Culture

The Essence of Archie

Through their many permutations, Archie comics have always evoked a certain adolescence—even when their tangles of anachronism likely felt foreign to any real-life teens.

Every Grammy-Winning Record of the Year, Rated and Reviewed

From "the worst fucking song" Frank Sinatra ever heard to the upsetting eroticism of Rob Thomas, a comprehensive cataloging of all 55 award-winners since 1959.

Frustrate Your Intuitions: On Michael DeForge's First Year Healthy

In the Ant Colony author's new book, a woman's release from a hospital stay precipitates murder, mystery, and the urban stalking of a strange, mythical cat. Well ... possibly, anyway.

Harry Styles of One Direction
Publishing Pop Daydreams

Anna Todd's One Direction fanfic-turned-novel After lets readers indulge specific fantasies—not just through the fictionalized versions of celebrities, but through the author's life as well.

For Kids, By Kids—But Not For Long

YouTube's (mostly) teenage vloggers created a monumental mainstream youth culture free of adult supervision. Now they're doing the unthinkable: growing up.

Memorable For the Wrong Reasons: Tom Ewing on Charity Singles

In e-mail conversation with the UK music critic about "We Are the World," "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and other "classics" of the genre.

Changing Minds: Nick Jonas, One Direction, and the Rare Act of Pop Transference

There's no sure escape from the compressed life of a boy band.

Stumbling Towards the Mainstream: On Azealia Banks' Broke With Expensive Taste

Banks' long-delayed debut album arrived with a shrug, but this is less evidence of an artist failing to live up to her potential than of the still-crushing vagaries of the record industry.