December 2013 - Chris Molanphy

The Music Club, 2013

20 December 201320 February 2019

Sky Ferreira. Photo by Abby Gillardi/Flickr via Wikimedia Commons Dear Accidental Poptimists: You know the phrase, “I don’t just love you, I like you”? I’m not just bringing up this bit of romantic-comedy doggerel now because we’re about to wrap up here, and I … well, very much like all of you. It’s also how [...] Read more

Rappers MC Ren, DJ Yella, Eazy-E and Dr. Dre of the rap group NWA pose for a portrait in 1991 in New York, New York.

Slate The Music Club

The Music Club, 2013

18 December 201320 February 2019

Entry 6: Number of black acts that have topped the Billboard Hot 100 this year: 0. Rappers MC Ren, DJ Yella, Eazy-E and Dr. Dre of the rap group NWA pose for a portrait in 1991 in New York, New York. Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images My fellow Picasso Babies: We keep trying [...] Read more

Macklemore performs during the Grammy Nominations Concert at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Dec. 6, 2013.

Slate The Music Club

The Music Club, 2013

16 December 201320 February 2019

Entry 2: Was “Harlem Shake” by Baauer actually a hit song? Or just a fad? Macklemore performs during the Grammy Nominations Concert at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Dec. 6, 2013. Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Dear Geeta, Ann, and Carl: What a swell party this is—in my suit and tie, Imma leave [...] Read more

Pitchfork

How Beyoncé Broke the Rules and Stormed the Charts

16 December 20134 January 2019

In a 2013 fourth quarter that has seen virtually every leading contender for the Queen of Pop title drop a new album, Beyoncé just trumped everybody, crashing in late last week with an eponymous set that sucked all the oxygen out of the internet. Before the weekend was even over, Billboard had already reported that [...] Read more

Eminem and Rihanna have been here before.

Slate Why Is This Song No. 1?

Why Is Eminem’s “The Monster” No. 1?

13 December 20132 February 2019

Eminem and Rihanna have been here before. YouTube “The Monster”—America’s newest No. 1 single, according Billboard’s flagship Hot 100 chart—is the umpteenth example of one of the most durable pop tropes of the last two decades: the rough-and-smooth pairing of a gruff rapper and a hook-belting singer. It’s flawlessly constructed—machine-tooled, really—for radio dominance, a stew [...] Read more