Ten Years Ago, ‘4’ Found Beyoncé Running and Challenging the World
While 4 didn’t showcase peak Beyoncé, it nonetheless hinted at how she’d shape popular culture for decades to come.
beyoncé
The 15 Best Pop Albums of 2020
The 15 best pop albums radiate with unstoppable playlist power and much-needed sweet escapism.
Beyoncé’s ‘Black Is King’ Builds Identity From Afrofuturism
Beyoncé's Black Is King's reliance on Afrofuturism recuperates the film from Disney's clutches while reclaiming Black excellence.
The Most Memorable Albums of 1999 (Part 3)
Part three of the Most Memorable Albums of 1999 sports the debuts of the White Stripes, Beyoncé, and Christina Aguilera and stellar electronic music from Basement Jaxx, the Chemical Brothers, and µ-Ziq.
Artist As Pure Ego: Beyoncé’s ‘Homecoming: The Live Album’
Beyoncé's Homecoming is one of the most impressive shows ever, but its need to tell us how impressive it is deflates some of its awe.
On Black Girl Magic and Georgia Anne Muldrow’s Latest, ‘Overload’
It's tempting to proclaim this moment in black pop as something akin to 2018's political Year of the Woman -- Year of the Sista, if you will. But today's unapologetically progressive female black pop artists stand on the shoulders of a most impressive cohort from the '90s and early '00s.
‘Black Lives Matter and Music’: From a Movement That’s Only Beginning to Find Its Voice
Scholars share their initial thoughts on the musical reactions to the burgeoning social movement, Black Lives Matter, in this anthology from Indiana University Press.
The Best Pop Singles of 2016
Celebrating the songs this year that operated within the constraints of "radio music", truly a genre all its own, and produced excellent results.
2016: The Final Year of the Surprise Album (Hopefully)
Dropping unexpected albums is a growing trend and one that should be done away with.
Form Follows Function: ‘The Life of Pablo’ and ‘Blonde’ Challenge the Notion of an Album
Kanye West and Frank Ocean have created imperfect perfect albums which invert our notions of flaws and challenge our perception of the album as an art form.
Nicolas Jaar: Sirens
Sirens is a masterpiece. Melding pop and experimental music, it reflects the uneasiness of our difficult times.