< PreviousHey, Wanna watch some stuff ? There’s only one right answer WO R D S BY B L A N C H E D M E LLO The Exchange Date release: Early 2023, Netýix This Kuwaiti TV show will feature a star-studded list of celebs including Rawan Mahdi, Mona Hussain, Hussain AlMahdi, and Mohamed Mansour. The story follows two trailblazing women who disrupt the corrupt boys’ club of Kuwait’s banking industry in the late 1980s. Emily in Paris S3 Date release: December 21, Netýix With Season 2 leaving us with a bunch of cliffhangers to uncover, it’s no secret the Netix show is rst in our to- watch queue. Is Emily going to return to her job in Chicago or accept Sylvie’s offer to leave Savoir and launch a new marketing rm? Will Emily and Gabriel get back together? Is Ale really the one? 20 PlayWritten in The Stars Date release: December 13, STARZPLAY This latest dating series is putting the fate of 12 contestants’ (representing each of the zodiac signs) lives in the hands of three of the world’s top astrologers. If you’ve spent most of your life checking your compatibility with your crush’s, this one is for you! Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Date release: May 2023, In Cinemas It’s no secret that the MCU are doing the most for the new year ahead. But, out of all the amazing releases they’ve got planned, we’re looking forward to Chris Pratt and his gang of galactic superheroes making us laugh the most. We’ve been waiting for this since 2017, ppl! Legally Blonde 3 Date release: TBC 2023, In Cinemas Although no details have been released about what the story will entail for our fave Cosmo-reader Elle Woods, what we *do* know is that this major film has been in the works since 2018. Jennifer Coolidge is making a comeback for the third entry of the comedy franchise, and it’ll be the feature debut of director Jamie Suk. We are already beyond excited to start memorising Elle’s iconic lines. What, like it’s hard? Too Hot to Handle S4 Date release: January 20, Netýix Surprise, our girl Lana is back at the lavish villa in the Caribbean to help ten hot singles find love and possibly win the grand cash prize at the end of it all. With a lot of surprises and plot twists, there’s no denying why the wild show has a hold on us reality TV fanatics. Star Wars: The Bad Batch S2 Date release: January 4, Disney+ In case you haven’t watched the first season, the show is about elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch who find themselves in the middle of an ever-changing galaxy in the aftermath of the Clone War. P.S. Get ready for a lot of cast re-appearances in the brand-new season. The Matchmaker Date release: Early 2023, Netýix Set in the vast desert of AlUla, this Saudi film is a psychological thriller with plenty of supernatural twists and turns. Although we don’t have a definitive release date, the featured cast includes Hussam Alharthy, Reem AlHabib, and Nour Alkhadra. The Little Mermaid Date release: May 2023, In Cinemas The live-action remake of the most well-known mermaid is blessing our cinema screens much sooner than we think. Lin-Manuel Miranda is writing the tunes, so get your Spotify ready as well, friends, since you’ll be obsessively singing along after only the first- watch. And lest we forget the gorgeous behind- the-scenes photos we’ve already seen of Halle Bailey. Time to relive our childhood fantasies. w The Last of Us Date release: Jan. 15, HBO Based on a 2013 video game of the same name, this much-anticipated post-apocalyptic drama series follows Joel (played by Pedro Pascal), a smuggler on a mission to deal with all the dangers in a post-outbreak America and protect teen Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) while they escape to safety. 21 Play For the movie’s 10th anniversary, Anna Kendrick and a bunch of the cast and crew tell you an almost unbelievable story. Pitch Perfect made “ Cups” the song you’ll never get out out of your head. BY I L ANA K A PL AN Before 2012, you probably never once tried to slam a cup on a table in rapid succession to see what sound it would make or ever thought to google “a cappella groups at [insert the name of your university].” But with a hilarious take on the surprisingly cutthroat world of college singing competitions that was like Glee but (hot take) funnier, Pitch Perfect changed all of that. On top of making $115 million at the box of ce, it also gave us a she’s-a-movie-star-now performance by Anna Kendrick; the absolute banger of a line, “I’m gonna kill him! I’m gonna nish him like a cheesecake”; and the true phenomenon here, “Cups.” The refresher you probably don’t need: In the lm, Kendrick sits onstage in a dark auditorium to perform the song as her audition for The Bellas. And even though her routine lasts just 30 seconds, it was a big-enough deal to prompt a single on the movie’s soundtrack and a stand-alone music video which now has upward of 638 million YouTube views. Basically, it’s the type of viral sensation that would have taken over TikTok—had TikTok existed back then—and maybe still will, given the fact that a new show set in the Pitch Perfect universe is just about to drop on Peacock. In the meantime, please enjoy this ultimate behind-the-scenes experience. Kendrick rst saw a video of the Play 22Picture Association of America had a lot of restrictions because the movie was marketed to younger kids. Kendrick: Jason and I had a bag full of cups that we then started banging on the stage to gure out which was the right one. So we were like, “Let’s make it Anna Camp and Brittany Snow’s cup of pens.” I steal it off their table, and that’s how I started doing it. “Cups” became the most iconic part of the movie and practically begged for its own Big Thing. It got it, in the form of a stand-alone music video with Kendrick’s character working as a baker in the back of a diner. As she daydreams about leaving her job, she—and the patrons— pass the time by clapping and smacking cups on the table. Moore: Somebody had the idea to set “Cups” to music to do a Lumineers sound—that kind of American folk sound that was on pop stations. The song went either double platinum or triple platinum. That became a radio track, which, again, shocked everyone to death. So it was like, “Well, let’s make a music folk-pop song “Cups (When I’m Gone)” by musical duo Lulu and the Lampshades on Reddit, where it hadn’t gotten much traction. She studied its clap-smack-table choreography—at that point, basically just a party trick—before auditioning for the role of Beca. Anna Kendrick: I spent a day annoying my roommate and teaching myself to do this thing with this cup. So when the Pitch Perfect folks needed me to sing something to make sure I didn’t sound like a dying cat, I thought, There’s this weird thing that I can do, so why not? Because that’ll be a good use of those several hours that I wasted. Max Handelman (producer): Every actor was required to come up with their own song. There was a heavy amount of Lady Gaga and Adele. But Anna came in and said, “I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare, but I saw this really cool song online,” and then she sat down at this table and did “Cups.” It was obvious that it was a great song and different from everything we were hearing. Jason Moore (director): We knew we wanted [Kendrick’s character] Beca to sing something contrary in the movie for her audition for The Bellas. Everyone else is singing a Kelly Clarkson song, and we wanted her to do something slightly unique or a little bit “f**k you.” She was supposed to sing “I’m a Little Teapot,” but I thought, Why don’t we just put “Cups” in the movie? Kendrick: Jason and I were debating trying to put it in the shower scene, where I ended up singing “Titanium,” by David Guetta and Sia. Like, maybe I was doing it with a shampoo bottle or something, but we ended up feeling like the best place for it was in Beca’s audition. Anna Camp (actor, Aubrey): When we were shooting, I had to be Aubrey instead of myself and act a little less impressed than I was because Anna Camp, the actress, was actually very impressed. Choosing the exact right kind of cup to lm was its own challenge. Kendrick and Moore were practically a couple of cup hoarders, Kendrick says, trying to nd the best. There was, of course, a debate about Solo cups. Kendrick: Jason and I would steal every cup we found lying around that might be a different texture or material and therefore might produce a different sound. For people who’ve tried it, I’m sure they’ve discovered very quickly that if you just do it with a red Solo cup, it doesn’t sound very good. Handelman: There was a lot of internal debate about whether we could use a red cup or a yellow cup because cups were synonymous with drinking beer and fraternity parties, and the Motion COUR TE SY UNIVERS AL PIC TURE S /PETER L O VINO . video for it.” Kendrick: Look, I’ll be honest, when they rst oated the idea of doing a music video, I was like, “What are you guys talking about? That’s so strange.” Moore: It was an unusual opportunity to make a music video to an American folk song. We had open-call auditions. I think 300 people showed up, from 5 years old all the way to 80. Aakomon Jones (music video choreographer): Part of the audition was bringing in people to see how they do their own version of “Cups,” because it had obviously become such a popular thing by that point. Moore: The day of the music video, Anna and I agreed we didn’t want anyone to see her do it beforehand so that it would surprise people and we could record that as well. It’s a very genuine look you’re getting from other actors when they’re like, “Holy sh*t, she’s doing it.” The idea was, “Let’s show off Anna’s virtuosic abilities by making her do the whole song in one take.” It’s just one shot interrupted by one cut or two cuts. I knew she would be really good at that because she’s so skilled and theater is her background. Anna Kendrick on the set of the “Cups” video, which 300 people auditioned for. 23 PlayKendrick: My roommate at the time is an extra in the music video. He’s the guy in the blue shirt and the brown hoodie. Kendrick’s fame skyrocketed in the wake of the video, and the runaway success of “Cups” was in part responsible for making two more Pitch Perfect movies happen. Kendrick: Someone walked up to me at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, shoved a glass in my face, took out their phone, and they were like, “Do ‘Cups.’” It was the wildest thing. It’s a fancy party, and I would have shattered the glass into a million pieces if I tried. Kay Cannon (PItch Perfect screenwriter): “Cups” symbolized how this strange movie that took a while to be made led to this sensation. It represents the success of the franchise, and I think that’s what we needed. Because I’d have a hard time selling that movie now. Camp: The movie musical was really big for a very long time, and then things died down. But Pitch Perfect brought it back in a fresh way that we hadn’t seen before. It was more reality-based than a fantasy version—it made the genre more accessible to a younger generation that wasn’t used to watching music in movies. Handelman: The Green Bay Packers’ offensive line famously ended up in Pitch Perfect 2 because they were obsessed with the soundtrack. And I know Kobe Bryant was a big Pitch Perfect fan and loved the soundtrack. Ten years later, “Cups” is still a phenomenon. It has inspired many other pop culture moments and, yes, that new spin-off. Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin will follow Bumper Allen (actor Adam Devine) as he tries to relaunch his music career. Whether or not Bumper gets his own earworm remains to be seen. Sarah Webster (Pitch Perfect music supervisor): The success of “Cups” is similar to what Kate Bush had this past summer, what Stranger Things did for “Running Up That Hill,” which I remember from the radio when I was a kid. It’s wonderful there’s an entire new generation that recognizes Kate’s artistry and the beauty of her voice and her music. Luisa Gerstein (Singer, Lulu and the Lampshades): Someone named Tasha did “Cups” on the UK’s Love Island recently. It continues to reverberate. Me and Heloise Tunstall-Behrens of the band bought an apartment together with the money we got from “Cups.” Kendrick: To this day, parents will still give me the stink-eye guy because their kid won’t stop doing “Cups.” And all I can ever say is, I’m so sorry. I’m really sorry. Moore: I get a lot of calls from friends of mine who are like, “Thanks a lot.” “Someone walked up to me at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, shoved a glass in my face, and they were like, do ‘Cups.’” Anna Kendrick and Jason Moore on the set of Pitch Perfect, where, she says, they were a couple of cup hoarders. IMA GE S : COUR TE SY OF UNIVERS AL PIC TURE S 24 PlayWe learned a lot from the high-school lms and classic romcoms of the ‘90s and ‘00s: dresses worn over jeans didn’t age as well as we’d hoped; dance-offs are always as cool as you think; and if you’re not sure what you’re doing with your life, then you’re probably on the verge of international pop stardom. But, if there’s one thing that throws up all kinds of issues, it’s the makeover narrative. You know the one: young girl gets her hair straightened, her braces removed, her glasses binned and voila – suddenly she’s prom queen/successful/ gets the guy (and yes, it’s always a guy, but that’s a problem for another day). Take The Princess Diaries, Miss Congeniality, She’s All That, The Devil Wears Prada, etc – the leading lady always gets a makeover that leads to popularity (and therefore, acceptance and success). Growing up, I devoured these lms every weekend, and now I want to know: did we internalise the message that society’s beauty standards are intrinsically linked to happiness? The idea that it’s impossible to be happy unless the world deems you attractive is something most women would admit to having carried into adulthood, and this narrative supports that rhetoric. ‘There are clear formulas here that […] as a part of visual culture, play a powerful role in the production and distribution of cultural norms,’ says Sarita Malik, professor of media and culture at London’s Brunel University. Plus, it’s no coincidence that these happiness-inducing makeovers fall within the white male gaze. ‘These scenes depend on women transforming into a Eurocentric convention of [beauty]. The transformation is captured in the look, and that look is based on western beauty aesthetics in terms of hair, dress and bodies. It’s a form of aestheticisation that depends on a narrow idea of what is visually pleasing,’ Professor Malik adds. The majority of these revamps are also carried out by men within the story itself. Of course, the fact that this factory line of patriarchally manifested beauty has been Trojan-horsed into lms for young They’re an iconic feature in our favourite films, but what have they taught us? WO R D S : DA N I E LL A S C OT T Can we all agree movie makeover scenes are problematic? ‘Did we internalise the message that society’s beauty standards are linked to happiness?’ girls doesn’t bear thinking about. But is there a middle ground? Yes, these scenes are problematic, but I’m not too thrilled about never watching these nostalgic classics again (let’s be honest, Mandy Moore’s “Stupid Cupid” performance in The Princess Diaries needs to be seen at least twice a year). Maybe half the battle is encouraging our brains to see them as much as ction as we do Lizzie McGuire becoming a megastar on a school trip to Rome. It doesn’t mean, however, that we need to bring these makeovers back. Rebel Wilson’s recent Netix lm, Senior Year, is a perfect example of a noughties- esque lm without a problematic moment (if you don’t count someone sabotaging her cheerleading pyramid). Let’s recognise that all these heroines were attractive in the rst place – and, more importantly, that we’re so much more than how we look. IMA GE S : SUPPLIED 25 PlayFrom Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout Meet Poppy, a chosen maiden to live a solitary life until given away during her Ascension. As dreadful as it is, Poppy doesn’t have a choice to change her fate but what happens when she falls in love with her new guard and risks being deemed unworthy by the fictional Gods? Get ready for an action-packed read filled with drama. Dhs72, carrefouruae.com People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry Two best friends, Alex and Poppy, go for a summer vacation every year together since college. But a plan to travel to Croatia causes a rut in their friendship. After two years, Poppy reaches out to Alex for one final trip to make amends (and maybe find love). It’s a slow-burn kinda romance so make sure to stay patient, because the ending will be *so* worth it. Dhs81, bookdepository.com WO R D S BY B L A N C H E D M E LLO Spicy BookTok Cuffing szn is here and there’s no better reason to turn our attention to TikTok and look for those cosy (ahem, spicy romance) reads to get us singletons through. Whether you’re looking for the enemies-to-lovers trope or just some quintessential rom-com drama, we’ve narrowed down our recommendations just for you. Cuff att ro s wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hooked by Emily McIntire Emily McIntire’s dark fairytale series starts with James, a man whose main aim it is to destroy his enemy, Peter Michaels. But things soon change when Peter’s 20-year-old daughter Wendy enters James’ bar. Will he be successful in his revenge plan? You’d have to read to find out. Dhs61, amazon.ae 26 BooksPunk 57 by Penelope Douglas Penpals Ryen and Misha first started writing to each other after their teachers accidentally thought that Ryen was a boy and Misha was a girl. Ever since the fifth grade, the two continued to write to each other about their lives and maintain their anonymity. But what happens when one realizes it’s their pen pal and the other doesn’t? A whole lot of plot twists and mysteries. Dhs89, carrefouruae.com Twisted Love by Ana Huang The Twisted series has long held the unofficial title of ‘best fictional boyfriends’, and this instalment is no different. This quick read follows the free-spirited Ava Chen and the stoic Alex Volkov as they uncover each other’s dark history. To make things more interesting, it’s a brother’s-bestfriend-romance trope. Dhs54, kinokuniya.com It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey Say hello to the rom-com fave on #BookTok. The story chronicles a grumpy fisherman and a cheerful influencer with an opposites-attract love story. P.S. A film adaptation is in the works so you may want to add this to your TBR pile before it’s too late. Dhs72, kinokuniya.com Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover Trust Colleen Hoover’s romance novel to get you out of that book slump when Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer and things get all the more interesting (and heartbreaking). While they’ve set two simple rules on their situationship - never ask about the past and don’t expect a future - everything isn’t that easy after all. It’s truly an ugly love. Dhs55, virginmegastore.ae The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren The Unhoneymooners tells the story of Olive, a girl who has always considered herself unlucky. On the other hand, her twin sister Ami has it all - a perfect man, a wedding in the works, a secure job. But suddenly Olive is forced to spend time with her brother-in-law’s older sibling and best man, Ethan. A wedding disaster, a free honeymoon, and an unforgettable trip. Olive and Ethan are about to have fun. Dhs60, kinokuniya.com wwwww astore.aeDhs55, virginmega The Unhone by Christina Lau The Unhoneymoo Olive, a girl who h herself unlucky. O twin sister Ami ha a wedding in the But suddenly Oliv time with her bro sisisisiblbbb ing and best m didisasasttttstererererere ,,,, , a free ho ununfoforgrgetettatablblblblb eeee e trttt ip ababououtt toto hhavvee fufufufufufun DhsDhs60,60, kinokuniunininiyya.com The Hating Game by Sally Thorne Fan of enemies to lovers? Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman find out that there’s a thin line between love and hate. Once their relationship starts warming up, they’re suddenly both up for the same promotion. Yep it gets tricky....and spicy. Dhs66, bookdepository.com 27 BooksBEA UTY 3 Cosmo-approved facials you need to try in the New Year PHO TOGRAPHY B Y BRET T W ARREN . 28Sometimes it’s a bit tricky to pick what kind of facial to treat yourself to, mostly because they have weird names like the ‘SkinSation3000’, but also because we’re not sure if they actually…work? Luckily enough for you, the Cosmo team went out to some of the best salons and beauty therapists in Dubai to give these skin treatments a try. Whether you’ve got combo, oily, or dry skin – this is the kinda downtime that your face ~needs~. Pico Laser For hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and acne scars If you thought laser treatment was *just* a method for hair removal, then you thought wrong. I tried out the PICO, also known as picosecond laser face treatment at Aesthetics International on Al Wasl Road. Home to one of the best specialist plastic and reconstructive surgeons in Dubai, Dr. Jaffer Khan (who also made a cameo on Dubai Bling FYI) at Aesthetics International offered the perfect skincare fix for any brown girl who’s got hyperpigmentation, dark spots and acne scars. The treatment took under an hour with my beauty therapist zapping away at my uneven skin tone - post numbing cream, of course. The downtime was only a couple of hours and after about 2-3 weeks, 90% of my stubborn scars had disappeared, and apart from any other active acne, I felt radiant. Dhs1575 per session for full face, Aesthetics International SARA ALHUMIRI, DIGITAL EDITOR The Stimulator Peel For any pesky active acne The Stimulator Peel from Dr. Zein Obagi (ZO Skin Health) at The Face Lab, is a resurfacing treatment without any downtime. It’s suited for all skin types but great for acne-prone skin that feels dull, congested and in need of a detox. This peel uses a unique combination of exfoliating ingredients which will have your skin feeling renewed and revived in no time. This is the ultimate results- oriented treatment that your skin has been looking for. Rebecca at the Face Lab has been my skin’s saviour, using a combination of ZO skin health products on a protocol after an in- depth consultation and professional treatment. The Stimulator Peel is now one of my favourite treatments. Thank you Rebecca, @thefacelabgroup! Dhs550, Blended, The Palm MOLLY SLEVIN, BRAND MANAGER HydraCool Plus Facial For *extra* hydration The HydraCool Plus facial replenishes your skin and targets dullness by combining four different technologies. My facial started with a deep cleansing treatment, which removed my blackheads and visibly improved my skin texture within the first 15 minutes. The cleansing was followed by an anti- ageing facial used to help improve blood circulation and give you a healthy flush of colour, followed by radio frequency for an instant lift. The one-hour treatment was completed with the final step, which uses the UltraB Technology to break down the molecular structure of your skin, enabling hydrating products to penetrate deeper into the cells. This all-in-one facial has been my go-to treatment whenever my skin has needed a quick fix. The results lasted about a week for me, so I recommend getting the HydraCool Plus facial done once every few weeks when you’re strapped for time but need an instant glow. Dhs900, Blended Wellness TWINKLE STANLY, CONTENT PRODUCER “The perfect skincare fix for any brown girl who’s got hyperpigmentation, dark spots and acne scars” 29 BeautyNext >