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'I Love You Jennifer B': Regret in the future

By Coby McKeown · Friday, Sept. 16, 2022

I know, Jockstrap sounds like the name of some late 70s British punk band whose lead singer thinks that not taking a shower for a month is giving a middle finger to the system … which is exactly what this band is! Actually, I lied, sorry to disappoint you, you were probably jumping out of your seats to grab your headphones, now you probably hate me. In actuality, Jockstrap is a collaboration between songwriter Georgia Ellery and producer Taylor Skye. Their debut album “I Love You Jennifer B” is an eclectic scrapbook of electronic sounds, glitchy synths, blown-out drums and a full 18-piece orchestra. Sounds epic, right? Yes, it is.

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Fred again.. and the sounds of 'Actual Life'

By Brendan Nolte · Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022

You’ve known about Fred John Philip Gibson (aka Fred again..) for far longer than you might think. The 29-year-old multitalented music producer and songwriter has spent the better part of the last decade helping some of the biggest artists in the world create their own work, for the most part opting to remain behind the scenes. But since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Gibson has finally stepped into the spotlight. 

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2022: The year of the prequel

By Matheus Herndl · Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022

The trend of endless movie sequels is by no means a recent one. Ever since the 70s and the birth of summer blockbuster franchises like Jaws or Star Wars, the sequel has been a staple in yearly releases to the joy of some fans and the detriment of others. Indeed, the market dominance of big-budget sequels has always been contentious, with some arguing that they are lazy and unnecessary additions to already completed stories. While the sequel tradition stands strong even today, 2022 has seemingly marked a shift in Hollywood’s mindset, with more and more prequels being released as opposed to straight-up sequels.

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‘Tell Me Lies’: A train wreck

By Rose Androwich · Monday, Sept. 12, 2022

On Wednesday, Sept. 7, the first three episodes of the new Hulu series “Tell Me Lies” was released. While the first episode begins in the present, the director takes us back to Lucy’s first year of college.

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Murder and Mediocrity Overshadow ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’

By Jane Miller · Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022

Topping the charts of Goodreads and receiving endorsements from the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Taylor Swift, Delia Owens’s 2018 novel “Where the Crawdads Sing” was an instant success. The much-anticipated release of its film adaptation, however, has not come without scrutiny.

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J.I.D’s triumph over circumstance: ‘The Forever Story’

By Brendan Nolte · Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022

Since signing to J. Cole’s Dreamville Records in early 2017, Atlanta rapper J.I.D (real name Destin Choice Route) has built a name for himself not through the absurd style, vapid lyricism and obscene amounts of bass that defined the “Soundcloud rap” era in which he came up, but through a commitment to two things too often lost in modern hip-hop: honesty and craft. The rapper whose stage name originates from his grandma’s description of him as “jittery” has never lost that same restless swagger from when he was young, and J.I.D’s latest album “The Forever Story" puts on display his most vulnerable, cohesive and thoughtful work to date without losing sight of the hard-hitting beats and elaborate flows that put him on the map.

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‘Jurassic World: Dominion’: A disappointment 6.5 million years in the making

By Kait Milleret · Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022

Dinosaurs divide the population into two types: those who love them and those who couldn’t care less. Somehow, “Jurassic World: Dominion” doesn’t inspire either stance. With its unfocused story and bloated plot, the movie plods to its conclusion as if anticipating extinction at the hands of other summer films. Even the resurrection of fan-favorite characters Drs. Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Sattler (Laura Dern) and Grant (Sam Neill) failed to salvage it.

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Fifty years on the Scene

By Willoughby Thom · Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of women at Notre Dame, Scene has created the ultimate female-powered playlist filled with Notre Dame alumnae, your favorite artists, the future generation and artists who paved the way for women in music…

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Serena Williams finishes legendary tennis career

By Claire McKenna · Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022

Serena Williams’ historic tennis career has come to an end, completing the evolution away from tennis she announced in an August op-ed for Vogue. Last Friday Williams played her last game of tennis in the Arthur Ashe Stadium against Ajla Tomljanović.

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‘Only Murders in the Building’: Killer Comeback

By Andy Ottone · Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022

There’s a blackout across New York City. In the Arconia apartment complex, a murder investigation is occurring. And during all of this, the building’s residents come together for one moment and sing. This is “Only Murders in the Building.” There’s murder, there’s mystery, but what stands out most is the cast of characters and how they deal with the chaos they find themselves in. Though the episode had suspenseful moments and revelations for the investigation, the moment that stands out most is how the background characters interact and expand beyond just one-note personalities into complex characters with hopes and goals of their own. What’s even better is how these characters return throughout the season to help solve the mystery underlying the show. 

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'Hit the Road': An Iranian road trip tragicomedy

By Angela Mathew · Monday, Sept. 5, 2022

The star of Panah Panahi’s “Hit the Road” is the family’s young son, played by Rayan Sarlak. His annoying antics and entertaining quips keep this slow, meditative story about a family’s separation moving forward.

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‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’: The generational excellence of Kendrick Lamar

By Matheus Herndl · Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022

Kendrick Lamar is one of the most important and influential voices in his generation and one of the artists who defined the music of the 2010s. Starting with 2011s “Section.80,” Lamar has shaped the sound of mainstream hip hop, earning the Compton-born rapper 14 Grammy wins during his career. Even then, Lamar stands out from his peers with his deeply personal and poetic lyrics as well as his sonic versatility, excelling in multiple genres from the West Coast Gangsta rap of “good kid, m.A.A.d city” to the jazz rap and neo funk soundscapes of “To Pimp a Butterfly.” In 2017, “DAMN.” proved to be Lamar’s most bombastic and commercially successful album, and now, five years later, his newest record “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” proves once more why Lamar is one of the most acclaimed artists in recent memory.

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