Carrie Battan
Carrie Battan began contributing to The New Yorker in 2015 and became a staff writer in 2018. She has contributed to the Times, New York magazine, GQ, and Elle, and her work was anthologized in the 2021 edition of “The Best American Travel Writing.”
Sabrina Carpenter’s Funny, Feisty “Short n’ Sweet”
The artist sings with wry, petulant specificity, whether she’s addressing a boyfriend, an ex-boyfriend, or that ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend.
Matt Rife’s Sleepless Summer
The twenty-eight-year-old relishes his status as a “cancelled” comic. He also happens to be one of the most popular acts in the country.
The Summer of Girly Pop
This season’s hits have been exuberant and canny, treating femininity as a kind of inside joke.
A Succession Battle Over America’s Largest Ren Faire
A new HBO documentary series follows King George, the eighty-six-year-old overlord of the Texas Renaissance Festival, and the vicious competition to replace him.
Jerrod Carmichael Finds the Outer Limits of Confessional Comedy
Through an uncanny hybrid of access journalism and fourth-wall breaking, the comedian created an HBO series that was impossible to look away from.
Ilana Glazer’s “Babes” Joins a Lineage of Pregnancy Comedies
In the past decade, pregnancy has proved to be the ideal vehicle for raunch—and for observations on class and social mores.
The Anxious Precision of Jacqueline Novak’s Comedy
“Get on Your Knees,” her new Netflix special, is a ninety-minute reflection on the blow job.
The Revealing Spectacle of Beyoncé’s “Renaissance”
Beyoncé’s nearly three-hour-long concert film captures a grandiose affair, but it also has its own lofty aspirations.
PinkPantheress Is a Hopeless Romantic
On her new album, “Heaven Knows,” the Gen Z songstress displays a yearning quality that’s surprisingly difficult to locate in today’s splintered, chaotic pop world.
Drake’s Era of Masculine Frustration
On his new album, “For All the Dogs,” the star rapper wallows in his discontent.
The Ascent of the Supermodel
A four-part Apple TV+ series, “The Super Models,” traces the transformation of Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, and Linda Evangelista into a new cultural category.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Star-Making “Guts”
The singer’s new album comes loaded with expectations about her talent and the future of the music industry.
Romy’s Exuberant Eurodance Revival
On “Mid Air,” the xx singer and guitarist embraces Y2K dance music, transforming big-room E.D.M. drops into elegant crescendos.
“And Just Like That . . .” Has One Too Many Cosmopolitans
The first season was a pleasant reunion; the second season has some issues.
Hannibal Buress the Rapper’s Warmup Act? Hannibal Buress the Comedian
The former standup comic, whose career shift into music is not, in fact, a bit, does a quick comedy set downtown before rapping about veneers and weight lifting.
The Zen Wisdom of Sarah Silverman
The comic discusses the recent death of her parents, how hosting a call-in podcast has been freeing, and her new standup special, “Someone You Love.”
Desperate to Be Micro-Famous
The satirical film “Sick of Myself” shows the warping effects of social media by way of a character who gives herself a hideous rash.
John Mulaney Confronts Addiction in His New Netflix Special
As an act of vulnerability, “Baby J” may not live up to expectations, but it’s further confirmation of Mulaney’s comedic talent.
The Casual Anti-Spectacle of Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show
Rihanna is perhaps the only pop star so relaxed and unencumbered by expectations that she could turn such a high-stakes occasion into a jaunt.
Sabrina Carpenter’s Funny, Feisty “Short n’ Sweet”
The artist sings with wry, petulant specificity, whether she’s addressing a boyfriend, an ex-boyfriend, or that ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend.
Matt Rife’s Sleepless Summer
The twenty-eight-year-old relishes his status as a “cancelled” comic. He also happens to be one of the most popular acts in the country.
The Summer of Girly Pop
This season’s hits have been exuberant and canny, treating femininity as a kind of inside joke.
A Succession Battle Over America’s Largest Ren Faire
A new HBO documentary series follows King George, the eighty-six-year-old overlord of the Texas Renaissance Festival, and the vicious competition to replace him.
Jerrod Carmichael Finds the Outer Limits of Confessional Comedy
Through an uncanny hybrid of access journalism and fourth-wall breaking, the comedian created an HBO series that was impossible to look away from.
Ilana Glazer’s “Babes” Joins a Lineage of Pregnancy Comedies
In the past decade, pregnancy has proved to be the ideal vehicle for raunch—and for observations on class and social mores.
The Anxious Precision of Jacqueline Novak’s Comedy
“Get on Your Knees,” her new Netflix special, is a ninety-minute reflection on the blow job.
The Revealing Spectacle of Beyoncé’s “Renaissance”
Beyoncé’s nearly three-hour-long concert film captures a grandiose affair, but it also has its own lofty aspirations.
PinkPantheress Is a Hopeless Romantic
On her new album, “Heaven Knows,” the Gen Z songstress displays a yearning quality that’s surprisingly difficult to locate in today’s splintered, chaotic pop world.
Drake’s Era of Masculine Frustration
On his new album, “For All the Dogs,” the star rapper wallows in his discontent.
The Ascent of the Supermodel
A four-part Apple TV+ series, “The Super Models,” traces the transformation of Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, and Linda Evangelista into a new cultural category.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Star-Making “Guts”
The singer’s new album comes loaded with expectations about her talent and the future of the music industry.
Romy’s Exuberant Eurodance Revival
On “Mid Air,” the xx singer and guitarist embraces Y2K dance music, transforming big-room E.D.M. drops into elegant crescendos.
“And Just Like That . . .” Has One Too Many Cosmopolitans
The first season was a pleasant reunion; the second season has some issues.
Hannibal Buress the Rapper’s Warmup Act? Hannibal Buress the Comedian
The former standup comic, whose career shift into music is not, in fact, a bit, does a quick comedy set downtown before rapping about veneers and weight lifting.
The Zen Wisdom of Sarah Silverman
The comic discusses the recent death of her parents, how hosting a call-in podcast has been freeing, and her new standup special, “Someone You Love.”
Desperate to Be Micro-Famous
The satirical film “Sick of Myself” shows the warping effects of social media by way of a character who gives herself a hideous rash.
John Mulaney Confronts Addiction in His New Netflix Special
As an act of vulnerability, “Baby J” may not live up to expectations, but it’s further confirmation of Mulaney’s comedic talent.
The Casual Anti-Spectacle of Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show
Rihanna is perhaps the only pop star so relaxed and unencumbered by expectations that she could turn such a high-stakes occasion into a jaunt.