There’s nothing in either my own pop culture engagement or in the general pop culture discourse right now that interests me (Coachella discourse? YAWN.) So today will just be the roundup.
Roundup
Music
It’s been a fun couple of weeks of new music releases, with some hotly anticipated (by me) albums, some pleasant surprises, and some very exciting singles. I was most excited for the albums from Canadian stalwarts Arkells and Metric, and neither disappointed. And while he’s not ‘for me’, the new album from Noah Kahan is excellent and is something I will return to. But everything the the past two weeks was completely overshadowed by the release of the pre-release single from Olivia Rodrigo, “drop dead.” The hook is so sharp, the production so big, and the writing (surprisingly) adorable, it makes me very excited for the new album, which is scheduled to drop June 12.
Albums
- Between Us (Arkells)
- In the Feeling (Owen Riegling)
- Everything Glows (Cannons)
- KONNAKOL (ZAYN)
- Romanticize the Drive (Metric)
- The Great Divide (Noah Kahan)
Songs
- “drop dead” (Olivia Rodrigo)
- “Good2B” (Goose)
- “First Light” (Lana Del Rey)
- “Wannabeher” (MUNA)
- “Tiny Raisin” (Suki Waterhouse)
- “Tremolo” (Metric)
Reading
I can’t say I’ve had the best couple reading weeks, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading. Here are some of the highlights:
- Fruit (Brian Francis, 2004)
- The Disappearing Act (Maria Stepanova, 2024)
- Saint (Sierra Simone, 2021)
- The Decagon House Murders (Yukito Ayatsuji 1987)
- Serving Face (Felix Le Freak, 2020)
- God in Pink (Hasan Namir, 2015)
- More Tales of the City (Armistead Maupin, 1980)
- The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances (Glenn Dixon, 2026)
- The Pelican Child (Joy Williams, 2025)
- Evenings and Weekends (Oisín McKenna, 2024)
Matthew Root 