Do You Remember?
In this newsletter volume, I will be recapping one of my favorite months of the year: September!
Welcome back to Culture Yap with Layla B-C!
September has come and gone, but I would be amiss not to capture all of the eventful. Forementioned in August’s Gone With The Wind, September was filled with concerts, a surprise visit from my long-distance best friend from college during our birthday weekend, and other news.
Without further ado, let’s dive into September.
The Culture Edit: It’s Looking Ugly For You, David.
David Anthony Burke, popularly known as d4vd, has been making headlines for the past month for his connection with the disappearance of Celeste Rivas. According to ABC News, LAPD officials discovered the decomposed body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas in an abandoned Tesla registered to the singer on Sept. 8. Rivas was reported missing last year and hadn’t been heard from since.
Since this news, the singer’s relationship with Rivas has come into question, with alleged, leaked Discord messages between Rivas, Burke, and the fan base, photos of Burke paying Rivas’s classmates to keep quiet about her disappearance, and more alleged incriminating evidence to allude to a romantic relationship that potentially went awry.
As of writing this, Burke has transferred one of his Texas homes to his mother’s name on Sept. 23, only two weeks after Rivas was found, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. More updates to come about this case in the meantime.
Now Playing: Midnight Sun by Zara Larsson
In September, I have been consuming a lot of music in my spare time, whether I’m writing, completing freelance assignments, side quests in Chicago, and more. One thing that has kept appearing in my rotation is Zara Larsson, who hasn’t been in my rotation since the classic, “Lush Life.” I’m happy to say that Midnight Sun has turned my ears back to her.
Midnight Sun was released on Sept. 26 with a run-time of approximately 32 minutes with 10 tracks. For Larsson, the album is not only inspired by her childhood in her home country, Sweden, where the sun doesn’t set in the summer, but it also embraces the feelings of brightness and bittersweet melancholy that come with life’s beautiful moments.
The album leans into the genres of electropop and dance-pop, and this album has effectively breathed fresh air back into pop music for me. It reminds me in particular of the feeling Katy Perry would give me in the summer, and that’s a testament to show that authentic, fun music is being produced.
Despite what the Swiftologist says, Zara, you did your big one, and I look forward to seeing this live next March. My favorites from this album were “Midnight Sun,” “Pretty Ugly,” “Girl’s Girl,” “Hot and Sexy,” and “The Ambition.”
The Aftershow: Kai’s KAION Tour, SPARK Festival with Tinashe, Conan Gray’s Wishbone Tour, and Kali Uchis’ Sincerely, Tour
September was a month dedicated not only to music but concerts. For the whole month, I had tickets for three shows at the beginning, middle, and end of the month, and a surprise festival I was invited to at UIC. So, here’s a lighting round wrap-up:
The first show to kick off September was Kai’s KAION Tour on September 4, which marked my second solo EXO member concert and first soundcheck experience. Like Baekhyun, I’d streamed his latest album once and went into the concert with high expectations. Needless to say, Kai’s KAION Tour was an electric way to kick off September with the stunning outfit changes, vocals, and dancing.
The second and third performances with Tinashe and Conan Gray happened on the same weekend. On Sept. 13, I saw Tinashe at UIC’s SPARK Festival with Laila. For Tinashe’s performance, my expectations were neutral as her artistry is a constant in my rotation, yet I did hear from friends that her performance last time in Chicago was subpar at best. I have to say, though, I was impressed. She had the crowd, including me, hyped on her hits and newer gems since her debut. Though this concert wasn’t planned, I was glad to have seen her.
On Sept. 14, I had the chance to see Conan Gray for his Wishbone Pajama Tour. Wishbone was one of my favorite albums from the volume last month, and seeing it live was life-changing. Hearing Gray’s high notes in real time is a thing everyone should experience once in their lives, and I was also glad to see my favorites live from his previous albums, Kid Krow and Superache.
The fourth, and not least, concert in this lineup was one of the concerts I’d been anticipating since its announcement. I managed to see Kali Uchis for the first time for her Sincerely, Tour on Sept. 22. I’d been wanting to see her for the longest time since she’d been here for her Red Moon In Venus Tour in May 2023. Her performance was ethereal at the start, as she opened with songs from her latest album Sincerely, and led into her more upbeat songs from Orquídeas and Red Moon in Venus.
Latest Screens: HIM
I haven’t been to the movie theater for the longest time, it seems. However, that changed on Sept. 30 with my latest watch of HIM.
HIM was released on Sept. 19, and the story follows Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers), a rising quarterback who suffers from a career-ending injury after an attack from an unhinged fan. However, a light appears in the shape of his role model, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), who offers to train him at an isolated compound. White’s initial charm soon gives way to something more sinister during Cam’s stay as he enters a disorienting rabbit hole that could cost him more than he bargained for.
As a horror fan, the storyline and addition of Marlon Wayans as one of the film’s leads were a selling point for me, but I was also intrigued to see Tyriq Withers on the big screen as Cade. The movie, like others within its genre, has its horrific imagery, occasional jumpscares, and rising tension points. It also features religious imagery and occult themes we’ve seen in other horror movies within the past years, such as SINNERS.
The strong storyline, at a point, soon flat by the end with Cade’s escape from the madness. There were points in the movie where I believed we were getting a Get Out endpoint, which shifted at the end.
Though the storytelling could have been stronger, the message of the movie was clear as day: what are you willing to give for fame and fortune? To add another layer to this, the movie opens a deeper conversation about the cult nature of sports like football for players, fans, and those who put money into the sports business as well.
Be In Touch!
Thank you for tuning into another newsletter here at Culture Yap with Layla B-C!
If you missed my September content from last month, I’ll link to my breakdown on the phenomenon of social television, my twenty-fifth birthday reflection, and my hidden gem review on Alemeda’s “FK It” EP here.
In the meantime, I’m brainstorming new ideas, listening to music, keeping track of the news, occasionally completing freelance assignments from City Bureau and South Side Weekly, completing side quests, and have plans to be back on a radio station near you soon. That said, be in touch!
I enjoy the article. Very informative.
Great articles and informative information.