Crystal Bell is the Culture Editor at Mashable. She oversees the site's coverage of the creator economy, digital spaces, and internet trends, focusing on how young people engage with others and themselves online. She is particularly interested in how social media platforms shape our online and offline identities.
She was formerly the entertainment director at MTV News, where she helped the brand expand its coverage of extremely online fan culture and K-pop across its platforms. You can find her work in Teen Vogue, PAPER, NYLON, ELLE, Glamour, NME, W, The FADER, and elsewhere on the internet.
She's exceptionally fluent in fandom and will gladly make you a K-pop playlist and/or provide anime recommendations upon request. Crystal lives in New York City with her two black cats, Howl and Sophie.
Areas of Expertise
Author Recommended
How 'KPop Demon Hunters' became a love letter to K-pop and its fandom
Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans unpack the visual cues, idol archetypes, and K-pop references that shaped Netflix’s breakout animated hit.
By Crystal Bell
Le Sserafim on tech, style, and staying connected in a digital world
Sony’s latest collaboration with Le Sserafim merges cutting-edge audio tech with K-pop style, redefining the relationship between music and self-expression.
By Crystal Bell
'Suzume' review: Makoto Shinkai's healing journey is stunningly personal
The feel-good disaster flick from the anime auteur is strongest when the hero puts herself first.
By Crystal Bell
Latest From Crystal Bell
'BTS: The Return' review: The world's biggest boy band, without a clear direction
The documentary is an intimate, surprisingly revelatory look at BTS in transition — and the complicated process of figuring out who they are now.
By Crystal Bell
The best and worst moments from the 2026 Oscars
The ceremony had everything: historic wins, K-pop light sticks, political statements, and a few bits that overstayed their welcome.
By Crystal Bell
The best red carpet looks at the 2026 Oscars, according to the internet
Hollywood's biggest night delivered plenty of standout fashion moments.
By Crystal Bell
Steven Spielberg praises ballet and opera at SXSW amid Timothée Chalamet backlash
The director's comments about the communal power of art drew cheers from the crowd.
By Crystal Bell
The latest Gen Z vs. millennial debate is the space above your head
Here's how you can spot a millennial TikTok instantly, according to Gen Z.
By Crystal Bell
'Pokémon Pokopia' is the cozy escape the internet needed
The cozy new Pokémon game is going viral for its colorful world, gentle gameplay, and refreshingly hopeful vision of community.
By Crystal Bell
Sarah J. Maas announces two new 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' books
BookTok is already spiraling.
By Crystal Bell
Apple's MacBook Neo comes in citrus yellow and blush pink. The internet has thoughts.
Apple's new budget laptop comes in blush, indigo, silver, and citrus, and online reactions prove people have been craving colorful tech.
By Crystal Bell
Warning: The Gen 10 Pokémon starters will give you major cute aggression
"Winds" and "Waves" may promise ocean exploration, but it's Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua who are already making the biggest waves online.
By Crystal Bell
30 years of Pokémon: The memes that made it immortal
From Surprise Pikachu to Bidoof, you don't have to play Pokémon to know these memes
By Crystal Bell
The internet demanded another Punch update. So here's how he's doing.
The viral baby macaque is playing, eating on his own, and slowly finding his place among the other monkeys.
By Crystal Bell
Trump celebrated the men's hockey gold. The women were the punchline.
After Team USA's historic gold medal win, Trump's viral locker-room joke about the women's team sparked backlash online.
By Crystal Bell
The internet is worried about Punch the monkey. The zoo says he's OK.
A viral video sparked panic online, but the Ichikawa City Zoo says that's just normal monkey business.
By Crystal Bell
You need to watch this very good dog interrupt the women's Olympic ski race
The pup trotted onto the course mid-race before happily greeting exhausted athletes at the finish.
By Crystal Bell
Snapchat is testing creator subscriptions, giving top creators a new direct revenue stream
Snap's new feature lets select creators set their own monthly prices, offer exclusive content, and build recurring revenue directly inside the app.
By Crystal Bell
The internet is rooting for this abandoned baby monkey and his stuffed animal
A baby monkey at a zoo in Japan has found comfort in a stuffed animal. Now, the internet is rooting for him.
By Crystal Bell
Bad Bunny's halftime show sparked emotional reactions across the Americas
Watch the heartwarming videos now.
By Crystal Bell
Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime Show Easter eggs: 15 things you might have missed
Every hidden reference, political symbol, and community tribute woven into Bad Bunny's historic halftime show.
By Crystal Bell
Bad Bunny's 'Ocasio 64' jersey meaning explained
The hidden meaning behind Bad Bunny's "Ocasio 64" Super Bowl halftime jersey.
By Crystal Bell
Every song in Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show setlist
From early hits to recent fan favorites, this was the full halftime setlist.
By Crystal Bell
Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime Show: Cardi B, Jhayco and others who might take the stage.
From Cardi B and Karol G to Young Miko and longtime collaborators, here's who could pop up during the Benito Bowl.
By Crystal Bell
What songs will Bad Bunny perform at the Super Bowl? Here's our dream setlist.
From "BAILE INoLVIDABLE" to "Safaera," here are the songs we need to see.
By Crystal Bell
Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime Show: Will he call out ICE?
The Puerto Rican superstar has long criticized U.S. immigration policy and Trump-era politics. Will he speak out on football’s biggest stage?
By Crystal Bell
