ALBUM – World Music Radio by Jon Batiste
As a five-time Grammy Award winner, Jon Batiste is no stranger to critical acclaim. His signature eclectic, jazz-inspired sound has garnered him a small but passionate fan base among experimental music lovers across the globe. Given all his success, I was a bit disappointed that Batiste’s latest album, World Music Radio, seemed to fall under the radar last year. With a whopping 21 songs spanning a mish-mash of genres, instrumentation, and languages, World Music Radio will take you on quite the musical journey. Batiste has organized World Music Radio as a concept album following fictional space entity Billy Bob Bo, à la David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Get ready to blast off into waves of percussive hip hop, booming reggaeton, and jazzy piano ballads. You’ll never know which direction your ears will be pulled in next on this eccentric masterpiece of an album. I highly recommend “Calling Your Name” if you want to get lost in funky basslines, synthesizers, and Stevie Wonder-esque harmonica riffs.
– Eliana Freelund, Culture Editor
FILM – Monster by Hirokazu Kore-eda
The latest Cannes-winning feature from decorated director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Monster is a criminally underrated masterpiece of human drama. Conceived as a Rashomon-style triptych, the film’s structure allows a fascinating look into three perspectives: Saori Mugino (Sakura Ando), single mother of our protagonist Minato (Soya Kurokawa); Hori-sensei (Eita Nagayama), an elementary school teacher who’s been accused of mistreating his students; and finally Minato himself. I watched Monster having little to no knowledge of its plot, and I heartily recommend you to approach it the same way. Expect to find a deeply nuanced and humanistic examination of miscommunication, grief, and gender expectations. At the film’s heart is the intimate bond between Minato and his closest friend Yori, whose friendship renders Monster’s final act both beautiful and haunting. Boasting masterfully-crafted tension and deeply moving performances, Monster is easily the most impressive film to have come out in 2023 – no less because of its understated soundtrack, composed by the late Ryuichi Sakamoto.
– Olivia Shan, Coordinating Editor
SHORT STORIES – The New Yorker’s Summer Flash Fiction
Short stories are beautiful in their briefness. They are vignettes painted from words, snapshots that capture the wonderful and terrifying absurdities of our world. Nothing gets shorter or more reflective than The New Yorker’s summer flash fiction series. From an older brother’s romantic advice in Stuart Dybek’s “Blue Island,” to house-scouting next to a railroad in Haruki Murakami’s “My Cheesecake-Shaped Poverty,” The New Yorker has something to offer everyone searching for a quick but thoughtful read. Whether read on a sunny beach or during a chilly winter night, these stories teach us about the importance of these fleeting moments in the myriad dimensions of life.
– Andrei Li, Sci+Tech Editor
NOVEL – The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
This bookish Black romance novel was one of my favourite reads in 2023. It features the love story of shy, New York-based book editor Lily and fantasy author Nick. After being intrigued by Nick’s debut Lily reaches out to him through his author website under his pen name N.R. Strickland. From there, they start talking and their series of conversations slowly blossoms into a romance – until he ghosts her. So when Nick moves to New York and finds out that Lily is his neighbour, he can’t bring himself to tell her his true identity. What drew me to this book was how both characters deal with relatable experiences. Lily struggles to find her voice in the world of publishing and just can’t seem to get her love life right, while Nick struggles with his tendency to push people away due to childhood trauma. The two protagonists’ shared love for literature only makes the romance between them even more heart-fluttering.
– Claudia Efemini, Culture Editor
PODCAST – Prophecy Girls by Kara Babcock and Stephanie Chow
Prophecy Girls is a podcast hosted by Kara Babcock and Stephanie Chow that revisits the classic ’90s show Buffy the Vampire Slayer from a modern lens. As they go through every episode, they artfully combine witty commentary with nuanced discussions of harmful tropes present both on and off screen. As a spoiler-free podcast, it’s suited both for those new to watching Buffy and longtime fans looking for a critical analysis of the show.
– Emma Bainbridge, News Editor