We might only be a fourth of the way through 2025, but there’s no shortage of good media to watch or listen to!
Congrats! March is fully behind us, and we can officially say that we are a quarter of the way through the year. The close of a chapter of the year is a great reminder to stop and appreciate what media it’s given to you so far. With three months checked off the calendar, now is a perfect time to look back at the great music, film, and TV this year has provided us with already. Here are some standouts in each category.
Music
Bad Bunny- DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Music certainly had a strong start, with Bad Bunny releasing this absolute smash album only five days into the year. The album, which translates to “I Should’ve Taken More Photos,” is a giant love letter to Puerto Rico. The moving album spans seventeen songs and bursts with emotionally poignant lyrics, and blends genres such as Reggaeton, Salsa, Latin Trap, and many more. On top of it being a tribute to his Puerto Rican Roots, it’s also a political cry to protect the territory from issues such as gentrification, privatization, and any other issues that put the “archipélago perfecto” at risk. Both exquisitely crafted and extremely important in its themes, this album is a must listen.
FKA Twigs- Eusexua
Promoting this album as a project that she began to conceive “when I was thirteen”, Eusexua arrived in late January. Sounding something like the lovechild of the likes of Madonna and Bjork, Eusexua is just euphoric. The singer cited raves as a big source of inspiration in the sound and production on the album and it shows. Her rollout started with her crushing the corporate dream in the music video for her album’s title track six months ago. Twigs let listeners know right off the bat that this album would be about freedom. Everything that has come out for it since has reflected those themes. From the album aesthetic to videos and chosen singles, everything about the rollout was thought out and cohesive. If you want a euphoric album that leaves you feeling lighter than you felt going into it, this is the project for you.
Ariana Grande- Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead
After a Wicked-ly packed year of press for her first major motion picture, fans eagerly awaited Ariana Grande’s musical return with her deluxe project, Eternal Sunshine: Brighter Days Ahead. While technically a deluxe to her 2024 album, Eternal Sunshine, the project is so well-executed that it almost feels like its own project. The project adds an additional 6 tracks to the album, which are all fabulous. The extended album opens up with a beautiful extended version of the album’s opener, “Intro (End of the World)”. Brighter Days Ahead remains just as well-written and vulnerable as the original project. In more exciting news, the project arrived with a beautiful short film counterpart for fans to watch that explores themes touched on in the tracks.
Films
One of Them Days
I’m going to go ahead and say it: There’s been a shortage of really good comedy films. Even more so, there’s been a huge lack of female-led buddy comedies within the last few years. This January, the film starring Keke Palmer and SZA showed us exactly what we were missing. The film follows roommates Dreux and Alyssa as they struggle to find the money to pay rent and avoid eviction. Keke Palmer and SZA play off of each other perfectly, and I was laughing the whole way through. The storyline and hijinks of the film were great, using the classic countdown structure to heighten the stakes. Even the side characters introduced got their moments to shine and brought some more laughs to the film. This was just a joy to watch from start to finish. Give me ten more!
Mickey 17
I know for a fact that I was just one of many who were anxiously awaiting Bong Joon Ho’s next film. After releasing his critically acclaimed film Parasite, it was hard to imagine what the next would look like. After nearly six years we finally got our answer with the release of Mickey 17. The film manages to feel completely different but remains true to themes Bong has previously explored in films past. The film is stacked with actors who give excellent performances, such as Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, and Mark Ruffalo, to name a few. The story follows disposable human, Mickey 17, as he is sent on missions that aim to colonize the ice planet Niflheim. Throughout his adventure, issues arise with clones, dictators, and adorable creatures called Creepers. This film manages to be both fun to watch and full of timely political commentary. In other words, it’s classic Bong Joon Ho.
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy
This one goes out to all the rom-com lovers everywhere! Hilarious and sometimes hard to watch, Bridget Jones returned for her fourth feature film this past Valentine’s Day. The film takes place twenty years after the events of the first film and four years after the death of (spoiler alert) Mark Darcy. It follows Bridget as she tries to navigate being a single mother while grappling with what it means to fall in love again after losing her great love. What makes this film so special is that it has the comedy that we first fell in love with Bridget for, while also feeling much deeper than the other three films. The film is a great exploration of motherhood, grief, and new love. It is also quite possibly one of my favorite films in the franchise. Whether you’re a longtime Bridget fan or just hearing about her for the first time, check this one out.
TV
Severance- Season 2
It’s very unlikely that this list is the first time you’re hearing about Severance season two, and for good reason. After the massive cliffhanger that the show left viewers on three years ago, the follow-up season was highly anticipated. Despite expectations being high, the show did not disappoint. The corporate thriller continued to build off of previously introduced ideas while introducing plenty of new ones for us to grapple with. The show just wrapped up its final episode of the season, and already, viewers are begging for more. New departments, reintegration, goats, and even more dancing- Severance season two has it all.
White Lotus- Season 3
Everyone’s favorite (or not-so-favorite) hotel chain made its return to television this February. The third season of this dramatic anthology is set at the White Lotus luxury spa and wellness resort in Thailand. Along with a new location, we were introduced to a colorful group of new hotel guests. Just as in previous seasons despite only taking place over one week, plenty of epic bombshells are dropped. The season explores things such as spirituality, revenge, and, of course, plenty of secrets. The show is gearing up to release its final episode Sunday, April 6th, so if you haven’t tuned in yet, it’s time for a binge-watch.
The Studio- Season 1
Despite the fact that the show just premiered, The Studio is already proving itself to be a must-watch. The first two episodes of Apple TV’s newest show aired on March 26th to tons of praise. Even though the show just premiered, The Studio is already proving itself to be a must-watch. The show follows a studio executive struggling to keep movie magic alive while trying to meet the demands of the corporation. The comedy show boasts a cast list full of big names (director Martin Scorsese being one of them). The show is set to air weekly on Wednesdays, and promises to be quite a good time. I’m clocked in for this one.
Not A Bad Start
If this is what we’re starting the year off with, it seems like we’re in for an exciting one. I look forward to seeing the projects that this year continues to gift us with. I hope you agree with and enjoy these recommendations!
