January
“Heart Eyes for Camila”
by Keirra Gordon
In a December interview with Billboard, Camila Cabello referred to 2018 as the best year of her life. Our writer, Keirra Gordon, gave a great review of Cabello’s self-titled album “Camila,” her first solo album after departing from girl group Fifth Harmony, when it initially came out last January. It debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 and has since gone Platinum. Cabello’s song, “Havana,” is Spotify’s most-played song by a solo female artist.
@camila-cabello
February
“‘Queer Eye’ Is Back with a New Purpose”
by Madison Whatley
The original “Queer Eye” show ran from 2003 to 2007 to popular ratings. When a reboot was announced in 2017, fans of the original were unsure. We covered the reboot’s release to Netflix in early 2018 by focusing on the new message of the show, “More Than Just a Makeover,” which promotes self-confidence. The show has since become one of the most successful television series not just on a streaming platform but overall. “The New York Times” named it the 5th Best New Television Show of 2018.
“Paws Firmly Planted: ‘Black Panther” Review”
by John Hall
“Black Panther” is the most successful Marvel movie in the U.S. in the studio’s cinematic history as well as 2018’s highest-grossing film in the U.S. by any studio. The film differs from other films successful in the U.S. because the cast is mainly comprised of people of color and it takes place in Africa. Its success was unprecedented and a huge win for representation in Hollywood.
@MarvelStudios
March
“Love Is ‘Love, Simon’” by Travis Farmer
“Love, Simon” is the first studio movie focused on a gay teen romance, marking a new era for teen movies. It also became one of the highest-grossing teen romance films of all time.
@lovesimonmovie
“Snoop Dogg: Constantly Evolving”
by Keirra Gordon
This year, we chose to highlight Snoop Dogg and his many talent acheivements. In 2018, he released a new album, received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and released a series on Netfilx called “Coach Snoop” among other accomplishments.
@SnoopDogg
April
“The Sound of Silence: ‘A Quiet Place’ Review”
by Emily Kochanski
The first official trailer for “A Quiet Place” starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt premiered during the Super Bowl. It went on to have the second best domestic debut of any film in 2018. It was beat out for the top opening by “Black Panther.”
@quietplacemovie
September
“Dierks Bentley ‘Mountain High’ Tour Reaches Tampa Bay”
by Fatima Abu-Rumman
Our writer, Fatima Abu-Rumman, attended and reviewed Dierks Bentley’s concert when his Mountain High Tour made its stop in Tampa. His tour concluded in October to a sold-out show in Los Angeles.
@DierksBentley
October
“The Horrors of Universal Studios: HHN28 Review”
by Bernard Ramos
Our writer, Bernard Ramos, reviewed Halloween Horror Nights, a yearly event put on by Universal Studios from September to early November, for the 2018 holiday season. Overall, he felt the experience was good but the haunted houses left something to be desired. Pictured above is a character named Turkey Lurkey, a Thanksgiving turkey back for revenge.
@HorrorNights
November
“People’s Choice Awards 2018 Predictions”
by Bernard Ramos,
Madison Whatley,
and Kristin Vitagliano
Nicki Minaj and Tyga, who performed three songs, were the main performers of the night at the People’s Choice Awards 2018 alongside Rita Ora and John Legend, who each performed one song. We predicted the winners of the night and provided commentary on the nominees followed by a livestream of the true results of the award show.
@peopleschoice
