The spectacular rise and depressing demise of Charli XCX’s Brat Summer

It was inevitable that I would end up writing about Charli XCX’s Brat — without question not only the album of the year but the pop-culture event of the year. But the crazy thing is how the nature of this essay changed so dramatically several times in the course of just a few days, from … Continue reading The spectacular rise and depressing demise of Charli XCX’s Brat Summer

“Remember what I told you”: Sinéad O’Connor’s incomparable life of rebellion

I learned of Sinéad O’Connor’s death at four in the morning here in Sydney, in the midst of a bout of insomnia, a common occurrence for me. It struck me like a blow, knocking the wind out of me. I scrolled in shock through the headlines and posts for a bit, then sat on the … Continue reading “Remember what I told you”: Sinéad O’Connor’s incomparable life of rebellion