Irène Schrader
Princess Nokia had always been transparent about her refusal to be put in a box. In an interview with NME back in 2017, she elaborated on her plurality: “I enjoy what I enjoy, and yeah, sometimes I’m a skater, sometimes I’m a goth kid, I’m a raver, I’m a hippy, I’m a theatre nerd. I’m a … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/review-princess-nokia-showcases-her-duality-in-new-albums-everything-is-beautiful-and-everything-sucks/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
This year’s Oscars justly rewarded some cinematographic gems and Jojo Rabbit was no exception, as the recipient of Best Adapted Screenplay. Taika Waititi, who wrote, directed, and starred in the film, is believed to be the first Māori filmmaker to receive this honor. His speech brought representation to the Māori, and was dedicated to “all the … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/no-spoiler-film-review-jojo-rabbit-and-its-well-deserved-oscar-win/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
Nilo Blues is the refresher you need for this beginning of 2020. The 20-year-old is becoming a relevant musical voice for communities that have yet to be sufficiently represented in the current music industry; that of third-culture kids and Asian diasporas in the west. The hip-hop artist’s debut single “No Risk Involved” was released on … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/interview-meet-nilo-blues-the-vietnamese-chinese-canadian-hip-hop-artist-bringing-the-representation-we-need/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
Mac Miller was at the summit of his career when he put out his highly praised album, Swimming, in August 2019. No one foresaw the rapper’s tragic passing only weeks later at just 26 years old. It seemed the musician had only scratched the surface of his talent’s potential, and showed us just snippets of … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/first-impression-review-mac-millers-posthumous-album-circles-is-a-blessing-to-the-rap-world/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
This week, Alibaba’s Tmall (one of China’s largest online marketplaces) released a series of Chinese New Year-themed commercials. One of them gained millions of views and an abundance of praises for subtly representing a same-sex couple. Another step towards the normalization of queer relationships in China? The 23-second commercial shows a young man introducing his … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/ad-campaign-featuring-gay-couple-goes-viral-in-china/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
The first time I watched the trailer of The Farewell this past summer, I immediately began looking forward to the release of a movie that would parallel two viewpoints which, despite being very current, are still quite underrepresented in cinema: third-culture experiences and some East Asian (in this case China) values’ nuances. Although the premise of … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/review-of-the-farewell-through-the-lens-of-a-chinese-third-culture-kid/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
One thing I particularly love about the holiday season is the way it anticipates new releases by some of the best musicians of our generation. No matter where you live and celebrate the winter holidays, a well-curated playlist is mandatory in order to feel the spirit! Here are 10 of the best new Christmas songs … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/10-new-christmas-bops-to-warm-up-your-winter/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
In January of this year, the mini TV-series Surviving R. Kelly, in which seven women came forward and brought to light the physical, mental, and sexual abusive experiences they allegedly endured from R. Kelly, aired on Lifetime. The rapper had previously somehow resisted many lawsuits accusing him of abuse, including some which accused him of … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/should-we-be-concerned-about-drakes-relationships-with-underage-women/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
Taylor Swift broke yet another musical record on Sunday night by officially topping Michael Jackson for the most American Music Awards with her six new wins, which include “Artist of the Decade”–a prize which hardly came as a surprise to a whole generation who grew up with her consistent hits. Swift has come a long … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/american-music-awards-artist-of-the-decade-taylor-swifts-nostalgic-and-empowering-performance/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
Filipino-Australian singer and songwriter Chela is ready to make waves with her newly released 4-track EP “Delivery”. Having played in punk clubs since she was 15 and released in 2013 her breakout single “Romanticise”, Chela has developed throughout the years a distinct style in her sincere lyricism, dynamic beats, and groovy synth which at times pulls … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/interview-underrated-gem-in-the-new-world-of-electro-pop-chela-releases-ep-delivery/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
This week, I had the delight of watching Noah Baumbach’s latest film Marriage Story (set to release on November 6th in the USA) at the Vienna International Film Festival. The movie, which stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, left me satisfactorily heartbroken. As someone who’s never had first-hand experience of anything linked to divorce, the … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/viennale-no-spoiler-film-review-upcoming-netflix-original-marriage-story-and-its-bittersweet-take-on-divorce/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
Korean star Sulli, formerly known for being part of the K-pop group f(x) and her longtime acting career, was found dead by her manager in her home last week. Standing out in an industry that puts much importance on moulding the image of their young stars to be wholesome and uncontroversial, Sulli was very outspoken … <a href="https://culture.affinitymagazine.us/how-sullis-death-sparked-a-counteract-against-south-koreas-cyberbullies/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read
