Toxic Masculinity has been a hot topic among many individuals lately. With the rise of LGBT acceptance and the forefront of gender norms being challenged, a lot of people have been swaying away from how they are told to behave. Before I get into anything, let me just explain what toxic masculinity is defined as. Toxic Masculinity is adherence to traditional male gender roles that restrict the kinds of emotions allowable for boys and men to express, including social expectations that men seek to be dominant (the “alpha male”) and limit their emotional range primarily to expressions of anger. Toxic Masculinity is a cultural concept of manliness that glorifies stoicism, strength, virility, and dominance, and that is socially maladaptive or harmful to mental health. Toxic Masculinity perpetuates an archaic and dangerous definition of what a man is and it continues to affect how men interact with each other, how involved they are in the upbringing of their children, how they treat women in their lives, and how they come to terms with their own emotions and sexuality. Now please understand that Toxic Masculinity and Masculinity are two different things. One thing many opposers of toxic masculinity like to say is that it is an attack on masculinity and that is most certainly not the case. Masculinity exemplifies confidence, responsibility, competitiveness, protectiveness, leadership, and many other characteristics that are great for both men and woman to have. Masculinity becomes Toxic when traits such as violence, sexism, homophobia, sexual conquest and a pursuit of social status becomes the dominating forces in an individual’s personality.

So why does toxic masculinity exist? Toxic masculinity is perpetuated onto boys at an early age. With the popularization of terms such as “boys will be boys,” “boys don’t cry” and “man up,” from an early adolescence boys are taught to repress their emotion and that violence and anger are justifiable. Societal gender norms help intensify toxic masculinity by teaching men that in order to be a “man,” you must fit into what society defines a man to be. This causes disastrous affects to the livelihood of men due to men in the US representing 80% of arrests for violent crime, 97% of arrests for mass shooting, 98.9% of those arrested for forcible rape, 87.9% of those arrested for robbery and many more. Toxic masculinity can also be incredibly deadly because men die by suicide 3.5x more often than woman. Male gender roles tend to emphasize greater levels of strength, independence, risk-taking behavior, economic status, and individualism. Reinforcement of this gender role often prevents males from seeking help for suicidal feelings and depression which can ultimately lead to suicide.

Toxic Masculinity is not a joke or an attack on a man’s manhood. Toxic Masculinity is a real universal problem that needs to be better understood or we will continue living in a society that puts men at a standard of “manhood” that is damaging to their mental and physical health and for society as a whole. Until we are able to attack this societal ideals that men are unrealistically expected to achieve, violence, homophobia, sexism, rape and many other problematic acts will continue to plague society for as long as we know it.

With Coronavirus undoubtedly changing the world forever, there is one concern that has been plaguing students across the country. Will school be closed in the fall? This is a question that is causing a lot of stress for many students because many students do not enjoy an online platform as a way of learning. With the unexpected shift to online classes for the remaining of the Spring 2020 semester, a lot of students were overwhelmed and anxious because this is not an ideal way to learn material. Even though students didn’t have much of a choice and understood that this is for the greater good, having to do another semester online is not something students will be eager to hear. This can greatly affect the lives of both students and parents. Many parents who have kids in elementary school, middle school, and even high school depend on school has a form of care for their child during the day due to them needing to be at work. Without school, this can cause a lot of stress on parents who will need to find an alternate way of care for their children while they are away at work. In college kids specifically, college is not easy. A lot of students need a face to face way of learning in order to succeed, and this could affect many students greatly. For now the curve has been going down and there is hope that this virus will be under control soon. Until then, please practice social distancing and continue to quarantine as much as possible.

I’m sure you’ve all heard of this social media app that has been garnering a lot of attention recently. Yes, I’m talking about Tik Tok. Tik Tok is an app that allows its user to post 15 secs-1 minute video clips of them doing almost anything. And when I say anything, i mean anything. Videos can arrange from dancing, funny clips, challenges, story times, political topics, makeup tutorials, and many many more. The app has garnerd a lot of success especially in the past year. In the US there are an estimate 40 million active users, while worldwide there is an estimate of 800 million active users. Though the app isn’t the most popular in the US when compared to other social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, it is a worldwide giant and is dominating teenagers around the world. The app has also created careers for some of its users such as Charli D’Amelio who became popular on Tik Tok for her dancing videos. As of April 17th, she has 49.2 million followers and is the most followed person on the platform. Tik Tok is undoubtedly taking over the lives of this new generation of teens and is already competing with other social media giants. The app has been around since 2016 but didn’t start to see a lot of success until around 2019. Tik Tok has a promising future ahead and i’m eager to see how far this app will really go in the future.

Dua Lipa is a pop star based in the UK that broke the American market back in 2018 with her hit song “New Rules.” Dua Lipa was under the radar for a while and wasn’t really seen as anything special in the industry. She was looked at as just another basic pop girl with basic pop songs, but she changed everyones mind with the release of her 2nd studio album Future Nostalgia. With the release of the lead single “Don’t Start Now,” people heads were turned as she took on an 80’s musical style, something that no “basic pop girl” has been doing. “Don’t Start Now” become a commercial and critical success in America, UK, and the rest of Europe. Dua then released two more official singles “Physical” and “Break My Heart” which garnered a lot more suspense for her album. When Future Nostalgia officially dropped on March 27th, 2020, it was a critical and commercial masterpiece. With a metacritic score of 89, it was one of the most critically praised albums released in 2020 so far. Despite the album being released during a pandemic, that did not stop the commercial success of the album, with the album becoming a blockbuster on the charts. The album’s title really represents the entire album because it takes elements from many different decades of music by giving it a modern twist. The album has been praised as one of the most cohesive and best pop albums to be released in recent memory. In my personal opinion, I definitely see the album garnering many notable awards in the next year and will go down in history as a defining album in this new decade of music. This album also officially solidified Dua Lipa as a main pop girl and someone to watch out for. A legend in the making.

Many of us are familiar with Akon as this once R&B and Hip-Hop superstar with many notable and chart-topping hit songs. His prominence in the music industry lasted from about 2004-2009, but he soon started to fade away from the public eye. Akon decided to eventually retire from the music industry and turned his focus to helping the continent of Africa where many countries and villages do not have access to basic electricity. In 2014, Akon created Akon Lighting Africa with the help of his two partners Samba Bathily and Thione Niang which aimed to provide millions of Africans with electricity through the use of solar energy. Akon originates from the country of Senegal and felt a very close connection to do something to help the millions of people back home and throughout the many other African countries that are struggling due to their inability to access basic electricity.

            Electricity is something that we take for granted living in a developed nation. It is not a surprise that many people would consider electricity as just an afterthought without acknowledging how much of a privilege it really is. There is an estimated 1.2 billion people living without access to electricity, which is 16% of the world’s population and many of which are in Africa (Routley). Without having access to electricity, there are many things that are affected that some of us don’t even realize, such as the economy. So, it really is no surprise that since many parts of Africa do not have basic access to electricity, their economy is definitely not striving. When asking my friend Emme who did a mission trip to a couple villages in Africa about how she was impacted after seeing how many of these people live, she said “I knew Africa was a less developed country, but until you see it with your own eyes you really do not know how much privilege we have living in a developed nation. Electricity is something most people do not have access to and that made me really appreciate my ability to turn on a light whenever it gets dark, something that I don’t even think twice about.”  Though Akon wanted to bring electricity to make life a lot easier for the millions of African struggling, his main goal was to help build up the economy. Akon created Akon Lighting Africa to create educational opportunities and job creations that will help build up the economy (Sol-Up). Prior to not having access to electricity, jobs and shops would close as soon as the sun goes down. By providing electricity though solar power, these countries and villages will be open at night and shops and vendors can continue their business throughout the night and make the economy stronger (Sol-Up).

            Though providing basic electricity to millions of Africans is a great achievement, the way Akon is doing it is even more of an achievement. Akon is using solar power as a safe and environmentally friendly way to provide electricity to these struggling villages and countries. Fossil fuels make up around 68% of the US energy consumption, which is not safe or good for the environment (Buczkowski). By using solar energy, Africa’s access to electricity is cleaner and environmentally sustainable when compared to western countries. Akon has helped over 600 million people and raised over 1 billion dollars for people living in Africa, a feat that is not easy to achieve (Captain Planet). The success of Akon’s project proved to many charities and organizations that having both a local presence and practical solutions are key in solving many of Africa’s problems. Akon said himself that “One thing I’ve realized about Africa is that only the organizations that involve Africans themselves are successful.A lot of corporations that come with their own policies and try and implement them in Africa fail horribly. The advantage we had is that all three founders are African, so we were able to navigate through each country a lot faster” (Captain Planet). Akon’s achievements are something that has changed the lives for millions, which has led many people to say that Akon has done more in a shorter amount of time than most charities have done in many years.

            Akon Lighting Africa is a project that is going to go down in history as one of the most successful charitable acts that the world and Africa has ever seen. Providing over 600 million Africans with electricity through an environmentally safe energy source undoubtedly changed the lives and the future of the continent of Africa and the world. From once being a superstar who had it all, Akon showed the world that being a rich and famous singer is not the best achievement someone can accomplish but helping those in need is an accomplishment that will last you a lifetime.

The 2020 Presidential Election will take place in November, and this is not just another presidential campaign that some people can just chose to ignore. The Democratic Primary is tying in between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders to see who will be the one to face off current president, Donald Trump, and at this point anyone will be better than Donald Trump. If Donald Trump so happens to win again, many things could go wrong for both the future of this country and the entire world. Climate Change is a real issue taking place, and we need to take action now. Going another 4 years with someone who is cutting almost all funding for environmental protection could lead to many horrific consequences. There is no time to wait, we need change now because it will be too late. Also, with the social injustices happening in America such as police brutality against African-Americans and the rise of hate crimes over the past 2 years against the LGBT Community, we are a country going backwards. We need to set an example for future generations, and having Trump as our president is not looking in the right direction. Get out and vote, because before you know it, it will be too late.

I’m sure you have all heard of this new virus called the Coronavirus that has been spreading like wildfire across the globe. With almost 100,000 people becoming affected with the virus globally and 3,000 reported death, it has caused a global panic. With the fatality being only 3%, thought that is not very low but it isn’t something to feel unsafe about. The coronavirus is another strain of the flu, and if you somehow are one of the unfortunate people to contract the disease, you most likely will not die. Most deaths have reported to be from individuals who are above the age of 65, or have an already weak immune system. The likelihood for an average adult to die from the virus is low, but still be sure to practice good hygiene and wash your hands before touching your face or eating food. Also, if you feel sick, stay home to not put other people who might not be as healthy at risk.

On January 10, 2020, Selena Gomez released her 3^rd solo album Rare. Almost 5 years since her last album Revival and going though many life changing experiences such as being diagnosed with lupus, undergoing a kidney transplant and breaking up with her highly publicized relationships with Justin Bieber and The Weeknd, she has returned with a body of work that reflects on her growth and struggles over these past years. Selena Gomez has been making music since she was 16 on Disney Channel, and releasing 3 studio albums under the name “Selena Gomez & The Scene” as she was accompanied by a band before becoming solo. With the release of Revival, we saw a more mature side of her music that was able to connect with audiences outside of her once children demographic. Rare is an even more mature record that proves Selena’s power in the industry and her talents as an artist.

            Rare is 13 track body of work that experiments with different genres and production styles that helps further solidify Selena’s credibility as a musical artist. The lead single “Lose You to Love Me” represents Selena’s battle with overcoming a toxic relationship she endured, and the struggles of finding the courage to be able to leave for her own mental health was a great start to the album’s buildup. The song debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and showed the world an incredibly vulnerable side to Selena through a piano led ballad that was something she hasn’t really done before. However, with tracks such as “Rare”, “Dance Again”, and “Look at Her Now,” we see a more confident side to Selena in an upbeat dance-pop style that shows her fans that she is stronger and happier than ever before. Critics and fans alike gave the album generally favorable views, with the album having a score of 76/100 with 12 critic reviews and a score of 8.7/10 out of nearly 8000 fan reviews on Metacritic. According to Variety, “It’s hard to think of a more dramatic example of how far Gomez has come musically in nearly five years: Rare is one of the best pop albums to be released in recent memory.” I completely agree with that statement for a multitude of reasons. One being that Rare is Selena’s most mature album to date with lyrical and production content that appeals more so to adult audiences. Another being that the songs on the album showcase Selena’s true vocal and lyrical ability in different genres and styles while staying true to her distinct sound and artistry.

            Though Rare consists of mostly great tracks, just like with any body of work there will always be a stumble here or there. When asking my sister Nakisa on her opinion regarding the album, she states “I am not the biggest fan of Selena Gomez and her music was never really my cup of tea. Though I have to say this was probably my favorite album of hers, there were definitely some tracks that I could not fully listen to because they were simply not good in my opinion.” She pointed out the songs such as “Let Me Get Me” and “Fun” as being some of the album tracks she did not enjoy, and I unfortunately have to agree with her. Despite these two songs experimenting with a sound that we haven’t seen Selena tackle before, they are the weakest links to the album due to the awkwardness of the production style and the repetitiveness of the lyrics. In light of a couple of not so perfect song choices, I still strongly believe     Rare is an almost perfect body of work.

            Rare is a cohesive well produced album that shows Selena in a light that we have yet to see her in before. In these past 5 years that Selena was on a hiatus, despite releasing a couple of droplet singles, we see how much she has matured as an artist, but more so as an individual growing up in the spotlight and tackling life challenges that are nearly impossible for anyone to really overcome. Selena proved to critics, fans, and the general public that she is a prominent force to be reckoned with in the music industry and is a true musical artist with an immense talent in vocals, production, and songwriting. At the end of the day, I think the vast majority of listeners can all agree that Rare is a truly a rare body of work.

            On January 26, 2020, the 62^nd annual Grammy Music Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Recognized as the biggest night in music, the Grammy’s celebrates musical artists by awarding them with incredibly high honors. The four biggest awards of the night are undoubtedly record of the year, album of the year, song of the year, and best new artists. Though they are many other awards that are given out during the Grammys that are also a great honor to achieve, these four categories lead the pack for a multitude of reasons. During this year’s Grammys, Billie Eilish achieved a milestone and won all four major categories. But, in my personal opinion along with some others, I do not believe Billie deserved to win all four categories that night.

            Billie Eilish was the first woman in history to win all four major categories. She is also the youngest artist to do so and the youngest artist to ever win album and record of the year (Grein). This is a remarkable achievement for Billie and shows how much success she has achieved in this past year. The genre-bending pop star did deserve to win some of the awards she rightfully was given, but compared to the other nominees, I do not believe she should have been given all four major awards. During Billie’s acceptance speech for Album of the Year, she starts off by saying that “I think that Ariana deserves this,” as in international superstar Ariana Grande. Ariana was nominated for two of the four major categories, album of the year and record of the year, and she rightfully deserved to be given album of the year.

            Ariana Grande achieved an immense amount of success this year with the release of her fifth studio album “Thank U, Next.” She was the first solo artist in history to have the top 3 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the only other act achieving this being The Beatles (Leon). She also earned the biggest streaming week for a pop album in history (Ashton). “Thank U, Next” was not only a career height in Ariana’s career, but also in the new age of female pop stars. We are entering a new decade of music, and global female pop stars have always been a staple in the music industry. Ariana is arguably the biggest female pop star right now, following the footsteps of Madonna, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and other influential and highly successful female pop artists. Ariana was nominated for 5 awards at this year’s Grammy’s and left empty-handed. Despite being invited to perform and being used in almost every single Grammys commercial, she was completely snubbed. This made me and many others very upset due to the blatant disrespect that was showed to Ariana. When asking my friend Kolbey who also watched the Grammys what she thought of Ariana not winning any awards, she said “Ariana had the biggest album of the year and was not given the award for album of the year. That makes absolutely no sense to me, and even if she was not given that award, the fact that she got nothing is what shocked me the most.” Ariana leaving the Grammy’s with no awards was one of the biggest controversies of the night and did not sit well with many viewers. 

            I am by no means trying to undermine Billie’s success. With her debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” being one of the biggest debut albums in recent memory, and achieving the #1 hit song “Bad Guy” which made her the only artist born after the year 2000 to have a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, Billie deserves all the accolades she can get (Abidor). She is an amazing artist who is changing what it means to be a pop star with her unique and distinct style of music. I think the main problem is how the Grammys completely overlooked their other nominees, specifically Ariana, and failed to recognize their achievements. This is not the first time an artist who rightfully deserved to win at the Grammys left empty-handed, and it certainly won’t be the last. Going forward, I can only hope the Grammy’s are able to give credit where it is deserved, specifically to musicians who are undoubtable pioneers in this new era of music.

Malcom James McCormick, also known for his stage name Mac Miller, was an American rapper, producer, and songwriter who died unexpectedly on September 7^th, 2018 at only 26 years of age. Born on January 19^th, 1992 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Mac Miller had a love for music at an early age. He began rapping at 15 years old and was even part of a short-lived rap group called “The II Spoken” before eventually deciding to go solo. Throughout his solo career, Mac Miller released 6 studio albums, with one of them going #1 and all of them debuting within the top 5 of the Billboard 200 charts. He also scored 21 Billboard Hot 100 entries and became a notable pioneer for hip hop throughout this last decade.

As Mac Miller’s fame was reaching unspeakable heights, his personal life was heading downhill. According to an article dedicated to Mac Miller that was published on The Rolling Stone, “Miller struggled with substance abuse throughout his life and had spoken openly about it in the past. His early career was marked by a dependence on lean, a mixture of promethazine and codeine.” Mac struggled with maintaining his sobriety despite having many attempts.

Despite his struggles with drug addiction, Mac Miller had an incredibly loyal fanbase. Mac Miller’s raps were very relatable for a lot of his frequent listeners, as he rapped about a range of touchable subjects such as partying, school, drugs, depression, love, and many others. He was able to reach a wide-range audience who appreciated Mac’s honesty and vulnerability he showcased in his music. According to Lauren Guillot, a loyal fan of Mac Miller from the early start of his career, she described his music as being “A relatable experience that touched my heart in places that not many other artists have.” She also stated that “Mac Miller was a huge influence in hip hop, despite being white he was able to gain respect from a genre that is undoubtedly black-dominated without having to fear appropriating black culture because he had genuine appreciation for the culture surrounding hip hop, and it showed in his music.”

Mac Miller’s legacy and impact in hip hop is something not many artists can say they have achieved. His ability to shy away from public controversy was another token in his ability to have universal love from so many different demographics. Despite being in a heavily publicized two-year relationship with international superstar Ariana Grande, he was never the topic of any notable public headline and can be described as a person who was “endlessly curious, unflinchingly kind, and universally beloved.”

Mac Miller’s universal love and respect unfortunately could not save him from his struggles with addiction. Mac Miller’s unexpected death was the result of an accidental drug overdose that was laced with Fentanyl. Fentanyl is defined as “a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.” In spite of the unforeseen loss of Mac Miller, his legacy will forever carry on as a rapper who was loved by many and impacted the music industry, hip hop culture, and many individuals hearts.