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Entertainment, Reviews

Hozier 2024 album inspires audience through history and Greek mythology

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By Annika Young, Editor-in-Chief

     Hozier’s 2024 album, “Unreal Unearth,” incorporates mythology and history with modern societal problems, wrapped up in touching lyrics and haunting melodies. His album takes the listener through Dante’s Inferno, uncovering the nine circles of hell in his lyricism.

     Hozier’s music has often had many of the same ideals, focusing on conflict, war, and human greed. ‘Unreal Unearth’ begins with ‘De Selby’ Parts 1 and 2 starting the descent into hell. The songs are based on the novel “The Third Policeman,” by Flann O’Brien. In the novel, De Selby is an Irish philosopher and scientist studying the paradoxical mind. 

     The themes of the novel are reflected in the song, as his lyrics in Part 1 explore identity and reality. While Part 2 Hozier continues to use the motif of darkness, only following the romantic lyrics at the end of Part 1.

     Entering the first circle of hell, “Limbo,” is the song First Time. Limbo is the circle for those who, although never lived in sin, were never baptized. Those stuck in Limbo are cursed with perpetual sadness and a longing for God’s presence in their lives. At first listen, the song is a love song, but the song transforms in the middle where he begins recalling a moment where he was struggling but his mother left flowers on his counter. The song then takes on a new meaning–the circle of both life and death and how interconnected they are.

     “Francesca” is the next song on the album and is also the first song in the second circle, Lust. The circle of lust punishes lovers who have given in to the desires. The song is based on the two lovers, Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta, from Dante’s Inferno. Both fell in love with each other although Francesca was tricked into marrying his brother. They had an affair, were murdered and were sent to hell for their “uncontrollable lust.” Every lyric Hozier writes relates perfectly to this story and captures the love they had that was torn away from them due to the marriage.

     Continuing the journey in the circle of Lust is the song “I, Carrion (Icarian).” The title of the song is interpreted as Carrion meaning rotting flesh and Icarian meaning Icarus, a figure from Greek mythology. The woman in this story is keeping the world together for him. He even describes it as very heavy, but his love is surface-level. He does not care how hard it is. He asks her to float away with him, even though it is the irresponsible and unrealistic thing to do, and he knows the consequences risking both of their lives. 

     Entering the third circle of gluttony is the song, “Eat Your Young.” The theme of gluttony is immediately apparent in the first three lines, although the song is not discussing gluttony in a typical sense. 

     “Damage Gets Done” is in the fourth circle, Greed. The song is a journey of two lovers who used to feel that they had the whole world just by having each other. Their mindsets changed, and their desire to feel fulfilled resulted in the destruction of their relationship.

     The fifth circle, Wrath, is portrayed by the eighth song of the album, “Who We Are.” Wrath is repressed anger and the song describes the loss of someone who used to be important. The narrator explains how he didn’t see it coming and the relationship burning out by trying to become something it wasn’t. 

     The song “Son of Nyx” is the next song on the album but does not contain any lyrics. This song is listed as a part of the sixth circle, Heresy. The circle of Hersey is for those who have rejected the Christian doctrine. The eerie murmurs are soothing but growing instrumentals mirror those who are imprisoned in this circle in fiery, open tombs.

     “All Things End” is the second song in the sixth circle. This song, as represented by the title, discusses how it is normal for everything to end, and in this case it is referring to a relationship. The idea that a relationship and the promised eternal devotion to another person will end up being broken in some way, which can be seen as the narrator rejecting God or religion because God is seen as “eternally loving.” 

     “To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe),” is in the seventh circle, Violence. This song is immensely complicated, with layers of meaningful lyricism, and it is also sonically beautiful. There are string instruments mixed in with a soft melody. The narrator through the lyrics is comparing their knowledge to how easy it was for them to love each other. The last lyric is the betrayal of his lover cheating on him. The violence in this song is the amount of love he felt for this person and the heartbreak that came from loving someone that much. 

     “Butchered Tongue,” stays in the Violence circle. This song references the loss of a language, in Hozier’s case, Gaelic. The forced and voluntary emigration out of Ireland as well as political efforts to get rid of the language have lessened the use of Gaelic and have led to loss of history and the feeling of having roots in Ireland. 

     “Anything But,” starts the eight circle of Fraud. The verses seem as though they are describing thoughtful things to do for somebody. Although it sounds like a love song, it is actually about rejecting someone, which is why it fits into the circle of Fraud.

     “Abstract” is the next song in the circle of Fraud. This song is about how as a kid Hozier watched someone hit an animal with a car and get out of the car to comfort the animal as it died. His lyrics explain how the person had no intention to hit the animal with the car, it just happened, just like how he didn’t try to fall in love but he simply had no choice but to not. 

     The ninth circle is Treachery and is represented by the song, “Unknown / nth.” The narrator falls in love, and he explains all of the things he would do to reach her. He calls her an angel and she reciprocates, calling him an angel as well; however, the lover has trapped the narrator and won his heart.

     The final song on the album’s initial release is “First Light.” “First Light” symbolizes the ascent, a turning point at the end of the Inferno that leads to the Purgatorio. This begins Dante’s difficult journey upwards. 

     Overall, Hozier’s album “Unreal Unearth” portrays societal issues through intense symbolism, allegories and a comparison to both history and Greek mythology.

Entertainment

LGBTQ+ Banned Books

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By Finley Missella/Copy Editor

     Books are something that everyone can pick up, whether this has just words or pictures, it shouldn’t matter. Just like how it shouldn’t matter if a book contains content related to the LGTBQ+ Community.

     Many different books have been banned in schools because of the content being deemed “inappropriate” for students, while supporters argue these stories offer representation and understanding of identity.

     One of the most prominent books banned in the United States is “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maria Kobabae, which explores gender identity among Kobabae growing up.

     Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana was one of the reasons the book is now banned around the United States. On Sep. 12, 2023 Kennedy read excerpts from the novel during a Senate Hearing on book bans, which only included the graphic quotes from the book.

     To enhance his argument, Kenndey claimed that the content of the book is “not suitable for children.” Many people interpret this as an attack on the LQBTQ+ community, as the graphic content relates to the LGBTQ+ community.

     On the contrary, many books depicting straight couples with graphic themes have been left untouched.

     For example, “It Happened one Summer” by Teresa Bailey is known for its graphic scenes related to a sea captain and city-raised socialite. This book is still widely accepted among the world, even though the content is similar to Kobabes’ memoir.

     Junior Ziah Pittman states her uneasiness of books being banned just because it has graphic scenes.

     “I feel like if we are going to police graphic content, it needs to go for every book,” Pittman said. “I’ve seen swearing in books. I’ve seen sexual content in books. I’ve seen it exploring sexuality in teen books and fiction. Why is it different when it’s queer fiction rather than when it’s straight fiction is my question,” Pittman said.

     This is not the only LGBTQ+ book that has been banned throughout states and schools. 

     “And Mango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson has been challenged because of its portrayal of a same-sex penguin couple raising a chick. 

       Another book on the list is “Lawn Boy” by author Jonathan Evison, which is a coming of age novel and semi-autobiography about his life and his mission to self discovery.

     All these books and more have been banned because of their content. So the question is, should schools have the right to remove LGBTQ+ books for shelves, or does doing so silence voices and limit a student’s understanding of identity?

     Junior Brody Bartunek feels that banning books in schools should depend on the age of the individual and its content.

     When it comes to books like “Gender Queer: A Memoir” he feels it should not be as widely banned as it is.

     “We are in high school,” Bartunek said. “We can take things seriously, and if not, the student can be removed from the class.”

        Pittman shares she feels that the book ban limits the self discovery of people. By banning books a person’s ability to cultivate their identity is at risk.

     “It’s important for the [LGBTQ+ community] to have nonfiction and fiction books for representation,” Pittman said. “So they see themselves in the same way other people see themselves in pieces of media.”

     Pittman believes that ignorance is the biggest leading factor when it comes to schools and governments trying to ban books.

     “I think a lot of these books are getting banned because a lot of people fear what they do not know and do not understand,” Pittman said.

     Without the willingness to learn about other topics, there is no room for these ideas to flourish, thus preventing students and others from discovering themselves.

     It’s hard at times for people to open their eyes to a new idea, but once the person accomplishes this, then the result can be groundbreaking.

     “People cannot truly comprehend that there are other lifestyles outside of their own,” Pittman said. “When those lifestyles are portrayed in a positive light, or a light that they just haven’t seen yet, it causes emotions [to rise] because you don’t know what that’s like.”

     Books are an important part of life. They provide humans with useful knowledge about problems, identity and a multitude of other information that applies to everyday life.

     English teacher Shawn Stratton believes that reading is a gateway for students to learn about the world.

      “I think we should be reading as much as we can, about as much as we can,” Stratton said. “Even if some of it is objectionable to someone, we need to see and read it because books are all about truth in the human condition.”

      Reading does not only cultivate the mind, but it bestows people with knowledge about the world they would not think about otherwise.

      “We need to see what other people are thinking, what other people are feeling,” Stratton said. “So if what they’re putting out into the universe is not good for us, we can call it not good for us and be able to fight back against these ideas that no one should be sharing.”

     The ability for a person to choose the content they consume is something to be determined by the individual. If the person ends up not liking it themselves then that’s their opinion to have. Just because one person doesn’t agree with a topic does not mean no one will.

     Stratton shared a powerful quote from Aristotle that perfectly sums up the necessity of all types of literature:

     “It’s the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

Front/Home, Reviews

K-Pop Demon Hunters

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By Lukas Prominksi / Staff Writer

Every year, there’s one movie that really impacts pop culture more than any other. 2022 had “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” 2023 had “Barbie” and 2024 had “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

Every one of these movies actually makes sense to be culture-changing. All of them are based on existing ideas that people recognize, and it makes sense that they would sell so many tickets… So why did this year’s “”KPop Demon Hunters” have such an impact?

It almost seems to defy logic; “KPop Demon Hunters” is an animated film based on no pre-existing media that took the world by storm this year. It has more views than “Squid Game,” “Wednesday” and “Stranger Things,” some of the most culturally significant television shows of all time.

Thinking about it logically, “KPop Demon Hunters” achieved this feat for three reasons: The film is on a streaming service most people have, the film has stunning animation and the film has catchy music.

Start with the first point: “KPop Demon Hunters” is on a streaming service that most people have. According to The Streamable, Netflix is the most subscribed streaming service across America. While Disney+ has 57.8 million subscribers in North America and HBO Max has roughly 60 million, Netflix has nearly 90 million of them across the same demographic. 

Because the film is so accessible to kids looking for something children-oriented to watch, it’s found an audience in young kids who want to later show their parents, siblings and so on and so forth.

But why specifically this movie? That brings me to the second reason the film has had such a big impact:  the animation.

Sony Pictures Animation, the animation studio that produced “KPop Demon Hunters,” has had some major hits lately. While they made plenty of B-movies throughout the mid-2000s and early 2010s, they really started to gain the public’s interest with 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

From there, through the critically lauded “The Mitchells vs. the Machines,” and into 2023’s sequel “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” Sony Pictures Animation has been bringing animation as a medium forward for the last several years. From the serious animation of the “Spider-Verse” films to the more cartoony “Mitchells” art style, they’ve revolutionized the use of the “2.5D” art style, a type of animation that uses 3D models to attempt to recreate 2D art, allowing for what appears to the audience as realistic depth perception within a 2D cartoon. It’s seemingly genius.

“KPop Demon Hunters” uses the same realistic art style of “Into”/”Across the Spider-Verse,” but instead of using flashing vibrant colors to amplify action sequences, it uses an almost Pixar-like skybox with pretty stars, lighting and effects throughout the air.

While people seemed to love the quick action scenes of the “Spider-Verse” films (especially given that Box Office Mojo calculates “Across the Spider-Verse” as the second-highest-grossing animated film of the year it released), it’s hard to deny that the creators, animators and modelers spent so much time on the look of “KPop Demon Hunters” that it rivals what many (IMDb, for example) consider to be the best animated film of all time.

These pretty skylines, beautiful lighting and great models are hard to ignore regardless of how well-versed in film someone is. Considering how jaw-droppingly pretty it is, it’s no surprise that children would fall in love with the film. I actually, however, don’t even think that’s the biggest thing regarding kids liking the film so much. The movie’s arguably biggest selling point (and what really skyrocketed it into popularity) is the music.

While South Korean pop (K-pop) has definitely seen American charts before (think BTS’ “Butter,” “Dynamite” and BLACKPINK’s “How You Like That”), it’s never been quite as ‘in-the-media’ as it is in relation to this film.

The film starts with an entirely original song by K-pop artists EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami. This trend continues throughout the entire film.

Every single song in the movie is sung by real K-pop artists who (after the movie’s release) are Top 50 Most Monthly Listeners list on Spotify. These charts are amplified by the sheer amount of word-of-mouth in relation to the movie. With children having backpacks and water bottles with characters on them and playing the music in the movie, they’re inadvertently convincing their peers to watch the movie.

What’s great about more and more children watching the movie is that they’re exposing themselves to foreign cultures while also having fun. Rumi, Mira and Zoey, the three leads in the film, are actually modeled after studying Korean culture, and side-by-side comparisons between the film and real life are everywhere online.

Without any one of these three things (the ease of access, the beautiful animation and the catchy music), “KPop Demon Hunters” wouldn’t have had nearly the same impact that it’s had in the status quo. Something that would have been nearly unthinkable even just six months ago is now our reality, which is actually a great sign for cinema as a whole.

Getting children away from cinematic universes and sequels and towards original ideas is a great way to potentially expose them to films that they wouldn’t have considered before and to expose them to different cultures.

2024-2025, Entertainment, Front/Home

The Devil Wears Prada

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Lillias Cummings / Editor

     “The Devil Wears Prada” is one of the most realistic movies about the harsh reality of being in the fashion industry.

     The movie opens with Andy, played by the lovely Anne Hathaway, is a struggling journalist is need of some sort of job to get by, when she is interviewed by a high end fashion magazine for a position as assistant for stone-cold editor Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, while also working with stubborn assistant Emily, portrayed by Emily Blunt. 

     As she continues to work for Miranda, she unconsciously becomes one of many in the pretentious fashion world and eventually passes Emily and becomes Miranda’s right hand man. 

     Slowly she loses touch with her friends and her true self. To find out if she realizes her wrongdoings or continues the lush fashion life, you will have to watch the movie.

     “The Devil Wears Prada” has all the aspects of a fashion magazine that you would imagine. The lush fashion, the harsh yet creative editor and the lower level employees who are striving to thrive in the industry, which makes the vibes much more desirable to many watchers, especially me as someone who adores fashion and the idea of working in the industry.

     It also has the vibrancy of so many 2000’s movies. It is set partially in New York and partially in Paris. The atmosphere is how many people, including myself, would imagine Paris with the beautiful lights and the luxury restaurants and shops.

     The main character Andy also has very unique character development. Usually characters go from being harsh and cold to sweet and loving. Andy, on the other hand, ended up much more cold to the people surrounding her and submitting herself to the cruel personalities so many take on in fashion.

     Many of the other characters, however, have minor but significant shifts to their personalities after interacting with Andy. Such as the other assistant, Emily, who ends up being much kinder to Andy even when she passes her in jobs. 

Another character that evolves is Stanley Tucci’s character, Nigel who ends up becoming friends with Andy, who was helpful to her in the beginning of the movie but certainly wasn’t kind to her.

     Overall, “The Devil Wears Prada” has a great mix of the fashion industry, romantic relationships, friendships and has a great message on sticking to the better version of yourself. This movie is a great film that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a good movie that is also an easy watch.