Paul Thompson

Author

“In My Mind I Was Already Gone”: The Endless End of Outkast

Twenty years after the release of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, we chart how the creation of André 3000 and Big Boi’s fifth studio album became the start of Outkast’s ending.

By Paul Thompson September 22

Succession

Why ‘Succession’ Had to Use Its Ultimate Trump Card

Making sense of what remains—emotionally and practically—after "Connor’s Wedding"

By Paul Thompson April 10

Music

The Gorgeous, Sprawling Anti-nostalgia of Lana Del Rey’s ‘Ocean Blvd’

Her ninth album, ‘Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,’ is sprawling, contemplative, and her most personal to date

By Paul Thompson March 29

Succession

‘Succession’ Knows Exactly What’s at Stake. Do Its Characters?

In its fourth and final season, the HBO drama will look to cement its legacy among the greats. Meanwhile, the Roy family fights over control that may not exist.

By Paul Thompson March 22

Oscars

Forget the Men—the Engine of ‘Banshees of Inisherin’ Is Kerry Condon

Let’s make the case for an upset in Best Supporting Actress

By Paul Thompson February 28

The Man and the Machine: On 20 Years of 50 Cent and ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’’

Two decades ago, the G-Unit leader released his debut album, a testament to an artist and an industry at their respective peaks. Within a few years, everything would be different for both of them.

By Paul Thompson February 6

Movies

Jean-Luc Godard, the Egoless Auteur

Godard, the French Swiss director who died Tuesday at 91, defined the idea of visionary filmmaker—but he was the first to tell you that his successes were owed to many

By Paul Thompson September 14, 2022