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How to Free Up Space for High-Resolution Art Photos on Your iPhone

Need more space on your iPhone so you can shoot high-res art photos without worrying about running out of storage? Smart move, those detailed shots eat up a lot of space fast. But how do you free up space without deleting everything in sight or stressing over every single MB? The good news is, it’s easier than you think. Whether you’ve been into art photography for a while or you’re a newborn artist, this guide will help you get the most out of your iPhone’s storage to keep capturing your best work without limits.

How Much Space Should I Free Up on My iPhone for High-Resolution Art Photos?

Actually, it’s tough to give a one-size-fits-all answer because it really depends on how you plan to use your iPhone. For instance, think about how frequently and how many photos you usually take. Do you prefer shooting just a few carefully composed shots, or do you capture multiple series from various angles?

Also, consider if you’ll be editing your photos directly on your iPhone. If so, you’ll need extra space so your editing apps don’t slow down or lag. On the other hand, maybe you plan to transfer your photos regularly to a laptop or another device for editing, storage, or selling. In that case, you might not need as much free space on your phone.

The more tasks you handle directly on your iPhone, taking, editing, and storing your high-res art photos, the more storage you’ll need to free up. So, take a minute to think about your workflow and plan your storage needs accordingly.

How to Free Up iPhone Storage for Art Photos

If you’re already reading this part, you’ve probably figured out roughly how much storage you’ll need to free up – great job! Now, let’s see how to do it. While you’ll find articles online about various methods for freeing up space on your iPhone, here we’ll stick to the quickest, most effective options – remove the media files and reduce other apps’ data. This way, if your phone suddenly runs out of storage mid-shoot, you’ll know exactly what to do and get back to capturing your art with as little downtime as possible.

Step 1: Clean Your Photos App

If you regularly take high-res photos, your Photos app probably consumes most of your storage. But aside from those important shots, your gallery is likely filled with other files that can be deleted. Instead of manually searching through each album, it’s easier to use an iPhone cleaner app.

There are many cleaners in the App Store, but not all of them perform as advertised. To save you the headache, we recommend using Clever Cleaner: AI CleanUp App. It’s a free app that helps tidy up your photo and video gallery without deleting important images. It finds exact duplicates and similar photos (perfect for when you shoot multiple angles), screenshots, large files (usually videos, but also potentially RAW-format images if you store your art photos that way), and even converts Live Photos into regular still images (useful if you captured emotional moments but prefer to remove the motion).

 

How to use Clever Cleaner to remove duplicates and similar photos:

  • Download Clever Cleaner for iPhone from the App Store or the official website.
  • Open the app and grant it access to your photo library. Allow the app to complete the initial scan, after which it will automatically open the necessary function to manage duplicates or similar photos.
  • To remove all duplicates and similar photos at once, tap the ‘Smart Cleanup’ button. This action will delete all duplicates, retaining only the best photo from each group as automatically selected by the app.
  • If you prefer to selectively remove duplicates, tap on any grouped photos, select the images you wish to delete, and choose ‘Move to Trash.’ Repeat this process for each group.

  • The selected photos will move to the app’s trash bin. Review these and, if necessary, restore any pictures before final deletion. To delete them, slide the ‘Slide to Delete’ control.
  • All marked copies will then move to the ‘Recently Deleted’ album. The app will provide instructions on how to clean this album. Review and follow these instructions.

The steps for the other features in the app work pretty much the same way, so you shouldn’t have any trouble using them. If you want to clear as much space as possible, go ahead and use each of these tools. You could free up tens of gigabytes with just a few taps.

Step 2: Remove Other Media from Your iPhone

While the Photos app typically holds most of your media, the Files app shouldn’t be overlooked. You might find files you downloaded from the internet or transferred from other sources, especially if you set your device to save downloads there. This could include not just photos and videos, but also other file types, like presentations or documents where you’ve kept details about your art photos.

Here are steps to manage media in the Files app:

  • Locate the Files app on your iPhone and open it to view all the stored documents and media.
  • Tap “Browse” at the bottom, then choose “On My iPhone” or “iCloud Drive” to see what’s stored there. Use the sorting feature to organize by size, making it easier to spot the biggest files.

  • Look through the files, especially large items that you no longer need. These might include old presentations, large PDFs, or archived documents that are no longer relevant.
  • To delete, swipe left on a file and tap the red “Delete” button. For multiple files, tap “Select” (top-right), pick the ones you want to get rid, and hit the trash icon.
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  • After deletion, files move to the ‘Recently Deleted’ folder. Navigate to this folder and select “Delete All” or individually delete items to free up space right away.
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Step 3: Clean Up Your App Data

Apps and their related data can also eat up a big chunk of your iPhone’s storage. Over time, they accumulate temporary files and caches to speed up performance, but these files take up space. Although some applications offer built-in options to clear this data (notable examples include Facebook, TikTok, and Telegram), such features are rare. If an app doesn’t have this feature, the best way to reclaim space is to reinstall it (or delete it entirely if you no longer need it).

Rather than removing apps straight from the Home Screen, we suggest doing it through Settings. This lets you see exactly how much storage each app is using:

  • Tap on the “Settings” icon on your iPhone. Scroll to and select “General” from the settings menu.
  • Tap on iPhone Storage. This option provides a detailed breakdown of all the apps installed on your iPhone and the amount of storage each consumes.

  • Scroll through the list to spot which apps are taking up the most storage, then tap an app for more details.
  • Tap Delete App to remove the app and all its data. If you still need it, reinstall from the App Store to start with a clean slate.

If you’d rather not delete any media or apps but still need extra space on your iPhone for high-res art photos, iCloud sync might be your best bet. It moves your full-resolution photos to iCloud and keeps lightweight thumbnails on your phone to save space. Just keep in mind – this isn’t totally free. iCloud only gives you 5 GB of free storage, which usually isn’t enough if you’ve got a growing portfolio.

And that’s it, you’ve now got a solid set of tools and tips to keep shooting without interruptions, while continuing to grow your art style, creativity, and career.

Incredible Wins That Changed Lives

Casinos have long been associated with thrilling moments, exciting games, and life-changing jackpots. Whether in a land-based casino or an online platform, players around the world have experienced extraordinary luck, turning small bets into massive fortunes. We will explore some of the most remarkable casino lucky stories while highlighting the appeal and excitement of online casinos.

The Thrill of Online Casinos

Online casinos have revolutionized the gambling industry by offering players the chance to experience the excitement of casino gaming from the comfort of their homes. With thousands of games available, including slots, blackjack, poker, and roulette, players have endless opportunities to test their luck and potentially win big. Progressive jackpots, massive bonuses, and innovative gameplay have made online casinos more appealing than ever.

Unbelievable Casino Wins

  1. The Biggest Online Slot Jackpot – One of the most famous online casino wins occurred when a British player won an astonishing €17.8 million playing Mega Moolah, a progressive jackpot slot. The lucky player had placed a small bet and was stunned to see their life change in an instant.
  2. A $39 Million Vegas Miracle – While this win happened in a land-based casino, it is one of the most legendary gambling stories. A software engineer in Las Vegas won nearly $39.7 million on a Megabucks slot machine, setting a record for the biggest slot jackpot ever.
  3. Turning $5 into $4 Million – A man in Finland casually played an online slot game with a mere €5 bet and ended up winning a life-changing €4 million. This win further proves that luck can strike at any time, even with the smallest wagers.
  4. The Poker Prodigy – An online poker player, who started playing with free chips, gradually built his skills and bankroll over time. Eventually, he entered a high-stakes tournament and walked away with over $2 million in winnings, proving that strategy and patience can pay off in online casinos.
  5. The Lucky Roulette Bet – A businessman once walked into a casino and placed his first-ever bet on a single number in roulette. To his surprise, the ball landed on his chosen number, and he walked away with over $500,000 in winnings in just a few seconds.

Why Online Casinos Are So Popular

  • Convenience – Players can enjoy their favorite games from anywhere, at any time, without needing to travel to a physical casino.
  • Bonuses and Promotions – Online casinos offer generous welcome bonuses, free spins, and loyalty rewards, increasing players’ chances of winning.
  • Game Variety – With thousands of games available, players can choose from classic table games, exciting slots, and live dealer games for an immersive experience.
  • Progressive Jackpots – Many online casino games feature jackpots that continue to grow until a lucky player wins, sometimes reaching millions of dollars.

Conclusion

Casino lucky stories remind us that anything is possible when playing online casino games. While winning life-changing amounts of money is rare, these incredible stories highlight the excitement and unpredictability of online gambling. With the convenience, variety, and potential rewards of online casinos, players continue to be drawn to the thrilling world of betting. As always, responsible gambling is key to ensuring an enjoyable and positive experience.

Most Successful Online Bets

Online betting has become a global phenomenon, offering players thrilling opportunities to place wagers on sports, casino games, and even unconventional events. With the rise of digital platforms, placing bets has never been easier, and some players have turned small stakes into life-changing sums. In this essay, we will explore some of the most successful online bets, the advantages of online betting, and the positive impact it has had on the gambling industry.

Unbelievable Wins: From Small Bets to Fortune

While many bettors dream of hitting the jackpot, a few lucky individuals have managed to turn modest wagers into massive payouts. Here are some of the most remarkable online betting wins:

  • The $0.25 Millionaire – A lucky online casino player placed a $0.25 bet on a progressive jackpot slot and walked away with over $20 million, proving that even the smallest stakes can lead to astronomical wins.
  • The 5,000-1 Leicester City Miracle – In 2016, an online bettor placed a mere £20 bet on Leicester City to win the English Premier League at 5,000-1 odds. The underdog team made history, and the bettor won £100,000, one of the most famous sports betting wins ever.
  • The $100 Poker Mastermind – An online poker player entered a $100 buy-in tournament and skillfully maneuvered through thousands of competitors to win over $2 million in prize money.

These stories showcase the unpredictability and excitement of online betting, where strategy, luck, and smart decision-making can yield astonishing results.

Advantages of Online Betting

Online betting has transformed the gambling industry in numerous ways, making it more accessible, engaging, and rewarding for players. Here are some key benefits:

  • Convenience – Unlike traditional betting venues, online platforms are available 24/7, allowing players to place bets from anywhere in the world using their smartphones, tablets, or computers.
  • Variety of Options – Online betting platforms offer a vast range of markets, from sports betting to live casino games and eSports, catering to different interests and skill levels.
  • Bonuses and Promotions – Online bookmakers and casinos provide generous bonuses, such as free bets, cashback offers, and deposit matches, giving players added value for their wagers.
  • Live Betting and Cash-Out Options – The ability to place bets in real-time and cash out early adds an extra layer of excitement and strategy to online betting.

Interesting Facts About Online Betting

  • The online gambling industry is expected to surpass $100 billion by 2025 due to increasing accessibility and innovation.
  • One of the largest-ever online sports betting wins was a $14 million payout on a single bet.
  • Some online platforms allow players to bet on unusual events, including the outcomes of reality TV shows and political elections.
  • Cryptocurrency betting is gaining popularity, providing faster and more secure transactions for online gamblers worldwide.

Conclusion

Online betting has evolved into an exciting and dynamic industry, offering players a chance to experience thrilling wins from the comfort of their homes. While luck plays a role, successful betting often involves strategy, research, and calculated risks. As the industry continues to grow, online platforms provide a safe and enjoyable way for players to engage with their favorite sports, casino games, and betting markets. However, responsible gambling remains essential, ensuring that betting remains a fun and positive experience for all.

Album Review: L.A. Witch, ‘DOGGOD’

L.A. Witch’s sound conjures the image of the three witches, the weird sisters, in Shakespeare’s Macbeth: Pai the thunder, English the lighting, and Sanchez the rain. Their allure is spooky and titillating, compelling the listener to bang their head with the power of ancient witches, especially the ones whose spirits wander the streets of Los Angeles, where the band calls home. DOGGOD, the band’s third studio album, the final contribution to this echoey triptych that has been their discography, abundant with reverb that bounces around the paved bed of the Los Angeles River, manipulates, toys with, and teases the theme of domination versus submission. Who is the God here, and who is the Dog? Each song stabs at the answer. A few words repeat throughout the album, namely “distress” and “forlorn,” embodying the themes of an album full of yearning desire, not above dying in the pursuit of love in all its power.


1. Icicle

For an album that revels in paradoxes (i.e. dog/god, distressed/calm, dominate/submit, dream/reality, king/queen), it only makes sense that the first song of the album opens with a lyrical contradiction: “Icicle, won’t you cleanse my soul/ You are sharp and cold/ Purity come make me bleed.” Purification through mutilation, a taunting and bloody idea suggested over the psychedelic/gothic cumbia pluck of the guitar, establishes the album as one of affliction and release.

2. Kiss Me Deep

‘Kiss Me Deep’ plays with the rhythmic continuity of a train rolling over its tracks, the guitar playing a chugga-chugga over the bass while the drums dance on the cymbal and snare. The song possesses a kind of dark, deep dark loyalty to love and desire: “You love me like a precious dog/ You licked me like a hungry dog.” Perhaps there is power in being a dog, content in its position of subservience as long as it remains beloved. A notable mention in ‘Kiss Me Deep’ is “gallows,” perhaps a nod to the murdered witches after which the band takes its name. This connection between the women who were condemned as witches and modern women, an inheritance of punishment, lasts in “every life,” but thankfully so does being kissed.

3. 777

The album picks up pace in ‘777’, a number considered angelic and related to the pursuit of love and suffering for it. Sanchez sings her lo-fi croon as the drums march along like an army of angels, ready to kill for love, like the gothic/horror divine this song is, as it depicts lovers lying prostrate on the floor like a “wounded warrior” or “forlorn soldier.” If the previous song revels in being a dog, this one remains weary of being on top. The lyrics provoke “Does glory lead to our demise?” as the guitar plucks like a lonely wind chime and only the drums are heard in accompaniment.

4. I Hunt You Pray

The Dog/God paradox reaches a particularly macabre mood in ‘I Hunt You Pray’. Darkness haunts Sanchez’s vocals, which drone like a very dreary huntress crawling across a dirty pub floor, tired of waiting for affection. The homophone in the title “I hunt you pray” could also be heard as “I hunt you prey,” the second of which sounds slightly more menacing. She repeats that line with a pause between you and pray, playing with our ears even further, reveling in inexactitude, the liminal space between the hunter and hunted, dog and god. Towards the end of the song, an ethereal synthesizer mingles with the guitar, bass, and drums, like an elucidatory light growing brighter and louder, stealing the song from the vocals, which perhaps has become its own kind of prey to the music.

5. Eyes of Love

With a folkier twist, ‘Eyes of Love’ takes some respite from dark desire turning into a shimmering reflection. Talk of revelations and biblical imagery, like a crown of thorns, “Heaven in your eyes,” “consecrate your beauty and power,” and the album cover of two hands clasped in a prayer position around a dagger (not unlike the cross-shaped dagger Macbeth used to kill King Banquo) evokes the spirituality of love. If these eyes of love can cast a glance of affection, they can also devour.

6. THE LINES

At the outset of this song, Pai’s hypotonic style of bass sounds like its sister instrument, the cello, making the song exude a genre-bending post-punk and gothic sound. The lyrics reach a poetic altitude, as Sachez’s vocals trace ambivalent, invisible lines. An organ intercedes with an ethereal hum as the guitar plays through a smoke-filled room. English on drums acts as glue, turning the song into a sermon one might hear performed at the church of L.A. Witch.

7. Lost at the Sea

A scenic drive up the 101, a California road trip, an ol’ timey ghost town, this song slows down as guitar plays a gentle strum, the drums tick a melody like an ambivalent clock, and the vocals speak of “the sirens sing” and “songs of deities,” two images of womanhood and seduction. Sirens, seabound mermaid creatures in Greek mythology known to drag sailors to their death, mix their noise with deities, demanding to be heard. Cosmic power draws two ships, two lovers, together, but one without the other causes sails to drift. When this happens, the vocals become lost at sea, appearing sparsely between the guitar and synthesizer’s melodies.

8. DOGGOD

The surf rock sound that originated in Southern California claims its spot on the beach in the album’s titular track, surfing the waves that were once looked at longingly, and now are being ridden with glee. ‘DOGGOD’ revels in submission: “Want me to be down at your feet/ I beg and cry for my relief,” and finds power in a lower position. Sanchez has made a symbolic connection between women and dogs, their shared perceived subservient positions in society, but that is the power of the palindrome, the meaning changes based on perspective.

9. SOS

This album rocks, floating up and down across the desert sea, jerking with the tide, going out with a bang. ‘SOS’ rises from the bottom of the ocean to the surface “where it’s not that deep blue.” This song closes the album by evoking the first song. Instead of an icicle, frozen in time, dripping with potential danger, ‘SOS’ is a hanging on an iceberg. There is a religious element to this roundabout conclusion, like the second-coming of a chunk of ice, but in a stronger and deeper, although not less deadly, form. Sanchez’s vocals rise to a yell, like a coming wave, shouting “may date may date,” and for “deliverance,” then falls, overtaken by the band’s crescendo, ending with an echo like this whole album is just a memory, stuck in your head, a mirage indeed.

8 Albums Out Today to Listen to: Black Country, New Road, The Ophelias, Florist, and More

In this segment, we showcase the most notable albums out each week. Here are the albums out on April 4, 2025:


Black Country, New Road, Forever Howlong

Black Country, New Road have released Forever Howlong, their first studio album following the departure of frontman Isaac Wood. With bassist Tyler Hyde, May Kershaw, and Georgia Ellery trading lead vocals, the band’s third LP achieves a different kind of complexity – and uplift – by dividing itself through each member’s songwriting inclinations. It was previewed by the singles ‘Besties’, ‘Happy Birthday’, and ‘For the Cold Country’.


The Ophelias, Spring Grove

The Ophelias are back with a new album, the Julien Baker-produced Spring Grove. They tracked the album over ten days at Young Avenue Sound in Memphis in 2021, the year after the release of their last album Crocus. “It feels like the completion of a years-long aim,” vocalist Spencer Peppet said in our interview. “And I think that a lot of that was just finally knowing what we wanted and being able to say that the guitar should sound so crunchy, or it should be more guitar-led, or have really forward bass, or keep the violin kind of on the lower end of the notes until we get to this one part. It feels like we locked in with what we wanted and were able to really do it for real.”


Florist, Jellywish

New York indie-folk outfit Florist have unveiled their fifth studio album, Jellywish, which homes in on the tender minimalism and escapism of their previous work. “Jellywish believes in the incredible magic within us and around us here in this reality, and the potential for a beautiful and symbiotic Earth if we do not turn away from what is evil but instead challenge it and stand up for what is not,” bandleader Emily Sprague explained. “It is meant to be a gentle but firm nudge to think about, and deconstruct the parts of our world which do not serve us all equitably; systems of power and control which can harm, destroy, box us in to ridiculous constructs, and take away anyone or anything’s right to a free and happy life. From the self to the collective consciousness, Jellywish asks us to look inside, outside, every which side, to remember love and empathy, caregiving, and the vigilant rejection of systemic harm towards our planet and the beings inhabiting it.”


Jane Remover, Revengeseekerz

Jane Remover‘s Revengeseekerz, which never got a proper release date, has arrived. JR wrote, performed recorded, mixed, and mastered in the record Chicago this winter, and it’s a blast all the way through. The follow-up to 2023’s Census Designated features the early singles ‘JRJRJR’ and ‘Dancing With Your Eyes Closed’, as well as a guest spot from Detroit rapper Danny Brown on the frenzied ‘Psychoboost’. “The radio I sleep to glitches, my dreams give me nausea,” the artist sings on ‘Fadeoutz’, capturing the ethos of the record. “Stumbling at the show, fans walking in on me vomiting.”


Lily Seabird, Trash Mountain

Lily Seabird’s stunning new album, Trash Mountain, is named after a pink house sitting on a decommissioned landfill site at the back of Burlington’s Old North End, which the singer-songwriter has called home for several years now. “I was just singing out thinking about that – a place that could have so much beauty to me, and so much sense of community, but then it has that name,” Seabird said in our Artist Spotlight interview. “I’d be constantly thinking about the climate crisis and pollution and late-stage capitalism, just the state of the world, and I sing a lot about – this time of year, all the garbage people have thrown on the side of the road comes out of the snow and is just there. So there’s lots of trash around, and it just seems like a palpable metaphor to me.”


DJ Koze, Music Can Hear Us 

DJ Koze has released Music Can Hear Us, his first album in seven years, via his imprint Pampa Records. Described as “a 64-minute return trip to space,” the playful, idiosyncratic, and at times pensive follow-up to 2018’s Knock Knock features guest appearances from Damon Albarn, Sofia Kourtesis, Soap&Skin, Ada, Sophia Kennedy, the Notwist’s Markus Acher, and Marewrew.


Sleigh Bells, Bunky Becky Birthday Boy

Sleigh Bells have returned as rambunctious and bombastic as ever with Bunky Becky Birthday Boy, their first album in over three years, and as to the title. “‘Bunky Becky’ was a nickname for Alexis’ dog Riz, who passed away in December 2023,” Derek Miller explained in a statement. “When she passed away, Alexis and I had been talking about writing an anthem for her. And then Alexis’ son Wilder was born, and he’s the birthday boy. Even though the title sounds a little ridiculous – and it’s totally okay to laugh at it — with a little bit of context, it’s actually life and death. We lost somebody that we love, and we gained somebody that we love.”


Craig Finn, Always Been

The Hold Steady bandleader Craig Finn has released Always Been, a shimmering embrace of an album that was produced by Adam Granduciel of the War on Drugs. Kathleen Edwards and Sam Fender also contribute vocals on the LP, which follows 2022’s A Legacy of Rentals. “I believe this to be the most narrative record I have made,” Finn said in a press release. “Most songs concern a protagonist who pursued a career as a clergyman despite a lack of faith. The record tells the story of his rise and fall and redemption.”


Other albums out today:

Scowl, Are We All Angels; The Waterboys, Life, Death and Dennis Hopper; David Longstreth, Dirty Projectors & Stargaze, Song of the Earth; Djo, The Crux; L.A. Witch, Doggod; duendita, A Strong Desire to Survive; Barker, Stochastic Drift; Chy Cartier, No Bring Ins; Marlon Williams, Te Whare Tīwekaweka; Sister Ray, Believer; Walt McClements, On a Painted Ocean.

Tianyi Ren: Between Speculation and Reality—A New Dimension of Interactive Art

In the evolving landscape of contemporary art, where technology, environmental consciousness, and social critique collide, Tianyi Ren responds with profound inquiry. A London-based Chinese Tibetan multidisciplinary artist, Tianyi Ren’s works exists at the nexus of speculative fiction, environmental sustainability, and anthropology, offering not just commentary but immersive experiences that demand participation.

Reshaping the Narrative: Art as an Interactive System

Tianyi’s art is neither static nor passive. It is a living system of exchange, where digital and physical realities blend seamlessly, compelling audiences to engage with complex themes. Her background in interaction design and visual communication manifests in installations that act as speculative worlds—realities that might exist but are yet to be fully realized.

Take, for example, “Takakia”, an interactive installation that extends beyond aesthetic experience into ecological advocacy. Named after a rare moss species on the brink of extinction in the Tibetan Plateau, the work harnesses climate data (1960-2050) to generate real-time visuals via TouchDesigner, which are then projected onto live moss. The integration of Arduino sensors transforms audience interaction into a visceral confrontation with environmental fragility—a poetic yet urgent plea for climate awareness.

This interplay between human agency and natural vulnerability is a recurring theme in Tianyi Ren’s work. “Ripple Effect” similarly explores human impact on the environment by visualizing global oil spills, where audience movement dictates the spread of pollution. “The Invisible Hand”, on the other hand, takes a socio-political turn, using projection mapping onto sand to illustrate the unseen forces that shape societal behavior—be it economic, political, or ideological.

Navigating Identity and Freedom: A Personal Reckoning

As a Chinese Tibetan artist based in the UK, Tianyi Ren’s exploration of identity, heritage, and personal freedom is deeply intimate yet universally resonant. Nowhere is this more evident than in “Tangled Freedom”, a photographic series set in a small Tibetan temple near Mount Kailash. The work juxtaposes the symbolism of prayer flags—representing spiritual aspirations—with the artist’s personal struggle for liberation. Here, Ren navigates the duality of tradition and autonomy, questioning whether religious and cultural structures serve as pathways to self-discovery or entanglements that restrict agency.

This tension between belief and autonomy echoes in “Truth?”, an installation that manipulates visual perception to question subjective realities. Lines distort spatial awareness, mirroring the biases and preconceptions that cloud human understanding. In this, Ren articulates a powerful critique of epistemology, cultural conditioning, and the limits of human perception.

Beyond Speculation: Towards a Participatory Future

Tianyi Ren’s work is not about answering questions but provoking new ways of seeing, questioning, and participating. Through the fusion of data-driven aesthetics, technological interaction, and philosophical critique, she challenges the boundaries between observer and participant, nature and machine, tradition and progress.

In a world increasingly defined by artificial intelligence, climate precarity, and socio-political flux, Tianyi Ren’s speculative art does not merely mirror reality—it alters it. In doing so, she offers a vital blueprint for engagement, urging us to consider our roles not just as passive spectators but as active agents in the construction of the future. 

Fans and Critics React to Drake and PartyNextDoor’s R&B Album

Drake dropped his new album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U ($$$4U) alongside PartyNextDoor over a month ago, but fans aren’t feeling it and have been all over social media letting everyone know what they think.

The new album dropped on Friday the 14th and one fan on X, couldn’t help but say, “Drake dropping a “sexy-themed” album on Valentine’s Day is such a Drake thing to do”, and we can’t agree more.

In this article, we cover information surrounding the latest album release by the two OVO artists and what fans and critics alike are saying online.

While many concluded that the rap feud is over, it seems that the “6 god” is not done especially now that Kendrick Lamar performed at the Super Bowl.

The Canadian rapper loves high stakes ventures

Drake has never shied away from high-stakes ventures, whether in music, business or even gambling. The Canadian rapper is known for placing massive bets across various sports with some losses making more headlines than his wins.

He has also expressed his love for slot machines and called them his favorite casino games. With his bold approach to risk-taking, it wouldn’t be surprising if he enjoys the kind of massive high-roller casino bonuses featured under a source like Bonus Focus.

However, we bet he has never enjoyed any moment of the rap beef which he lost terribly against the kid from Compton, aka Kendrick Lamar.

The 2024 rap beef was considered another high-stakes venture for the 38-year-old where he had a lot to loose. He put his career on the line when he decided to go head-to-head with one of the most influential hip-hop artists of our generation.

Considering Kendrick’s success over the past few months, it appears that Drizzy has much more to do than dropping what fans described as a “garbage” album.

What fans and critics are saying about Drake and PND’s $$$4U

Drake’s latest collaboration with PartyNextDoor, “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U” is his first major work since he dropped “For All the Dogs” (FATD) in 2023. The album received fans´ mixed reactions on social media where they expressed their opinions.

One user on X blatantly said, “Jokes apart, this is really below the par Kendrick Lamar set.”  “Zero Replay value. Why do they sound the same in all of the songs, no creativity,” they added.

Disgruntled listeners reported on Reddit expressing their frustrations, with one user saying that besides 2 or 3 songs, the rest was “Zzz.” Echoing the sentiment, another user commented that the album was “meh.”

The user added that it had some good tracks but was mostly bland and suggested that Drake needs to edit his albums better because, as it stands, it’s “really just samey samey and uninspired for the majority of the run time.”

Another critic didn’t hold back, stating that the music was genuinely some of the most horrible non-gimmick music they’d heard and questioned how people online could defend it.

Adding to the criticism, another person remarked that the album deserved an “A–” grade, indicating it was always going to be low effort and garbage. Yet another disappointed listener expressed a preference for cinematic punishment over the music, saying they’d rather watch “The Matrix 3” than listen to 70 minutes of Drake.

Podcast reviews engaged with fans and started comparing the 21-track project to some of Drake’s collab albums. “What A Time To Be Alive” with Future was branded a classic, “Her Loss” with “21 Savage” was declared the best in terms of lyrics, and $$$4U with PND received the most versatile tag.

Commenting under NFR Podcast’s post, one staunch fan of the 6 mentioned that Reports reveal that  “$$$4u really felt like that breath of fresh air for Drake, he got back in that old Drake bag and that’s what I wanted from him, it’s got some of his best R&B performances this decade thus far and it gets better with every listen.”

He concluded with double exclamation marks alongside a 100 emoji. Other than that, most of the fans were quick to label the R&B/Soul album as trash.

Final thoughts

We wonder what Drake must be feeling now when he lost the rap beef, Kendrick Sweeping the Grammy’s with “Not Like Us”, and going ahead to perform it at the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Having the whole stadium scream the lyrics (“Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-minor”) of the song that gave KDot the victory lap in the hip-hop war while Serena William’s crip walked in the background was quite insane!

As if that wasn’t enough, Kendrick is now the first rapper to cross over 100M monthly listeners in Spotify history thanks to his latest release album “GNX” which is aging like fine wine while denying Drake’s new project the attention it could have gotten if he haven´t chosen to enter a rap beef.

As Mr. Duckworth put it during his halftime performance, Drizzy chose the right time but the wrong person to battle with. It remains to be seen whether Drake will be able to bounce back and regain some of the favor and commercial success he has now lost in the hip-hop world.

Watch Perfume Genius Perform ‘It’s a Mirror’ on ‘Fallon’

Perfume Genius was the musical guest on last night’s episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, delivering a striking rendition of his Glory single ‘It’s a Mirror’. Watch it happen below.

Glory, the follow-up to 2022’s Ugly Season, came out last month.

HAIM Share New Single ‘Everybody’s Trying to Figure Me Out’

HAIM have released a new song, ‘Everybody’s Trying to Figure Me Out’. Following last month’s ‘Relationships’, the single was co-written with Rostam Batmanglij and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. There’s a striking vulnerability to the song, though it hews towards the same warmth Danielle Haim brought to her recent Bon Iver collab ‘If Only I Could Wait’. “You think you’re gonna die/ But you’re not gonna die,” it resolves. Check it out below.

On Instagram, Danielle Haim wrote: “This next song we will be releasing is my favorite song we’ve written in the last couple years 🙂 writing it has gotten me through some hard times, and we felt this might be of some use to get our vibes right for this summer! I started writing this after a panic attack I had the night I got home from tour. I was very confused because I was SO SO SO happy about our incredible tour, but something about being alone with myself scared the shit out of me. after a lot of reflecting I realized I’ve let a lot of people try and tell me how I should live my life, but I realized in making everyone else happy, I lost myself. I wrote this as a way to believe in myself again and quit being scared to do what I want. I hope this finds anyone who needs it.”

Miley Cyrus Shares Video for New Single ‘End of the World’

Miley Cyrus has shared ‘End of the World’, the latest preview of her upcoming album Something Beautiful. It follows the recently released ‘Prelude’ and the title track, and it comes paired with a music video directed by Cyrus, Jacob Bixenman, Brendan Walter. Cyrus executive produced the new record with Shawn Everett, who worked on ‘End of the World’ alongside Michael Pollack, Jonathan Rado, Maxx Morando, and Alvvays’ Molly Rankin and Alec O’Hanley, both of whom contributed lyrics and played on the song. Check it out below.

Something Beautiful is set to arrive on May 30 via Columbia.