Pop culture

Sophie

I Wish We Could Be Dancing to Sophie I Wish We Could Be Dancing to Sophie

It’s an added cruelty that we cannot mourn the loss of the avant-pop icon properly.

Feb 4, 2021 / Annie Howard

‘Christmas in My Soul’

‘Christmas in My Soul’ ‘Christmas in My Soul’

Fifty years ago this season, Laura Nyro delivered a timeless rebuke to racism, militarism, and “the sins of politics.”

Dec 25, 2020 / John Nichols

How Kendrick Lamar Became the Voice of a Generation

How Kendrick Lamar Became the Voice of a Generation How Kendrick Lamar Became the Voice of a Generation

A conversation with Marcus J. Moore about his cultural biography of Lamar and the L.A. rapper’s impact on Black America.

Sep 30, 2020 / Q&A / Ann-Derrick Gaillot

Pop Music Has Always Been Queer

Pop Music Has Always Been Queer Pop Music Has Always Been Queer

Sasha Geffen’s debut book reveals that the history of pop music is a history of gender rebellion.

Apr 8, 2020 / Q&A / Tal Milovina

Vladimir Lenin holds back Britney Spears.

Free Comrade Britney! Free Comrade Britney!

Britney Spears called for the redistribution of wealth—but she’s not even allowed to give away her own money.

Mar 31, 2020 / Sara Luterman

070 Shake’s Master Plan

070 Shake’s Master Plan 070 Shake’s Master Plan

The New Jersey rapper’s debut album is a showcase for a one-of-a-kind voice.

Feb 13, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse

Tiki Bar

The Tiki Bar Resurgence of the Trump Era The Tiki Bar Resurgence of the Trump Era

It’s tacky and willfully inauthentic. Of course it’s popular again.

Jan 6, 2020 / Jackson Arn

10 of 2019’s Best Albums

10 of 2019’s Best Albums 10 of 2019’s Best Albums

The hybrid work of Julia Wolfe’s oratorio Fire in My Mouth, FKA twigs’s Magdalene, and Kris Davis’s Diatom Ribbons all showcase the experimental spirit of this year’s most exc...

Dec 30, 2019 / David Hajdu

FKA Twigs, High Priestess of Pop Music’s Avant-Garde

FKA Twigs, High Priestess of Pop Music’s Avant-Garde FKA Twigs, High Priestess of Pop Music’s Avant-Garde

Mixing sacred imagery and snatches of memoir, the British artist’s new album is Magdalene a beautiful and eerie statement.

Dec 2, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Julyssa Lopez

30 Years Ago Eastern Europeans Tore Down Walls. Now They Write Pop Songs to Putin.

30 Years Ago Eastern Europeans Tore Down Walls. Now They Write Pop Songs to Putin. 30 Years Ago Eastern Europeans Tore Down Walls. Now They Write Pop Songs to Putin.

How crony capitalism and crippling austerity turned democracy into a dirty word.

Nov 8, 2019 / Lev Golinkin

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