Seeing ‘Red’: Taylor Swift’s Professional Premonition at 10
Taylor Swift’s Red and its reissue Red (Taylor’s Version) realign the goals of pop music, making an album’s perceived imperfections the new standard.
Matthew Dwyer
Matthew Dwyer, a graduate of American University's School of International Service in Washington, D.C currently works in education and writes about pop culture, music, TV, and film on a freelance basis. He is a traveler, writer, and creative thinker. You can find him on Twitter @md_writing
Demi Lovato’s ‘Holy Fvck’ Is One Reset Too Many
Demi Lovato’s eighth album Holy Fvck is a rock star about-face that might have substance but comes too soon after her last reinvention to feel authentic.
Hayley Kiyoko Widens the Breadth of Pop on ‘Panorama’
With Disney deep in her past, pop star Hayley Kiyoko’s Panorama navigates queer relationships with self-assuredness, packaged in accessible pop hooks.
Beyoncé’s Dance Pop ‘Renaissance’ Marks a New Era of Empowerment and Accessibility
Beyoncé’s Renaissance repackages traditional marketing and 1990s-inspired dance music, creating the ultimate combination of streaming sensibilities and feel-good anthems.
James Taylor’s Cult of Sadness on ‘JT’ at 45
The autobiographical songwriting that carried James Taylor to international pop stardom laid a blueprint for songwriters today to blend their romantic and public endeavors through confessional writing.
Harry Styles Hits His Stride While Heading Home to ‘Harry’s House’
Harry Styles’ Harry’s House is, to reference his debut solo single, a “Sign of the Times”, experimenting with 1980s synths and 1970s confessional writing.
Adam Levine’s Vanity Project: Reassessing Maroon 5’s ‘It Won’t Be Soon Before Long’ at 15
Maroon 5’s sophomore album, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, pivoted away from their pop-punk beginnings and set them up for a decade of pop culture omnipresence.
Alec Benjamin’s Self Conscious Parables Drive ‘(Un)Commentary’
Alec Benjamin’s (Un)Commentary gets caught up in the details. Is that good or bad? He acknowledges that his cerebral qualities are a strength of his music.
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘driving home 2 u’ Is More than a Road Trip
Doubling down on her songwriter image, Olivia Rodrigo makes a pop star rite of passage of her own with driving home 2 u.
Wallows’ Journey Is Just Beginning on ‘Tell Me That It’s Over’
Indie poppers Wallows stake out a new middle ground between alternative and pop and prepare for the streaming era on Tell Me That It’s Over.
10 Years Later Has Katy Perry’s ‘Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection’ Outlived Its Shelf-Life?
Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection was the ultimate blend of pop culture and capitalism—that is until she woke up from the dream.
Fun’s ‘Some Nights’ at 10: A Predecessor to Conscientious Pop
The indie band fun.’s thoughtful pop songwriting on Some Nights ushered the music industry into the internet age and created a still-omnipresent legacy.