Gabriel Aikins

Gabriel Aikins

Gabriel Aikins is a freelance music journalist based in Michigan. He previously served as Digital Content Editor for Cleveland-based Substream Magazine and his work has appeared in i-D. He is a lover of all flavors of pop music, and takes great joy from his conversations with musicians. When not writing, he can be found working at his local bookstore or reading through his frankly enormous backlog of books.

Gabriel's Articles

Ariana Grande’s Musical Growth In 15 Tracks, From “The Way” To “Hampstead”

Ariana Grande’s Musical Growth In 15 Tracks, From “The Way” To “Hampstead”

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on June 26, 2023, and was updated on March 31, 2025 to include information about eternal sunshine and its deluxe edition as well as Wicked. Before Ariana Grande became a chart-topping pop singer, she played an aspiring artist on Nickelodeon's "Victorious." Amid her character's sitcom antics, Grande's musical talent was strikingly apparent (as…

Levels Of Lana: 12 Songs To Explore Lana Del Rey’s Career For Every Kind Of Fan

Levels Of Lana: 12 Songs To Explore Lana Del Rey’s Career For Every Kind Of Fan

When it comes to exploring Lana Del Rey's discography, it can be hard to know where to start. The pop songstress has a sprawling catalog, consisting of nine albums, four EPs, and a handful of other standalone singles. You could begin with Born To Die, her highly influential major label debut, or its moody follow-up, Ultraviolence, her first to top…

Kelly Clarkson Essentials: 12 Songs That Highlight Her Illustrious Pop Career

Kelly Clarkson Essentials: 12 Songs That Highlight Her Illustrious Pop Career

From her very first moments of fame, Kelly Clarkson has had great expectations placed upon her shoulders. As the very first winner of 'American Idol' back in 2002, the world longed for the Texas native to be a star — and she has delivered on that hope time and time again. Clarkson's powerhouse voice immediately makes her talent apparent, but…

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Harry Styles’ Sonic Evolution: How He Grew From Teen Pop Idol To Ever-Evolving Superstar

Watching 16 year-old Harry Styles walk onto the stage for his "The X Factor" audition in 2010, it's remarkable how little some things have changed in the following 13 years. Though his rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" was rather unpolished — even receiving a "no" from judge Louis Walsh — his magnetic charisma and natural talent were more…

How Hailee Steinfeld Is “Entering A New Space” & Paying Tribute To California With Her Next Project

How Hailee Steinfeld Is “Entering A New Space” & Paying Tribute To California With Her Next Project

Hailee Steinfeld has given fans plenty of opportunities to appreciate her acting in the last couple of years, from playing iconic poet Emily Dickinson in Apple TV's "Dickinson" to stepping into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the lead in Disney+ miniseries "Hawkeye." At the same time, fans of Steinfeld as a singer/songwriter have been left eagerly anticipating new music —…

The Magic Of ‘Melodrama’: How Lorde’s Second Album Solidified Her & Producer Jack Antonoff As Global Stars

The Magic Of ‘Melodrama’: How Lorde’s Second Album Solidified Her & Producer Jack Antonoff As Global Stars

As 2017 began, one pop star's name served as a mainstay on lists of the year's most-anticipated albums: Lorde.  The New Zealand singer/songwriter first made a name for herself at just 16 with her GRAMMY-nominated debut album, 2013's Pure Heroine. Aside from the 2013-2014 Pure Heroine Tour, Lorde spent much of the intervening four years living a mostly secluded life…

For The Record: Why Lana Del Rey’s ‘Born To Die’ Is One Of Pop’s Most Influential Albums In The Past Decade

For The Record: Why Lana Del Rey’s ‘Born To Die’ Is One Of Pop’s Most Influential Albums In The Past Decade

When Lana Del Rey released her sixth album Norman Fucking Rockwell! in 2019, it felt like a coronation. Beyond the immediate critical approval, the album was nominated for a number of GRAMMYS, including Album of the Year, and appeared on major publications’ “Best of the Decade” list. It was a fitting reward for a pop mainstay, but it didn’t happen…

For The Record: Adele’s Icon-Making ’21’ At 10

For The Record: Adele’s Icon-Making ’21’ At 10

As dawn was still rising on the New Year in 2011, the music industry was already humming with anticipation. A fast-emerging English songstress named Adele was about to release her sophomore album, 21, and there were signs it could be big. Three years earlier, in 2008, she released her debut album, 19, which earned praise and awards and also gave…

‘Tron: Legacy’ At 10: How Daft Punk Built An Enduring Soundtrack

‘Tron: Legacy’ At 10: How Daft Punk Built An Enduring Soundtrack

In December 2010, The Walt Disney Company took a chance—the kind only a business can take when they're the most powerful entertainment conglomerate in the world. They took Tron—a 1982 film about the world and programs living inside computers that enjoyed a dedicated, if small, cult following—and gave it a sequel. Tron: Legacy brought back original star Jeff Bridges, alongside…

mxmtoon Prepares For An Autumn Of Reflection

mxmtoon Prepares For An Autumn Of Reflection

Autumn is almost here, and even in this pandemic-altered year it symbolizes a transformative mindset and mood. As the blossoms of spring give way to the sunshine of summer and finally to the brisk breeze of fall, it gives people a chance to reflect on where they’ve been and where they’d like to go. It’s a calmer, more introspective time. That…

Kate Bollinger Explores The Power & Nuance Of Communication On New EP

Kate Bollinger Explores The Power & Nuance Of Communication On New EP

Listening to music is a deeply personal experience. Even if a song is explicitly about a certain event or feeling, each listener will bring different views or memories to the track that can change their perception. This is an inevitable part of making any art, so songwriter Kate Bollinger went and made her music this way intentionally. Whether listening to…

Haux Unpacks A Fraught Family History On His Debut, ‘Violence In A Quiet Mind’

Haux Unpacks A Fraught Family History On His Debut, ‘Violence In A Quiet Mind’

A debut album is a big deal for an artist. Even in the era of streaming singles and EPs, a full-length debut can serve as an artistic introduction to a bigger audience than they’ve previously had. For Woodson Black, his debut carries even more personal significance. Violence In a Quiet Mind (out July 17), Black’s first record under his performance…

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