How the clean girl aesthetic is shaping beauty ideals
For Canvas8, I wrote a report on how the clean girl aesthetic is shaping beauty ideals for Gen Zers. It appears effortless on social media but is it really?
The Best K-Pop Songs of 2022
Contributed to the Best K-pop songs of 2022 list.
Odunayo Ojo Is Rewriting the Rules of Fashion Content Creation
What does it mean to be a content creator in the fashion space? For The Leap, I interviewed the Fashion Roadman about the art of content creation.
Red Velvet’s Seulgi Is Slaying Her Solo Era
For Elite Daily, I interviewed Seulgi about her solo debut, 28 Reasons.
Did TikTok Kill The BeautyTube Star?
For Bustle, I wrote about the development of BeautyTok and whether it rivals Beautytube.
The Whiplash & Stagnation Of 2000s Nostalgia
For NYLON, I wrote about the whiplash of 2000s nostalgia and why we focus on it in pop culture today.
Teen dramas from the early 2000s help Gen Z imagine a life without social media anxiety
For Mashable, I wrote about social media fandoms keep old TV shows alive for fans like myself and help Gen Z imagine a life without social media anxiety.
2021 Met Gala: Black is Fashion, but not on the Red Carpet
A night of opulence, glamour and of course, high fashion. For Meeting of Minds, I wrote about the best looks by Black women at the Met Gala.
From 'Grand Army' to 'Gossip Girl': The Importance of Representing Black Hairstyles on TV
For so long, Hollywood has had a problem with Black hair and for HYPEBAE, I wrote about the importance of representing natural hair and other Black hairstyles on the screen because our natural hair is worthy of being shown on screen.
Teenage Girls are the original Pop Culture Zeitgeists, but Misogyny ruins this
The consumer power teen girls wield is loved by brands, but loathed by society – why does society consider young girls intellectually redundant?
Lava: A Stellar and Charismatic Display on the Importance of our Names
A review of the latest play at Bush Theatre, Lava. A play about the importance of our names.
Black Women and East Asian Pop Culture
Adopting a multimedia format, I recorded a podcast episode with my friends who, like me, are fans of East Asian pop culture from K-pop, Korean dramas, anime, manga and webtoons.
K-pop Culture: The Power of 6.7 Billion Tweets
K-pop has become a global phenomenon, and the use of social media within its fan – or ‘stan’ – culture, has only amplified it. From Twitter to TikTok, fans and K-pop idols have harnessed social media platforms and are practically everywhere: think BTS, TWICE, Red Velvet, SNSD and more.
What the World Can Learn from ‘K-Pop Activists’
For The Spill, I wrote about K-pop Stan activism and the history behind fandom activism.
Why the YA dystopia craze finally burned out
For Polygon, I wrote about the death of the YA dystopia craze and what contributed to it.
The Real Reason Why Netflix's Blood and Water Was So Good
For Meeting of Minds, I reviewed the real reason why Blood and Water was so good. It told a human story with petty teenagers, it wasn't about race either. Teens were left to be teens without having adulthood projected onto them.
Disney’s coming of age shows were the ultimate cultural zeitgeists in the early 2000s.
Disney set a new precedent in the coming of age genre when Hannah Montana arrived on the scene but before Hannah Montana, Lizzie McGuire and That's So Raven pioneered the genre. In this piece, I cover how Disney pioneered a new genre, making these shows the ultimate cultural zeitgeists in the early to mid 2000s.
Netflix’s Whitewashed “Winx Saga” Loses the Original’s Power
For Teen Vogue, I wrote about the whitewashing of characters in the Winx Club and more generally, the underrepresentation of Black people and other 'minority' groups in the fantasy genre.
Maybe We Should Stop Romanticizing British Monarchy
Hollywood has a fixation with imperialism that needs to stop. This piece argues about the importance of remaining critical when watching scripted television about British aristocracies and monarchies in this op-ed.
We Need to Talk about Xenophobia in the Western Media
In November 2020, we learned that we live in a world where Justin Bieber can receive a Grammy nomination for his song ‘Yummy’ despite lyrics but where masterpieces such as ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd or ‘Map of the Soul: 7’ by BTS were completely overlooked. As usual, the xenophobia in the music industry is rife and nothing new.
The Best K-Pop Moments of 2020
Contributed to this Teen Vogue article about the Best K Pop moments of 2020. I wrote about BTS's relaxing show, In The Soop and about the powerful Hwasa's music video, Maria. In the midst of a pandemic, K pop has definitely had an impact on fans and brought about exciting moments during the year.
Retracting From The Usual Glitz, The Glam And The Sweet, Sweet Romance, ‘It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’ Explores Mental Health And Autism
A review on the leading Korean drama, 'It's Okay to Not Be Okay' and how it tackles mental health and autism in the drama and how it is reflective of our society.
Watchmen's Yahya Abdul Mateen II and others feel pressure to change their name
In an industry that wants you to constantly change yourself, EMMY nominated Yahya Abdul Mateen II does not conform to this narrative. In this article for Digital Spy, I explore the significance of what is in a name and why this is important. In a similar vein, I draw on examples from US actors who have changed their names for the sake of Hollywood such as James Roday Rodriguez and the late Kirk Douglas.
Milan Fashion Week’s online collections demonstrate creativity in the execution
As Milan Fashion Week was the first of its kind to be held entirely online, I consider whether this demonstrates the creativity of high fashion brands or whether it still remains inaccessible to the majority of consumers.
