6 Search results for "visual artistry"

Why must Black heroism in fiction be continuously made of our historical injury?
This essay contains descriptions of racial violence and spoilers for Episode 6 of HBO’s Watchmen by Donnie Moreland I don’t trust Damon Lindelhoff—the showrunner of HBO’s Watchmen. He’s a damn compelling writer, but he is one that often conflates philosophical inquiry with good storytelling, which can result in pretentiously puzzling television; of which I’m very […]
How Ariana Grande uses “Black Cool” in her incremental appropriation game
by Ayika Tshimanga Ariana Grande recently released a music video for her song, “7 Rings”, a repetitive pop-trap&B tune with all the necessary ingredients to bring out your innermost bad bitch. The bouncy trap beat, braggadocious lyrics, and an attempt to ooze the kind of confidence radiating from pop stars like Beyoncé on “Apeshit”, or Rihanna […]
Revisiting ‘Rated R’ and Rihanna’s narrative of a Black woman’s experience with trauma
by Ayika Tshimanga Before Robyn Rihanna Fenty released her commercially successful project that is popularly regarded as her best work to date, ANTI (2016), she produced an underrated gem that would lay the groundwork for ANTI to exist, Rated R. At the time of Rated R’s release, Rihanna was widely regarded–and arguably may still be […]
Janelle Monáe and the road to ‘Dirty Computer’
by Victoria Collins Though she was absent of critical acclaim in the very beginning, Janelle Monáe set in motion the narrative of a dystopian reality that would serve as the backdrop for a decade-long narrative of freedom, love, and acceptance with her 2003 self-released album, The Audition. In 2007, she followed her debut album with […]
Who’s making the ‘Lemonade’? On bell hooks’ and Beyoncé’s Feminisms
I wasn’t going to get into the bell hooks versus Beyoncé fray over Lemonade and its myriad implications. I resisted the echo chamber hoping the frenzy would die down sooner rather than later. I told myself that there really was no point of debating the merits of either side since most of the dialogue has been […]
Reflections on Prince, the Icon, the Artist, the Purple One Forever
On Saturday mornings, I would wake up to the smell of pancakes and the sounds of oldies playing on the radio. Like clockwork the station always played “Kiss” by the time I made it downstairs to the kitchen. There, I watched my mother bust her 80s dance moves before planting a kiss on my cheek. […]