Hadiyyah Kuma, Features Editor
Best song of the decade?
“i” by Kendrick Lamar (2014)
So torn because there were six other Kendrick songs I could’ve chosen (Alright, How Much A Dollar Cost, HUMBLE, and Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe were close), but “i” is truly a victory. Besides being a jam, it’s an exclamation of power, reclamation, and resistance.
Best album of the decade?
DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar (2017)
Not only the work of a lyrical GENIUS, DAMN. is a critical celebration of self and community. By 2017, we’ve got very little hope left for humanity and everyone knows it. Kendrick is aware of it, and every song is touched by the concept of fallen heroes and false gods.
Best book of the decade?
Citizen by Claudia Rankine (2014)
The best blend of essay, photography, and poetics that I have ever read. Citizen is a meditation on Black identity in America, told from honest, immersive first-person POV writing. Rankine is a treasure, and you should read her work at least once in your life.
Best trend of the decade?
Mom jeans’ comeback. Don’t @ me.
They go with everything. They’re cute AND comfy. Hello??
Best other (meme, tabloid, pop culture moment, etc.) of the decade?
The “this is fine” meme.
Because it is not fine.
Ellen Grace, Associate Stranded Editor
Best movie of the decade?
God Help the Girl (2014)
It’s the perfect way to make your friends watch a musical without them thinking they’re watching a musical.
Best song of the decade?
“Walk Like Thunder” by Kimya Dawson (2011)
Best album of the decade?
The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do by Fiona Apple (2012)
The only album I thought was cool in ninth grade that I still think is cool now.
Best book of the decade?
The First Bad Man by Miranda July (2015)
Best TV show of the decade?
Nathan For You
The only TV show starring someone who graduated from Canada’s top business school with really good grades.
Best trend of the decade?
Oat milk.
Best other (meme, tabloid, pop culture moment, etc.) of the decade?
Cake Boss getting arrested and saying, “You can’t arrest me I’m the Cake Boss.”
Epic.
Rebecca Gao, Editor-in-Chief
Best other (meme, tabloid, pop culture moment, etc.) of the decade?
When Solange punched Jay-Z in the elevator at the Met Gala 2014.
Much like the “Kanye interrupting Taylor Swift” incident in 2009, Solange punching Jay-Z in that elevator spawned years of gossip, feuds, and so much good music. The reason for the punch (unknown at the time)—Jay-Z’s infidelity—inspired Beyoncé’s Lemonade, Solange’s Seat At The Table, and (a lot less iconic) Jay Z’s 4:44. Though the drama surrounding that night didn’t last all decade, the art that came out of that one moment shaped the music of the late 2010s.
Tian Ren Chu, Associate Science Editor
Best book of the decade?
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (2010)
I was assigned this book in an English course last semester, and it definitely qualifies as my favourite of my mandatory readings! The novel has a witty humour and does a great job of exposing human nature in a deeply honest way. The language is also very emotionally powerful. Aside from that, I think this novel stands as an icon of the 2010s because it deals with the topics of social media and digitalization in a brilliant and innovative manner.
Abbie Moser, Arts and Culture Editor
Best movie of the decade?
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
For a more in-depth, but still too short because I’ve got a lot more to say, defense of Twilight see my article in this issue. The scene where Bella is sitting beside her window as time passes but she remains still after Edward leaves her is the most accurate, articulate, and amazing depiction of depression in a film. As the camera pans, we see the season changing despite her inactivity as we hear the lyrics, “So tell me when my sorrows over / You’re the reason why I’m closed / Tell me when you hear me falling / There’s a possibility it wouldn’t show,” which hits hard. Thank you to this scene specifically for allowing eleven-year-old me to realize I was depressed and going through it.
Editors Note: Yeah, we know this movie didn’t come out in the 2010s, but it did come out on DVD in 2010, so I bet plenty of you watched New Moon in 2010 on a DVD that your Dad rented you from Blockbuster, so it counts as part of this decade, okay?
Best song of the decade?
“Nobody” by Mitski (2018)
Mitski made loneliness—whether it’s self-inflicted or not is up to you—into a straight up bop. She!
Did!
That!
Best other (meme, tabloid, pop culture moment, etc.) of the decade?
The re-emergence of Dolly Parton through Dumplin’ and Dolly Parton’s Heartrings.
I will stand by Dolly until the day I die, and even then, I’ll still be rooting for her when I’m a ghost. Her ability to tell stories in and out of songs is both beautiful and iconic.
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