Slate Magazine

As a longtime listener to Slate’s daily news podcast What Next and a huge fan of its host Mary Harris, it was a major thrill to make my debut on the show this week. I’m the guest for the Tuesday episode, in which Mary and I talked about how Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” tied the all-time Hot 100 No. 1 chart record set by “Old Town Road” in 2019, by fusing audiences and learning from Lil Nas X’s country-trap example. 🥇🎧🤠 LINK: https://lnkd.in/ea6-b69h

Have a Tune™ and a smile: The December episode of my podcast Hit Parade is about the intersection of advertising and hitmaking—how Madison Avenue has shaped decades of chart smashes. Sometimes they’re jingles that turn into singles—from the Carpenters song that started as a bank commercial; to the Japanese beer jingle Sting got onto your radio; to the Chris Brown hit that smuggled a famous gum tagline into the chorus. Sometimes it’s an ad placement that redefines an artist’s career, from Shaggy to Nick Drake, Jet to Feist. And then…there’s the weird, bespoke story of “Convoy,” recorded by a fake artist who launched in a bread commercial before birthing a Christmas music empire. It’s all a bit crass, irresistibly catchy and American as apple pie. (Although the Brits are no slouches in the hits-spawned-by-adverts department!) Before you finish your holiday shopping, get cozy with my show about some real-life Don Drapers who’d like to teach the world to sing…and buy. 🤑📺🥤 LINK: https://lnkd.in/eck36qHq

Most millennials leave their jobs after 2.7 years. Something incredible happened when I did the exact opposite.

As Americans prepare to head into the kitchen for the holiday season, we wanted to know: What are the recipes that define American home cooking? We asked dozens of well-known chefs, cookbook writers, culinary historians to weigh in—not only on the recipes that changed American cookery, but the ones that influenced their own lives. The result is a fascinating, encyclopedic history of American cooking in the modern era.

Find out what it means to me: In this very fraught month, my new Hit Parade episode is all about the natural woman, the legend, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Sure, she had that regal title. But Franklin didn’t just want to be worshipped—she wanted hits. And she got them, on her terms. In the ’60s, when showtunes and standards didn’t work, Aretha switched to gritty R&B and gospel harmonies—and started topping the charts. In the ’70s, when she recorded a live album in a church, it became her all-time bestseller. In the ’80s, when the MTV era changed the game, she did New Wave synthpop her way and scaled the charts again. In the ’90s, she tried house, hip-hop and New Jack Swing, scoring hits deep into her fifties. How did Franklin become a Queen, one hit at a time? In these dark times, if you need some life-giving soul and maybe a little prayer, join me as I explain how Aretha became an icon with self-respect, amazing grace and a deeper love. 💒🎙️👸🏾 LINK: https://lnkd.in/eUZTK5rV

If the election still has you asking “How could they,” Night Is Not Eternal has an answer, but also argues that’s the wrong question.

You’d think workplace Halloween celebrations would be enjoyable: It’s a holiday centered around costumes and candy, after all. And many offices do manage to make Halloween a good time. Sometimes, though, things go awry.

As we near the end of October, I’ve got another Hit Parade—“The Bridge” episode to share (link in the comments), following up our U2 episode. I’m delighted to welcome back friend, colleague and esteemed critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine to dive deeper on the Irish quartet. Tom reviewed literally all of U2’s studio albums for AllMusic and has thought a lot about the unusual chemistry that has kept them aloft for nearly five decades. Tom says the band couldn't exist with Bono, and he, in turn, needs them to carry off his rock-star visions. I even pinned Tom down on his U2 top five—you’ll be fascinated to learn where he places their maligned disc 𝘗𝘰𝘱. Plus, trivia—we have a former Jeopardy! contestant this month—and a next-episode preview that prepares us for an anxious November by saying a little prayer for you. 🎤✝️🙏🏼 LINK: https://lnkd.in/eX__4KvF

I talked to Rachel Bloom about, death, dogs, and trees that smell like [redacted]

On your knees, boy: My new Hit Parade episode is about those four Irish lads with the devout hearts, big mouths, messianic moves and long roster of hits. So…how *did* U2 do it? Pivoting from the earnest ’80s to the sardonic ’90s, then back again in the 21st century, Bono and the boys outlasted new wave, college rock, grunge and electronica to remain chart-toppers into the era of teenpop and hip-hop. All the while, they were both cool and cringe, getting away with stuff that would have felled other bands…well, until they tried to shove an album onto your iPhone. (I have a theory about that, too.) Am I buggin’ you? I don’t mean to bug ya, but join me as I consider why, for about four-plus decades, we can’t live with or without U2. 🎚️🏳️🌳🪰🎸 LINK: https://lnkd.in/etYzQTaS