Music

‘Rock and Roll Ain’t What It Used to Be’

And boygenius isn’t nostalgic about it.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• March 30, 2023

What Made Taylor Swift’s Concert Unbelievable

At her epic opening show, the pop star played 44 songs and conjured actual magic.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• March 18, 2023

The Most Surprising Performance of the Oscars

Lady Gaga’s minimalist rendition of “Hold My Hand” stood out even in a night of unpredictable musical moments.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• March 13, 2023

Kelela Knows What Intimacy Sounds Like

The elusive R&B singer wants to help you feel your feelings: “If you came to the club to dissociate, I’m ’bout to make you cry.”

• Hannah Giorgis
• March 7, 2023

The Pulse of Pop Music Is Changing

Welcome to the age of lo-fi beats to take stimulants to.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• March 4, 2023

Jazz Just Lost One of Its All-Time Greats

Wayne Shorter was a giant of the genre as an improviser, bandleader, and thinker, but above all as a composer.

• David A. Graham
• March 3, 2023

Daisy Jones and the Trap of the Love Triangle

How could a show about a chart-topping band care so little about the making of their music?

• Shirley Li
• March 1, 2023

When New-Age Music Gets Real

Caroline Polachek’s Pure Moods is pure magic.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• February 18, 2023

The Enduring Romance of Mixtapes

Why song curation is a love language

• Andee Tagle
• February 13, 2023

The Sleek Truth in Rihanna’s Halftime Show

Her performance was all heat, no-nonsense.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• February 12, 2023

Long Live the Octogenarian Sex Record

Smokey Robinson has every right to unleash an album called Gasms.

• Jason Heller
• February 8, 2023

When Emo Grows Up

Paramore’s old sound has become trendy again—but the Nashville trio is chasing “new versions of ourselves.”

• Spencer Kornhaber
• February 7, 2023

The Grammys Are Built on a Delusion

Even the highlights of last night’s ceremony couldn’t fully distract from its problems.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• February 6, 2023

The Band That Best Captures the Sound of the ’70s

Other groups made a bigger splash, but Blondie was a true genre chameleon.

• Kevin Dettmar
• February 2, 2023

Sam Smith’s Radical Centrism

One of the world’s most prominent queer entertainers thrives at playing to the middle.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• January 26, 2023

The Immortal David Crosby

How the late musician’s obsession with science fiction shaped his legacy

• Jason Heller
• January 21, 2023

This Is the Band That’s Supposedly Saving Rock and Roll?

Måneskin looks a lot cooler than it sounds.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• January 18, 2023

Why No Singer Has Replaced Lady Gaga

Spencer Kornhaber’s culture picks include BeReal, online comedy stars, and an irresistible Nigerian singer.

• Nick Catucci
• December 18, 2022

The 10 Best Albums of 2022

The year in music was a party.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• December 15, 2022