In 2010, British musician Jai Paul emerged on Myspace with “BTSTU,” a brooding, ambient hymn for a generation. “I know I’ve been gone a long time,” he sings on the chorus. “I’m back, and I want what is mine.” The posturing feels more spiritual than literal. Paul’s music seemed to …
Read More »Coachella Closers: Blink-182 and a Power Trio of DJs Fill a Void Left by Frank Ocean
A big question hung over the final night of Coachella 2023‘s second weekend: What now? Seven days earlier, on April 16, Frank Ocean had closed out the festival’s first weekend with a performance that he himself acknowledged as chaotic at best. Some fans were devastated by it, while others found …
Read More »Bad Bunny Powers Through History-Making, Guest-Filled Set at Coachella
Bad Bunnymade history on Friday as the first Latino to headlineCoachella— and he met the milestone with a nearly two-hour performance that was full of special interludes, surprise guests, and even some sound mishaps. His set took place on one of the largest stages Coachella has ever built, which allowed …
Read More »Coachella 2023: Bad Bunny, Blondie, Burna Boy, and More of the Best Things We Saw On Day One
Coachella 2023 kicked off with a packed lineup, full of major stars who wanted to seize the moment and make their set a massive event. On every stage, artists seemed to be pulling out all the stops with elaborate production design and buzzy surprise appearances that included everyone from Nile …
Read More »J. Cole and Drake Deliver a Star-Studded Night to Remember at Dreamville Festival 2023
J. Cole’s Dreamville festival aimed to reach new heights in its third year the moment the lineup was announced with Cole himself and Drake as co-headliners for the second night. Getting those two superstars in one place is a major feat in itself — the only thing harder to pull …
Read More »Koffee, Chloë Bailey Close Out the Future of Music Showcase With One Hell of a Party
The slogan “Keep Austin Weird” doesn’t make much sense. It implies that weirdness requires effort and upkeep, like laundry or a monthly bill. But on the fourth and final night of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music Showcase, the weird, awesome stuff was there in abundance. The mood at ACL Live …
Read More »Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour Is a 3-Hour Career-Spanning Victory Lap
How do we measure the impact of a musician in 2023? Streams can be bought. Awards can be finessed. Is it when demand for show tickets leads to a congressional hearing about Ticketmaster’s policies? Or when flight attendants shout out a fanbase making a pilgrimage to see a tour opener? …
Read More »Jay Wheeler, Cuco, Romance, and 'F-ckery' Rule Night Two of Rolling Stone's Future of Music Showcase
As Latin genres like reggaeton, dembow, bachata, and Latin trap continue to dominate the global charts, the second night of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music SXSW showcase highlighted the variety and promise of Latin music’s rising voices. Cali, Colombia’s high-energy sibling duo Dawer x Damper kicked off the night at …
Read More »J.I.D, Saba Kick Off Rolling Stone's Future of Music Showcase With Fire and Lyrical Excellence
It’s an exciting time to be a fan of sharp, focused music — and if the artists who kicked off Rolling Stone‘s Future of Music SXSW showcase at ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin on March 14 are any indication, there are even better things to come. Spill …
Read More »Boygenius Pop Up at the Austin Airport, and Other Surprises
The music portion of SXSW 2023 kicked off with wild parties, quietly powerful songwriting, new artists making an impression, and one surprise pop-up from an A-list act — all the things that make this a great festival. Here are the best things we saw on Monday, March 13 and Tuesday, …
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