Music

cutouts of Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Maps” video and Beyoncé from the “Hold Up” video collaged together with three paintings: Nausicaa (1878) and Flaming June (1895) by Frederic Leighton and “Autumn Sea” (1867) by Gustave Courbet

Hold Up: When Music Treats Softness as a Superpower

by Erica Campbell
April 23, 2021 at 9:13am
“Hold Up” is a nuanced love song in which the female protagonist isn’t begging or asking for love; she’s making a clear and precise declaration. Read more »
Gwen Stefani, a white woman with blond hair, poses alongside the Harajuku Girls, a group of four Japanese women dressed in all black

Delicate Goods: The Ornamental Objectification of Asian American Women in Pop Culture

by Sarah Wang
April 22, 2021 at 9:37am
Being Gwen Stefani’s add-ons superseded their place as human beings. Read more »
Jessica Simpson, a thin white woman with curly, blond hair, holds a mop against a light-blue background while wearing a thin white t-shirt

We’ve Apologized to Britney Spears. When Is It Jessica Simpson’s Turn?

by Caitlin Hart
April 5, 2021 at 11:15am
With so many of her marital fights and throwaway comments captured, Simpson felt much closer to our reality than other stars. Read more »
Lil Nas X, a young Black man, places the devil's horns on his head and stands in hell, which is red and rocky.

Only Here to Sin: Lil Nas X Continues a Tradition of Queer Blasphemy

by Nicole Froio
March 30, 2021 at 12:34pm
“Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” unequivocally embraces queerness to the absolute despair of conservative Christians. Read more »
A young Jay-Z in black and white wears a t-shirt and a hat.

Nobody’s Savior: Jay-Z Can’t Be Our Messiah

by LaTesha Harris
March 24, 2021 at 7:55am
Jay-Z cannot deliver us into an era of racial equity. He’s nobody’s savior—not even his own. Read more »
Teyana Taylor, a black woman, wears her hair in two buns and a large gold necklace. She is covered in a red light.

Black Women Are Redefining R&B Music Even If the Grammys Don’t Think So

by DeAsia Paige
March 12, 2021 at 11:00am
The neglect of Black women R&B artists is a step in the wrong direction. Read more »
cropping of a grayscale vector illustration of Janet Jackson on a black background. She is posed with an exposed torso, her arms above her head with a silhouette of hands covering her chest. Neon blue, pink, yellow lines outline her arms, waist, and chest

Stripping Point: Nipplegate Exposed Our Deep Fear of Black Women’s Sexuality

by Vanessa Willoughby
March 4, 2021 at 10:37am
Janet Jackson was punished for 9/16 of one second of nudity, while Justin Timberlake rose from her post–Super Bowl ashes. Read more »
Britney Spears wears a red dress. Her hair is blond and in a high ponytail.

“Framing Britney Spears” Is a Portrait of a Pop Star on Fire

by Vanessa Willoughby
February 19, 2021 at 1:04pm
Framing Britney Spears is a clear indictment of society’s stigmatization of mental illness. Read more »
Britney Spears, a white teenager with long, blond hair, smiles brightly at the camera while wearing a black dress

#FreeBritney Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

by s.e. smith
February 17, 2021 at 10:11am
For the disability community, this movement could result in major changes to a system that has been taken at face value. Read more »
Portrait of Greisa Martínez Rosas, a Mexican woman with long dark brown curls, wearing a white blazer and smiling

BitchTapes: Immigrant Dreaming

by Greisa Martínez Rosas
February 12, 2021 at 2:50pm
Greisa Martínez Rosas outlines some of the songs that have helped guide her ethos as an organizer and a movement leader. Read more »

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