EXCLUSIVE: Katy Perry returns to pop music in ‘Smile,’ reflects on decade
Iman Mekonen, Spectrum Editor Through her colorful wigs, vibrant music videos and catchy pop anthems, Katy Perry emerged at the beginning of the 2010s as a prominent pop vocalist. The average college student has grown up with her radio-friendly music and witnessed her role in defining pop music, but as listeners grow and develop, so […]
Documentary highlights Va. role in women’s suffrage in 19th Amendment’s centennial year
Iman Mekonen, Spectrum Editor Women advocating in January for the Equal Rights Amendment flood the Downtown Richmond streets in the opening scene of “These Things Can Be Done: Women’s Suffrage in Virginia.” The next clip jumps to a march at the State Capitol on International Women’s Day, celebrating Virginia’s ratification of the amendment. Delta Sigma […]
Taylor Swift’s surprise album ‘Folklore’ reveals versatile songwriting in a new genre
Iman Mekonen, Spectrum Editor Puzzle pieces made of black and white nature settings appeared on Taylor Swift’s Instagram account Thursday morning with no caption or context. Shortly after, she revealed the artwork of her eighth studio album, “Folklore,” with a 16-hour notice for the album’s release. “In isolation my imagination has run wild and this […]
VCU alumni update ‘Greetings From Richmond’ mural to reflect BLM protests, civil unrest
Iman Mekonen, Spectrum Editor Police officers emerging from clouds of tear gas, protesters with numerous signs crying out for racial justice and a burning police car are just a few of the images used in a repainting update to a four-year-old mural on the side of Richmond ice cream shop Charm School. The mural by […]
Artists, activists gather for Juneteenth weekend celebrations at graffitied Robert E. Lee monument
Iman Mekonen, Spectrum Editor Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech boomed through loudspeakers on Saturday night as it was projected on a monument honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. At night, images of civil rights leaders and those killed by police illuminate Monument Avenue in the heart of the former capital of […]