Soph Johnson

ABOUT ME

A recent languages graduate, I am an aspiring journalist based in East Yorkshire. I am open to writing live/album reviews, interviews, or features, focusing on areas such as music, film, and television. Additionally, I work as a freelance transcriber/translator into English, Spanish, and Italian.

My Latest Work

Forge Press •

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Season 1 : 'The same comic charm with added whimsy and visual fireworks' - Review

Starring the same cast, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off serves as a refreshing retelling of the 2010 Scott Pilgrim vs The World, filled with unexpected plot twists and the same humour and charm you would expect. Viewers who hoped for an anime adaption of the same story may be left disappointed, but many fans enjoy the new storyline which adds layers of development to the beloved characters. The series also has a new look, designed by Tokyo anime studio ‘Science Saru’, which feels more similar to the ori
Forge Press •

Review: Drake – For All The Dogs

For All The Dogs, Drake’s eighth studio album, came out with a hint of heavy-heartedness; for many fans, he is beginning to struggle to keep his music new and interesting. Despite attempts to reassure his fans that “if you’ve ever loved anything I’ve done the past, this album will be for you”, his attempt to return to old Drake was met with mixed responses. Die-hard fans are singing this album’s praises, while other more casual listeners are expressing their disappointment, causing a borderline
Empoword Journalism •

Painkiller Review: A Realistic Depiction of Addiction

Netflix’s new limited series Painkiller, which was released on August 10, documents the involvement of the Sackler family in America’s opioid crisis. Based on actual events, the show tells us about the marketing of OxyContin and its effect on families across the United States.

Painkiller is based on the New Yorker article ‘The Family That Built an Empire of Pain’ and the subsequent book Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic. The six-episode series takes us
Forge Press •

I Love You Beksman: 'Filled with an over-abundance of tropes' - Review

As part of the Queer East Film Festival, Showroom Cinema has recently been showing multiple LGBTQ+ Asian movies, including ‘I Love You, Beksman’ (Mahal Kita, Beksman) directed by the award-winning Perci M. Intalan. With a great ensemble cast, vibrantly colourful cinematography and a catchy pop soundtrack, this movie is packed with energy and a playful feel.

The Filipino film follows Dali, a flamboyant make-up artist and costume designer who, after growing up in an intensely queer community, mus
Forge Press •

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Season 1 : 'The same comic charm with added whimsy and visual fireworks' - Review

Starring the same cast, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off serves as a refreshing retelling of the 2010 Scott Pilgrim vs The World, filled with unexpected plot twists and the same humour and charm you would expect. Viewers who hoped for an anime adaption of the same story may be left disappointed, but many fans enjoy the new storyline which adds layers of development to the beloved characters. The series also has a new look, designed by Tokyo anime studio ‘Science Saru’, which feels more similar to the ori
Forge Press •

Review: Drake – For All The Dogs

For All The Dogs, Drake’s eighth studio album, came out with a hint of heavy-heartedness; for many fans, he is beginning to struggle to keep his music new and interesting. Despite attempts to reassure his fans that “if you’ve ever loved anything I’ve done the past, this album will be for you”, his attempt to return to old Drake was met with mixed responses. Die-hard fans are singing this album’s praises, while other more casual listeners are expressing their disappointment, causing a borderline
Empoword Journalism •

Painkiller Review: A Realistic Depiction of Addiction

Netflix’s new limited series Painkiller, which was released on August 10, documents the involvement of the Sackler family in America’s opioid crisis. Based on actual events, the show tells us about the marketing of OxyContin and its effect on families across the United States.

Painkiller is based on the New Yorker article ‘The Family That Built an Empire of Pain’ and the subsequent book Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic. The six-episode series takes us
Forge Press •

I Love You Beksman: 'Filled with an over-abundance of tropes' - Review

As part of the Queer East Film Festival, Showroom Cinema has recently been showing multiple LGBTQ+ Asian movies, including ‘I Love You, Beksman’ (Mahal Kita, Beksman) directed by the award-winning Perci M. Intalan. With a great ensemble cast, vibrantly colourful cinematography and a catchy pop soundtrack, this movie is packed with energy and a playful feel.

The Filipino film follows Dali, a flamboyant make-up artist and costume designer who, after growing up in an intensely queer community, mus
Forge Press •

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Season 1 : 'The same comic charm with added whimsy and visual fireworks' - Review

Starring the same cast, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off serves as a refreshing retelling of the 2010 Scott Pilgrim vs The World, filled with unexpected plot twists and the same humour and charm you would expect. Viewers who hoped for an anime adaption of the same story may be left disappointed, but many fans enjoy the new storyline which adds layers of development to the beloved characters. The series also has a new look, designed by Tokyo anime studio ‘Science Saru’, which feels more similar to the ori
Forge Press •

Review: Drake – For All The Dogs

For All The Dogs, Drake’s eighth studio album, came out with a hint of heavy-heartedness; for many fans, he is beginning to struggle to keep his music new and interesting. Despite attempts to reassure his fans that “if you’ve ever loved anything I’ve done the past, this album will be for you”, his attempt to return to old Drake was met with mixed responses. Die-hard fans are singing this album’s praises, while other more casual listeners are expressing their disappointment, causing a borderline

Other Recent Articles

Empoword Journalism •

Barbenheimer: A Genius Marketing Tactic?

July has been a big month for new cinema releases, with Barbenheimer perhaps the most eagerly anticipated addition.

Friday 21st of July saw the release of two keenly-awaited movies: Barbie and Oppenheimer. Their launch did not come without a whole host of important questions. Which should you see first? Will Greta Gerwig’s unique style overpower the dark tones of Christopher Nolan’s releases? Which will be superior?

Some might argue that Hollywood made a mistake in releasing these iconic films
Empoword Journalism •

Oppenheimer: Nolan's Newest Blockbuster Release

Following the arrival of Christopher Nolan’s heavily anticipated epic-thriller Oppenheimer, film buffs have flocked to the cinemas.

Noted for its outstanding cast and heavy narrative, Nolan finds a way to tell an extensively detailed plot in the movie’s three-hour running time. He manages to tell this tale through dual plotlines set in the 1950s, in a similar feat to that of Dunkirk. Three years after the release of Nolan’s last film, Oppenheimer debuted with an impressive 4.4 stars on Letterbo
Empoword Journalism •

Live Review: Pulp at the Castlefield Bowl, Manchester

Sheffield-based band, Pulp, returned to the Castlefield Bowl in Manchester this summer for one of their first concerts together in 11 years.

Tickets for their 2023 reunion tour went on sale last November, with many shows selling out almost immediately. More shows were later announced in Manchester and London. The last time these Britpop legends reunited was in 2010, which included a secret set at Glastonbury in 2011.

Fortunately, I was able to swipe some tickets for the Manchester gig. This pe
Empoword Journalism •

Blur at Wembley Arena 2023: Concert Review

Britpop legends Blur reunited this year for their first tour since 2015, with two sold-out concerts at London’s Wembley Stadium. Believe it or not, this was the band’s first time headlining this esteemed venue.

In late 2022, Blur announced their 2023 reunion tour which would span across Europe, including large arenas and festivals. Infamous for their Brit-pop battle against Manchester’s Oasis, at their peak, the band attracted a massive audience of all ages. Everyone in the crowd was dancing an
Empoword Journalism •

2023's Emo Renaissance

With the return of 2000s alt bands touring such as Paramore, Fall Out Boy, and The Used, some critics are citing 2023 as being the renaissance of 2000s emo music.

Emo music is seen as a subgenre of alternative rock and pop-punk music, focusing on its emotional expression. It can be characterised by heavy guitar riffs, hard-hitting lyrics and screaming vocals.

Over the past decade, there have been many attempts to revive this genre back into mainstream society. In the early 2010s, we saw bands
Empoword Journalism •

Asteroid City: Film Review

Wes Anderson’s newest release, Asteroid City, blends science fiction with comedy, set in a retro-futuristic mid-1950s town. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast, this film has satisfied most die-hard Anderson fans.

Asteroid City has been dubbed Anderson’s best project since his 2014 release, The Grand Budapest Hotel. Some fans even commented that this film has made him a director of the same calibre as Scorsese and Spielberg, whom he credited at the end of the film. With huge names like Willem Daf
Empoword Journalism •

'But Here We Are' by Foo Fighters: Album Review

The Foo Fighters have released their 11th studio album, But Here We Are. This album is the first since 2005 to credit Dave Grohl as drumming on each track, after the unfortunate passing of their bandmate Taylor Hawkins.

“There are whispers of making an insane prog-rock record”

The Foo Fighters have made it clear that, for them, each album comes as a follow-up to the one prior. So, when Grohl stated in an interview with Rolling Stone that “there are whispers of making an insane prog-rock record