The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more
By SAVANNAH ANNO — arts@theaggie.org
Song: “Obvious” by After (2025)
Like summer in a bottle, “Obvious” is a dreamy, romantic track from the two-man band After’s debut EP. The extended play record — fittingly titled “After EP” — is an ode to Y2K trip-pop, the sound-evoking memories of bubbles, blue skies and dandelions. In “Obvious,” lead singer Justine Dorsey plays on nostalgia with not just the sound, but lyrics calling back to the awkwardness and intensity of a high school crush.
With “Obvious,” After takes everything addicting about childhood tracks from singers like Hillary Duff and Avril Lavigne and elevates it, befitting a newly adult audience that sometimes needs an escape back into the 2000s. Also influenced by bands like The Sundays and 800 cherries, After’s colorful sound is both polished and experimental. With songs like “Obvious,” the duo artfully blends musical choices they know any listener will love and others that still feel miles away from mainstream. Effortlessly cool, After is building a new auditory atmosphere one track at a time, and “Obvious” serves as the perfect first look inside.
Movie: “My Best Friend’s Wedding” dir. P.J. Hogan (1997)
For fans of the newest romantic comedy-drama “Materialists” and the heart-wrenching “Past Lives,” directed by Celine Song, “My Best Friend’s Wedding” is now a required watch as the up-and-coming filmmaker gets ready to pen the sequel’s screenplay. I personally believe that the original 1997 romantic comedy, however, is so perfect that anything created in its image will be an insult to just how good it is.
Set in Chicago and starring a young Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney and Cameron Diaz, the film’s visuals couldn’t possibly get any dreamier. Each scene reflects a warm, bustling city existing in the pleasant space between spring and summer. Outside of its aesthetic, the film tackles regret, jealousy and all the messiest parts of love through an impressive display of both romantic chemistry and physical comedy. As Julia Roberts’ character tries to sabotage her best friend/ex-boyfriend’s wedding in the most outrageous ways possible, the film questions whether or not something you may want with all of your heart can truly ever be good for you. Witty, full of yearning and ahead of its time, “My Best Friend’s Wedding” is a goldmine of psychological complexity hidden under classic, ‘90s rom-com charm.
Essay: “Georgia O’Keeffe” by Joan Didion (1979)
I’m sure that I don’t need to sit here and convince you that Joan Didion is a good writer. In fact, she’s most likely one of the greatest of her generation. A renowned journalist, Didion has penned 13 nonfiction essay collections, examining political shifts, social figures, California lifestyles and more. In her 1979 collection, “The White Album,” Didion paints a portrait of America post-1960s. While many of the works assess culture on a macro level, I think Didion’s attention to detail shines brightest when given just a single figure to examine.
In “Georgia O’Keeffe,” Didion examines the painter’s determination to create in a world where men constantly try their best to dismiss her. O’Keeffe, known for her captivating flower paintings, entered the art world in the 1920s and quickly became recognized as a founder of the American Modernist movement. One of the few profiles where Didion doesn’t actually interview the subject herself, the writer relies on a recounting of her young daughter’s experience seeing an O’Keeffe painting for the first time to make the piece feel authentic. For anyone interested in art or in need of a bit of inspiration, “Georgia O’Keeffe” is one of few Didion essays that end on an appreciative, almost hopeful note.
Album: “Baby!” by Dijon (2025)
Receiving more and more attention after his recent work on Justin Bieber’s “SWAG” album, “Baby!” is included in this Culture Corner as recorded evidence that I was Dijon’s biggest fan before his transition into the main music scene. His second full-length album, “Baby!” follows up his experimental, Americana-esque R&B record “Absolutely,” with even bolder moves and sounds. Where “Absolutely” is layered melodies and smooth vocals, “Baby!” finds its groove in harsher instrumentals and unexpected bursts of lyrics. Influenced by the greats: Prince, Bon Iver and Frank Ocean, Dijon throws listeners around with his forever-changing sound but keeps them grounded with a strong, emotional center. At the core of “Baby!” is the story of a new family, as Dijon recounts the feelings of fear, responsibility and boundless love that come with first-time fatherhood. Creating a brand new sound all his own, “Baby!” is the album you want on when you’re looking for a freshly intense, more joyful world.
Written by: Savannah Anno — arts@theaggie.org
