It's already April and that means we are officially a quarter of the way through 2019. Personally, the first part of 2019 was life changing (my second child was born in February) and filled with a lot of good memories. Also, there were a lot of good drops in music, movies, and video games. I wanted to highlight my favorite(s) from each category that I've either seen, heard, or played so far.
Music
This year has provided me with a lot of different music whether newly discovered artists (Little Simz) or old favorites (Sol). While I've enjoyed pretty much everything one album stands above them all. Big K.R.I.T. dropped his T.D.T. album back in January and it's been on repeat since. T.D.T. is actually a collection of three surprise EP's that was put out in late 2018. So, I wasn't sure if I wanted to count it a 2019 album, but it was wrapped up in a nice little bow this year (and the songs got reordered). Therefore, by some weird logic it's my best of Q1 2019 album.
T.D.T. sits at eight tracks filled with bangers (“Learned from Texas”) and slower head nodders (“Energy”). These songs blend together wonderfully that makes nothing feel out of place. Whether talking about lost love or using his words to motivate, K.R.I.T.’s lyricism is on point and never dips below anything but exceptional. Krizzle also messes around with new sounds and treats this as a playing ground for what hopefully is a new album. All that said, K.R.I.T. never falters away from being him, while also finding growth in both words and music.
Movies
Ok, so this movie actually wins by default because in case you didn't know, newborns make it hard to find the time to go anywhere, let alone the movies. However, looking back at the movies released this year so far I don't see but maybe a couple that would have topped Us. I'm a big fan of horror movies and this is up there with some of the best I've seen lately. Jordan Peele proved that Get Out wasn't a one time fluke as he created another (probably too early to say it but whatever) classic for the horror genre.
If you have not heard of the movie or know very little about it (seriously stop reading this and see it already) it's a movie about a family at their summer vacation home and, get this, it's invaded. Wow, real original Mr. Peele. Like we...oh wait those people look awfully familiar. Enter the tethered, I won't spoil much about them. I will say they are incredibly unsettling in the way they move, communicate, and express emotions. They are really not like anything I have seen before. The feeling of terror is exemplified by the strong performances of the entire cast. Lupita Nyong'o's performance as Red is so haunting and stuck with me days after seeing the movie.
Admittedly the movie isn't perfect and there are a couple things I think I would have done a little differently in the last 25-30 minutes of the film. They are small annoyances that are truly outshined by the entirety of the rest of the film.
Again, I love horror movies, whether they are dumb, campy fun or an intense thrill full of terror. Jordan Peele has found a way to make these movies about real life issues in today's world and make viewers confront them in ways I don't think they have had to. They are deep and require multiple views to pick up on new hints and meanings placed around the film. Admittedly I have a lot more I'd love to say about this movie, but I will wait until I've had time to see it again. If Us and Get Out are only the beginning, fans of horror movies are going to be treated with some real gems throughout Peele's career.
Games
Technically I haven't beat a 2019 game...yet. So I decided I'd use this space to talk a little of the two that I have played, Kingdom Hearts 3 and Sekrio: Shadows Die Twice. Two very different games, but both are a lot of fun.
Kingdom Hearts 3 is the cultivation of a trilogy many have been waiting to see finished. Seventeen years since the second game, it finally has arrived. I'm about a third to half way through the game and I'm having a blast. The gameplay is very similar to the core games with some improvements and fun new mechanics. Traversing the worlds, fighting the heartless and nobodies feels incredibly good. The bosses have spectacular designs. The banter between Sora, Donald, and Goofy is very entertaining leading to some laugh out loud moments (Goofy mentioning something about insurance while the city is being destroyed still kills me). I'm hoping to finally get back into this game once the Souls fever calms back down.
Speaking of Souls, Sekiro scratches the itch for more Bloodborne perfectly. It's stylish, fast paced, and ultra tough (maybe too tough). However, no matter how many times I die (stupid Ogre) I find the need to make one more run. Running around rooftops planning your next move leads to some real satisfying moments once it is executed perfectly. The tight combat is just one of the many reasons I love this game (so far). FROM Software are masters of building world's full of mystery and deep lore that keeps me coming back for more. They have created the only games I've taken time to go on wikis and read lore / fan theories. This game will be no exception as I progress further through the seemingly messed up world.
Not bad for the first part of a year that shows a lot of potential in media. Lizzo, Anderson .Paak, and Carly Rae Jepsen all have albums coming out in the next couple months. Pet Symmetry, Shazam, and Avengers: Endgame hit theaters very soon. I'd list new games but I'll probably still be seeing the death screen in Sekiro for quite awhile.
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