2021 Killed the Myth That Rock Ever Died

The latest in pop-culture news, recaps, and reviews, plus close reads, profiles, interviews, and more from Vulture.com. [Brand Logo]( YEAR IN CULTURE 2021 [2021 Killed the Myth That Rock Ever Died]( The genre wasn’t just resuscitated — it was up and walking around, no signs of atrophy. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos by Mat Hayward/Getty Images for iHeartMedia, The War on Drugs/YouTube, Lil Huddy/YouTube, Rosalind O’Connor/NBC, Lloyd Bishop/NBC Given the undeniable commercial success of “good 4 u,” it’s already easy to forget what a shock the song was when it arrived. On the heels of her make-or-break debut album, [Olivia Rodrigo]( hadn’t released another breakup ballad like [runaway hit “drivers license”]( and follow-up “deja vu” for the third single. She hadn’t even stuck to the spare pop palette that made both her previous songs, particularly “drivers license,” so widely popular. No, she released a rock song — and a confident, angsty one with shredded guitars and a shouted chorus. “We may someday look back on it as the symbol of the genre’s early ’20s mainstream resurgence,” [Stereogum wrote]( in a review of Sour. Days later, the song debuted at No. 1 before spending 11 more weeks at No. 2, tying the record for most weeks in the runner-up spot. It ends the year as Rodrigo’s most popular song, above even “drivers license,” never mind the most popular rock song of 2021. After [critics]( and [musicians]( alike, often among those most invested in the genre, had spent the past decade checking rock for a commercial pulse, in “good 4 u,” the genre hadn’t just been resuscitated — it was up and walking around, no signs of atrophy. [Read The Story »]( Holiday Sale: [Subscribe today for just $3 per month]( and get unlimited access to Vulture and everything New York. The Latest TV Recaps • [Power Book II: Ghost:]( A Not So Happy Ending • [Deadwood:](The Dam Has Broken • [Yellowstone:](The Bigger Bear [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Stories We Think You’ll Like [The Best Comedy Books of 2021 Featuring Mel Brooks, Amber Ruffin, a history of the Twin Cities comedy scene, and a celebration of Native comedians.]( [Being the Ricardos Isn’t a Biopic, It’s a Filmed Wikipedia Page It’s not just that Sorkin is a better scripter than director — it’s that he’s kind of a lousy director.]( [The Best Animation of 2021 The medium had a year as rich and remarkable as any in recent memory.]( [A Shane Black Christmas Isn’t All That Merry And maybe that’s the point.]( [Wait, That Guy? Explaining That Finale Reveal in The Witcher Season Two How to make sense of the final moments of “Family.”]( [Gala Porras-Kim and the Afterlife of an Artifact The artist explores museum collections to make her work, upending ideas about use and ownership along the way.]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Vulture Recommends We consume it all so you don’t have to. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos by Publishers Whether you’re traveling for the holiday or stuck at home, might we suggest these [nine best audiobooks to listen to](? [Read more from Vulture]( If you enjoyed reading Vulture’s daily newsletter, forward it to a friend. Or dive deeper into the Vulture universe with our other newsletters: • [1.5x Speed](: Podcast recommendations and listening notes from Nick Quah, sent every Wednesday. • [Buffering](: Joe Adalian reports on the streaming industry, sent every Thursday. • [The Housewives Institute Bulletin](: For dedicated students of the Reality TV Arts and Sciences, sent every other Friday. [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe](param=daily) | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, 11th Floor Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2021, All rights reserved