Erika W. Smith

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Location
Chicago, Illinois
School
Boston University
Expertise
The Beatles, Bob Dylan, 1960s pop
  • Erika is a lifelong music fan with a particular interest in the '60s and '70s, sparked by a teenage obsession with the Beatles and Bob Dylan.
  • She loves going to concerts in Chicago, where she lives.
  • She began playing piano at eight years old—but the classical music she studied was very different from the pop and rock music she listened to in her downtime.

Experience

Erika studied journalism in college and had some of her early pieces published by Boston.com, as well as student publications. Upon graduation, she interned at BUST magazine, kicking off a career in women's lifestyle media. After holding staff positions at BUST, Refinery29, and Cosmopolitan, she went freelance with pieces published in Vogue, PopSugar, and Consequence. Erika has interviewed Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokno, covered the reasons behind the high cost of concert tickets, discussed political activism among Swifties during the 2024 presidential election, and dissected The Beatles' history of talking about self-love. Erika joined Static Media in 2025, where she writes extensively about travel and music. Along with journalism, she has published a book, "Astrosex: How to Have the Best Sex According to Your Star Sign."

Education

Erika double-majored in magazine journalism and English literature, earning bachlor's degrees from Boston University. She spent a semester studying abroad in London.

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