Glory Sound Prep, Jon Bellion
Haley Stairs, News Editor
My favourite album of 2018 is Jon Bellion’s Glory Sound Prep, which was released on Nov. 9. His deep lyrics are mixed with slow, chill beats on some songs, but upbeat, pop ones on others – perfect for singing in your car or pregaming for a night out. My favourite songs are “JT,” “Blu,” “The Internet,” “Stupid Deep,” “Cautionary Tales” and “Conversations with My Wife.” I highly recommend checking out this album if you need a pick-me-up or are searching for a new karaoke song.
The Post
Shannon Cornelius, Sports Editor
The Post, released in theatres on Jan. 12, was an awesome movie about journalism, history and a young girl and her lemonade stand. The movie was set in 1971 with Meryl Streep playing Katharine Graham, the publisher of the Washington Post and the first female publisher of a major American newspaper. It follows their struggles and decisions about whether to continue publishing leaked documents. The movie made me nerd out over journalism, feminism and history, while I sat on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. If you haven’t already, I would highly recommend grabbing some popcorn and lemonade and watching The Post. You’ll be glad you did.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Lauren Hoyt, Features Editor
My favourite movie this year was Bohemian Rhapsody, which was released on Nov. 2. The Freddie Mercury biopic made me laugh, cry and jam out multiple times. Rami Malek blew me away with his rendition of Freddie. His outfits were amazing and at times, inspiring. The performance scenes were so accurate it felt like I was watching Queen live. I knew I liked the band, but I didn’t realize how many of their songs I knew until I saw the movie. Now they’re all I can listen to. I’d recommend Bohemian Rhapsody to anyone who likes good music and a good story. You won’t regret it.
Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1), Aurora Aksnes
Young Joo Jun, Photo Editor
Aurora Aksnes is a Norwegian singer. She has a unique style of music with interesting visuals. Her album, Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) was released on Sept. 28. Top songs: “Forgotten Love,” “Runaway,” “I Went Too Far,” “Queendom,” and “Nature Boy.” I’m looking forward to part two.
Pose
Elijah Matheson, Video Editor
The TV show Pose is a dance musical set in the 1980s, that explores the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York: the ball culture world, the rise of the luxury Trump-era universe and the downtown social and literary scene. The main character, Blanca, forms a chosen family which provides support to queer youth who have been rejected by their birth families.
Simulation Theory, Muse
Caitlin Dutt, Layout Editor
Released on Nov. 9, the album Simulation Theory by Muse tells a story. It’s like jumping into a science fiction movie. It starts with a bang of the anti-establishment war-cry “Algorithm,” and through the allegorical saga of oppression, rebellion and resilience, it also explores human experience all the way through to the final track, “The Void.” It’s Muse’s eighth album and another addition to synth-rock history.
Janowskii, Walrus and Carinae live show
Jerry-Faye Flatt, Arts Editor
I saw the best local live show I’ve seen this year on Dec. 1. It was a hot bill, with Janowskii, Fredericton delta-doom trio, Halifax rock band Walrus, and Carinae, a psychedelic rock group from Massachusetts. The last time I saw Walrus was in November 2017 and I ended up breaking my foot. So, it was nice to see the band again and to realize that I won’t break my foot every time I see them. Janowskii is a Fredericton favourite of mine. I’m quickly becoming one of their biggest fans and enjoy their banter about Jerry Garcia from Grateful Dead who I obviously relate to quite a bit. This was the second time I saw Carinae. They’re quickly becoming a staple to the New Brunswick music scene, despite the fact they’re from the States.
Trench, Twenty One Pilots
Cassidy Chisholm, Managing Editor
Trench is the fifth studio album by my favourite band, Twenty One Pilots, an alternative pop-rock duo. Their new album was released on Oct. 5. TØP gained international fame with their hit album Blurryface in 2015, but after two years of touring, the band took a year off to work on Trench, stringing together a musical narrative and videos to match. Tyler Joseph’s lyrics highlight the glorification of mental illness, stating in my favourite song “Neon Gravestones” that we, as listeners, should be dedicated to life, and that’s what we should celebrate. Give it a listen if you want your inner-emo kid to come out.
Sarah Morin, Editor-in-Chief
The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give is a drama/thriller about a 16-year-old black teenager named Starr Carter, who witnesses the fatal shooting of her friend by a police officer. Following her friend’s death, the movie explores how Starr constantly has to switch between two worlds – the poor, mostly black community she grew up in and the rich, mostly white neighbourhood she attends school in. Everyone should watch the movie (or read the novel of the same name by Angie Thomas that came out in 2017 because it’s better than the movie).
