How lore became pop’s hottest summer accessory
Pop stardom, the way he defined it, means you keep feeling fascination for the now sound right up to the moment—you don’t settle for what you did yesterday. You tune in to the pop trash all over the radio dial for any ideas worth scavenging.
Rob Sheffield • On Bowie
Taylor Swift, for example, is notorious for generating lore, putting easter eggs in everything she does, and readingand playing into fan theories about herself. She does this both in the ‘text’ of her songs (see: the fandom’s obsession around the Betty/August/James lore in the album /iterallycalled folklore), as well as in her activities surroundin... See more
Libby Marrs • I Would Very Much Like To Be Excluded From This Lore
“Sonically, current recession pop blends dance, disco and rave and dives a little deeper than dancing the night away,” she explains. “Acts like Chappell Roan and Charli XCX bring emotion to the forefront with lyrics that explore queer love, family trauma and female friendships. It’s now a listening experience that celebrates individuality and authe... See more
Nina Miyashita • Article
“Genre, medium, and format are secondary concerns and, in some instances, they seem to disappear entirely.” One piece of intellectual property inspires a feeding frenzy of podcast, documentary, and miniseries offshoots. Single episodes of streaming-service TV can run as long as a movie. Visual artists’ paintings appear on social media alongside the... See more
Kyle Chayka • How the Internet Turned Us Into Content Machines
“There’s so much interest in content that categorises and explains trends. It helps make sense of the discourse online and distinguish trends from fads.”