May flowers and all that stuff, y’all. This was a perfect month, so the overall theme of my obsessions this month is “perfection”. This month features Australia’s hottest female rapper, two talented McGill b1shes, and some videos that will make your insides warm.
“Fancy” by Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX
Living in Korea for the last ten months has made me dangerously apathetic with regards to music. While living in Montreal, I was constantly scouring music blogs and reading Pitchfork for the latest music hype. In that vein, my love for Iggy Azalea was a slow burn. I knew (and loved) her earlier singles, “Work” and “Bounce”, but when “Fancy” entered the cultural zeitgeist, I felt very far removed, nearly ambivalent, about its release.
I recently saw the light of the day and gave it a serious listen, and ooh boy: I’m about that “murda business” life yet again. As a pop culture enthusiast, Anna Kendrick’s mini performance of it during her SNL stint and this viral video have further encouraged my obsession. Long live Iggy (oh, and Charli.)
If I Were 22
We’ve all been there: shell-shocked recent graduate, wandering the streets of Montreal’s Mile End, listening to “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman, wondering “what in Meryl’s name am I going to do with my life?” (Just me?)
Despite having some semblance of what is in store for my future, LinkedIn has helped in easing my anxieties with their new If I Were 22 series, where over 80 “Influencers” (the top minds in business, media, and technology) “share lessons from their youth and what their few more years of life can teach the class of 2014 and every young professional” (more on that here). I’ve found myself relating to pretty much every post in some way, especially this one about writing your thoughts (with a pen!) in some sort of journal/diary/organizer. The future is always uncertain, but I’ve found these posts are a reminder that we’re all in it together.
“Spring” by Stephanie Pellett
Do you have one of those friends who is just obscenely talented at nearly everything they try their hand at? I do. Her name is Stephanie Pellett and not only is an amazing writer, photographer, yogi, podcaster, teacher, and overall human being, she also films and produces amazing videos (check her Vimeo here).
Over the past two months, Steph has been filming our adventures together in South Korea (and Japan!) and the final product is so beautiful. I’ve been watching the video on repeat, and feeling nostalgic for experiences that happened mere weeks ago. I know this will continue upon my return to Canada, stoking the fires for my former life in Korea.
If the video weren’t perfect enough, Steph chose “Shine” by Benjamin Francis Leftwich (Kygo Remix) as the video’s theme. Could she be more perfect? The answer is no. Slap an “I’m Basically Meryl” sticker on her, and call it a life.
Check out Steph’s own blog post about the “Spring” video here!
Rapidfire
– This video of a hamster eating a tiny burrito. I mean, look at the Crayola crayon box reappropriated as a tiny table! The lights falling over three-quarters of the way into the video! The earnest hamster eating a burrito the way a burrito was meant to be eaten – stuffing it down one’s gullet. Perfect.
– This cover of “Lights” by Ellie Goulding by Brittni Paiva on the ukelele. Maybe not as good as the original Ukelele Boy, but god love her for being somewhat current.
– This article reviewing Japanese artist Hugo Yoshikawa’s transformation of 26 European cities into the complete alphabet. As if my wanderlust wasn’t already laid on too thick…
– This feature on Lana Del Rey (written by my lovely and always prim friend, Adrienne) on Vitamin Daily. Adrienne perfectly chronicles her love affair with Lana, with some of the most perfect commentary I’ve ever read: “Lana really crashed onto the scene with her SNL performance. Like, car crashed, in slow motion. I’ve watched the video on repeat, tensely pinpointing the exact moment she goes under, narrating her irredeemable plummet like David Attenborough giving the play-by-play of a tundra rabbit’s evisceration.”
Millennial Abroad 