Legend Series: @aliyahsinterlude1

Original Series Poster

“Harlem” follows the lives of four Black best friends living in – you guessed it – Harlem, New York City, New York. Camille is an anthropology professor at New York University, Quinn is an heiress and business owner, Angie is a struggling artist and Tye is a queer tech mogul. The four support each other as they navigate careers, family and romantic relationships. This show has a range of Black people from across the diaspora, showing that Black is indeed not a monolith. “Harlem,” streaming on Amazon Prime, is a feel good show about the joy, pain, love and much more that comes with living in your truth.

Crush Ep by Ravyn Lenae (2018)

Micah Oliphant /Staff Writer

Red-haired, Chicago native, 19-year-old Ravyn Lenae captivated the hearts of alternative Black people everywhere with the release of her 2018 debut EP, Crush. Her airy melodies, groovy instrumentals and soft girl aesthetic collide in this five song masterpiece, enchanting her audience and showing off her effortless talent through every song. She partners with Steve Lacy to tell a story of longing for romance, affection and a desire to be with someone, in “Computer Luv”and “4 Leaf Clover.”

Aliyah Bah, commonly known throughout social media as @aliyahsinterlude1, is a Black influencer taking the digital world by storm.

Aliyah started off her career showing off her creative, alternative fashion taste and style while also speaking on relatable opinions. Aliyah has become a social media socialite, creating her own aesthetic, and getting invited to highfashion events. Aaliyah’s career may have just begun, but her influence in her short time in the social spotlight is iconic. She is short of becoming a celebrity and, eventually, a legend.

“TikTok needs to stop commending it.”

With videos like @diaboliestlestum’s trying to trivialize the impact #aliyahcore has had, Aliyah herself made a video on Jan. 9 further explaining what #aliyahcore is and what it represents. In the video, she responded to a comment that a fan of her’s left under another creator's video, stating that what the other creator was wearing was considered #aliyahcore, when it was in fact just a miniskirt and platform Demonia shoes.

Aliyah stated that it’s not okay to try and discredit #aliyahcore as a whole.

Original Album Cover

“The Night Song” is a funky, groovy, rhythmic tune all about feeling your flyest self. The Crush EP is truly a fantastic piece and an easy listen.

The Vertical Interrogation of Strangers by bhanu kapil (2001)

Leila Ganim / Correspondent

Original Book Cover

“The Vertical Integration of Strangers” is a poetry book with quite the unique format. Written by Bhanu Kapil, the book follows a question and answer structure. Each question asks for in-depth reflections about the Indian female experience, shying away from a one sided perspective of this group of women. Reading it reminded me of the process of painting. While painting there are many strokes of the brush that layer into an intended shape. All the strokes of nothing blend together to make something. The book as a whole reflects a beautifully diverse portrait of experience.

North Carolina Theatre’s production of Dreamgirls (2023) Shaere Delgiudice / Correspondent

Throughout the Summer of 2022, Aliyah frequently posted on TikTok, showing off her unique outfits in every video. It was then when she began experimenting more with accessories and the practicality of fashion when people started taking notice. You watched as her style evolved more and more as she posted. Her page grew immensely in a matter of months, and the attention that she desired and manifested in her videos finally came to fruition.

With her outfits, Aliyah would often pair a single garner on her thigh, faux fur accessories, fishnets, platform shoes and lots of layers. Through these modifications, her fans dubbed her style #aliyahcore and the aestheticized movement was created.

“I understand that I'm not the first alternatively dressing Black woman, like, when did I ever say that,” she begins, “But what is revolutionary and new about #aliyahcore is that I take things from many different subsets of fashion and I make it into one simple genre or one simple aesthetic.”

She then went on to describe the different aesthetics she takes inspiration from, such as Japanese Harajuku fashion, Y2K fashion, etc. She continues that #aliyahcore is about “loving yourself out loud and being able to wear what you want without the fear of being perceived.”

So, while @diaboliestlestum was right about #aliyahcore’s inspiration, they failed to understand the true meaning behind #aliyahcore. They failed to recognize how Aliyah was able to take all of these niche aesthetics and turn them into one cohesive style that anyone can take part in.

Original Play Scene

The North Carolina Theatre’s production of “Dreamgirls” was a joy to watch. Iris Ponce Lloyd's costuming was brilliant and eye-catching along with Charlie Morrison's lighting design worked hand in hand to help highlight the intricate beading and sequin work. Saint Aubyn rocked the house with each song performance as James Thunder Early, making viewers feel as though they were the true audience Early was performing for. As for the Dreamgirls themselves, Tamara Jade, Joy Woods and Nya delivered spectacular emotional performances in addition to their stunningly great vocals, and were helped by the show's choreography, done masterfully, by Christopher D. Betts.

While #aliyahcore was met with lots of positivity, with over 136.9M views under the hashtag, some were bound to be upset. Earlier this year, Aliyah was bombarded with criticism on how she was trying to coin a style that has already been around for decades. Some people felt as if Aaliyah was doing a disservice to individuals who previously popularized the style. These people were often shunned for wearing this kind of clothing and felt that she should not get credit for her aesthetic

A TikTok creator, by the username @diaboliestlestum, stated in a video “Aaliyah core is just a mix of Y2K and the old scene and emo style from 2009” and

Aliyah's influence and social media presence has already granted her amazing career opportunities. During Fall Fashion Week 2023, which occurred from Feb. 10 - Feb. 15, Aliyah attended several big named events; this included the Concept Korea show and also closing for Mowalola’s Fall ‘23 ready-to-wear collection show as well.

Aliyah’s impact is taking her far. This is truly just the beginning of her career. Aliyah is easily one of the most remarkable fashion icons that TikTok has produced and her impact on her audience and people worldwide is just now beginning. With a following of 2.5 million, there’s no telling where Aliyah’s influence will take her, but I’ll be there watching the entire time.