The Art Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more
By RUMA POUDELL — arts@theaggie.org
Song: “SWAMP” by BROCKHAMPTON (2017)
In 2017, former boy band BROCKHAMPTON spontaneously released multiple albums within the time frame of about 5 months and made music for 6 years total. Despite the fact that they were around for some time, I only discovered them recently through the recommendation of a friend — but I already have a feeling that they’re going to be my top artist on Spotify Wrapped for 2023. Their dynamic lyrics, the contrast between each member’s voices and the overall unique music production on the band’s songs have left an impact on me. “SWAMP” has been one of my favorites recently, as some of the lyrics touch on the fact that you need to love yourself — which is a basic message — but that message is sent in an impactful way.
Movie: “Pretty Woman” dir. by Garry Marshall (1990)
In this classic rom-com, Julia Roberts plays a sex worker who crosses paths with a wealthy businessman played by Richard Gere — specifically, a businessman who “screws” people, albeit for money. The two spend a week together and, unsurprisingly, they fall in love. I thought the way the movie portrayed Roberts’ character wasn’t the greatest due to an overdone air of ditziness and the plot is a bit predictable. However, there are plenty of funny and entertaining moments that make up for this, making “Pretty Woman” worth the watch.
Book: “Sincerely” by F.S. Yousaf (2018)
This book of poetry will leave your heart full. In “Sincerely,” Yousaf proposes to his partner through a series of poems that spell out “Will you marry me?” He details stories of their love and what his soon-to-be wife means to him. Poetry can be tough to read and comprehend sometimes, but this was an easy read that still had great meaning. For the hopeless romantics out there, grab this book and clutch onto it till your own worshiper crosses your path — it’ll leave you hopeful that it is bound to happen.
Anime: “Erased” by Tomohiko Ito and Taku Kishimoto (2016)
Fed up with my recommendations about love? This is a mystery/thriller anime that details the story of a man who can time travel and is set on using this power to prevent a murder. I watched this way back when it came out in 2016 and I have fond memories of watching it on Crunchyroll with friends. I didn’t have premium Crunchyroll, so there would be a KFC ad that felt like it played five times in a row about every 10 minutes, but hopefully, when you watch it, you don’t experience the same thing. If you do, I promise it’ll still be worth it because the plot is amazing and will leave you in suspense, in tears and in laughter at various points.
Written by: Ruma Poudell — arts@theaggie.org
