Pop Smoke’s “Welcome to the Party” Was an Anthem, Then an Elegy
For a crew of young musicians in New York, the Brooklyn rapper’s killing was more than just a headline, Taran…
Songs of Summer
admin Drake’s “Janice STFU” on Every Corner
Vinson Cunningham on Drake’s song “Janice STFU,” from his new album “Iceman.”
The Unlikely Reign of “Choosin’ Texas”
Amanda Petrusich writes about the country star Ella Langley’s hit single “Choosin’ Texas,” and why it’s her pick as this…
A Short Song for a Long and Precious Season
Casey Cep writes on “Something to Love,” by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, and growing up in the South…
When “Get Lucky” Took Me Back to the Years of Disco
Lucy Sante on how Daft Punk’s 2013 hit “Get Lucky” evokes the disco sounds of the late nineteen-seventies.
“Padam Padam” Separates the Party People from the Homebodies
Lauren Michele Jackson on the song “Padam Padam,” by Kylie Minogue, which belongs to a category of danceable pop music…
How the Beach Vacation Became a Country-Music Trope
Kelefa Sanneh on the song “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett, which was a diversion from…
The Summer I Surrendered to Wilson Phillips
Naomi Fry on “Hold On,” by Wilson Phillips, MTV, teen-age angst, and the summer of 1990.
The Summer When Everyone Wanted a Good, Good Night
Jia Tolentino on “I Gotta Feeling,” by the Black Eyed Peas, and the summer of 2009, when every big hit…
Nobody’s a Stranger When You Play “No Letting Go”
Hua Hsu recalls his time as a young d.j. in 2003, when Wayne Wonder’s dancehall anthem seemed like a beacon…