Derek Wong
ARTICLES
Music
‘Y’all Means All,’ Except in Country Music
How the genre struggles to balance its conservative veterans with its progressive breakouts
Music
In ‘Dirt Femme,’ Tove Lo Reveals Her True Self
The Swede’s first independently–released album is unapologetically in love with dance music, and all the better for it.
Music
Taylor Swift is an Anti–Hero in ‘Midnights,’ but a Mastermind at 3 a.m.
Swift's tenth studio album sets a foot back into pop territory without fully committing to it.
Music
Darlings Should Worry About Harry Styles’ Acting Ventures
The actor’s latest dive into acting puts the musician–actor pipeline into question.
Music
BLACKPINK is slowly losing their K–Pop identity with BORN PINK
Their second studio album highlights creative stagnation and contradictory messaging.
Music
Rina Sawayama’s ‘Hold The Girl’ Exemplifies When Ambition Falls Short
The British–Japanese singer’s second studio album is overflowing with zeal, but not enough direction.
Style
A Night Out at Grandma's Philly
Grandma’s Philly brings bite–sized portions of Northern Thailand to Philly.
Music
Why You Can't Remember What Happened at Last Year's VMAs
What used to be the peak of pop culture is now a tightly choreographed snoozefest
Music
Rookie Mistake: A K–Pop Dilemma Between the New and Old
Why newer K–pop rookies in recent years have struggled to capture the attention of the public.
Music
Camila Cabello Shows Her 'Familia' to the World.
The pop singer’s third album tries to balance authenticity with commercial appeal. Like family, the results can be messy.
Music
Even for Indie, Lizzy McAlpine Is Distinctly Her Own in ‘five seconds flat’
The Philly native’s third studio album is her best and most mainstream record.
Music
Surprisingly, the 2022 Grammys Weren’t Bad
The Grammys kept what worked in 2021 and applied it to a post–pandemic awards ceremony.
Music
The Search for the Perfect Pop Song
Recent copyright infringement lawsuits surrounding Dua Lipa's "Levitating" highlight the constraints of modern pop songwriting.
Music
Dua Lipa Proves She's The Female Alpha of Pop Music at the Wells Fargo Center
Supported by Lolo Zouaï and Caroline Polachek, the pop star performed a 90-minute set with all glam and no missteps.
Music
Mitski Wants You to Know that She Didn’t Want to Make 'Laurel Hell'
Following her supposed exit from the music industry, Mitski dusts off her skills to create an introspective comeback album about her career.
Music
Rethinking the Vegas Residency
What was once a graveyard for dying stars is now prime ground for artists to progress their careers.
Music
James The Seventh Is More Than Your Next Indie–Pop Darling
The 21–year–old artist combines her past and her TikTok presence to tell a potent story.
Music
K-Pop Is Becoming Increasingly Westernized. It’s Not Just Because of BTS.
Newer K-Pop groups, dubbed the "fourth generation," are seeing faster launches in the Western market than ever before.
Music
On 'Dawn FM,' The Weeknd Continues To Exert His Power Over Pop Music
The semi–surprise release manages to one–up his 2020 blockbuster, 'After Hours.'
Music
TWICE Has, Indeed, Found the Formula of Pop Perfection
The girl group has never sounded more self–assured than on their third full–length Korean album.
PennConnects
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