John Norris

Verified

(He/Him)

Writer, Freelance
Freelance Contributing Writer, Hearst

New York

Arts and Entertainment

As seen in: Hearst, The New York Times, Yahoo Entertainment, Yahoo Life, Aol, Billboard, POLITICO, The Daily Beast, VICE, Entertainment Weekly, Flipboard and

Covers: Music, culture, politics, social activism, LGBTQ+ issues, media, tech

Doesn't Cover: Most retro or backward-looking pieces, with very few exceptions.

Retrophobe. Writes @ GQ; Billboard; Stereogum; DailyBeast; Esquire; PAPER Ex: MTV News; Fuse; VICE Soc francophile. NYer 4ever. The world only spins forward.

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Lucy Bedroque & kuru Enter Their Next Era

Ahead of their double bill at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg, two of young hip-hop's coolest talk new …

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FINNEAS on Scoring the New Season of 'BEEF,' Speaking Out & Whether There's an EGOT in His Future

I spoke to the insanely talented FINNEAS on the project that occupied the majority of his past year: scoring …

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SoFaygo Is Back in the Mix and Feeling the Love

The COVID-era breakout prince of Cactus Jack was gone too long, but he's back to reclaim a spot in Gen Z rap'…

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EsDeeKid Brought the Heat to a Freezing Bowery and Bushwick

The masked breakout rapper from Liverpool, EsDeeKid, played his first New York shows and delivered on the buz…

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With 'Cutthroat,' shame Take No Prisoners

Talking to the irresistible London post-punk band about their fourth and latest album, the fun and fiery 'Cut…

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Quannnic's Quasi-Shoegaze: Sweeping Tales of Tortured Souls

My conversation with the young singer-songwriter-producer on their powerful, PTSD-informed third LP Warbraine…

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On Rock-Inspired 'Rest In Bass,' Che Changes Up

A few weeks before the release of his second studio LP, the highly anticipated 'Rest In Bass' I talked to new…

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EKKSTACY Gets Candid About Substance Abuse, His New Relationship & Going for a 'Full Band' Sound ...

I talked to the Vancouver singer-songwriter EKKSTACY about his new album 'FOREVER,' and itss move toward a ne…

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Jane Remover Comes In Hot

A freewheeling conversation with the jersey-born-Chicago-based digi-punk-producer-singer-songwriter and savan…

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Eem Triplin Is In A Lane Of His Own

A Q&A with Eem Triplin, the affable Pennsylvania artist and producer who may be Gen Z and a rapper, but is ha…

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Muni Talks: Singer-Songwriter Muni Long's Star, Now in its Third Act, is Still Rising

I wrote for Billboard and Honda Stage about the multi-talented Muni Long, now on her third and biggest career…

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OsamaSon Is Riding High on Rap's New Wave

Had an extended talk with one of the preeminent names in Gen Z hip-hop, OsamaSon. We talked about the infamou…

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At The Grammys, Old Heads Are Holding Back Rock and Rap

At the 67th Grammy Awards, youth was served -- at least in pop. In the rock and rap categories? Not so much. …

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Band To Watch: High.

Sat down with New Jersey's hazy alt-rockers High. to talk about whether they are, in fact, shoegaze, their su…

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NLE Choppa Is More Than Meets the Eye | Playgirl

A conversation with rapper-singer-actor-and more NLE Choppa about his 2024 Slut Szn, anchored by the most sex…

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"So Many Feelings:" Meet Nettspend, Gen-Z's Underground Savior

There's not been any more talked-about, photographed, lauded and polarizing new star to emerge in underground…

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Armed With His Best Album Yet, Rich Amiri Is 'War Ready'

The young rapper talks 'War Ready,' his long-gestating follow-up to 'Ghetto Fabulous,' enduring the haters, e…

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Omar Rudberg On Speaking Up and Showing Out

A conversation with the Swedish-Venezuelan boyband star-turned-Netflix-'Young Royals' heartthrob-turned-solo-…

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JOBA Returns, In A New Light

Two years after the end of Brockhampton, fan favorite JOBA returns with a solo debut LP on which he embraces …

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Putting the BigX in Xanadu: Texas' BigXthaPlug Takes Brooklyn at Billboard's Hip-Hop Live

The Big Stepper from Dallas took over Brooklyn as part of Billboard's Hip-Hop Live as BigXthaPlug, recently n…

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Fontaines D.C. on How The Cure, 'Akira' & 'Being In a Better Place' Inspired Its Glorious New Alb...

A lengthy sit-down with Grian Chatten, the thoughtful and restlessly creative frontman of the 2020's most ess…

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Band To Watch: Been Stellar

A backyard conversation in Bushwick, Brooklyn with Been Stellar, whose 'Scream From New York, NY' is one of t…

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Skaiwater Talks Online Ignorance, Lil Nas X & Making Their Soulful, Danceable New Album

After a nearly year-long hiatus, skaiwater --- the charismatic rapper, singer and producer from Nottingham, E…

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Indie Rock Survivors DIIV Bring Shoegaze For the Revolution

I talked to all four members of 21st century indie rock essentials DIIV about their fiercely ethical approach…

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