Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
April 25, 2025 April 25, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

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DAVID JONES / CC BY-NC 2.0 Animal Collective's Panda Bear released a new solo album this past week with contributions from all members of the band. 

Animal Collective’s Panda Bear releases Sinister Grift — the quiet reckoning of midlife

By EDWARD ZHU | March 7, 2025

If you are at all familiar with 2000s indie rock or early internet music culture, you’ve likely come across — or at least felt the influence of — Baltimore experimental pop band Animal Collective. Terms like “surreal,” “trippy” and “kaleidoscopic” now feel kind of overused and cliche when describing their music, but albums like Merriweather Post Pavilion or Strawberry Jam undeniably contain a delirious, effortless glee that make them an unmatched benchmark of the modern psychedelic genre.

JIYUN GUO / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR The Arts & Entertainment section recommends Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall as a perfect addition to your To Be Read list.

To watch and watch for: Week of March 2

By ARTS EDITORS | March 2, 2025

If your midterms only let you loose for a limited amount of time, then where better to start than with these personal arts and entertainment recommendations, curated for Hopkins students like you?

NATHAN CONGLETON / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Blake Lively’s legal complaint against Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment during the filming of It Ends With Us, has catalyzed a large, industry-wide debate, in which both stars have been supported and criticized.

Lights, camera, controversy: The Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni scandal

By RUBEN DIAZ | March 1, 2025

Every so often, a story comes along reminding us that while Hollywood thrives on romance and fantasy, it’s also a deeply flawed industry filled with power struggles, questionable decisions and enough scandal to fuel the tabloids for years. Enter Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni and a film adaptation that was supposed to be about breaking cycles of abuse — but might have just exposed another one in the process.

KRITZOLINA / CC BY-SA 4.0 Through a series of open mics, Ashlee Haze has helped many communities find and share their voices.

Ashlee Haze: On open mics, space and poetry

By ISABELLA WANG | February 28, 2025

On February 7th, the second floor of the LaB was set up with rows of chairs, ready for students to take their seats in preparation for the Open Mic that was about to commence. The MC for the night? Kiera “Ashlee Haze” Nelson, a poet and spoken word artist from Atlanta by way of Chicago. 

JIYUN GUO / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR This week, check out Hittin’ with the Youngins at An Die Musik Live to see young composers partner with pros in what is sure to be an incredible performance. 

To watch and watch for: Week of Feb. 23

By ARTS EDITORS | February 24, 2025

With the lion of March creeping around the corner, our hearts still beating from our Valentine fever, there is no time more in need of distraction. Spring will come, and our hearts will slow, but, right now, the wind is pouring through the tunnels and over the quads, romances and friendships are tested in the bitter cold and, most importantly, our free time is nearly nonexistent.

STEVEN SIMPSON / PHOTO EDITOR Miss Prism (Liesel Arauz Vallecillo; left) reunites with Jack (Jackson Robien; center) as his friend Algernon (Ryan Garza; right) struggles with the ridiculous turn of events.

The Barnstormers perform The Importance of Being Earnest

By RILEY STRAIT | February 19, 2025

I have only seen one production from the Barnstormers, but I might be scared to see another. That is, because I worry it can’t possibly meet or exceed my experience witnessing their performance of The Importance of Being Earnest, an 1895 play by Oscar Wilde. 

JIYUN GUO / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR Welcome to another list of upcoming media recommendations! This week’s picks include a show about a political conspiracy, a romance novel set in the American West, an indie album by musician Saya Gray and a performance of presidential love poems at Creative Alliance.

To watch and watch for: Week of Feb. 17

By ARTS EDITORS | February 17, 2025

Welcome to another list of upcoming media recommendations! This week’s picks include a show about a political conspiracy, a romance novel set in the American West, an indie album by musician Saya Gray and a performance of presidential love poems at Creative Alliance.

THE COME UP SHOW / CC BY-ND 2.0 Grand, cinematic and freshly futuristic, Eusexua is FKA twigs at her most experimental and intimate. It’s an album that refuses to be boxed in, challenging listeners to embrace both its intimacy and its unpredictability. 

Eusexua: Introspective contemplation at the club

By SPRUHA DEO | February 16, 2025

Grand, cinematic and freshly futuristic, Eusexua is FKA twigs at her most experimental and intimate. It’s an album that refuses to be boxed in, challenging listeners to embrace both its intimacy and its unpredictability. And whether every experiment lands or not, FKA twigs’s ability to push boundaries remains undeniable. 

NICOLAS VÖLCKER / CC BY-SA 4.0 To Guo, Mac Miller’s newest posthumous album, Balloonerism, has felt like welcoming back a close friend. Guo writes on how nature of the album has made him reflect on his own nature and the change he’s been through since the first time he listened to Miller’s music.

From high school to Balloonerism: Mac Miller is still in the background

By DANIEL GUO | February 12, 2025

When Miller’s newest posthumous album, Balloonerism, was released, it felt like welcoming back a close friend. Once again, Miller was whispering, talking and laughing along with all of us. But, beyond that, the nature of the album has made me reflect on my very own nature and the changes I’ve been through since the first time I listened to his music. 

JIYUN GUO / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR

To watch and watch for: Week of Feb. 9

By ARTS EDITORS | February 9, 2025

I hope you can see that there is more than enough content to sink your teeth into, whether it be in person or online. And don’t be upset if you don’t have a valentine; after all, who needs a valentine when there’s so much to watch, read and listen to! 

HARALD KRICHEL / CC BY-SA 3.0 The Brutalist's technical achievements and old-school approach are balanced by a compelling but ultimately aimless narrative.

The Brutalist: When technique triumphs purpose

By RIVER PHAN | February 5, 2025

“Monumental,” “tremendous,” and “striking” have all been used to describe how much of an achievement The Brutalist is, but there isn’t enough verbiage to replace the grandeur of the experience itself. But, even after a second viewing, it’s clear Corbet as a director far outpaces himself as a writer considering how the film’s technical accomplishes vastly overshadow its rhetorical pieces. 

STEVEN SIMPSON / PHOTO EDITOR A D&D Dungeon Master (Qiushi (Chris) Tian; center), describes the mythic tavern to his two player characters, Sir Fig Newton (Finnigan Keane; left) and the Barbarian (Ryan Garza; right).

Witness Theater’s 2025 I-Show raises the bar

By TIMOTHY MCSHEA | February 5, 2025

This past Friday, I had the chance to attend Witness Theater’s premier of their 2025 I-show — a performed collection of student-written plays — which were then acted and directed by the talented students of Hopkins. I have attended many of Witness Theater’s performances in the past; some have been better, others slightly lacking in certain areas, but the group has always maintained a level of professionalism that ensures this beacon of opportunity remains a mainstay of the arts community at Hopkins.

ROWLAND SCHERMAN / PDM 1.0Joan Baez and Bob Dylan performing at the Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C., Aug. 28, 1963.

Bob Dylan deserves a better film than A Complete Unknown

By EDWARD ZHU | February 3, 2025

Bob Dylan is an enigma. Despite being a towering force of American culture, he has always defied easy interpretation, too slippery to fit into categories or expectations. So, do we really need a Bob Dylan musical biopic? The genre is synonymous with clichés and unoriginality — notoriously squeezing complex lives into generic, done-to-death narratives. 

JIYUN GUO / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR

To watch and watch for: Week of Feb. 3

By ARTS EDITORS | February 2, 2025

Hello and welcome to another week of media recommendations from the Arts and Entertainment section! As February begins, we hope you can find the time to enjoy some of these upcoming releases in the arts, from film and television to books, music to live events. As always, the full list is provided below, but here are my personal picks for new media to consume in the upcoming week.

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