When winter arrives and snow piles up outside, a strong, familiar urge tends to overtake us: The desire to curl up with a good holiday movie. Whether with family, friends, or snuggled up alone, the act feels mandatory. Even solitary viewings feel like a communal experience, one grounded in shared[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric
Welcome back, 2016
Today’s agenda: Perfecting your duck face, finding the rarest Pokémon on PokemonGo, and blasting Zara Larsson‘s “Lush Life” from your iPod touch. Bliss. History may not repeat itself, but trends do—and right now, nostalgia is staging a dramatic return. According to the BBC, TikTok searches for ‘2016’ have risen by[Read More…]
2026: The Year of Olivia Dean
When looking at the upcoming year of music, one name comes to mind in terms of dominating the charts: British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean. Dean has been steadily producing music and growing her following since her 2018 debut; however, it wasn’t until 2025 that she was welcomed into the mainstream. She[Read More…]
KATSEYE represent exploitation masked as progress
Since their 2023 debut, KATSEYE have skyrocketed into the mainstream. After a year of silence, the group resurfaced in 2025 with their second EP, Beautiful Chaos. Their hyperpop sound, paired with intricate choreography, marks a departure from their previous K-pop-inspired, teen girl music and aesthetic. Fans often celebrate KATSEYE as[Read More…]
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau captivated the world. Who’s next?
A couple of weeks ago, Justin Trudeau was seen with American pop star Katy Perry outside a famed Paris cabaret for the latter’s 41st birthday, apparently keeping in line with his father’s own escapades—dating an American singer. The shocking union between the American musician and the former Canadian prime minister[Read More…]
Sheep are having a Pop Culture moment—and it’s unsettling
They’re baaaaaack—and not in a cute nursery rhyme kind of way. Sheep have tiptoed their way back into the cultural frame, not just as pastoral props but as full-blown characters, metaphors, and messengers. From a blood-streaked Icelandic hybrid in Lamb to the soft-eyed flocks in Bergers, the modern media sheep[Read More…]
Putting the “pop” in pop rhetoric: Sounds of a parched summer
Summer 2024 was great fun for pop music fans: Between Charli XCX’s groundbreaking album brat, the feud between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake, and new releases from artists such as Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, it is undeniable that this summer has seen a resurgence of excitement in pop music[Read More…]
Where do I begin: Addison Rae
From “talentless” TikTok darling to rising Netflix starlet to pop singer making a splash in the music industry, the public view of Addison Rae has been more unpredictable than Canadian weather. Addison first introduced herself to the public in 2019 with popular but menial lip-sync TikToks, sparking similar trends to[Read More…]
Bowen Yang might be the best person to talk about Chappell Roan
Season 50 of Saturday Night Live (SNL) premiered on Sept. 28 to the highest ratings it has received since 2020, but the comedic sketch show’s return was not without controversy. Cast member Bowen Yang appeared on Weekend Update dressed as famed internet hippo Moo Deng. In recent years, Yang has[Read More…]
Bring more big-name musical acts to Montreal
Montreal is often overlooked when it comes to big-name concert tours. Despite its vibrant music scene and energetic crowds, many artists don’t think to stop in Montreal when booking their Canadian tour stops. Meanwhile, cities like Toronto and Vancouver are popular tour destinations. What do other cities have to offer[Read More…]
