The Enduring Mystery of the Jaynetts’ “Sally Go ‘Round the Roses”
The Jaynett’s ’60s pop single “Sally Go ‘Round the Roses” is equal parts all surface and inscrutable depth, which is why a range of artists cover it to this day.
pop
This Is Your Life: XTC’s ‘Oranges & Lemons’ at 35
In 1989, XTC released Oranges & Lemons, one of their finest. There are nods to trippy 1960s touchstones, but it’s more of a lush, power-pop celebration.
Pop-Rock Not for the Masses: Nellie McKay’s ‘Get Away From Me’ at 20
Nellie McKay is appealing but with an edge, offering hooks but also barbs, looking back at the past and ahead of her time. She could be a pop star in 2024.
Joni Mitchell’s ‘Court and Spark’ Still Smolders at 50
While the shift from folk to jazz-rock on Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark may seem like commercial ambition, it was layered and signaled a profound change.
Jennifer Lopez’s Music Industry Fairytale ‘This Is Me…Now’
Jennifer Lopez tells the story of new-old love through languid R&B-style pop, her signature. However, she fails to achieve the electricity of early hits.
What Taylor Swift, BTS, and Stromae Can Teach Us About Mental Health
Taylor Swift, BTS, and Stromae are at the frontlines of de-stigmatizing mental health challenges as something so relatable that they can make a hit song about it.
Jennifer Lopez’s ‘This Is Me…Now’ Has a Little Too Much Heart
The biggest weak spot of Jennifer Lopez’s This Is Me…Now is that almost every song hammers home the same theme: Lopez is in love with Ben Affleck again.
Kali Uchis’ ‘Orquideas’ Is a Striking Pop Album
On Orquisideas, Kali Uchis yet again proves she is the Queen of Concept, delivering a clever, thoughtful album inspired by the “sensual allure of the orchid”.
Immersed in America: The Creation of Elvis Presley
We know how Elvis Presley’s story reflects on American history, its music and mythology, but how did America help to create Elvis?
Eliza McLamb Is ‘Going Through It’ with Problems
This is pop music spiked with something stronger than liquor. Eliza McLamb knows that happiness is an illusion yet she can’t help wanting and rejecting it.
Madonna’s Celebration Tour: A Forward-Thinking Retrospective
As much as Madonna’s Celebration Tour is a meditation on her mortality, it is also a love letter to her core LGBTQIA+ audience whose loyalty has never wavered.
Boygenius, Joan Didion and Other Influences in Sarah Goldstone’s ‘Waving’
Sarah Goldstone conveys in Waving many impressions through sophisticated music structures with the knack of an experienced musician with much solo work.