The Weekender is a special collaboration between OZY Tribe members near and far to provide delicious recommendations for your valuable weekend time, as we grapple with turbulent times in America.
What to Listen to
1. Forever, Ya Girl
KeiyaA’s debut album is a must-listen, a musical tapestry of synths, poems and quotes from Nina Simone. Even her covers of Prince don’t suffer in comparison, and that’s not easy.
2. Experience
Khalid and Victoria Monet struggled over whether to release this joint single, given everything that’s going on in the world. But you should keep an eye on Monet — despite 2020’s seeming determination to destroy everything we hold dear, it could also be her big break.
3. What’s Going On
As we continue to venture through uncertain times, it may be helpful to reflect upon Marvin Gaye’s 1971 masterpiece album. His timeless crooning and messages of love continue to ring true today.
What to Drink
Cold Brew Iced Coffee
It’s that time again. Too hot for regular coffee, too much COVID-19 outside to buy frappuccinos, but with a little prep (this has to steep overnight) you can have all the cold brew you want.
What to Download
1. Knowin
Hey, it’s a recession, guess it’s time to … learn to code? But if you’re not ready to go back to school with all those coal miners, try this app first. It’s a manageable course to teach you coding basics.
2. I Love Hue
This is sort of a game but it’s mostly a way to calm yourself down since there’s not really any way to lose or compete. Hue presents you with board after board of colored tiles, then jumbles them up and you have to put them back in order, choosing between minute color gradations and feeling your anxiety melt away.
3. Crashy Cats
It’s pretty simple: You play a cat, you catapult through little rooms trying to knock over as much stuff as possible. Think of it as the iOS successor to Untitled Goose Game.
What to Read
1. Whiskey in Your Coffee
Would we do you wrong? Never. OZY’s new daily newsletter is an absolute labor of love, bringing together the daily news, what we’re thinking about, and a little something to delight you every day of the week. Subscribe right here — and yes, we will also sell you a coffee mug with the logo on it.
2. The Book of Delights
This life-changing book of essays from Black poet Ross Gay is an experiment in being delighted by the world. Sometimes it seems like there’s not enough joy these days, but Gay’s words will help turn your world around.
3. Strange Rites
Millennials are distinctly less traditionally religious than previous generations, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have rituals and belief systems. This new book explores a few, from Soul Cycle to neo-witchcraft.
For some, 2020 will go down as the year of cleaning out closets and paring everything down to the essentials. But as we spend more time at home, there’s something to be said for learning how to appreciate what we already have. Here are the quirky, random and invaluable things that are helping some of our notable friends through an indisputably hard time.
