The meticulous art of indie rollouts in South Africa
While some artists rely on a fandom’s reach to publicise new records, there is a bourgeoning breed of musicians going above and beyond industry conventions to rival their peers, signed or independent. To illustrate as much, consider Bra Nyoga, Tyson Sybateli, Underground King, Sipho The Gift, and for the love of all things NORMVL, please say the by, ByLwansta.
Cool girls demand justice
Too often, being romantic is seen as "doing too much", with people biting their tongues when they really want to write long, sentimental love letters. For many, the Gone Girl "Cool Girl" monologue perfectly describes this. Vengeance à la Amy isn’t attainable, but in 2022 let us lean into romance, shed our savagery, and consider justice for the romantic.
House Of The Dragon makes HBO history
After the finale of Game Of Thrones season 8, the GOT fandom has returned to Westeros in droves for the premiere of HBO’s latest prequel, House Of The Dragon.
Luna Elle is crazy off love for her amapiano debut
Ghanaian-Canadian, 17-year-old singer, Luna Elle has made waves as a rising star in the Americas over the past three years. After the success of her debut EP, she’s returned to the music scene with a new sound and a new message!
Lelowhatsgood is making his musical debut
Celebrated and boundary busting international DJ, Lelowhatsgood is making his musical debut. Over the past few months, he has gently teased at new music, often working unreleased joints into his sets. This August, he announced the fruits of this labor as part of 7-track joint EP.
Interrogating: Batman
“All it takes is fear and a little focused violence,” says the Riddler in the 2022 Batman action film. But what is focused violence and when is it a good time to acknowledge its power? Certainly, without blowing any thing or any one up, it’s fair to interrogate the place for violence in the face of corruption.
Work isn’t just “play” as a tour DJ
Gone are the days where people assume that being in the entertainment industry is as glamorous as Old Hollywood suggested. We can thank the rise in Behind the Scenes content, documentaries, and social media for that. But there still seems to be a lack of understanding that entertaining is work, even when you’re in a destination city.
Beyoncé meets us at the dance floor
28 Grammy award winning, Billboard #1 charting, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter demanded we disco before we discourse. With dance videos and TikTok transitions galore, it’s finally safe to discuss Beyoncé’s 7th solo studio album, Renaissance; a love letter to the Black women who created the lane she exists in and the audience that loves them. Is the album her best work? That’s for that audience to decide. It will be up to Black queer people to decide if this music deserves a place on the podium that houses Diva Classics.
Interrogating: i am ALL GIRLS
In 2021, Netflix premiered Donavan Marsh’s chilling film about a global sex trafficking syndicate, ' Am All Girls'. South African actresses, Hlubi Mboya and Erica Wessels lead this thrilling crime mystery. While parts of i am ALL GIRLS is fictitious, the relationship between Apartheid regime sex trafficking is true. While democracy for all was achieved in 1994, by 2021, South Africa had been named gender-based violence capital of the world. In recent weeks, the news of a gang rape in Krugersdorp, South Africa topped every local news cycle and sparked national discourse.
adidas debuts first collection with Thebe Magugu
International sportswear and lifestyle brand adidas has partnered with luxury South African fashion brand, Thebe Magugu for their first collection. Drawing inspiration from his childhood and the women he looked up to, Thebe Magugu’s take on sportswear in 2022 is one to see.