Arts and Entertainment

Five stars across the board for ‘star-crossed’

There’s a discomfort in talking about breakups, divorce in particular, that Kacey Musgraves refuses to shy away from. After her last record, “Golden Hour,” which detailed the singer’s beautiful, dreamy, sunshine-filled marriage, won album of the year at the Grammys in 2019, it was shocking to hear Musgraves announce her divorce from husband Ruston Kelly in 2020. The album, and thus the relationship, had such a cultural impact that it was hard to believe it could break down. At the time, Musgraves spoke very little on the subject. However, with the release of the album and film “star-crossed,” Musgraves is finally letting us in. All the way in.

Review: ‘The Melodic Blue’ embraces a wide range of styles for a strong debut

Baby Keem crafts a well-produced and enjoyable debut album with “The Melodic Blue,” incorporating a wide range of styles and emotions throughout the album to keep listeners engaged.

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Sept. 15

Feminine joy and resistance: Niki de Saint Phalle in the 1960s’ opens at the Menil

“She was the first free woman I saw,” iconic feminist Gloria Steinem once remarked after seeing Niki de Saint Phalle in the streets of New York. While de Saint Phalle would never claim to be free from the patriarchal violence that particularly targets women, her artwork throughout the 1960s charts the work of an artist seeking to become free. “Niki de Saint Phalle in the 1960s,” open free of charge at the Menil Collection now until Jan. 23, 2022, portrays the evolution of the iconic artist’s questioning, raging and joyous feminist works throughout her most radical period. 

Kapwani Kiwanga makes Houston debut in new Moody exhibit

In late September, the Moody Center for the Arts will be showcasing Paris-based artist Kapwani Kiwanga’s first exhibition in Houston, “The Sand Recalls the Moon’s Shadow.” Due to challenges resulting from COVID-19 travel restrictions, Associate Curator Ylinka Barotto said she worked collaboratively with her colleagues to organize the exhibition entirely over Zoom and WhatsApp. 

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Sept. 8

Sip & Study: Here’s our four favorite coffee shops in Houston

While the Rice campus has its share of high-quality coffee options, including Rice Coffeehouse and Audrey’s Cafe, it’s also worth sometimes going beyond the hedges for your caffeine fix. So if you’re looking to switch it up from your usual Nutty Bee — which, let’s face it, is hard to beat — there are plenty of options outside the Rice bubble. 

Big Red Machine’s How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?’s promises meander into less than the sum of their parts

The last two times we heard the critical darling duo that is Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon, they helped Taylor Swift meditate on throbbing emotional pain over a simple piano instrumental. Reuniting again under their Big Red Machine moniker, Dessner and Vernon pursue a more sprawling, maximalist approach in their latest album “How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?” The sheer talent represented means the album can strike gold, but the overall project drags out, cuts its euphoric moments short and makes the listener wait for the duo to return to the bread and butter compositions that just work. 

Review: “Candyman” provides resonant social commentary in the slasher genre

Nia DaCosta’s reimagining of “Candyman” provides strong visuals, sound and social commentary for an excellent viewing experience. “Candyman” follows artist Anthony McCoy as he learns more about the legend of the Candyman, a monster that appears and kills people who say his name five times while looking in the mirror. The movie is a sequel to the original 1992 “Candyman” movie and ignores the two initial disappointing follow-up films, finally providing a worthy successor to Bernard Rose’s visionary original.

Review: ‘CLB’ is a good listen but nothing new

On “Certified Lover Boy,” Drake continues to prove that consistency is key — at least for him. Essentially delivering the same type of music that he has for years, Drake created a highly polished and enjoyable listen, even if he doesn’t really do anything new. “CLB” is drenched in Drake’s perennial themes of heartbreak and braggadocio, along with the strong features and glossy production typical of his work.

Review: Churros galore at The Loop Handcrafted Churros

If you’re looking for a deliciously Instagrammable dessert spot, look no further than The Loop Handcrafted Churros. Located in Rice Village at 5216 Morningside Dr., this spot, which opened Aug. 28, is cranking out mouth-watering, loopy churros and creamy soft-serve ice cream. Menu prices range from $4.50 to $8.

Review: Halsey’s Breakthrough Album — “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power”

The quintessential popstar, Halsey, released her fourth album titled “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.” Halsey’s stage name is a rearrangement of letters from her birth name, Ashley Frangipane. The 26-year-old popstar uses she/they pronouns and has since risen in popularity from their 2015 “Badlands” era, their debut album that amassed over one billion streams. Six years later, Halsey returns with an updated sound and more depth than seen in her previous work.

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Sept. 1

‘Solar Power’: Lorde finds some sort of light

The Lorde has returned, but is it with full force? The titular track and lead single, “Solar Power,” was released without any promotion or announcement on Lorde’s part and was received with somewhat mixed reviews that ranged from slight disappointment to adoration. However, the rest of the album usually makes up for that initial judgement and earns her universal acclaim. That might not exactly be the case this time.

New public art installations open

Since the construction of the provisional campus facilities in August 2020, the sides of the buildings have served as venues for murals as a part of Rice’s public art program, an initiative started in 2008. Three new large-scale art installations are now featured on the sides of the provisional campus facilities facing the inner loop and will be on view through May 22, 2022, according to the Moody Center for the Arts’ programming. 

Review: Kanye West sees a return to form with multifaceted ‘Donda’

“Donda,” Kanye West’s long-awaited tenth solo album, finally came out at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 29. While covering his face and avoiding the typical controversial appearances expected of him, Kanye created one of the most talked about and sought after albums of 2021. For the album rollout, West took his experiment of a “living, evolving art project” from 2016’s “The Life of Pablo” to another level by bringing the creative process front and center to his audience through a series of record-breaking livestream events on Apple Music. Kanye’s iterative changes to the album were shown as it was played on a world stage in three listening events that moved from his birthplace in Atlanta to his childhood home in Chicago. This emphasis on home is made even more poignant with the title of the album, a tribute to Kanye’s late mother, Dr. Donda West, who is featured throughout the work.

Rice Dance Theatre revamps their routine

The fall of 2021 marks the first semester in which Rice Dance Theatre will have professional dance teachers leading every class. Founded in 1970, RDT is the only organization on campus that trains students in modern dance technique and choreography.

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Aug. 25

End of an era: summer music in review

This past summer represented a shift after an untraditional year for musicians. Artists used to making their money from touring began to become more optimistic about their return to the stage. Tours were announced, albums were released and the music industry inched towards a post-COVID world. The emotions inspired by such a time, the hope, pain, dissatisfaction and excitement, all contributed to a unique roster of music and announcements. These smaller compiled reviews will hopefully help to convey this unique era in music.

Review: the Killers tackle contradictions of small town life in “Pressure Machine”

Likely most well known for their first two albums, “Hot Fuss” and “Sam’s Town” which include hits like “Mr. Brightside” and “When You Were Young,” the Killers had been staying in roughly the same lane until attempting to rebrand themselves with the high energy, almost delirious “Imploding the Mirage” last August. As their second album in a little less than a year, “Pressure Machine” is almost but not quite the antithesis of the Killers’ previous album.