There’s no better place to keep a finger on the pulse of arts and entertainment happenings than Los Angeles. The A&E world is alive – it’s always buzzing, sometimes ready to implode with a hint of a surprise album or a celebrity’s controversial statement.
This week, the Daily Bruin A&E editors pick their favorite pop culture topic of 2015.
My Album of the Year: “Fated”
Step aside, Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd. While the two artists earned 11 and seven 2016 Grammy Award nominations, respectively, an album that didn’t get any nods ended up as one of my favorites of the year.
“Fated,” the third album by Los Angeles-based electronic musician Nosaj Thing, is proof that sophistication still exists in a musical scene filled with heavy beat drops and synthesized vocals. Released in early May after the musician suffered a devastating equipment theft, the album is less of a brash comeback and more of an elegant assertion of strength and continuity in times of loss.
Each song, beginning with the ethereal “Sci,” contains a calmness invoking the black void of deep space. The pulsating melodies are the supernovas blooming in the darkness, lending bursts of color to muted beats and soft synths.
“Fated” is the album that got me through the gloom of midterms, finals and just about every stressful period school and life threw at me. The album is a magnum opus by one of the electronic genre’s masters of minimalism, which goes to show that nominations or awards don’t have to validate true artistry.
– Shreya Aiyar
Jurassic vs. Galactic Nostalgia
2015 provided two gargantuan, lucrative nostalgia trips.
The first was “Jurassic World” in June which, at the time, shattered box office records by producing the biggest opening weekend of all time.
The Chris Pratt dinosaur romp was beaten this week by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which grossed approximately $40 million dollars more in its opening weekend.
The key commonality between the two films is the nostalgia factor. Rebooting a film franchise has become a relatively recent Hollywood trope, but not until now have studios so efficiently tugged on the audience’s heartstrings.
Twenty-two years separate “Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic World.” The target audience of 12-year-old boys and girls who were fans of the original have had enough time to have children of their own reach the same age. By releasing “Jurassic World” at a crossroads between generations, Universal Studios tapped simultaneously into both the nostalgic parent audience and the wide-eyed children audience.
The same goes for “Star Wars.” By allowing for a ten-year gap between “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” Disney created a threefold target audience. Grandparents who grew up during the original trilogy, parents who want to get over the disappointment of Episodes I, II and III and a new generation falling in love with lightsabers and droids for the first time, all contributed to the biggest opening weekend in movie history.
Even though both films introduced new characters, “Jurassic World” offered little originality, while “The Force Awakens” brought a youthful freshness with its young leads to accompany Han and Chewie.
– William Thorne
To Belieb or not to Belieb
When Justin Bieber stepped onto the VMA carpet with new, long blond hair, I jokingly wondered if he was making a comeback, if his debut ‘do signaled a revised sound, too.
Bieber’s return to the music industry this year after officially retiring in 2013 created a tidal wave. I denied his comeback for a while, labeling Bieber as an immature tween heartthrob with no real musical talent and a knack for DUIs.
I should have accepted the revival of Justin Bieber as soon as he stepped off the VMA carpet and onto the VMA stage, dazzling the world with what I believe (Belieb?) became two of the year’s most popular singles: “Where Are Ü Now” and “What Do You Mean?”
As a whole, his newest album “Purpose” isn’t as memorable as the two aforementioned songs and singles “Sorry” and “Love Yourself” foreshadowed it to be. However, these four numbers indicate a fierce and impressive resurgence because of relatable lyrics about love and catchy pop beats. As much as it pains me to say it, his new hits are more artistically mature than the ancient “Boyfriend” or “Baby.”
“What Do You Mean?” was Bieber’s first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. “Purpose” sold 522,000 albums the first week, which is Bieber’s largest sales week ever. Tell me he isn’t back with a vengeance.
I’ve never before been excited for a Bieber song to come on the radio, but now I find myself singing along to an artist I’d previously dismissed as annoying and dull. The potential Bieber renaissance defines 2015, and I’m expecting him to ride the wave next year as well.
– Lindsay Weinberg
2015: The year of the Swift
Picking my favorite topic of 2015 is almost like picking a favorite child. There’s Kendrick Lamar’s brave and innovative album “To Pimp a Butterfly” that I found utterly brilliant, and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” that introduced me to a new love for the “Star Wars” film franchise.
But I believe every end of the year list for 2015 is incomplete without praise for Taylor Swift. I say this because throughout the year, I always felt her presence.
Swift saw 2015 and conquered it. She received seven Grammy Award nominations, including Record of the Year for “Blank Space” and Album of the Year for “1989.” She also caused controversy regarding her anti-Spotify stance and commentary on Nicki Minaj’s VMA snub rant. Her love life, which appears tumultuous, was fine and dandy since her relationship with Calvin Harris began earlier this year.
Following the release of her album “1989” in late 2014, the pop star embarked on a world tour from May 2015 to this month to support the album. Helping to boost press, Swift famously brought out a slew of celebrity guests in her shows such as her “Bad Blood” squad and the United States women’s national soccer team. The tour received commercial acclaim, with sold out shows dotting her schedule.
I witnessed her dominance on stage in August. It left me with a lasting image that is a highlight of my year: pink confetti descending in the Staples Center as she finished her set with “Shake It Off.”
– Gail Acosta