Music
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White Rapper Song Draft
In honor of Post Malone’s fourth studio album, Charles, Justin Sayles, and writer Jeff Weiss debate categories like best Eminem song, frat rap, and one-hit wonder
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Atomic Bombast: ‘Wu-Tang Forever’ and the Apex of the Most Monumental Rap Group of All Time
A quarter-century after its release, Wu-Tang’s nearly two-hour second album remains a testament to maximalism and all of the clan’s idiosyncrasies
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Miles Teller in ‘Top Gun,’ the Poosh and Goop Collab, and Liam Payne Has One Direction Thoughts
Plus, ‘Rock of Ages’ for this week’s Cringe Mode
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Offspring and the Pretty Smart, Very Stupid Punk Song
You knew this was coming. It’s time for "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)."
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Did Kendrick Flop?
Charles invites on producer Justin Sayles to break down what happened with Kendrick Lamar’s latest release, ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,’ which was met with a mixed critical response and saw its projected sales figures drop off dramatically in Week 2
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Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s Wedding, Kelly Clarkson’s Kellyoke, and Austin Butler’s Elvis
Plus, ‘Senior Year’ starring Rebel Wilson on this week’s Cringe Mode
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Reviewing ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’ and More
Micah also provides an ‘Elden Ring’ update
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‘60 Songs That Explains the ’90s’: Jane’s Addiction and the (Maybe) Birth of 1990s Alt-Rock
Livin’ Más with the Angeleno rockers and their unlikely hit, "Been Caught Stealing"
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Complex Savior: Kendrick Lamar and the Religion of Self
On ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,’ the Compton rapper is still a man of faith, but he’s also chosen himself
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A Harry Styles Hater Listens to Every Harry Styles Song
Charles Holmes attempts to become a Harry Styles fan by inviting Kate Halliwell and Nora Princiotti to share their love of Styles and One Direction
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Harry Styles Is Starting to Sound Like Harry Styles. What Comes Next Will Be the Interesting Part.
With ‘Harry’s House,’ the pop star is evolving past his influences, one song at a time
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It’s Finally Time to Enter ‘Harry’s House’
Nora and Nathan discuss Harry’s vulnerability on this album as well as all of the references to food, drugs, and alcohol
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Shouldn’t Harry Styles Be Having More Fun?
‘Harry’s House’ is charming, elegant, and perhaps just a bit boring
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Vangelis’s Return Flight to the Cosmos
The synth pioneer and Oscar-winning film composer, who died last week at age 79, saw his work as part of something bigger than all of us
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The Biggest Takeaways From Harry Styles’s New Album, ‘Harry’s House’
The former boy bander turned megastar is back, breezier and hornier than before, and super into food
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Porridge Radio and the Redemptive Power of Cringe
Porridge Radio were becoming indie pop darlings at the same time the world was shutting down. Two years and one new album later, they’re finally ready to soak it all up.
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Donnie Simpson: The Golden Voice and R&B’s Golden Girls
The longtime host and DJ discusses his iconic interviews with music stars like Sade and Vesta Williams
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‘60 Songs That Explain the ’90s’: Bonnie Raitt Knows Love (and Heartbreak)
Bonnie Raitt has been a lot of things—a blues singer, a rock singer, arguably a jazz singer, occasionally a country singer, and eventually a blockbuster pop singer—and on "I Can’t Make You Love Me," she pronounced herself the purveyor of a timeless, wrenching classic
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The Great Replacement Theory, and an “Auntie Diaries” Conversation
Van and Rachel also discuss the latter’s "celebrity beef"
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Everything You Need to Know About ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers’
The Ringer’s writers and podcasters break down the reaction to songs like "We Cry Together" and "Auntie Diaries" and review the deeply complex project from Kendrick Lamar
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Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers’ Is As Messy and Complicated As the Man Who Made It
Kendrick’s new record is a rumination on trauma, accountability, and even cancel culture, but it’s not a new direction for him—it’s who he’s always been
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Mailbag and One Direction Song Draft
Nora and Nathan are joined by longtime One Direction fan Kate Halliwell to answer a few mailbag questions, including what a reunion would look like and what songs the band will be known for in 20 years
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Kendrick Lamar ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers’ Instant Reactions
Charles and guest Logan Murdock also bring on producer Devon Renaldo to discuss the song "Auntie Diaries"
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The Kendrick Lamar ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers’ Exit Survey
Kendrick Lamar has returned with his first studio album in five years. What are the standout songs of ‘Mr. Morale’? Where does it rank in his all-time discography? And does King Kendrick sit on the throne as the best rapper alive? Let’s discuss.
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Dua Lipa’s Vogue Cover, Adam Sandler’s Daughter’s Bat Mitzvah, and Jack Antonoff’s ‘Minions’ Soundtrack
Plus, this week’s Cringe Mode is the 2003 movie ‘Uptown Girls’
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Bruce Rivers and the Fight to End Self-Snitching
Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay discuss the indictment of Young Thug and Gunna before welcoming Bruce Rivers, attorney and host of ‘Criminal Lawyer Reacts,’ to discuss potential legal woes
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Zayn, Louis, and Liam’s Solo Careers
So what happened to all of the other boys after One Direction split up? It’s time to talk about Zayn, Louis, and Liam’s respective solo careers.
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The Curious Case of “Whoomp! (There It Is)”
Do you remember the competing song "Whoot, There It Is" from the same time as Tag Team’s 1993 hit? Have you ever wondered what really happened there? So did we, so we dove deep.
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The Jack Harlow Dilemma
Charles and Rob discuss Harlow’s new album and explain why the rapper has the music industry in a frenzy
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The Jack Harlow Problem Isn’t Black or White
The Kentucky rapper and fledgling superstar is the New Person You Have to Know About. But is his new album, ‘Come Home the Kids Miss You,’ any good?
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Rebellion Behind a Paywall: On Black Star’s ‘No Fear of Time’
Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli’s Luminary-exclusive new album comes 24 years after their classic debut. Both the where and when of its release may ultimately matter more than the music itself.
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Money, Problems, Respect: The Early Days of Biggie’s Fame
In an excerpt from the new biography ‘It Was All a Dream: Biggie and the World That Made Him,’ author Justin Tinsley explores what it was like for the Notorious B.I.G. as he adjusted to the limelight