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It’s been over a year since Ariana Grande has released a new album (besides her tour album “Bye for Now”), and “Positions” is her hottest album to date. In the past her music style has been pop with an R&B influence, whereas this one is much more R&B with a pop influence, something I was excited to hear from her. She usually stays in an upper range showing off her higher octaves and keeps things more PG to PG-13 when it comes to lyrics. In her last two albums, “Sweetener” and “Thank u, Next,” Ariana gets a lot more personal when it comes to her personal life and how she dealt with the ending of her relationship and death of Mac Miller. There was a slight hint at a more slowed down style and a sexually personal album. “Positions” doesn’t disappoint, giving us a hint to what her coronavirus quarantine was like.

“Positions” consists of 14 tracks that are all very sexual but in the best and classiest way possible. The album doesn’t waste any time having the most sexual song in Ariana’s discography at the top with “34+35.” It wasn’t until I listened to the first couple of lines that I realized what the title meant and if you still haven’t caught on by the end of the song, she clarifies it for you at the very end. This is a playful song in both lyrics and vocals, switching octaves and breathiness often. Other songs that are on the same wavelength are “My Hair,” “Nasty,” and “Positions.” “Positions” is very relaxed in tone and fun, being the perfect option for the first single and a great way to show the direction of the album. “Nasty” and “My Hair” are two of the most R&B influenced songs being jazzy and sexy in vocals and beat. “My Hair” also features the most impressive vocals of the album with Ari singing “run your hands through my hair” in a whistle note. We heard her first whistle note in “Imagine” off of “Thank U, Next,” but this is the first time she’s sung lyrics in a whistle note, which is quite impressive. 

From there, things stay sexual but are tame compared to “34+35.” Ari gives us a trio of features at the top half of the album leaving the back-half feature free. “Motive” keeps up the upbeat vibe that the last two songs had. The song itself is fun and relatable, asking a guy if he’s there for a hookup or a relationship. Ari plays with runs giving it a “Dangerous Woman” era vibe. Then the song goes a bit downhill with the addition of Doja Cat. It’s hard to tell if she’s trying to rap or sing in certain parts of the verse and her breathing is choppy and kills the song a bit.  We’re then given the best track on the album and one of Ariana’s best collabs to date with “Off the Table” featuring the Weeknd. This is like a sequel song to their previous collaboration, “Love Me Harder,” on her second album “My Everything.” It’s more of a loving song compared to the others, being very R&B and emotional. Their voices blend seamlessly creating a beautiful harmony throughout the song. Then, we’re given another great collab with Ty Dolla $ign in “Safety Net.” The lyrics and vocals are simple, letting the melody and harmony carry out the emotion of the song.

The rest of the tracks all have something different to offer. “Just Like Magic” is vibey and empowering, explaining how she keeps in a positive mindset. “Love Language” and “POV” are very different in style, the former being much sexier in vocal style. However, they share similar messages, with “POV” saying she sees how the guy loves and appreciates her and “Love Language” being the opposite, with her saying how she loves him. The last four tracks “Shut Up,” “Six Thirty,” “West Side,” and “Obvious” are all good in their own way, some being better than others, but don’t have anything distinctive about them that sets them above the rest. “Shut Up” and “Obvious” are the best of those four, giving us some fun runs and vocal switch ups. 

Overall, the album’s a hit. Is it the best of Ariana’s six albums? No, but it is up there on the list. The track list gives us a lot of smooth sexiness with beautiful harmonies throughout each song, a classic Ari signature style, harmonizing with herself. Her back up vocals are where she plays around the most leaving the main vocals simple and relaxed with some vocal tricks thrown in. The album is a 1980s meets 2020 R&B version of her last three albums, taking style and vocal tricks from each to make a new sound. 

As someone who has always loved Halloween, but hated scary movies, I know how odd this time of year can feel. However, over time I have comprised a list of movies that will help you get in the spooky mood, without leaving you with horrible nightmares for weeks. The list is ranked from least to most likely to genuinely scare you, if you are easily frightened like me. These are some of my favorites, so I hope you like them too!

• It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown: This 1966 classic follows the Peanuts gang as they celebrate Halloween. 

• Corpse Bride: Victor Van Dort and Victoria Everglot find themselves in an arranged marriage, but after running into the woods to practice his vows in peace, Victor finds himself married to a dead bride.  

• The Nightmare Before Christmas: Jack Skellington, Halloweentown’s pumpkin king, grows tired of seemingly doing the same thing for Halloween every year, so after stumbling upon Christmas Town, he forms a plan to make Christmas his new project. 

• Edward Scissorhands: After a scientist dies, leaving Edward (his creation) alone, a kind woman finds him and decides to take him home with her. However, this is no ordinary boy, he has scissors for hands–which makes life quite difficult for him.

• Ghostbusters (1984): After a group of scientists stop working at a university in NYC, they decide to become ghost hunters. 

• The Witches (1990): While staying in a hotel with his grandmother, a young boy ends up spying on a convention full of evil witches who don’t want their secret to get out.

• Beetlejuice: After a young couple dies in a car accident, they are forced to watch an eccentric family move into their home. 

• Young Frankenstein: In this 1974 comedy, the grandson of the scientist Dr. Frankenstein is invited to Transylvania, where he soon discovers the process that can reanimate a dead body.

• Monster House: When a neighborhood is being terrorized by a haunted house and its creepy old man, three kids take it upon themselves to get to the bottom of the situation.

• Coraline: When exploring her new home, Coraline discovers a secret door that transports her to a parallel world of her own, but things are not as they seem. 

• Jennifer’s Body: After the failed sacrifice of a teenage girl named Jennifer, she is reborn as a succubus with an extreme craving for the blood of boys, especially those that hurt her. 

• The Craft: When Sarah moves to a new school, she meets three girls who claim to be witches; and It just so happens they need a fourth member. 

• Scream: After the death of a local girl, the town of Woodsboro is sent into a frenzy trying to figure out who the masked killer is, especially when the killer seems to target one girl in particular; Sydney Prescott. 

After 20 drama-filled seasons, spanning 14 long years, “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” is coming to a surprising end. The cast made this announcement out of the blue on Tuesday, Sept. 8–shocking many fans in the process. “KUWTK” will now join the likes of “Jersey Shore” and “The Simple Life,” being remembered as hilariously pivotal shows that shaped pop culture in the early 2000s.  

First making its debut in 2007, “KUWTK” has been around for a large part of my life. Though I would never call myself a die hard fan, as I can only account to watching the show a handful of times, The Kardashian-Jenner family are kind of hard to miss. By inviting viewers into their homes and lives they have created a brand and fan base that will live with them forever. Enjoy them or despise them, it can’t be denied that the Kardashian-Jenner family are some of the most recognizable people in the world today. They did this not only through their show, but also by branching out into their own separate endeavours. In the 14 years since creating the show, each member of their family has made their mark in some way. Whether it be modeling, making cameos in music videos, or starting a fashion line, each family member has found their niche and dominated it. 

Despite rumours of the show’s cancellation or growing tension because of Kanye’s presidential run, the family is keeping a united front. In their official statement, they made it clear that the show’s end was a decision everyone agreed on. No matter the rumors circulating about the show’s end, the fact still remains that come 2021, the show will be no more. Even with the show’s end, it is unlikely that this is the last any of us will see of the Kardashian-Jenner family.

On August 18, 1920, Congress ratified the 19th Amendment, giving women in America the right to vote. This year, the amendment will turn 100 years old, and as the date comes closer, we should discuss how to properly celebrate and remember this moment in history. As we commend this accomplishment, it is our duty to remember and uphold the reality of this time — the truth of the amendment’s ratification being that it was a show of progress — not of victory. 

The 19th Amendment is a fundamental part of our history, and one that should be given the privilege of being remembered correctly. The women’s suffrage movement has often been painted as a continuous triumph at the hands of middle-class white women. However, this idea is obviously not the truth. The campaign went on for more than 80 years and resulted in many women being publicly shamed, ridiculed and assaulted for their beliefs. 

The women’s suffrage movement was less of an “overnight triumph” and more of a “let’s regroup and try to come out stronger” type of ordeal. Regarding it as quick or easy in any way undermines the struggle it took to get to that place — let alone to where we are now. 

Once the 19th Amendment was passed, the states could no longer discriminate against voters on the basis of sex, but nothing stopped them from discriminating based on race. Much like the 15th Amendment, which was accepted into the Constitution in 1870, the 19th Amendment did very little to stop discriminatory practices. 

Even before the 19th was passed, African-American women were deterred from participating in the suffrage movement. Though often excluded from the white-led suffrage groups, African-American women did not let this discourage them from being notable forces in the movement. Once the 19th Amendment was passed, they were not welcomed with change, but instead saw more of the same discrimination as before. Any woman who wasn’t white was still deterred from voting.

It wasn’t until 1965, when the Voting Rights Act was passed, voting discrimination on the basis of race became openly prohibited. In the time between 1920 and 1965, many changes came in terms of who was allowed to vote. The main takeaway being that after the 19th Amendment was passed, most women in the U.S. were still not able to vote. It was not all women, it was some women — it was not total victory, but it was progress. 

When celebrating this monumental landmark in history, we would do well to remember the truth of the matter. Using the term “all women” in regards to the 19th Amendment is not an accurate representation of our history, and is simply an uneducated statement. By acknowledging our history, as ugly as it may be, we are showing our respect to the women who didn’t feel the change the 19th brought until years later. 

As women, standing together to remember the equal rights movement has not been one quick sweep, but a long, choppy battle is the best way to show our respect for the amazing women who came before us.

Global Citizens, a group working towards ending extreme poverty, partnered with Lady Gaga to celebrate healthcare workers and The World Health Organization, or WHO. Famous singers, actors and comedians from around the world were invited to share their art and messages of support for the cause. 

A livestream of the six-hour pre-show began on April 18 at 2p.m. EST. It was globally broadcasted on Twitter, Youtube, Amazon Prime and other streaming sites. The pre-show was a mix of music and heartbreakingly beautiful stories from healthcare workers. Stars like Jameela Jamil, Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson and Megan Rapinoe cameoed to praise WHO and the workers putting their lives in danger to help sick individuals. A mix of singers from around the world did the same, including Adam Lambert, Eason Chan, Leslie Odom Jr, Hozier, Jennifer Hudson, Ke$ha, Lang Lang, Luis Fonsi, Vishal Mishra, Ben Platt, and Sebastián Yatra —just to name a few.

After the pre-show, the show continued at 8 p.m. EST on NBC, CBS and ABC for another two hours. The hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Steven Colbert and Jimmy Fallon kicked off the show. Stars like Beyoncé, Victoria and David Beckham, Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street, Amy Poehler, Oprah and Mathew McConaughey shared facts about COVID-19 and added kind words for the workers involved in keeping people healthy. Singers such as Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Lizzo, Paul McCartney and more came together to perform for the cause. 

Each performance brought its own surprise; due to their virtual nature, nothing was cohesive; small differences like their location, how they were filmed and the way they went about performing their song created a dysfunctional atmosphere. This fact, however, only made the show all the more beautiful. Singers from different cultures and backgrounds of music shared their art with the world, serving as a reminder that we are all going through this together. 

These times, despite being dysfunctional and odd, still seem to be bringing people closer together than ever before. With each song and message, the feeling of hope almost became tangible. More than anything, it served as a reminder that none of us are alone in this, though it may be hard to see that at times. 

Hope, love and respect all played large roles in the overall theme of the day. Anger or annoyance was nowhere to be found, even at times when it might have seemed acceptable. The respect for the work being done by WHO and the frontline workers took over any bitterness in an instant. Beyond respect and hope the theme was clear: our world will probably never be the way it was before, but that should never stop any of us from trying to find joy and hope in the present.