Madonna Unveiled Her Pop Masterpiece ‘Ray of Light’ 25 Years Ago
Madonna’s Ray of Light and dance music are unfairly underrated and dismissed, primarily due to being the cultural product of queerness and centered on femininity.
Peter Piatkowski
Peter is a London-based writer, though he was raised in Chicago. He writes pop culture criticism and film criticism. His work has been published in various publications, including anthologies and journals.
Barbra Streisand Made Her Splashy Debut in 1963
The boldness of Barbra Streisand’s fully-formed persona makes The Barbra Streisand Album an integral part of 1960s pop culture, revolutionary in its own way.
Junior Boys Move in a Gentler Direction with ‘Waiting Game’
On Junior Boys’ Waiting Game, the sounds are slowed down significantly, and we’re pulled into a far tighter space than in the past, reflecting our melancholy.
The 25 Best Christmas Albums by Pop Divas
Pop divas seem born for Christmas: they’re dramatic, emotional, sentimental, campy – everything that’s Christmas. These best Christmas albums suit the season.
Cher Predicted Her Comeback with the Underrated ‘It’s a Man’s World’
‘It’s a Man’s World’ is one of the least characteristically Cher albums in the singer’s discography in that it’s surprisingly restrained and subtle.
Madonna Returned to Her Roots on ‘Confessions on a Dance Floor’
Madonna’s Confessions on a Dance Floor is a self-contained dance record, an unqualified triumph, and a study of dance music from the 1970s to the 2000s.
Spice Girls Looked to ‘Forever’ to Extend Their Pop Dominance
Forever was released in 2000 and saw the Spice Girls – Mel B, Emma Bunton, Melanie C, and Victoria Beckham – enter the new millennium on shaky ground.
Gold Panda’s ‘The Work’ Is a Warm Aural Embrace
Humanity and kindness emanate from The Work which shows off Gold Panda’s agility and skill in the studio. The effect is hypnotic and captivating.
Meghan Trainor Looks Back and Forth with ‘Takin’ It Back’
When Meghan Trainor digs deeper into her pool of talent to write something more substantial, the results are stunning and give us a glimpse of what she can do.
Carly Rae Jepsen Brings Poignancy to Her Synthpop with ‘The Loneliest Time’
For The Loneliest Time, Carly Rae Jepsen teams with talented musicians who continue to build on her affection for the shiny, glossy synth-heavy dance pop.
Blond Contrition: Madonna’s Musical Response to the 1990s Culture Wars
Both Erotica and Bedtime Stories represent critical periods in Madonna’s career. They were autumn releases and saw Madonna recalibrating her career in the face of rampant criticism.
Barbra Streisand Wanted Her MTV in 1984 and Created ‘Emotion’
More than any other record in her discography, Emotion was a way to make Barbra Streisand a competing presence on pop radio and MTV as pop turned new wave.
