🎶 All I want for Christmas is profit 🎶
Read MoreHoliday: Lil Nas X's Merry Return
Lil Nas X. My absolute king in the world of music and on Twitter. On Friday, he dropped a new song titled “Holiday” along with a decked-out music video, and I can surely say that he dropped it with a bang.
Let’s start with the song: firstly, I just want to warn you, this is not a song you should be playing at the Christmas dinner table with your grandmother. It’s not necessarily, shall we say, “family-oriented.” It also doesn’t have that Christmas-vibe I was expecting and isn’t anything particularly new from the singer—it very much sounds exactly like his low-toned, simple-yet-groovy beat style and he didn’t seem to take many risks with it. Nevertheless, it is a BANGER—not everything has to be groundbreaking like “Old Town Road.” I appreciate the man just wanting to spread a little Xmas cheer.
The song is his burgeoning confidence in who he is as a person and as an artist in the music industry: he has reached what some may call a peak in his career (although I hope that he keeps rising!) and thus every day, for him, feels like a “Holiday.” He’s recently embraced his sexuality publicly, has challenged gender norms by expressing it, and, of course, his music has smashed its way through the top charts.
Favorite line of the song: “Hee hee I’m as bad as Michael Jackson.”
Image via
Where I would say he lacked in creativity for the music, he made up for in the video. Lil Nas X has a tendency to go for sci-fi looks, and this time around he did not disappoint. Set on Christmas Eve in the year 2220, Lil Nas X plays multiple different characters. First, he appears as a futuristic Santa Claus, decked out in metallic pants with matching suspenders overtop a glittery shirt. His elves are actually robots, and I find the funniest part of the video to be where an elf is working on a PS5, the new console that everyone in the year 2020 has been raving about.
Imagine getting some sort of random 200-year-old gaming device as a Christmas present. Whoever is getting that must have been put on the naughty list!
The scene changes to Lil Nas X as some sort of larger, Transformer-esque robot. I’m not quite sure if he’s supposed to be a toy, as the character wakes up in a box on a conveyor belt, but before I have time to think further, he switches characters again.
Next, he’s a different toy driving a toy car. He wears yet another metallic outfit, this time sporting a more emo look with spiked shoulder pads and a mohawk. His makeup is incredible: his face looks like it has been lit ablaze with black fire as the swift marks are highlighted with bits of frosty white to make the look pop.
Image via
As the car races along, another version of Lil Nas X stops the car. He is life-sized, so I’m going to assume he is not a toy. Instead, due to his ears and boots, I assume he is an elf—one of the only non-robotic ones, I guess? Again he dresses in a metallic fashion, this time in the form of a vest, a pleated skirt, and striped leggings. His silver hair adds to the entire look, as do the orange eye makeup and colored contacts (which freak me out, by the way).
While we break into a second chorus with a dance choreography from these four different characters, we have Santa Lil Nas X leave his office to get ready for his big night out. As he descends an elevator, he somehow emerges with his metallic Santa hat and overcoat. He hops into his sleigh, which is actually a sports car. Who knew. It’s no surprise at this point that his reindeer are, you guessed it, robots.
The part I laughed out loud at was when Santa’s workshop is revealed to be behind a Mount Rushmore version of Lil Nas X and his previous music video characters. Like I said, this song is about him celebrating himself.
Overall video review: the visuals are out of this world. It amazes me that this man can even come up with these kinds of concepts. The level of detail in the video is insane. Just look at each shot and admire the trinkets in the background, or each character’s outfits. Not a thing was missed.
I hope to see more from Lil Nas X in 2021 as he continues to push boundaries in music, fashion, entertainment, and society as a whole. Catch me continuing to be a part of the Nasarati nation for years to come.
Featured image via
Source: https://twitter.com/LilNasX
Chicago's 24th Annual Christkindlmarket is Now Open for the Season!
A Festive Chicago Tradition
As the Chicago days get colder, it’s become tempting to stay in my dorm room, turn up my radiator, and binge watch holiday episodes of Friends. However, to stay indoors this holiday season would be a mistake. Starting November 15th, Chicago opened its largest open-air Christmas market. And the festival is well-worth the trip North to Daley Plaza.
Inspired by Nuremberg, Germany’s famed Christkindlmarket (which began in 1545!), this year marks Chicago’s 24th Annual Christkindlmarket. The festival has grown over the years, to include a wide range of vendors from around the world—selling everything from fresh strudel, potato pancakes, and hot apple cider, to intricate Cuckoo clocks, pewter holiday ornaments, and Matryoshka dolls. Since I was little, I’ve loved attending Chicago’s Christkindlmarket with extended family and friends.
The Vendors: A Selection of My Favorites
To navigate Chicago’s Christkindlmarket with a to-do list of “must-see” vendors would be to miss the point. After all, the market is about more than completing holiday checklists. And while it’s undoubtedly a great opportunity for gift-purchasing and holiday photos, it’s also worth taking the time to enjoy the festive atmosphere; for a few hours in downtown Chicago, visitors feel as though they’ve been transported to a German fairytale. And the experience itself is worth pausing to enjoy.
Nonetheless, I left this year’s market with a few favorite vendors worth mentioning. And what follows is a description of a few standout vendors - although it is by no means exhaustive. The point is not to create a “must-see” list; rather, the point is to illustrate the wide variety of fun holiday goods, available this year.
Arrow Mattick: Homemade Soaps, Wickless Candles, and Natural Products from Crystal Lake, IL
Located just to the left of the Christkindlmarket’s main entrance, Arrow Mattick’s wickless candles may have been my favorite find, this year. Since moving into UChicago’s housing, I’ve really missed the scent of burning candles. And while string lights can act as aesthetic candle-replacements, I had wrongly assumed that there was no replacement for the scent of holiday candles. However, Arrow Mattick produces a wide selection of wickless candles—which smell great, without the hassle of a flame (and the fear of accidentally burning down my dorm). My favorite three scents from Arrow Mattick are Christmas Pine, Merry Mistletoe, and Berry Christmas. I opened a wickless Christmas Pine candle on my dresser, as soon as I returned from this year’s market - and now my room smells like fresh Christmas trees!
TeaGeschwendner: Premium Loose Leaf Tea from Chicago, IL and Meckenheim, Germany
It was admittedly difficult to narrow down the choices at this vendor’s stall. With teas ranging from Rooibush Eggnog, Rooibush Cream Caramel, and black Christmas, to a Tea Advent Calendar, the stall offers many holiday-inspired teas. My favorites were the Snowman Tea and the Rooibush Eggnog.
Wooden Wonders: Traditional Hand-Crafted Slavic Gifts from Eastern Europe
As a Russian and Eastern European Studies major, I always keep my eye out for this stand. The stall features a wide range of Matroyshka dolls and Eastern European holiday ornaments. And it’s especially fun to study the larger Matroyshka dolls, towards the back of the stall; they feature scenes from beloved Eastern European fairytales. My favorite Matroyshka doll (pictured above) came from this fairytale-section of the stall!
Sweet Castle
My dad and little brother love this vendor. Selling everything from lucky marzipan pigs, to gingerbread cookies, vegetarian Haribo Smurf gummies, and chocolate-filled German music boxes, this vendor is worth the wait to get inside. I especially love Sweet Castle’s Edelmarzipan Mit Kirsche (a marzipan-cherry-chocolate candy).
Chiya Chai: Delicious Chai, Pie and Donuts from Chicago, IL
Each year, the Christkindlmarket features a different collector’s mug (this year’s new designs are pictured above). Many different vendors sell these mugs, but I especially liked Chiya Chai’s stand. They sell collector’s mugs filled with hot chocolate, hot cider, or hot chai for $8.00 (which is less money than the $10.00 price nearby, so be sure to compare prices!). Chiya Chai also sells mini donuts and savory and sweet pies, among other foods. I especially liked their Kale and Potato Pie.
And a Few More Vendor Favorites, Pictured Below:
In addition to the vendors featured above, the Käthe Wolfahrt of America building is another festive market stop. There’s sometimes a short wait to get into the building, but it’s worth it; the building features everything from wooden ornaments and Christmas napkins, to German playing cards and advent calendars. It’s one of the prettiest components of the market, but photos aren’t allowed - otherwise this article would be filled with many images of Käthe Wolfahrt’s holiday goods!
The Details:
When: November 15-December 24
Hours: Friday-Saturday 11am-9pm; Sunday-Thursday 11am-8pm (with special hours on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve)
Where: Daley Plaza, 50 W Washington St., Chicago, Illinois
Free Admission!
Image via Christkindl Market Chicago site
A Definitive List of Classic Christmas Tunes
To liven up those chilly walks through the quad - here is a playlist of MODA's Favorite Christmas Season Songs.
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