Ilayda
For as long as I can remember, the question of belonging has lingered in the back of my mind. As a diaspora child, I carry the weight of leaving and the longing to find home in every place I go. So, I like to write about things that move me - music that lingers, films that haunt, words that stay long after the page is turned. I love to chase the moments that make me feel something.
Articles by Ilayda
No Introduction Needed: Central Cee Owned Munich
Last Friday, Central Cee delivered an unforgettable night in Munich, and it was an immersive experience from start to finish, to say the least. What I really loved after entering the venue was that the front-of-stage area wasn’t locked behind VIP or...
April 14th, 2025
Sydney Rose’s I Know What I Want: An EP That Feels Like a Mirror
There’s something uniquely intimate about discovering an artist before the world catches on, when their music exists as a secret between you and your headphones. For a while, Sydney Rose was that for me. Her songs lived under my bed as my box full of...
April 5th, 2025
Zartmann Takes Over Heidelberg For The Very First Time
Zartmann hit Heidelberg for the first time ever and delivered an unforgettable night filled with amazing energy, emotional performances, and fresh new songs. Here’s why this concert was one of the highlights of the year so far and why you definitely...
March 22nd, 2025
The Wait is Over: Suzanne Collins Drops Sunrise on the Reaping
Major drop alert! Hunger Games fans, grab your Mockingjay pins and brace yourselves. Sunrise on the Reaping is finally here, and it’s about to take us on a wild ride back to Panem. Suzanne Collins is back with a deep dive into one of the most iconic...
March 18th, 2025
Central Cee’s “Can’t Rush Greatness” World Tour: Global Takeover Starts in April!
Alright, let’s get one thing straight: Central Cee is about to take over the world, and his "Can’t Rush Greatness" Tour is the main event. If you’ve been waiting for the chance to see Cench live, this is it. The tour kicks off in April 2025, and trus...
March 4th, 2025
The Oscars 2025: The Winners, The Losers, and Everything In Between
The 97th Academy Awards went down last night, and once again, the nominations and results have left us all in a spiral of confusion, rage, and the occasional "Well, at least they got that one right." But let's get real: what is going on with the Osca...
March 3rd, 2025
Booked for Romance: Valentine's Day Picks for 2025
Get ready to be swept off your feet this Valentine's Day with our curated list of must-read romance novels for 2025. From the thrilling heartbeats of dark romances to the sweet serenades of small-town romances, we've handpicked books that promise to...
February 12th, 2025
Rausgegangen Revealed: A Secret Concert Worth the Wait
On January 27th, a secret concert took place in Heidelberg, organized by the Rausgegangen initiative. The whole concept is pretty exciting: you buy a ticket without knowing who’s performing.
January 30th, 2025
I Am Every Age I Have Ever Been
Sometimes, we are childish. Sometimes, we do something our 16-year-old self would have done and cry like our 7-year-old self would have cried. Why is this so embarrassing? When you're 20, 30, or 40, are you not also every age you've ever been?
January 8th, 2025
From Resentment to Appreciation: How Being a Diaspora Child Shaped My Musical Identity
Many children of immigrants go through a similar journey, where the music of their heritage becomes more meaningful as they age. There’s something universally relatable about this experience, isn’t there? As children, we often push away the things th...
November 24th, 2024
Barbie for President
It’s the Monday before November 5th, the eve of the U.S. elections. This little video slides across my For You page: a Barbie. But not just any Barbie. A 2004 President Barbie, created as part of the White House Project, a campaign meant to inspire y...
November 7th, 2024
Behind the Barricades: Experiencing the Heroes Festival Freiburg Like a Fan, Not Like a Journalist.
01099, Trettmann, Shirin David and more... I was a little late for a review pass for the Heroes Festival this year, but anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with this small German indie band called 01099. So, when I heard that the Heroes Fest...
October 19th, 2024