May according to Aa

Everything worth knowing, eating, watching, and showing up for this month.

May 03, 2026

We are back. Allegedly rested and recharged after King’s Day. Definitely not.

May is here, and with it comes Taurus season, which means we are collectively entering our most stubborn, most sensory, most will-die-on-this-hill era of the year. The Taurus does not concern itself with halves. Taurus wants the best food, the best music, the cutest closet, and will definitely not be rushed. Honestly, a very reasonable way to move through the galaxy, and we intended to fully be Tauruses this month.

Vitamin D is cautiously returning. D stands for debauchery, delicacies, and dancing. Amsterdam in May is one of its best arguments for itself, and we have spent the first couple of days of the month doing exactly what the season demands. Terraces, music, good food, questionable decisions, and the general feeling that something exciting is always about to happen just around the corner.

As always, we have done the hard work of staying informed, cultured, and showing up so you know where to be, what to eat, and what to put on. Everything you need is below.

What keeps us informed

Federal prosecutors released footage this week of the moment a man armed with guns and knives attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ dinner and kill President Trump. He was stopped before reaching the event. Trump has since used the incident to double down on his plans for a $400 million presidential ballroom, because nothing says security upgrade like a very expensive dancefloor.
The Pentagon has reached an agreement with 7 tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia, to use their AI technology in military and war systems. Antropic was notably absent from the list, following their public dispute with the Trump administration over the ethics of using AI in warfare. If you have been on the fence about which AI to use, consider this your sign. Claude is the one who said no.
Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party has been voted out of power in Hungary after 16 years of autocratic rule, losing in a landslide to opposition leader Péter Magyar in mid-April elections. It is a significant moment for Hungarian democracy, and for Europe more broadly. What happens next, to the party, to Orbán’s outsized influence in EU politics, and to the institutions his government spent years dismantling, remains very much to be seen.

What keeps us cultured

Boards of Canada have confirmed what fans have been whispering about for years (someone on Reddit must be really happy for calling it early). Their first new album in 13 years drops May 29th on Warp Records.
The LVMH Prize 2026 finalists are out. Colleen, De Pino, Institution, Julie Kegels, LII, Petra Fagerström, Ponte, The Vxlley, and Yoshita 1967 are competing for €400,000 and a year of mentorship embedded within LVMH’s houses. A very good shortlist. May the best one win.
Wireless Festival London was cancelled after the UK government revoked Kanye West’s travel authorisation, citing that his presence would not be conducive to the public good. He had been announced as headliner following significant backlash.
The Michael Jackson biopic has crossed $400 million at the worldwide box office and is on track to become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time.
Matthieu Blazy’s debut Chanel Cruise 2026/27 show took place in Biarritz and the heelcap shoe is already the shoe of the summer (the rich shall be having their dogs out in questionable ways).
Lena Dunham released her memoir Famesick.
And finally, North West, age 12, dropped a six-track debut EP called N0rth4ever. We are not sure how to feel about this, but we are absolutely listening.

What we’re reading

Everything on the Aa spring reading list, including:

What we’re listening to

post-orange blues by Ezra Maatoke for Aa Magazine

Sd-3 by Loukeman
harvest sky by Oklou
Chances by Acopia
Harnessed the Storm by Drexciya
Kiss me thru the phone by Soulja Boy

What we’re watching

Cinephiles at heart, screens always on. Here is what has been glimmering across our screens this month. And if you know, you know: there is nothing quite like a little live laugh Letterboxd, scrolling through what your friends are watching at midnight and suddenly having a very full watchlist and nowhere to be tomorrow.

La grazia by Paolo Sorrentino
Down by Law by Jim Jarmusch
Rodrigo D: No futuro by Víctor Gaviria
A Woman Under the Influence by John Cassavetes
Shiva Baby by Emma Seligman
The Red Shoes by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre by Tobe Hopper

Have tips on what you’d like to see more (or less) of?
Any giveaway requests? Wanna rant about the political and economic state of the world right now? Hit reply or comment below!