Lauren Michele Jackson

Lauren Michele Jackson is a writer and doctoral student living in Chicago. Her essays have appeared in The Atlantic, The Point, and Complex, among other places.

Joined March 2016 | 9 posts

Latest Stories

From 2009's 'The Kendrick Lamar EP' to 2022's 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,' which is Kendrick Lamar's best project? We ranked them all from worst to best.

BY LAUREN MICHELE JACKSON

Ranking Kendrick Lamar's Albums From Worst to Best

2017 proved that proved that, while the world is losing its mind, music may be getting more exciting. Here's our picks for the best songs of the year.

BY LAUREN MICHELE JACKSON

The Best Songs of 2017

Taylor's latest video is a self-aware skewering of all her public selves—except the ones that matter.

BY LAUREN MICHELE JACKSON

The Delicious, Blinkered Hypocrisy of Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do"

No other category of music could better understand the freedom found in a persona like rap music, and Lana Del Rey's music is all about pose and persona.

BY LAUREN MICHELE JACKSON

Why Lana Del Rey and Hip-Hop Make for a Natural Pairing

Jay's latest is a confessional that fits into centuries of black storytelling.

BY LAUREN MICHELE JACKSON

Jay Z's '4:44' Reveals the Limits of Decoding Art as Fact

Celebrity-filled pop songs are rarely great songs, but they're always fun and set to dominate your summer.

BY LAUREN MICHELE JACKSON

In Defense of the Frivolous Pop Posse Cut

The Best Albums of 2016 includes projects from Chance the Rapper to Anderson .Paak to Drake to Rihanna to Beyonce to Esperanza Spalding but who's No. 1?

BY LAUREN MICHELE JACKSON

The 50 Best Albums of 2016

Trump supporter Betsy McCaughey’s ridiculous comments against black music and Beyoncé are shared by conservatives and liberals alike.

BY LAUREN MICHELE JACKSON

It's Not Just Trump and Beyoncé: Why White People Always Complain About Black Music

In a city whose officials don’t value our lives, MCD created its own on-stage party for Black cultural expression and gifted it to us.

BY LAUREN MICHELE JACKSON

With Magnificent Coloring Day, Chance Made Chicago the Cultural Hub of the Universe

One writer shares what Beyoncé's 'LEMONADE' represents to her.

BY LAUREN MICHELE JACKSON

I Can Tell You All About Lemonade

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