Amanda Petrusich
Amanda Petrusich is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of three books. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in nonfiction and has been nominated for a Grammy Award. Her criticism and features have appeared in the New York Times, the Oxford American, Spin, Pitchfork, GQ, Esquire, The Atlantic, and the Virginia Quarterly Review. Her most recent book, “Do Not Sell at Any Price,” explores the obsessive world of 78-r.p.m.-record collectors. She is the writer-in-residence at New York University’s Gallatin School.
The Anxious Love Songs of Billie Eilish
Much of the artist’s new album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” is about wanting a relationship but failing, in some fundamental way, to sustain closeness with another person.
The Beautiful Rawness of Steve Albini
The producer was uncompromising in his opposition to the commercialization of music. That might seem today like a Gen X relic—or it might seem kind of awesome.
Dua Lipa Devotes Herself to Pleasure with “Radical Optimism”
In an era of postmodern, self-referential music, there’s something refreshing about the artist’s new album—short songs, big hooks, and a celebration of delight.
The Tortured Poetry of Taylor Swift’s New Album
“The Tortured Poets Department” has moments of tenderness. But it suffers from being too long and too familiar.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Relatable Superstardom on the Guts Tour
The pop star appears to revel in pleasure—even when she knows that whatever it is she’s thirsting after will probably get her into trouble.
Maggie Rogers’s Journey from Viral Fame to Religious Studies
The singer-songwriter’s sudden celebrity made her a kind of minister without training. So she went and got some.
Vampire Weekend Doesn’t Want Your Defeatist Grousing
The band’s new album, “Only God Was Above Us,” is a treatise on inheritance, decay, generational dissonance, and the delicate idea of choosing optimism.
How Noah Kahan Went from Vermont to TikTok to the Grammys
The musician behind the Billboard mainstay “Stick Season” discusses small-town life, using social media too much, and the loneliness of fame.
It’s Green Day’s World Now
The band’s new album, “Saviors,” feels amazingly current, not because Green Day has capitulated to the whims of the Zeitgeist but because, somehow, the Zeitgeist has bent around Green Day.
Josh Radnor in Love
Years after hiding his Indigo Girls cassette from his teen-age friends, the star of “How I Met Your Mother” has a record out, called “Eulogy: Volume 1.”
Shane MacGowan Leaves the Astral Plane
For decades, he flung himself around as though he were made of rubber. He was beloved and admired for his songwriting, his rotten teeth, and his tendency toward insubordination.
On “Higher,” Chris Stapleton Makes His Case for Love
The country star’s new album is concerned almost exclusively with affairs of the heart—but his gritty, determined voice never sounds sentimental.
Troye Sivan’s Songs of Desire
On “Something to Give Each Other,” the artist reminds us that pleasure is a serious pursuit and joy is still abundant.
The Emotionally Haunted Electronic Music of Oneohtrix Point Never
Daniel Lopatin talks about his collaborations with the Weeknd and the Safdie brothers.
Tea Time with Joan Baez
The singer explains how an unknown bounty of archival material in a storage unit led to a documentary about her life, and discusses why Bob Dylan wanted to be mothered.
Bethany Cosentino’s Songs of Self-Actualization
On her solo album, “Natural Disaster,” the Best Coast front woman reckons with old selves and personal transformations.
The Unapologetic Brilliance of Sinéad O’Connor
I think what O’Connor sought in her music was anguish, laid bare, and then a gorgeous moment of communion.
Feeling the Sting of Time with PJ Harvey
The singer-songwriter discusses her new album “I Inside the Old Year Dying,” the beauty of Elvis Presley’s voice, and the connections between poetry and lyrics.
The Startling Intimacy of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
Even addressing a stadium of seventy thousand people, the singer seems to be speaking directly to you, confessing something urgent.
The Anxious Love Songs of Billie Eilish
Much of the artist’s new album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” is about wanting a relationship but failing, in some fundamental way, to sustain closeness with another person.
The Beautiful Rawness of Steve Albini
The producer was uncompromising in his opposition to the commercialization of music. That might seem today like a Gen X relic—or it might seem kind of awesome.
Dua Lipa Devotes Herself to Pleasure with “Radical Optimism”
In an era of postmodern, self-referential music, there’s something refreshing about the artist’s new album—short songs, big hooks, and a celebration of delight.
The Tortured Poetry of Taylor Swift’s New Album
“The Tortured Poets Department” has moments of tenderness. But it suffers from being too long and too familiar.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Relatable Superstardom on the Guts Tour
The pop star appears to revel in pleasure—even when she knows that whatever it is she’s thirsting after will probably get her into trouble.
Maggie Rogers’s Journey from Viral Fame to Religious Studies
The singer-songwriter’s sudden celebrity made her a kind of minister without training. So she went and got some.
Vampire Weekend Doesn’t Want Your Defeatist Grousing
The band’s new album, “Only God Was Above Us,” is a treatise on inheritance, decay, generational dissonance, and the delicate idea of choosing optimism.
How Noah Kahan Went from Vermont to TikTok to the Grammys
The musician behind the Billboard mainstay “Stick Season” discusses small-town life, using social media too much, and the loneliness of fame.
It’s Green Day’s World Now
The band’s new album, “Saviors,” feels amazingly current, not because Green Day has capitulated to the whims of the Zeitgeist but because, somehow, the Zeitgeist has bent around Green Day.
Josh Radnor in Love
Years after hiding his Indigo Girls cassette from his teen-age friends, the star of “How I Met Your Mother” has a record out, called “Eulogy: Volume 1.”
Shane MacGowan Leaves the Astral Plane
For decades, he flung himself around as though he were made of rubber. He was beloved and admired for his songwriting, his rotten teeth, and his tendency toward insubordination.
On “Higher,” Chris Stapleton Makes His Case for Love
The country star’s new album is concerned almost exclusively with affairs of the heart—but his gritty, determined voice never sounds sentimental.
Troye Sivan’s Songs of Desire
On “Something to Give Each Other,” the artist reminds us that pleasure is a serious pursuit and joy is still abundant.
The Emotionally Haunted Electronic Music of Oneohtrix Point Never
Daniel Lopatin talks about his collaborations with the Weeknd and the Safdie brothers.
Tea Time with Joan Baez
The singer explains how an unknown bounty of archival material in a storage unit led to a documentary about her life, and discusses why Bob Dylan wanted to be mothered.
Bethany Cosentino’s Songs of Self-Actualization
On her solo album, “Natural Disaster,” the Best Coast front woman reckons with old selves and personal transformations.
The Unapologetic Brilliance of Sinéad O’Connor
I think what O’Connor sought in her music was anguish, laid bare, and then a gorgeous moment of communion.
Feeling the Sting of Time with PJ Harvey
The singer-songwriter discusses her new album “I Inside the Old Year Dying,” the beauty of Elvis Presley’s voice, and the connections between poetry and lyrics.
The Startling Intimacy of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
Even addressing a stadium of seventy thousand people, the singer seems to be speaking directly to you, confessing something urgent.