Emma Hazard

Another Saga has been released in this Greek Mythology inspired musical Kaitlyn Leister Associate Arts & Culture Editor Jorge Rivera-Herrans has done it again by releasing the next installment of “Epic: The Musical” on Halloween. This now marks seven albums being released in 2024 alone; four new installments and two re-releases of previous albums now under the project’s new production company. I sat down to listen to the second to last album and was blown away by the first song. This saga does not have as many voices behind it but holds a lot of emotion and dedication. A surprise voice by another family member of the creator is in the mix. Jorge’s sister Diana Rivera-Herrans appeared as a specially named winion called Princess Winion; the winions are creatures in the musical that are servants to the wind God Aeolus and sing in three of the musical’s songs. After his mother and father, his sister is now providing her voice for the project.  “The Vengeance Saga” is all about Odyessus leaving the island of Calypso and finally being so close to returning to Ithaca before having a final battle with his ever-looming foe, the God Poseidon.  “Not Sorry for Loving You,” “Dangerous,” “Charybdis,” “Get in the Water,” and “Six Hundred Strike” make up this penultimate act and make me angry at the same time as the final saga is still not out and I cannot listen to the musical’s conclusion just yet. Jorge Rivera-Herrans crafts such great sagas that make you wait for the next one. Though as stated previously, I hope he takes a break after releasing so many albums this year alone.  The emotions from this album build from the broken heart of Calypso letting Odysseus go to the epic battle between Poseidon just on the coast of Ithaca are intense. It is a whirlwind that tells such a short story with emphasis and makes one feel for Odysseus in his plight of being so close.  The final saga will be the “Ithaca Saga” and will regard Odysseus returning home and reuniting with his family, having to deal with the suitors that have plagued his home and tormented his wife and son for years. I will happily wait for this next installment that will be released most li […] “Another Saga has been released in this Greek Mythology inspired musical”

Linkin Park starts “From Zero” with new album and tour Michael Keehan Staff Writer Very few rock bands from the 2000s had the success and versatility that the California-based band Linkin Park did. Led by singer Chester Bennington and rapper Mike Shinoda, the band burst onto the scene with their alternative rock/nu-metal debut album “Hybrid Theory,” selling 32 million copies nationwide and winning a Grammy for the song “Crawling.” Following that, they began experimenting with other genres for their next six albums, including more traditional rock and metal, hip hop, electronica, emo, pop, punk, industrial, and art rock. The band was active from 1996 until Bennington’s death in 2017 during the tour for their seventh album “One More Light.” Following this, the band took a seven-year public hiatus while releasing anniversary editions of their first two albums and “Papercuts,” a greatest hits album from 2024. Later that year, on Sep. 5, Linkin Park released “The Emptiness Machine” as their first original piece of music, along with announcing a new album, tour, and line-up. The line-up in particular would see the return of Shinoda, guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave “Phoenix” Farrell, and turntablist Joe “Mr. Hahn.” In place of Bennington and drummer Rob Bourdon are Dead Sara frontwoman Emily Armstrong and producer Colin Brittain, respectively. The hiring of Armstrong in particular drew ire, as even though many fans saw her as a solid replacement for Bennington, they were concerned over Bennington’s absence and Armstrong’s support of former actor Danny Masterson. Masterson was convicted in 2023 of raping two women in the Church of Scientology, who then helped cover it up. Armstrong, a second-generation Scientologist, attended a court hearing of the “That 70’s Show” actor, which drew criticism from Bennington’s son and Mars Volta frontman Cedric Baxter-Zivala, who alleged that Masterson sexually assaulted his wife. Armstrong took to Instagram to apologize for her attendance but did not comment on her association with Scientology, which is unclear as of now. Linkin Park’s comeback album, titled “From Zero” as a reference to their old band name Xero, was preceded by four singles and eight shows leading up to the Nov. 15 release. “The Emptiness Machine” opens the album following a quick intro track, and is a duet between Shinoda and Armstrong that echoes back to their fourth album, “A Thousand Suns.” Other eras of the band are revisited, such as “The Hunting Party” on “Casualty,” “Meteora” on “Two Faced,” “Living Things” on “Overflow” and “Minutes to Midnight” on “IGYEIH.”  Personal favorites for me include the single “Heavy is the Crown,” used as the theme for Season 2 of the Netflix original “Arcane,” and “Good Things Go,” an emotional closer that ends the album on a good note. Overall, the album is a solid return to form that showcases the best that the band has to offer, but nothing extraordinary compared to their early work. I’d consider it the middle of the pack when it comes to Linkin Park’s discography, but it’s still a good album for both newcomers and longtime fans. Linkin Park will embark on a larger tour next year, including at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on Aug. […] “Linkin Park starts “From Zero” with new album and tour”

Phantom Power hosts ‘Vampires & Werewolves’ drag show Emma Hazard Arts and Culture Editor On Thursday, Nov. 14, Phantom Power hosted one of its monthly drag shows, with this month’s theme being “Vampires & Werewolves.” The show, performed by the drag queen group “Haus of Diner Dolls” featured eight different queens, each performing various numbers based on the “Twilight” franchise. Highlights of the evening included drag queen Dinah Loneliness, who performed a rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep” while channeling Edward Cullen’s brother, Jasper. The night concluded with another memorable performance by drag queen Derriere, who dazzled the audience in a beautiful, bloody wedding dress with a number set to “Flightless Bird, American Mouth,” famously featured in the final scene of the first “Twilight” movie. Throughout the night, each of the queens utilized the entire venue as their dance floor, interacting with the crowd through song, dance, and jokes. From offering dating advice to members of the audience between sets to serenading audience members with songs such as Paramore’s ”Decode,” there was never a dull moment. With this drag show having the highest turnout of any other drag show performed at Phantom Power thus far, the night celebrated both the joining of one of fiction’s most iconic fandoms and queer joy. The show served as a reminder that we need to come together to support artists who may be a part of an underrepresented group in the political world. Multiple different drag shows are held at Phantom Power a year, with different themed shows being hosted in the venue almost monthly. “Haus of Diner Dolls” and fellow drag queen group, “Haus of Hell” can be found at Phantom Power for both their typical drag shows, and “Drag Bingo.” You can find “Haus of Diner Dolls” back at Phantom Power for their next video game-themed drag s […] “Phantom Power hosts ‘Vampires & Werewolves’ drag show”

The Game Awards predictions Ben Staker Sports Editor On Monday, Nov. 18, The Game Awards announced the nominees in all 29 sections for their tenth-anniversary show. Many people both in and outside of the gaming industry look forward to this show every year because it’s a culmination of the best games of the year and prominent future releases. As many fans cling to the hope of their favorite games winning awards and potentially releasing trailers for future installments, it has become the go-to awards show in gaming. Since there are 29 sections, and that would take all day to inform you about, I’m going to focus on predictions for some of the more prominent sections such as Game of the Year, Best Narrative, Best Score and Music, Most Anticipated Game, and Content Creator of the Year. The rest of the awards are the nominees for best games in each individual genre or direction awards, but I encourage you to visit the Game Awards website and check those out as well.   Game of the Year   Nominees: “Astro Bot,” “Balatro,” “Black Myth: Wukong,” “Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree,” “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth,” and “Metaphor: ReFantazio”   Before the announcement, I probably would’ve told you that “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” had this award in the bag, but the inclusion of “Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree” makes it a closer race than many initially anticipated. While I would like “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” to win this award, I think it will ultimately be given to “Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree” because of its higher Metacritic score and universal appraisal from many journalists.   Best Narrative   Nominees: “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth”, “Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth,” “Metaphor: ReFantazio,” “Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II,” and “Silent Hill 2”   For best narrative, I believe “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” is going to win. “Metaphor: ReFantazio” and “Silent Hill 2” are the two other likely candidates, but I give “Final Fantasy VII” the edge because of the improvements it made to the original “Final Fantasy VII” story. Without spoiling anything, I will say that there are some significant changes to the original, but it makes the story better overall. If the award goes to another game, it will likely be because “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” isn’t its own standalone game. Players need to play the first remake in the series to understand this game’s narrative.   Best Score and Music   Nominees: “Astro Bot,” “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth,” “Metaphor: ReFantazio,” “Silent Hill 2,” and “Stellar Blade”   I’m not a music expert, and I can’t listen to all 100-plus song Original Soundtracks, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. This award is extremely subjective to a majority of the audience, but with that being said, I would give this award to “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” as well. The reimagining of the entire soundtrack from the original game is likely to cause many game journalists to be hit with a heavy amount of nostalgia. For this alone, I think the game wins this award. I could see any of the nominees winning this award, but I think the true winner wasn’t nominated. It’s crazy to me that the “Persona 3 Reload” Original Soundtrack wasn’t at least nominated, but the world will keep spinning.   Most Anticipated Game   Nominees: “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach,” “Ghost of Yotei,” “Grand Theft Auto VI,” “Metroid Prime 4: Beyond,” and “Monster Hunter Wilds”   I think “Grand Theft Auto VI” is going to win this award pretty easily. This isn’t to say the other nominees aren’t anticipated games, but there might not be a larger franchise than “Grand Theft Auto,” and there might not be a larger company than Rockstar Games. Every game Rockstar releases sells a record-breaking amount of copies and is always critically acclaimed. I fully expect “Grand Theft Auto VI” to win this award and break multiple records upon its 2025 release.   Content Creator of the Year   Nominees: CaseOh, IlloJuan, Techo Gamerz, Typical Gamer, and Usada Pekora   This isn’t an award I feel too strongly about, but I would give it to CaseOh. In the past year, CaseOh has amassed a large following across all social media platforms. In an industry where many of the wrong people are given fame, CaseOh is a prime example of what a content creator should be. He stays out of controversy, appreciates his fans, and continues to produce a lot of content. I’m sure the other nominees are good people too, but I think it will be difficult to win this award over arguably the largest following on Twitch.   Conclusion   These were only a few of the sections for this year’s Game Awards show, so I highly recommend you take a look at the other ones. If you would like to see every section’s nominees and vote for your favorites, you can visit https://thegameawards.com/nominees.    The Game Awards livestream is set to air on Twitch and YouTube on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. […] “The Game Awards predictions”

Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan make waves with Grammy nominationsMichael Keehan Staff Writer The Recording Academy announced the nominations for the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Nov. 8, in a live stream that featured appearances from Grammy-winning musicians like Hayley Williams, Kylie Minogue, Ben Platt, and Kirk Franklin, among many others. The ceremony will be dedicated to the best of music released between Sept. 16, 2023 and Aug. 30, 2024, which was voted on in early October by the Recording Academy. Leading the charge was Queen Bey herself, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, with 12 nominations for her country-inspired eighth studio album “Cowboy Carter.” The Houston-based singer already has 32 Grammys, more than any other artist after surpassing the record for her 2022 album “Renaissance.” Still, fans hope for this to be the opportunity for her to receive the coveted Album of the Year Grammy, which she was nominated for her last four albums yet didn’t win. The multiple nominations in the Country categories also served as a recognition of the album’s genre after being snubbed at the Country Music Awards. Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, both of whom had risen to the top after years in the music industry, are both nominated for all of the “Big Four” awards, being Record, Song and Album of the Year, along with Best New Artist. They are the fourteenth and fifteenth artists to be nominated for all four in one night, and the second pair to do so since Billie Eilish and Lizzo in 2020. Should either win all four awards, they will be the fourth artist to win all four, joining Christopher Cross, Adele, and Eilish. It’s not going to be easy for either of them, as the other nominees this year are very strong. In addition to Beyoncé, Carpenter and Roan, Album of the Year saw nominations from Andre 3000’s instrumental jazz album “New Blue Sun,” Charli XCX’s house sensation “Brat,” Taylor Swift’s megahit “The Tortured Poets Department,” Billie Eilish’s alt-pop album “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” and Jacob Collier’s progressive pop underdog “Djesse Vol. 4.” In addition to those nominated for Album of the Year, Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar received nominations for Song and Record of the Year for “Not Like Us,” his chart-topping diss track that ended his feud with Audrey “Drake” Graham. Other Song of the Year nominations included runaway hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey and “Die with a Smile”, the highly anticipated crossover between Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. Record of the Year would also see “Now and Then,” billed as “the last Beatles song” and using AI audio-restoration to add the late John Lennon’s vocals. Additionally, Best New Artist saw the nominations of Carpenter and Roan, along with Benson Boone, Shaboozey, Doechii, Teddy Swims, Raye, and Khruangbin. The 67th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 2nd, 2025 at the Crypto.com Arena in […] “Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan make waves with Grammy nominations”

Teases Galore, ‘Stranger Things’ season five is coming soon Payje Davis Staff Writer We’re finally getting another glimpse into the show that people still keep their Netflix subscription for! “Stranger Things” season five episode titles were announced via the “Stranger Things” Instagram on Nov 6. (Stranger Things Day) in an intro-style manner, with the intro song playing in the background. The video also gave confirmation that the season will definitely be released in the year 2025.  There will be nine episodes in this upcoming season, episodes one through nine titled “The Crawl,” “The Vanishing of …,” “The Turnbow Trap,” “Sorcerer,” “Shock Jock,” “Escape From Camazotz,” “The Bridge,” and concluding with “The Rightside Up.” In my opinion, some of these titles really have me intrigued and curious about how they will end up tying into the episode, others make me think they just came up with them on a whim and thought it fit the vibe. With that being said, I’m going to give my personal opinions on what I think each of these upcoming titles may allude to. “The Crawl” – I think it will tie into episode two, like possibly Max having to “crawl” her way back to the real world, with the help of Eleven. I think this because Max might mentally still be stuck in the Upside Down, even though she’s physically not in the best shape in a hospital bed, (in accordance with the ending of season four.) “The Vanishing of…” – This one really has my gears grinding. Obviously someone’s disappearing, but who? And for how long? I think, considering the major cliffhanger at the end of season four and not knowing Max’s condition, she might have to “crawl” her way out of the Upsidedown before physically vanishing and not just mentally. It seems like she may have to crawl her way back to the real world but once it looks like she’s finally seeing a light at the end, she vanishes again, leaving the rest of the gang having to use Eleven to get her out again.  “The Turnbow Trap” – The gang ends up trapped on a boat, who knows, maybe in the right side up or in the Upside Down… Like tied up in a turnbow-style wood manor by some monster from the Upside Down, on a boat, while trying to save Max from the Upsidedown.  “Sorcerer”- Someone who’s helping in the aid to save Max is going to figure something out that points them in the right direction and gets them closer to getting her out, (or even get her out altogether, probably not though, that would be too easy) and they have some “sorcerer” power/ability. My thought is it will most likely be Will since he already has so much experience with the Upside Down, or Lucas since he most likely will be fighting the hardest to get her out because he just loves her so much. This episode could have something to do with bringing Eddie back to life, as rumors said. We’ll just have to watch to find out though! “Shock Jock” – Jason Carver comeback…? Yes, he did get quite literally ripped in half in the final episode, but maybe he would be reincarnated as a monster from the Upside Down that the gang has to kill, hence the name “Shock Jock”  “Escape from Camazotz” – I predict they all somehow make their way into the Upside Down or they’re somewhere new in the right side up, where they get attacked by the Demabats, but it’s not just an attack, it’s a full-on BATTLE between the gang and the Demabats.  “The Bridge” – This could be many different things, they could find a bridge that could lead them to another alternate dimension, or a general bridge that connects the real world from the Upside Down. I’m leaning more toward a general bridge because I don’t think they’ll have enough time to delve into an entirely different dimension. While I think that would be super cool, they only have two episodes left, and I feel like that would need another season. However, it wouldn’t shock me if they do it and it’s only mentioned in the last two episodes. “The Rightside Up” – We’ve finally made it to the end. I hope that this is the episode that ties up any cliffhangers and is a peaceful bliss in the “Rightside Up.” But I wouldn’t be shocked if they continue this “alternate dimension” that could possibly be a thing in the previous episode. Either way, I think this will be the most interesting episode of the entire season, maybe even the entire show, and maybe we’ll even get a crazy plot twist (Someone has a kid?) (Just kidding.. Or am I..?). Season five as a whole has so much potential and I hope they use it to the fullest. As this will be the final season, they need to leave watchers off on a content note and not leave viewers with the feeling “Was that season really needed?” My hope is that they don’t season two this season and it ends up being really good, and they follow the up/down pattern they’ve had with seasons since the beginning, which […] “Teases Galore, ‘Stranger Things’ season five is coming soon”

Nintendo launches video game music streaming platform Jamie Hughes Staff Writer Japanese video game firm Nintendo Co., Ltd. has made a surprise launch of a new smartphone app where fans of their games can listen to soundtracks produced for them. From “Pokemon” to “The Legend of Zelda,” the selection of tracks currently available are drawn from across Nintendo’s expansive library of celebrated games, many of which are known for having iconic music. To access the app, called “Nintendo Music,” all users need is a device running Android or iOS and an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. While many additions to the platform have required the more expensive “Expansion Pack” tier, Nintendo Music is accessible to subscribers to all tiers of the service, including the $3.99 a month base tier. The app itself is free to download from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The selection of music currently available is limited. While the selection is drawn from games released on almost every Nintendo console, from the Nintendo Entertainment System to the Switch, some consoles only currently have one game soundtrack to represent them. For instance, from “Zelda’s” expansive library of famous music, only the soundtracks for “Ocarina of Time” and “Breath of the Wild” are currently present for listening. However, Nintendo has committed to making frequent releases of new music to the platform, with some new game soundtracks being added days after the launch of the app. The app also features numerous curated collections of music. Some are based on characters within a game, such as Princess Zelda or Bowser, while others are curated for listeners looking for a specific mood. The service also allows some tracks to be “extended,” or have their runtime increased, for those looking to immerse themselves in the music for longer. A common criticism of Nintendo has been the artificial scarcity they have applied to their famous game music. While the company has been infamously litigious towards those who post unauthorized “rips” of their music on platforms such as YouTube, legal avenues to access their music have until now been notoriously limited. Some soundtracks were released on CDs, though they were largely only released in Japan and may also have been limited releases. A smaller number of soundtracks, such as many soundtracks for the “Pokemon” series, were released on Apple’s Apple Music platform. With the release of this new app, fans of Nintendo’s music library now have an easy, inexpensive way to access their favorite tunes, without drawing the eyes of the company’s notorious legal department. With very frequent future updates to the app’s repertoire, Nintendo Music will hopefully soon be the one-stop platform for some of the best […] “Nintendo launches video game music streaming platform”

Twitch has changed its label policy for ‘Political and Sensitive Social Issues’ Kaitlyn Leister Associate Arts & Culture Editor The popular live streaming platform Twitch has changed its policies regarding the Content Classification Labels for streams. The policy change was on Nov. 1, but the response to said new changes resulted in needed clarification just a few days later. The old classifications rules, which have since been changed on the official company’s rules page, had one regulation for labeling that was the cause of needed explanation; “Discussing legislation related to a sensitive social issue such as reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, or immigration.” Many streamers were wondering if just talking about personal experiences or their everyday life was now going to get them in trouble with the platform’s guidelines or get their content tagged and lose out on revenue and views. Especially with Twitch’s blog on said new rules discussing “Repeated failure to label content correctly may result in Twitch applying a label to your stream on your behalf that will be locked for a set period of time.”  Just three days after the initial announcement post Twitch’s support team on Nov. 4 on X stated “We want to make clear that you don’t need to label your stream if you’re talking about your lived experience. We’ve made this clearer in our CCL guidelines,…” The given reason for why this was done, the same tweet explains, “Our goal here, as with any CCL, is to give viewers and brands more info about what’s happening on a particular stream, so that they can make an informed decision about what to watch and where to engage.”   The line on legislation discussion has since been removed, with their previous line regarding talks about religion, race, sexuality, and gender being reworded to better convey the next label change. It now reads, “Streams focusing on discussing topics like gender, race, sexuality, or religion in a polarizing or inflammatory manner.”  The change in policy was brought on by Twitch attempting to resolve being under fire for Islamophobia and Antisemitism regarding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict content streaming on the platform. The attempt to resolve a serious prob […] “Twitch has changed its label policy for ‘Political and Sensitive Social Issues’”

‘The Edge of Sleep’ is a thing of nightmares Emma Hazard Arts & Culture Editor Content Warning: This Article contains spoilers for “The Edge of Sleep.” I finally had the time to sit down and watch “The Edge of Sleep” this past week, and I can easily say it was not what I expected. “The Edge of Sleep” is an Amazon Prime original series that debuted Oct. 15, starring none other than Markiplier (Mark Fischbach) as its main character. The series follows Fischbach’s character, a night watchman named Dave who suffers from parasomnia, and discovers that he’s one of the last living people on earth after after the outbreak of a global epidemic. The epidemic causes everybody who went to sleep the night before to not wake up, and Dave and his small group of fellow survivors are all left to figure out why before they inevitably fall asleep themselves. Despite the fact that this series is labeled as drama/suspense, I would air on the side of caution if you’re thinking about watching this series if you don’t like the horror genre. I’m a fan of horror movies, and there were still parts of this series that were making my skin crawl. Any time a character saw “The Elephant [Man],” I think a shiver ran down my spine. We learn that Dave has suffered from nightmares almost every night of his life, and “The Elephant” is one of the recurring characters in his dreams, alongside “The Dream People.” “The Elephant” is portrayed as a man with the head of an elephant, but the head of the elephant appears to be made out of human skin. You’ll have to look him up for yourself- because my description of him does not do the horrifying special effects makeup justice. Aside from its creepy characters, I really enjoyed the concept of this series. “The Edge of Sleep” is based on a podcast by the same name written by Jake Emmanuel and Willie Block, which has been available to listen to since 2019 and also stars Fischbach as a voice actor. Out of all the horror media I’ve consumed, the concept for this story felt very original to me. While an unlikely team of friends solving a mystery isn’t uncommon in television by any means, the way this series gets into the inner workings of Dave’s mind as the source of the epidemic felt refreshing. I feel like a lot of horror media is quick to point fingers at the devil for being the issue, so it was nice to see the main character being the problem for a change. My biggest gripe with this show was the pacing. This series is only six episodes long, and you can tell that they had to get the point across fast. The somewhat rushed feeling you get with a pilot episode of a show unfortunately spread throughout this whole series for me, so I can’t say I was surprised when they perfectly set themselves up for a potential second season. If that second season ever comes, I hope the episodes are a little bit longer. Each episode in this series is about 20 minutes long, which I partially blame for its rushed storytelling. Overall, I would recommend this show. It’s an easy watch, and it does keep you on the edge of your seat (no pun intended) at times. However, there are some things that seem vague or are left unanswered in the series, so be prepared to have a few questions after you’ […] “‘The Edge of Sleep’ is a thing of nightmares”

Zach Bryan and Brianna LaPaglia’s breakup causes controversey Syan Swanger Staff Writer I spent over two hours doing a deep dive into Zach Byran and Brianna LaPaglia’s, better known as Brianna Chickenfry, breakup. I heard so much about it on social media and I needed to know everything. After thorough research, I came back with over five pages of notes. I would have never expected their relationship to be this toxic. On paper, they were perfect for each other. But to put it frankly, Zach Bryan is manipulative, extremely emotionally abusive, and desperately needs therapy.  Understanding the relationship as a whole is crucial to understanding the breakup and why people are losing their minds over it. As LaPaglia has explained multiple times, yes people break up, but this is so much more. So going back to the very start of their relationship, Zach Bryan and Brianna Lapaglia first met in May 2023 at the Academy of Country Music Awards. At this time they were both dating other people. Eventually, both relationships ended, and Bryan and LaPaglia began talking and later became exclusive.  In the most recent episode of Barstool’s BFFs podcast, LaPaglia gives fans some insight into Bryan’s toxic actions. The first time the pair hung out in person was when LaPaglia joined Bryan on a three-day road trip from Philadelphia to Oklahoma, Bryan’s hometown. LaPaglia explains that immediately after that trip Bryan began to love bomb her. He would go on about them being soulmates and even got a tattoo of LaPaglia on his arm. At this point, the two of them had only hung out once and were not officially dating yet, but Bryan began to act like he was in love.  After this initial hangout, their relationship was made official and LaPaglia admits that during the first four months, Bryan was perfect. He was an amazing and loving person and she was absolutely enamored by him. Then the facade came down and she got sucked into his emotionally abusive cycle. The next eight months of their relationship consisted of Byran screaming and then apologizing to LaPaglia. He created an environment where LaPaglia became emotionally dependent on him. He isolated her from her friends, family, and job. While she was renegotiating her contract with Barstool Sports, Bryan offered to pay double what Barstool offered for LaPaglia to quit her job and solely be his girlfriend.  Some notable moments of their relationship that establish Bryan’s abusive behavior include his freak out about LaPaglia’s Golden Globes outfit and his attendance at her most recent birthday. LaPaglia attended the 2024 Golden Globes with her best friend, Grace O’Malley, in January. LaPaglia posted pictures on Instagram of her red carpet outfit and Bryan lost his mind, demanding she take the post down and stating that he “didn’t want to date someone that presents themselves that way.” This was the first time Bryan forcibly tried to control how LaPaglia dressed and what she posted. Later at LaPaglia’s 24th birthday celebration, Bryan created a huge scene including screaming at her friends and smashing objects.  LaPaglia explains that she lost herself throughout this relationship. She lost 15 pounds and began to hate everything she had loved about herself. She was constantly aware of her actions and if they would make Bryan angry. She wasn’t allowed to listen to Noah Kahan, was berated for singing “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen, and had her phone thrown against a wall. Yet she stayed with Bryan because he “loved her,” “needed her,” and would “be better” for her.   Their relationship truly began to crumble just this past September amidst Bryan’s Overtime Tour. LaPaglia agreed to accompany Bryan on his tour. Since March, she’d been living on his tour bus and planning her life around him. Bryan planned to take a four-week break in September so he could be with LaPaglia while she and Grace O’Malley went on their podcast tour. When the time finally came for LaPaglia to begin her tour, Bryan claimed he didn’t have the energy to come along. He wanted to relax and just sit for a little bit after months on the road and constant performances. LaPaglia was very understanding and left him home as she went on her tour.  Bryan proved to be a total liar by performing a pop-up show in New York City and going out to bars multiple nights in a row. During his bender, he completely ignored LaPaglia. She didn’t hear from him until he sent a text stating, “I can’t do this anymore.” LaPaglia was blindsided. Just a couple of weeks prior, the two were talking about marriage and now she is being told over text that Bryan is done. LaPaglia finished out her tour and when she returned home, she found that she’d been kicked out of her and Bryan’s shared house in Boston. After a couple of days, Bryan claims he made a mistake and begs LaPaglia to come back. She agreed and the couple discussed how to move forward.  LaPaglia thought things had been worked out and looked to the future, but Bryan had other plans. He began to give her the cold shoulder and eventually left abruptly for Oklahoma. He wouldn’t give LaPaglia a solid answer on where their relationship stood and left without even giving her a hug. This was the last time the couple saw each other.  Bryan and LaPaglia finally had their breakup talk over text while he was in Oklahoma and she was in Boston. They agreed that the breakup would be publicly announced once LaPaglia had time to process it in private. That night, just hours after their breakup, LaPaglia receives messages from people saying that Bryan is on the dating app Raya. When she confronts Bryan about creating a dating profile he responds, “I didn’t make a dating profile. I reactivated it.” LaPaglia was understandably upset and embarrassed. She went to bed without talking to Bryan again.  LaPaglia woke up the next morning to a flood of texts and calls from friends and family. She learned that the night before, Bryan posted an Instagram story publicly announcing the breakup without her consent. This is when the entire internet goes up in flames.  Rumors are spread that Byran hooked up with a student from the University of Georgia while with LaPaglia. Dave Portnoy and Josh Richards, LaPaglia’s friends and coworkers at Barstool, release an insanely brutal diss track about Bryan, and Bryan’s management team offers LaPaglia 12 million dollars to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). LaPaglia refused to sign the NDA because she didn’t want to give up her rights to discuss her experiences from the relationship. She wants to talk about it so that any other woman going through something similar knows she’s not alone. But the drama doesn’t end there. Bryan’s team, along with Warner Music, are attacking Portnoy and Richards for their diss track. Additionally, LaPalgia is still fighting with Bryan over ownership of her car.  This whole situation has been extremely disappointing to me. I am a huge Zach Bryan fan but learning about his behavior makes me sick. I am team Bri all the way, but I still love Zach Bryan’s music. I’m stuck in a battle of morals. Am I able to separate the art from the artist? Can I comfortably listen to him knowing that by doing so I’m supporting someone who I don’t believe is a good person? One thing I can confidently say after all of this is that I have incredible respect for Dave Portnoy and Josh Richards. They fiercely stood by Bri and proved over and over again to be loyal friends. Their diss track is also hilarious. It’s one of the best videos I’ve watched all year. I can only hope to be as icon […] “Zach Bryan and Brianna LaPaglia’s breakup causes controversey”

Jon Bon Jovi saves woman from crisis Emma Hazard Arts & Culture Editor On Sept. 10, singer Jon Bon Jovi was filmed helping a woman in crisis while on set for one of his new music videos. This past week, Bon Jovi was in Nashville, Tennessee filming a music video supposedly for his newest album, “Forever,” when he had to step away from the camera and help a woman in need. The site of his filming, the John Seignthaler Pedestrian Bridge, was open to the public on the day of filming, and security cameras on the bridge caught the singer approaching an unidentified woman who was standing on the ledge of the bridge. In the footage released, which has since been taken down, by the Nashville Police Department on Sept. 11, Bon Jovi can be seen speaking with the woman standing on the ledge of the bridge for a few moments, before he and another woman helped lift the stranger over the railing of the bridge and carry her a safe distance away. The singer is no stranger to helping people in crisis. Since 2006, the Jon Bon Jovi (JBJ) Soul Foundation has helped fight against homelessness, poverty, and hunger by providing food, affordable housing, and job training programs among other services to people in need.  According to the JBJ Soul Foundation website, their goal is to, “recognize and maximalize the human potential in those affected by hunger, poverty, and homelessness.”  Alongside his efforts to help those in need, Bon Jovi was also recognized as the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year for his good doing and philanthropy. After releasing the surveillance footage of what happened on the John Seignthaler Pedestrian Bridge, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released a statement on X thanking Bon Jovi and his team for helping the woman in her time of need. “It takes all of us to help keep each other safe,” says Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Ch […] “Jon Bon Jovi saves woman from crisis”

Sabrina Carpenter is That Girl Syan Swanger Staff Write Sabrina Carpenter’s performance at the VMAs was nothing short of iconic, though I would expect nothing less from her. Even though the entire performance was jaw-dropping, fans could not shut up about the fact that she sang “Taste” in front of Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. Carpenter has always been on a level of pettiness that I aspire to be at, but this moment may make my dream unattainable.  If people are recent Carpenter fans they may not know of the love triangle lore between Mendes, Cabello, and Carpenter so let me fill you in. Most people know that Mendes and Cabello dated for a couple of years. The two got together in 2019 and eventually broke up in 2021. In February of 2023, it was rumored that Carpenter and Mendes were a thing after they had been seen together numerous times. However, two months later Mendes was apparently back with Cabello after they shared a kiss at Coachella. Although Carpenter has never talked about her fling with Mendes, multiple songs from her new album, “Short n’ Sweet,” are clearly directed at him, including “Taste.” There is no question that “Taste” is about Mendes’ sudden departure from Carpenter to rekindle the romance with Cabello, even if it only lasted for less than three months. The main line in the chorus is, “I heard you’re back together and if that’s true / You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you,” which makes it pretty obvious as to who was the inspiration for the song. Her decision to sing it at the VMAs with both of them in the audience was not only gutsy but absolutely hilarious. Carpenter officially became the queen of pettiness with that move and I can do nothing but applaud her and stare in awe.  Some people even speculate that the astronaut and alien dancing during “Taste” were supposed to represent Mendes and Cabello and their VMA performance from 2019. Now to me, this seems a bit of a stretch, but I would love it if it were true. Especially since before Carpenter transitions into singing “Espresso,” she shoves the astronaut off the stage and kisses the alien. If the characters are believed to be Mendes and Cabello, Mendes being the astronaut and Cabello being the alien, Carpenter would have literally made Cabello taste her. Personally, I would adore that full-circle […] “Sabrina Carpenter is That Girl”

‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ brings back everyone’s favorite bio-exorcist Olivia Heilemann Editor in Chief Content Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” It’s showtime! Everyone’s favorite demon is back for another wild adventure in the Afterlife. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” hit theaters everywhere on Sept. 6 and has not failed to entertain fans of all ages. A sequel to the classic 1988 film directed by Tim Burton, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” takes place in 2024 with some old and new faces. Catherine O’Hara returns as Delia Deetz, Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, and Michael Keaton as the “ghost with the most,” Beetlejuice. Jenna Ortega, a new member of the famous cast, plays Astrid Deetz, the distant daughter of ghost medium Lydia. After a horrendous plane crash and shark attack kill her father, famous psychic Lydia Deetz returns to her childhood home in Winter River, Connecticut with her eccentric stepmother Delia, and her teenage daughter Astrid. When Astrid falls for a ghost who promises to reunite her with her late father in the Afterlife, she falls for his trap and unknowingly exchanges her life for death, leaving Lydia no choice but to consult the help of Beetlejuice, the bio-exorcist who tried to marry her in her teenage years. I was somewhat weary when I heard that a sequel to “Beetlejuice” was in production because it seems to be a common theme that sequels to popular films and TV shows usually tend to come out pretty bad. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the cinematography of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” Tim Burton came back to direct the film sequel starring the goofy demon and managed to maintain the ‘80s feel of some of the stop-motion graphics while introducing a present-day plot.  I was, however, disappointed to find that Barbara and Adam Maitland, characters from the 1988 film, were not included in the sequel. Both characters set the plot for the original, and it would have been really fun to see how they could be incorporated almost 40 years later. As these characters were ghosts in “Beetlejuice,” they were written off as having “moved on” due to a loophole in their haunting contract. Burton has publicly spoken about wanting to switch the focus to the women of the Deetz family, but I still believe the Maitlands should have held even a small part in the plot of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” There were also some side plots that seemed to drag the movie along a bit, but I appreciated each one because they covered a lot of expectations that many lifelong “Beetlejuice” lovers have had. Overall, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” was a rollercoaster of comedy, disgust, family, and adventure, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who was a fan of the original. “Beetlejuice Beetleju […] “‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ brings back everyone’s favorite bio-exorcist”

Actor James Earl Jones has died at 93 years old James Earl Jones poses for the camera. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Kaitlyn Leister Associate Arts & Culture Editor On Sept. 9, James Earl Jones passed away at the age of 93.  His most notable roles were the voice behind Mufasa in “The Lion King” and Darth Vader in many renditions of “Star Wars.” Jones was a legendary actor on stage and screen, though according to an article by the New York Times, with a collection of at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony; he does not fit into the category of an EGOT. Some are arguing that his Oscar was an Honorary award and so it does not count in EGOT status. Though some are still contesting that he is an EGOT and others are contesting he is not. His list of achievements and roles in various stage plays, television shows, and movies show an entire life of a dedicated actor. His 2012 Academy Award Honorary Oscar was for Lifetime Achievement, and he deserved it. His voice being used for two figures that made a lot of people’s childhoods will forever cement him as a legend to multiple generations. May he rest in peace, his life filled with giving the […] “Actor James Earl Jones has died at 93 years old”

Have you ever wanted to be at the bottom of the food chain? There's a game for that. Emma Fox Staff Writer Have you heard of a game called “Rain World?” Probably not. It was not well advertised, and the only reason I heard of it was a handful of animations about the game I saw. And this game was released in 2017! And I only heard of it in 2023! And then I bought it a year later! Crazy. In essence, “Rain World” is a game about survival and exploration. Surviving downpours of rain, surviving the hunger of lizards, surviving a leap of faith, exploring overgrown scrapyards, exploring spider-ridden corridors, exploring a vast open ocean. You will be wandering around aimlessly. A lot. You will be lost, you will be confused. But that is all part of the charm. You will struggle to find scraps of lore and direction. You will only be guided a bit – basic controls and mechanics – and then you will be left alone. You may be tempted to look up a guide, but I implore you not to unless necessary. I beat the basic campaign with only some Reddit posts and a few maps. You may be thinking, “the basic campaign? There’s more?” And yes my dear reader, there is more. The first campaign you will probably play is “Survivor.” Survivor, along with all the other campaigns, is a soft and squishy slug cat. A cute little blob of a thing that is trying to survive in the world. Every six to thirteen minutes, rain starts to pour down, crushing anything that cannot hibernate. And don’t think you can just hide underground, as it will flood. This happens with most of the other campaigns, too. Trying to survive the rains. Each campaign has its own goal, with some overlapping. You must play the Survivor campaign to play any of the other ones, so you will be well acquainted with the game. “Rain World’s” soundtrack is bonkers. You first listen to something like “Sundown”, and then “GREY CLOUD” and wonder what the heck is happening. You look at this cute pixel art game and think that all the music will be nice and chill. You are wrong. All the threat music is my jam, though. And the “cute pixel art” becomes less cute when you don’t see a bug on the ceiling and it jumps down on you. It is cute at some points, it is beautiful at some points. You may see a rainbow in the background, you may see the shadow of some giant bird. You might what? That’s right! A giant bird! And huge lizards! And overgrown insects! This is the lovely world of “Rain World”. If you are at all interested in the game, get it. Watch a trailer or two, look at fanart, even watch a playthrough if you are willing to spoil yourself a bit. You can even wait for it to go on sale. If you know someone who already has “Rain World”, you can play local co-op on Steam without needing to buy the game. The game is limited to Windows, but if you are a Mac player, fear not. You can get something like Porting Kit or CrossOver to play it (with mild amounts of […] “Have you ever wanted to be at the bottom of the food chain? There’s a game for that.”

K-pop star removed from groups due to sexual allegations NCT 127 poses as an eight-member group. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Emma Hazard Arts & Culture Editor On August 28, SM Entertainment released a statement that Moon Tae-il, more well-known by his stage name Taeil, had been removed from his sub-units of the popular K-pop boy group, NCT, after facing accusations of an unspecified sexual crime. “We recognized the severity of the situation,” SM Entertainment says in their release discussing Taeil’s separation from the group. “Taeil can no longer continue his activities with the team.”  SM Entertainment also stated that Taeil is cooperating with undergoing a police investigation. While the police investigations are currently underway, details about Taeil’s allegations have been kept under wraps. However, as fans learned about the allegations, rumors started to circulate online about what crimes may have occurred.  One X user claims that a motorcycle accident that the singer got into sometime last year probably wasn’t a motor vehicle accident at all, but instead was a cover-up for a physical altercation between Taeil and his victim’s family. Fans of the idol were also quick to assume the age of his alleged victim based on the supposed severity of his crimes, concluding that his victim must be a minor. As this ongoing case continues to rattle the K-pop industry and fans of the genre, many cannot help but be reminded of the dangers of parasocial relationships. If there’s one true thing about K-pop fans, it’s that they can be passionate about their liking for a certain group. In fact, this can be true for any band, no matter the genre. Celebrities have a large presence in our society, so finding information on them through things like interviews can be rather easy. However, celebrities like Taeil can serve as a reminder that no matter how well you may think you know someone, you never know what may be happening behind closed doors. While there are no plans for any upcoming music releases from either of Taeil’s former NCT sub-units, NCT 127 or NCT U, SM Entertainment has chosen to remove Taeil from any online content, as well as allowing NCT 12 […] “K-pop star removed from groups due to sexual allegations”

Is the movie adaptation of ‘Wicked’ worth a watch? Syan Swanger Staff Writer I read the book ‘Wicked’ about two years ago and instantly fell in love. I was so excited when the movie adaptation was announced. However, that excitement quickly dissolved after I watched the trailer. The problem with movie adaptations is that many times the film has to cut out parts of the book. This is not possible for a book like ‘Wicked’. Every single chapter, every single moment, is integral to the story of Elphaba. By taking out even one scene, the entire narrative of the book changes.  Some hope was revived after learning the movie would be split into two parts, but I still don’t think the movie is going to live up to the book. Granted, I only saw a three-minute and 30-second trailer compared to reading the 406 pages.  My main concern about the movie is that it won’t do an adequate job of explaining the numerous traumas of Elphaba’s life that led her to become The Wicked Witch of the West. The book depicts how other’s cruelty affected her life. It demonstrates how others were inherently wicked and she is just a product of her environment. The book is able to show her grief, rage, loneliness, desperation, and need for vengeance. From what I’ve seen in the trailer I don’t have a lot of faith that this will be conveyed. The movie almost seems to dumb down her experiences. It makes her out to be a girl who was bullied because she was different, who was devastated when her idol turned out to be a fraud and spurred her into action. It washes over the fact that her mother resented her, the fact that her father was absent, the brutal death of her mentor, her estranged friendship with Glinda, her constant skepticism of Oz, and so much more. It seems to me that the movie is trying to fit Elphaba into the classic trope of a young woman who had a very difficult life and inevitably becomes the villain instead of letting the events of her life lead the viewers to see how and why she became The Wicked Witch of the West and develop their own opinions of her.  Although I have many criticisms of the movie, I do believe it will be good. The cinematography is beautiful and the vocals are outstanding. I’m eager to see Ariana Grande as Glinda. I think she embodies the character. She’s bubbly and a little ditzy on the outside, but inside she’s extremely caring and passionate. I predict that the movie itself will be a good movie and I’m definitely going to see it. I just don’t think it wi […] “Is the movie adaptation of ‘Wicked’ worth a watch?”

She’s ‘Short n’ Sweet’ like a shot of espresso! Sabrina Carpenter’s album of the summer Payje Davis Staff Writer Sabrina Carpenter has been climbing the ladder ever since the success of her singles “Feather,” “Nonsense”, and “ because i liked a boy,” off of her fourth album “Emails I Can’t Send.”  Carpenter released her lead single, “Espresso” this past April to her August album, “Short n Sweet.” Which became an instant smash hit. It is currently spending its 20th week on the Billboard Hot 100. Carpenter hasn’t seemed to slow down; playing festivals left and right and drawing in massive crowds, such as at NYC’s Gov Ball where she debuted her second single off the album, “Please, Please, Please.” Now, the album is out and it has been charting extremely well, and airing everything out. Songs like “Bed Chem” and “Juno” are very blunt to put it lightly, with those songs said to be about current partner Berry Keoghan, who even starred as the love interest in her “Please, Please, Please” music video. However, things get messy with songs like “Coincidence” and “Taste,” which are rumored to be about pop singers Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello. Carpenter had a fling with Mendes around a year after Mendes and Cabello ended their relationship of three years. But after the short-lived fling, Mendes and Cabello were back together a month later, showing lots of PDA at the 2023 Coachella, but they broke up shortly after. Lines such as “Oh wow, you just broke up again / What a coincidence!” and “I heard you’re back together and if that’s true / You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissing you,” are rumored to be about the pair. These clapback songs come after Cabello released “June Gloom” off of her album “C, XOXO.”  Which was rumored to be about Carpenter and Mendes’s short-lived fling. Enough with the drama, deep cut songs like “Dumb and Poetic,” “Lie To Girls,” and “Don’t Smile” slid under the radar, despite lyrically being some of the best songs on the album. “Don’t Smile” reminds me so much of “Saturn” by SZA. The dreamy, catchy feel of both songs makes them similar in my mind. I also really liked the country twang vibe of “Slim Pickins.” It’s different from a lot of the songs in Carpenter’s discography but still matches her vibe incredibly well, and I personally love it so much. Despite Carpenter being a Quakertown, Pa. native, she encapsulated that country twang feel on this track perfectly. However, my personal favorite is the feel-good, catchy jive “Good Graces” which just makes you want to get up and dance, even if you can’t dance to save your life. The whisper interlude following the chorus just adds so much more to the “funness” of the song.  I personally would call this a “no skip album” and would tell everyone who is thinking about giving it a listen, to absolutely do it. It is the perfect summer album and it makes sense why Carpent […] “She’s ‘Short n’ Sweet’ like a shot of espresso! Sabrina Carpenter’s album of the summer”

The newest installment of 'Alien' is bringing back horror and controversy The poster for “Alien: Romulus” involving one of the stars of the film fighting off a “facehugger.” PHOTO COURTESY OF DISNEY UK MEDIA KITS Kaitlyn Leister Associate Arts & Culture Editor Content warning: This article contains mi- nor spoilers for “Alien: Romulus.” Another movie within the “Alien” franchise has graced the big screen with the newest installment, “Alien: Romulus.” According to Collider, a website dedicated to movie news, the film is now the second highest-grossing movie in the franchise. The first still being Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus.” As of Sept. 1, the movie has grossed $283 million dollars both globally and domestically.  This will be a very minor spoiler review of the film, I will be talking about the overall plot and a big controversy behind the film. “Alien: Romulus” is getting back to basics when it comes to the overall plot, a horror movie about trying to survive the titular monster of the franchise, the “Xenomorph.” A smaller plot in the beginning as to why the characters are in close proximity to this creature comes from the ever-looming villain of all “Alien” movies, Weyland-Yutani. The main characters have completed their hours to gain their papers and travel to a terraformed planet with real sunlight away from their mining colony home. Only to be rejected as the company just issued new quotas needed to leave the colony. This drives them to the abandoned space station containing the creature, a chance to leave sooner rather than later to a beautiful new home.  There has been some controversy with the film, involving AI use for one of the characters. This was used in order to bring back the late actor Ian Holm, who sadly died back in 2020. Holm played the character of Ash in the original 1979 film that started the franchise. He is now the character of Rook, a damaged synthetic in the remains of the research station the main characters find themselves in, telling them to run as far as they can when the film reaches the first implantation of a chest burster. According to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director and writer Fede Álvarez, along with the original “Alien” director and producer for “Alien: Romulus” Ridley Scott, wanted to bring back the one android character that Scott desperately wanted to see again, that of Holm’s character Ash. They had started to think of ways to bring the famous actor back on the big screen, but of course, they needed permission first. The article with Entertainment Weekly stated how Álvarez not only had permission from Holm’s widow, Sophie de Stempel, but also from all of his children. The articles stated that his widow gave permission as Hollywood had not let Holm have more roles after his final film in 2014, and he would have loved to be in the movie. The family signed consent to the images of Holms to be used, and credited Daniel Betts was cast to record lines and give the facial performance, before having the lines run through a voice program and animatronics animated with facial AI effects to get the final look. The family was the first to be shown the scenes, and according to the article, tears were shed to see him again on screen after so long. I was not made aware of the use of AI until after seeing the movie, and know that people might not want to see the film knowing of the AI use. You can have your own opinion on the use of such practices; the rise of AI has raised questions on the ethical side of exactly this type of use in film even with granted permission. When I saw the film, I was terrified the whole two hours I sat watching in an almost empty theater in the middle of a weekday. Álvarez clearly shows how much passion and love for the franchise he put into his work, and it conveys well into the final product. A lot of easter eggs and callbacks to the other films can be found in this one. As someone who has only fully watched the first film, I enjoyed finding each callback and discovering others. Was it the greatest movie of all t […] “The newest installment of ‘Alien’ is bringing back horror and controversy”