The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more
By SAVANNAH ANNO — arts@theaggie.org
Album: “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” by Hayley Williams (2025)
While there’s nothing niche about Paramore — the iconic pop-punk band behind “Misery Business,” “Still Into You” and “Decode” from “Twilight” — I will argue that lead singer Hayley Williams’ solo discography is still severely underappreciated.
“Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” is a critical examination of Williams’ personal and professional lives over the past two decades, inspired by a newfound independence after her 20-year contract with Atlantic Records came to a close. Tracks like “Ice in My OJ” and “Hard” offer punchy, confident reflections on her time as a public figure, while slower ballads like “I Won’t Quit on You” and “Dream Girl in Shibuya” deconstruct her complex relationship with Taylor York, Paramore’s lead guitarist. In the collection of 20 different songs, there’s not a corner of her life Williams doesn’t touch on; creating a versatile amalgamation of themes that range from anti-depressants to betrayal to Tennessee’s systemic racism. While this could be a daunting task for other artists, Williams has both the vocal talent and genre-blending ability to match her writing. “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” is all of Paramore’s punk, indie-rock punch — perfectly intermeshed with Williams’ own individual, experimental pop sound.
Movie: “Oh, Hi!” dir. Sophie Brooks (2025)
Sticking with recency, “Oh, Hi!” is the latest in a hopefully forever-growing list of dark romantic comedies written and directed by women. “Oh, Hi!” starts like every perfect dream: Logan Lerman is sitting in the car, singing along to the radio and whisking his girlfriend Iris (played by Molly Gordon) away for a romantic weekend in Ojai, California. Iris, understandably entranced with Lerman’s character Isaac, couldn’t be any happier — she and her boyfriend are experiencing one of the first important milestones for every new couple. That is, until she learns that Isaac never officially accepted the title of “boyfriend.” So, Iris does what any respectable young woman suffering from a situationship would do (if it wasn’t illegal), and holds him hostage in their Airbnb.
Criminally funny, “Oh, Hi!” is an extreme look into modern love. While the shock-value of the witty, raunchy satire remains high throughout the entirety of the film, its humor functions to punctuate the slower moments of reflection on Iris and Isaac’s relationship. Each side of the story is revealed through heartwarming, romantic flashbacks that make you empathize with the pair as they both grapple with the end of their situation, still trying to figure out what they meant to each other amidst the chaos of their trip. Complete with a killer soundtrack and warm, idyllic visuals, “Oh, Hi!” is a perfect balance of comedy and contemplation.
Song: “Tunnel Vision” by Magdalena Bay (2024)
Imaginative, alternative and relentlessly addicting, Magdalena Bay is high off the 2024 release of their second studio album, “Imaginal Disk” — currently preparing for their first European headline tour. A solidified synth-pop duo, Magdalena Bay takes their listeners on a journey through space and time with a dreamy, experimental sound. “Tunnel Vision” blends bright, twinkling keys with a groovy drumline, with lead singer Mica Tenenbaum telling a story of self-reflection and the realization of past mistakes. Along with other personal favorites like “Angel on a Satellite” and “The Ballad of Matt & Mica,” “Tunnel Vision” exemplifies the very best qualities of the musical duo, who constantly create tracks that transport their listeners up and out of this world.
Book: “Katabasis” by R.F. Kuang (2025)
While some have argued R.F. Kuang’s writing since “The Poppy War” trilogy is too dense or impossible to get through, I believe the critiques are simply a product of user error. While “The Poppy War” is true, epic historical fantasy, Kuang’s “Babel” (2022) and “Katabasis” (2025) are works of dark academia; products of her own experience as a graduate student. “Katabasis” follows two Cambridge doctoral candidates who are studying a form of magic that operates on philosophical principles. While the terminology may seem daunting, Kuang takes the time to explain every niche reference and citation. After the untimely death of their advisor leaves them with slim post-graduate prospects, ex-friends and present-day-rivals Alice Law and Peter Murdoch travel to Hell in an attempt to revive their professor’s soul.
As the pair journey through the desolate landscape — imagined through real-life literary texts like Dante Alighieri’s “The Divine Comedy” and T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” — Kuang weaves through the complexities of Alice and Peter’s past relationship and how they arrived at the point of tension and coldness that readers observe at the beginning of the novel. Not only do these flashbacks reveal the nature of the pair’s dynamic, but also the true nature of the man they’re so desperately trying to save. A love story filled with mathematical algorithms (that you by no means have to understand), logical proofs and endlessly frustrating miscommunication, you can’t help but root for Alice and Peter’s seemingly hopeless happy ending as the novel drags you further and further down into its enrapturing academic mystery.
Written by: Savannah Anno — arts@theaggie.org
