Album
‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ (1967) by The Beatles
Any avid pop, rock, or alternative music listener can explore the origins of psychedelic rock with The Beatles’ masterwork “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band!” As a concept album, Sgt. Pepper did not break records and intersect genres by following the rules, but with experimental trial and error that might translate into the album’s rich variety. It is a fun fact indeed that the Beatles had to be engineers in the studio—at times going as far as breaking an instrument or cutting recording tapes to piece back together to get an original sound. Beyond the album’s production marvels, Sgt. Pep maintains its rating as the Rolling Stone’s No. 1 album of all time with deep lyrics written to both upbeat and slower tempos, for those who would like to dance or would simply like to dream about a certain “Lucy in the Sky.”
TV Show
‘Ozark’ (2021)
Fans of the Breaking Bad, Shameless, or Mindhunter series should be on the lookout for the new episodes of this critically acclaimed crime drama. In four seasons, “Ozark” creates an eerily true-to-life viewing experience in which the audience will feel that they could too launch a money-laundering scheme alongside main characters Marty and Wendy Byrde. Despite the inevitable overlap between the Byrde’s criminal journey and those similar plots in other crime dramas, Ozark manages to reimagine cartel scares, family endangerment, and the married criminal couple into a deeper, more psychological exploration of self-preservation.
Book
‘The Year of Magical Thinking’ (2005) by Joan Didion
With the passing of renowned author Joan Didion this past December, her memoir “The Year of Magical Thinking” serves to honor her memory, documenting the hardships of tragic loss, parenting, and womanhood. Lensed through Didion’s reflections in the year following her husband’s death in 2003, Didion is passionate in admitting some of her most intimate memories, with both brutal honesty and careful passion that may paint an eye-opening picture for those not having experienced marriage or parenthood yet themselves.
Movie
‘Sorry to Bother You’ (2018)
(Trigger Warning: Violence, Sensitive Themes)
As Boots Riley’s directorial debut, the fantastical satire comedy “Sorry to Bother You” refreshes with a unique plot that offers equally progressive political commentary. Following young Black man Cassius Green’s struggle to climb through the ranks of his telemarketing job, the film highlights racial and class injustices with striking irony as Green adopts a “white accent”— in which Green’s voice is replaced by a nasally, clearly Caucasian voiceover, to gain respect from his corporate superiors. This humor, among many other pointedly exaggerated tropes in the film make for a truly unforgettable watching experience—it should be duly noted that films like these are best watched with time to digest and reflect on some controversial expressions and intense images;
Warning: the movie can get pretty disturbing—albeit the message might be worth the watch.
