Juliana George

Hello! I'm Juliana George, a Boston-based student journalist passionate about music and culture writing! As an Asian American journalist, I like to focus on coverage that amplifies the stories and artistry of underrepresented groups. If my work resonates with you, reach out!

My Latest Work

Boston.com •

Review & setlist: Allie X shows up and shows out at The Sinclair

Allie X has been touring since 2015, but Monday night was her first night headlining in Boston — or Cambridge, as someone cheekily amended from the audience — and her fans could not be more pleased.

“Boston showed up and showed out,” she beamed, regarding the crowd with pride. “This means so much. At the meet-and-greet a lot of you mentioned you were waiting for me to come here for four years.”

In 2020, Allie X, the stage name for the Canadian alternative pop artist Alexandra Ashley Hughes, re
Boston.com •

Review & setlist: Allie X shows up and shows out at The Sinclair

Allie X has been touring since 2015, but Monday night was her first night headlining in Boston — or Cambridge, as someone cheekily amended from the audience — and her fans could not be more pleased.

“Boston showed up and showed out,” she beamed, regarding the crowd with pride. “This means so much. At the meet-and-greet a lot of you mentioned you were waiting for me to come here for four years.”

In 2020, Allie X, the stage name for the Canadian alternative pop artist Alexandra Ashley Hughes, re
The Boston Globe •

Influencer Marius Johnson talks Boston fashion and social media as storytelling - The Boston Globe

“I don’t think I’m at any crazy spot right now,” said Johnson. “But I’m obviously growing and to work with CONCEPTS after a year of DM’ing them is just a testament to having a vision. I truly believe in where I’m going and it’s only a matter of time.”

This January, at nearly 10,000 followers, he collaborated with the company on a post that pictured him styling Puma sneakers from the store three different ways.

About a year ago, Marius Johnson DM’d Newbury Street heritage retailer CONCEPTS in h
Boston.com •

Review & setlist: Bad Bunny is the ‘Most Wanted’ man at TD Garden

Throngs of cowboy hat-clad revelers streamed out of North Station Wednesday night, and they all had one destination: Puerto Rican rapper-singer Bad Bunny’s Most Wanted Tour at TD Garden.

Once inside, the eager concertgoers were handed lanyards adorned with battery-powered cowboy boots to match the rest of their Western-inspired finery, activated during the show to set the mood of each song with a unique lighting scheme. The lanyards were just one flashy feature of Bad Bunny’s extravagant 2 1/2-
Boston.com •

Review & Setlist: Jamila Woods gets her flowers at the Sinclair

R&B singer Jamila Woods performed the first sold-out show on her “Water Made Us” tour at The Sinclair in Cambridge Tuesday night, and her appreciation was on full display as she swayed fluidly to the music and encouraged concertgoers to sing and dance along with her.

Just like her recent album, the set was interspersed with recordings of Woods reading diary entries aloud, making the small venue feel even more intimate.

Woods, who attended Brown University, called Boston a “very special place”
illume magazine •

On Israel–Palestine, Pro-Palestine Journalists Are Subject to Unique Censorship

On Oct. 30, 10 days after he announced his departure from the Boston Globe, journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Abdallah Fayyad tweeted that an op-ed he had written about the war on Gaza was shot down by a higher-up at an unnamed publication. Fayyad said the piece was “not at all radical or incendiary or offensive” and simply advocated that Congress call for a cease-fire in Gaza in light of the staggering civilian death toll. Fayyad was not given an explanation for the decision, but to him, i
illume magazine •

Conversational Ruptures: Student-Activist Mariam Hassan on Organizing for Palestine

The afternoon of Nov. 9 was cold and rainy, but that didn’t stop approximately 70 demonstrators from gathering on Centennial Common to protest the ongoing genocide and intensified siege on the Gaza Strip waged by the settler-colonial, apartheid state of Israel—as well as Northeastern University’s failure to acknowledge this U.S.-backed bombing campaign that has, as of Nov. 23, killed over 14,000 Gazans, a likely underestimated figure. Protestors set down scraps of cardboard and plastic ponchos o
tastemakers •

Normal American Girls: The Politics of Desirability in Music —

In the music video for “Your Best American Girl,” Japanese American indie musician Mitski is primped and prodded by a pair of white women before exchanging coy glances and flirtatious smiles with a white actor who sits opposite her. He quickly becomes distracted when a white woman dressed for Coachella appears, leaving Mitski to passionately make out with her own hand as the all-American couple grinds against each other obscenely. A more subtle version of this dynamic plays out in the song’s lyr
tastemakers •

L'Rain: I Killed Your Dog - Album Review —

As a self-proclaimed animal lover, Taja Cheek admits that sometimes she hates the name she chose for her third studio album. But Cheek, who performs as L’Rain, wanted to get listeners’ attention with a shocking title that forces fans to interrogate its meaning for themselves.

Cheek has developed a name for herself as an innovator in the experimental music field, earning critical praise for her unique, ethereal sound. However, despite all this recognition, some of the labels she’s garnered for h
The Huntington News •

Review: Palehound kills it at The Sinclair on its second night of tour

When alternative rock band Palehound stepped onstage at the Sinclair Oct. 18, it was the band’s second time performing in Boston in three weeks — and it showed. The band displayed its ease onstage throughout the lively show, with lead singer El Kempner bantering playfully with the audience, and their bandmates, Zoë Brecher and Larz Brogan, dancing tirelessly.

Palehound opened for indie supergroup boygenius at MGM Music Hall at Fenway in September, but the more intimate Sinclair was far better s
tastemakers •

SPELLLING: SPELLLING & The Mystery School - Album Review —

Chrystia Cabral was still in the process of completing her Master of Fine Arts degree at UC Berkeley when she released her first two albums, Pantheon of Me and Mazy Fly. Armed with only a synth and a free trial of FL studio, she created whimsical yet often murky soundscapes that combined the gothic ambience of ’80s horror movies and breathy, surreal vocals reminiscent of Kate Bush.

Now, following the release of her epic, positively-received third album, The Turning Wheel, Cabral gives new life
The Huntington News •

Review: ‘Bottoms’ is the campy gay comedy of the year

The plot of two unpopular high schoolers trying to get laid before graduation is not an unfamiliar one; it’s been done in “American Pie,” “Superbad,” “The To Do List” and dozens more. But with “Bottoms,” the method is somewhat unconventional — as the principal refers to them, “ugly, untalented gays” Josie (Ayo Edebiri) and PJ (Rachel Sennott) start a fight club to spend time with their cheerleader crushes Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) and Brittany (Kaia Gerber) under the guise of promoting self-defen
Takeactionnow •

Thinking Of College? Here's What Things Will Soon Look Like If You Fall Into A Minority Category

On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action by ruling in favor of Students for Fair Admissions in SFFA, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, meaning that higher education institutions may not consider race, sex, nor ethnicity in admissions. The majority ruling overruled the 2003 Supreme Court decision in Grutter v. Bollinger, in which the Court ruled that race may be considered as "one factor among many, in an effort to assemble a student body that is diverse
Green Line Records •

Show Review: Robert Delong with CARR —

Check out the full photo gallery from the night here!

Armed with an autotuned mic, a MIDI interface connected to countless futuristic sound-modifying gadgets, and his “tiny baby boy” (an affectionate nickname for drummer-slash-stage manager Adam Phelps), Robert DeLong took to the stage May 31st with as much energy as his pulsing electronic rave music.

DeLong was slated to co-headline at Brighton Music Hall with pop rock group Dreamers but was bumped to sole headliner when Dreamers lead singer
tastemakers •

Show Review - Indigo De Souza at Royale —

An Indigo De Souza show: the one concert where shouting “take off your pants!” at the performer isn’t wildly perverted.

De Souza had just returned to the stage after a deafening three minutes of screaming from her devoted crowd at Royale. The audience was desperate to hear “Take Off Ur Pants,” a fan favorite from her debut album I Love My Mom that catapulted her into indie popularity. Instead, she played “Real Pain,” an epic single off her 2021 album Any Shape You Take, which the audience was j
The Huntington News •

Boston-based rock band Clifford releases single with Green Line Records

Boston-based post-punk band Clifford poses for press photos to promote their new single “Chrysanthemums,” released Friday. The band signed to Northeastern’s Green Line Records last fall. Photo courtesy Praagna Kashyap and Steph Ware.

Usually played in crowded basements festooned with Christmas lights, DIY shows are the heart of Boston’s underground music scene — and valuable observation sites for Green Line Records Artists & Repertoire, or A&R, scouts.

“There’s a huge, thriving scene in Bright
The Huntington News •

Review: ‘Cocaine Bear’ fails to let its titular star shine

“The bear…it fucking did cocaine!” This one line, while a concise way to summarize an outlandish plot, was repeated at least 20 times throughout Elizabeth Banks’ “Cocaine Bear.” Unsurprisingly, the screenplay left much to be desired. The Universal Pictures release hit theaters Feb. 24 and exceeded its projected box office numbers by more than $3 million, finishing second behind the latest Marvel blockbuster on opening weekend.

“Cocaine Bear” is very loosely based on the true story of a bear tha
tastemakers •

Secular Hymns: Prayers from Prodigal Daughters —

Hayden Silas Anhedönia, known professionally as Ethel Cain, was raised as a Southern Baptist in North Florida and grew up singing in her church choir. She stood shoulder-to-shoulder with other children of deacons, pastors, and preachers and belted out haunting songs of praise to a god she could not see. She left the church at age 16.

In May 2022, at 24, Cain released Preacher’s Daughter, a concept album following an unfortunate runaway fleeing the Bible Belt and subsequently being killed and ca
tastemakers •

Underrated Artist: Issy Wood —

Up until 2019, British indie pop singer Issy Wood was strictly a visual artist. When painting became her full-time job and she began looking for other ways to express herself creatively, music became her refuge.

Wood specializes in creating impressionist artwork with an oddly grotesque level of detail, with subject matter ranging from unnervingly distorted self-portraits to an especially veiny cow udder. For Wood, music is essentially a side-hustle, more borne out of a desire to create than out
The Huntington News •

Asian Student Union’s ‘A Night With Arden Cho’ opens discussions about onscreen representation

Arden Cho returned to Northeastern’s campus Oct. 30 for the Asian Student Union’s biannual “A Night With…” celebrity speaker event in a very different place than where she was during her visit six years ago.

Cho, who is well-known as an early pioneer of Asian representation in entertainment, played a concert on campus in 2016, back when her career was limited to a YouTube channel and supporting roles in TV shows like “Teen Wolf” and “Pretty Little Liars.” Her second appearance, hot on the heels
The Huntington News •

Review: Rina Sawayama’s Hold the Girl is unfocused in the best way

Rina Sawayama earned a political science degree from the University of Cambridge long before her debut album SAWAYAMA launched her into pop stardom, and in her sophomore record Hold the Girl, she doesn’t let anyone forget it.

Hold the Girl, released Sept. 16, tackles themes as wide-ranging as anti-Asian hate, homophobia and mental illness; yet somehow, Sawayama still manages to imbue the record with her signature glitzy ebullience.

The most substantial motif explored in SAWAYAMA is the generat
The Huntington News •

Review: Hulu’s ‘Not Okay’ explores the toxicity of fame on the internet

Movies about getting too famous too fast and sacrificing integrity to get there are nothing new — but Quinn Shephard’s sophomore film “Not Okay,” which premiered on Hulu July 29, gives the genre a new context. In the age of TikTok and social media, virality has never been more within reach, and it’s possible for anyone to be famous as long as they have a story.

Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch), a friendless photo editor employed at a Buzzfeed-esque digital magazine called Depravity, decides to put h
The Huntington News •

Review: ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ transcends genre

Comedy, romance, sci-fi, kung fu. With so many diverse elements, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s genre-defying masterpiece “Everything Everywhere All at Once” undoubtedly delivers on its titular promise.

The film opens on a chaotic day in the life of Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), the owner of a struggling laundromat. Evelyn attempts to simultaneously prepare for a meeting with a tax auditor at the IRS and plan a Chinese New Year celebration to please her father (James Hong), who has just arri
The Huntington News •

Boston’s Wicked Queer Film Festival brings LGBTQ+ representation to screen

The Wicked Queer Film Festival ran April 7 to April 17 online and in theatres around Boston. The festival aims to uplift LGBTQ+ stories and filmmakers.

The Wicked Queer Film Festival was born in an unpopular movie theatre in downtown Boston, where contractor George Mansour began booking gay adult films that more well-attended movie theatres refused to show. The year was 1984.

Now, 38 years later, the Wicked Queer Film Festival runs for two weeks every spring, showcasing the work of up-and-comi
The Huntington News •

Del Water Gap ends North American tour at Northeastern’s AfterHours

Del Water Gap headlined at AfterHours March 31 ahead of Springfest. The artist finished his North American tour just 24 hours before performing at Northeastern.

“It’s a big night tonight,” S. Holden Jaffe, also known as indie pop artist Del Water Gap, said last week. “This is the first ever Del Water Gap show in a Starbucks.”

Del Water Gap headlined at AfterHours March 31. The Northeastern Council for University Programs, or CUP, hosted the concert as a refreshing precursor to the weekend’s hi
The Huntington News •

Column: ‘The Dropout’ exemplifies modern obsession with scamming

Hulu’s “The Dropout” is yet another instance highlighting society’s obsession with the scammers. The recent series details the turbulent story of Elizabeth Holmes, who connived the world with her company, Theranos.

“Inventing Anna.” “The Tinder Swindler.” “The Puppet Master.” In just the first three months of 2022, three Netflix original productions have revolved around major scams. In each, a master con artist drains their victims of large sums of money through pure charisma and wit.

Hulu’s “
The Huntington News •

‘Oops! All Locals’ concert showcases undiscovered Boston talent

Northeastern’s AfterHours is a relatively small venue, sandwiched snugly between the Curry Student Center and the campus Starbucks. But it’s also the largest stage that Boston-based indie band Winkler has ever played on.

“I keep on accidentally backing into Christian,” Winkler’s lead vocalist Justin Schaefers said on stage, gesturing apologetically to drummer Christian Schmidt. “I’m so excited to move around in all this space that I keep forgetting to actually sing into the mic.”

Winkler playe
The Huntington News •

Northeastern singer-songwriter girlsona discusses bedroom pop, diversity in music

Ren Alvero has wanted to dye her hair for two years.

She initially felt the urge during quarantine in early 2020, when everyone was looking for a distraction from the mundane repetitiveness of life during lockdown. Unfortunately, her impulse was thwarted by her parents.

Frustrated, Alvero channeled all her energy into writing “Chameleon,” a witty tune about resolving an identity crisis with a makeover. Since its July 2, 2021, release, “Chameleon” has garnered over 1,500 streams.

Alvero, a fir
The Huntington News •

Review: Mitski’s ‘Laurel Hell’ represents bittersweet exit from music

“Laurel Hell” is an album representing Mitski’s departure from the music industry. The album features songs that depart from the trends of her discography.

“I guess this is the end/ I’ll have to learn/ To be somebody else,” Mitski Miyawaki sings mournfully in “I Guess,” the penultimate track on her latest album “Laurel Hell.” The album, which was released Feb. 4, is speculated by many fans to be the final gift of Mitski’s career.

Mitski, a Japanese American singer-songwriter who has been a dar
The Huntington News •

Review: ‘Severance’ eerily reflects a world wrecked by disease, money

Ma’s portrayal of the alienation felt by second generation immigrants like Candace points out a flaw in the American dream: Whatever capitalism offers, it also takes something away.

In 2018, just two years shy of the real-life pandemic, Ling Ma published her debut novel “Severance,” which follows cynical protagonist Candace Chen on her survival journey after a fictitious disease called Shen Fever sweeps the globe. Spoilers ahead.

Shen Fever has eerie parallels to COVID-19, with an initially la
The Huntington News •

Review: ‘Love Hard’ shows the problem with ‘colorblind’ rom-coms

It’s December, which means that the weather is getting worse, grocery stores are playing Michael Bublé on a never-ending loop and a fresh onslaught of formulaic Christmas-themed romantic comedies is incoming. Netflix’s latest edition to the vault, “Love Hard,” tells the story of Natalie Bauer (Nina Dobrev), a Los Angeles-based dating columnist, who flies to upstate New York to surprise a match from an online dating site, Josh Lin (Jimmy O. Yang), for article content, only to find out she has bee
The Huntington News •

Review: Lucy Dacus plays House of Blues Boston

“Who does Lucy Dacus make music for?” my roommate asked me when I invited her to attend the Lucy Dacus concert with me.

“Young queer people who grew up in the church,” I responded, basing my generalization on the themes of religion and sexual repression that prevail in Dacus’s third studio album Home Video, released this past June with Matador Records. The concert I attended at House of Blues Boston Oct. 16 proved my suspicions correct: dozens of tattooed, ring-clad hands went up when Dacus pla