Maura Johnston | |
---|---|
Born | Syosset, New York, United States | May 28, 1975
Occupation | Music critic, music journalist |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Northwestern University |
Years active | 1997–present |
Website | |
www |
Maura K. Johnston (born May 28, 1975) is a writer, editor and music critic. A member of Boston College's journalism faculty, she has written for Rolling Stone , The Boston Globe , Pitchfork , The Awl , The New York Times , Spin and The Guardian . She is working on a critical biography of Madonna for the Harlequin Enterprises subsidiary Hanover Square Press. [1]
Johnston was a founding editor of Gawker Media's Idolator, where she worked until November 2009. [2] In April 2011, she became the music editor of The Village Voice , [3] holding that position until September 2012. [4] In 2013, she launched the culture periodical Maura Magazine, which was published by 29th Street Publishing through 2015. [5]
She is an adjunct professor at Boston College, which named her the inaugural Institute for Liberal Arts Journalism Fellow in 2013. [6] From 2010 to 2013, she taught at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.
Johnston is involved with Boston College's non-commercial radio station WZBC as a DJ and advisory board member and has DJed at WNUR and WPRB. She has discussed music and popular culture on NPR, WNYC, WBUR and CBC Radio. She has appeared in a handful of music videos, including Speedy Ortiz's "The Graduates", [7] and contributed violin and viola to records by artists including Lefty's Deceiver and Kincaid. [8]
A native of Hicksville, New York, Johnston graduated from Northwestern University in 1997.
The Boston Globe, also known locally as the Globe, is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes.
The Village Voice is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the Voice began as a platform for the creative community of New York City. It ceased publication in 2017, although its online archives remained accessible. After an ownership change, the Voice reappeared in print as a quarterly in April 2021.
Robert Thomas Christgau is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became an early proponent of musical movements such as hip hop, riot grrrl, and the import of African popular music in the West. Christgau spent 37 years as the chief music critic and senior editor for The Village Voice, during which time he created and oversaw the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. He has also covered popular music for Esquire, Creem, Newsday, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NPR, Blender, and MSN Music, and was a visiting arts teacher at New York University. CNN senior writer Jamie Allen has called Christgau "the E. F. Hutton of the music world – when he talks, people listen."
Pitchfork is an American online music publication founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres including pop, hip hop, jazz and metal. Pitchfork is one of the most influential music publications to have emerged in the internet age.
WZBC is a radio station broadcasting an Alternative format. Licensed to Newton, Massachusetts, United States, the station serves Boston and its western suburbs. The station is currently owned by Boston College.
The Real Paper was a Boston-area alternative weekly newspaper with a circulation in the tens of thousands. It ran from August 2, 1972, to June 18, 1981, often devoting space to counterculture and alternative politics of the early 1970s. The offices were in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
"Beat Goes On" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Madonna for her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy (2008). The song features American rapper Kanye West and background vocals by Pharrell Williams. It was co-written by West in collaboration with its producers, Madonna and The Neptunes. The song was leaked in August 2007, featuring only Williams and different lyrics than the album's version, which was released a year later, having additional vocals by West. "Beat Goes On" is a disco song with hip-hop influences, featuring instrumentation from bells, handclaps and whistles.
"1+1" is a song that was recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her fourth studio album, 4 (2011). It was released by Columbia Records in the United States on May 25, 2011, as a promotional single. Serving as the opening track on 4, it was written and produced by The-Dream, Tricky Stewart and Beyoncé. "1+1" was originally titled "Nothing But Love" and The-Dream had initially planned to include it on his second studio album, Love vs. Money (2009). A down-tempo contemporary R&B and soul music power ballad, "1+1" Beyoncé expressing her endless love to her soul mate; the lyrics make strong statements about the power of the relationship.
"Countdown" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé Knowles for her fourth studio album, 4 (2011). The song was written by Knowles, Terius Nash, Shea Taylor, Ester Dean, Cainon Lamb, Julie Frost, Michael Bivins, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris, and produced by Beyoncé, Taylor and Lamb. The song's conception was brought about by Knowles desiring to mix musical styles of the 1990s with the 1970s. It was sent to radio on October 4, 2011, as the fifth single from 4.
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent references to contemporary pop culture and 1950s–70s Americana. Her vintage Hollywood glamour aesthetic is presented not only in her music, but also in her music videos. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an MTV Video Music Award, three MTV Europe Music Awards, two Brit Awards, two Billboard Women in Music, and a Satellite Award, in addition to nominations for eleven Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Variety honored her at their Hitmakers Awards for being "one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 21st century". Rolling Stone placed Del Rey on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time (2023), and Rolling Stone UK named her The Greatest American Songwriter of the 21st century (2023).
Speedy Ortiz is an American indie rock band from Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. Originally a solo project for founder Sadie Dupuis, from 2011 a full band incarnation has released three EPs and three LPs mostly on Carpark Records. As of 2022, the band consists of Dupuis, Audrey Zee Whitesides, Andy Molholt, and Joey Doubek.
Foil Deer is the second studio album by Boston, Massachusetts indie rock band, Speedy Ortiz. The album was released by Carpark Records on April 21, 2015.
Sarah Elizabeth "Sadie" Dupuis is an American musician who is the guitarist, lead vocalist and lyricist for the band Speedy Ortiz. She has also released two solo albums, Slugger and Haunted Painting, under the name Sad13. Dupuis has published two books of poetry. A portrait of her was featured on the August 22, 2022 cover of The New Yorker. In October 2023, Rolling Stone named Dupuis as one of The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
"Private Show" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her ninth studio album, Glory (2016). It was written by Spears, Carla Marie Williams, Tramaine Winfrey and Simon Smith, with production being done by Tramaine "Young Fyre" Winfrey and vocal production by Mischke Butler. The song was first teased with the fragrance of the same name, and later was released as a promotional single from the album on August 4, 2016.
"Clumsy" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her ninth studio album, Glory (2016). It serves as the record's second promotional single, being released on August 11, 2016 for digital download and streaming by RCA Records and Sony Music. It was provided as an instant gratification track for those who pre-ordered Glory. "Clumsy" was written by Talay Riley, Warren "Oak" Felder and Alex Niceforo, while production was handled by Felder and Alex Nice; Mischke Butler served as a vocal producer.
"Do You Wanna Come Over?" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her ninth studio album, Glory (2016). It was written by Mattias Larsson, Robin Fredriksson, Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter and Sandy Chila, and produced by Mattman & Robin. The song was released as the third promotional single from the album on August 18, 2016, as an instant grat track for those who pre-ordered the album and for streaming. "Do You Wanna Come Over?" is a dance-pop and electropop song, with subtle keyboards, a strummed guitar and wobbly bass in its instrumentation.
"Whole Lotta Woman" is a song performed by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her eighth studio album Meaning of Life. It is co-written by Clarkson and its producers—Jussifer, NOVA Wav duo Denisia Andrews and Brittany Coney, Fade Majah, and Jesse Shatkin. A soul anthem about female empowerment, the singer declares herself as a "whole lotta woman" and challenges men to "accept it or walk away". Songwriters put a "fun twist" in the lyrics to allude to the size of Clarkson's waistline, her attitude, her self-worth, and her mouth. Members of the American soul band Earth, Wind & Fire, led by bass player Verdine White, are featured in the song.
"Heat" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson, from her eighth studio album, Meaning of Life (2017). Originally written and produced by the production duo The Monarch, the final version of the track is co-written and co-produced by Mick Schultz with additional writing by Michael Pollack and production by American singer Harlœ and vocal production by Jesse Shatkin. Atlantic Records released the song as the album's third single on July 27, 2018, with a remix version by British DJ Luke Solomon. It reached number one on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in March 2019. The song was featured in the Netflix show Soundtrack.
"Changed My Mind" is a song by Swedish singer Tove Styrke from her third studio album Sway (2018). The song was written by the singer, Elof Loelv, Michael Trewartha, Kyle Trewartha, Kathryn Ostenberg, and Linnea Södahl, with production by Loelv. It was released as the third single from the album on 2 February 2018, through Sony Music. The synth-pop and tropical house song includes dancehall influences and vocoder effects. Its lyrics detail an on-again, off-again relationship where the singer changes her mind about her partner.
Claire Elizabeth Cottrill, known professionally as Clairo, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Carlisle, Massachusetts, she began posting music on the internet at age 13.