MJ Lenderman has shared a new single, ‘Joker Lips’, taken from his upcoming album Manning Fireworks. Following lead cut ‘She’s Leaving You’, the track comes paired with a Ben Turok-directed video that shows Lenderman and his live band, the Wind, performing on a North Carolina hillside. Watch and listen below.
Manning Fireworks is due for release on September 6 via ANTI-.
2024 has produced the hottest artists to sing along on your journey. You can count on these famous musicians to help you get through the day without hassles. From billionaire pop artists like Taylor Swift to live performers like Harry Styles, you can listen to any of these talented artists to give you a boost and lift your mood.
Take a look at the most smashing artists of 2024.
Taylor Swift is one of the biggest stars in the world. She has dominated the music industry with her charm and soothing voice. Her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department was released in April 2024 and has sold over 1.9 million copies. It has a total of 16 songs including the hit track Fortnight featuring Post Malone.
The Tortured Poets Department became the first album on Spotify to reach more than one billion streams in one week. It was also the most streamed pop album on Amazon Music and Apple Music, turning Taylor Swift into a record-breaking musician. Her collaborations with artists like Post Malone and Florence and the Machine have produced positive results on international music shows and charts.
She is currently on her 6th concert tour, performing in cities across 5 continents. Benson Boone and Sabrina Carpenter are a few of the opening acts accompanying Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour. Taylor Swift has won several accolades for the Eras Tour such as, The Concert Tour of the Year award at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards and the Favorite Ticket of the Year award at the 2024 Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards.
Eminem is an American rapper, known for heartfelt lyrics and an incomparable pace of words. My Name Is, Stan, The Way I Am, and Superman are some of Eminem’s greatest songs. The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) is an album that was launched in July 2024, marking the return of Eminem to music.
Tracks like Houdini from Eminem’s new album are making the rounds in various countries. Fans of Eminem in Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom are eager to listen to Eminem live in their towns.
Skylar Grey, Big Sean, JID, and White Gold are a few artists that Eminem has worked with while producing The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). An obituary for Slim Shady was published in the Detroit Free Press newspaper in Eminem’s hometown of Detroit, Michigan, to promote his album. A video was also released during the 2024 NFL draft to get people excited for Eminem’s latest tracks.
Dua Lipa is an English singer and songwriter from Albania. She has won 7 Brit Awards, 7 MTV Video Play Awards, and 3 Grammy Awards in her entire career. Radical Optimism is Dua Lipa’s third album, recorded in multiple studios in London, Malibu, and Los Angeles.
Tracks like Houdini and Illusion from Dua Lipa’s album Radical Optimism have been met with overwhelming reviews. Most songs in her latest album have several elements of neo-psychedelia, giving Dua Lipa a fresh twist to her pop persona.
Nu-disco fans can dance to Dua Lipa’s Houdini in different locations to feel like the Albanian musician. Many places around the globe with high net-worth individuals like Las Vegas are popping Dua Lipa’s tracks to set the heart pounding. Her track, Houdini, is inspired by the real life magician who has performed stunts to escape captivity. You can listen to Dua Lipa’s Houdini in Las Vegas casinos before leaving Blackjack tables for a dramatic exit.
She performed Houdini live at the 2024 Annual Grammy Awards, along with the hit song Dance the Night at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. It was viewed by over 16 million people worldwide. Dua Lipa has appeared in movies like Barbie and Argylle since becoming a pop star. She is among the wealthiest people in the UK.
Previous hit titles from Dua Lipa include Don’t Start Now, Love Again, and Be the One. Dua Lipa is a celebrated woman in the modeling industry, debuting her runway at the Versace’s Spring/Summer 2022 show at Milan Fashion Week.
Harry Styles is an amazing singer from England. He was the former member of the pop boy band, One Direction. After becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, Harry Styles released his debut album in 2017. His musical accomplishments over the years include 6 Brit Awards, 3 American Music Awards, and 9 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
His second album, Fine Line, was a part of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Chart toppers from Harry Styles like Watermelon Sugar and As It Was peaked in the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks. He is regarded as a prominent solo artist to have emerged from a band, becoming a reputed artist in the music and fashion industry.
The English singer has over 46 million followers on his Instagram account. Harry Styles has inspired a number of musicians like Miley Cyrus, Lorde, and Stevie Nicks to compose new music. In June 2024, Holmes Chapel, the village that Harry Styles grew up in, organized a 3-hour guided tour for his fans.
About halfway through Porter Robinson’s new album, Lil Wayne’s voice pops up. Like his revelatory 2021 album Nurture, SMILE! 😀 has just one featured guest – this time, it’s the hyperpop sibling duo Frost Children – a marked shift from his guest-heavy debut Worlds, which came out a decade ago. Wayne isn’t here to rap a verse or anything – that would make the track, titled ‘Year of the Cup’, even more confounding. Instead, the electronic artist samples an interview in which Wayne draws a weird line between his substance use and the secret sauce to success; the conversation becomes a reference point for Robinson’s own relationship to his fanbase, fame, and creativity. It’s a lot to take in and tricky to process. Yet it also does a lot to convey the conflict and complexity at the heart of SMILE! 😀, a decidedly gratifying album that chooses the sweet over the bitter even when the recipe seems to show a 1:1 ratio.
To get to the heart, of course, you have to reach through the surface. What you’re immediately greeted with on SMILE! 😀 are maximalist synths, playful lyrics, and giddy melodies. “I’d become so focused on writing music that felt so heartfelt and serious that I’d started denying the parts of me that were about wanting to have a good time,” Robinson said in recent interview. “I wanted to bring that back.” There’s an implicit distinction here between the euphoric optimism that made Nurture soar and the pure fun that runs through SMILE! 😀; the catharsis afforded to him by the former, which delved into his struggles with depression and writer’s block, allowed him to embrace a more lighthearted approach on the new album. He also worked more swiftly, making the album in the same amount of time – 20 months – that it took him to make 2017’s Virtual-Self EP. But the thing about catharsis is that it’s never permanent, so even as SMILE! 😀 feels less heavy-handed, Robinson still has to find new ways to grapple with the heaviness. “NO sincerity, ALL fun” was the record Robinson originally tried to make, but it’s no surprise he ended up striking a more delicate balance.
In that interview, Wayne mentions picking up a guitar, which happens to be what inspired Robinson – who called it “greatest songwriting tool ever discovered” – to write a lot of this album. SMILE! 😀 may kick off with three peppy, synth-powered singles – ‘Knock Yourself Out XD’, ‘Cheerleader’, and ‘Russian Roulette’ – but its most tenderly sincere moments, including ‘Year of the Cup’, are backed by the guitar, for which he always finds the right tone. “I wanna try to change one more time,” he sings over crunchy electric chords on ‘Russian Roulette’, pointing to an ever-present theme in his work. “I wanna live/ I don’t wanna die.” Tapping into his pitch-shifted Nurture voice, ‘Easier to Love You’ is a totally heartfelt guitar ballad that finds Robinson in conversation with his younger self. “I always feel like I just found the thing that’s haunting me,” he sings on ‘Kitsune Maison Freestyle’, a line about his self-image that obviously extends to his musical trajectory. There’s always something else, something new or older still.
Even at its most pop-forward, SMILE! 😀 offers an irresistible glimpse into a world that’s all-consuming yet life-affirming enough for an artist like Robinson to keep taking the gamble. Both its silliness and vulnerability come as a result of Robinson’s unguarded approach. It allows him to blurt out a line as shameless and divisive as “Bitch, I’m Taylor Swift,” which works a lot better when you hear the set-up to the punchline: “Don’t know my schedule on the fifth.” Like with the Lil Wayne sample, Robinson is clearly intent on contextualizing his own experience of fame – how it messes with his head and relationships, how fans perceive him, how he’s expected to move forward and, yes, smile. But while he’s being cheeky about it, he’s not shy about the part of himself that really does crave the attention, nor the ways in which it burdens him.
And then he reminds us why he still has faith: in his fans, himself, the pop formula. He believes in the power of a basic chord progression, even as he ends ‘Russian Roulette’ with an artificial voice pointing out the song’s adherence to genre clichés. He follows the Taylor Swift joke with a bridge strong enough to justify the reference. “If irony is a virtue, maybe I should be king,” Robinson finally declares on ‘Everything to Me’; the irony is that he’s ending an album in part about the toxicity of fandom with an earnestly wholesome love song the crowd will sing back to him at every show. The irony is that he tells us exactly what the drug is and who he needs it from. And the beautiful thing, the most ironic thing, is that it’s no excuse for nihilism. It means something, after all.
Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this best new music segment.
This week’st list includes Touché Amoré’s fiery, impassioned ‘Nobody’s’, the opening track on their just-announced album; Spirit of the Beehive’s sinuous, hypnotic, and eerily driving new song ‘I’VE BEEN EVIL’; ‘Mistletoe’, a searching, wondrously orchestrated standout from Wand’s new album Vertigo; Robber Robber’s ‘How We Ball’, a playfully frenetic cut off their debut LP; Peel Dream Magazine’s entrancing new single ‘Wish You Well’; Origami Angel’s pummeling and resonant ‘Dirty Mirror Selfie’, one of two new tracks from their upcoming record; and Sinai Vessel’s ‘Challenger’, a conflicted yet sweetly calming highlight from his Keeled Scales debut I SING.
Best New Songs: July 29, 2024
Touché Amoré, ‘Nobody’s’
Spirit of the Beehive, ‘I’VE BEEN EVIL’
Song of the Week: Wand, ‘Mistletoe’
Robber Robber, ‘How We Ball’
Peel Dream Magazine, ‘Wish You Well’
Origami Angel, ‘Dirty Mirror Selfie’
Sinai Vessel, ‘Challenger’
Gareth Edwards’s 2014 film Godzilla—the second Hollywood reboot of the iconic monster movie series birthed in Japan sixty years earlier—is noteworthy for reasons not especially related to quality. Among fans of the titular character, it’s celebrated for healing old wounds: presenting Godzilla as an impervious force of nature rather than—as in the earlier 1998 American Godzilla—a skittish creature vulnerable to man’s weaponry. It’s also known for kickstarting the MonsterVerse, a mostly lousy collection of blockbusters whose greatest significance is the happenstantial fact that it’s new. Compared to its successors, Edwards’s picture is a towering achievement—vastly more coherent and cinematic than junk like 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters and 2024’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire—but is nonetheless hampered by atrocious dialogue (“Something started talking! And I mean talking!”) and the death of its most interesting human character thirty minutes in. Add to that actors failing to transcend their parts, and what one’s left with is a film of resolutely middling quality. Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that the picture’s most discussion-worthy aspect—its attempt to be “about something”1—is also a shortcoming.
If there is merit to Edwards’s promoted affinity for Godzilla, it’s that he approached his job knowing the franchise’s history of incorporating real-world topics (nuclear warfare, pollution) into entertainment. “[I]n a weird way,” the director has explained, “what you’re trying to do subconsciously is remind the audience that as absurd as everything happening is, this stuff does happen. It’s a fantasy but I think all good fantasy has something truthful or real about it, at least below the surface.”2 His film appropriately juggles themes traditional to the series alongside images and implications timely for a 2014 American audience. And while most of these aren’t handled in a particularly engaging way, their inclusion—and what makes them work or not work—merits discussion.
Ishiro Honda’s original 1954 Godzilla was made shortly after World War II and the firebombings and atomic devastation Japan suffered pre-surrender. Honda envisioned the monster as a stand-in for wartime destruction: Godzilla’s rampages leave smoldering rubble and human suffering (e.g., children poisoned by radiation) that would’ve registered with Japanese moviegoers. Edwards’s stated intent to continue Honda’s message3 shows in the 2014 movie: with creatures awakened by nuclear submarines patrolling the ocean depths and mining expeditions drilling for uranium. Godzilla’s adversaries, the Mutos, cause global chaos in their hunt for atomic energy, and the climax involves the military baiting the monsters with a nuclear warhead and then scrambling to disarm it when it’s dragged into downtown San Francisco. Although Edwards pays tribute to calamities of the twenty-first century (to be discussed later), ultimately the film’s about the opening of Pandora’s Box: what happens when man abuses or seeks atomic power.
Alas, Godzilla (2014) falls short on this front as well. The San Francisco climax concludes with the Mutos’ defeat and the warhead being loaded onto a boat and detonating far away enough to spare the city additional damage. This wasn’t entirely novel for the franchise. Koji Hashimoto’s The Return of Godzilla (1984) featured a similar sequence wherein a nuclear warhead, accidentally launched toward Tokyo, is intercepted and exploded above the skyline, causing zero damage to the infrastructure. Both films focus on close calls and races to save a major metropolitan area; and in both cases, the heroes are successful; but there is a crucial difference in what happens next. In Hashimoto’s film, the explosion knocks out the power and revives a comatose Godzilla, who proceeds to burn down the Shinjuku District. Although the bomb ultimately doesn’t hit Tokyo, the city still becomes a fiery holocaust as a result of it. By contrast, the explosion in Edwards’s film yields nothing: the following morning, unprotected rescue workers are seen clambering over debris that should have been showered with radiation (and which would’ve exemplified the dangers of atomic weaponry). In The Return of Godzilla, consequences follow even the accidental use of superweapons. In the 2014 Godzilla, a several-megaton bomb creates, as genre historian Steve Ryfle has written, “harmless fireworks.”4
The film likewise dances around one of its more provocative concepts: the Pacific H-bomb tests of the ‘50s constituted not U.S. involvement in the international arms race but an attempt to destroy Godzilla. Ryfle has cogently criticized this distortion of history “to avoid confronting the uncomfortable facts of American culpability in the monster’s origin,”5 though the major fault lies in narrative irrelevance. We’re told Godzilla was previously awakened by a nuclear submarine, so what’s the purpose of the attacks? What impact did these repeated bombings have on the Pacific islands, on the ecosystem—on the creature targeted? (Was Godzilla mutated by the radiation?) The script never addresses these questions or builds satisfying plot lines, and so what could’ve been another layer of cautionary storytelling devolves into a prologue and meaningless dialogue. Godzilla is an overly cautious film, handling the antinuclear theme with kid gloves.
In fairness to the staff, they worked from a tampered script. At the time of the film’s release, U.S. News reported that the U.S. Navy had “cooperated with [the] filmmakers [, providing] access to aircraft carriers and real soldiers and sailors who played extras in the film.” Not reported in that piece was the fact that said cooperation had nearly dissolved in pre-production—due to military qualms with the script. In 2023, the Okinawa Times shared Department of Defense memos obtained from the Library of the Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia State. Documented within was the U.S. military’s threat to renege—to withdraw access to equipment and personnel—unless changes were made. Chief among their reservations was how the screenplay referenced America’s still-controversial bombings of Japan. In an earlier draft, a Japanese scientist played by Ken Watanabe “gave a speech lasting around one minute. It described how his father had been injured in the [bombing of Hiroshima] and had regained consciousness among bodies burning in a schoolyard. Following the DoD complaint, dated February 2013, the monolog was removed and the final movie only contains a brief scene in which Watanabe shows a U.S. Navy commander his father’s watch stopped at 8:15, the time of the explosion.” One of the aforementioned memos printed the DoD’s objection as follows: “If this is an apology or questioning of the decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that will be a showstopper for us.”6 No information appears to exist as to whether the Pentagon influenced Godzilla’s ending, though it’s possible any denouement wherein the military fails to save the city from the bomb—and the consequences of the bomb—wouldn’t have been accepted.
Dilution of nuclear dialogue wasn’t the only requested change. In early drafts, Godzilla’s protagonist—a married Navy lieutenant—was deemed not likable enough. By contrast, his final screen version is a poster boy ideal: a muscle-bound soldier who’s all smiles with his family (there’s a reunion scene early on that’d validate criticism of Spielberg’s sentimentality were it directed by him) and who throws himself into one perilous situation after another. Fellow servicemen accommodate the hero, allowing him to join missions of which he isn’t a part, the collective cooperating with mutual respect. U.S. Navy Captain Russ Coons told the press: “Our hope is—the demographics for this audience are roughly 14-to 18-year-old teenagers who are watching movies—they are going to take their family to this film and they’re going to walk out of the theater and say: ‘You know, I never knew the Navy was such a sophisticated, professional organization; […] I never knew that, and maybe it’s something I want to do with my life.’”7
Godzilla (2014) is not unique to Hollywood-U.S. military collaborations; historians such as Lawrence H. Suid and Matthew Alford have extensively documented the Pentagon’s history of cooperating with studios in exchange for positive portrayal of the Armed Forces and American military operations both past and present. (Ridley Scott’s 2001 Black Hawk Down underwent numerous script revisions, and the DoD refused to assist Terrence Malick’s 1998 The Thin Red Line due to an unflattering depiction of soldiers.)8 Edwards’s film likewise doesn’t stand out in the greater Godzilla franchise simply for having a military focus: three Japanese features directed by Masaaki Tezuka—2000’s Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, 2002’s Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla, and 2003’s Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.—followed soldier protagonists. What ultimately distinguishes this blockbuster is another example of its fumbled attempt at poignancy.
Godzilla is the series’s “answer” to the post-9/11 American zeitgeist. Released thirteen years after the fall of the Twin Towers, the film uses destruction scenarios intrinsic to monster movies to create imagery recalling what is often described as America’s most traumatizing day since Pearl Harbor. In one moment, a disabled fighter jet crashes into a skyscraper, gouging out part of the building’s infrastructure in a shower of fire and debris (which Edwards smartly photographs from the perspective of a civilian on the ground). In another, the wreckage of a downed airliner is found in rural America (à la United Airlines Flight 93). And in the denouement, firefighters—like their September 11 counterparts—search the rubble for survivors.
Even more so—and fittingly—Godzilla visually imitates the War on Terror that followed 9/11 and which was ongoing—and thus more relevant to moviegoers and filmmakers alike—in 2014. Contemporary releases such as Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker (2009) and Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper (2014) addressed the U.S.-Middle East conflict via stories about soldiers in combat and/or reintegrating into society. Edwards’s approach is different: using familiar images and the occasional suggestive line to transport the war to the United States. Recalling studying photographs of Iraq and Afghanistan with his crew, Edwards stated: “It’s so scarred in our minds that as we are creating the movie, we are getting all of those reference images and it’s nearly impossible not to be influenced by them.”9
Although not explicitly stated, Godzilla’s main character, a specialist in disarming explosives, is implied to have returned from fourteen months in the Middle East. (His father cynically comments that the “bomb business” must be good “these days.”) Our hero encounters troops marching through demolished, dusty areas resembling wartorn cities. And in one of the film’s many striking shots, Army vehicles race across a barren desert—set in Nevada but recalling the Middle East. Edwards shoots these scenes with care, though he shies from confronting the war and any of its correlating issues, never addressing, for instance, foreign policy, the military-industrial complex, American society’s divisive attitude toward the war, or PTSD. (To be fair, any of the above surely would’ve cost the film support from a military that, as established before, squirms at criticism even of its past.) What’s more, the decision to connect the enemy monsters to nuclear energy deprives the film of a stand-in for what U.S. soldiers have recently fought against and what U.S. civilians after 9/11 feared. (By contrast, Steven Spielberg’s 2005 War of the Worlds captured civilian paranoia in a scene where children find themselves in the midst of an alien attack and ask, “It is terrorists?”)
On occasion, Edwards squeezes in something thoughtful. The protagonist’s boy asks his father if he’ll still be home in the morning; when reunited after the finale, the latter appears thoroughly exhausted—perhaps the most resonant moment of someone having endured a harrowing experience. But these are minor moments too few in number. Godzilla replicates wartime images without being about the war itself, surrendering commentary in favor of a presentation that no doubt pleased its military advisers. Eastwood’s American Sniper used a controversial person to address the brutality and dehumanization of war—the PTSD inflicted on soldiers, the guilt associated with killing, the effect changed personalities have on soldiers’ loved ones. Godzilla opts for simple heroics. Troops are shown as fearless, efficient, and perpetually coordinated, operating with precision even when their superiors thrust them into ill-advised strategies. When, in the climax, a group of detonation specialists fails to deactivate the warhead, they promptly transport it to a boat, everyone carrying out their part without hindrance or disagreement. And when they perish, it’s in the effort to fulfill their task. “[W]e’re used to seeing Godzilla movies where the military fails because they’re stupid,” genre historian David Kalat told this author in a 2016 interview, “but seeing them fail but be heroic while failing is new.”10
There are other timely images. Godzilla’s mid-movie arrival in Hawaii triggers a tidal wave allegedly patterned after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami; following that are shots of FEMA tents and workers; a Muto attacking a Japanese power plant from underground recalls the Fukushima triple disaster of 2011. (Edwards claimed the latter tragedy occurred “[a]s we were writing the film […] and we had to make the decision: Do we stay away from that or do we acknowledge that you’ve opened this Pandora’s box of nuclear power, and when it goes wrong, it really does go wrong?”)11 In line with the mimicry of 9/11 and the War on Terror, Godzilla doesn’t comment on these catastrophes; it doesn’t respond as Honda’s original responded to nuclear proliferation. The visuals, modeled as they are on real-life events, lack the substance needed to dramatically register, and the film at best pays lip service to a few ideas. Still, the attempt to say something is admirable; and the time capsule imagery distinguishes the 2014 Godzilla from other entries in its franchise.
Recently, New York Queens Borough President Donovan Richards held a celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage, at the Helen Marshall Cultural Center in Queens Borough Hall. The celebration included multiple musical and dance performances from local cultural organizations, food and remarks from Richards and other Queens leaders.
The AAPI Heritage Celebration served as an important platform for individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to come together and share their unique cultural traditions and emotional connections. The event featured a vibrant array of performances, including Korean group dance and Indian solo dance, each showcasing the rich cultural heritage of their respective communities.
Renowned New York-based Chinese dancer Lu Wang was invited to perform her solo piece, “Rhythm.” This performance, a classic example of traditional Chinese long fan dance, captivated the audience with its graceful and powerful movements, seamlessly blending the principles of yin and yang. Wang’s performance embodied the essence of rhythm, demonstrating how it can be perceived through the body’s interaction with the fan. The dance, characterized by a harmonious fusion of strength and breath, body and mind, allowed the audience to experience the nuanced variations in wind speed through the fan’s movements, merging these physical sensations with deep emotional expression.
Wang said, “While people may speak different languages and come from varied backgrounds, sharing art creates a universal emotional bond, enabling mutual growth and understanding. I see art as a bridge and a language that connects people, revealing the beauty of diversity. The interaction between different cultures not only broadens our perspectives but also generates new and unique forms of expression.”
The celebration of AAPI Heritage Month is vital in highlighting the contributions and rich cultural heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Events like these promote understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultural landscape that shapes our society, underscoring the significance of embracing and celebrating our differences.
If you are going to visit a steak restaurant, it can be a delightful experience for you and your loved one to know how to make the most of it. Whether you are a steak enthusiast or a first-timer, you have nothing to worry about because this article will share eight tips to help you enjoy your meal to the fullest.
Did you know that choosing the right steakhouse can make a big difference in your dining experience? To find a great place, check out restaurants with positive reviews and a reputation for serving high-quality meats. Restaurants known for excellent service and a good atmosphere are also worth considering.
Also, doing a bit of research before you go can help you enjoy a memorable and delicious steak dinner. Taking the time to pick a reputable steakhouse ensures you’ll have a better experience and enjoy every bite of your meal.
Before you head to the steak restaurant, always check out their menu online. You must get to know the different types of steak, because understanding these options will make it easier for you to choose what you want when you order:
Knowing what each cut of steak offers and how it’s prepared helps you make a better choice and enjoy your meal more. This preparation will ensure you’re not overwhelmed by the menu and can select the perfect steak for your taste.
Don’t forget that steak doneness varies from rare to well-done, and how you like your steak cooked can affect how much you enjoy it. Steak doneness refers to how much the meat is cooked inside. For example, a rare steak is very pink and cool in the center, while a well-done steak is fully cooked through and brown all the way.
Plus, if you’re unsure which to choose, a medium-rare steak is a popular option. It’s cooked enough to be warm and tender, with a pink center that keeps the meat juicy and flavorful. This balance often appeals to many people and is a good choice if you want to enjoy a tasty and satisfying steak.
Take note that asking your server for recommendations is a great way to improve your dining experience. Servers like from Perth Steak Restaurant know the menu well and can suggest the best cuts of meat based on your preferences and even recommend popular side dishes that pair well with your steak.
Furthermore, their expertise can help you make choices you might not have considered, leading to a more enjoyable and satisfying meal. Trusting their advice ensures you get the most out of your visit and enjoy a meal tailored to your taste.
Are you looking to make your steak meal even better? Choosing the right side dishes can make a big difference. Popular choices like mashed potatoes are creamy and comforting, while a creamed spinach offers a rich, savory complement to your steak. That’s why it is important to pick sides that match the flavor of your steak and provide a nice variety to make your meal more enjoyable and satisfying.
Remember, a good wine can really bring out the best in your steak. Red wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, are perfect matches for steak because they complement the rich flavors of the meat. If you’re not sure which wine to choose, don’t hesitate to ask the sommelier or your server. They can recommend the best wine to pair with your steak, helping to enhance your dining experience.
Take note to fully enjoy your steak dinner by savoring each bite and appreciating the flavors. Instead of rushing through your meal, take your time to relish the taste of your steak and the quality of the side dishes. Appreciate the restaurant’s ambiance, as they contribute to the overall dining experience. Remember, a steak dinner is more than just eating; it’s about enjoying every aspect of the meal.
Many steak restaurants have tempting desserts like cheesecake, that provide a satisfying end to your meal and add a touch of indulgence. Sharing a dessert with friends or family can also make the experience more enjoyable and memorable. Plus, it’s a nice way to round off a great meal and leave the restaurant with a smile.
By following these tips, you can greatly enhance your visit to a steak restaurant and ensure a satisfying dining experience. Finding a reputable restaurant known for its quality steaks and excellent service. Keeping these tips in mind will help you make the most of your steak dinner and enjoy a memorable and enjoyable experience every time you dine out.
Serialized fiction—to serialize a story—has a very long history, the whole way from the days of Charles Dickens novels up to the most modern forms of web novels. It captivated readers for centuries. In mechanical alteration and the penchant of readers, serialized fiction is going through its second youth. This paper tries to explain why serialized fiction can become literature’s future in bringing about some of its advantages to readers and, indeed, writers themselves.
Serialized fiction delivers many advantages special to the preferences and lifestyle of a contemporary reader. The serialization of the storyline is in tandem with the current binge scenario of TV shows watched; thus, it provides similar attributes of anticipation and relish. Segments of a story can be dispensed in small doses during train rides, snatched time amid chores at work, or slices of free time in the day to fit the reading hour into a busy schedule.
Moreover, serialized fiction contributes to the building up of very tight communities around certain interests. Readers discuss and debate the newest installments and speculate on the future of the plot, making connections with others based on shared interests. This communal part of reading can enhance an experience miles away from a solitary read.
There are several advantages to serialized fiction for writers. Because they are published in pieces, writers can learn the readers’ pulse and thus adjust their stories through publication. This kind of feedback can mean a far more gripping and fulfilling story in the end. Second, serialized fiction can be a steady source of income, since many readers would be more than willing to part with money for the next installment of a good story or to subscribe to one.
What is more, the episodic structure of serialized fiction further supports consistent writing. This structure offers a certain incentive in making the author constantly pour out content, thereby boosting productivity as well as prowess in writing. Serialized fiction further allows a platform to test-run new ideas without necessarily having to commit to a full-length novel; an opportunity to try different genres, work with different characters, and flesh out plotlines.
Advances in technology make creating and distributing serialized fiction easier than ever. Online platforms, such as Wattpad, Radish, and Amazon’s Kindle Vella, give writers the tools and audience they need to find success in this format. These include real-time reader feedback, analytics, monetization options, and several other resources that help authors build and sustain their writing careers.
Apart from the distribution platforms, these days there seem to be many digital tools to support a writer crafting their work. For instance, a story plot generator might help come up with engaging and consistent plots for each series of stories so that each story does not lose the public’s interest. This may allow such creators to have a much more streamlined process in capitalizing on creativity; thus, it opens serialized fiction to even more people who would like to write a series.
Serialized fiction is compelling because of its ability to engage and retain readers’ interest. Once a new installment starts, people begin to eagerly await further continuation, thus drifting back to the story several times. Continuous reading benefits both the readers and writers by creating an audience base and consistent readership.
Noted to increase reader participation in a story even further, the interactive nature of serialized fiction is enhanced. It is allowed by many platforms where readers can respond to episodes, vote on plot directions, and—indeed—even engage directly with the author. This kind of interactivity not only helps deepen rapport with the story but also serves up invaluable feedback for the writer.
For serialized fiction dredged into the mainstream, the potential is not a mere fleeting interest but part of the sea change in the midst of which stories are both consumed and created. The potential for serialized fiction will only grow as technology does. Virtual reality, augmented reality, and interactive storytelling are the future keystones that very well may provide the biggest changes in this arena, giving readers immersion and personalization very much desired.
What also happens is that the globalization achieved through the reach of the internet transcends cultural and language barriers, so diverse stories can now reach a global readership. It democratizes literature, which will ensure that voices emanating from all walks of life are both literally and metaphorically heard, assimilating into literary civilization.
The future of literature can only be vibrant and dynamic through serialized fiction. Its ever-increasing interaction with readers, the support for writers, and, most importantly, adaptation to the changes in technology make it a fitting method and format of storytelling in the digital age. As tools that help generate plots for stories get better in the creative process, the popularity and influence of serialized fiction will increase. With open arms for such developments, it offers unlimited potential in the literary world for the readers and writers.
Born in Dalian, China, Yuxiao Mu is an interdisciplinary artist and educator whose work transcends borders and mediums. Now based in Boston, Massachusetts, Mu earned her MFA in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, where she currently teaches, and her BFA in Photography from the LuXun Academy of Fine Arts in China. Her practice, driven by conceptual ideas surrounding memory, emotion, and storytelling, spans analog and digital photography, video, printmaking, and painting. Mu’s work has been exhibited both internationally and nationally, in cities such as Rome, Boston, and Minneapolis, and has been published by esteemed platforms like Visual Atelier8 and Float Magazine. In the fall of 2024, she will begin teaching at the Kansas City Art Institute.
Mu’s artistic journey is deeply rooted in her cultural heritage and the emotional complexity of living far from home. Her fine arts creations reflect the intricate emotions and memories tied to her experiences, especially the challenge of leaving a close-knit family to start anew abroad. This separation has intensified her appreciation for memories and the importance of staying connected to her roots. Through her art, she aims to preserve and celebrate these connections, capturing and immortalizing fleeting moments with photography and printmaking. Her work delves into themes of family, emotions, and memories, often reflecting on her grandmother’s experiences with dementia. The rapid shutter speed of photography mirrors how memories flash and disappear, allowing Mu to capture precious moments, while the tactile nature of printmaking lets her physically engage with her art, incorporating deeply personal elements like scenes from dreams, familiar streets, and sentimental objects such as her grandmother’s handmade mahjong set.
One exemplary piece of Mu’s dedication to these themes is her multimedia series “Phoenix at Sundown,” inspired by her experiences living with her grandmother, who had dementia, for nearly six years. Initially devastated by the diagnosis, Mu found inspiration in the unwavering love and care her mother and aunts provided. This series reflects the vivid yet fragmented world her grandmother inhabited—a place where memories and reality intertwined, much like Mu’s deliberately blurry and abstract photographs.
Living in the United States has given Mu a unique perspective on her grandmother’s condition and her own family dynamics. The cultural and lifestyle differences between the US and China have deepened her understanding of her grandmother’s feelings of disorientation and loss. It has allowed Mu to empathize more profoundly with her grandmother’s experience of dementia—a state where the familiar becomes unfamiliar, and everyday life is a series of fragmented memories. Mu’s life in the US, marked by greater physical distance and a more individualistic culture, has underscored the challenges of maintaining those intimate connections. Through her art, she explores the parallels, using it as a bridge between her past in China and her present in the US.
“Phoenix at Sundown” not only captures the poignant reality of her grandmother’s condition but also celebrates the resilience and love that sustain their familial bonds across continents. This series, therefore, becomes a powerful narrative of cultural identity, memory, and the enduring ties that bind family members together despite the distances that separate them. One particularly impactful moment in this series was when Mu’s grandmother, in a fleeting act of independence, “stole” an apple from the kitchen and hid it in her bedside drawer. This simple act, and the subsequent discovery of the rotten apple, encapsulated the bittersweet reality of her condition. To convey this experience, Mu left apples in her studio until they rotted, allowing their scent to evoke the same emotional response.
Collaboration plays a significant role in Mu’s creative process. Working with family members, especially those from different generations, provides unique insights into their shared history. For instance, she directs her mother to photograph her grandmother and her belongings via video calls. She also enlisted her aunt to record her grandmother’s daily humming, which she incorporates as a soundscape for her images. This familiar sound bridges the physical distance between them, evoking childhood memories. These collaborations allow Mu to celebrate and maintain connections to her roots, creating a multisensory experience that is both personal and universal. Through photography and printmaking, she seeks to preserve these precious connections and memories, ensuring they remain vivid and alive.
Yuxiao Mu’s artistic path highlights the influence of cultural integration, meticulous discipline, and profound emotional insight. Her art encapsulates ephemeral moments, safeguarding memories and emotions from her distinctive viewpoint. As she ventures into new media and techniques, her creations are poised to deeply connect with audiences, offering an engaging experience that bridges cultural divides.
Online gaming has never been more popular in our culture than it is today, and this trend is only set to grow. But what are we actually playing?
OK Magazine, an iconic household name in the world of celebrities, fashion, trends, and entertainment, is known for providing readers with the latest insights. Recently, the magazine revealed the most popular online games to play with friends, using recent research and data from ChumbaCasino.com. We have rounded up some of the top games on the list for 2024.
Despite first releasing two decades ago, Roblox is America’s most searched-for online game. If you haven’t heard of Roblox, you probably don’t spend much time around kids or teens. Roblox is an online platform that allows users to create, share, and play games created by other users, similar to Epic Games’ Fortnite and Minecraft. The appeal lies in its wide array of user-generated games across various genres, fostering creativity and social interaction among its younger community.
Taking second place is Fortnite. Fortnite released in 2017 as a battle royale game, a genre where players compete to be the last person or team standing in a shrinking playable area. Players start with minimal equipment and must scavenge for weapons, armor, and other resources while eliminating opponents to survive. It’s certainly changed a lot since then as Epic Games has grown more into a platform than a single game, offering multiple game modes including a Guitar Hero-esque rhythm game and a Rocket League racing game. It also encourages the creation of user-generated games.
The third most popular game in the USA is Minecraft, a sandbox video game that allows players to build and explore virtual worlds made of blocks. Think of it like LEGO, but with the ability to create entire playable worlds. In fact, LEGO has partnered with Minecraft in the past to release Minecraft sets.
Continuing to be a popular choice for group play, this game involves players working together to complete tasks on a spaceship while trying to identify impostors among them. Its simple mechanics, combined with the thrill of deception and detection, make it a favorite for friends looking to engage in some light-hearted yet intense fun.
Remaining a staple in the world of online gaming. This multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game involves teams of players working together to destroy the opposing team’s base. With its strategic gameplay and regular updates, League of Legends keeps players coming back for more.
Whether you’re into building worlds, battling it out in a shrinking arena, or solving mysteries with friends, 2024 has a wealth of online games that cater to all tastes and preferences. These top picks are sure to provide endless entertainment and a great way to connect with friends, no matter where they are.
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