Beyoncé Renaissance
(Picture: Beyoncé Renaissance)THE ALBUM
Happy Bey-day! The queen is back with her seventh studio album. After single ‘Break My Soul’ convinced us all to quit our jobs and head to the club, rumours of a Nineties-style house album have circulated. The artwork adds fuel to this fire (or… disco inferno): Beyoncé near-naked, atop a holographic horse, alluding to both Lady Godiva and the iconic image of Bianca Jagger at Studio 54 on a white horse. Titled Renaissance, get set for the rebirth (again).
Out 29 Jul
THE DOUBLE FEATURE
The Harder They Come (1972) and Dancehall Queen (1997)
Celebrating its 50th anniversary is The Harder They Come (back in cinemas 5 Aug). Reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff is Ivan, a small town Jamaican musician who travels to Kingston in search of fame and fortune. After being fleeced by a music producer, he finds himself resorting to petty crime to pay the bills. This is a story of success by any means necessary with a gritty and authentic edge. Perry Henzell’s unfiltered portrait of Jamaica’s music industry was for many the first time they saw the true delights of the Caribbean on screen.
For another view of the island, try Dancehall Queen, a modern-day Cinderella story, with no Prince Charming, but one very strong woman fighting for a better life. Marcia (Audrey Reid) is a single mother and street vendor in Kingston. When her business and family are threatened, she devises an inspired plan to enter a dancehall contest in disguise to win the top prize. Full of over-the-top villains and incredible dance-offs, this film is irresistible.
THE SERIES
If you love White Lotus, but want more murder mystery for your little crime-obsessed brain, welcome to The Resort. The comedy names here are legendary: Palm Springs’ Cristin Milioti, The Good Place’s William Jackson Harper, Parks and Rec’s Nick Offerman…
Out now on Sky and Now
THE EXPERIENCE
Don’t know what to do with yourself after binging season 4 of Stranger Things? Has your TikTok for you page become worryingly centered around Eddie Munson? Look no further. Visit a fairground of Hawkins-mania in Stranger Things: The Experience, an interactive adventure, where you become part of the story. Enter the lab as a test subject and reunite with your favourite ass-kicking teenage nerds. Based at Troubadour Brent Cross Studios with dates throughout August, it is the perfect remedy for post-series depression.
18th August Tickets from £62 (www.strangerthings-experience.com)
