Lyin', Tigers, and Bears... Oh My!

Late last night, while brainstorming possible blog topics to write about, I realized that quite a bit has been happening recently. Even though the United States has effectively shut down for the time being, things are still happening both related and completely separate from the virus which is causing all of this chaos. In today’s post, I’m going to discuss these, starting with the White House’s response to this global pandemic.

Around 5:00 PM Eastern every afternoon, I watch the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force update. I generally watch for the meaningful contributions from Dr. Anthony Fauci or Dr. Deborah Birx, but I stick around to watch the President spread misinformation and grapple with journalists seeking information and clarity regarding the situation we’re in. Some of these anti-truth bombs being dropped recently are that the United States will be ready to reopen on Easter Sunday (it won’t), the United States responded to this pandemic faster than any country in the world (it didn’t), and that we just found out there are asymptomatic carriers who can spread the disease. If that last one is sincere, we may all be doomed from the incompetence of our “leaders”. In trying to escape from the gravity of COVID-19, I turned to Netflix and decided to jump on the Tiger King bandwagon.

I am only a couple of episodes in, but this documentary is alarming (and admittedly entertaining) on multiple levels. First of all, I don’t think I realized the depth of absurdity and abnormality that makes up the underbelly of the United States. This documentary series is truly exposing how vast of an amount of people both coordinate and partake in bizarre practices, specifically animal trading in this case, around the nation. I didn’t know people like Joe Exotic or Carole Baskin existed up until recently, and I’m not sure if I’m happy that I know who they are now. That being said, I’m going to finish watching the series, and hopefully there’s a shred of humanity or common goodness that I can take away from it. It’s based in Florida, though, so I’m not getting my hopes up.

Aside from Netflix binging (check out Ozark season 3), I’ve been keeping up with sports highlights from around the major leagues of American sports. My NFL team, the Chicago Bears, just made a big move by trading for Jacksonville Jaguars Quarterback and former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. I’m not sure how I feel about this move. I’ve been ecstatic watching the Bears make moves on the defensive side of the ball, but I think bringing in someone like Teddy Bridgewater or Cam Newton would’ve served Chicago better at the QB position. Either Mitch Trubisky will be able to learn by having an experienced veteran backup, or Nick Foles will take over and hopefully take Chicago on a run just like he did in Philadelphia just a few years ago.

These are wild times, and we’re all doing what we can as we take things day-by-day. I’ve been focusing on my mental health and well-being as much as possible, which is important right now as the outside world is a source of separation and anxiety. I suggest you do the same. Stay informed, but don’t scare yourself. Stay entertained, but keep getting things done. Keep your relationships healthy, whether in-person or at a temporary distance. We’re going to get through this together. Thanks for reading.

Album Review: Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many musical artists whose upcoming projects were originally slated to be released during this time are being forced to delay and postpone their albums until we return to a sense of normalcy. Hoping to avoid that trend, British songwriter and 2018 Best New Artist winner Dua Lipa decided to release her new project early, and I’m glad she did. Future Nostalgia is an edgy, groovy, and much-needed disco-pop project packed full of catchy and uplifting tracks. I was very impressed by this album.

I always find myself comparing new albums to similar sounding projects. In this case, Charli XCX’s Charli from 2019 and Lady Gaga previous work both come to mind. Dua Lipa has created an easily recognizable and popular sound which has taken off on apps like TikTok. The thing is, this project wasn’t just made to be radio-friendly. Each track offers something unique and original, and its production is next level.

Coming in at under 38 minutes, this album was clearly refined and hand selected to be replayable and enjoyable on every listen. Toward the end of the project I think the album slightly loses focus both sonically and thematically, but the 5 or 6 song stretch of absolute pop smash-hits in the middle of the project overshadow that slight flaw. It’s hard not to keep this album on repeat, especially right now.

While this album isn’t perfect, and I don’t find it quite as enticing or original as last year’s Charli, it’s still incredibly entertaining and well-made. If you need something fun to listen to, this might just be it. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Good tracks: “Don’t Start Now”, “Cool”, “Levitating”, “Hallucinate”, “Love Again”, “Break My Heart”

SCORE: 8/10

Best Foot Forward: A Sneaker Series (Part 10)

While getting used to my new daily schedule consisting of online homework and missing everyone due to social distancing, I’m going to attempt to continually post on this blog. Today, I’m bringing back my Best Foot Forward series to highlight two recent sneaker pickups of the Michael Jordan variety. One of a very highly-coveted collaboration, and another is a low key classic silhouette in a clean, understated colorway. Let’s get into it.

Pair 1 (Left): Travis Scott X Air Jordan 1 High Retro “Mocha”

Travis Scott is known for unconventional creativity, and his collaboration with Jordan on the Air Jordan 1 is no exception. Scott has quickly become one of the biggest collaborators in the sneaker world, as his popularity continues to grow in music, fashion, and pop culture. This pair features Cactus Jack branding throughout, an oversized backwards swoosh, and an intriguing mocha-colored upper with a cream-colored midsole. This pair can be worn boldly or subtly, and I’m lucky to have these in my collection.

Pair 2 (Right): Air Jordan 4 Retro “Black Cat”

Anyone who knows me knows how much I like to wear all black. When I saw that Jordan Brand would be re-releasing the Black Cat Air Jordan 4 after many years, I knew I had to add these to my collection. I find that the lack of color lets the shoe’s brilliant design shine on its own, as its sleek silhouette benefits from the minimalistic design of this pair. I can’t wait to beat these up.

I’m hopeful that there will still be exciting sneaker releases throughout the calendar year despite all that is going on in the world. For now, I’m going to continue appreciating what I have. Look forward to more posts coming soon. Stay healthy.

Album Review: After Hours - The Weeknd

After delivering months of an aesthetically consistent and enticing rollout, including multiple hit singles, The Weeknd has finally released his long-anticipated album After Hours. Similarities can be drawn from this project to Abel’s previous offerings, but there is a narrative focus and sense of sonic development which indicates The Weeknd’s progression as an artist, and more prominently, as a man.

After the release of the lead single “Heartless”, I was unsure which direction this project would be taking. While it’s an undeniably catchy track, it lacks complexity and depth as Abel once again shows his emotionless and cold side. This is territory which has been explored abundantly through Tesfaye’s discography. “Blinding Lights” is a groovy, 80’s-inspired, radio-friendly hit, but outside of the context of the album’s narrative, there’s no deeper messaging being delivered. “After Hours” had fans of Abel’s earliest work excited, as its minimal and revealing tone reflected that of Trilogy or Kissland. Finally, the SNL performance of “Scared To Live” proved that this project would be emotionally reflective just a week before the project’s release. Luckily, it didn’t disappoint.

This may be favorite project of Abel’s yet. It has something to offer for fans of each of his eras, and it has high replay-ability. From “In Your Eyes” and “Faith” to “Snowchild” and “Escape From LA”, this project is radio-friendly, hard-hitting, and poignant simultaneously. It is often the case that albums with heavy aesthetic variation are scattered and lack sonic consistency, which this project successfully avoids. The track listing reflects a well-thought-out narrative which tells a heartbreaking story - something Abel has become very experienced with.

The Weeknd’s popularity and reach have exploded over the years, as he has become one of the biggest stars in the world. This isn’t too detrimental as long as he doesn’t commit all of his creativity to pumping out radio-friendly tracks. Looking at you, Post Malone. After Hours, in almost every regard, lived up to my expectations and hopes. Some of the songs featured here aren’t as complete as I think they could be, but overall, most of the tracks on this album are fantastic. Give this is a listen. And please go wash your hands.

Good tracks: “Alone Again”, “Scared To Live”, “Snowchild”, “Escape From LA”, “Heartless”, “Faith”, “Blinding Lights”, “In Your Eyes”, , “After Hours”

SCORE: 8/10

The NBA Season Has Been Suspended

Last night was quite eventful. Within the span of only an hour, the United States banned travel from Europe for the next thirty days, Tom Hanks confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19, and the NBA suspended its season indefinitely due to Utah Jazz member Rudy Gobert contracting the virus. Since then, it has been confirmed that Gobert’s teammate Donovan Mitchell has come down with the virus as well, which is likely to be the beginning of many more reports of prominent players confirming cases.

Gobert is being blamed online for spreading the virus due to his recent carefree and reckless behavior. At the end of a recent press conference, Gobert seemingly mocked those who have taken precautions in regards to COVID-19, intentionally touching every microphone at the podium. The video of this incident is extremely cringe-inducing now, knowing that he was likely asymptomatically carrying the virus at the time of the video. The former defensive player of the year just shut down the whole league.

With the playoffs quickly approaching, it’s unclear as to how the league is going to handle the rest of the season. This is likely going to end up being long-lasting and have an impact on most of our lives over the next few months, so no one is sure as to what happens next. Not only are thousands of people currently suffering from the virus, but tens of millions of dollars are going to be lost from the NBA canceling the foreseeable games, a trend already becoming clear just from looking at the stock market recently.

These are scary times. I’ve been trying to keep my head up and maintain a positive attitude as much as possible, but it seems that this pandemic is truly going to be damaging globally. I’ll likely be posting more about COVID-19 and related events as they come up short. In the mean time, wash your hands and try not to get too down about the world. Thanks for reading.