The Lauren Murphy Column

Too. Much. Content. Are you suffering from cultural burnout?

Take it from me: this is a hard pill to swallow. As an arts and culture journalist, there is an added pressure on me to keep up with every new album, book, movie, play, exhibition, TV show and podcast available for consumption.

Summer of CMAT: the rise and rise of Ireland's gobbiest pop star

It's out with the cigs, the Bic lighters, the "strappy white tops with no bra" and all the other garish lime green accoutrements; time to drag out the cowboy hats and boots, tooth jewels and brightly coloured tights from storage.

AI, journalism and the importance of human voices

It was inevitable, but it doesn't make it any less terrifying. Most people working within the creative arts - musicians, animators, filmmakers, designers - have already felt the ramifications of AI within their industries.

Have we already passed peak TV?

It was Ardal O'Hanlon who provided the voice of reason...

The young artists making Gaeilge cool again

Hands up if you've ever uttered 'I'd love to speak more Irish, but it's the way it's taught in school that's the problem'?

Why Love/Hate is the TV show that just won't die

In 2010, Love/Hate first graced our television screens, and within the first few minutes of its first episode, set the tone by condemning a newly-introduced character to a grisly end in a drive-by shooting.

Kendrick, Drake and the fine art of the diss track

It is a time-honoured tradition in music: rather than entering into a war of words in the tabloids with your closest rival, write a diss track instead.

Green wave? Sorry, but the Irish have always ruled culture

Sure, aren't we Irish just brilliant, altogether? Look at us now there, on the world stage, showing them all how it's done. Writers. Actors. Athletes. Artists. Musicians. A great bunch of lads (and lasses), so we are.

What's the story? Oasis and the art of the brazen cash-grab

It's becoming increasingly difficult not to feel cynical about the whole thing. Really, it is.

Lauren Murphy on artists knowing when to quit while they're ahead

She made the announcement with no real fanfare, but a few tears thrown in for good measure...

Welcome to Brat Summer - how Charlie XCX created a moment

Before her most recent album was released, the word 'brat' was reserved for unruly children and twentysomething actors from the 1980s.

Lauren Murphy on Sister Act 2 and when nostalgia strikes

Of all the things that have unexpectedly brought a lump to my throat on a humdrum Thursday morning, Sister Act 2 is probably the most random.

Dublin Portal RIP? Lauren Murphy asks: what were they thinking?

'If there was a naughty step available, both sides would be on it.'

When Beyonce went country - Lauren Murphy on artists mixing it up

Wicker Man to Hagstone: Lauren Murphy on the lure of island tales

Stories set on islands have always fascinated me...

Lauren Murphy on why we need fantasy novels now more than ever

One of my favourite things about being knee-deep in a really good book is that sense of escapism.

Notes on AI in music: 'I'm not quite sure how to feel about it'

The Beatles are back, with a little help from AI...

Boo! Lauren Murphy on the horror movie that haunted her dreams

I love horror films. Spooky horror films. Gruesome horror films. Paranormal horrors. Horrors with aliens, horrors with demons, horrors with axe-wielding serial killers. That wasn't always the case, though.

And Just Like That, and the perverse pleasures of the hate-watch

I'm about five episodes into the second season of And Just Like That... I hate it. It's awful.

In defence of 'nepo babies' - a short cut to success?

Lately, I've been thinking a bit about 'nepo babies' - or more specifically, the idea of creative and artistic dynasties.

Fantastic! Lauren Murphy on the genius of George Michael & Wham!

Wham! were a little before my time. I was born in the 1980s, but by the time George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley had called it a day with their final gig at Wembley Stadium in 1986, I was still in nappies.