My Lost Interview With Serge Onik

I'm in shock and so heartbroken about this. I can't believe this. It doesn't feel real.

Dancer Serge Onik has passed away at age 33.

Technical Difficulties Here at Taking it One Stef at a Time

So...I don't have my own computer right now. I haven't had one for over a year. Lol 

Happy One Year Anniversary to 5 Seconds of Summer's Fourth Studio Album CALM! :D

One year ago today, 5 Seconds of Summer released their fourth studio album CALM (2020) and it was one of the best things to ever happen to me.

Real Influential Women Role Models (Real and Fictitious) - Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, and a Brief Review of Plastic Hearts (2020) and Future Nostalgia (2020)

Happy Women's History Month!

I've noticed that a lot of the music artists that I prefer to listen to are men. 5 Seconds of Summer, Ashton Irwin, One Direction, Harry Styles, Niall Horan... So I decided to dedicate this blog post to two woman artists that I have been listening to lately, Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa. 

Anyone Can Write...Right?

Okay. Today I'm going to address some social media drama that you may or may not have heard about.

Stef's "So Good You Can't Put It Down" Book Reviews - Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man by Emmanuel Acho

Happy Black History Month! This book that I am about to share with you is perfect reading material for this month.

One night back in January, I was at Barnes & Noble and in a very good mood. I was walking around, browsing like usual, when I came across a display for Black American culture. There was an Alicia Keys memoir that looked interesting, but then I came across another book that drew my attention. 

Going Forward - Happy 10 Year Anniversary to "Taking it One Stef at a Time!"

Today is a big day in this blog's history. Today marks this blog's 10 Year Anniversary. :)

A Spotlight On Ashton Irwin and a Track-By-Track Review of His Debut Solo Album SUPERBLOOM (2020)

During quarantine, I wrote an entire thesis gushing about how awesome 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS) is. All four members of the band are great, talented guys and I love their friendship and teamwork.

But for this blog post, I'm going to play favorites a little bit and focus on my lane. 

(This is another piece that I am ending up perfecting and adding to as it's live. lol :P I did manage to publish and share this one, but I have been reverting it to drafts because I always feel like it is not ready yet as I revise. I also consider it kind of long and maybe too personal on my end and I'm not that comfortable revealing too much about myself. I love this album so much that I want to be sure that I do my writing about it justice. However, I do think that this is a decent piece and I did have the intention of sharing it, so I'll do my best with it. I want to finally leave it as is once and for all and stop being a perfectionist with it soon.)

One fine day in September, I decided to check Google for some updated news. Imagine my surprise as an Ashton Girl to see THIS:

A Tale of Two Brother Bands: The Impact and Evolution of One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer

Introducing my quarantine passion project! I worked so hard on this all of these months since like April during self-isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic. I had a blast writing this and am extremely proud of it! It certainly kept me busy, productive, and happy. Some circumstances then took place, and I kept perfecting it and adding things, but now I finally finished it (I think LOL, unless/although I will probably/maybe continue to edit and revise it and add things while it's live lol). I wanted to wait for the best time to share it, so hopefully now should be good. I have to let it go at some point and I wanted to release it before the year ends lol. Plus, from the writer's standpoint, I'm kinda tired of looking at it now. Haha!

If you're in the mood to read something extremely lengthy about two of the best male bands of this generation, please enjoy! lol :)

Just so you know, this critique essay includes mentions of sex and profanity.

INTRODUCTION

Ever since I got into One Direction (1D), I have felt myself becoming interested in boy bands again.

But let's talk about 5 Seconds of Summer.

An Honest Conversation About Race Between a White Woman and a Black Woman

Growing up white, I was conditioned to stay away from discussions about race. It was just a topic that I was supposed to avoid because I was white and it wasn't my place. Of course I learned about black struggles in school and befriended and talked to black people, but bringing up blackness and whiteness on my own as a white girl was very much advised against because it would likely be offensive and start trouble coming from me, regardless of what I said. (Although, I should acknowledge that I do recall having briefly discussed race in some of my writing, interviews, and other arts analysis.)