Give A Gift
MOST RECENT ARTICLES BY:

Nate Sloan

See all their articles from across New York Magazine
  1. switched on pop
    Olivia the Alchemist Does It AgainOn “vampire” and “bad idea right?,” Olivia Rodrigo cleverly refashions her influences into something unique.
  2. switched on pop
    Let’s Give a Close Listen to Eurovision 2023’s Six Front-runnersAll of the song contest’s odds-on favorites are over-the-top, but only one of them is way, way over.
  3. switched on pop
    ‘Kiss From a Rose’ Wasn’t Made to Be a Classic“It shouldn’t really work, if you start to get analytical about it. But somehow it does,” says Seal. “It’s kind of against all odds.”
  4. switched on pop
    You Haven’t Heard ‘Stayin’ Alive’ Like This BeforeScary Pockets and Lizzy McAlpine show how they put a distinct spin on the Bee Gees classic.
  5. switched on pop
    How Midnights Sonically Convinces Us That Taylor Swift Actually Broke CurfewHint: With the help of “a very low, almost boiling bass patch that adds an air of discomfort to whatever it accompanies.”
  6. switched on pop
    Santigold Was Combusting From the Pressures of LifeCreating her new album, Spirituals, was “my way to escape and create some beauty and light to grasp onto and move toward.”
  7. switched on pop
    Doja Cat’s ‘Vegas’ Is a ‘Hound Dog’ History LessonHer single borrows from Big Mama Thornton, Elvis, and others who have recorded the classic.
  8. switched on pop
    How Abortion-Rights Chants Became an AnthemThe moment the singer MILCK heard “We won’t go back” during a protest, she knew she had the makings of a song.
  9. podcasts
    Harry’s House Is Powered by Harry’s HornsHarry Styles’s recent album taps into the 1980s and the percussive, full-bodied horn sections of that era.
  10. switched on pop
    The House Music That Beyoncé BuiltHer new single, “Break My Soul,” taps into the genre’s long, vibrant history.
  11. switched on pop
    The Point Guard of Winning Time’s Score Sees Jazz in BasketballNicholas Britell brought charts to record the show’s score. Robert Glasper, his co-composer, doesn’t get down like that: “I was like, ‘Hell no.’”
  12. switched on pop
    Kate Bush, Running Up Those ChartsA deal with God, a vortex of nostalgia, and Stranger Things’ needle drop for the ages.
  13. switched on pop
    So Your Song Went Viral on TikTok. What’s Next?While stars see the platform as a chore, it’s a lifeline for new acts.
  14. switched on pop
    Latto and Mariah Carey’s Big ‘Genius’ EnergyExploring the post-punk origins of a fantasical pop smash.
  15. switched on pop
    Mr. Morale & the Big SamplesBreaking down the sonic bread crumbs of Kendrick Lamar’s latest album.
  16. switched on pop
    PJ Morton Made Nas’s Dream Come TrueAfter the rapper name-dropped Stevie Wonder on a panel, a fortuitous beat slid his way.
  17. switched on pop
    Will Ukraine Win Eurovision This Year?Its entry, written before the Russian invasion, has become a beacon of national pride and is the odds-on favorite to take home the glass microphone.
  18. switched on pop
    Belle and Sebastian Fear Accordions But Not Their ReputationBand leader Stuart Murdoch: “We might be deeply uncool and a little bit fey, but we ain’t going anywhere.”
  19. switched on pop
    Batman Isn’t the Only Person Brooding to ’90s AlternativeNirvana’s “Something In The Way” recently hit the Hot 100 alongside songs that are clearly borrowing grunge-era sounds.
  20. switched on pop
    6 Steps to Writing a Buzzy SingleAllison Ponthier gives a tour of her songwriting journal and the process she used to write her new song, “Autopilot.”
  21. switched on pop
    Slow Build, Fast RiseWith a Gospel-tinged sound and collective of contributors, Maverick City Music has released 17 genre-spanning albums in 4 years.
  22. switched on pop
    The Vocal Turbulence of Britney’s ‘Gimme More’The thick manipulation of her singing matched what was happening in her personal life.
  23. switched on pop
    The Writers of Britney’s ‘Toxic’ Worried It Was Too ‘Weird’ to Be a HitThey were wrong.
  24. switched on pop
    When Britney Needed a New Sound, the Neptunes Delivered“I’m a Slave 4 U” marked the beginning of a new Spears era.
  25. switched on pop
    Haters Misunderstood What Made Britney’s ‘Baby Voice’ GreatHer technique was pure artistry, no “Oops” about it.
  26. switched on pop
    ‘I’m a Big Fan of Uncomfortable Space on Records’Khruangbin and Leon Bridges took a less-is-more approach when making their latest EP, Texas Moon.
  27. switched on pop
    Enjoying Emotional Overload With Sylvan EssoThe Grammy-nominated duo discuss their intoxicating, body-moving sound.
  28. switched on pop
    We Just Had to Talk About ‘Bruno’Figuring out why everyone loves the doomy-gloomy Encanto song that became Disney’s first chart-topper in 19 years.
  29. switched on pop
    Elvis Costello’s Aim Remains True, 32 Albums InPlus, riffs on everything from Olivia Rodrigo’s songs being “how rock and roll works” to passing on a chance to write for Adele.
  30. switched on pop
    Behold the Indie K-pop StarWith his new album There and Back Again, Eric Nam searches for footing outside the industry machine.
  31. switched on pop
    The Weeknd’s Dawn FM Is a Dirge, a Mirror, and an Echo, Echo, EchoThe pop star compellingly regurgitates past hits to soundtrack the grim present and future of celebrity.
  32. switched on pop
    Which New-Gen Christmas Songs Have Us Shouting Out With Glee?Making a list of recent holiday tracks and checking it twice to find out what we’ll be singing in December for years to come.
  33. switched on pop
    Tai Verdes Started From the Bottom (of His Building, Literally the Basement)Now the TikTok star is here, selling out a tour and performing at Lollapalooza.
  34. switched on pop
    Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, ‘Beautiful Nugget’ HuntersThe Grammy-decorated duo reflects on the wide array of influences at work on their latest album Raise the Roof.
  35. switched on pop
    How Many Let It Be Reissues Does It Take for the Beatles to Get the Vibe Right?Fifty years and two documentaries later, it looks like the answer is “at least four.”
  36. switched on pop
    Snotty Nose Rez Kids Revel in a Beautiful Blend of Rap and Indigenous CultureAs Young D from the First Nations hip hop duo explains, “In hip hop, you have the MC. Well, we have our storytellers.”
  37. switched on pop
    New ABBA, Just Like the Old ABBA (and Then Some!)Figuring out what makes the band tick on the occasion of Voyage, their first album in 40 years.
  38. switched on pop
    The Healing Power of PopWe know that music gets us through hard times, but let’s look a little into the science and craft of why.
  39. switched on pop
    The Escapist Male Fantasy of the James Bond Theme SongExploring the superspy’s musical underpinnings as the Daniel Craig era draws to a close.
  40. switched on pop
    James Blake Has Come to Terms With His Underrated InfluenceTherapy and reaching his 30s have helped the artist-producer focus on simply having fun.
  41. switched on pop
    Why Does Olivia Rodrigo Keep Giving Up Songwriting Credits?Copyright lawsuits are making musical interpretation an increasingly costly endeavor.
  42. switched on pop
    John Carpenter’s Influence Is Inescapable on Chvrches’ Screen ViolenceThe synthpop revivalists even got the horror master to remix one of the songs on their new album, which prods the dark depths of online abuse.
  43. switched on pop
    The ‘Weird, Swampy Alchemy’ Behind Big Red Machine’s New AlbumAaron Dessner recalls the kinetic energy of working with Taylor Swift, Sharon Van Etten, and Robin Pecknold, among others, all at once.
  44. switched on pop
    What Makes Cat Power’s ‘Manhattan’ a Classic NYC AnthemMost songs about New York are pop songs, as the singer’s 2012 track perfectly exemplifies.
  45. switched on pop
    What’s Your Best Music-Festival Moment? Switched on Pop Listeners Swap Stories“Suddenly everything coalesces and ratchets up, and everyone’s kind of flying.”
  46. switched on pop
    The Beauty and the Horror of Insane Clown Posse’s Gathering of the JuggalosConverted fan Nathan Rabin explains the appeal of a group once derided as a “magnet for ignorance.”
  47. switched on pop
    How Coachella Copped the Woodstock LookBreaking down the commercialization of festival fashion with some special guests from The Cut.
  48. switched on pop
    Mark Ronson Is Still in Awe of Ginuwine’s ‘Pony’ and Its Influence on MusicHe’s also grateful for the time Paul McCartney snapped him out of his laziness.
  49. summer hits
    How Jack Antonoff Found That Magical Moment of Musical Clarity“One day you wake up and you’re like, Oh my God, we’re in this.”
  50. switched on pop
    Childish Gambino’s ‘Redbone’ and the Unending Relevance of ’70s SoulYola discusses the song’s influence on her work as well as “the Mary Poppins philosophy of music.”
More Articles