The radar: February’s cream of the crop

TV series: Riverdale (2017)

Pumped with alluring mysteries and significant coming-of-age stories, Riverdale’s unexpected hit this year has rendered an exciting, heart-stopping plot chock full of clues, relationships, and teenage dilemmas essential for the millennials’ bare, romantic, and perplexing struggle of growing up. Set in the bewildering town of Riverdale, five teens find themselves in the middle of an incident—perhaps even a crime—as someone ends up dead on the fourth of July. Based on the light-hearted Archie comics, the series introduces a new spectrum of hues to the lives of Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica that has been the crucial fragment of the adaptation. Behind the dimly lit burger bar of Pop’s and its uncanny cinematography, Riverdale leads us to the exquisite darkness of the suburbs, gradually peeling away the thick mysteries of a concealed story that grips the lives of the locals.

 

Music: Castle on the Hill and How Would You Feel (Paean) by Ed Sheeran

The first hit new single of Ed Sheeran’s third studio album ÷ (Divide), the edgy-style guitar anthem Castle on the Hill nostalgically thumps every listener’s hearts with its reflective lyrics, flashing back childhood memories all at once. Castle on the Hill appeals to us in a very rhythmic vibe yet dramatic tone as the song features a massive chorus that begs you to sing along while suggesting you to look back on your days of innocence. With Ed’s voice expressing a soaring and yearning feeling, so far, this single seems to be one of the biggest leaps of his 12-year music career.

Serenading us with another new classic, How Would You Feel (Paean) released on the date of his birthday last February 17, Sheeran once again fills our hearts with this feel-good song. As the title suggests, the song is an ode of love with Ed’s fragile voice singing, “How would you feel, if I told you I loved you? It’s just something that I want to do.” Adding diversity to the record, the song is a lot more stripped back compared to the folk-pop of Castle on the Hill.

Sheeran really has something to offer with the way he’s able to dynamically balance different tones and styles, making him the successful artist that he is today. These two new hit singles will no doubt top the billboard charts with only a couple of plays under the belt—striking the chord on this month of love.

 

Music: Love on the Weekend by John Mayer

A pop-rock comeback for a bit of bluesy Mayer’s style is Love on the Weekend, picking up that chill vibe that resonates with everyone. Enticing you to visualize and feel for the next great thing is just around the corner, the lyrics of the song are cleverly written with Mayer singing, “…and I’ll be dreaming of the next time we can go into another serotonin overflow.”  The song will leave you hanging loose with a low-key feeling—making a great playful hit for your weekend.

 

Film: iBoy (2017)

Undoubtedly a wild ride, iBoy engages as a catch-me-outside-how-about-that film that’s enough to set heartbeats a little bit faster than normal. Tom (Bill Milner), an average schoolboy gets an upgrade—a literal game changer—when his head gets embedded with shrapnel from a smart phone. The film is an ambitious yet exciting tweak of possible science, taking advantage of the unmeasured power of technology. The story does not exclude itself from the long list of sci-fi shows that are propelled by action and revenge as Tom’s revenge roots from the gang assault of love interest, Lucy (Maisie Williams).

Still with the quirks of a classic teen movie, iBoy conceals plot holes and cliché concepts by utilizing eminent interests of the young—the cushy crush, the chic sidekick, and the rebellious rush. A wild ride unveiling the gangland of London—the film is wrapped up with impressive cinematic style and the haste of vengeance which Tom takes straight from his head—and onto ours.

 

Website: photooftheday.hughcrawford.com

Craving for throwbacks gives us the taste of nostalgia that lightens our mood and makes us remember the days we were once kids. Our cherished experiences ages ago couldn’t be remembered better without pictures that help us to reminisce. Aside from typical sites like Facebook and Instagram, photooftheday.hughcrawford.com showcases millions of vintage photos taken during the late 1970s up to the late 1990s. The unique display of captured moments from each year is truly the ideal spot for netizens of all ages. This site allows senior techies to revive their memories, and for millennials, it presents a great blast from the past rather than just simple pieces of historical facts.

By storing our valued moments online, we can easily see them to remember and reminisce as we get older to let everyone know its importance as memories—right at the tip of our fingers.

 

Book Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

A tale of ancient Greek mythology merged into modern civilization, the story centers on the titular character, Percy Jackson, and his odd but hilariously snarky perspective as he discovers his godly heritage. The series makes readers feel at home at Camp Half-Blood—an otherworldly training camp where demigods like him equip themselves with weapons, training, and ample preparation for the dangers they have yet to face as heroes.

Throughout the five-book fantasy fiction series, Percy is tasked to essentially save the world every summer, giving us unsolicited demigod tips, life lessons, and plenty of entertainment. You might find the story very relatable if you have a) a life you didn’t want forced onto you (“Anak, ito ang kunin mo na course.”) and b) ridiculously overbearing parents/relatives that just might be gods in disguise.

Written by Rick Riordan, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, the series has a particularly witty writing style that makes Percy Jackson & the Olympians a compelling read that never gets old even after eight years since its completion.