By Joey Earley, Executive Editor Photo: Joel Greatbatch Recently, I’ve just been enjoying watching video essays, various commentary videos and many other YouTube videos regarding a bunch of different concepts and ideas. Sometimes, I scroll on Youtube and pick whatever sounds interesting. Mainly, if I’m going to be honest, I’ve been drawn to video essays/commentary about the FX show “The Bear." (Jeremy Allen White is drop dead gorgeous, the cinematography is beautiful, the sou

By Gracie Stengel, Public Relations Associate Photo: Ruth Medjber Andrew Hozier-Byrne, known on stage as Hozier,  is an Irish singer-songwriter. His music is defined by its folk, blues and gospel style. He is a literary lyricist and writes songs about the deepest parts of life and love. With his unforgettable vocals and amazing presence as a musician, he has become a huge success.  His career began in 2013 when he released his first EP titled “ Take Me to Church . ”   The tit

By Ryan Gee FKA twigs is back with her fourth studio album, “ EUSEXUA ,” following the stunningly intimate “ LP1” and the hauntingly powerful “MAGDALENE.”  If you’ve been following her evolution, you might have caught her 2022 mixtape “CAPRISONGS”   — a playful, genre-blurring project that leaned into joy and community. But “EUSEXUA”? This one feels different. This one is something else entirely. What does “EUSEXUA” even mean? twigs coined the term herself, describing it to B

By Anna Parasson Here at Variant Magazine, we love an opportunity to dress up and show our style. From date parties to birthdays, these themes are classic and a guaranteed fun time. 1.) Frat wedding The always-entertaining “frat wedding” is the perfect silly, fun time for college students. It serves as a sneak peak into life post-grad and having a blast at your college friends’ weddings. This theme can be customized to fit the host’s vibe; for example, attendees can dress cou

By Grace Koennecke, Web Editor Photo: GRAMMY.com This Sunday, the 67th annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, honoring the past year in music. From breakthrough stars like Chappell Roan and Charli xcx to seasoned veterans like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, this year’s ceremony is sure to be full of many surprises, and possibly, upsets. Before the ceremony, here is a list of predictions of who will win big at this year’s Grammy Awards. Album

By Claire Lovinski From the 70s punk scene to 90s grunge, it is no secret that different music genres can have an impact on fashion and personal style. Music and fashion are entities that are influential on each other and reflective of their time period. Over the past two and a half decades we have seen music genres like hip-hop, pop and R&B drive fashion trends. These trends define eras and outline how we express ourselves through music and clothing. Let's take a deep dive i

By Aidan Cox Photo: NEON If you’ve seen any ads for “Anora,” you’re likely well aware of the premise: a hedonistic sex worker marries an immature Russian oligarch, her life changes and the family does not approve.  This is a film that continually tricks you. In the first act, you expect a twisted rom com, love prevailing in all the lusty, capitalistic places. The camera follows Anora, played by Mikey Madison, closely as she works, then as she enters a life with Ivan, played b

By Kate Tocke, Blog Editor Photo: Lindsey Hartman Women in music is a topic that is discussed nowadays more than it has ever before. Women are feeling more comfortable stepping into the limelight due to the acceptance of it and the wave of female icons that struck the music industry in the past 20 years. Iconic female rockers date back to the 70s. We would not have current female rockers if it wasn’t for Joan Jett or Ann Wilson.  But one female rocker that has stayed consiste

By Mia Cestra Photo: Natalie Yan October is officially ending, but autumn is not! With how short of a season it is, it’s important we all stay in the fall spirit for a few more weeks. Or… the fall SPIRITS . Haha, ghost jokes. To keep yourself in the autumnal mood, I’d love to introduce you to some of my absolute favorite music for this time of year! This is mainly for my fellow indie fans, but I personally believe these picks should be in everyone’s fall rotation. Lots of the

By Ryan Gee Photo: Special Offer, Inc. With the release of Charli xcx’s “Brat”  back in June, there is now a third release in the “Brat” universe. The release of “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat”  consists of a whole new look on how an artist should be doing a remix album. The album feels like the end of a rave; it’s the music you listen to in the taxi on your way home, slowly realizing that you have to go back to your real life after a night on the tow

By Mia Cestra Photo: Chappell Roan at Lollapalooza via Instagram @deaniechen There are two distinct groups of people right now: those who have had plenty of exposure to this queer pop superstar, and those who have absolutely no idea who Chappell Roan is. Regardless of where you fall, I am here to start a conversation about this modern icon for both the LGBTQ+ community and allies alike. Let’s dive into what Chappell Roan has brought to the music scene since her emergence:  Ka

By Emma Khayat Kim Kardashian rose to fame in 2007 after a sex tape with her then-boyfriend, Ray J, was leaked online. Kim capitalized off her newfound fame, launching the now iconic reality show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians , that same year. The show got successful ratings, running for 20 seasons and thrusting the entire Kardashian family into the spotlight. It has been impossible to escape the Kardashians ever since, and the more we learn about Kim and her clan, the mor

By Renae Hefty Despite seeming whimsical and childlike, The Boy and the Heron is not an easy watch. The world it takes place in is surreal, and only starts to make sense when everything is thought of as a metaphor for something else. What exactly is being represented is up to the individual viewer’s interpretation. The story takes place in Japan during the early 40s. It follows a young boy named Mahito as he and his father move from Tokyo to the country. They move a year afte

By Audrey Hayes Greetings everyone!  So, I have previously not (knowingly) listened to any earlier Tate McRae songs and wouldn’t count myself as a superfan in the slightest. To be quite honest with everyone here, I had no idea she existed (please don’t hate me). But I recently had the privilege to listen to and watch the corresponding videos to her new album, "THINK LATER." Greedy: Okay, so if you’ve been on TikTok recently, you’ve heard this song, and you're a Tate McRae fan

By Mia Cestra After a long 20 years, Mean Girls hits the big screen once more with a brand new cast taking on the same iconic roles from the 2004 original movie. Unlike the original, though, this film includes a musical element by incorporating songs from the Mean Girls Broadway adaptation. This is only the first of many differences between the original and the new, so let’s analyze what Mean Girls (2024) has to offer , and whether or not the changes made were for the better.

By Renae Hefty In September, Gaia’s Realms opened on N Court St. The store, owned by Jessica Stinson, was previously located in Nelsonville, Ohio.  Stinson moved her shop to Athens to offer her psychic services to Ohio University students. She had her store in Nelsonville for two years. She says business has been good, and some clients from Nelsonville still visit the store.  Stinson got her start going to psychic fairs and gradually becoming more public about what she

By Emma Khayat It makes sense that Uptown is the most popular place in the city throughout the week, as it’s so conveniently close. However, today, we are going to forget about Uptown and check out things to do in Athens that aren’t on Court Street. Stroud’s Run  is first on this list for it is beautiful and scenic views. I know it is starting to get colder, but this place has got to be first on your list to visit if Mother Nature has one more heat wave in her! This lake

By Emma Khayat When you first get to college, you will meet a ton oftons of new people, but how do you know who to avoid? Today, we'll cover red flags in college friends, so you know what to look out for. Personally, or I suppose, luckily, I wasn't sure where to start with this, so I asked all my friends their thoughts. The most common answer I received was, "No friends back home." While some people just had a bad high school experience, having no friends from home could

By Libby Evans Image from The Kitchen Community As a former barista and latte lover, the secret of coffee making is a skill I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Once your eyes are opened to this new trade, you will watch your baristas make your $5 coffee and think, “I could do that,” or you might long to be back there yourself, steaming milk to perfection.  Luckily, you don’t have to work as a barista to be a barista from home. By the end of this blog, you can be a b

By Kennedy Hall While enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing, the Barbie movie lacked discussion of the intersectionality in feminism because of race. Barbie has themes of feminism, specifically white feminism. Was it a cute, witty, and quirky movie? Yes. However, groundbreaking and revolutionary? No, it was not, and maybe that was the goal. The film tried to convey a very loaded message in an hour and 54 minutes; there is only so much that can be said in that time frame, and