Niela Orr
Contact this reporter at niela.orr@buzzfeed.com
How “Hot Girl Summer” Became Everyone’s Favorite Meme Overnight
This summer’s been trash, but Megan Thee Stallion’s ubiquitous catchphrase is giving us some sweet reprieve.
Beyoncé Is A Mystery We Can’t Stop Trying To Solve
After all the confessional albums, candid footage, and memeable moments, Beyoncé still feels as distant as ever.
“Leaving Neverland” Reveals The Monster We Didn’t Want To See In Michael Jackson
In telling the gut-wrenching stories of two boys who survived Jackson’s alleged abuse, the HBO documentary digs deep into the most painful contradictions of a cultural icon.
“The Real Housewives Of Atlanta” Shows How Impossible The American Dream Is
More than just a meme generator, the hit reality series reflects the bourgeois panic triggered by the 2008 recession.
Is Lauryn Hill’s Legacy Still Assured?
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was an attempt to remake the artist's image — but it was complicated by her desire to disappear.
Miami’s City Girls Are The Perfect Rappers For Scammer Season
The rap duo featured in Drake’s new hit song are all about women getting their paper, period.
Beyoncé & Jay-Z's New Album Is The Coolest Marriage Has Looked In A While
Everything Is Love is a symbolic re-exchange of rings, a symphonic take on #blacklove in a moment suffuse with it.
What Are We To Do With White Women Rappers?
Bhad Bhabie’s recent Billboard Award nomination attracted lots of controversy and speaks to how we’re still not sure what place white women should have in hip-hop.
Meek Mill's Prison Sentence Is Proof That Our Justice System Is Broken
The Philadelphia rapper's two- to four-year prison sentence for violating probation serves as a litmus test for how one feels about the US’s prison-industrial complex.
If People Love You For Your Saddest Songs, How Can You Be Happy?
Mary J. Blige's career arc has become synonymous with pain and heartbreak — but being a perpetual medium of despair comes with a cost.
Jay-Z's "4:44" Is The Revelation We've Been Waiting For
On his new album, the artist is more emotionally available than ever. And it’s about time.
Why You Should Put Some Respek On The Breakfast Club's Name
With routinely viral moments and interviews with the likes of Hillary Clinton and Kanye West, The Breakfast Club has become one of the few crossover morning radio shows where black perspectives are prioritized.
What Does The Raised Fist Mean In 2017?
Once a sign of solidarity for the black civil rights movement, the raised fist, now used by everyone from Winona Ryder to Donald Trump, has come to mean everything and nothing at the same time.
Can Meek Mill Bring About A Post Rap Beef World?
The rapper's new mixtape is part redemption narrative, part trap spaghetti western. But by refusing to directly address his critics, Meek suggests the era of the career-damaging rap beef is over.
How Alicia Keys Changed The Conversation About Her Image
Her makeup-free campaign may be empowering, but it’s also a savvy way to reframe how the public perceives her.
Black Trauma Remixed For Your Clicks
In viral videos, the real-life pain of black people is repurposed into fun, catchy songs for popular consumption. But at what cost?
Two College Degrees Later, I Was Still Picking Kale For Rich People
While buying groceries for rich people, I realized upward mobility in America is largely a myth.