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Craig Jenkins

Music Critic
See all their articles from across New York Magazine
@CraigSJ
craig.jenkins@nymag.com

Craig Jenkins is a critic who writes about music and television and comedy and video games. He was a 2021 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Criticism.

  1. where’s the beef?
    J. Cole Is Giving Us Cognitive DissonanceWhy would he regret his (very mild) Kendrick diss?
  2. album review
    Our Sweetheart of the RodeoBeyoncé’s Cowboy Carter chronicles an artist with a voice pliable enough (and a following large enough) to crash whatever scene she pleases.
  3. mr. beef
    What Is Kendrick Thinking?The rapper’s fiery Drake and Cole diss leaves more questions than answers.
  4. album review
    Justin Timberlake Wants You BackHis new album sticks to a safe, occasionally satisfying script, even when it’s clear he’s lost the plot.
  5. movie review
    Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour - Mexico City, Mexico
    The Eras Tour Film Is Sequined Asset ManagementTaylor Swift’s big-screen adaptation is almost too much movie.
  6. album review
    Ariana Grande Is Telling This Story HerselfEternal Sunshine stares directly into the past — and recontextualizes it.
  7. album review
    Schoolboy Q Is Following in the Footsteps of GiantsOn Blue Lips, he rummages through decades of Black American history.
  8. a long talk
    Vince Staples Is Just Happy to Be HereWhether it’s making music or his new Netflix series, the rapper only wants to connect people.
  9. song review
    Beyoncé’s New Country Songs Are Plain Ol’ FunAnd bound to upset the worst kind of people.
  10. super bowl
    Usher Rolls Out the Complete R&B ExperienceThe Atlanta legend’s halftime show was a message to never doubt him again.
  11. album review
    Boygenius Is Here to Blunt Whatever Life Throws Our WayTheir Grammy-winning debut album is about finding strength in themselves.
  12. album review
    We Should Appreciate The Smile While It’s Still HereDropping four projects in 20 months screams “Here for a good time, not a long time.”
  13. the industry
    We Owe PitchforkFor all its chaotic choices, the site reshaped how we think about music.
  14. song review
    Jay-Z Is Lost in the Shuffle on ‘I Want You Forever’His new song with D’Angelo feels like a 10-minute sound bath.
  15. song review
    Lil Nas X’s Return Is More Than a Second ComingHis breezy new single arrived on the prickliest possible battlefield.
  16. netflix or tubi
    Katt Williams Scorches the Earth and Every Comedian on It“What do you mean ain’t no gatekeepers? There’s a hundred gates out here. Every one I seen got a keeper.”
  17. best of 2023
    All the Music I Didn’t Get to Write About This Year (Until Now)A final shout-out to the best docs, YouTube explainers, and songs from otherwise bad albums.
  18. album review
    Nicki Minaj Locks the GatesPink Friday 2 drips with the irritating realization that running a kingdom means defending its walls.
  19. album review
    Peter Gabriel Is Trying to Keep It Togetheri/o is a series of lofty ideas for the future.
  20. best of 2023
    The Best Albums of 2023The year’s top releases surveyed disorder, sought companionship, and offered glitzy escapism.
  21. album review
    André 3000’s Solo Album Is a Breath of Fresh AirNew Blue Sun isn’t the esteemed return to form rap fans hoped for. It’s something more.
  22. a long talk
    ‘I Don’t Care What People Want Out of Me. I Care About Myself’Danny Brown on leaving Detroit, getting sober, and finding happiness.
  23. album review
    PinkPantheress Is Remastering the Y2K AestheticHeaven Knows sounds like lightning striking a 160 GB iPod.
  24. chat room
    Kevin Abstract Got Over the End of Brockhampton With a New Solo Album“I wanted to come out of it to make something that felt hopeful.”
  25. song review
    The Beatles’ Final Song Is Only a Snapshot of Their StrengthsThey are back for one last job … assuming it’s the last job.
  26. close read
    Bad Bunny and Drake Are Making Offers Their Fans Can’t RefuseIn our current climate, it pays to be the villain.
  27. fall preview 2023
    Sampha’s Circle of LifeHis first album tackled loss and made him a star. On his follow-up, Lahai, he writes from a happier place: fatherhood.
  28. album review
    Sufjan Stevens Tours the Garden of HeartbreakHis new album Javelin urges us to embrace life’s beauty while we still can.
  29. album review
    Doja Cat Is Fighting Fires of Her Own CreationOn Scarlet, the rapper, singer, and internet terror channels negative comments into some of the best work of her career.
  30. album review
    Olivia Rodrigo Would Rather Go Through ItOn Guts, the pop star sidesteps her winning formula.
  31. album review
    Noname Shakes the TableOn Sundial, the rapper is pushing back against everyone — including herself.
  32. album review
    Travis Scott Is Raging Into OblivionOn Utopia, the rapper is too scared to mess with the blueprint.
  33. album review
    Blur’s Return Is a Fitting Evolution for a Once-Chaotic BandOn their beautiful, occasionally plodding new album, the Britpop legends embrace stillness.
  34. close read
    This Should Have Been a No-BrainerThe Weeknd and Sam Levinson aimed for greatness with The Idol. The result was as subtle as a Lifetime film.
  35. a long talk
    Killer Mike Said What He SaidIs the Southern rap legend a truth teller or a capitalist in activist’s clothes?
  36. album review
    Janelle Monáe Lets Go of Her (and Our) AnxietyOn her breezy new album, she abandons perfectionism.
  37. album review
    The Foo Fighters Reach for the LightTheir new album isn’t for getting over tragedy. It’s about learning to live beside it.
  38. remembrance
    Tina Turner Bet on HerselfWhen the industry turned its back, she refused to give in.
  39. game review
    Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Taps the Ceiling of What Switch Can DoIt’s a god game with the patina of a ronin story that makes you wonder, This is good, but is this as good as it gets?
  40. remembrance
    Andy Rourke Paid His DuesThe Smiths’ late bassist was the band’s driving force even as he fought for credit.
  41. vulture lists
    The 100 Hardest Video-Game Levels of All TimeDizzying shooters, agonizing puzzles, and water stages (ugh) that raise the question: Continue?
  42. q+a
    billy woods Is on an Indie-Rap Hero’s JourneyHe’s running an acclaimed record label, resurrecting old weed strains, and releasing the best music of his career.
  43. comedy review
    Hannah Gadsby Feels GoodIn Something Special, the comedian strives toward a new balance.
  44. album review
    The Ed Sheeran Formula Hits a RoadblockHis grief-stricken new album is personal, messy, and necessary.
  45. remembrance
    Harry Belafonte Dragged Us Into the FutureThe late legend ditched stardom for something far greater.
  46. album review
    Lighten Up and Listen to Everything But the GirlThe duo’s new album eases the pain without sacrificing pleasure.
  47. album review
    Metallica Vanquish Their DemonsTheir new album conquers the present by conversing with the past.
  48. a long talk
    Mo’Nique Says It LoudlyThe comedy veteran’s new special is a reintroduction: “It lets you understand why I fight the way that I fight.”
  49. a long talk
    ‘We Were Obsessed’Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda didn’t plan to revisit the band’s 2003 album Meteora — until he found a lost demo.
  50. album review
    Lana Del Rey Has Come to ConfessOn Ocean Blvd, the singer sets her fears on fire.
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