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Craig Jenkins

Music Critic
See all their articles from across New York Magazine
@CraigSJ
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Craig Jenkins is a critic who writes about music and television and comedy and video games. He was a 2021 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Criticism.

  1. Sam Hunt’s Crossover Country Has a Massive Cult FollowingThe country-crossover artist is already a huge star and he got there by bucking every convention he could.
  2. Rap’s Borderless Future Is HereLil Uzi Vert, iLoveMakonnen, Lil Peep, and a few others are pioneering a new form of rap that sounds completely unfamiliar.
  3. Taylor Swift’s ‘…Ready for It?’ Is Better Than ‘Look What You Made Me Do’We did not expect Taylor Swift to rap, but she raps on this song.
  4. On LCD Soundsystem’s American Dream, James Murphy Rediscovers His PurposeThe front man has always been obsessed with how he lived his life, but he had to take a couple years away from music to clarify his perspective.
  5. Game of Thrones’ Grey Worm Makes Music, and It’s Really GoodJacob Anderson plays Grey Worm on Game of Thrones, but he also records music as Raleigh Ritchie. We talked to him about both facets of his career.
  6. Taylor Swift’s ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ Video Is Not As Dark As It Could BeWe already knew Taylor Swift is not the character she plays on TV.
  7. Review: Queens of the Stone Age Rediscover Their Swagger on VillainsThis time, they’re serious about making body music.
  8. The Apocalyptic World of Brand New’s Science Fiction Feels Realer Than EverThe band understands why you feel like everything sucks right now, but they hope you’ll stick it out.
  9. Review: The Disorienting Beauty of Grizzly Bear’s Painted RuinsAfter a long hiatus, Grizzly Bear are back with a complicated, disorienting, and beautiful new album.
  10. Kesha’s Rainbow Finally Exists, But What Does It Actually Sound Like?The artist has reemerged, grizzled, raw, and as talented as ever.
  11. Arcade Fire’s Everything Now Is Late and LoudEverything Now is proof that swing can’t save everything.
  12. A Tribe Called Quest’s Final New York Show, ReviewedAfter the death of Phife Dawg, A Tribe Called Quest released a vital album and performed live in their home city for the final time.
  13. The Personal Reckoning of Tyler, the Creator’s Flower BoyThe fifth album from Tyler, the Creator is a creative and emotional high point that changes the perspective on the Odd Future frontman entirely
  14. On Lust for Life, Lana Del Rey Searches for Happiness in a Dark World“Pop music is about creating an exciting present, not staying tethered to your past.”
  15. The Excesses and Extremes of Guns N’ RosesThe decadence and excess of a Guns N’ Roses live show is still jaw-dropping to behold.
  16. the streaming wars
    What Happens After SoundCloud?Don’t get too comfortable with any one way of traversing the internet. Be prepared to adapt when things shift.
  17. Hug of Thunder Is Broken Social Scene’s Unexpected Protest AlbumAfter years away, Broken Social Scene have reunited for Hug of Thunder, a dense and often great album that features every single member.
  18. Review: Haim’s Something to Tell You Struggles to Break From Its InfluencesHaim’s sophomore release, Something to Tell You, is a strong album that tends to get bogged down by its influences.
  19. Review: The Business of Being Jay-Z Gets Complicated on 4:44Can Jay-Z still push the dial in mainstream hip-hop?
  20. U2’s Two-Hour Pep Talk Is Exactly What We Need Right NowTo celebrate the 30th anniversary of U2’s seminal The Joshua Tree, the band is playing what basically amounts to a very expensive two-hour pep talk.
  21. Vince Staples Made a Hopeful Album, DJ Khaled Made a Hopeless OneIn Big Fish Theory, Vince Staples surprised with a hopeful album. In Grateful, DJ Khaled made a star-studded slog.
  22. The Life and Death of Mobb Deep’s ProdigyProdigy had a knack for no-bullshit street rap unblemished by the passage of time.
  23. Lorde’s Melodrama Satirizes and Exemplifies a Great Breakup RecordThe album is split between heartbroken displeasure and moments of clarity.
  24. Nick Cave Brings Dark Tales of Death and Loss to the Beacon Theatre“They told us our dreams would outlive us … but they lied.”
  25. Katy Perry’s Witness: Not a Total DisasterBut it’s not the major statement she promised us, either.
  26. Tool Headlining Governor’s Ball: Not As Weird As You’d ThinkIt was a calculated risk, but it paid off.
  27. Long Strange Trip Is the Definitive Grateful Dead DocumentaryOthers have tried, but this is the best Dead doc ever.
  28. Remembering Gregg AllmanHe was the rare jam-band singer who could really sing.
  29. On Teenage Emotions, Lil Yachty Tries to Stay PositiveThe young rapper’s penchant for positive hooks and weightless production is on display
  30. Chris Cornell’s Voice Transcended GenerationsChris Cornell was an evocative writer who resonated even when he wasn’t trying.
  31. Metallica Still Have Plenty to GiveAt the Uniondale stop of their WorldWired tour, Metallica proved that they’re still masters of metal.
  32. The Trouble With Woke Pop StarsIneffectual messaging isn’t a crime in the court of public opinion, but when wokeness is your stated aim, thoughtlessness is the result.
  33. Who Is Harry Styles, Really?With his self-titled solo debut, the former One Directioner gives a never-before-seen window into his personal life
  34. Summer Music Preview: Lana Del Rey, Halsey, Fleet Foxes, and Much MorePlus releases from Grizzly Bear, SZA, Wiki, a Broken Social Scene reunion, and two Shabazz Palaces albums.
  35. radio vulture
    Chris Stapleton’s From a Room: Volume 1 Is Proof That Country Is Doing Just FineSongs of hard drinking and sobering thinking abound.
  36. radio vulture
    Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman Is an Often Great Album About DivorceStrength of a Woman’s bloodletting is actually graciously minimal, all things considered.
  37. radio vulture
    On Humanz, Gorillaz Face the Reality of Donald TrumpThe twisted future Gorillaz imagined pretty much came true.
  38. radio vulture
    What’s Going on With Frank Ocean’s New Songs?Frank’s old songs were neat stage plays about the emptiness of depravity, but the “Blonded” songs are more like cinéma vérité.
  39. radio vulture
    Album Review: Brad Paisley’s Love and War Is a Welcome Return to FormOn record, Brad Paisley makes a quiet life sound deeply rewarding.
  40. radio vulture
    Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. Is a Brilliant, Anxious Reflection of the WorldIt’s been two years since Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, and we are not alright.
  41. radio vulture
    In Tenderheart, California Country Star Sam Outlaw Finds His CallingSam Outlaw’s Tenderheart is one of the year’s best country albums
  42. radio vulture
    Pearl Jam Might Not Be Cool, But That Doesn’t Mean They Aren’t GreatOften maligned by their peers, Pearl Jam is actually still a great band.
  43. The Chainsmokers’ Nostalgia for the Recent Past Is Not EnoughThis is music tailor-made for being sad about the recent past.
  44. radio vulture
    Indie-Rock Veterans Confront Grief and PainEverything is just really hard for everyone.
  45. radio vulture
    Jamiroquai and Nelly Furtado Navigate New Pop WatersWhat does it mean to be a veteran pop act in 2017?
  46. radio vulture
    Kendrick Didn’t Need to Diss Drake or Big Sean, But He Might’ve Done It AnywayHe’s not a rapper that needs to punk lesser MCs for laughs.
  47. spring preview 2017
    Spring Music Preview: Gorillaz, Father John Misty, Kendrick(?), and Much MorePlus much-welcome returns of Feist and At the Drive-In, and Chris Stapleton’s big follow-up.
  48. radio vulture
    Maybe At the Drive-In Is Built to Last After AllThe new songs almost held their own against the old ones at Terminal 5.
  49. radio vulture
    Drake’s More Life Is His Best Release in YearsIt almost makes up for Views.
  50. radio vulture
    Rick Ross and Pitbull Get Older, Two Different WaysRick Ross does the better kind of getting old.
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