hectic.

This episode is an exploration of how Gen-Z culture coalesces with fashion, politics, and Tik-Tok. We look at different trends and subcategories of Tik-Tok, fashion's evolution during the lockdown as it relates to Gen-Z's relationship to social media, and the ongoing war between Gen-Z's and Millenials. Unfortunately, 1/3 of our team - Amu Mnisi - is missing in this episode, but we hope you enjoy the content! Featured in this week's episode is "A Place I Know" by Tall Thief (don't forget to give them a follow on Instagram @tall_thief). ✨💕

We are back for season 2 of the podcast, with a little bit of an episode revamp! We dive deep into the chaotic pop culture existing in 2021 already. We discuss the Insurrection, #FreeBritney, Meghan Markle vs the Monarchy & more. We also explore how ultimately, at the root of pop culture misogyny, misogynoir & racism are always at the root of everything.  This episode, you can hear the song Olive by WokRing (@wokring on IG).  We hope you enjoy!

For the very last episode of our first season, as friends of Sappho, we wanted to look at queerness and its prevalence in popular culture. We dived into our personal understandings of the term "queer" and it's potential precariousness. We also examined some of the ways popular culture has handled queerness in the last decade. Featured in the episode is "Truth is" by Joda Kgosi and you can find this song on your major streaming platforms. Also go give Joda a follow on Instagram: @jodakgosi  Until next year! 💛💛

So, we're currently in the middle of a global pandemic and we thought we should talk about it. In this episode, we unpack how crazy the last 9 months have been, what we got up to during the lockdown, how it affected us emotionally, what it revealed about society and what we think the future looks like post-COVID (if such exists...). We used the song "Porcelain" by Mars Baby (@marsbabyofficial) featuring Lordkez (@lordkez) which is available on all streaming platforms so make sure you give it a listen and check their social media pages!

In this episode we are discussing the seismic events that have been taking place on the African continent throughout the year. From South Africa to Nigeria, we break down our personal connections to these events and question the role of media in deciding which protests matter. We also hear from people who represent the diaspora of these countries and their thoughts and feelings on these events. We would like to thank Deborah Aderibigbe, Tariro Zuzanyika and Pena Hamutengela for their contributions to this episode. 

For this very special episode, we were privileged enough to have the founder of the London based wellness brand “thy.self”, Chloe Pierre, as a guest. We got some insight into the genesis of the company, what self-care means to Pierre, and some of her thoughts on the wellness industry as a black woman. Being the first interview of our podcast, we were extremely honored to speak to Pierre, and truly disrupt the concept of international borders. Featured in this episode is the song "Let Go" by Rudy Chalmers which you can get on your major streaming platforms. While you listen to this song, be sure to give him a follow on Instagram: @rudy.chalmers. Chloe's and thy.self's handles are @chloepierreldn and @thy.self.

October has been declared mental health awareness month in South Africa and we wanted to dive into this essential topic! We look at some of our past experiences with mental health, how mental health is related to blackness, and the pervasiveness of what Ali calls “Bath Bomb Wellness”. Featured in this episode is the song “Next Summer” by the band Internet Girl. You can get this on any streaming platform, and they have released a new video, so go check that out and give them a follow on Instagram: @internetgirlmusic

This week we are talking about the notorious cancel culture! We dissect what this culture is,  who we have cancelled, whether it is effective or not and what we think the future of cancel culture is.  This week, we feature the song Water-Based by Cape Town artist Nalu. It is her latest single so please check it out on all streaming platforms and make sure you follow her instagram : @naluuuuuu_

In this episode we're discussing colourism and the way it affects the treatment of dark-skinned black women. In our conversations about Caster Semenya and Meg Thee Stallion we try and make sense of why even fame and success cannot and does not insulate and protect these women from violation and violence and what this means for the average dark-skinned black woman. The song featured in this week's episode is the band Honeymoan's "Still Here" and is available on all streaming platforms. Go and give them a listen and a follow @honeymoanband on Instagram.

Protesting is an integral part of global culture, and in this episode we wanted to dive into 21st century revolutions. This week we look at what protesting means to us, different causes we believe in, and what Gen-Z South African social activism constitutes. Featured in the episode is Moonga-K’s “heartbeat 8” from his latest project “an ode to growth pt.1” and you can stream it on any platform. His handle on Instagram is @moongak_ so go give him a follow and support local!

In this episode we dissect elite private schools in South Africa and our experiences (and trauma!) while attending them. We unpack the inherent whiteness and colonialism of these spaces, how we survived and what these schools symbolise in the greater context of the country. We had so much to say which is why our episode ended up much longer than our usual length, but its all worth it! The song featured in this episode is called 'Dust and Iron' by Red Robyn, a Durban-based musician. She has a new single out called 'I'll Stay the Same' and you can find it on any streaming platform. Be sure to follow her on instagram: @redrobynmusic

This first episode of Hectic is all about feminism. When we first started calling ourselves feminists, what feminism means to us and how we live our feminism in our everyday lives.  The song featured in the episode is by Cape Town-based alternative folk band Orah and the Kites. They have a new single 'Inkwell' out now and some new merch available at the link in their bio (@orah_and_the_kites_).