The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more
By AALIYAH ESPAÑOL-RIVAS — arts@theaggie.org
TV Show: “New Girl” by Elizabeth Meriwether (2011 to 2018)
Arguably one of the funniest sitcoms in recent years, “New Girl” follows Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) as she moves in with three guys, Nick Miller, Winston Bishop and Schmidt, following a rough breakup. With conflicting personalities, Jess enters the house and shakes up the lives of the guys around her. There’s Nick, an unmotivated bartender who can’t seem to keep a girl for more than one date; Winston, an oblivious athlete who’s trying to figure out what he wants to do in life after failing to go pro in basketball and Schmidt, the “all-knower” of everything woman. Perhaps a bit too bubbly and overly optimistic, Jess learns over the course of the show that maybe she can’t change the guys, but she can help them see life differently. “New Girl” is the perfect show to binge-watch when you’re feeling heartbroken — it’s full of laughs, double-take moments and cringeworthy situations. I can’t imagine living with guys, but if it’s living with Nick, Winston and Schmidt, sign me up.
Movie: “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” dir. Michel Gondry (2004)
Have you ever wanted to erase one person from your memory? Well the film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” can give you a glimpse of what it entails. The film centers around Joel (Jim Carrey) when he finds out his ex, Clementine (Kate Winslet), is undergoing a medical procedure to erase him from her memory. Out of spite, he decides to undergo the same procedure and is brought through the good and ugly of their relationship as each memory gets erased. From memories of falling in love, hurtful arguments and childhood insecurities, the film brings you inside the psyche of a man who just wants to be loved and included. And while heartbroken by the end of the relationship, Joel soon realizes that to forget everything would be incredibly ignorant. To forget what brought you happiness at the cost of not wanting to remember the pain impedes self-growth, and a spotless mind is one without the experiences that shape you into who you are. The film is thought provoking to watch after a breakup, prompting you to ask yourself: was I the problem?
Album: “Sour” by Olivia Rodrigo (2021)
“Sour” is the quintessential break-up album. Despite Olivia Rodrigo only being 17 years old when writing the album, the overall sentiment of each song transcends the bounds of age. The album follows Rodrigo as she goes through the ups and downs of emotionally draining relationships with the self-doubt, angst and growth that comes with it. “Sour” has a song for every type of situation, with “traitor” for the cheating exes, “enough for you” for the nonchalant and apathetic exes and “1 step forward, 3 steps back” for the emotionally unintelligent, uncommunicative exes. Whether it’s one or all songs on the album that embody your ex, there’s a song on “Sour” for everyone. Regardless of the duration of the relationship, or how long ago it was, “Sour” is an album you can turn to for comfort. Much akin to other songwriters such as Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams and Lizzy McAlpine, Rodrigo draws listeners in with the emotional vulnerability in each song, validating all listeners’ experiences. And when you’re healing, you can graduate to Rodrigo’s sophomore album, “Guts,” for the forthcoming revenge era.
Song: “I Hate Boston” by Reneé Rapp (2023)
Being haunted by a place is the worst, especially when it’s an entire city. “I Hate Boston” by Reneé Rapp perfectly encapsulates this feeling of disdain for a location throughout the song, describing how her ex-boyfriend made her hate the entire city of Boston. The song follows Rapp as she has flashbacks to her ex taking her around the city during their relationship, before dumping her and leaving her with nothing but haunting memories of the city. Lyrics such as, “As far as I’m concerned, they should just burn the whole city down,” and “The whole thing is haunted, how do you sleep?” describe Rapp’s building hatred toward the city despite the “charm” it used to have. The song, which can be labeled as a ballad, is an outcry and plea to her former lover for his lack of empathy toward their breakup, “holding her hostage” and “casually” leaving her. Rapp’s vocals give the song the raw emotional depth that left me wanting to burn down a city…watch out Boston.
Written by: Aaliyah Español-Rivas — arts@theaggie.org
