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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber
@skornhaber.bsky.social
16K followers 65 following 25 posts
staff writer at The Atlantic
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · May 5
I’ve never believed in cultural decline! But throughout the 2020s, the arts have been in a strange state that does look a lot like malaise.

I spent the last year learning the causes for pessimism, trying to see if another story could be told.

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
Is This the Worst-Ever Era of American Pop Culture?
Meet the critics who believe the arts are in terminal decline.
www.theatlantic.com
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · 6d
I am just baffled. www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025...
Taylor Swift’s Burnout Era
The singer has everything she ever wanted—her new album suggests that it’s all sort of a drag.
www.theatlantic.com
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · 13d
Reminder: People still do cool shit!

(I wrote about getting my skull smashed by this Geese album.)

www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025...
Finally, a New Idea in Rock and Roll
The band Geese is pushing the genre in new and electrifying directions.
www.theatlantic.com
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Reposted by Spencer Kornhaber
damonberes.com
Damon Beres @damonberes.com · 14d
“Swift has pulled off something that’s never quite been done before. The closest comparison might be to show tunes—but for a one-woman play that’s gone 19 years without a curtain call.”
@skornhaber.bsky.social
How Did Taylor Swift Convince the World That She’s Relatable?
The tidiest explanation for the pop star’s success is that she befriended an underestimated audience of girls and young women. That’s only part of the story.
www.theatlantic.com
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · 21d
"We all see where this is going, correct?"

www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
David Letterman’s Jimmy Kimmel Reaction: ‘We All See Where This Is Going, Correct?’
The comedian spoke about Kimmel’s suspension from late-night TV at The Atlantic Festival.
www.theatlantic.com
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Reposted by Spencer Kornhaber
evanmcmurry.theatlantic.com
Evan McMurry @evanmcmurry.theatlantic.com · 24d
@skornhaber.bsky.social: “If we are, as is frequently said, living in an era of extraordinary political violence, it cannot be understood as separate from the rising cultural hunger to reach out and touch—or do much worse to—the people on our screens.”
The Death of an Influencer
Charlie Kirk was a content creator—a job that shapes how people now talk about and experience politics.
www.theatlantic.com
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · Sep 4
For the magazine, here's my grand theory of Taylor Swift—why her music works, how she's made pop new, and where she might go next.

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
How Did Taylor Swift Convince the World That She’s Relatable?
The tidiest explanation for the pop star’s success is that she befriended an underestimated audience of girls and young women. That’s only part of the story.
www.theatlantic.com
2 1 4
skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · Aug 29
Long live indie rock!!!

Loved taking a tour back through the twee 2000s with
@chrisdeville's new book—

www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
The Music of Millennial Idealism
A new book shows how indie rock shaped a generation’s listening preferences, with lasting effects.
www.theatlantic.com
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · Jul 28
The summer of headphones-on, lala it's not happening, it's-all-I-can-take easy listening (thank you Bieber) — www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
How Justin Bieber Finally Gave Us the Song of the Summer
American listeners don’t want to party; they just want a break.
www.theatlantic.com
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · Jul 23
Wrote about Ozzy Osbourne's antipathy for the devil—

www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
The Human Side of Music’s Prince of Darkness
Ozzy Osbourne was an unruly chaos agent and a beloved family man alike.
www.theatlantic.com
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theatlantic.com
The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · Jul 3
Even as Diddy and his supporters celebrate his partial acquittal, the disturbing implications of his case grow, writes @skornhaber.bsky.social: https://theatln.tc/Ntp6gKsJ
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Reposted by Spencer Kornhaber
evanmcmurry.theatlantic.com
Evan McMurry @evanmcmurry.theatlantic.com · Jul 2
@skornhaber.bsky.social: “The conversation about the case isn’t likely to focus on technical matters for very long. Popular culture loves martyrs; it loves comeback stories; frankly, it loves men.”
Why Diddy Is Celebrating His Guilty Verdict
The music mogul was acquitted of his most serious charges. What comes next?
www.theatlantic.com
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Reposted by Spencer Kornhaber
johnhendrickson.bsky.social
John Hendrickson @johnhendrickson.bsky.social · Jun 30
Has the internet sucked all the fun out of the physical world, or has it merely concentrated it in Washington Square Park? @skornhaber.bsky.social on Lorde: www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
The Epitome of First-Person Pop
Lorde changed the sound of modern music. With ‘Virgin’, she’s stuck in her own head.
www.theatlantic.com
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · Jun 27
Yes to the yuck, yes the noise, hell yes to "Shapeshifter," but I fear we need to start moving on from memoir pop.

Lorde 'Virgin' review—
www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
The Epitome of First-Person Pop
Lorde changed the sound of modern pop. WithVirgin, she’s stuck in her own head.
www.theatlantic.com
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · Jun 20
"Down to Be Wrong"—feels so right!

(I think the Haim album's pretty good)

www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
The New Old Sound of Adult Anxiety
Haim has made a clever breakup album for a generation that’s wary of tying the knot.
www.theatlantic.com
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · Jun 16
I spoke with the great Kim Gordon about turning Trump's banned words into experimental rap metal www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
Trump’s Least Favorite Words, in One Terrifying Song
How Kim Gordon turned lyrics about her packing list into a protest anthem.
www.theatlantic.com
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · Jun 13
The case for Addison Rae: Producers rock!

(This piece also includes a Miley review.)

www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
Two Paths for the Pop Star
Miley Cyrus and Addison Rae are taking their music very seriously, with different results.
www.theatlantic.com
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · Jun 13
Have you ever really listened to “Surfer Girl”? Jeeeeeeez.

My Brian Wilson obit—

www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
He Surfed a Different Kind of Wave
Music wouldn’t be the same without Brian Wilson. That’s not an overstatement.
www.theatlantic.com
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Reposted by Spencer Kornhaber
jeremygordon.bsky.social
Jeremy Gordon @jeremygordon.bsky.social · Jun 5
Hey, SEE FRIENDSHIP has been out for three months, during which it has been purchased in many airport bookstores and spotted on many "new and noteworthy American fiction" displays — thank you for the support, and PLEASE tap in if you haven't already bookshop.org/p/books/see-...
See Friendship: A Novel
A Novel
bookshop.org
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Reposted by Spencer Kornhaber
evanmcmurry.theatlantic.com
Evan McMurry @evanmcmurry.theatlantic.com · Jun 4
@skornhaber.bsky.social: “Demonic Hollywood cabals offer a simple, clear-cut narrative that doesn’t ask us to reflect on how domestic violence and sexual coercion really get perpetuated.”
Diddy’s Trial Is Revealing a Conspiracy, but It’s Not the One People Expected
The speculative guesswork distracts from the all-too-ordinary issues at the center of his case.
www.theatlantic.com
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Reposted by Spencer Kornhaber
theatlantic.com
The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · Jun 3
The sheer giddiness with which conspiracist thinking has eclipsed the details of Diddy’s case confirms some bleak realities about America’s psyche, writes @skornhaber.bsky.social:
The Truth About Diddy Might Be Darker Than the Rumors
The conspiratorial guesswork distracts from the all-too-ordinary issues at the center of his case.
bit.ly
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skornhaber.bsky.social
Spencer Kornhaber @skornhaber.bsky.social · May 22
"There’s a lot of fists in the air in our culture, and I’m a little fatigued in the arm area."

I spoke with Ezra Furman about protest music, defeat music, and life as a trans person right now: www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
‘What If I Don’t Keep Feeling Strident?’
For years, Ezra Furman’s music embraced protest and defiance. Now she’s striking a different chord.
www.theatlantic.com
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Reposted by Spencer Kornhaber
avi-wa.bsky.social
Avi Wolfman-Arent @avi-wa.bsky.social · May 14
Today on Studio 2:

Does pop culture kinda suck now? Or has our nostalgic pessimism just been sent into overdrive?

We discuss with Spencer Kornhaber from the Atlantic (@skornhaber.bsky.social).

Tune in at noon on WHYY or You Tube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvPN...
Is American pop culture dead? | Studio 2 from WHYY | 5/14/25
YouTube video by WHYY
www.youtube.com
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robinsonmeyer.bsky.social
Robinson Meyer @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social · May 8
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
Many musicians believe that Spotify’s business model is predatory, forcing artists to participate in a system in which they make only a fraction of a penny whenever a song is played. Brooks agrees, but her concern runs deeper than the money itself; she argues that music’s role in society has been corrupted. Streaming encourages artists to play an enervating game of scale: The more songs they release, the more chance they have of going viral and turning pittances into real income. Artists are thus motivated to record as quickly and cheaply as possible. All of this, Brooks believes, has led to a glut of music—both popular and obscure—that is plainly bad: less distinct, less soulful, and less skillfully made than the minimal standards of previous eras. “Nobody can get the resources to develop their craft,” she said.
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theatlantic.com
The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · May 7
An emerging critical consensus argues that we’ve entered a cultural dark age—but @skornhaber.bsky.social isn’t so sure.

Kornhaber surveyed a number of prominent critics who believe popular culture is at an all-time low point. He thinks there’s another story to be told: https://theatln.tc/m7lOysa0
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theatlantic.com
The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · May 6
Last year, @skornhaber.bsky.social visited the music historian Ted Gioia to talk about civilization’s death. “Music is turning into a rights-management business,” he told Kornhaber—and it’s destroying true artistry.

Has America’s creative energy really been sapped?
Is This the Worst-Ever Era of American Pop Culture?
Meet the critics who believe the arts are in terminal decline.
bit.ly
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