crazy, sexy, and/or cool: april 2023
crazy, sexy, and/or cool: april 2023
fashion, frank ocean, cartoons, sonnets, & more
Welcome to the first installation of “crazy, sexy, and/or cool” a bulletin board of the things I've been feeling over the past month. This includes content I’ve been consuming—fashion, art, media— what's inspiring me artistically & the things which have been keeping me happy! Expect a monthly post at the end of each month :)
Being born in April: sexy & cool
I've always loved being an April baby and I wholeheartedly believe people born in April are the best of us.
MOST honorable mention: my friends put together an insane surprise scavenger hunt for me to ring in my birthday which was pretty much the sweetest most thoughtful thing that has ever been done for me! Felt very grateful this month, and blessed to make it to 22.
Frank Ocean lore: crazy or cool?
Re: The Coachella situation: While people are allowed and justified to feel upset about not getting to see Frank, or that his week one set was lackluster in their eyes, I think a lot of the arguments regarding what he "owes" his fans or comparisons to other past headliners are incorrect and a bit entitled. First, Frank has always been a very low-key performer. A lot of the comparisons I saw online were to performances done by the likes of Beyonce, and Rihanna. Beyoncé is a huge exception to live performance because she has consistently throughout her career gone above and beyond– a standard she has created for herself and her fans, not other artists. I love her innovation and artistry, but I don't necessarily think this needs to be the standard for all artists. Different music requires a different performance and stage presence.
Next, I don't think musicians or artists of any kind owe us as consumers anything at all really. They make the music, we consume it. That is the only technical relationship between an artist and a fan. Everything else is just extra. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the extra, but ultimately it's a standard that has been created over time, not something built into the role of being a musician. And while it's true that in today's time, for artists to be successful, they need to be both musicians and public figures, Frank Ocean has managed to find a way to avoid the whole public figure aspect by drawing a strict line between his work and personal life.
He's gotten away with it in the past because it carried more of a mystique than anything, which intrigued people. But I think Coachella was a wake-up call to the public that it's not mystery, he just doesn't care that much about being famous. Buying a concert ticket is a risk in general. We have no clue what the artist is going to get on stage and do. The only thing we really know is that we are going to hear live music. Frank did that. He went on stage and played live music. While this may be the bare minimum for some, maybe this reveals that to an extent, as music fans, we have placed too high of a bar on artists and have conditioned ourselves to expect more than what is technically promised.
All that being said, I do believe Coachella is the main entity that gets to be upset about this because they likely lost thousands of dollars, had their schedule entirely interrupted, and had to accommodate last-minute set changes which were probably costly and time-consuming.
However, and keep in mind that what I'm about to say is coming from an ignorant place because I was not in the room when Coachella was negotiating this deal and making these decisions, but perhaps, returning to my first point, they should have considered who Frank Ocean historically is as a performer. Was it ever really giving headliner? If you ask me, well, I would say yes because Frank Ocean is my favorite artist of all time, and I'm going to stand beside him, but what about the average Coachella attendee? Maybe they're looking for the same energy that Beyoncé brought to her 2018 performance or what Harry Styles brought to his 2022 headlining set. Coachella, too, played into the mystique of Frank Ocean and the hype which naturally came with booking an artist like him who is rarely seen publicly. So maybe it's their fault. Or everyone's fault? Or no one's fault? I don't know. It doesn't really matter. I still love you, Frank, and personally thought the set was amazing.
More Frank Lore:
Untitled (Tumblr Post #33700009336)
Inside Boys Don’t Cry Magazine
Designers in loving: crazy, sexy, and cool
Mowalola, Ib Kamara, Riac Oseph
Flirty utilitarian: sexy & cool
In April I felt like it was time to update my personal style. The seasons are changing, I'm graduating soon, and I realized I hadn't reinvented my style for years at this point. Additionally, 5/7 fits for the week weren’t really hitting like I wanted them too, getting dressed was a battle each morning, everything felt off—so I knew it was time.
I like to identify what my style is— this starts with figuring out what types of pieces I've been gravitating to, what I'm curious about adding to my wardrobe and experimenting with, and what energy I want to exude. This high level research then gets dumped into a pinterest board, and the most important part, I sum it up in a name which will serve as my reference point for all shopping and styling until it no longer resonates.
For the past several years it's been earth toned cozy baddie. Earth toned cozy baddie wears shades of green, browns, tans, and muted tones. She has an effortless feel to her, she’s on the go, but she takes life slow. She prioritizes comfortability over everything. She often sports baggy clothes and sneakers but elevates the lazy look with accessories. This style served me for a long time, but this month we graduate to flirty utilitarian. She's a practical girl, she wants to be cozy still, but it needs to work in any environment. Is she off to dinner, a meeting, work, class, the movies? You would never know, she's dressed for any occasion. Flirty utilitarian takes classic work wear silhouettes, materials, and pieces, but adds a cutesy, light, dainty twist. She's busy, yes, but she's fun—practical, but unpredictable!
key features: work wear (boots, denim, long skirts, stiff materials, button ups, boots) +
colored tights, leg warmers, heeled loafers, lace, tulle, ribbon, etc etc.
Cartoons: crazy & cool
Adventure Time has been my comfort show for the past 2 years, a lighthearted break from reality, but it also serves as a chance to delve into an imaginary world with in-depth plot lines and characters. So that's always a constant.
This past month I've spent more time watching different cartoons, letting myself channel my inner child and lean into the absurdities they present which are starkly different from my very serious feeling real life at the moment.
I've started Legend of Korra, the sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender which follows the next avatar, Korra. I've watched The Last Airbender in the past and I feel like Legend of Kora feels like a slightly more grown-up version. I also stumbled across a long-canceled MTV animated series called Downtown on Youtube. It follows a teenage friend group living in NYC and their adventures. The animation style paired with its very mundane, slice-of-life plot, and casual punchy banter make this a lighthearted, fun watch.
Honorable mentions: Regular Show, The Boondocks
sonnets: crazy, sexy, and cool
You know, Shakespeare definitely ate when he made the sonnet. While I’m more of an Italian sonnet girl myself, I'm still gonna give Will his flowers. 14 lines is the perfect amount of lines to tell a short but meaningful story—it challenges you to be intentional with each line, each word. My love for the sonnet form was definitely birthed from the poetry class I'm taking now and my professor's obsession with them—but I'm glad she put me on because I now see why they're so addictive. The definition of short but sweet.
sonnets to check out:
june 8, the smiley barista remembers my name
Loving you less than life, a little less
being a grown up is not that enjoyable
“Welcome to the Kingdom” podcast: cool
This is my favorite podcast hands down. I love how much I can relate to Karren as we’re in such similar places in life with very similar aspirations. I also love her focus on faith and that she often talks about following Christ and her spiritual journey. I think it’s rare to see people our age so invested in their faith, so seeing her talk about it inspires me to do better as a follower and stand prouder in mine. I'm very proud of the work she's putting in to pursue her goal & I leave inspired every time I listen. Check her out wherever you listen to podcasts.
Welcome to the Kingdom Podcast
currently reading: The Fire next Time by James Baldwin: cool
I picked up this book from this guy who sells Black literature outside of the metro. It’s a series of essays from James Baldwin on being Black in America, religion, his life experiences, and more. Definitely, a great read so far, looking forward to reading even more Black lit centering on Black liberation.
Till next month.
