What have your arts and entertainment writers been loving this week? Read more to learn their top five faves.
“As It Was” by Harry Styles: It would be completely off-brand if I didn’t mention the new Harry Styles song as my pick of the week. After being busy with touring and acting, Styles finally released his first new song since 2019. “As It Was” is the debut single from his upcoming album “Harry’s House,” which is set to be released May 20. The song steps into new territory for Styles with its synth hook, backing bells and fragmented lyrics. An accompanying music video shows him stripping down and reflecting the tune’s intimate vulnerability. If “As It Was” is any predictor of the full album’s success, it’s sure to be a chart-topper — the single already broke two major Spotify streaming records. – Sarah Horner
“Good Girls”: Three suburban moms taking on the world of money laundering. What could be better than that? Netflix’s hit show “Good Girls” has returned for a fourth season jam-packed with hilarious one-liners, minivan car chases and everyday money laundering shopping sprees at Walmart. If you’re looking to give your nervous system a break from Ozark’s high-intensity, stress-inducing, money laundering entertainment but want to stay in the same genre of TV, “Good Girls” is its distant cousin — both funnier and more fun to be around. I am shamelessly admitting that I watched the entire first season in two days this week and have no plan of stopping anytime soon. – Carly Quast
“Loner” by Kali Uchis: This past week, I have had “Loner,” by singer and songwriter Kali Uchis on repeat. Before you ask, yes, I am doing okay. Throughout the song, listeners can hear Kali Uchis’ beautiful, soft vocals repeating lines like “I don’t wanna be a cigarette, I don’t wanna be an ashtray. I don’t wanna be your doormat, don’t wanna be ignored but all of sudden you’re not into me.” The song is part of Uchis’ first album, “Por Vida,” and falls under the R&B/Soul umbrella. If you want to be sad with me, add “Loner” to your playlist. – Harry Madden
Minesweeper: It’s an old game with simple rules: find all the board’s mines using information on how many mines are adjacent to a given cell. Besides misclicks and having to guess your way out of a jam, once you get the hang of the game, it’s a peaceful way to relax between classes. However, if you’re looking for a challenge, variations on minesweeper are extensive: three-dimensional Minesweeper, triangle-celled Minesweeper, a Minecraft variant with creepers instead of mines and many more exist to present a familiar problem in a new situation. It’s a game you can get lost in again and again. – Leo Witzke
“I Got the Juice” by Janelle Monae: This is probably one of my favorite songs. It’s a refreshing, upbeat song infused with Afrobeats and a bit of funk. The song, from Monae’s “Dirty Computer” album, combines a catchy rhythm with lyrics that exude confidence. As per the title, “I Got the Juice” is about knowing your worth. It’s a fun summer jam, but I love listening to it during the winter to lift my spirits. – Panache Matemba
