002: Nashe and some Gentlemen
The weekly roundup of everything you should read, watch, listen, and visit. August 12-18: UK Blokes and Somebody to Match your Freak.
So, I have decided that my weekly curation will now be released every Sunday morning! Sundays are slow retreats for me where I can reflect on and look forward to. Therefore it only seems right that I send out whatever occupied me during the week on this day. As you may have noticed, another curation was up earlier this week, regard that as a lovely bonus! I hope you enjoy this week’s mix, which unintendedly has many UK references.
You should read: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
If you loved Red, White & Royal Blue, you’ll definitely love this one. Set against the backdrop of British glamour, this story follows Luc O’Donnell, the son of a rockstar, who struggles to live in the shadow of his father. Working in non-profit and charity, his reputation is to be considered quite abysmal, especially after the press caught him… lacking, for lack of a better term. To posh up his stature he decides to look for a fake boyfriend. Someone that is handsome, neat, and just the right amount of average: someone that is the perfect boyfriend material.
Hall’s ability to alchemise chemistry between Luc and his love-interest was largely what carried the book for me. Though the novel is over 400 pages, it’s written with humour, wit, and such command that consistently made me turn the pages. Personally, I am a fan of the tropes used in here, but that might just be because I adore fake dating. Because the thing about fake dating is that, eventually, it always gets a tad too real.
You should listen: Quantum Baby by Tinashe
After Nasty’s viral success, Tinashe has launched herself back into mainstream headspace again. With well over a decades worth of experience, the star has consistently fed us with R&B infused club anthems and pop driven dance tracks. Quantum Baby is set as the second installment to a new trilogy project, which kicked off with last year’s BB/ANG3L and the earwormy Talk to Me Nice lead single. Baby extends that same mellow sonance that its predecessor heralded, and here, the ever featherweight production continues to compliment the confidence and tenacity of the veteran artist.
The songs on this record are self-assured, poise, and easygoing. Tinashe rarely catapults her vocal range, but instead opts for a more head bopping singing that chiefly shines on lyrically-daring track Cross that Line. Follow up single Getting No Sleep stands out too, for its catchy chorus and instrumentalisation radiate car window’s down summer nights out. But while the rest of the album seems to lack the same candidness that Nasty carried, the penultimate track, No Broke Boys, returns to the confident quiet-loud sound of the lead single - this time being a bit louder, a bit more fun, and a bit less demure.
You should watch: The Gentlemen on Netflix
Set in modern day UK, The Gentlemen is Guy Ritchie’s television spin-off series of his eponymous 2019 movie led by It Boy, or rather It Man, Theo James. And oh, what a leading man he is (the charm, the glasses, the attitude!). Alongside Maze Runner’s, though I prefer to say Skins’, Kaya Scodelario, the two navigate the ins-and-outs of Europe’s criminal underground and its interlacing with upper echelon dukes and saints. The plot is fun and binge-worthy, and with stellar support from actors including Giancarlo Esposito and Vinnie Jones, it managed to hold my attention firmly throughout its 8-episode run. Go ahead and enjoy the blokes, drug lords, and affectionately alluring British accents, because a second season is already set to begin filming early 2025.
You should visit: Little Simz’s Exhibition at the Tate in London
Alright, this one isn’t officially out yet, and technically you can’t visit it yet, at least by the time of my writing, but North Londoner Hip-Hop prodigy Little Simz has just announced that she will hold an exclusive event at the Tate on August 31st. The evening is going to hold various panel discussions, screenings, workshops, and, of course, plenty of music. Consider this a heads up if you will, because attending the evening is free of charge, so I imagine other crowds will flock to the creative hub to claim their spot too.