poptimister monthlies: nov 2024
film festivals, musicals, awards season, and more...
Hey folks!
It feels like procrastination is a recurring theme here. Honestly, November was a lot to handle. Between work, film festivals, writing, and keeping my fitness in check, I fear I’ve been stretching myself a little too thin. Also, I turned 26, so cue the existential crisis too.
Anyway… here’s everything November had to offer.
MY CINEPHILE ERA
The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) made its return! It’s an annual affair to catch at least one film since my first time in 2020. I saw four films this year, though I would’ve gone for more screenings if my schedule had allowed for it.
As part of their new Cinephile Pass, I was able to watch unlimited films for a donation (minimum $50), as long as I produce 3 reviews in return.
I’ll be posting separate reviews soon, but here’s a quick rundown of the films I watched. Trailers are hyperlinked for reference.
1. THE ROOM NEXT DOOR (dir. Pedro Almodóvar)
The Golden Lion winner at Venice starring two Academy Award-winning queens Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton.
2. NIGHTBITCH (dir. Marielle Heller)
What if Amy Adams turned into a dog? (I’m not kidding, that’s the premise of the film)
3. I SAW THE TV GLOW (dir. Jane Schoenbrun)
A coming-of-age indie film with stirring queer allegory and bizarre horror elements.
4. UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE (dir. Matthew Rankin)
An absurdist drama set in an alternate universe Canada, where people speak Farsi and unsuspecting characters intertwine in the strangest ways. My favorite of the four films!
Outside of SGIFF, I also watched All We Imagine as Light, an Indian film revolving around three working-class women, each with their own set of struggles. As the three stories converge, the women find solace in one another’s company and it becomes less burdensome for them to navigate the stifling city of Mumbai. Payal Kapadia’s directorial work is so personal and affecting. Definitely one of my favorite films this year too.
A MONTH OF MUSICALS
November got pretty musical-y for me too, between two stage musicals and the Wicked movie.
I caught a local production of the Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen. It made me cry twice—first during the rousing Act I finale “You Will Be Found,” and later during the tearjerker ballad “So Big/So Small”—and I left the theater feeling really impressed with the homegrown talent we have here in Singapore.
Note to self: I have to check out more local theater shows next year.
I also had the pleasure of seeing Six live when the international tour cast stopped by Singapore. Presented as a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, Six is less a musical with a coherent plot, but more a pop concert where each wife gets a solo number to spell out their story. It was an absolute firecracker of a show and the six queens delivered on all fronts—choreography, vocals, and stage presence.
And of course, the Wicked movie. The marketing has been unbearably intense, so I decided to check it out for myself to see if it did live up to the seemingly manufactured hype. I have to say, I’m largely convinced.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were perfect as Elphaba and Glinda respectively, and its their electric chemistry that pushes the film beyond average territory. The scene they share at the Ozdust Ballroom is magical and made me weep like a child.
What I didn’t like was how random dialogues or plot detours interrupted several musical numbers. “Defying Gravity” in particular suffered from this issue—each time it started to build tension, its momentum got cut off abruptly and detracted from what should’ve been the grandest moment of Act I. Still, for all its flaws, the film did enough good to get me pumped for Part Two next year.
Nonetheless, the success of Wicked warms my heart, and I love how the general public is showing up at this scale for a musical film. The anti-musical agenda needs to end!
IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR
As a pop culture fanatic, the end of the year is basically a month-long Christmas for me. There’s simply so much to unpack, from year-end lists to awards season kicking off.
The 2025 Grammy nominations were announced this month and our favorite women this year were well represented in the nominations. 2024 is truly the year of the pop girlies! Personally, I’m rooting for Chappell Roan, and I’m hoping she snags Best New Artist and Album of the Year at least, though I feel like Billie Eilish is handily taking the latter.
I’m also having a lot of fun browsing critics’ year-end lists. Personally, these lists are very helpful, like little treasure maps guiding me to music and films I’ve missed throughout the year.
For music, I enjoy reading Pitchfork and NME, but I particularly love AOTY’s Music Year End List Aggregate, which uses a ranked point system to aggregate the lists of various media outlets.
For films, my favorite critics are Justin Chang (his 2024 list is not out yet) and David Ehrlich (he writes on IndieWire with other film critics, but he also releases his personal list in the form of a video every year in January).
I’ve also discovered this amazing site that compiles different year-end lists across movies, TV shows, music, books, poetry, and podcasts. Browse away!
EVERYTHING ELSE IN NOVEMBER!
The biggest music headline this month has got to be the surprise release of Kendrick Lamar’s sixth album, GNX. Following the success of the Drake diss track “Not Like Us,” Kendrick’s goodwill and cultural dominance are at an all-time high. GNX capitalizes on that momentum with some of his most accessible songs produced by Sounwave and Jack Antonoff. My favorite tracks are “squabble up,” “luther,” “reincarnated,” and “tv off.” A definite recommend!
GNX also features two collaborations with SZA, and the duo later announced they’ll be going on a joint stadium tour next year. But before that? Kendrick will be performing at the Super Bowl halftime show in February. I’m looking forward to the theatrics he’s gonna bring.
Shawn Mendes made his comeback after a four-year hiatus with his self-titled album Shawn. The folk-inspired album sees Shawn attempting to be more personal, but it doesn’t quite stick the landing. Read more in my review:
Seven years after frontman Chester Bennington passed, the members of Linkin Park regrouped with a new lead vocalist, Emily Armstrong. The decision was controversial—some protested against her associations with the Church of Scientology, while others simply hated the idea of Bennington being replaced with a female vocalist. The reformed Linkin Park released their album From Zero this month, and it was met with mixed reception. Personally, I think I’ve outgrown the angsty rock sound, and the album didn’t offer much that felt new to me. That said, if they came here for their tour, I’d still show up for nostalgia’s sake.
I saw Dua Lipa live on her Radical Optimism Tour! It was a cute set with a good mix of her older hits and tracks from the new album, but it reaffirmed my belief that Radical Optimism is simply too average of an album, especially when it followed the pop bible that is Future Nostalgia.
a stacked cast.. for what… Disclaimer, the Alfonso Cuarón TV series starring Cate Blanchett, is a letdown. It’s shocking how having so much talent in one room can still result in something so mediocre.
Coachella announced their 2025 lineup: headliners include Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone, and Travis Scott. The latter also “designs the desert,” whatever that means. After a crowd crush killed 10 people at his Astroworld Festival in 2021, I don’t think that sounds like a good idea. Meh.
The Wicked press tour is truly the gift that keeps on giving, blessing us with endless memes thanks to stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s dramatic and emotional reactions to… everything. Holding space for these two icons today 💚
I’m really thrilled by the steady growth of poptimister thus far. Thank you everyone for your support <3
And that’s all from me for now. Gotta go!
loved having november pop culture summarized in one amazing article