My April 2025 Wrap-Up
The month is over, so let's recap!
With another month of the year complete, it is time to look back and reflect on everything that went down for me last month in one of the more casual posts here on A Story For Another Day. Enjoy!
Movies
After a rough month of new releases in March, April bounced back with a handful of fun releases that show the power of moviemaking. The month's big winner was, of course, Ryan Coogler's Sinners. Enjoying this original, non-IP-driven film is a pleasure because it packs in the beauty of cinema in such a visceral film. Coogler knows how to pour emotion into the screen, heavily connecting his audience with the characters and their stories, and Sinners is more proof of that. Michael B. Jordan is fantastic, as is Wunmi Mosaku. Their scenes together were my favorite moments of Sinners, honing on the heart of the story. A few elements did not work with me, like the vampire plot point and the rushed ending. Yet, there is no denying the transcendence packed inside Sinners.
If you have been following me for a hot minute, you would know that On Swift Horses was one of my most anticipated movies. I read the book over a year ago and, unfortunately, found it mediocre. Yet, I was still eager to see the film, which did not disappoint. The issues I had with the novel were nowhere to be found in the adaptation, meaning I got to enjoy some of my favorite actors act and look so gorgeous on the big screen. Nothing revolutionary resides here, but with stunning cinematography and an intriguing story, it fulfills the need for a ravishing drama film theaters so desperately lack nowadays.
I was late to the Minecraft party due to being on vacation when it came out, so my theater was pretty dead when it came to the meme moments. Maybe the lack of energy caused my dislike for the film, as it was just not for me. However, I deeply respect what it is because it definitely seems like a film for hardcore Minecraft fans, which I am not. A similar sentiment goes with the horror flick Until Dawn. Is it a great film? Not really, but it did enough with its chilling practical effects and enjoyable cast to increase my heart rate and keep my eyes glued to the screen, gaining my respect.
I didn't watch anything particularly interesting in class or at home this month, so I guess I have to do better in that area this May.
Sunset Blvd.
That vacation I mentioned a few lines above was a trip to the East Coast, where I explored Massachusetts and New York. It was a delightful trip that I miss dearly. One of the highlights was watching Sunset Boulevard on Broadway. I had only planned to go to Massachusetts, but I desperately wanted to see a Broadway show, and I knew this was the one I wanted to see. I adore the film, and the production’s vibe looked right up my alley. So, I made my way to the St. James Theater and was blown away by the power of Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond. It was a stunning production that left me awed with every scene. I honestly felt so inspired after, with the directing choices leaving me floored and lighting a creative fire under me. Seeing this show has been one of the biggest highlights of my year so far, and I cannot wait to go back to New York to see more shows in the future.
Music
New Music
There wasn't a lot of new music this month, but the released tunes were so good. I'm fully on board with Miley Cyrus' new era. The three tracks she's released for her upcoming album, Something Beautiful, had a tight grip on me the first week of April. It is truly something beautiful, and I cannot wait for the whole album at the end of May. PinkPantheress also returned to the music with two bangers, "Tonight" and "Stateside," which support her upcoming mixtape Fancy That. Even though Pink has become bigger ever since her smash hit "Boy's A Liar Pt. 2" with Ice Spice and her outstanding debut album Heaven Knows, I am still waiting for more people to wake up to the musical brilliance she creates. That sentiment also applies to Addison Rae—yes, I'm a hardcore Addison stan, sue me—because her new single "Headphones On" is some of her best work yet, and I cannot wait for her album, Addison, this June. I am planning a whole post on it for May, so I will keep it at that. Just know that you must keep all three upcoming projects on your radar.
Weekly Albums
I continued my “one new album a week” journey with four more albums. Since I was on a “Headphones On” high, I needed more 90s trip-hop/pop music ASAP. That led me to Janet Jackson’s The Velvet Rope. Out of all the new albums I have listened to this year, this has to be my favorite so far. How this album did not win Album of the Year and every other accolade confuses me because this is easily one of the best albums ever crafted. It’s funny because I was going to do a Janet Jackson deep dive a few years back, and I listened to her debut album. It was not that good, and it kinda turned me off from exploring deeper into her discography. Now, I feel ashamed because I have been missing out on some life-changing music. The themes of sexual expression and the introspection of oneself moved me. I listened to three more albums after this but always returned to The Velvet Rope.
Next up, I listened to Carly Simon’s Boys in the Trees. Again, I found this album out through Addison Rae, as she said in an interview that it was currently an album she was obsessed with, and I see why. Every song has an enchanting nature, bringing you into this atmospheric world of liveliness. The title track soothes the soul with its beautiful lyricism and exquisite production, and “Tranquillo (Melt My Heart)” is a delightful, breezy tune that brings the classic groovy 70s vibe. I did a complete 180 in sound by diving into Evanescence’s Fallen, as they are opening for Halsey at her LA stop on her For My Last Trick tour, which I will be attending. Of course, I knew the smash hit “Bring Me To Life,” so hearing the rest of the album was a pleasant expansion. The album clicked with me quickly, as songs like “Haunted” and “Imaginary” were immediately engraved into my brain.
I hate to say this, but the last of the four albums this month was my least favorite of the batch. That album is Fiona Apple’s The Idler Wheel..., which is so upsetting because I was thoroughly enjoying Apple’s discography. I don’t necessarily think this album is bad in any way. It just contains a vibe that didn’t stick with me right away. It slowly grew on me with more and more listens, yet I missed the aura of her other songs on her previous three albums. The Idler Wheel contains the same beautiful lyricism she’s always possessed, but the production feels relatively flat throughout its entire duration, muddling with the impact of her words. There are some standouts, but the project as a whole did not hit the same as her previous work did.
Favorite tracks from each album:
The Velvet Rope: the whole album, but specifically “My Need,” “Free Xone,” “Empty,” “What About”
Boys in the Trees: “Boys In The Trees,” “Haunting” “Tranquillo (Melt My Heart)”
Fallen: “Going Under,” “Bring Me To Life,” “Haunted,” “Imaginary”
The Idler Wheel…: “Every Single Night,” “Periphery,” “Anything We Want”
Books
Shopgirl by Steve Martin
This book was one of the two books I bought for $3 at Brattle Book Shop in Boston, Massachusetts. I never knew Steve Martin wrote a book, but maybe life was better that way. It was a brisk 130 pages, and I read it all on my flight back to California. I was hoping the people behind and next to me were not reading the words on these pages because they were quite the cringefest. Martin tries his best to tell the story of a lonely woman who works at a department store struggling to find love. I’m not sure if Steve Martin, of all people, should be writing a female protagonist because he lacks the nuance and raw emotion of how a lonely woman might feel. Instead, you get a sex-filled novella with dull prose and lost characters, feeling more like a weird sexual fantasy the actor once had. Martin later adapted this into a movie; if it’s anything like the book, I fear we must ban it.
Score: 2.5/5
Up With the Sun by Thomas Mallon
This month was just not a good month of reading, as Up With the Sun by Fellow Travelers author Thomas Mallon was not great. The book uses two POVs to tell the story of Dick Kallaman, a real-life actor. The first POV is from Matt, Dick’s friend who is dealing with the aftermath of Dick’s murder. The second POV is an omniscient third-person view of Dick’s life. Most of the content in this book is fictionalized, but it somehow cannot escape the shackles of boredom, as nothing interesting occurs in this story. Dick is an asshole, and Mallon doesn’t have any commentary about how one becomes an asshole and what being an asshole does to you in life, so the story just kinda keeps going and going until it awkwardly ends after 350 pages. I was excited to read this because I love anything Hollywood-related, but this was just not it.
Score: 2.5/5
Looking Forward
May has been a month I’ve been looking forward to for a hot minute because it will be an exciting month for me. I have three concerts planned and multiple new albums from artists I love deeply. In the realm of movies, the Lilo & Stitch live-action adaptation and Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme are the films calling my name. It’s mainly just the start of summer, and I am ready to unwind and have a blast, meaning I will be writing away here on Substack, so stay tuned and see you for another recap next month!
