PopMatters
@popmatters.com
Essaying the pop culture that matters since 1999. Independent, women/LGBTQ-owned. Made by humans. PM is 26! linktr.ee/popmatters
Celebrated writer, actor, director, and activist Rob Reiner had a broad appeal and a political conscience, making his untimely passing all the more tragic.
READ: tinyurl.com/4wrm2m23
READ: tinyurl.com/4wrm2m23
December 16, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Celebrated writer, actor, director, and activist Rob Reiner had a broad appeal and a political conscience, making his untimely passing all the more tragic.
READ: tinyurl.com/4wrm2m23
READ: tinyurl.com/4wrm2m23
December 15, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Dead Kennedys’ Frankenchrist is sadly relevant at 40 years old.
The album is a full-scale assault on Reagan’s America–the hypocrisy, seedy undercurrent beneath the slogans, and institutional racism. tinyurl.com/DeadKenn85
The album is a full-scale assault on Reagan’s America–the hypocrisy, seedy undercurrent beneath the slogans, and institutional racism. tinyurl.com/DeadKenn85
December 12, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Dead Kennedys’ Frankenchrist is sadly relevant at 40 years old.
The album is a full-scale assault on Reagan’s America–the hypocrisy, seedy undercurrent beneath the slogans, and institutional racism. tinyurl.com/DeadKenn85
The album is a full-scale assault on Reagan’s America–the hypocrisy, seedy undercurrent beneath the slogans, and institutional racism. tinyurl.com/DeadKenn85
The 25 Best Pop Albums of 2025: tinyurl.com/BestPop25
December 11, 2025 at 6:50 PM
The 25 Best Pop Albums of 2025: tinyurl.com/BestPop25
In Robert Kramer’s documentary 'Route One/USA', a fictional character rides shotgun in this road trip through history and memory.
READ: tinyurl.com/Route1USA
READ: tinyurl.com/Route1USA
December 11, 2025 at 4:40 PM
In Robert Kramer’s documentary 'Route One/USA', a fictional character rides shotgun in this road trip through history and memory.
READ: tinyurl.com/Route1USA
READ: tinyurl.com/Route1USA
The 25 Best Pop Albums of 2025
The year's pop music radiates with unstoppable playlist power, much-needed sweet escapism, self-reflection, self-criticism, and killer melodies.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestPop25
The year's pop music radiates with unstoppable playlist power, much-needed sweet escapism, self-reflection, self-criticism, and killer melodies.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestPop25
December 11, 2025 at 1:42 PM
The 25 Best Pop Albums of 2025
The year's pop music radiates with unstoppable playlist power, much-needed sweet escapism, self-reflection, self-criticism, and killer melodies.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestPop25
The year's pop music radiates with unstoppable playlist power, much-needed sweet escapism, self-reflection, self-criticism, and killer melodies.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestPop25
Trey Anastasio's music might not be able to save the world per se, but it shines a light that provides spiritual sustenance for fans. – @gms111.bsky.social
READ: tinyurl.com/Trey2025
READ: tinyurl.com/Trey2025
December 11, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Trey Anastasio's music might not be able to save the world per se, but it shines a light that provides spiritual sustenance for fans. – @gms111.bsky.social
READ: tinyurl.com/Trey2025
READ: tinyurl.com/Trey2025
The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle is adept at carving patterns, often creating threads in his music by returning to idols that are both familiar and ever-evolving.
READ: tinyurl.com/MGIdols
READ: tinyurl.com/MGIdols
December 10, 2025 at 5:48 PM
The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle is adept at carving patterns, often creating threads in his music by returning to idols that are both familiar and ever-evolving.
READ: tinyurl.com/MGIdols
READ: tinyurl.com/MGIdols
December 10, 2025 at 1:19 PM
The 80 Best Albums of 2025: tinyurl.com/BestLPs25
December 8, 2025 at 6:15 PM
The 80 Best Albums of 2025: tinyurl.com/BestLPs25
Like Steven Soderbergh, director Michael Winterbottom has become very good at shapeshifting, making his work difficult to shoehorn into a genre.
READ: tinyurl.com/MWntrbttm
READ: tinyurl.com/MWntrbttm
December 8, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Like Steven Soderbergh, director Michael Winterbottom has become very good at shapeshifting, making his work difficult to shoehorn into a genre.
READ: tinyurl.com/MWntrbttm
READ: tinyurl.com/MWntrbttm
The 30 Best Rock Albums of 2025
This was another noteworthy year for the best rock music. Some artists followed a debut with a stunning second LP and mainstays showed a return to form or evolved.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestRock25
This was another noteworthy year for the best rock music. Some artists followed a debut with a stunning second LP and mainstays showed a return to form or evolved.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestRock25
December 5, 2025 at 2:58 PM
The 30 Best Rock Albums of 2025
This was another noteworthy year for the best rock music. Some artists followed a debut with a stunning second LP and mainstays showed a return to form or evolved.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestRock25
This was another noteworthy year for the best rock music. Some artists followed a debut with a stunning second LP and mainstays showed a return to form or evolved.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestRock25
James Claville’s ‘Shōgun’ is about profound transformation through understanding, but FX’s ‘Shōgun’ is just a dazzling spectacle of surfaces, empty of meaning.
READ: tinyurl.com/Shogun24
READ: tinyurl.com/Shogun24
December 4, 2025 at 2:20 PM
James Claville’s ‘Shōgun’ is about profound transformation through understanding, but FX’s ‘Shōgun’ is just a dazzling spectacle of surfaces, empty of meaning.
READ: tinyurl.com/Shogun24
READ: tinyurl.com/Shogun24
Andy Weir, sci-fi author of 'The Martian', cites Asimov and Clarke as inspirations, but he’s more likely the cosmic literary incarnation of Jules Verne.
READ: tinyurl.com/WeirVerne
READ: tinyurl.com/WeirVerne
December 3, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Andy Weir, sci-fi author of 'The Martian', cites Asimov and Clarke as inspirations, but he’s more likely the cosmic literary incarnation of Jules Verne.
READ: tinyurl.com/WeirVerne
READ: tinyurl.com/WeirVerne
The 20 Best Jazz Albums of 2025
The future of jazz lies in places where it's less insular and more artistically adventurous. These records are outstanding examples of that impulse.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestJazz25
The future of jazz lies in places where it's less insular and more artistically adventurous. These records are outstanding examples of that impulse.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestJazz25
December 3, 2025 at 2:33 PM
The 20 Best Jazz Albums of 2025
The future of jazz lies in places where it's less insular and more artistically adventurous. These records are outstanding examples of that impulse.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestJazz25
The future of jazz lies in places where it's less insular and more artistically adventurous. These records are outstanding examples of that impulse.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestJazz25
This 4K release of the Val Kilmer sci-fi flick 'Red Planet' is gorgeous.
READ: tinyurl.com/RedHoffman
READ: tinyurl.com/RedHoffman
December 2, 2025 at 3:56 PM
This 4K release of the Val Kilmer sci-fi flick 'Red Planet' is gorgeous.
READ: tinyurl.com/RedHoffman
READ: tinyurl.com/RedHoffman
The 20 Best Experimental Albums of 2025
This year has been particularly exciting for experimental music, ranging from free-form guitar freak-outs to lush, ambient, and constantly pushing boundaries.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestExp25
This year has been particularly exciting for experimental music, ranging from free-form guitar freak-outs to lush, ambient, and constantly pushing boundaries.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestExp25
December 2, 2025 at 1:46 PM
The 20 Best Experimental Albums of 2025
This year has been particularly exciting for experimental music, ranging from free-form guitar freak-outs to lush, ambient, and constantly pushing boundaries.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestExp25
This year has been particularly exciting for experimental music, ranging from free-form guitar freak-outs to lush, ambient, and constantly pushing boundaries.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestExp25
3 Unsettling TV Shows You Shouldn’t Miss
Sci-fi philosophy, shocking history, and metafictional puzzles dominate these unsettling yet weirdly intriguing TV shows.
READ: tinyurl.com/3UnsettlingTV
Sci-fi philosophy, shocking history, and metafictional puzzles dominate these unsettling yet weirdly intriguing TV shows.
READ: tinyurl.com/3UnsettlingTV
December 1, 2025 at 5:12 PM
3 Unsettling TV Shows You Shouldn’t Miss
Sci-fi philosophy, shocking history, and metafictional puzzles dominate these unsettling yet weirdly intriguing TV shows.
READ: tinyurl.com/3UnsettlingTV
Sci-fi philosophy, shocking history, and metafictional puzzles dominate these unsettling yet weirdly intriguing TV shows.
READ: tinyurl.com/3UnsettlingTV
Tiberius' influences serve the songwriting and performances beautifully. Their various sounds always include an undercurrent of folky Americana.
'Troubadour' is a #PMPick out now via @audioantihero.bsky.social
REVIEW: tinyurl.com/Tiberius25
'Troubadour' is a #PMPick out now via @audioantihero.bsky.social
REVIEW: tinyurl.com/Tiberius25
December 1, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Tiberius' influences serve the songwriting and performances beautifully. Their various sounds always include an undercurrent of folky Americana.
'Troubadour' is a #PMPick out now via @audioantihero.bsky.social
REVIEW: tinyurl.com/Tiberius25
'Troubadour' is a #PMPick out now via @audioantihero.bsky.social
REVIEW: tinyurl.com/Tiberius25
The 15 Best K-Pop Songs of 2025
A group of animated demon slayers supercharged interest in what has already been a banner year for the #kpop genre.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestKpop25
A group of animated demon slayers supercharged interest in what has already been a banner year for the #kpop genre.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestKpop25
December 1, 2025 at 1:35 PM
The 15 Best K-Pop Songs of 2025
A group of animated demon slayers supercharged interest in what has already been a banner year for the #kpop genre.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestKpop25
A group of animated demon slayers supercharged interest in what has already been a banner year for the #kpop genre.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestKpop25
Everything is becoming a video podcast these days, but perhaps not everything was meant to be seen. tinyurl.com/PdcstngStar
November 26, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Everything is becoming a video podcast these days, but perhaps not everything was meant to be seen. tinyurl.com/PdcstngStar
The stitches, the shadows, the skin, and the other psychosexual tension and animalistic identities of ‘Batman Returns’.
READ: tinyurl.com/BatmanDPS
READ: tinyurl.com/BatmanDPS
November 26, 2025 at 5:50 PM
The stitches, the shadows, the skin, and the other psychosexual tension and animalistic identities of ‘Batman Returns’.
READ: tinyurl.com/BatmanDPS
READ: tinyurl.com/BatmanDPS
THE 20 BEST METAL ALBUMS OF 2025
This year has delivered an embarrassment of riches in #metal, from traditional masterworks to forward-thinking madness.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestMetal25
This year has delivered an embarrassment of riches in #metal, from traditional masterworks to forward-thinking madness.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestMetal25
November 26, 2025 at 1:48 PM
THE 20 BEST METAL ALBUMS OF 2025
This year has delivered an embarrassment of riches in #metal, from traditional masterworks to forward-thinking madness.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestMetal25
This year has delivered an embarrassment of riches in #metal, from traditional masterworks to forward-thinking madness.
READ: tinyurl.com/BestMetal25
In our age of endless comparison, curated self-images, and performativity, we willingly submit to the branding of our fickle identities.
READ: tinyurl.com/BrandsYou
READ: tinyurl.com/BrandsYou
November 25, 2025 at 4:16 PM
In our age of endless comparison, curated self-images, and performativity, we willingly submit to the branding of our fickle identities.
READ: tinyurl.com/BrandsYou
READ: tinyurl.com/BrandsYou
Freddie Mercury's 'Mr Bad Guy' wasn't brilliant, but it had shades of brilliance, and for queer pop, it was a step forward for both the artist and his listeners.
The 40th edition of 'Mr Bad Guy' releases on 5 December.
REVIEW: tinyurl.com/FreddieM40
The 40th edition of 'Mr Bad Guy' releases on 5 December.
REVIEW: tinyurl.com/FreddieM40
November 25, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Freddie Mercury's 'Mr Bad Guy' wasn't brilliant, but it had shades of brilliance, and for queer pop, it was a step forward for both the artist and his listeners.
The 40th edition of 'Mr Bad Guy' releases on 5 December.
REVIEW: tinyurl.com/FreddieM40
The 40th edition of 'Mr Bad Guy' releases on 5 December.
REVIEW: tinyurl.com/FreddieM40