What does a Belgian, surrealist painter from the mid-1900s have in common with a contemporary hyperpop icon from Essex? Seemingly nothing, save for a fascination with green apples. For the cover of this semester’s inaugural issue, I merged The Son of Man by René Magritte—what is arguably his best-known painting—with Brat  by Charli xcx—what was inarguably the album of the summer. I appreciate the irony in the tonal dissonance between the two works. While the former alludes to the power of subtle obstruction, the latter embraces a ferocious honesty. And yet, despite the decades that separate them, both artists share a contrarian disposition, a tendency to challenge the form—whatever that might be. Magritte insists that, in fact, an image of a pipe is not a pipe! Charli refuses to optimize the resolution of her Arial Narrow font, because why should she? And so, dear reader, I hope you carry this spirit forth with you: chartreuse, treacherous images, and all. Sabrina Mei is a senior in the MSB studying data analytics, marketing, and film. She is a retired writer-editor turned cover artist, hoping to merge her love of art history and pop culture in the designs she creates.