Pop Culture Picks of 2019
It's the second-to-last newsletter of the year, so before I dive into the best of the decade (coming next week!), it's only fitting to look back at our time together in 2019 to give you a rundown of the best of the best.
You May Be Right, I May Be Crazy: Earlier this summer I went through a bit of a reckoning with my former self. The middle school/high school version of me detested the Jonas Brothers and truly struggled to understand the appeal of their whiny voices and poor hair choices. And I stand by those opinions! However, a true sign of growth is admitting that your opinions of the past can change, and in 2019, I realized I am now all aboard the Jonas Brothers bandwagon. Sucker is a bop. The Chasing Happiness documentary was truly insightful. The present-day performances of Burnin' Up and Nick/Joe solo work are show stoppers. And now that Taylor and Joe are cool, I can go ahead and say that Joe is obviously the best brother, bye.
Raise Your Voice: Women in music were the highlights on my Spotify 2019 summary, with new albums from Lizzo, Sara Bareilles and Taylor Swift. Between anthems from Lizzo (and the resurgence of her 2017 song Truth Hurts) to soothing ballads from Sara to pop-infused tunes with inventive and meaningful lyrics from Taylor, it was a stellar year for female singer-songwriters.
No Day But Today: While I may be alone in this sentiment, the January production of Rent "live" on Fox was one of the highlights of the year. Due to an injury towards the end of the show's final dress rehearsal (which was being filmed in front of an audience), the production famously had to air the pre-recorded rehearsal in place of a live production. Because it was still in front of an audience, the energy of the show was still palpable and my family live-texted our enthusiastic responses as we watched. It remains my favorite TV musical of recent years.
The Only Political Story I Can Currently Handle: Casey McQuiston's debut romance novel Red, White & Royal Blue was my favorite read of the year. As I snuggled into my couch last month to reread sections of the book on a chilly November evening, I was once again struck by the beautiful love story (and optimistic political subplots) between the son of the president of the United States and the prince from across the pond.
Study Break: The story of two bookworms who realize they've spent the past four years studying instead of socializing is both hilarious and heartwarming (and just as enjoyable on the second watch as the first). Booksmart’s strongest asset is its ensemble and the way it gives everyone a well-rounded portrayal, creating a cast of characters that you want to watch interact over and over again.
Women in the World: I saw Little Women two days ago, but the brilliant filmmaking of Greta Gerwig and the incredible performances by the entire cast have been on my mind ever since. I'll be providing a full and detailed outline of my thoughts in a future newsletter, but in the meantime run to see this movie and tell everyone you know to do so as well.
