Chris Riotta

Bio

Chris Riotta is a culture reporter at Mic, covering news, music and entertainment. He is based in New York and can be reached at criotta@mic.com
Gorillaz tease new album with 'The Book of Noodle,' a cryptic, bloody visual short story
By Chris Riotta
After a long hiatus, Gorillaz has returned to the music world in the most idiosyncratic way possible: with a series of bloody animations and a colorful fantasy storyline. Posted to Twitter in the form of a short story titled The Book of Noodle, the…
Solange brings the stunning black beauty of 'A Seat at the Table' to life in 2 new visuals
By Chris Riotta
Solange Knowles' A Seat at the Table is her most matured, immersive and issue conscious project to date, and the world she's built around it grew a little bigger. Solange dropped two videos Sunday from the album, one for "Don't Touch My Hair"…
Solange Knowles shares intimate race relations talk to accompany 'A Seat at the Table'
By Chris Riotta
On Friday, Solange Knowles released her most mature and socially conscious album to date, A Seat at the Table, focusing on black beauty and race relations in America. The project is essentially an invitation to take a seat at the Knowles' dinner…
How Solange Knowles has evolved from Beyoncé's sister to R&B queen in her own right
By Chris Riotta
Solange Knowles dropped A Seat at the Table on Friday, inviting fans to take a seat with one of the most famed musical families as they discuss their thoughts on racial relations in America. Even in its quietest moments it contains multitudes: It…
John Legend expertly sums up the U.S.'s problem with mental health and mass incarceration
By Chris Riotta
John Legend has become a prominent voice for social activism in recent years, throwing his support behind San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protest, creating anthems like "Glory" inspired by the movement for black…
Mary J. Blige on Hillary Clinton singing interview: "I'm a singer before I'm a journalist"
By Chris Riotta
Mary J. Blige is already catching flack for her interview with Hillary Clinton, and Apple Music hasn't even premiered the full video yet. After the streaming giant teased the first episode of Blige's new show The 411 showing a clip of Blige singing…
Kesha defends Alicia Machado, slams Donald Trump on "racist, misogynist verbal diarrhea"
By Chris Riotta
Another story of Donald Trump making offensive remarks about a woman — this time 1996's Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado — has sparked a nationwide controversy about his famed "temperament." Even those who don't typically comment on politics have…
The Weeknd drops "False Alarm" from upcoming album 'Starboy' — listen here
By Chris Riotta
The Weeknd released "False Alarm" on Thursday morning, the second track off his forthcoming album Starboy, set for a Nov. 25 release. The single arrives with artwork seemingly borrowing the aesthetic of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. It…
Solange Knowles' drops 'A Seat at the Table' digital book celebrating black beauty
By Chris Riotta
Solange Knowles' last album True was released back in 2012, and it seems she's done a whole lot of soul-searching since. On Wednesday, the New Orleans-based singer-songwriter released an epic 112-page digital book compiling lyrics and photographs to…
The Weeknd destroys his former image, career and reputation in new "Starboy" music video
By Chris Riotta
A week ago, The Weeknd revealed to the world he had cut his hair, getting rid of his signature dreadlocks. The internet, as many could've expected, lost its collective chill. Wednesday, in a new visual for his "Starboy" single featuring Daft Punk,…