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Reviews


A&E

“The Royals” is a royal mess

“The Royals,” the first scripted show from the E! Network, capitalizes on the American craze over British royalty and can best be described as a British version of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” While this premise has the makings of a great guilty pleasure, “The Royals” has struggled to find its footing and fails to live up to its campy, melodramatic potential. The show centers around a fictionalized version of the royal family, headed by matriarch Queen Helena (Elizabeth Hurley), who struggles to balance her royal duties with her role as a mother.


A&E

A New Twist on an Old Fairytale

When I attended a matinee showing of Disney’s “Cinderella” I brought along a child I was babysitting so I would have an excuse in case I happened upon any of my friends at the same theater.


A&E

Latest from Purity Ring soars

Alternative band Purity Ring has finally returned with its second studio album, “Another Eternity.” The duo, comprised of Megan James and Corin Roddick, has frequented Charlottesville in the past and is known for its dream pop sound and poetic lyricism.


A&E

Madonna stays catchy and relevant on “Rebel Heart”

After months of leaks and demos surfacing online, Madonna has finally released her long-awaited 13th studio album, “Rebel Heart.” Despite the controversy leading to its release, the album isn’t as bad as one might expect — somehow, Madonna’s music has found a way to transcend all the controversy surrounding her career.


A&E

Kelly Clarkson delivers a hit-and-miss new album

Kelly Clarkson’s latest album, “Piece by Piece,” finds the pop rock singer playing with EDM and synthesizers, while exploring the same themes of self-empowerment and heartbreak present on 2011’s “Stronger.” Because Clarkson recycles so many themes from her previous work, the new album contains too many unexciting, mid-tempo songs that fail to impress.


A&E

“Survivor” keeps on surviving

“Survivor,” the once-groundbreaking reality game show, returned last Wednesday for its 30th season, “Survivor: Worlds Apart.” After a lackluster 29th season, “Survivor” seemed to finally be running out of steam — but the latest season premiere proved that the reality show still has some fight left. The premise: 18 strangers are stranded in remote Nicaragua, divided into three tribes and left to fend for themselves against the harsh elements.


A&E

Latest album from Estelle is stellar

Estelle’s current obscurity in R&B is simply a shame. She continues to delivers excellent material that both separates from and harkens back to her 2008 breakout single, “American Boy.” Her latest album, “True Romance,” finds the British songstress navigating the themes of relationships and heartache through an eclectic mix of R&B sounds and some stylistically-different tracks.


A&E

Sequel from Ransom Riggs continues to impress

“Hollow City,” the second novel in Ransom Riggs’ best selling series, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” continues to please its readers as well as those jumping into its universe for the first time.


A&E

The Last Five Years flops

The latest movie-musical to hit theaters is Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last Five Years,” starring “Pitch Perfect” star Anna Kendrick and renowned Broadway star, Jeremy Jordan.


A&E

Big Sean’s latest LP is massive standout

Big Sean’s latest studio album comes at a pivotal point in the rap music industry. Drake recently surprise released an album and Kendrick Lamar is making waves with new music, while newcomers like Rae Sremmurd and O.T.


Puzzles
Hoos Spelling

Latest Podcast

In this episode of On Record, we hear from Dr. Amanda Lloyd, director of the Virginia Prison Education Program, which offers Virginia’s first bachelor’s degrees to incarcerated individuals. Dr. Lloyd discusses how and why the University chose her to lead this historic initiative.