The moment I had long dreaded finally arrived: the day I’d have to dismantle my childhood. I suppose I should consider myself ...

I’ve always struggled with the idea of a “guilty pleasure.” Truly innocent pleasure shouldn’t come with a side of shame. Most guilty pleasures are purposely private, indulged alone or among the ...

Consider this a sister piece to the list of “The Worst Songs That We Love So Much” that ran yesterday, with a slightly different conceit. I asked some of my music and culture writer friends to confess ...

In 2018, Mitski released her fifth album, Be the Cowboy. She had been putting out music that was as critically acclaimed as ...

I finally get Midnights. I don’t just mean, “Oh, I thought this album was whatever when I first heard it, and now I really ...

Some people are fans of the Seattle Seahawks. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Seattle Seahawks. This 2025 Defector NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the ...

If it feels like white rappers are sprouting up all around us, it’s with good reason. Though they never really went ...

If there’s one thing I’ve historically been very good at, it’s playing it cool around those for whom I have developed a romantic interest. Ask any of my friends and they’ll confirm that I am skilled ...

It’s pretty common these days for a television show to hold its viewers in contempt. Most “big-hearted comedies” treat you ...

It is easy enough to read about the climate crisis through the dozens of devastating stories that run each week, warning us ...

An estate sale gives you a chance to look inside a person’s life. Did they own nice silverware? Were they a hoarder of ...

Jordan Sargent is a writer and music industry professional living in Brooklyn. His work has appeared in Gawker, Pitchfork, ...