Pop Life

Life—it ain’t real funky, unless it’s got that pop

Demi Lovato recovery and rubbernecking

Pop Life: Rubbernecking and recovery

The road to recovery for pop stars isn’t always easy, and the public unfortunately not so forgiving.

Drake degrading the charts

The Revenge of Degrading the Charts, with extra Drake

Another journey through the highlights and dregs of the pop charts.

Justin Timberlake pop's vacuum

Pop Life: Justin Timberlake is emblematic of pop music’s vacuum

Tumbleweeds appear to be rolling across the pop landscape right now.

Taylor Swift Look What You Made Me Do

Pop Life: Playing Against Type

Look what you made Liam do.

Pop Life Comeback Season

Pop Life: Comeback season

The stars of 2013 have returned with two very different albums.

Harry Styles Pop Life song of the summer

Pop Life: Summer’s coming

Surveying options for the song of the summer.

Pop Life: The Crossover

Drake and Future both make their case for hip-hop’s current crossover star with new mixtapes.

Pop Life: None of this is happening

Will pop music be enough during this tumultuous time?

Pop Life: (De)grading the charts—temporarily eclectic edition

A periodic roundup of what’s happening on the charts.

best pop of 2016

Pop Life: The best pop of 2016

The best moments in pop this year.

Pop Life: (De)Grading the Charts

A takedown…er, rundown of the current Top 10.

Lady Gaga Perfect Illusion

Pop Life: Lady Gaga’s earnest comeback

Is Lady Gaga making her Tunnel of Love?

Frank Ocean

Pop Life: Rough Currents, Frank Ocean

Some brief thoughts on why anticipation for Boys Don’t Cry is warranted.

protest music Beyonce

Pop Life: What to the protestor is the pop song?

The tradition of global-scale catastrophes receiving star-studded song tributes began with the fairly unlistenable “We…

Pop Life: When Indie Goes Pop

The idea of a band “going pop,” in almost any genre, used to be the…

Pop Life: Dangerous Women

“Sex sells” has been a truism for-fucking-ever, but in popular art it often involves a…