Mikael Wood writes about pop music in all its ever-quickening splendor. Prior to joining the Los Angeles Times in 2012, he was a freelance contributor to Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Spin and the Village Voice. He grew up in Little Rock, Ark., graduated from Northwestern University and knows every word to “Mo Money Mo Problems.” He was named pop music critic in 2016.
Latest From This Author
In San Diego on Monday night, the Boss performed one of his first gigs — complete with a guest appearance by a dog — since resuming his world tour postponed last year.
March 26, 2024
Thirty years after the release of their debut LP, the members of Weezer reveal how the Blue Album came to be.
March 25, 2024
On his first solo album since 2018, the former boy-band star seems blithely unaware of the critique that’s coalesced around him in recent years.
March 18, 2024
Many assumed the controversial rapper would perform a full-fledged show at the hip-hop festival in Inglewood. He had other ideas.
March 15, 2024
The country star’s sixth studio album, ‘Deeper Well,’ contemplates renewal and self-care after a divorce. ‘Kacey just wants to grow,’ says one friend.
March 13, 2024
The late Jimmy Buffett will be honored at the Hollywood Bowl next month with a tribute concert featuring Paul McCartney, the Eagles and Brandi Carlile.
March 11, 2024
If “What Was I Made For?” had seemed for weeks like a lock at the Oscars, Billie Eilish and Finneas’ performance of the song on Sunday’s telecast faced some stiff competition from renditions of the other nominated tunes.
March 11, 2024
Madonna brought her career-spanning Celebration tour to the Kia Forum for a night of hits, memories and grievances.
March 5, 2024
Norah Jones talks about her funky new garage-soul album, ‘Visions,’ and about her love of Willie Nelson and Joni Mitchell.
March 4, 2024
Ahead of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ and a new album by his band Bleachers, Jack Antonoff talks about ‘starting to take some of my things to the Container Store in my head.’
Feb. 28, 2024