Thursday, March 28Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Author: Kianna Best

Streaming Services Saved My Life
Features, Film & TV

Streaming Services Saved My Life

The title might be a tad hyperbolic, but looking back on the months of being confined to the four walls of my home during the beginning of 2020, it makes sense. With the staggering halt to social interaction during the early days of the pandemic, film lovers lost out on the conventional cinema going experience. Transcending its responsibility as a source of our binge watching, streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ satiated our cravings. With concepts such as Netflix Party and other group watching services, virtual film watching experiences allowed us to adapt to our new circumstances while capturing the social cinema feeling that we all missed and loved. With fleeting trends that aimed to keep us occupied during the seemingly endless days of lockdown, Netflix remained tried and t...
From Backpacks to One Billion Racks
Features, Film & TV

From Backpacks to One Billion Racks

As one of the most controversial celebrities of our generation, any mention of Kanye West is sure to ignite a passionate debate. Just today making even more questionnable news with his latest music video release, separating the artist from his art becomes more of a struggle each day. But will the memories behind the music be his saving grace? Starting his journey from humble beginnings, Kanye West rode into the music industry on sheer determination, undeniable passion and an unwavering belief that he would be one of the greatest. As a sought after producer in the hip hop scene, West channelled his creativity through the beats, delivering a quality sound for established artists like Jay-Z, Mos Def and Talib Kweli. But he wanted more. Tired of creating and catering to the sound of other...
GGP Hour Has Arrived!
Culture & Literature, Music

GGP Hour Has Arrived!

In a time where everyone has an opinion, and no topic is left ignored, unique content can be hard to find within what is constantly being pushed out into the world. With podcasts popping up here and there full of controversial takes and passion filled rants, the range of voices seem to gain their stamp of  individuality from that sole aspect. Cancel-culture continues to run rampant, views and opinions are carefully dissected before being put out into the world, and it has become evident that many would rather follow the trend of thinking and appeal to the masses. Unique voices are far and few between. Will  Insanity radio’s newest talk show bring about any change?  GGP Hour hosted by second year student Kayla Mae Garcia Fernandes is a laid back hour filled with debates s...
Percocet and Parkour
Film & TV

Percocet and Parkour

Trigger warning and spoiler alert! Deserving of every trigger warning that is posted, HBO’s critically acclaimed series Euphoria has returned to our screens once again. Entering our universes with mysterious shots of leading lady Zendaya on social media, coated in the iridescent glow of purple darkness that we have come to know as the show’s aesthetic, no one could have foreseen the journey that has ensued. With the traumas of season one forever in our subconscious thoughts and benign drawn in by the chilling Christmas special episodes that satiated our curious cravings, season two has delivered on every promise. Five episodes in and opinions filtering through about the recently released sixth one, we have arrived at the unraveling of the complex and tightly wound storylines of each ch...
The Sex Lives of College Girls
Film & TV

The Sex Lives of College Girls

Warning: spoilers ahead From emotionally confusing affairs, career advancing sexual favours and the occasional cringeworthy delivery of a line, episode one of Mindy Kaling’s newest project sets us up for a series as messy and unfiltered as its title promises. With the awkward experiences of high school explored in her Netflix series Never Have I Ever, Kaling graduates to the gothic buildings and manicured lawns of fictional Essex College, showing that the awkward moments are far from over. Along with co-creator Justin Noble (writer and producer on Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Kaling draws upon her own experiences, as she has creatively done in the past, exploring the challenges of being caught in-between the past embarrassments of high school and the future of adulthood. As we follow Kimberley...