Ben Naddaff-Hafrey

Bio

Ben moved to NYC in October. He is currently the editor of the Mic Music section. He graduated from Harvard in 2013 with a degree in American History & Literature and a secondary in Mind/Brain/Behavior. Outside of work, he is an active musician.
What the Dream Band Would Look Like if Every Musician Were From Your State
By Ben Naddaff-Hafrey, Kate Beaudoin and Tom Barnes
Whether it's a song about longing for a beloved home or breaking away from a stifling one, American musicians are always writing about the places they're from. American music isn't defined by a sound or a set of artists, but by a theme. American…
'Empire' Just Beat Madonna for the No. 1 Spot on the Billboard Chart
By Ben Naddaff-Hafrey
Lucious Lyon, the emperor from Empire, would be proud: As of Wednesday, the day of its season one finale, the soundtrack for the first series of Fox's hit show is the No. 1 album in the country. Not only that, it's bested Madonna's new record Rebel…
My Morning Jacket's New Single Is Why They're One of the Last Great Rock Bands
By Ben Naddaff-Hafrey
My Morning Jacket has been releasing albums since 1999, and in that time they have become one of the last truly strange American bands in an otherwise staid genre: rock 'n' roll. Still, a 17-year-career threatens complacency, and the band neared…
12 Brief Thoughts on Attending the Grammys as the Least Famous Person in the Room
By Ben Naddaff-Hafrey
When the Uber driver finally gave up about two blocks away from the Grammys, my date and I walked. Coming up on a highway underpass, we could see the entry arch well enough to start feeling a little glamorous. Then, a beat-up Civic pulled up…
14 Things from the Grammys You Didn't See on TV
By Ben Naddaff-Hafrey
The Grammy Awards are ultimately more about the show than they are the awards. Most of the "Grammy moments" are feats of self-sacrifice: All through the night, Grammy losers like Sia, Katy Perry and Beyoncé stood and delivered the evening's best…
The Killers Just Released the Christmas Song of the Year
By Ben Naddaff-Hafrey
If the Killers know one thing, it's great schlock. Monday night, they debuted their ninth-ever Christmas song, "Joel, the Lump of Coal," with fellow Las Vegas native Jimmy Kimmel. Between the sweaters and the anthropomorphic coal, they've proven…
Robin Thicke's Latest Admission Might Actually Make You Feel Bad For Him
By Ben Naddaff-Hafrey
Even for the Robin Thicke haters, things are starting to get a little tragic. Three months after the release of Paula, an album meant to win back his wife which amounted to a historic flop both in sales and Thicke's personal life, the lawsuit…
Why the U2 Album Is Worth A Listen, Even If You Hate U2
By Ben Naddaff-Hafrey
Sporting a mullet and belting in front of 1.5 billion people, Bono wants you to think about Africa. Lying next to a girl on a heart-shaped stage, Bono wants you to think about love. Running across the 50-yard line at the Super Bowl, Bono wants you…
U2 Just Released a New Album and You Already Own It
By Ben Naddaff-Hafrey
When U2 released No Line on the Horizon in 2009, they said they had another album ready to be released. For the last five years — the longest gap between albums in U2's 34-year career — fans have waited through rumors, false starts and lost…
Taylor Swift Just Debuted Her New '80s-Themed Song and Video
By Ben Naddaff-Hafrey
In a livestreamed announcement coming one awkward hour after the president's press conference on Ferguson, Taylor Swift debuted her new single, "Shake It Off." The song comes after a few weeks of teasing from Swift's camp. On Aug. 4, she posted an…