Lauren Murphy

Freelance journalist and broadcaster, writing about music and the arts.

What, nothing from 'Joanne'? Let the arguments begin!

Lady Gaga's 10 best songs - The Culture Countdown

She's baaaack! Five years after her last album Chromatica, one of the most iconic pop stars of all time returns with her eighth studio album Mayhem - and rather aptly, just in time for International Women's Day.

Lady Gaga • 08 Mar 25

Irish culture has enjoyed a 'green wave' of success in recent years

What's going on with all the Irish arts scandals right now?

The last year or two has seen endless column inches devoted to the so-called 'Green Wave', a movement apparently kick-started by the success of The Banshees of Inisherin that has seen Irish artists of all disciplines dominating global culture.

Opinion and Analysis • 26 Feb 25

Kendrick Lamar won Song Of The Year at this year's Grammys with his diss track Not Like Us

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.

The Lauren Murphy Column • 10 Feb 25

Aha! Steve Coogan comes to Dublin this month in Dr. Strangelove

Steve Coogan's 10 Best Roles - the Culture countdown

He is arguably one of the most chameleonic actors of his generation; perhaps best known for his comedy characters, but increasingly for his tenacious work in drama.

Listicles • 07 Feb 25

Singer Carrie Underwood performs during Donald Trump's presidential inauguration (Pic: Getty)

'Integrity' is a dirty word when it comes to singing for Trump

Donald Trump is no stranger to political controversy - and, as we have learned over the last eight years or so, the newly-minted US President has ruffled quite a few feathers in the music world too.

Opinion and Analysis • 22 Jan 25

Comeback queen Gemma Hayes (Pic: Rich Gilligan)

10 Irish albums you may have overlooked this year

Here are ten brilliant Irish albums that you might have missed this year...

Best Of 2024 • 18 Dec 24

The 10 best Irish albums of 2024 - Lauren Murphy sounds off

Ireland's creative boom is reverberating across all elements of culture - but while our actors and filmmakers continue their domination of Hollywood, our musical output has been exceeding expectations across the globe in recent years, too.

Best Of 2024 • 12 Dec 24

Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan unite, and the internet explodes

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.

The Lauren Murphy Column • 30 Nov 24

Guess what? The Wild Robot isn't just for kids...

5 cultural gems you may have missed lately (the November edition)

There has never been a better time to be a culture vulture, but the sheer volume of stuff out there makes it all too easy for some gems to slip through the cracks.

Culture Picks • 16 Nov 24

Cillian Murphy's 10 best roles - the Culture countdown

We Irish have known about Cillian Murphy's prowess as an actor for decades by this stage, but it's only in recent years that the rest of the world has cottoned on, too.

Listicles • 02 Nov 24