ARTS AND CULTURE

Taylor Swift: new old hits

By JASON FRANK

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Taylor Swift is turning a series of re-releases of old career highlights into new career highlights and showing off both the strengths and weaknesses of that idea in the process. This week she released “Red (Taylor’s Version),” a re-recording of her 2012 album “Red.” It’s her second re-recording, after “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” came out earlier this year.

The reasons for the process are political in origin—she got the idea after being burned by her old manager who didn’t allow her the chance to buy her own masters— but in practice it operates differently. Taylor is one of the defining artists of the past decade, but has dealt with highs and lows in the court of public opinion seemingly album by album. These re-releases offer the opportunity to reclaim not only the rights to her music, but also the public discourse around each album.

Though it’s a re-release, the release of “Red (Taylor’s Version)” has come with all the publicity and fanfare of a typical album cycle. She’s been on talk shows, released a short film, performed on “Saturday Night Live.” She’s everywhere. The re-release has also been accompanied by a sizable portion of new songs that Taylor wrote at the time “Red” (original version) was released but never made it to the album.

The defining track in that group has been “All Too Well (10 minute version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).” She accompanied the song with a 14 minute-long short film that she also wrote and directed and then performed it on “Saturday Night Live.” With the amount of press surrounding this song, it seems that Taylor is retrofitting it from a fan-favorite album track into a signature song.

“All Too Well (10 minute version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” is, to be clear, a rare work of legitimate genius. “All Too Well” has always been one of her best songs—tender and vulnerable yet powerful and biting. It uses all of the best parts in the Taylor Swift artistic repertoire, her lyrical precision and facility with genre-bending, to create a swirling, nostalgic, heart-wrenching portrayal of a relationship that she was never in control of and couldn’t get over. It was good on the original “Red,” but better here. Her more mature voice lends the perspective of exactly what the song describes, a person looking back over a painful experience and allowing herself—despite her trepidation—to get caught up in a moment of remembrance. It’s exactly what the re-record can do, when used best.

Perhaps Taylor’s best moment as an artist is when, on the original “Red,” “All Too Well” gives way to “22.” The album goes directly from a devastating portrayal of a short but passionate relationship’s end to a song about the joys of being 22 years old and having fun with your friends. It’s a jarring choice to have them one right after the other, but it’s a choice that works. The duo perfectly encapsulates how it feels to be 22, from sobbing while processing a life-defining devastation to giggling through the night with your friends.

Yet, despite the success of the new “All Too Well,” the other half of that original duo, “22 (Taylor’s Version),” can’t measure up. The original was defined by a natural joy at the prospect of young adult hedonism. It’s about being entirely in the moment. There is no processing of emotion, there is only the having of emotion. Taylor’s vocals on the original “22” are like a recorded smile. But, because of that, “22 (Taylor’s Version)” can’t work.

The same things that benefit a re-recording of “All Too Well” ruin “22.” The maturity in her voice is too arch, too all-knowing. It sounds like a mom reminiscing as she watches her daughter make gloriously silly decisions. The new song can’t capture the unbridled joy of the original.

Unfortunately, that goes for a lot of the upbeat songs on “Red (Taylor’s Version).” It’s an album about being 22 years old, but that’s no longer how Taylor sings it. Whereas the yelp on the word “we” during “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” used to have a sense of youthful sarcasm, it now just feels uncomfortable. 31 year-old Taylor Swift can’t yelp, yelping should be left for 22 yearolds. Big artistic swings only work when there’s a sense of belief and excitement behind them, and Taylor is burdened here with the big swings of her youth. That’s part of why the 10 minute “All Too Well” works so well. Yes, she’d already written it, but there’s an excitement in her voice at the very idea of recording a 10 minute song in the first place that doesn’t exist in the re-recordings of the weird, youthful songs that make up a large portion of “Red.”

It’s not just “All Too Well” that works. Some of the other new additions more than justify the existence of the album. “Nothing New (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) [feat. Phoebe Bridgers]” in particular, deserves to be let out of the vault. A song that details her fears about the public getting bored of her and replacing her with someone else, she can currently provide “Nothing New” a vocal performance imbued with a world weariness that serves it well.

“Red (Taylor’s Version)” has some moments that rank among the best of her career, but the album as a whole doesn’t really work. It feels like what it is: an adult looking back on her youth. That, however, contrasts with a lyricism that doesn’t always suggest retrospection. While the original “Red” is defined by its liveliness, “Red (Taylor’s Version)” can’t bring that. The great highwire act of “Red” was balancing the way being 22 means you finally have enough life to be retrospective and that you are still primarily emotional. “Red (Taylor’s Version)” tips the scales too far in favor of retrospection. The project of re-release is nostalgic by design, but “Red” can’t just be nostalgic, it should feel alive.

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons Taylor Swift won the Female Artist of the Year at American Country Awards in 2010.

TV REVIEW

“Squid Game” is a game-changer for cultural globalization

By JULIANA GIACONE

JUSTICE EDITOR

The popularity of Netfix’s “Squid Game” is unprecedented for a TV series in a foreign language that has reached a global audience of 111 million — “making it [their] biggest series launch ever!” The show was also ranked “No. 1 [of the most viewed content] in 90 countries” just two weeks after its release on Sept. 17, and almost two months later, the series remains on Netfix’s Top 10 list in the U.S.

As an Asian American, I was amazed that a show like “Squid Game” had permeated American pop culture the way it did — every major American media organization was talking about its success, it was all over Tik-Tok, social media meme accounts were making references to it and the show had even crossed into America’s beloved Halloween-costume territory. I frankly didn’t understand its success in the U.S. at frst: it wasn’t even Asian American — it was a K-drama shot in Korea, with a majority Korean cast and flmed in Korean instead of English … it was so non-American.

Asian representation in flms and TV shows in America have historically been limited to stereotypes, so the fact that “Squid Game” was trending so profusely was an unexpected but pleasant surprise for me, as I’m sure it was for many Asian Americans. I grew up consuming media where Asian actors were limited to playing the extras, the weird nerds, the quiet ones, the martial arts masters, the “dragon ladies” or mens’ sexual fantasies. And let’s not neglect Hollywood whitewashing the roles of Asian characters, where Asian actors never made the casting calls — like in 2017 when Scarlett Johansson was controversially cast as the main character of “Ghost in the Shell” which was based on a flm adaptation of a popular Japanese manga.

“Squid Game” was an exception to these stereotypes and literally a game-changer. The show is set in today’s bustling Seoul and transports viewers to a mysterious island where broke contestants fght for survival (and for $45.6 billion) through a series of traditional Korean child games, with a gory twist.

South Korea’s entrance into a sense of globalized popular culture actually did not start with “Squid Game,” but with the rise of BTS and K-pop. BTS’ feat with their song “Dynamite” reaching number one in the Billboard Hot

100 in 2020, indicated a shift from “[the West] dominating the world popular music.” And according to a CNN article, “BTS became the only the third group in 50 years to have three number one albums on the Billboard 200 charts in less than 12 months, joining the ranks of The Beatles and The Monkees.” South Korean culture continued into the mainstream, with the help of K-dramas and the critical acclaim of the flm “Parasite”, the frst foreign-language flm to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2019. In an article from the New York Times, which qualifes South Korean entertainment as a “cultural juggernaut,” Jang Young-woo (either a co-producer or co-director on three popular Korean shows on Netfix), explains that it was only after the recognition of “Parasite,” that “international audiences truly began to pay attention, even though South Korea had been producing similar work for years.” “It’s the world that has started understanding and identifying with the emotional experiences we have been creating all along,” he said.

But according to USA Today, it’s not just South Korean music, flms and TV shows that have been on the rise in the past few years: a “Hallyu, or Korean wave” of virtually anything K-fllin-the-blank has weaved its way into Western culture through “K-dramas, K-fashion, K-beauty, [and] KBBQ”.

Jenna Ryu of USA Today explained that “what’s popular has been intertwined for decades” largely due to the historic signifcance of U.S.-South Korean foreign relations. The cultural diffusion began with the Korean War and the U.S.’s alliance with South Korea. Starting in 1950, the U.S. sent a total of 1,789,000 troops to the peninsula to support South Korea’s war against North Korea. Because of this, a strong KoreanAmerican culture developed.

As for the reasons rooted in the widespread accomplishments of “Squid Game,” creative executive Kim Un-yang explained, in an interview with Hollywood Reporter that, “the essence of the show is its commentary on social injustice — class divisions and fnancial inequality, or even gender-related issues. These social injustice issues aren’t only Korean — the whole world is struggling with them. These elements made the show resonate strongly outside of Korea as well.”

But that doesn’t explain why the flm “Parasite” — which had similar themes of social and fnancial inequality — only grossed around $254 million worldwide, and although the movie and TV show markets vary, Season 1 alone of Squid Game is predicted to “create almost $900 million in value” for Netfix.

The reasons for the show’s impact might also point toward Netfix’s strategic business model approach which pays attention to accommodating global audiences. Part of that model includes providing dubs in addition to subtitles in multiple languages. While dubs have been the subject of much social media debate about language-translation authenticity, they remain advantageous because they eliminate language barriers. If many non-Koreans were forced to read subtitles on their screens as the only medium of understanding a story, it could be argued that the show’s popularity would’ve been substantially subdued. After all, listening to a show in the dubs of the language you’re most familiar with is just simply more convenient.

Dubs are especially essential in the leading streaming services’ marketing goals to make international content viable for American consumers. In a survey conducted by Netfix, cited in an article from 2018, “a high percentage of U.S. viewers don’t want to watch content in languages other than English,” compared to all other regions around the world where “the appetite for shows made outside of Hollywood in languages other than English is high.” Netfix’s survey concluded that if U.S. viewers were shown high-quality content in a foreign language, they were more inclined to watch it — and they were “much more likely to fnish a show if it had been dubbed, rather than subtitled.”

Refecting upon the company’s goals of reaching global audiences through this specifc marketing strategy devised in 2018, Netfix’s Chief Product Offcer, Greg Peters said, “When we do [storytelling] well, all of that complexity fades into the background.” He continued, “All you’re left with is an incredible story told well and presented beautifully ... and there are so many untold stories that the world is just waiting to see.”

Peters’ dreams seem to have come to fruition with the release and response of “Squid Game” into the world, which encapsulates beautiful storytelling. The captivating, yet violent dystopian thriller, with its obscure Candyland-colored visuals, in addition to its resounding social message, mixes marvelously with Netfix’s platform and strategic business model and has created a perfect recipe for international success.

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons “Squid Games” received immense popularity internationally.

Saktiya:

Strength in unity, Chak De performed a theatrical dance performance about friendships during COVID-19. a cultural spectacular

By ADITI BHATTACHARYA

JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

Brandeis University’s South Asian Student Association (SASA) hosted a phenomenal cultural show that highlighted the diversity of South Asian culture through dance, song, presentations and food. Set against a colorfully painted set, the show was presented for the first time in two years. The hilarious MCs played well off each other, amusing the crowd throughout the night. As a guest said about Siddhant Moily, one of the emcees, “Sid is enigmatic and hilarious, his charisma and chemistry with the other emcees is off the charts.”

The night opened with a poignant video about different interpretations of the theme Saktiya, or strength. Strength across the Indian diaspora can be reflected in the struggles of first generation immigrants and their children’s struggles to find acceptance in lands that do not always welcome them. Harleen Singh (WGS), professor and founder of the South Asian studies department at Brandeis, gave a thought-provoking speech on the history of the department as well as the fluid meanings of the Hindi words Saktiya and MELA. She explained that a MELA is a fair, a showcase of sorts, and this year, SASA was showing off Saktiya, or the strength of South Asian identity.

Additionally, during MELA, there was a presentation on the charity the show was fundraising for, Women for Women Afghanistan, a non-profit with a mission to empower female survivors of war. The Afghanistan branch provides women with emergency aid, and is currently working on securing visas, phones, cash and other resources for the refugees. Additionally, the charity is very reputable, with a 96% fund transparency rating. Readers can find more information and donate at: Act Now for Afghan Women and Girls. There were many musical performances throughout the night, highlighting the diversity of cultures in South Asia. Three singers performed a mashup of songs in Bangla (the main language of Bangladesh), Urdu (the main language of Pakistan) and Hindi (the national language of India) in a call for unity among the politically divided subcontinent resulting from when partition, the division of British India into the states of India and Pakistan was imposed.

Additionally, there was a beautiful song performed by graduate students of the Heller School of Social Policy and Management from Myanmar. The performers were clothed in mesmerizing cultural garments and sang of hopes of a better future for Myanmar. Additionally, a guitarist and a vocalist performed two songs that featured warm, whole vocals with pleasant guitar melodies. The last vocal performance was from Boston University’s premier South Asian a capella group, Suno, which first featured a slow jam with building vocals and then a strong song with beautiful singing and creative sound effects.

Then came the fashion show, which was incredibly entertaining and insightful. It showcased garments on numerous individuals from a wide variety of South Asian cultures. There was a combination of traditional and modern garments, as well as a variety of silhouettes. It was truly a magnificent experience, and everyone participating seemed to have as much fun as the audience. In addition, there was then an act that was a combination of magic and stand-up, a creative combination that left the audience quite amused.

Throughout the night there were also numerous dance performances: one from each class year as well as a few from Brandeis’ different Indian dance teams. The first-year class dance was exciting, using popular Bollywood songs and fun choreography to make an exciting dance routine. The sophomore dance was equally

entertaining, and highlighted the diversity of South Asian culture by performing intricate choreography to songs in multiple languages. Additionally, Chak De presented a beautiful piece featuring solos from their dance captains on navigating mental health and social anxiety during the pandemic.

After a brief intermission, a wildly delightful junior class dance was performed to a variety of entertaining music. The senior class dance was an epic closeout and finale for those graduating, performed to fusions of Western and South Asian songs. The presidents of SASA gave a speech paying homage to previous classes that did not get to celebrate MELA, and another speech about this year’s theme. The night concluded with a buffet dinner where attendees could try a variety of delicious South Asian foods.

NOAH ZEITLIN/the Justice Neh Me, Neh Meh, Sung Chin Par, Phyu Phyu and Rose Min sang a traditional Burmese song.

The three emcees of “MELA” introduced the acts before every performance. A soloist danced on top of a brass plate as part of the Classical Dance that opened up the show.

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

Top 10 Horror Movies

By DEVON SANDLER

JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

In honor of spooky season ending a little while ago, here are my favorite horror movies!

1.Get Out (2017) 2. The Sixth Sense (1999) 3. Midsommar (2019) 4. The Orphan (2009) 5. Cabin in the Woods (2011) 6. Case 39 (2009) 8. Session 9 (2001) 9. Dream House (2011) 10. Sinister (2012)

JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice

CROSSWORD

MIRANDA SULLIVAN/the Justice

GILDA GEIST/the Justice

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

GILDA GEIST/the Justice

Down

1. farm animal and bad word 2. compound word insult 3. Abby Lee Miller’s longtime favorite student 4. nail polish brand 5. he’s been seen out with Kim K as of late 6. shorthand for a social media site 7. perpetual travelers 8. secular alternative to A.D. 10. single-stranded molecule that afects genetic coding and expression 13. what you say when you see something cute 16. text acronym for uncertainty 17. father of Chinese communism 18. instrument popular in 80s music 20. movie with Pennywise 22. playing music together, slang 23. broadcast TV 24. “Catcher in the Rye” author (frst initials) 25. how we used to listen to music 29. early instant messaging site 30. Eminem’s mentor 31. afectionate nickname for a young person 32. a pronoun 34. Boston’s mayor-elect 35. handheld Nintendo product 38. mining fnd 40. sci-f Netfix original with 2 seasons 42. big size

Across

1. like 3. “Mighty ________ Power Rangers” 9. extra piece 11. Gillian Flynn’s “______ Girl” 12. Medieval African oral history that inspired the “Lion King” 14. satire magazine 15. Obama: “Yes _____ can” 16. pet food company 19. two 21. WWII battle on the beaches of Normandy 22. “Escapade” performer from famous family 26. one factor in a person’s eligibility to run for president 27. often sold with Blu-ray 28. bit 32. outerwear brand popular in the D.C. area, for short 33. one of Pitbull’s many nicknames 36. not young 37. what soap makes 39. goes with neither 41. youngest animal in “Winnie the Pooh” 42. iPhone model 43. Dr. Seuss creature 44. he dictates whether it’s a bones or no bones day