Shorthorn Life & Entertainment

From painting to musicals, Dallas-Fort Worth residents have several events to choose from this week. Entertainment Painting with a Twist’s Arlington location is hosting a painting experience Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. The 16-plus event is designed for relaxed socialization. Tickets range from $37 to $48. Participants are encouraged to arrive 15-20 minutes early to set up. Catch comedian Kam Patterson during his improv shows Friday through Sunday at Arlington Improv. The shows are 18-plus and will run at various times. Tickets start around $38. See the Tony Award-winning musical “The Wiz” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas. Tickets start around $58. Music Rock out attending a Freddie Mercury 79th birthday show with Queen Legacy at 8 p.m. Friday at Legacy Hall in Plano, Texas. The Texas-based tribute band delivers the vocal power and energy of Freddie Mercury and the original Queen, taking audiences back to the ’70s. Tickets start around $15 and doors open at 6 p.m. Celebrate Depeche Mode with a free Strangelove tribute at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Levitt Pavilion Arlington. Opening is local alternative rock/pop band Almost Jaded. The venue encourages guests to bring blankets or lawn chairs for open seating. Sports The Texas Rangers are playing the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:05 p.m. Monday at Globe Life Field. Tickets start at around $14 and doors open at 5:05 p.m. @taylormakynzee news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The recorded message from 2005 still lingers in Keri DeCay’s mind. DeCay, assistant director at the Follett Student Leadership Center, was 10 when she heard it. Growing up in New Orleans, most hurricanes to her family were like snow days in Texas. Rain would fall. Winds would blow. People would get a day off. This message, though, was from a city official warning residents to evacuate and that the city didn’t have enough body bags. “That was the only reason my mom evacuated me and my two grandmothers,” DeCay said. Twenty years later, Hurricane Katrina’s impact remains for Arlington residents and the UTA community. Some evacuated. Some witnessed the tragedy firsthand. Some worked to help those escaping. The day after DeCay evacuated, the Category 3 hurricane hit New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005, killing more than 1,300 people and forcing over a million to leave their homes. Some never came back. It’s still one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Anita Foster, alumna and former North Texas regional chief communications officer at American Red Cross, said that emergency responders planned for the worst-case scenario with Katrina. Still, nothing could have really prepared them. “Even with all of the training, with the exercises, with the thought around it, by literally thinking about the worst things that could happen and planning for those, still couldn't have predicted what actually happened with Katrina,” Foster said. When Katrina hit New Orleans, wind was not the main impact. It was flooding. Much of the city lies below sea level, and a series of levees and flood walls were breached by the storm surge. DeCay’s father, a law enforcement officer, was ordered to stay behind and couldn’t evacuate with the family, she said. After she and her family arrived at their aunt’s house in Arlington, they heard from him. The winds were blowing, but he said the sun was out and they could return soon. An hour later, he called again: A huge wave of water was rushing through their backyard. They stopped hearing from him. Michael Ainsworth, Shorthorn alumnus and former Dallas Morning News photojournalist, recalled that water was within miles of his hotel, and people couldn’t escape even if they had a car. As he came closer to areas below sea level, the flood had gotten 12 to 16 feet high. Some people went to their attics and cut holes in their roofs. Some weren’t as lucky. “A lot of people just can’t swim, just drown,” Ainsworth said. In Arlington, while waiting to hear from her father, DeCay and her family watched news coverage of the hurricane — people stranded on rooftops, families locating their loved ones and familiar places submerged in the water. She realized everything was going to be far from normal for a long time. For 30 straight hours after the hurricane hit, buses poured into Dallas-Fort Worth packed with people unbathed, missing medication, sick and separated from loved ones, Foster said. Nearly 29,000 people came under Red Cross care in the area. The community rushed to fill the gaps as people came to the area. Local hotels donated bedding, CVS and Walgreens set up makeshift pharmacies, school buses took children to class and the post office opened temporary post office stations. Tillie Burgin, Mission Arlington executive director, said food and clothing were coming into her shelter at 2 a.m., with people working to sort through everything. “You just looked and the city was alive,” Burgin said. “Lights on everywhere, with people working trying to sort the soap, and the food, and the toiletries, and the clothes, and the diapers, and getting things that were coming in so fast from everywhere.” A few days after the storm, Ainsworth watched fire and rescue team members from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, disregard an order to not enter a nursing home. They carried out an older woman and brought her to a medical tent. She died within about an hour — but not before bidding farewell to her family. “These firefighters gave this woman and her family some closure,” Ainsworth said. For about five days, DeCay’s family heard nothing from her father. At her age, she didn’t expect him to survive — and even asked her mother if she would get a new father. One day, her mother told her to go play with her cousin outside. Then the call finally came. Some residents evacuated early, but for many it was too late. Thousands crowded into the Superdome waiting for buses to Houston. When Ainsworth arrived Sept. 1, 2005, floodwater reached his waist. In the parking lot, he saw desperation — people defecating on themselves rather than leaving their place in line. Amid the crowd, Ainsworth photographed a woman clutching her children and her only possessions — a bag of potato chips and a can of juice. Her stare wasn’t in despair, he said, but in disbelief, likely contemplating, “Where’s my life going? What’s going to happen to us?” Brad Loper, former photojournalist for The Dallas Morning News, still remembers the sweltering heat from that day. He kept drinking water, having not eaten all day. He had been at the Memorial Medical Center for a handful of hours. In the parking garage, he spotted a can of refried beans with different plastic spoons stuck in it. “It's hard to feel sorry for yourself in a situation like that, knowing they were way worse off than you were, and so you kind of ignore those things at that point,” said Loper, now UTA's assistant professor of practice and Shorthorn alumnus. “You're just there to do the job. You got to make the best of it and understand that they've had a lot worse than you have.” In the call to DeCay’s family, her father said that he had been airlifted from the balcony on the second floor of their home as the situation turned bad in New Orleans, then hitchhiked to Houston to reach them. “You ever see the Superman movies and they walk in with all the [halo]?” she said. “That’s like literally what it was.” Six days after the storm, Tom Fox, Shorthorn alumnus and photojournalist for The Dallas Morning News, arrived at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, where a flight crew prepared older people for transport to Shreveport, Louisiana, or San Antonio. About eight people were strapped to cots in the darkness. “After they had put them on the plane, and it took off, I went back and I called my boss, and I just kind of lost it, I just kind of broke down,” he said. “Because this is not the U.S. It's very surreal.” Within a month of Katrina, Hurricane Rita hit east of the Texas and Louisiana border on Sept. 24, 2005. When Loper went back to cover Rita, the city hadn’t let people return, he said. Driving down Canal Street in downtown New Orleans, once crowded with people and tourists, he saw no street lights. No traffic. Almost nothing. Except for a little stand from the Salvation Army and the Red Cross. “It's a ghost town,” he said. DeCay was back in school within three weeks of evacuation, enrolling at Beckham Elementary near her aunt’s house. Her parents soon sold whatever they had in Louisiana and resettled in Arlington. Other relatives returned home. News outlets labeled people like DeCay’s family “refugees,” and classmates whispered and wondered why students who evacuated from Katrina were receiving more support. Once an only child in an affluent New Orleans neighborhood, DeCay’s material comforts were swept away by Katrina. Mission Arlington was the only reason she had Christmas that year. In 2007, Loper brought himself back to the Lower Ninth Ward and Chalmette, Louisiana, some of the most devastated areas from many years ago. “Seeing them still, to a large degree, in disarray was kind of disheartening. Some rebuilding, but there still are certain areas that haven't been able to really recover even 20 years later.” All that DeCay went through fueled her drive, she said. In high school, she was senior class president and a member of the debate team and student government. At UTA, she became a sorority president and homecoming queen and studied abroad twice. In her position at the leadership center, she often brings students from her programs to volunteer at Mission Arlington. “Everything was supposed to happen,” she said. “I was supposed to end up in Arlington.” Fox was in New Orleans in 2024 for a Texas Longhorns game. He went down to St. Louis Cathedral, taking pictures of the parade with people in town. It reminded him of his college days enjoying the vibrancy of the French Quarter in New Orleans. Nothing seemed to have happened, but Fox knew it did. “You can rebuild the structure and stuff, but I don't know if you can rebuild the community the same way,” he said. DeCay said she was grateful for her time with her father, who died in 2023. “I didn't know how it would feel for him to be gone,” she said. “I thought I knew at that point, because I really thought he was gone, but now that he is, it hits a little different.” This past spring break, DeCay returned to New Orleans with her students for a community service trip to rebuild the landscape at the very site where the levees broke 20 years ago. The area is now a park — a calm, natural space. It was a deeply emotional experience, she said. “That moment is even more important than just going back myself to hang out with family and stuff like that,” DeCay said. After more than two decades with the American Red Cross, Foster said she has learned how people become resilient through tragedies like Katrina. “As hard as things are on this day, at this time, in this disaster, most people will recover, they will find a path forward,” Foster said. “That doesn't mean they just get over it, but they find a way to rebuild their lives.” DeCay said she doesn’t truly connect to Arlington. She went to school here. She achieved many things here. But she just came for a day and stayed the rest of her life. In her office, DeCay’s shelf carries many souvenirs and achievements from throughout her life. At the top is a sign that reads “Canal” and a diploma holder from Louisiana State University, where she received her master’s degree and walked the stage in 2021. New Orleans is DeCay’s home. “I'm never going to say, ‘I’m not from there. It’s not a part of me,’ just because Katrina took that away from me,” she said. @DangHLe @tay._.sansom news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From The Weeknd to the Texas Rangers, residents have plenty of events to attend in Dallas-Fort Worth this week. Sports Witness the Dallas Wings take on the Seattle Storm at 6:30 p.m. Friday at College Park Center. Tickets start at around $24. Catch the Texas Rangers bat it out with the Cleveland Guardians at 6:05 p.m. Saturday at Globe Life Field. The first 20,000 fans can get an Adrián Beltré replica statue. Tickets start at $27.85. Entertainment Watch “I’m Proud of You,” a play adapted from the book “I’m Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers” by Tim Madigan, at 2 p.m. Sunday at Theatre Arlington. The play showcases male friendship at its finest and most powerful. Tickets start at $38 for adults. Students can purchase tickets for $5 15 minutes before curtain with their current student ID. Experience the Quinceañera Expo from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at Esports Stadium Arlington. Meet vendors, explore products and services, and enjoy a live fashion show featuring the latest quinceañera trends and styles. Tickets are $12. Quinceañeras and kids under five enter free. Enjoy the Bookish Bazaar from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Inclusion Coffee. Explore an array of vendors offering everything from rare finds to cozy reads while sipping a beverage. Music See The Weeknd: After Hours Til Dawn tour at 7 p.m. Wednesday at AT&T Stadium. The concert features Playboi Carti and special guest Mike Dean. Tickets start at about $57 and can be purchased online. @ATClements03 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

By the time Laura Molinar arrives at PanPan Bakery and Cafe, she has been up almost all night researching how to adapt to the business’s skyrocketing attention. Molinar’s bakery on Roosevelt Drive in Dalworthington Gardens, Texas, about four miles from UTA, sees hundreds of customers line up around the building waiting for Mexican-Japanese fusion desserts such as milk bread conchas, salted butter rolls and horchata matcha — on a weekday. The success didn’t come overnight. PanPan Bakery and Cafe opened a year ago Sunday, but Molinar’s videos on social media documenting daily work and promoting products have propelled the business to new heights. A TikTok explaining PanPan’s decoration and products — also explaining that pan means bread in both Japanese and Spanish — has been viewed more than 17 million times since it was posted in early August. “I was already kind of settling into the flow of things, but now this explosion of new people has kind of resparked something in me for sure,” Molinar said. “A lot of inspiration.” To handle the newly found fame, bakers arrive at 3:30 a.m. to prepare about 800 loaves of bread for the morning sales. They don’t leave until around 11 a.m. “Our day is making bread, making bread and making bread,” said Andrew Wolgast, a barista and baker at the store. Molinar works at the bar or in the kitchen throughout the day depending on needs. She arrives early in the morning to check the prep work and whether the bakery will be set for the next day. “If people are coming from far away, people coming from Georgia, they're coming from Tennessee, they're coming from California, they're coming from Korea, and they deserve the utmost service,” Molinar said. PanPan provides customers waiting in line with water and umbrellas to combat the Texas summer heat. Molinar also greets customers throughout the day, she said. “They do take that valuable time out of their day, spend their hard-earned money to support my business directly. It only feels right that I go up to them directly and thank them for it,” she said. While the store typically closes at 3 p.m., Molinar serves customers who are in line by closing time. That means two extra hours of work. By the time UTA alumna Jaqueline Reca sits down and tastes the Mexican chorizo stuffed in Japanese milk bread, she has waited in line for more than an hour. She visited PanPan after seeing the place on social media. Reca takes a bite, nods and wiggles in enjoyment. “It’s worth the wait,” she said. Molinar credits the inspiration for Mexican-Japanese fusion to anime being a huge part of Mexican culture and to her background growing up in Los Angeles, where she learned to enjoy different cuisines. At PanPan, the matcha is sourced straight from Japan, Molinar said, and the coffee beans come from Mexico. As their beverages arrived, Fort Worth residents Sarahy Meza and Ashley Perez didn’t forget to snap photos before taking a sip. “Wait, that’s really good!” Perez said as she enjoyed a banana cream matcha. Meza dubbed Perez the “matcha queen” and said her friend convinced her to try matcha at different places. They waited at PanPan for over an hour but are happy that they live nearby. “We drive far, far for matcha, so knowing that this is close, we’re going to be here every day for real,” she said. Molinar enjoys seeing people wrapped around the block for her desserts, she said. Her plans for PanPan include extending its hours and growing beyond one location. But dreaming can wait. It’s time to open, and her second group of bakers has arrived. Her baristas arrived about an hour ago. She opens the door at 9 a.m. The line of patrons stretches around the block, and they’re ready for pan. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

You’re reading From Scratch, a series deconstructing the food we eat (and the drinks we drink) to explore their history, their variety and the ways we consume them. Aguas frescas, or fresh waters, are more than just refreshing drinks in Mexican culture — they’re a taste of home. Each cup holds flavors as deep and layered as the traditions behind them, blending fruit, flowers, grains and more to make a drink full of culture. At Fresca Palapa, a kiosk nestled on the first and second floors of The Parks Mall at Arlington, founder and owner Máximo Cruz is on a mission to bottle nostalgia. For him, it’s about more than making a profit; it’s about sharing the feeling of culture, he said. “I am so proud about Mexico, and I want to bring little bit of the taste of Mexico,” Cruz said. “That's why I bring the aguas frescas into a different, nontraditional market.” In Mexico, aguas frescas can be found everywhere: lined up in big, clear plastic barrels and sold on the bustling sidewalks; poured at local mom-and-pop restaurants; and served in mercados, or markets, and taquerias. History These drinks are thought to have originated during the pre-Columbian 15th century, when the Aztec Empire ruled over much of what we now know as Mexico. The Aztecs would collect fruit and flowers, mash them and mix them with water to make hydrating drinks as they traveled along the waterways of Tenochtitlán, now Mexico City. With the help of the Spanish trade network established in the colonial era, various popular flavors found nowadays were brought to life. As aguas frescas evolved regionally, ingredient variation began to grow, with fruit used more frequently compared to grains and flowers. The clay pots that originally housed the drinks, keeping them a couple degrees cooler than room temperature, have been mostly replaced by the clear, plastic barrels we see today. Over time, aguas frescas have become common among Mexican households and have been a part of families’ everyday meals since. Variety The drink has evolved, with inventive new flavors such as pistachio and dragon fruit. Horchata and jamaica (hibiscus) have become cultural staples. The process of making aguas frescas depends on the flavor. Some start with steeped flowers, others with blended fruit or soaked grains. Cruz said he tries to give customers as much variety as possible. While it’s common to only see a couple of flavors in shops, Fresca Palapa always offers an array of 12 flavors, with seasonal additions such as horchata pumpkin spice in the fall. And for those who can’t settle on just one flavor, the shop also lets customers mix and match to their liking. It also offers reusable barrel-shaped cups as a nod to the containers used at mercados and taquerias. Agua de horchata in particular has made a name for itself outside of those vendors. Its sweet, slightly spiced flavor has even charmed big chains such as Starbucks and Dutch Bros, which have included the flavor in their menus’ horchata-inspired drinks. At Fresca Palapa, the story is the same. Horchata is one of the most popular flavors sold at the juice bar, Cruz said. What keeps customers coming back to Fresca Palapa isn’t just the wide variety – it’s the recipe behind each drink. Despite having to manufacture the drinks to keep up with customer demand, the shop uses original Mexican recipes for all of the flavors offered. Impact Almost half of Texas’ population is Hispanic or Latino, totalling approximately 11.4 million individuals according to 2020 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, making the culture prominent in the state. Part of that culture comes from food and drinks, or in this case, aguas frescas. The popularity of aguas frescas has allowed Fresca Palapa to grow from a small juice and smoothie bar at the mall to an establishment with at least 18 locations across Texas and Oklahoma City. The shop has given Cruz an opportunity to share Mexican culture with his customers. Cruz said he gets satisfaction from the success of his shop and that it makes him want to achieve more. “I want to be like the new Starbucks of aguas frescas,” Cruz said. @_.lexlie_ news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Fort Worth resident Marie Beas drinks a daily Red Bull during the work week. Beas doesn’t crack open the silver and blue can. Instead, around midday, she and her co-workers opt for a literal bucket of the energy drink. The plastic vessels, typically used for plants or toys at the beach, are becoming to-go cups for iced coffees and beverages for those who have decided that a 16-ounce drink no longer suffices. The trend is drawing a crowd and racking up TikTok attention. Beas remembered the first time she heard about it. “A bucket of what? Where did you guys get this? I was like, ‘Oh, I want one,’” she said. Stores in Texas and nationwide are leaning into the oddity, serving iced coffees and beverages in buckets with handles and plastic straws. EspressoSelf Cafe, a coffee trailer at Tanger Outlets in Fort Worth, started offering its beverage in the 34-ounce bucket in June after seeing the trend go viral on TikTok. “Everyone kept saying, ‘We just love your coffee, and we want a bigger size for it,’” the shop’s barista Macie Crawford said. “And so as a joke, we did a bucket, and people just loved it.” EspressoSelf Cafe offers all of its beverages in the bucket. An iced latte, in particular, features six shots of espresso and costs $13. On weekends, they sell about 20 buckets a day. Fort Worth resident Ana Ramirez said her watermelon mint Red Bull bucket helps her stay energized during her retail job’s busy back-to-school season. Ramirez said she hasn’t tried a full vessel of coffee, but she may give it a chance in the fall if someone offers a pumpkin spice latte bucket. “That is the only coffee that I can foresee myself drinking to the end of the bucket because a bucket is a lot,” she said. “And so just normal coffee, or normal latte, I don't foresee myself finishing the bucket.” Crawford recalled a woman from Oklahoma who often comes to the trailer for the coffee buckets. “She drives that far just to come see us, so that makes us happy,” she said. Saginaw resident Michael Johnson, who described himself as a coffee enthusiast, said he goes through a bucket of salted caramel frappe or cold brew each day, a downsizing of his usual intake of two or three 24-oz cups. Johnson works in sales, so he relies on the beverage to help him be quick on his feet and alert, and “stay [as] upbeat as possible,” he said. A bucket lasts him anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours. Oftentimes, he made an exception for a second bucket. “Sometimes I stay up late playing games,” he said. “So one of them days where I'm coming off of three or four hours of sleep, a second bucket might be charged.” Stacie Ellis, registered dietitian and nutritionist at UTA’s Campus Recreation, said people can consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, which is equal to four eight-ounce cups of black coffee. But the amount of caffeine varies, depending on the type of coffee, how the beans were roasted or the type of energy drink. Ellis has been concerned about people’s gradual increase in coffee consumption over the years, she said. “There's a reason why they market fast food because if they didn't, people wouldn't come and eat it,” she said. “Because deep down they know they shouldn't eat it, but then they see all these pictures on the television and magazines and all of that. It really is powerful.” “And unless you decide that you're going to think for yourself, it's very easy to get swayed to do that.” For Beas, it’s not the marketing that draws her to the bucket, as she didn’t know about the TikTok trend. It’s also not because she really needs it to do her job. “It’s just a drink, to be honest,” Beas said. “I enjoy the flavor of a Red Bull, so I can drink it five days a week, even if I didn’t work.” Within three hours of purchasing, she had already drunk the whole Red Bull tub. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Whether Mavericks are filling time between classes, planning weekend outings or looking to explore beyond the classroom, Dallas-Fort Worth offers plenty of options. The areas around UTA provide a variety of student-friendly activities, from parks and theaters to indoor adventures and hidden local gems. Here are some affordable things to do nearby: Alley Cats, 2008 W. Pleasant Ridge Road From bowling to rock climbing, Alley Cats has many activities to enjoy. Prices vary by activity, with bowling costing $30 per hour on weekdays and arcade game cards starting at $5. The cards can be used for all activities except bowling. Coyote Drive-In, 223 NE Fourth St., Fort Worth Coyote Drive-In offers a movie night under the stars. Tickets start at $8 for children ages 5 to 12 and $11 for adults; children 4 and under get in free. Arlington Skatium, 5515 S. Cooper St. Residents can lace up and skate at one of the largest roller skating facilities in Texas. Admission is $14 during regular public skating hours, with half-price tickets available Wednesdays. Arlington Skatium hosts theme nights, parties and open skate sessions throughout the week. Bolder Adventure Park, 2324 W. Warrior Trail, Grand Prairie With over 66,000 square feet of indoor adventure, including archery, a jump pad, tubing slides and a free fall experience, Bolder Adventure Park at EpicCentral offers many activities. Full day tickets start at $10 per person. International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, 621 Six Flags Drive The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame provides the history of some of the greatest bowling legends and of the game itself, which dates back 5,000 years. Admission starts at $7.50 for children 4 to 18 and $9.50 for adults. Top O’ Hill Terrace, 3001 W. Division St. Residents can go to Arlington Baptist University and tour Top O’ Hill, a former casino turned Baptist seminary. Once a hidden gambling hot spot disguised as a tea room, it was opposed by a gospel preacher who later helped transform it into a university. Tours are $10 per person by appointment. The Cozy Catfe, 740 SW Green Oaks Blvd. At The Cozy Catfe, residents can spend time with adoptable cats for $13 per person. Two membership levels are available at $40 and $60 a month. Both include complimentary beverages and unlimited visits. Cidercade, 500 E. Division St. Cidercade offers over 275 arcade games, from retro classics to modern hits and dance-offs. Patrons pay a onetime admission of $12, no coins or game cards required. The Parks Mall at Arlington, 3811 S. Cooper St. Residents can ice skate, explore a variety of shops and enjoy an IMAX movie experience at the AMC Theatres at The Parks Mall at Arlington. Crystal Canyon Natural Area, 1000 Brown Blvd. Crystal Canyon Natural Area is free to explore and features a diverse geological landscape, offering evidence of a onetime nearshore marine environment. Residents can enjoy hiking and biking trails surrounded by natural history in North Arlington. @tay._.sansom news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From a Texas Rangers game to a Paul McCartney tribute, residents have plenty to choose from in Dallas-Fort Worth this week. Music Celebrate the music of Paul McCartney at “Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney,” a tribute concert at 8 p.m. Friday at Arlington Music Hall. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets start at $46.38. Entertainment Experience the rich cultural heritage of Latin America with the opening of Create Texas at Wellspring’s “Beyond Borders: Contemporary Visions of Latin America” from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Wellspring on Main. The contemporary art exhibit will be on display until Aug. 28. The exhibit includes works from 12 local artists and spans topics such as landscapes, iconic figures, current events and soccer’s cultural significance. Residents can take their furry friends to the Canines and Coffee event from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday at the Downtown Arlington Doggie Depot for coffee, community and canine fun. The free event is designed for dog lovers and their pets to socialize and enjoy fresh air at the dog park. Meet Texan writers at the fourth annual Texas Author Con and Book Festival from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. The free event will feature authors from a variety of genres, including romance, fantasy, thriller and children’s books. Enjoy book signings, readings, panel discussions, Q&A sessions and more. Celebrate National Moth Week at the fourth annual Arlington Citizen Science Program’s Moth Night at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Webb Community Park pavilion. Residents can observe and identify moths in their local habitat at the viewing stations along the trails and learn about their role as pollinators in North Texas. Sports See the Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers bat it out at 6:10 p.m. Sunday at Globe Life Field. Tickets start at around $18, and the doors open at 4:10 p.m. news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

It’s a bird! It's a plane! It's another “Superman” movie flying into theaters last Friday, bringing writer and director James Gunn’s first big-screen DC Universe project to audiences. Overall, fans of the superhero genre and the last son of Krypton stand to be pleased with the movie. Lighthearted and colorful, the Gunn production embodies the Golden Age of DC Comics, when Superman was originally introduced. The film serves as a solid introduction to Gunn’s DC Universe. Every scene with flying and fight choreography feels fluid and true to character, with close-ups of Superman’s emblem shown more than once and Hawkgirl’s scream emphasized. However, it isn’t perfect. The movie’s storyline is relatively straightforward, and all the plot twists are glaringly foreshadowed. Some parts linger longer than needed, while others pass by too quickly. As the fifth live-action iteration of the “Man of Steel” in the last 25 years, David Corenswet had big shoes to fill. And he passed with flying colors, embodying the hope Superman is known for while balancing the humanity of Clark Kent. Unlike previous adaptations, “Superman” shows ace reporter Kent already established in the world, donning the red and blue suit, with a partly formed Justice League working in tandem with him. Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific and Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern make up the LordTech-funded version of the league called the “Justice Gang.” The trio, not occupying the screen for long, manage to establish the world’s other heroes without overshadowing Superman. Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane and Corenswet’s Kent are already in a relationship at the start of the movie, not going through the overdone love triangle with Kent, Superman and Lane. The relationship emphasizes that not every relationship is perfect and that everyone is a work in progress. This Kent is more realistic than previous iterations: He isn’t perfect, and he’s sure to remind everyone of that. Gunn said in an interview with Deadline that Kent is a well-adjusted person due to his stable upbringing in a loving household, a rarity in superhero media. He is written to be a corny Kansas farm boy, always wanting to save lives rather than worry about the consequences of his actions. Several instances in the film show Corenswet portraying both Kent and Superman as a person trying to do his best, despite his outbursts while trying to defend himself. Nature versus nurture is explored throughout the film as Kent faces a dilemma between his biological parents’ choice and his own. Lane’s subplot at the Daily Planet plays a significant part in the movie. She's always an investigative journalist first and Kent’s love interest second. She doesn’t hesitate to call out the ethical implications of Kent interviewing his counterpart. This plot point turns full circle, playing a pivotal role in taking down the big bad of the movie. Music also plays an important part in the movie, setting the tone for each scene. The music ebbs and flows, building up to nail-biting moments. “5 Years Time,” Noah And The Whale’s upbeat, stuck-in-your-head tune, plays when Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific shows audiences exactly why the smartest member of the gang is called Mister Terrific. Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo’s Jimmy Olsen, and Krypto, Superman’s foster dog, steal every scene they’re in. Hoult’s take on the supervillain makes the audience sympathize with him one moment and despise him the next. Luthor is aware of the consequences of his actions, but in his own sick and twisted way, believes he is the hero of the story, sent to save humanity from the alien Kent. As Olsen, Gisondo takes a character who is usually Kent's sidekick and gives him more importance, gathering laughs along the way as his character helps expose Luthor's malicious plan. Dubbed “the worst dog in the world, with superpowers” by Gunn, Krypto is a menace throughout the film, bringing more chaos into Kent’s life and making him seem more relatable. This movie isn’t the dark and emo Superman that fans of Henry Cavill’s Superman remember. Corenswet’s interpretation of the beloved character is the embodiment of hope and compassion. He may not be the Superman of the past, but he’s the Superman we need. @marupudisairam opinion-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From live sports and a murder mystery to swing dancing and artmaking, residents have plenty to do in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this week. Entertainment Step back five decades during “Panic at the Disco!: A 70s Murder Mystery” from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at George W. Hawkes Downtown Library. The night will feature a disco dance contest, celebrity drama and major twists. Registration is free, but required to attend. Join Downtown Arlington’s Summer Dance Series from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at George W. Hawkes Downtown Library. The series brings beginner-friendly swing and salsa classes — no partner or experience needed. Registration is free and available through the library’s website. Find antiques and vintage goods at the Rhythm & Relics Flea Market at Binions Ice House on Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. The event will feature vendors selling an assortment of goods, a DJ and food and drinks available in the restaurant. The event is free to attend. Sports All Elite Wrestling comes to Globe Life Field on Saturday for the first-ever professional wrestling event at the venue. “AEW All In: Texas” marks a major moment for professional wrestling fans in Arlington. Tickets can be bought online. The Ultimate OCR 3K Championship takes place Friday at Dallas Market Hall. This course spans a full 3K with over 25 obstacles in between. The event runs in timed waves for different age demographics from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. start times. Top male and female finishers will compete for a $4,000 prize. All finishing participants will receive a medal and shirt. Music Enjoy classic country tunes and family-friendly fun at Johnnie High’s Country Music Reunion at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Arlington Music Hall. The show celebrates Texas country tradition with a mix of heartfelt songs, lively performances and a welcoming atmosphere. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. @samip.parajuli.54 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From country music to museum visits, there’s plenty to enjoy across Arlington and Dallas-Fort Worth this weekend. Entertainment Residents can check out “A Shining City on the Hilltop,” a limited-time exhibit of 35 paintings by President George W. Bush from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 19 at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas. On Friday, admission is free, and the museum will remain open until 8 p.m. Tickets are available here. Laugh the night away at Boots on the Ground Comedy Jam with Angelia Walker at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Arlington Improv, located in the Arlington Highlands shopping center. Tickets start at around $19, and doors open at 6 p.m. The event is 18-plus. Join Benji Brown at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Arlington Improv for a night of comedy. Known for his character Kiki, Brown is building up to be the next major urban comedic household name. Tickets start at around $25, and doors open at 6 p.m. The event is 18-plus. Music Wrap up the weekend with free live music and fireworks at the Clover Club Independence Weekend Concert from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Enjoy ’90s country hits from Straight Tequila Night, then stick around for a 15-minute fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. Sports Take a 90-minute premium tour of Globe Life Field on Saturday. The tour includes a 60-minute behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium and 30 minutes playing catch and taking photos in the outfield, where the 2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers played. Tickets start at $35 for adults. Discounts are available for ages 4 to 14, ages 65-plus, military and first responders. @samip.parajuli.54 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From classic rock and reggae rhythms to immersive tours and ballgames, residents have plenty to do in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this week. Music Sing along to classic hits as the Little River Band takes the stage at 8 p.m. Thursday at Arlington Music Hall. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event is open to all ages. Tickets are sold out. Join Tejano Queen Forever with Quimikoz Del Son on Friday at Levitt Pavilion for a free outdoor concert. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. with Quimikoz Del Son, a DFW band blending reggae rhythms, hip-hop and horns. Tejano Queen Forever will follow at 8:30 p.m., honoring Selena Quintanilla Perez’s legacy. Join Demola the Violinist at 7 p.m. Saturday at House of Blues Dallas for live music and vibrant energy. Guests can also enjoy the upscale Foundation Room experience before or after the show. Ticket prices vary and can be found here. Catch Japanese pop-rock band SCANDAL on its Love, Spark, Joy! tour at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Cambridge Room at House of Blues Dallas. Known for its high-energy performances, the band is bringing an electrifying night of music to the stage. Ticket prices vary and are available here. Sports Take a step back in time – and into the present – with a joint tour of Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium, the current and former homes of the Texas Rangers. The 90-to-120-minute experience begins at Globe Life Field at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Friday and continues to Choctaw Stadium, home of the Rangers from 1994 to 2019. Ticket prices start at around $47 and can be found here. Cheer on the Texas Rangers as they take on the Baltimore Orioles at 7:05 p.m. Monday at Globe Life Field. Tickets start at around $14 and doors open at 5:05 p.m. @samip.parajuli.54 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The crystal chandelier flickered to life, illuminating a corner of 1851 Club, a gay bar Dalton Haynes purchased in 2021. Directly under the yellow light sits a wooden set of furniture near the club’s main door. To its left hangs a photo and plaque. They honor Haynes’ grandmother, Sherry Boling. "That spot where that chandelier is, right where that table is," Haynes, 34, said, "that's the last place that my grandma and I shared a hand of poker together." Boling is crucial to understanding who Haynes is and how he has worked to build the LGBTQ+ community through the city's only gay bar. His advocacy for safety and inclusivity, both in and out of the bar, has garnered praise from patrons and Arlington leaders, who credit Haynes for keeping 1851 Club's legacy alive. The club, he said, saved him as he pieced together his world in the days, weeks and months following his beloved grandmother's death. 1851 Club, located on West Division Street, is for everyone, LGBTQ+ and straight, Haynes said. Every week, the club offers comedy open mic nights, karaoke, bingo and pool tournaments. Steven Morris, executive producer of Theatre Arlington, called 1851 a “safe and friendly atmosphere.” Bar patron Haley Barron said the club and Haynes brought her smile back and helped her feel comfortable with herself. Even the city’s leader, a self-labeled 64-year-old white heterosexual Christian man, is a fan. After assuming office in 2021, Arlington Mayor Jim Ross created multiple advisory councils — including separate ones for the Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ communities — to better understand Arlington’s diverse populations. “It was great to have the 1851 Club open up to people and have some food and drinks and having different parts of the community socialize in there and realizing that while it does cater to the LGBTQ+ community, there are plenty of heterosexuals that go there just to have a good time,” Ross said, referring to 1851 hosting a gathering of advisory councils. Haynes has engaged with the LGBTQ+ Advisory Council since its establishment. “He brings a passion for not just helping the LGBTQ+ community in Arlington but the entire community of Arlington,” Ross said. It is easy to see the love Haynes has for his club, his staff — most of whom are his friends — his patrons and his community. It’s how Boling raised him. “I want to do this place the way she raised us: loving everybody and not caring about who you love and what color your skin is, what your faith is — any of that,” Haynes said. “She just loved everybody, and that's what I want to do.” It was a Friday. Haynes was 13 years old, watching Boling apply makeup for family poker night. He approached her. He had to tell her about his realization: Haynes preferred Barbie dolls over G.I. Joe. While the boys in his class were crazy about girls, he was attracted to guys. He recounted the conversation while using his vape to imitate Boling’s makeup blender. “Grandma, I gotta talk to you about something,” he said. “OK, well, what is it?” his grandmother responded. “Well,” Haynes said, “I'm gay.” “Are you not going to be here on Friday for poker?” she asked Haynes. His eyes went soft. “Grandma didn't care at all. She was always my biggest fan.” But he had another worry. Growing up, Haynes once struggled with his faith and his sexuality. Would he “go to hell” for being gay? He, again, turned to his grandmother. “God doesn't make trash, and he doesn't make things that he doesn't want. He made you just the way you are, and also he doesn’t make mistakes, so here you are in his image,” Boling said to her grandson. When people weaponize religion against the LGBTQ+ community, Haynes feels more sad than angry, he said, because religion is about bringing people to God. He doesn’t want to push his religion on someone, but he’s open to discussing it if people are curious. “Everything that he does is from the heart,” said Matthew Hanson, Haynes’ boyfriend of one year. “Whether it's in his personal life or in his business life, it's all about, ‘How is this going to affect the people around me, and how can I show them a Christ-like example?’” Shortly after Haynes’ first trip to the 1851 Club, Boling’s breast cancer diagnosis contributed to ending her ladies poker league that lasted for about 40 years. Haynes contacted the club’s management at the time to host a poker night for her, he said. The first week saw 10 people. Then 40. At some point, the club didn’t have enough poker tables. “I can't tell you how many times I would look up and I couldn't find her because she was outside holding somebody while they're crying about a breakup or in the bathroom talking with the girls about whatever,” Haynes said. On Dec. 15, 2020, Boling died. Haynes prayed for signs. Where should he go? What should he do? How should he rebuild? The sign arrived a few weeks later. It was early January 2021, smack-dab in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Haynes was on Facebook when he came across a post from the previous management of 1851 Club announcing the bar’s closure. Haynes contacted his attorney and drafted up the paperwork. Within a few days, the bar was his. At 11 p.m. on a recent Friday, the drag performers weren’t ready yet. They blew past their showtime. Haynes took a deep breath. He had learned not to rush drag performers — or else. Instead, he hugged and shook the hands of most of the 100-plus attendees filling up the small dance floor and back patio. As the bar got busier, he jumped in behind the counter. Those who frequent the club said that it was a normal sight. “He's not just an owner,” said Nicholas James, the club’s top security. “He's a friend.” Hanson said Haynes has a mission of “five-minute friend,” which means all patrons should feel at home at the bar within that time frame. “The longer we've been together, and the more I see him in the element, the more respect I have for him because it's got to be tiring to do it over and over again, week in and week out,” he said. Haynes said that like many gay people, he partied with his friends on the weekends in his 20s, often thinking of ways he would improve the bars. But he had never owned a bar or worked in one before 1851 Club. After the bar’s reopening in February 2021, Haynes poured in 17-hour days, spending nights studying laws and fixing up decorations. Sometimes, it wasn’t feasible for Haynes to go home and sleep, so he slept in a military camping cot in the middle of the bar. Even now, he occasionally stops. And soaks it all in. “I take a step back and walk over to the bar, and I turn around and I see a full dance floor of people that are just having a great time, and I'm like, ‘We did this. This is so cool,’” Haynes said. Arlington has a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, which examines how cities tailor laws, policies and services to LGBTQ+ people. The city recently hosted its fourth annual Pride celebration, which attracted over 10,000 people. Haynes plays a key part in educating Arlington that the LGBTQ+ community is simply a part of the city, Ross said. “He talks to the people in the bar and gets information from them,” said Morris, who served on the LGBTQ+ Advisory Council with Haynes. “He tells them what the community is doing. He tries to be a go-between between the community and the advisory committee and gets information in front of the mayor.” The city has addressed safety concerns related to the 1851 Club and worked to ensure the LGBTQ+ community feels comfortable expressing themselves — one of Haynes’ primary objectives on the advisory council, Ross said. “I consider Dalton a friend,” he said. “He’s a great guy, loves his city, loves the entire community, loves the LGBTQ+ community.” His work doesn’t stop at the committee. Haynes helped ensure Arlington’s first two Pride events happened by providing the bartenders, alcohol and his own money, Morris said. These days, Haynes no longer works long hours every day, but his schedule is still packed. He maintains close ties with customers from his hair business, crafts jewelry and takes photos. Haynes admits that Hanson has to mostly work around his schedule. “Bless him,” Haynes exclaimed. Hanson doesn’t mind — he said he wants to be Haynes’ support system. “I think that's the job of a partner, is to recognize we have our own individual lives, but there's a part of a partnership that it bleeds over,” he said. It was 11:45 p.m., and drag queen Kiana Lee took the stage to welcome patrons and introduce those working at the bar — including Haynes. Drag queen Bronx Davenport then lip-synced Beyoncé’s verse in Jay-Z’s “Hollywood” to rowdy cheers from the crowd. “I'm proud to be able to give people a place,” Haynes said. “It's so important to me to give people a safe place to go, a place where people can go and get drunk and have a good time and then the next day be like, ‘Oh my God, was I a mess last night?’” “And you say, ‘Girl, we were at 18. It's not a big deal. They're fine. Nobody cared.’” As the spotlight moved around the room, it captured the photo and plaque that glowed in the warmth of the chandelier. In the frame, Haynes smiles next to Boling, whose name is etched in bronze below. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From a Smurfs experience to watching a bare knuckle fighting championship, residents have plenty to do in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this week. Entertainment Enjoy the “Bee Gees Gold: The Ultimate Tribute to the Bee Gees” at 8 p.m. Friday at Arlington Music Hall. This tribute offers showgoers a chance to relive the 1976 album with a live band and vocals recreating the group’s iconic look, sound and falsettos from the. Tickets start at around $40 and are available online. Doors open at 6 p.m. Learn about health, try free samples of food and enjoy in-store discounts during the Fitter Together Wellness event Saturday. The event will kick off with a health and wellness panel from 9 to 11 a.m. at Inclusion Coffee. Afterward, attendees can head over to Ann’s Health Food Center for food, discounts and giveaways. Family Fun Shrink down and help save the planet from the evil Gargamel in The Smurf Experience USA at the Arlington Museum of Art. Available until August, attendees can navigate obstacle courses and complete scavenger hunts. The experience is available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets start at $31 with various VIP packages to choose from. Globe Life Field is hosting Family Field Day from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. The action-packed event will include fun activities, including yard games, a meet and greet with the Texas Rangers’ captain, face painting, a home run derby and more. Ticket prices vary and are available online. Sports Experience the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship: BKFC 76 at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. The event will feature fighters Ben “The Bomber” Bonner and Tony “Loco” Soto, and Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski will be making his league debut against veteran fighter Josh Copeland. Many more are set to fight. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and start at around $64. Doors open at 6 p.m. Witness two exciting matches of the Cognizant Major League Cricket 2025 season with the Seattle Orcas versus the LA Knight Riders and the Washington Freedom versus the Texas Super Kings at the Grand Prairie Stadium. Tickets start at $20, with matches continuing throughout the week. news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Thousands gathered to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community during the 2025 Dallas Pride Parade on June 15 at Fair Park. The two-day celebration featured a spirited music festival with performances and a variety of vendors. The event aims to foster a sense of belonging for all people, and strengthen the LGBTQ+ community. The parade brought a dazzling display of floats, as extravagantly dressed marchers handed out free goods to attendees. @pixaperfect_ @mabelcruzjournal photo-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Glitter clung to sweaty shoulders as music thumped through the warm air Saturday evening at Levitt Pavilion. Pride shimmered in every flash of sequin, skin and laughter. Hosted by the Health Education Learning Project Center for LGBT Health & Wellness, Arlington Pride 2025 marked the event’s fourth run in the city. What began as a small backyard gathering is now a vibrant celebration — drawing over 10,000 attendees. Kate McDougall-Pillai, director of Behavioral Health at the center said it felt surreal seeing the event grow to feature big name performers like Trixie Mattel while still preserving a sense of intimacy that sets it apart from larger celebrations. As the evening unfolded, attendees draped in rainbow flags laughed and embraced one another as the sound of music blended with the energy of families and friends arriving together. “We were here at 7:30 a.m., it makes it so worth it,” McDougall-Pillai said. “I’m seeing kids, I’m seeing dogs, I’m seeing families. I love it. It makes me really happy.” Handheld fans popped and waved in cheer as the cast of Club Reflection performed. Also in attendance was Sister O.M.Gee, a member of the DFW Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of 21st-century nuns who vow to bring love and joy to the community, fight stigma and advocate for social justice. They said the group attends pride events all over North Texas, giving them a way to spread love and support throughout the community. There is more purpose behind the glitter and glam when it comes to events like these. Pride is both a celebration and protest — born from resistance and sustained by the ongoing fight for equality. That legacy began in 1970, when the first documented Pride marches were held in response to the Stonewall riots a year earlier, marking a turning point in the gay rights movement, according to the Library of Congress. Today, cities around the world carry that spirit forward, honoring both how far the community has come and how far there still is to go. For many, the fight is personal. Public health senior Ivette Robledo said as a member of the LGBT community, it’s important to show up for each other. “With the events going on right now, it’s so easy to make you feel alone and vulnerable,” Robledo said. “It’s important to show out and show that there is a community, and there are people who care about you and feel the same way that you do .” Fort Worth resident Stephanie Vasilio, 46, said this was her first pride event and it was amazing to see all the love around everything. “I feel that any support whatsoever is greatly appreciated, no matter what your sexual orientation [is], you just need to show love to everyone,” Vasilio said. @tay._.sansom news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Arlington Pride 2025 drew a large crowd to Levitt Pavilion on Saturday, as thousands celebrated LGBTQ+ visibility and community unity. The event featured electrifying performances from “RuPaul's Drag Race” stars Ra'Jah O'Hara, Nymphia Wind, and Ginger Minj, alongside country music artist Brooke Eden. The event also featured drag queen Trixie Mattel, captivating attendees throughout the evening. The event provided attendees with free water, ice packs and a variety of vendors selling food, drinks and other products. For Plano resident Cailey Manley, 31, it is important to celebrate pride as an ally. “Pride’s a protest. It’s very important to celebrate those who need the support,” Manley said. “As a straight, white cis woman, I need to lift them up as much as I can.” @pixaperfect_ @greycoloredglass photo-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From professional baseball to theater shows, residents have plenty to choose from in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this week. Sports Cheer on the Texas Rangers as they take on the Kansas City Royals at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at Globe Life Field. Tickets start at around $13 and doors open at 5:05 p.m. The first 20,000 fans will receive a 2023 World Series Final Out Bobblehead. Watch North Texas SC go up against Austin FC II at 7:45 p.m. Saturday at Choctaw Stadium. Tickets start at $24 and doors open at 6:45 p.m. Music Enjoy a free concert from folk-pop singer-songwriter Gina Chavez from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Friday at Levitt Pavilion. The show will also feature indie folk singer-songwriter and producer Lorena Leigh. Jam out to some indie sleaze at the Peach Pit & Briston Maroney: Long Hair, Long Life Tour at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the South Side Ballroom in Dallas. Tickets start at around $58 Dance to nostalgic tunes during a concert from pop band The Buckinghams at 8 p.m. Friday at Arlington Music Hall. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and tickets start at around $50. Entertainment Celebrate the 50th anniversary of “A Chorus Line” by attending Theatre Arlington’s performance of the musical Saturday and Sunday at varying times. Tickets start at $38 for students. @wall035203 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Rarely has anyone benefited from a rebrand like Addison Rae. Rae, whose stardom started from posting viral TikTok dancing clips and has amassed almost 90 million followers on the platform, and her brilliant team of creative directors have tried hard to make her new aesthetics appear like they haven’t tried at all. She began rocking Y2K-inspired looks — ultra-mini ra-ra skirts, cropped denim jean jackets, a bellybutton piercing and low-rise jeans. Rae flaunted an old iPod Nano like a trendy toy. Her Instagram became a means to create a cohesive, deliberative world. The music changed, too. Far from the kitschy dance-pop 2021 debut single, “Obsessed,” the songs in “Addison,” her debut, self-titled album released Friday, are more cool and controlled. The production, taken charge by two women producers, Luka Kloser and Elvira Anderfjärd — Swedish hitmaker Max Martin’s proteges — mirrors ’90s trip-hop, with frequent interruptions allowing songs to shift in intensity and texture. They are pulsating, lush and full of stacked harmonies. The songs in “Addison” echo Lana Del Rey, sometimes Britney Spears and also Madonna, and they’re not bound by any particular genre. She doesn’t deny being a student of the game either. The album, then, is the sort of pastiche that is familiar without being redundant. Each turn is sharp and deliberate, but they all confine within the kaleidoscope of the album’s pop maximalist sonic universe. Rae’s vocals are sweet and foggy, and her lyrics are threaded with images of a life that's young, fun and free: being naked on a beach, flying to Paris on a whim and taking shots at a bar. There's no ego and rarely any self-seriousness, which makes for pop perfection. Take “Diet Pepsi” for example. On a chillwave synth beat, Rae coos, “My cheeks are red like cherries in the spring / Body's a work of art you'd die to see,” and that she was, “Sitting on his lap, sippin' Diet Pepsi.” The combination of seductiveness and product placement makes up the brilliance and ridiculousness, and Rae plays it off not with a quirky wink but with a daring stare. On “Aquamarine,” a deep-house/dream-pop track that evokes Madonna’s “Ray of Light” and Kylie Minogue’s “Fever,” Rae puts listeners through a glimmering, airy and sultry vibe. Unlike a regular pop hit structure, its bridge appears almost like an entirely new song, taking the European trance sound in a completely different direction from the second verse and pre-chorus. It works like a charm. “High Fashion” sees a deliberate choice of contrast between Rae’s soft, airy vocals on a more gritty, cinematic production. “Summer Forever” is one of the standout moments where Rae slows the pop urgency down and looks for something more atmospheric, daring her lover to be more spontaneous. She also leaves enough space for self-reflection. “Times Like These” is ethereal, layered and a highlight lyrically. In the fuzzy “Fame is a Gun,” where she teases, “You know I keep it real, I live for the appeal,” the track is sharp, and its twinkly production encapsulates stardom dreams. “Money is Everything” tethers on the same satirical line as Rae repeats, “Can’t a girl have fun?,” which sums up the entire album’s ethos. She digs deeper during “In The Rain,” a hauntingly beautiful track where she expresses, "Misunderstood but I’m not gonna sweat it / Isn’t it all for the show? / Keepin’ a smile on my face for protection.” All the self-reflection, youth and enjoyment of life as a 24-year-old woman culminates in “Headphones On,” a vulnerable and poignant album closer. The ambient textures, soft strings and strong percussion cozy up into a full trip-hop, electronica experience. Like any ambitious debut album, Rae has misfires. As interludes, “Lost & Found” and “Life’s No Fun Through Clear Waters” rather serve as stylistic choices and bog down the album’s pace. Its opener, “New York,” a nod to the works of Rae’s close friend and collaborator, Charli XCX, leans toward being bombastic. Rae has neither the best vocals nor writing skills. The tracks in “Addison” would have soared coming from someone who could write stronger lyrics and have a more emotive tone. But there would be no guarantee that someone would have as strong a vision for its moodboard as Rae, who knows what she wants and who she is. So, talented or not, try-hard or real, that’s ultimately up to you to decide about Rae. One thing this quintessential debut makes certain, though, is that: TikTok — it’s her time to take on a bigger stage. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu