The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Tuesday, October 25, 2016 — 5A

Does anyone want to hear 

Drake, the rapper pop star whose 
hit song, “One Dance,” is the most 
streamed song ever on Spotify 
and Apple Music, complain that 
the rap game is “all lies” and “all 
filthy?” Apparently so, because on 
Sunday, October 23rd, on the eve 
of Drake’s 30th birthday, he used 
his OVOSoundRadio show to pre-
miere a new song on which he pro-
fesses those exact grievances, and 
two hours later he was trending 
on Twitter, enjoying five times the 
number of mentions as any NFL 
team.

“Two Birds, One Stone” is one 

of four songs that were released 
during the broadcast and it fea-
tures one of those rare, reflective 
monologue verses that spill out 
of Drake every year or so (think 
“5AM In Toronto,” “The Ride” or 
“30 For 30”). Its beat is airy with 
minimalist drums and Drake’s 
tone is conversational, like he’s 
merely clearing his head, help-
less to a natural rhyme scheme. 
Some of the song’s three-minute 
verse sounds sincere, such as 
Drake’s acknowledgment that he’s 
indebted to a higher being or his 
reminiscing on his parents’ rela-
tionship, but other parts, particu-
larly his attacks on other rappers 
and basking in his success, are 
tacky and too familiar.

Still, “Two Birds, One Stone” 

is an exciting song that features 

Drake’s most technically impres-
sive rap verse of the year. The 
other new songs — one of which is 
a remix, not an original — are less 
personal and more pop-aimed, 
but equally solid. “Fake Love” is a 
bouncy sing-song in obvious par-
allel to “Hotline Bling” and “Snea-
kin,” which features 21 Savage, 
Atlanta’s most recent trap music 
titan, is guaranteed to be a speak-
er-shaking, strip club anthem. 
“Wanna Know (Remix)” lets 
Drake exercise his softer style and 
spotlights Dave, an emcee from 
London who has already earned 
attention from the endorsement.

There is no room to debate 

Drake’s ability to make hits, but 
his formula for going viral — an 
exclusive contract with Apple 
Music, partnerships with rela-
tively underground artists who 
are about to explode and disses 
directed at other celebrities to stir 
up extra attention — is starting 
to seem a little bit “extra.” Drake 
employed the same strategy last 
summer, using a string of singles 
to distract from allegations that 
he doesn’t write his own lyrics, 
and his latest album, Views, is the 
magnum opus of Apple Music’s 
marketing schemes. I don’t need 
another masterminded assault by 
Drake on hip-hop’s Top 40. I want 
innovation and progress from the 
world’s best-selling artist.

On the hook for “Fake Love,” 

Drake whines about fake people 
who are showing fake love to 
him, straight up to his face, and 

on “Sneakin,” he boasts “I don’t 
need love, I’m the G.O.A.T. / I just 
hit the beat and float.” The lyrics 
are ironically hollow for an emcee 
of such high esteem, especially as 
he attempts to regain some of hip-
hop’s respect after sinking into a 
bubblegum pop vacuum. Drake 
songs are typically the most excit-
ing releases in the rap sphere, but 
he’s starting to get monotonous. 
He makes me feel like a naive con-
sumer.

Drake began the action-packed 

episode of OVOSoundRadio by 
announcing his new project, More 
Life, which is due out this Decem-
ber and has been deemed a “play-
list” despite the fact that it will 
feature original music. Some of the 
songs that he played on-air will be 
a part of the project, but it was also 
described as having been made 
“with the fam,” so it’s expected 
to feature Drake’s friends, such 
as Kanye West and Gucci Mane, 
or label-mates like Majid Jordan, 
dvsn and Roy Wood$.

More Life will surely shock 

aux chords everywhere, prolong 
Drake’s reign atop the charts and 
inspire more Apple Music sub-
scriptions, but hopefully it does 
more than stack sure-thing hits. 
When Drake released “Marvin’s 
Room” in 2011, or “Hold On, We’re 
Going Home” in 2013, he was tak-
ing risks that left him vulnerable 
and pushing creative boundaries. 
Right now, it seems like he is mere-
ly repeating a proven recipe. That 
tactic will only work for so long.

YOUNG MONEY

“I’m still a canine at heart”
Do we really need more Drake now?

Rapper/pop star debuts new songs, but seems stuck in the same recipe

Let’s get one thing straight: 

Technology isn’t all that bad. 
Yes, in the age of reality televi-
sion, social media, 
virtual reality and 
computer 
hack-

ing, 
technology 

has proven to be 
taking control of 
our 
world, 
one 

gadget and app 
at a time. But for 
the 
most 
part, 

many of the 21st 
century’s techno-
logical innovations — the iPod, 
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and 
music streaming services — have 
influenced our awareness of the 
world, broadening our minds to 
new realms and endless oppor-
tunities that were once believed 
to be impossible. In a sense, tech-
nology has cultivated a paradox: 
we are more connected than 
we’ve ever been, and yet there 
remains a visible disconnect 
among society.

This 
unnerving 
conflict 

serves as the thematic core of 
“Black Mirror,” the popular 
British anthology series that 
has been deemed by many crit-
ics and viewers a modern-day 
“Twilight Zone.” Created by 
English satirist Charlie Brooker 
(“Dead Set”), “Black Mirror” 
depicts different realities and 
characters in each episode, but 
every story connects to one 
another through their thought-
provoking, somewhat cynical 
perspectives on technology.

The first two seasons tackled 

a variety of tech-based issues, 
critiquing everything from the 
pervasiveness 
of 
advertising 

and the porn industry (“Fifteen 
Million Merits”) to the double-
edged sword of artificial intel-
ligence (“Be Right Back”). With 
a third season comprising of six 
episodes instead of the usual 
three, “Black Mirror” returns 
to the drawing board with more 
ambitious ideas, even if not all of 
them hit the target.

Though the first four episodes 

struggle under the weight of 
the binge-laden Netflix format, 
“Black Mirror” ’s third season 
remains a landmark in televi-

sion storytelling. It continues 
to explore the dark depths of 
technology, but also manages to 
offer an optimistic message in 
some episodes. In fact, the epi-

sodes with those 
optimistic 
mes-

sages (the fascinat-
ing season opener 
“Nosedive” 
and 

the unpredictably 
poignant love story 
“San 
Junipero”) 

work 
far 
better 

than the grimmer, 
more heavy-hand-
ed ones (the terri-

fying horror clip “Playtest” and 
the meandering cyber-thriller 
“Shut Up and Dance”).

Co-written by “Parks & Rec-

reation” ’s Michael Schur and 
Rashida Jones (“Angie Tribe-
ca”), “Nosedive” triumphs as 
a satire of instant gratification 
and the constant yearning for 
validation a la Instagram, even 
if the episode feels somewhat 
familiar and predictable. The 
story is set in a reality akin to 
the one in Spike Jonze’s “Her,” 
matching the film’s utopian/
dystopian setting and aesthetic 
styles with gorgeous pastel color 
tones and a beautiful piano-lad-
en score.

The only real difference is 

that in the world of “Nose-
dive,” people rate one another 
on a five-star system and earn 
a greater status in society with 
the more stars they receive. 
Perky 
social 
climber 
Lacie 

Pound (Bryce Dallas Howard, 
“Jurassic World”) is determined 
to reach a 4.8 in order to get a 
discount on her dream house, 
no matter if she has to pretend 
to be nice to everyone she meets 
or give them all five-star ratings. 
Soon, however, Lacie finds that 
perhaps it might be better to be 
her more authentic self, even 
if she’s ridiculed and alienated 
for it. We see her undergo this 
gradual realization during an 
incredible final act that’s hilari-
ous, devastating and mesmeriz-
ing all in one.

“San Junipero” also man-

ages to be a highlight in season 
three of “Black Mirror,” mixing 
sci-fi, drama and romance with 
remarkable performances from 

Gugu 
Mbatha-Raw 
(“Easy”) 

and Mackenzie Davis (“Halt 
and Catch Fire”). Without giv-
ing too much away, the story 
of “San Junipero” is quite riv-
eting, tracking the relation-
ship between the timid Yorkie 
(Davis) and the outgoing Kelly 
(Mbatha-Raw) and how their 
love literally transcends time, 
space and technology. 

On the downside, the main 

problem with the third season of 
“Black Mirror” is that its darker 
episodes don’t have the same 
balance of unpredictability and 
intrigue as previous seasons. 
Even with an increase in run-
ning time, episodes like “Play-
test” and “Shut Up and Dance” 
could probably work better if a 
sequence or two were cut, per-
haps in order to focus on the 
payoff of both stories.

With the trippy “Playtest,” 

technology plays a villainous 
role, as free-spirited Cooper 
(Wyatt 
Russell, 
“Everybody 

Wants Some!!”) takes part in an 
experimental, 
virtual-reality-

type video game in order to make 
some quick cash. However, Coo-
per runs into some trouble when 
he encounters some of his worst 
repressed nightmares come to 
life. The build-up is certainly 
effective, as is Russell’s surpris-
ingly strong performance, but 
the conclusion of “Playtest” falls 
somewhat short, opting to make 
one extremely dark joke instead 
of trying to make a point.

Similarly, the extremely tense 

“Shut Up and Dance” loses its 
momentum right when it could 
easily turn into something inter-
esting. 
Introverted 
teenager 

Kenny (Alex Lawther, “The Imi-
tation Game”) is forced to carry 
orders from an anonymous tex-
ter in order to avoid getting a 
nude video leaked online. The 
episode keeps you on your toes, 
but ends on a disappointing and 
frustrating note. 

Despite some of its drawbacks 

this season, “Black Mirror” is 
still worth watching, either for 
entertainment or insight. And 
whether or not “Black Mirror” is 
anti- or pro-technology, its third 
season confirms that it remains 
one of television’s greatest hid-
den gems.

SAM ROSENBERG

Daily Arts Writer

Ambitious third season debuts after being picked up by Netflix

B+

“Black Mirror”

Season 3 (4 

episodes watched)

Netflix

Technology leads to hope, 
danger in ‘Black Mirror’

EVENT PREVIEW

Art meets science through an 

inquisitive look at the theory of 
multiverse in “Constellations” 
by Nick Payne — a 
captivating 
and 

passionate 
love 

story that explores 
questions of fate 
and choice.

This Thursday, 

School of Music, 
Theatre & Dance 
Senior 
Clarisza 

Runtung will pres-
ent Payne’s piece as 
her senior thesis.

In January 2012, 

“Constellations” 
earned immense praise when 
it premiered at the Royal Court 
Theatre. It later appeared on 
Broadway at the Samuel J. Fried-
man Theatre in January 2015. In 
London, the cast was led by Rafe 
Spall and Sally Hawkins and later, 
in New York, by Jake Gyllenhaal 
and Ruth Wilson.

“ ‘Constellations’ is about a boy 

meets girl and then a boy meets 
girl again and again,” Runtung 
said. “With all the decisions they 
make when they meet each other, 
which one progresses to the next 
level?”

The set and lights for the show 

are minimalistic, as these sim-
plistic elements leave room for a 
thorough look into the inner com-
plexities of science. Exchanges 
between both characters leave a 
myriad of possibilities to unfold, 
with their relationship growing 
stronger as space and time prog-
ress.

“You’ll be peeking at a very 

personal world of these two char-
acters — how their relationship 

develops, how it breaks, how they 
first met each other, how they first 
break up, how they first hurt each 
other,” Runtung said. 

The 
play 
revolves 
around 

the 
relationship 

between Marianne 
and Roland. Mari-
anne, a physicist, 
explores how the 
theories of physics 
apply to her own 
life. Roland, a bee-
keeper, shares his 
passions alongside 
Marianne, as their 
unique 
interests 

complement their 
evolving relation-
ship and each new 

possibility 
examined 
through 

different multiverses leads them 
both on an entirely different path.

“It’s kind of like a laboratory. 

One person does this and one per-
son does that and you kind of get 
to play around with those things,” 
Runtung said.

Marianne and Roland both 

have 
different 
passions, 
yet 

in their differences, they are 
brought closer together. Rutung 
describes the script as written 
with language that is simple, but 
effective in communicating the 
dimensions of this relationship.

“I want the audience to leave 

the room thinking about what 
‘meant to be’ really is,” Runtung 
said. “There are so many pos-
sibilities and I would like them 
to see that they have to be in the 
moment, because every possibil-
ity can happen.”

The cast considers how time 

and space intersect, as well as the 
power of free will. Do we have 
it? Where is its place in our lives? 
“Constellations” offers guidance 

to answering these questions.

Runtung’s project is particu-

larly exciting for her because of 
the play’s focus on science and art 
illuminates her own interests and 
studies.

“I have always been really 

interested in connecting art and 
science,” Runtung said. “I do 
theatre because I really want 
to explore what a human being 
really is and I feel like there’s no 
better way to explore that than 
putting it onstage.”

While planning what her thesis 

would look like, Runtung’s advi-
sor suggested she choose some-
thing that she liked and to just 
go crazy with it. This play offers 
the challenge of representing 
complexities of theory, while also 
connecting these ideas with the 
beauty and familiarity of a love 
story.

“I don’t want to say it’s realis-

tic, because sometimes when you 
say that, it just seems like you’re 
watching two people talking to 
each other,” Runtung said. “It’s 
not that.”

“Constellations” is composed 

of a team of four: Runtung direct-
ing, SMTD Senior Anastasia 
Zavitsanos 
playing 
Marianne, 

SMTD Junior Peter Donahue 
playing Roland and SMTD Fresh-
men stage managing. The intima-
cy of the group, Runtung said, has 
allowed for deep thinking about 
what ideas this play is exploring 
and what the actors are ultimate-
ly trying to communicate through 
their story.

“This play has been a beauti-

ful journey for every single one 
of us in the room and all of us are 
exploring the beauty of the space.” 
Runtung said. “It’s the first time I 
have had an experience like this.” 

BAILEY KADIAN

Daily Arts Writer

Boy meets girl again and again and

“Constellations” 

Oct. 27 at 7:30 pm, 
Oct. 28 at 7:30 & 
11 pm, Oct. 29th at 

7:30 pm

Walgreen Drama 
Center Studio One

Free 

FILM REVIEW

The documentary “Songs from 

the North” is a fascinating experi-
mental film contrasting scenes 
from North Korean 
movies, 
theater, 

state media and 
everyday 
life 
to 

paint a more vivid 
picture 
of 
the 

notorious 
hermit 

nation. The film 
doesn’t have a nar-
rative of any kind; 
it’s essentially a 
distilled hour-long 
collection of footage the South 
Korean director Soon-Mi Yoo shot 
on three different trips she took 
took to North Korea. And yet the 
way she weaves in selections from 
movies and live performances illu-
minates the psyche of a country so 
blocked off from the world.

The documentary has several 

moments that are incredibly raw 
and must be seen to be believed. 
In one scene, Yoo records a Kore-
an War veteran speaking to chil-
dren at the Shinchon Museum of 
American Atrocities, describing 
incredibly inhumane conditions he 
endured as a prisoner of war under 
American control. He concludes 
by unapologetically defending his 
absolute hatred towards Ameri-
cans to children. No amount of sat-
ire like “The Interview” would be 
able get at the root of North Kore-
an aggression towards the United 
States like this. The North Koreans 
interviewed in the documentary 
are unflinching when describ-
ing their complete loyalty to their 
country. Having only heard the 
stories of grateful defectors, seeing 
the faces of those who maintain 
North Korea’s tense position in 
world affairs is shocking.

And yet the humanity of indi-

vidual North Koreans is vividly 
captured here as well. Such small 
moments as schoolchildren smil-
ing and waving to the camera as 
they walk past, or a restaurant 
owner getting flustered after Yoo 

tells her she’s pretty, makes North 
Korea feel like any other place in 
the world, despite how closed-off it 
is. The fact that Yoo is South Kore-
an noticeably helps the dialogue 

feel 
like 
natural 

conversation, 
and 

less like an intrusive 
window into their 
mysterious culture.

The public opin-

ion expressed by 
North Koreans is 
supplemented 
by 

scenes of daily life 
in film, live perfor-
mances and state 

propaganda that explicitly play out 
the hostile attitudes the DPRK’s 
government holds to this day. How-
ever, it quickly becomes apparent 
that every aspect of North Korean 
life ties back to propaganda. It’s 
incredibly nauseating – there’s not 
a single orderly school building or 
pristine yet barren temple without 
pictures of former supreme leaders 
Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il front 
and center. The way North Korean 
art is juxtaposed with interviews 
with North Koreans brilliantly 
illustrates the cause-and-effect 
relationship between the deeply 
nationalistic messages conveyed in 
the media and the loyalty the citi-
zens express to the perceived well-
being of their country.

The most vivid patriot in the 

documentary is a middle school 
boy who passionately sobs as he 
speaks to an assembly after being 
selected as a representative for his 
school at a government function 
in Pyongyang. As if it wasn’t eerie 
enough watching North Koreans 
tear up just looking at imagery of 
Kim Il-sung, the little boy goes 
on to declare Kim Jong-il his real 
“father and mother” who loves 
and protects him when his parents 
do not after he was informed the 
President bestowed love onto him 
“endlessly.”

To be sure, this was the most 

hysterical display of devotion to 
the ruling family in the film. But 
the spooky domination the DPRK 

has over the collective North Kore-
an psyche is made tangible after 
watching the country’s art extol 
the same values the boy expresses.

“Songs from the North” is not 

only chock-full of information 
on North Korean art, but its cin-
ematography is lovely as well. The 
traditional architecture of North 
Korea is consistently framed by 
the lush, green nature abundant 
around Pyongyang, making the 
country look like somewhere you 
could actually call home in spite 
of the known harsh standards of 
living.

The subjects are always placed 

in such a way that brings the view-
er’s eyes across their surround-
ings, setting them off-center or 
enveloped within their location 
to artfully capture the context of 
their scenes. There are no “talking 
heads” here, just a taste of North 
Korean public opinion straight 
from the source. And the crisp, 
vivid coloring breathes life into 
the people and their daily jobs. 
This keeps the indifferent nature 
of some people interviewed, saying 
things like “Why film me clean-
ing?” or “You are filming too long!” 
from feeling unconducive to the 
film’s topic. With Kim Jong-un 
dominating headlines regularly, it 
is jarringly humanizing to see the 
faces and hear some of the voices 
of countless regular people who 
make up the country. The fact that 
such normal people can have their 
worldview so radically controlled 
by their government is thought-
provoking in the highest.

The documentary does a fantas-

tic job getting as close as possible 
to North Korea to see the country 
on its own terms. In spite of its 
experimental form, the film logi-
cally charges through almost the 
entirety of North Korean history 
with raw emotion from all direc-
tions – by actual citizens and art-
ists’ interpretations of them. Yoo’s 
contribution to the limited amount 
of footage capturing North Korea 
from an outsider’s perspective is 
one to be treasured.

Authentic North Korea in ‘Songs’

MUSIC NOTEBOOK

SALVATORE DIGIOIA

For the Daily

ANA LUCENA
Daily Arts Writer

A-

“Songs from the 

North”

Kino Lorber

Michigan Theater

TV REVIEW

