MOST RECENT ARTICLES BY:

Craig Jenkins

Music Critic
@CraigSJ
craig.jenkins@nymag.com

  1. vulture lists
    All the Verzuz Battles, RankedFrom best to worst to absolutely doomed.
  2. a long talk
    Let Smokey Robinson Tell You About Changing MusicThe living legend on his life, legacy, and Motown.
  3. mariah said it's time
    Holidays Are Canceled, But Holiday Music Never Dies, BabyThe rules that used to govern mankind seem bent and broken. As such, let’s talk about Christmas.
  4. q&a
    Chris Stapleton Is Still Molding Country Music Into His Own Image“I play things that are probably extremely contrary to whatever people think I am.”
  5. snl
    Dave Chappelle’s SNL Monologue Was an Illuminating MessIn the sendoff to SNL’s Trump era, the comedian called for peace.
  6. album review
    Positions Flirts With Greatness But Isn’t Ready to CommitWhile Ariana Grande’s latest album is expertly constructed and pleasant, the formula is starting to feel a little safe.
  7. a long talk
    We Should’ve Listened to Busta RhymesHip-hop’s foremost oracle returns with ELE2, once again putting the world — not to mention rap — on high alert.
  8. book excerpt
    How New York Gave Birth to New WaveAn excerpt from The Encyclopedia of New York.
  9. song review
    Ariana Grande’s Run as Commander-in-Chief of the Charts Is Likely Safe“Positions” swings like rap music but it’s also light, breezy, and short; that versatility should aid it on the Hot 100.
  10. profiles
    Ty Dolla $ign Can’t Stop Making Music“I kept recording, and I accidentally did another album.”
  11. a long talk
    T.I. vs. the PeopleThe Atlanta rap titan on his new album The L.I.B.R.A., southern hip-hop values, and why he’ll never quit being divisive.
  12. obits
    Eddie Van Halen Set an Unprecedented Standard for the Art of Guitar MusicHe imagined a sound and then set about chipping away at any hurdles, creative or technical, that got between him and the riff.
  13. radio vulture
    We’re No Closer to Knowing Jay ElectronicaPerhaps that is by design.
  14. best of 2020
    The Best Albums of the Year (So Far)A wealth of great music has been made during quarantine, but the wistful, sighing sadness of folklore actually feels like it.
  15. album review
    What’s Left of America for Sufjan Stevens to Dream About?The nation’s triumphs have always been undercut by a grisly capacity for violence, one that’s as present in Sufjan’s states albums as The Ascension.
  16. a long talk
    The State of the Union According to Chuck DThe rap pioneer on the new Public Enemy album (reuniting them with Def Jam), Donald Trump, the broken music business, Kanye, and more.
  17. interview
    Fleet Foxes Made the Perfect Album for This MomentSinger Robin Pecknold talks about the challenges of making Shore — and the decision to release it on the autumnal equinox.
  18. interview
    The Deftones Have (Almost) Found BalanceChino Moreno opens up about the band’s process, its diverse influences, and the legacy of nu metal.
  19. where it started at
    Tekashi 6ix9ine Is an Unworthy New York Rap VillainNo other era could produce this character. No other era would stomach him.
  20. where it started at
    New York Rap Never ‘Fell Off’ — It Was Snuffed OutTwenty years of pressure from two Republican mayors with lofty dreams of stamping out crime had a demonstrable effect on the culture.
  21. where it started at
    The 100 Songs That Define New York Rap, RankedIt’s not a sound, it’s an attitude.
  22. album review
    Big Sean’s Detroit 2 Is a Career BestIt is the rare rap event album that feels both wise to current events in rap and culture and also tethered to a specific location.
  23. video game review
    Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Is a Perfect Piece of ’90s NostalgiaThe revived classic is easily the best skate game in a long time.
  24. song review
    SZA Knows How to Make an R&B Jam Hit DifferentHer new single with Ty Dolla $ign feels fresh and fuss-free.
  25. fall preview
    Big Sean Finally Knows PeaceA frank talk with the rapper about his long, fraught journey to Detroit 2.
  26. vmas 2020
    The 2020 VMAs Tried Like Hell to Avoid the Elephant in the RoomReally, it was a pop-star pageant, and the girls delivered.
  27. album review
    Katy Perry Is Still in a Lane All Her OwnThe great Smile tracks recall the era where Katy singles didn’t miss. The patchy ones are reminders that she’s always been a work in progress.
  28. song review
    BTS Is Way Ahead of UsBTS has made inroads with American listeners before, but never quite like this.
  29. song review
    Jay-Z and Pharrell Are Making History, But Both Could Stand to Learn From ItThe achievements of Black billionaires don’t necessarily trickle down and set us all free.
  30. song review
    Somehow, Somewhere Drake Is Still One of UsDrake can buy and sell most of us, but he watches games from the sidelines like everyone else.
  31. album review
    Brandy Remains a True RarityThis year, the singer known as the “vocal Bible” steps out from under the dark clouds that long plagued her career.
  32. song review
    Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘WAP’ Is Hall of Fame FilthA torrent of horny one-liners that restores the feeling of sneaking and listening to rap songs with X-rated lyrics as a kid.
  33. visual album review
    Beyoncé’s Black Is King Does Everything It Needs ToThe richness of the Black experience is the point. There’s almost too much excellence to keep track of.
  34. song review
    Billie Eilish’s Future Is in Good HandsHer new single suggests the O’Connell siblings have made good use of the quiet time.
  35. album review
    Beyoncé’s Lion King Soundtrack Puts the Focus Back Where It Belongs: AfricaBeyoncé, as usual, knows better.
  36. radio vulture
    We’re Witnessing the Total Breakdown of DiscourseTry to recall another time when a rapper went into surgery for multiple gunshot wounds and it became instant gag fodder.
  37. album review
    folklore Isn’t a Return to Taylor Swift’s Roots, But Somewhere She’s Never BeenHer stories here are more purposeful, if a little less personal.
  38. album review
    The Chicks Scorch the Earth on GaslighterIt is the kind of pop-country killer some people have been haranguing Taylor Swift for ever since 1989.
  39. a long talk
    August Alsina Untangles Everything“People look at me as this problematic guy who was super reckless, like I’m pushing up on someone’s wife.”
  40. 2020 election
    Kanye West and the Media Are Once Again Playing a Dangerous GameThere needs to be a reckoning about the toxic relationship between Kanye West and the vox populi.
  41. album review
    Pop Smoke’s Story Might Always End With a Glaring Question MarkThe main artist feels profoundly missing on his posthumous debut album.
  42. radio vulture
    Welcome to the ‘New’ Kanye NarrativeToday Kanye West released his first formal artistic statement of the pandemic and the nationwide movement for racial justice.
  43. album review
    Bob Dylan Is Still the Voice of a GenerationThe only difference is he speaks for more than just one now.
  44. let em stay mad
    It Wouldn’t Be ‘The Chicks’ If Their Comeback Didn’t Piss Off Some PeopleOnce again, “the Chicks” find themselves on the pulse of the times.
  45. the songs of protest
    We Are Not ‘Alright’The world Kendrick’s song envisioned seems far away today. The moment requires a different kind of protest song, and rappers are putting in work.
  46. stand-up
    Dave Chappelle’s 8:46 Is Powerful But Not Quite PerfectThe outrage is pure and unfiltered in the legendary comedian’s new set on George Floyd.
  47. album review
    Run the Jewels 4 Is Exactly What America Needs to Hear Right NowKiller Mike and El-P have landed on the pulse of spring 2020.
  48. roundtables
    A Roundtable Discussion on a Chaotic Week in Social MediaAs new rules emerge and people test the bounds of what’s acceptable online, Vulture gathers to discuss what unrest looks like on your phone.
  49. radio vulture
    Now Isn’t the Time for More Music-Industry SilenceRecord labels have known about these issues since long before it became radioactive behavior to stay quiet.
  50. album review
    Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Crash-Landed Right When It Was Needed MostIt’s the hard reset Fame/The Fame Monster fans have been waiting for.
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