Mikael Wood writes about pop music in all its ever-quickening splendor. Prior to joining the Los Angeles Times in 2012, he was a freelance contributor to Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Spin and the Village Voice. He grew up in Little Rock, Ark., graduated from Northwestern University and knows every word to “Mo Money Mo Problems.” He was named pop music critic in 2016.
Latest From This Author
Pop superstar Billie Eilish’s new album ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ is due Thursday night. One breezy track already feels like a hit.
May 16, 2024
Ahead of dual performances at Saturday’s Just Like Heaven festival, Ben Gibbard talks about his overlapping careers with the Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie.
May 15, 2024
He’s written massive hits for Morgan Wallen and Post Malone. But Ernest’s new album takes a longer view of Nashville tradition.
May 13, 2024
The musician and engineer famed for his collaborations with Nirvana and the Pixies died Tuesday at age 61. Hear some of his most important work.
May 9, 2024
The feud between the two superstar rappers appeared to climax over the weekend. What will it mean for their careers going forward?
May 7, 2024
The London-born singer sounds great on her third studio LP. But is that enough in the age of the celebrity meta-narrative?
May 2, 2024
The Compton-born rapper returned his onetime collaborator’s fire in a new song Tuesday that questions Drake’s authenticity and Blackness.
April 30, 2024
Morgan Wallen, Hardy and the Beach Boys with John Stamos brought the heat for the final day of the 2024 Stagecoach country music festival.
April 29, 2024
A Miranda Lambert and Reba McEntire moment, Post Malone’s all-star set and a strange Guy Fieri cooking demo catch our fancy at Stagecoach.
April 28, 2024
From Jelly Roll’s big night and Eric Church’s somber set to Dwight Yoakam’s flying fringe, these are the biggest moments from Day 1 of Stagecoach 2024.
April 27, 2024