Essays
How to Use ChatGPT in Non-Evil Ways
Yes, AI may destroy the world as we know it. But it can also make your working day a hell of a lot easier.
Why Do Live Music Audiences Suck Right Now?
Unhinged behaviour is everywhere, and that includes screaming “mommy” mid-song and demanding musicians take a BeReal.
The Cult of Thinness Is Making a Depressing Comeback
For those of us who remember Slim Fast, Weight Watchers and “thigh gaps”, pop culture's return to aspirational skinniness is more than jarring.
What Does Being 'Too Much' Really Mean?
In an extract from her new book "Poor Little Sick Girls", Ione Gamble explains how the fear of being "too much" actually shrinks our horizons.
HBCU Students Were Young Dolph's Biggest Fans. He Loved Us Right Back
The late Memphis rapper was a fixture at Jackson State University. Eventually, he became as much a part of the school as we were.
I Love Divorce Albums, Probably Because I’m Divorced
Kacey Musgraves' 'Star-Crossed' is the latest in a long line of records depicting the end of a marriage, a genre and experience I know well.
‘Mogul Mowgli’ Shows Why We Need to Empower Muslims to Tell Our Own Stories
Bassam Tariq’s film about a British Pakistani rapper honors the internal struggle between assimilation and preserving our heritage and identity.
After 9/11, We Wanted the Old NYC. Instead We Got The Strokes.
How a group of greasy-haired rich kids ushered in a renaissance for the New York rock scene by LARPing its iconic past.
The Complicated Relationship Between Hollywood, Asian Representation, and Marvel’s 'Shang-Chi'
Films like Marvel’s 'Shang-Chi' are a massive step forward for Asian representation. But are there ways they still leave us stuck in the past?
Cardi B Is the Queen of Features That Break The Internet
For a woman whose reality TV slogan was “If a girl beef with me, she gon’ have beef forever,” the Bronx rapper plays exceptionally well with others.
Does Canceling DaBaby's Shows Actually Help Hip-Hop's Homophobia Issue?
We’re going to have to ask more of musicians, and the businesses that hire them, if things are going to get better.
Please, Help Me Justify My Millennial Nostalgia
Now that it’s a booming business, can anything good come of dredging up the 2000s and early 2010s? It’s complicated.