When many people think of music critics, certain stereotypes come to mind: e.g., hetero white men who are out of touch with most people’s tastes and make great music unforgivably dull. In the last decade, however, some excellent books have challenged conventions of music criticism, opening new paths and blazing new trails for future writers. Here, I list five of the best books of music criticism from the past decade in chronological order. This is by no means a comprehensive survey of contemporary music criticism, but these five books all point a way forward for the field.
Poet and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Hanif Abdurraqib wrote one of the defining nonfiction works of the past decade with the dazzling 2017 essay collection They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, which has since been reissued with more essays. The book isn’t only music criticism, but it keeps returning to music amidst reflections on racism, grief, terror, and joy and thus still provides a welcome alternative to the staid conventions of most music criticism.
The writing is gorgeous but also humane, grounded, and aware of its implications for culture and society at large in the United States. I didn’t care much about Fall Out Boy before reading Abdurraqib’s essay tying their music to a personal tragedy, but I sure did when I was done. Abdurraqib’s combination of keen analysis, well-wrought personal reflection, and enthusiasm for the music he loves makes They Can’t Kill Us an instant classic for music criticism and an essential read.
The ever-astute Jessica Hopper initially published The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic in 2015. Still, the heavily revised and expanded edition from 2021 is an essential text for contemporary listeners and readers. Hopper integrates feminist analysis into groundbreaking and brilliantly insightful reviews and features on sexism in emo, indie rockers licensing music for TV commercials, women in contemporary country, and an oral history of Hole’s 1994 masterpiece Live through This.
As the book’s title suggests, Hopper knows her work is groundbreaking, but The First Collection is especially impressive for its showcase of a pointed feminist presence in the world of rock criticism and its substantial impact, made clear by the end of the revised edition. Hopper’s voice might be the most caustic on this list, but it’s also one of the most inviting voices and perspectives that music criticism has ignored.
The 2022 anthology This Woman’s Work: Essays on Music, co-edited by Sonic Youth founder Kim Gordon, emphasizes the importance of process and labor in women’s music-making efforts. The book is an innovative collection that consistently gives readers fresh angles on a wide range of styles and musicians.
Unique readings of the work of Ella Fitzgerald, Lucinda Williams, Laurie Anderson, Wendy Carlos, and less-known artists and genres make this one of my favorite music books in the last decade for surprising perspectives. The essays–covering topics like trap music, postcolonial exile, and mixtapes and written by the likes of Margo Jefferson and Maggie Nelson–are a delight for learning new ways of thinking about music.
Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop
by Danyel Smith
(Roc Lit 101, 2022)
One of the most formally inventive music books I’ve ever read, veteran journalist Danyel Smith’s 2022 book Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop blends criticism, history, biography, and memoir into a brilliant (no pun intended) testament to the genius of Black women in pop music. Smith’s use of personal narrative powerfully illuminates the analysis of the music she loves, as it does with Abdurraqib and Hopper.
Smith’s enthusiasm for the contributions of everyone from Mahalia Jackson to Mariah Carey to Leontyne Price to Rihanna to the Dixie Cups gives credit where it is beyond overdue. The book’s premise goes against typically rockist criticism that ignores personal narrative–not to mention pop music made by Black women–in favor of ostensible objectivity. Shine Bright is a welcome corrective to such tendencies and one of the best and most game-changing music books of the last decade.
Podcaster and critic Rob Harvilla wrote the funniest music book I’ve ever read with 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s. I laughed out loud with the audiobook in ways I never expected from a music text. However, it’s not just its humor that makes 60 Songs stand out among contemporary music writing. Harvilla’s writing and perspectives are sharp, perceptive, and well-considered throughout.
Reading about the legacies of Céline Dion, TLC, Oasis, Mobb Deep, and many others made me revisit much of the music under consideration. There’s undoubtedly much to disagree with in the book, especially in its treatment of 1990s country music. Still, Harvilla’s approachable style makes 60 Songs a joy to read and one of the most important books in recent years for the future of music criticism.