Ari Contreras

After “The Life of a Showgirl” was released last October, I decided to take a bit of a Taylor hiatus. While I was originally excited to hear a new sound from her, perhaps even reminiscent of the production in “1989,” I was met with severe disillusionment. Since then, I’ve branched out and explored more music. I’ve listened to smaller artists and developed curiosity for different genres. From these experiences, my musical expectations have only increased.

“There’s no hate like Christian love.” My heart sinks every time I see or hear a comment like the one above. As a Christian, I can’t believe we’ve reached a point as a society where the core of a religion deeply rooted in love has been twisted and weaponized to fit the agenda of many. As much as I dislike the statement, I can’t say I blame anyone who believes it’s true, especially when considering MAGA ideology in America that treats Christianity like a brand.

Over the last few years, manifestation culture has taken over the minds of those who have a certain vision of what their lives could become. As a concept, manifestation idealizes a certain reality by taking micro-steps to make it true. Some methods include vision boards, where people create a collage of images with their dreams and desires, as well as writing down affirmations and repeating them out loud.