Source: Daily Dot

Widely acclaimed Nigerian and feminist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie drew flak as she recently published an essay criticizing young people, saying that “they are choking on sanctimony and lacking in compassion.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian author whose works have been drawn extensively on the Biafran War in Nigeria during the late 1960s. She was born on September 15, 1977, in Enugu, Nigeria. Widely recognized for her two bestselling novels, Purple Hibiscus (2003) and Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), this literary powerhouse has dedicated most of her life to creating masterful pieces that speak volumes of her love for country and equality. The recently published essay entitled “It is obscene: A true reflection in three parts” has sent the internet abuzz, mulling over the pervasive influence of today’s cancel culture.

With the rise of the digital era, social interactions have mostly transferred to the online space. While this is a stark indication of progress, it has opened many gates of a variety of engagements, paving the way to exercising the people’s right to freedom of speech. However, along with the use of this right lies the expression of unsolicited criticisms. For this reason, many of the young generations choose silence over expressing their opinion, potentially depriving them of their right to speak their minds.

“We have a generation of young people on social media so terrified of having the wrong opinions that they have robbed themselves of the opportunity to think and to learn and to grow,” Adichie wrote.

For more than a decade, the Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has continuously pushed for people to exercise their freedom of expression by coaching and mentoring many aspiring writers in her annual creative writing workshop held in Lagos and Awka in Nigeria. The program has had 200 graduates, including rising stars like Ayobami Adebayo, whose work has been shortlisted for the Baileys Prize. However, the lengthy essay that Adichie wrote drew flak as it caused a rift between her and one of her most prominent students, Akwaeke Emezi.

In the essay, Adichie addressed the current state of freedom of expression and social media while referencing allegations of transphobia against her and allegations that she attempted to tarnish the career of Akwaeke Emezi.

It can be remembered that in 2017, Adichie gave an interview on British Broadcaster Channel 4 News in which she mentioned that trans women are women. “Of course, they are women, but in talking about feminism and gender and all of that, it’s important for us to acknowledge the differences in the experience of gender,” she said in the interview.

As a result of this statement, Akwaeke Emezi, who identifies as nonbinary, took it to Instagram, acknowledging that they are one of the subjects of Adichie’s essay.

“Adichie published emails from myself and another writer who was in her workshop without our consent,” Emezi wrote. “It was designed to incite hordes of transphobic Nigerians to target me,” they added.

However, Adichie remained steadfast in her statement, pointing out the faults in today’s digital environment.

“In this age of social media, where a story travels the world in minutes, silence sometimes means that other people can hijack your story, and soon, their false version becomes the defining story about you,” she wrote.

Reference:

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/17/1007350665/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-directs-fiery-essay-at-former-student-and-cancel-cultur

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/17/africa/chimamanda-adichie-it-is-obscene-intl/index.html

Source: Harper’s Bazaar

Fast-rising singer and songwriter Sza brought a virtual concert experience like no other on July 1, 2021, at 9:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time). The concert, entitled “In Bloom,” comes in partnership with Grey Goose to launch the brand’s latest line of low-calorie vodkas. In the event, the singer performed live for the first time tracks from her latest album, including the hit single “Shirts,” which continues to dominate charts all over. 

The virtual event comes after Sza announced that she would be working as a consultant for the vodka brand Grey Goose throughout the following seasons to come. “Working with an iconic brand like Grey Goose and getting to be their creative consultant has been a great experience,” explained SZA in a press statement released a few months back. “Essences are everything I look for in a spirit—crisp, light, smooth, and full of flavor. So the opportunity felt like a perfect match to me. I love incorporating elements of nature into my performances, and the fruits, botanicals and herbs in Essences provide a great template for that. I feel like ‘In Bloom’ really captures where I’m at right now, especially after a year and a half of lockdown, which is also why it feels like the best place to debut some of my new material. I’m so excited for my fans to see this performance.”

The thirty-one-year-old entertainment icon from Saint Louis, Missouri, is a neo-soul singer whose sound has captured the hearts and minds of people because of its uniquely soothing effect on listeners. Music executives and fans alike have tried to put a finger on her genre, but it doesn’t fit the bill, breaking all barriers and introducing something fresh to the world. Some think of her music as an alternative version to R&B with a dash of soul, hip-hop, rock, cloud rap, chillwave, and chill house. 

On top of her excellent singing style and skill, Sza also writes songs with “unraveling” content that usually goes around themes like sexuality, nostalgia, abandonment, experience, and many others. She first broke into mainstream music in 2017 after releasing her debut album “Ctrl,” which picked up a massive following and high praise from music industry members. Sza now has over 2.3 million followers on her YouTube channel, and over a billion video plays to date.

“In Bloom” streamed on two places: Grey Goose’s website and Sza’s official YouTube channel. As per coordinators and representatives, the virtual experience was unlike any other, blending stunning visual elements with great music. The event brought together Sza’s love for both nature and technology in one uncanny array of style and beauty. The event also featured a full roster of technical effects and wonders, including 360-degree cameras, drone cameras, and a full band setup. 

In preparation for the event, sponsor Grey Goose offered same-day delivery of their newest product, Essences. In addition, the company highlighted three new flavors—Watermelon and Basil, Strawberry and Lemongrass, and White Peach and Rosemary.

To watch the concert, head over to Grey Goose’s event landing page.

Source: GQ

The world has made some phenomenal progress on how gender and sexuality have been viewed. As a society, we have become more open about the fluidity of it all, but there is still such a long way to go before it is openly accepted by the majority of people. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star Joshua Bassett has openly addressed that he is part of the LGBTQ community, but in a recent interview, he has openly expressed that he is “anti-coming out.”

Shedding light on his personal truth, the star has always avoided labels surrounding his sexuality. The 20-year-old singer and actor sparked the internet’s rabid curiosity when he called Harry Styles hot. Internet speculators took this as Joshua “coming out,” but the star had other things in mind and gave the internet a piece of it.

“I’m happy to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community,” said Joshua. “But I am anti-coming out in the sense that there’s no need to be. People are welcome to have boxes if they want them,” he added. After his admiration for Harry Styles blew up on the internet, he took to Instagram to encourage people to love who they love and sent a message of validation and assurance to those that are still figuring out their sexuality.

Growing up, Joshua has always heard comments about his sexuality. He was often described to have a “feminine sort of energy,” as he was raised around his five sisters. He said people assumed he would grow up to be gay, told him reasons he couldn’t be gay or didn’t believe him if he claimed to be either straight or gay.

Joshua Bassett firmly believes that it is not necessary to put a label on his own sexuality. “Sometimes your letter changes, sometimes you try a different one, other times you realize you’re not what you thought you were, or maybe you always knew,” he said. “All of these can be true. I’m happy to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community because they embrace all.”

He hopes that his message will resonate with other members of the LGBTQ community. He hopes that the experience of other young LGBTQ celebrities will also allow his generation to be more comfortable and safe talking about sexuality without feeling pressured to pick a box.

For a while now, the star has been rumored to be the subject behind High School Musical: The Musical: The Series co-star Olivia Rodrigo’s breakup anthems. By a sudden turn of events, Joshua encountered a life-threatening medical emergency two days after Rodrigo’s hit single

“Driver’s License” was released. The unfortunate event led to even more wild speculation from fans all over the internet.

What he initially thought of as food poisoning began to get worse, leading to him being hospitalized the day his own single “Lies, Lies, Lies” was released. It turns out he was diagnosed with septic shock, a condition described as a severe drop in blood pressure and heart failure. 

With all these talks about love, heartbreak, and sexuality, Joshua Bassett has made his message clear. Hoping that it will ring true to new fans and old fans alike, he envisions a future where all this talk about sexuality wouldn’t be as taboo as it is today.