Molly Mary O’Brien
Molly Mary O’Brien is a freelance video editor and writer whose music criticism focuses on pop and R&B albums, the producers behind them, and how these sounds fit into the wider landscape of contemporary pop. She contributes reviews and cultural pieces to Pitchfork and other outlets, and maintains her own music blog, giving her coverage a mix of mainstream reach and independent voice. Her work is built around close attention to current pop stars and the people who shape their records, rather than a broad survey of every genre.
Pop and R&B album reviews for Pitchfork
At Pitchfork, O’Brien writes full-length album reviews that focus on pop and R&B releases, covering artists whose work sits squarely in the current mainstream.
Recent bylines include reviews of Olivia Rodrigo’s you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, Role Model’s Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, and Gracie Abrams’ Daughter From Hell, all tagged within pop and R&B on the masthead’s album pages. These pieces are structured as the outlet’s standard album reviews with an accompanying score, placing her work firmly in the core critic role on that beat.
Taken together, the artists she covers show a concentration on contemporary singer-songwriters and pop acts with strong emotional narratives and radio presence, rather than niche or experimental scenes.
Songwriters, producers, and the machinery of modern pop
Beyond individual album reviews, O’Brien writes about the architects of pop’s sound, foregrounding songwriters and producers whose work defines the charts. Her portfolio highlights a feature on how Max Martin and Shellback shaped modern pop, a piece that shifts the focus from front-facing artists to the behind-the-scenes figures who craft hooks and structures for many major hits.
That choice of subject shows an interest in explaining how pop is made, not just how it feels, and positions her as someone who tracks the industry’s creative infrastructure as part of her coverage. The same portfolio lists a review of Robyn’s Sexistential, reinforcing her focus on pop acts that have helped expand the genre’s emotional and sonic vocabulary over time.
Long-view pop criticism across outlets and formats
O’Brien’s writing around the web includes criticism and essays for outlets such as GQ.com and Dirt, where she extends her pop focus beyond album reviews into broader cultural pieces.
Her feature on Max Martin and Shellback is framed for a general-interest magazine audience, showing that she can translate music-nerd detail into accessible narrative for readers who may not follow every chart movement. She also appears as a recurring guest on the podcast Pop Pantheon, where she has joined episodes unpacking the career and longevity of artists like Pink.
Those appearances underline a long-view approach to pop: she talks about how artists sustain relevance over decades, how catalog and persona evolve, and how individual albums fit into those arcs. Across these outlets and formats, her voice stays anchored in pop history and the mechanics of stardom rather than breaking news or industry gossip.
Independent music blogging and multimedia work
In addition to commissioned criticism, O’Brien runs the music blog I Enjoy Music, described as a callback to old-school music blogging. The blog gives her space to publish on her own schedule and in her own format, complementing the more structured assignments at larger outlets. She also works as a video editor and producer, making videos for individuals, media companies, and brands, with projects ranging from short-form social content to longer pieces.
That multimedia background feeds into her coverage of pop, where she consistently engages with artists whose work is as visual and platform-conscious as it is musical.
4 more music journalists.
Andrea Dresdale
Andrea Dresdale manages entertainment content at ABC Audio and covers music-driven pop culture for news and audio platforms. Her beat centers on chart-friendly pop, new releases, mainstream artists, awards, residencies and industry milestones. She also reports on legacy acts, anniversaries, nostalgia, remixes, live performances and music’s links to film, television, streaming and social media. Her notable coverage includes Taylor Swift, BTS, The Weeknd, Madonna, The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Patty Smyth and Miley Cyrus. Her work has appeared through syndicated ABC Audio coverage on outlets such as WRMF, KS95 and Hot 96.7. Dresdale writes concise, timely pieces for radio audiences. She frames songs, tours, specials and career moments through cultural impact, fan appeal, commercial momentum and lasting relevance. Her stories connect current hits with music history and show how artists maintain attention through new releases, collaborations and reinterpretations.
Andrew Weber
Andrew Weber uses accountability reporting to examine who benefits from decisions shaping Austin’s music ecosystem. He reports for KUT as a government accountability reporter and works as a freelance reporter and associate editor for KUT News across the public radio network. His music coverage focuses on musicians’ pay at festivals, health care, mental health services, venue relief and working conditions. He treats SXSW as a workplace and economic system, reporting on low fees, sponsorships, boycotts and the political choices behind the festival. He also covers government and institutional issues, including KUT’s relationship with the University of Texas and the firing of general manager Debbie Hiott. His reporting ranges from nonprofit support systems to experimental sound art. He plays music on the side and brings digital storytelling experience, including an Edward R. Murrow award for social media work.
Andy Greene
Andy Greene is a senior writer at Rolling Stone who stands out for long-form interviews and narrative features that follow artists across entire careers. He focuses on music, especially classic rock performers, live shows, tours, and band dynamics. He runs the interview series Unknown Legends and King For a Day, which center on veteran musicians, sidemen, collaborators, and singers who replace legendary frontmen. He also writes cover stories and major features on high-profile figures, including Radiohead, Howard Stern, Bill Withers, Nathan Fielder, Steve Perry, Pete Townshend, and Stephen King. His reporting relies on access, detailed questioning, and a deep command of rock history. He also writes about film and television when they connect to music and culture.
Anna Grace Lee
Anna Grace Lee is a Vogue reporter who covers pop musicians and celebrities through fashion, weddings, and lifestyle culture, focusing on dresses, events, pets, and subcultures rather than industry news. She writes scene-driven features that place entertainers in vivid settings, from villas to underground food markets, and treats music-adjacent stories as fashion and craftsmanship narratives. Her Dua Lipa Sicily wedding coverage shows how she frames a wedding dress as a haute couture moment and a pop-cultural milestone, emphasizing design, making, and handwork. Her Millie Bobby Brown miniature poodle piece reflects a consistent interest in celebrity pets, fandom, and off-stage persona. She also reports lifestyle features like Brooklyn’s buzziest underground cheese sale, embedding in niche food scenes. At Vogue she contributes to weddings, celebrity, living, and Met Gala coverage, and maintains a portfolio of culture and lifestyle work built around entertainment-adjacent storytelling.