Things are starting to slowly return to normal as more people get their vaccines. Some exciting events happened during the month. We’ve got it all covered for you in this monthly recap blog.
Baylor Defeats Gonzaga
On April 5, the 2021 March Madness Tournament came to an end as the Baylor Bears defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs 86-70 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. This is Baylor’s first National Championship.
Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
On April 9, Taylor Swift released her first of six re-records, making history on the Billboard 200 chart. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) was her 3rd consecutive No. 1 debut in the last 12 months as well as the best-selling album of the year in its first week. To put it swiftly, Taylor keeps breaking records with every project she does. For those unaware of this project, Taylor does not own the masters to her first six albums because her old record label sold them to someone she has bad blood with. Fans have praised the re-recorded version for its nostalgia with classic songs like “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me.” But they also loved the new sound featuring matured vocals as well as six new songs that were hidden in Taylor’s vault. Fans (known as Swifties) are now patiently awaiting for the next re-recorded album which many are speculating will be 1989.
Oscar Winners
The 93rd Annual Academy Awards were held on Sunday, April 25, and honored the best films of 2020 and early 2021. Nomadland took home the most awards including Best Picture, Best Actress for Frances McDormand, and Best Director for Chloé Zhao. Chloé Zhao is only the second female to win Best Director after Kathyrn Bigelow won in 2010 for The Hurt Locker and is the first woman of color to have won. Other winners included Daniel Kaluyya for Best Supporting Actor in Judas and the Black Messiah, Youn Yuh-jun for Best Supporting Actress in Minari, Soul for Best Animated Picture, and Glenn Close for doing “Da Butt.” The biggest upset during the night was the Best Actor Oscar which was awarded last. Many believed Chadwick Boseman would posthumously win for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The producers speculated that he would win and the night would end with a tribute to his legacy—however that was not the case as Anthony Hopkins took home the award for his performance in The Father. Overall, the ceremony was awkward due to the way it was set up, but we’ll take any award ceremony if that means we get to see our favorite actor/actresses and singers in high-fashion.
The Trial of Derek Chauvin
Over the course of the month, the nation had its eyes on the Trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd last May. After hearing weeks of witness and expert testimony from both the prosecution and defense, a verdict was rendered on April 10, after 10-hours of deliberation. The jury found Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts: Second-degree Unintentional Murder, Third-degree Murder, and Second-degree Manslaughter. Across the nation, people saw this as a historic day since many police officers have been acquitted rather than be held accountable for their actions.
It’s Gonna Be May
As we continue to inch closer to a return to normalcy, pre-pandemic habits are slowly kicking in as more people get vaccinated. Here’s to May, the start of summer (at least in Arizona), and a step closer to a brighter 2021!
