pop
What Critiques of Normani Reveal about Racist Expectations of Black Women Artists
Music critics and listeners alike give Black pop stars hell—especially when they’re women.
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Cruel Bummer: “Lover” Is an Odd Litmus Test for Taylor Swift’s Politics
Taylor Swift is turning 30 in December, so it’s no surprise that she’s released an album that feels more authentic and honest than her previous two.
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A New Wave of High-Femme Pop Stars Are Queering the Girl Group
Sateen is moving the girl group away from hints and subtext toward an aesthetic and musical style that’s unmistakably queer, trans-positive, and staunchly pro-girl.
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Knee-Jerk Biphobia: What Responses to Miley Cyrus’s Breakup Say about Queer Erasure
Miley Cyrus isn’t “back” just because she’s dating a woman. She’s always been queer.
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Take It or Leave It: Sizzy Rocket on Creating Pop Music Just for Queer Women
“Younger queer artists definitely inspire me every day to just be truer to myself. Because I didn’t have that example.”
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Gimme a Beat!: Janet Jackson’s Induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Is Finally Here
As Janet sings on “Rhythm Nation”: “No struggle, no progress.”
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“...Baby One More Time” and the Pop Princesses Who Started a Moral Panic
The sexuality of Britney Spears and the other pop princesses of her era was consumed en masse and then deemed inauthentic and dangerous by media, critics, and “concerned parent” groups.
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BitchTapes: 17 Artists You Should Listen to this Summer
Celebrating musicians who are making excellent art on their own terms.
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Folk Songs and Politics: Mélissa Laveaux Remixes Haitian Classics On “Radyo Siwèl”
Mélissa Laveaux is carving out a new space in music where she can ricochet the diasporic sounds of the past.
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Sacrificial idols: In J-pop, Teen Dreams Become Nightmares
What’s the cost for J-pop teen stardom?
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