A Supreme Disappointment: When the Supremes Met the Beatles
When Detroit’s top-of-the charts the Supremes met Liverpool’s top-of-the-world the Beatles in 1965, the awkward silence was deafening.
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The B-52’s Created Some of the Finest Queer Pop Music
The B-52’s often get relegated as a “party-pop” outfit, but their subversive legacy runs deeper and stranger than any casual fan would know.
When Rob Halford Screamed Queer-Coded Lyrics
From coded BDSM references to vivid homoerotic imagery, Rob Halford’s lyrics formed a complex, emotionally charged expression of queerness under societal pressure.
‘One Way Home’ and the Evolution of Childhood Horror
One Way Home doesn’t revolutionize childhood horror; it’s part of the evolution of a subgenre that continues to find new ways to explore familiar fears.
The Art of ‘Cruising’
Cruising, once denounced as homophobic pulp, is now being reassessed as a daring exploration of performance, identity, and the psychic costs of repression.
African Metal That Will Blow Your Mind (and Ears)
From the politically charged lyrics of Znous to the atmospheric post-metal soundscapes of Chaos Doctrine, African metal bands are blowing minds in the global metal scene.
‘Corner Gas’ vs. ‘Trailer Park Boys’: Politeness as Mask, Profanity as Mirror
Sitcoms Corner Gas and Trailer Park Boys form a double helix of Canadian self-image: the mask and the mirror.
10 Should-Be-Classic Songs About Longing
In popular music—ranging from the blues and jazz to country, hip-hop, and beyond—longing has occupied a substantial portion of thematic space.
Fitz-James O’Brien’s Exuberant Morbidity
Fitz-James O’Brien’s exuberantly morbid stories, set amongst mid-century New York’s boarding houses and alleyways, are works of comic skepticism and cosmic messiness.
20 of the Best New Wave Albums by Rock/Pop Artists
As the 1980s dawned and punk began to morph into new wave, many established artists altered their style to reach new audiences. We look at 20 of them.
How Nirvana Destroyed Rock’s Toxic Masculinity
Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain despised rock music’s posturing machismo, mocked its fundamental assumptions, and then utterly destroyed the genre.
Natalia Lafourcade Gains New Perspective with a Powerful Alter Ego
By adopting a new persona, Natalia Lafourcade delves deeper into her folkloric sonic landscape, uncovering new perspectives along the way.