The end of the year often marks several institutional awards and discussions for the “best” of the year. 2023 is no exception. The Phillipian discussed and provided a brief overview of these current topics within music, art, and literature.
Music: Taylor Swift named TIME’s “Person of the Year”
Since 1927, “TIME Magazine” has selected individuals, groups of people, or even computers as “Person (or Machine) of the Year.” “TIME” states the criteria as “the individual who most shaped the headlines over the previous 12 months, for better or for worse.”
This year, “TIME” has chosen singer-songwriter Taylor Swift as “Person of the Year.” She is the first ever pop star to be given the title. Apart from releasing albums, such as “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” and “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” her Eras Tour headlined the music industry. So far, she has performed in around 60 concerts and will continue internationally in 2024. In October, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” began showing in theaters. The film has grossed over 1 billion dollars in the box office and resulted in the most ticket sales for AMC Theatres in a day.
Although she gained huge success, to the point where Harvard University created a course about her, some critics believe that she is “overrated” and that her story is not “especially compelling.” Nevertheless, Swift managed to capture global attention with her music and publicity.
Art Auction: Most Expensive Whisky Bottle Ever Sold
In 1986, the Macallan 1926 Whisky was stored in 40 bottles after being aged for 60 years. The bottles are incredibly rare, and some have since been consumed or destroyed. Sotheby’s global head of spirits Jonny Fowle said, “The Macallan 1926 is the one whisky that every auctioneer wants to sell and every collector wants to own.” Among these, the labels were designed by renowned artists such as Peter Blake and Valerio Adami.
On November 18, an Adami-labeled bottle was sold at an auction for nearly 2.7 million dollars, setting the record for the most expensive spirit bottle ever sold. Adami’s pop art has characteristic distorted figures and dark outlines. The label had new glue applied to its corners before it was sold. A Macallan Whisky maker described the bottle as smelling like “rich dark fruits, black cherry compote alongside sticky dates, followed by intense sweet antique oak.”
Leisure: Baldur’s Gate 3 Wins Game of the Year
On December 7, the tenth Annual Game Awards was held at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The awards featured guest appearances from actors such as Timothée Chalamet and an orchestra performing unreleased music. The most anticipated announcement of the night was the Game of the Year (GOTY). The GOTY is voted by the public and determined by a select jury.
Against popular franchises such as Spiderman, Mario, and Zelda, indie developer Larian Studios’ Baldur’s “Gate 3” won the award. The game is a Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game praised for its ingenuity compared to bigger AAA developers. Emma Joy Reay, lecturer in game design at University of Southampton wrote, “The stunning, imaginative world reacts to the player’s presence in vivid, surprising ways. The diverse non-player characters are magnetic, complex and brilliantly written.” The game also won five other awards.
Literature: “Rizz” coined Oxford’s Word of the Year
The Oxford English Dictionary annually chooses an English word or phrase to name “most significant.” Oxford compiles usage data of over 22 billion words and nominates some of the most prominent ones. Then, the public votes to narrow down the selection. The final word is chosen by Oxford lexicologists. Oxford described the rationale behind the decision process: “[A word is] chosen that is judged to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year and to have lasting potential as a word of cultural significance.”
“Rizz” was selected as 2023’s Word of the Year. The term originates as Generation Z slang, which was coined as an abbreviation of the word “charisma.” However, its meaning has expanded from its predecessor. Oxford’s official definition for the word is “style, charm, or attractiveness” or “the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.” Notably, the term beat other popular nominations such as “beige flag” (a noun; a character trait that indicates that a partner or potential partner is boring or lacks originality) and “parasocial” (adjective; designating a relationship characterized by the one-sided relationship between a fan and a celebrity, in which the fan feels like they know the celebrity as a friend).
