they put all that stuff behind them for now and worked as a team to pull off the impossible
The acting is very good in this movie especially the main character coach Herb Brooks played by Kurt Russell. He really shows how hard he pushed his team to become the team they were. They would do conditioning for about two hours every day to be able to skate with the Soviets.
It’s similar to the movie Remember the Titans. Although it’s two completely different sports they both have to go through adversity of people not believing they could succeed but they did by hard work. You can find it on Netflix.
The movie Miracle is definitely worth the money. It was also set during the time of the Cold War so it was more than just a hockey game to some people. You should absolutely watch it if you want to learn some history or if you like a good story line.
All-American Review
All-American Review
By Marina Callahan, staff writer; Photo courtesy of the CW network; Published March 5, 2021.
Looking for a new show to watch? All American has got you covered. Based on a true story of former NFL player Spencer Payspringer, a young high school athlete gets recruited from his home town in South Crenshaw to play at Beverly. Everything Spencer has known changes, and he has to figure out a way to balance both his old lifestyle, and his new lifestyle.
The main character in this show Daniel Ezra, or Spencer, has a very strong accent that no one really knew about until an interview with him was released after season 1, and after that everyone knew he was British. Spencer makes the audience believe what is happening, or that this is his actual life. His emotion makes everyone want to watch the show.
All American is not just a show to watch for pleasure, it incorporates real life issues into the show that people need to be educated about. For example, the Black Live Matters movement is heavily looked at with this show. Most of the actors are black, so the audience sees them get racially profiled, hard times from cops, gang violence, and so much more. The script writing of the show makes it all seem so real, almost like you are walking into Beverly Hills or Crenshaw and seeing it all happen in real time.
The cinematography of All American is amazing. Everything is so clear, and the camera angles flatters each of the characters extremely well. The quality is so clear that it looks better than the average person's eye. Every detail is executed perfectly, and there is almost nothing that you cannot see.
If you are familiar with One Tree Hill, I would say it is very similar in the fact it is focused on one high school kid who wants to follow his dreams of playing basketball. At the same time you meet all of these different characters who have so much more going on in their lives, which is very similar to All American.
All teens seem to be absolutely loving this show, and it could be the next show you binge watch! Seasons one and two of All American are already streaming on Netflix, and season 3 is currently airing on the CW app every Monday night at 8pm. It is currently four episodes in, so if you need to catch up head to the CW app to stream them.
Student art: Leaf Drawings
Student art: Leaf Drawings
Artist: Samantha Reynolds
Artist: Camilla Pelayo
Artist: Sofia Hom
Artist: Jillian D'Amico
Folklore & Evermore Review
Folklore & Evermore Review
By Dylan Garvey, staff writer
If you hear the name Taylor Swift, a song is most likely going to pop into your head. Whether it’s a small town country song or a big city pop hit, you know who she is. In her recent years of songwriting Taylor has experimented with her music. She moved away from her ‘known’ style of music and drifted more into alternative music where her two new albums Folklore and Evermore lie.
Folklore and Evermore are similar in the sense that she is still using her music to tell stories. Folklore has a much slower nature-y sound to it, whereas I would say that Evermore is more of a successor to her older album Red in that it’s a little more upbeat and has a country-like undertone to it while still staying in that alternative genre.
Looking from a songwriting perspective Taylor stuck to what she wanted to write and produce. Instead of pleasing fans,Taylor tries to experiment with her music and the product is something that would mean a lot to her fans and herself.
Overall both albums are filled with amazing songs that make you wanna either jam out, or get into your feels with. If you haven’t given either album a listen, I highly recommend that you do.
When talking to long-time fans Tara Metters and Jess Peitzch we talked about how different not only her two new albums are but also the few that precede also hold a lot of difference to what her older fans were used to.
“I have always listened to her music, and now I look forward to each new album to see what new things are waiting for us,” Tara said.
Tara is a big fan of her previous album reputation which has a much different feel to most of her music regardless of if it’s her older or newer music. It was this new difference in music that made it so exciting for her to listen to.
“I will always be a big Red fan at heart, but I loved this new sound that she was able to produce,” Jess said. “I really enjoyed Illicit Affairs from folklore. I also really enjoyed Champagne Problems and Gold Rush from Evermore. It’s these new sounds specifically that made me fall so in love with these albums.”
Jess enjoys her older country sounding music such as what the album Red did. Folklore and Evermore has a lot of slower sounding music that was able to take fans like Jess back to what her older music did, but with her newer maturity in songwriting because of her older age.
On the other hand some people aren’t big Taylor Swift fans, and only really listen to her on the radio, or when with other people who listen to her like Rylee Spoonmore.
“I only really listen to her when I’m in the car with someone who listens to her, but I really enjoyed hearing snippets of her new songs when with those people,” Rylee said.
It doesn’t matter if you are a fan or not of Taylor Swift—at some point you’ve heard enough of her songs to enjoy one or two of them. As for her new music, there have been no bad songs I have heard so far. They each have amazingly written lyrics with a lot of great calming tunes to back those lyrics. If you want to go check out her music, you can listen to her on any music streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music, or you could even go out and buy her CD’s.
Track list:
Folklore:
the 1
cardigan
the last great american dynasty
exile (feat. Bon Iver)
my tears ricochet
mirrorball
seven
august
this is me trying
illicit affairs
invisible string
mad woman
epiphany
betty
peace
hoax
the lakes (bonus track)
Evermore:
willow
champagne problems
gold rush
‘tis the damn season
tolerate it
no body, no crime (feat. HAIM)
happiness
coney island (feat. The National)
ivy
cowboy like me
long story short
marjorie
closure
evermore (feat. Bon Iver)
right where you left me (bonus track)
it’s time to go (bonus track)
BTS Album Review: BE
BTS Album Review: BE
By Veronica Chang
On November 20, BTS released their second 2020 album BE! For those of you who don’t know, BTS is a kpop group that consists of 7 members: RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, V, Jimin, and Jungkook. They are under BigHit Entertainment, which is a South Korean entertainment company.
This album as a whole wasn’t what the fans expected, but it was what we needed. All of BTS’s music is happy, positive, and about self love. This is sometimes demonstrated through hype songs. However, this album is different, with some songs having a more bittersweet and calm vibe. To put it plainly, BTS is constantly up to date with what’s going on. Now, especially with the pandemic, we need to appreciate what we have, and just know that these dark times will pass. Here are the list of the songs in order of how they appear on the album, and my opinions on each one:
1. “Life Goes On”: BTS begins the album with a nice, chill beat, setting the mood for the rest of the album perfectly. The main message here fully addresses what we’re all facing with the pandemic. It is basically telling us to not worry, and even if it seems like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, life still goes on. There’s always relief to suffering, even if it’s something small. We will get through all of this together.
2. “Fly To My Room”: This song has a little bit of a happy upbeat to it, as it is an uplifting song. Because of this pandemic, we are all stuck inside our houses and in our rooms. So, we should change our perspectives and make the most out of it. Staying at home could bring families even closer together, so why not make the most out of it?
3. “Blue & Grey”: Hands down, this is my favorite song of the album. This is a very sad and emotional song that will get you in your feels. There is just something so raw and pure that everytime it comes on, I shed a tear or two. We stray away from singing about the situations surrounding the pandemic for a bit, and focus on the state of the BTS members themselves. Even though they are so successful and won so many awards, they still feel an emptiness inside of them and are “Blue & Grey.” All of the lyrics carry so much weight and meaning that it really makes you stop and think, like “my color hidden with a smile, blue and grey.”
4. “Skit”: A lot of fans were surprised when BTS included “Skit,” as it’s actually not a song at all. It is a 3 minute recording of the BTS members just hanging out and talking. I thought this was really clever, as it’s a quick intermission right in the middle of the album. In the translations, BTS reminisces about all of their awards, such as Billboard Music Awards, and also reaching #1 on Billboard Hot 100 with their song “Dynamite.” At the end, RM asks J-hope, “Hoba, don’t you think this is what happiness is like?” I believe this is urging the listeners to rethink what happiness is, especially during the dire times like the pandemic. Even though things aren’t going our way, we can still find things to celebrate about, and find new sources of happiness.
5. “Telepathy”: Here’s a fully happy, upbeat song that will get you in a great mood for the day! This song is basically about how we all want to be happy and to escape to the sea (a place of happiness). During these hard times, if we really care about someone, then we’ll eventually be together again. It is kind of like using “telepathy” to understand and communicate with one another.
6. “Dis-ease”: This song is actually my least favorite in the album, just because I didn’t vibe with the old-school hip-hop beats. However, BTS still continues their signature positivity vibes, as they sing about the uncertainty of the pandemic, but also hope for the future. Although the song’s name sounds like “disease,” the “dis” in the beginning means “not,” so it’s actually the opposite of “disease.”
7. “Stay”: Coming up as a runner up for my top favorite songs of the album, here it is! Completely the opposite of “Blue and Grey,” this song will make you want to get up and dance around in your room. The song opens up with the translation, “was it a dream?” which questions whether all of the memories and experiences BTS has had with fans were real before the pandemic hit. As the song progresses, BTS sings about how they know that the people who support them will always stay.
8. “Dynamite”: As an end to the BE album, BTS has decided to bring back this hit single, which is actually all in English. I thought it was a nice way to tie the knot on the album with a song that we all know and enjoy already. It has an 80s vibe to it, and BTS took a lot of inspiration from Michael Jackson, the prince himself.
To wrap this up, I have listed the songs from BE from my favorite to least, and this is all based on personal preferences:
I put “Skit” at the very end because it was just the BTS members talking :)
1. “Blue & Grey”
2. “Stay”
3. “Life Goes On”
4. “Fly To My Room”
5. “Telepathy”
6. “Dynamite”
7. “Dis-ease”
8. “Skit”
Little Mix Album Review: Confetti
Little Mix Album Review: Confetti
By Layla Ahmed
November 6 marked an excited day for fans of Little Mix: their sixth studio album Confetti released! For those who are unaware, Little Mix is a UK girl group composed of vocalists Jade Thirwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards, and Jesy Nelson, and they were formed in 2011 on the British version of The X Factor.
Overall, the songs on Confetti sound more mature and masterfully blends lighter and darker tones reminiscent of their earlier albums like Salute. What has not changed are the themes of self-love, personal growth, and female empowerment. Below is the track list with my thoughts on each song.
Note: As far as the technical aspects go, I am simply expressing my own opinions on the sound and lyricism.
“Break Up Song”: Despite the title’s suggestion, Confetti’s first track and lead single is an 80s pop-inspired song about moving on from an ex. The upbeat music and fun, colorful music video perfectly launched Little Mix’s new era and set the stage for what to expect from the women. It’s a song I can play on repeat without getting tired.
“Holiday”: While other songs on the album outrank this one, there is still nothing wrong with “Holiday.” It’s a fun song to bop along to, and the ladies sing about a person who makes every day feel like a holiday, so if you want a cute song about a great relationship, then this should be a great choice. The only warning I’ll give is that you may not be able to get the chorus out of your head!
“Sweet Melody”: Little Mix absolutely delivered with the last single of the album! All of their vocals all shine, and of course their harmonies are rock solid. “Sweet Melody” definitely has the darker tones here, and I love the aesthetic for the song. The “doo doo doo”s also add a fun element to the mature sound. After listening to this song, it is no surprise that “Sweet Melody” is in my top 3 songs off Confetti.
“Confetti”: Another song that may get stuck in your head! Not that I particularly cared because a bad song does not exist on the Confetti album! When listening to the album from the start, “Confetti” was the first song where I immediately heard the new sound Little Mix aimed for when it started, which goes nicely with the idea of confetti being used as celebration for the new era.
“Happiness”: I love the background strings that play during the verses of this song. I think it adds a certain elegance to “Happiness,” which makes the song more memorable for me. The themes of self-love and personal growth also stand out the most in this song, as Little Mix sing about finding love and happiness within themselves instead of dependending on a partner to experience those emotions. It’s a solid song perfect for uplifting yourself.
“Not a Pop Song”: Honestly, this is my least favorite song because I don’t enjoy the sound as much as I enjoy the other twelve songs. However, the lyrics are one of my favorites. Essentially, Little Mix calls out their old label and the music industry for forcing them to conform to a “desirable” or “marketable” image. The women also call out people for considering them a guilty pleasure when they are actually very talented simply because Little Mix is a girl group.
“Nothing But My Feelings”: This is one of the more chill and relaxing songs on the album. While I personally don’t feel as though there is anything sonically special about the song, Jade, who wrote this with Leigh-Anne, described “Nothing But My Feelings” as an empowering and more unique song because the ladies sing about a topic that is not usually presented from a woman’s point of view.
“Gloves Up”: Look no further than this song if you want to listen to something that will get you pumped up and ready to take charge! I love how the lyrics talk about fighting until the end, never giving up, and defying the odds. Perrie’s chorus and Leigh-Anne’s little rap in this song really makes it a showstopper. My enjoyment of “Gloves Up” cannot be understated.
“A Mess (Happy 4 U)”: Here is another track where I prefer the lyrics to the music, though I don’t dislike the music by any means. I just love that Little Mix sings about being happy for an ex who has moved on with another person even though they are still hurt by the breakup. It is refreshing that the ladies sing about feeling happy for the new couple, which again illustrates the theme of maturity and growth. I also appreciate the song not attacking the new girlfriend because it is common in these situations for women to attack other women.
“My Love Won’t Let You Down”: In the tenth track of the album, Jesy, Perrie, Jade, and Leigh-Anne sing a reminder about how they will always be a source of support to each other. Although the message is sweet, neither the lyrics nor the music standout too much, but the piano ballad allows for Little Mix’s vocal skills to shine. The harmonies are flawless, and it’s nice to see Perrie sing in a lower register because she usually sings the high notes.
“Rendezvous”: Though “Sway” by Michael Bublé is sampled on the song, Little Mix still put their own stamp on “Rendezvous.” I think of this song as the more mature and minor twin to “Nothing But My Feelings,” as there are similarities in the topic. Just like with the previous track, I love hearing the vocal talent shown through the lower register.
“If You Want My Love”: As the second-to-last song in the album, “If You Want My Love” has a higher energy that is great before wrapping up Confetti. The hits rights before the chorus that are a throwback to sounds common in music from the late 90s and early 2000s, especially *NSYNC, élevâtes the song and is pleasing to the ear. I also like how the “doo doo doo”s repeat from Sweet Melody, tying the beginning and end of the album together. Knowing your self-worth is a big message here as Little Mix sing about having their romantic partner out in the work and effort to be worthy of their love.
“Breathe”: Bells and an electric piano open up “Breath,” setting the stage for a beautiful song to end the album. Here, the ladies sing about the pain one first experiences right after a break up. My favorite part (besides everything else) is how their vocals all come together in the chorus because it feels like they are all together and relying on one another to move past the pain. In my opinion, “Breathe” is underrated on the album, which is a wrong that must be corrected.
With the last song, we say goodbye to Confetti. Okay, I’m kidding—this album will be on repeat until the seventh album is released. As an album, I couldn’t decide where it ranked on my list of favorite Little Mix albums, though I knew it had to be in the first or second spot. After much deliberation, I decided Confetti takes the top spot from LM5. This album seemed more in line with the direction of lyrics and music that Little Mix wants, and every single song drew me in from the start. As for the rankings of each song, here is my list of the Confetti tracks from most to least favorite:
“Sweet Melody”
“Gloves Up”
“Breathe”
“If You Want My Love”
“Break Up Song”
“Confetti”
“A Mess (Happy 4 U)”
“Happiness”
“Holiday”
“Nothing But My Feelings”
“Rendezvous”
“My Love Won’t Let You Down”
“Not a Pop Song”
The Significance of Galleries
The Significance of Galleries
By Keven De Lima. Photo by Keven De Lima
The Unmoored Nora Valdez sculpture gallery was being held in the Boston Sculpture Gallery from September 23rd through November 1st. She had her exhibit in the Boston Sculptors Gallery Boston, MA.
Nora Valdez is an award winning international artist. She was born and raised in Argentina but now she travels the world presenting her art. She has many permanent Public Art pieces sited around the world
The Boston Sculpture Gallery is open to the public so you can just enter. It's not necessary for you to pay for entrance. Going to the gallery I expected that you would need to pay to get in but it wasn't necessary.
The gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday 11-5 and by appointment. No appointment needed during gallery hours. There is a 10 person maximum capacity, you are required to wear a mask and social distancing required. They are also open for First Friday receptions, 5:30-8:30. Currently they have Waldo Evan Jespersen work in their gallery through November 4th to December 6.
The galleries are too prestigious for me.” Laura Godinho, BHS computer graphics teacher, said.”
She also stated that she loves going to the “Artist Studios”. It's a more relaxed environment where you can actually talk to the artist.
Galleries are important because it is how artists sell their art. In the Nora Valdez Gallery the price ranged from $700 to $1000 dollars. But there are a lot of galleries that won't allow normal people to buy the art.
“It’s like a type of club they'll only sell to certain people that come to see them,” George Ratkevich, BHS art department chair, said.
Not all galleries are like this. There are some that are exclusive to only prestigious buyers. But most of them can just go and buy the art for whatever price it's listed. And then after the artwork is purchased, the gallery splits the money pretty much evenly between them and the artist.
Review of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale
Review of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale
Article by Dylan Garvey ; Photo Courtesy of Hulu
Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale is going to be a show I never forget. It is filled with characters going through their own versions of literal hell, and you grow to love many of them and root for their escape and survival.
I even grew to love the characters you were meant to hate. They created these ‘villains’ that you absolutely loved to hate, so every single moment of this show was unforgettable to say the least.
The story begins with June Osbourne getting separated from her husband and daughter trying to escape what remained of the US after being taken over by cultist leaders. After being branded as a Handmaid you then follow her journey in making friends and finding solace where she can.
I personally loved the show more and more as it went on. As the show continues you grow extremely attached to most of these characters, and root for them as they go through their ups and downs. As for June especially the stakes rise higher and higher for her as her story develops and it leaves you on the edge of your seat nearly the entire time.
As for the end of season 3 it leaves you on a cliffhanger waiting for the beginning of season 4. Season 4 is currently scheduled for release at some point midway through 2021; the release, however, is subject for change because of the coronavirus.
It wasn’t just the end of season 3 that left you on the edge of your seat with many questions, the show has plenty of cliffhangers throughout leaving you hooked and constantly wanting more.
“The show left me constantly wanting more, I even spent a few late nights continuing on with the show because it was that addicting,” BHS senior Allison Sciarratta said. “As messed up as the show could get I had to keep watching just to see what would happen to each of these characters.”
The Handmaid’s Tale is filled to the brim with some pretty horrible situations, yet you can’t dare even look away for a second. For this reason I decided to get the perspective of an adult viewer
“The show had plenty of moments that were so bad, but I couldn’t look away,” Family friend Elizabeth Thompson said. “It was almost like seeing a car crash it’s terrible to look at, but you couldn’t bear to look away even for a second.”
Although plenty of people have seen this show is there any specific reason anyone would want to watch this show, even if they read the book?
“Although I’ve read the book I know the show improves on a bunch of different aspects, as well as modernizing the show,” WMHS senior Jenna Peltier said. “It makes me want to watch the show to be able to relive all these moments in a new light.”
Overall The Handmaid’s Tale can be a little much to digest at times, but is very worth a watch because of how developed the world becomes as well as all of the characters who live in it. If you have a chance I would definitely recommend you check this show out on Hulu.
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