Music Features

Let’s start at the end. “We love you, Robbie!” Mavis Staples exclaimed. “We love you!” Late Thursday night in Los Angeles, a few minutes shy of midnight, the soul-stirring vocalist had the crowd at the Forum on their feet. Staples had just performed “The Weight” onstage with Bob Weir, Phish …

Twenty years ago, the music industry was wholly unprepared for the Garden State soundtrack and its “life-changing” songs by the Shins, Coldplay, and Iron and Wine. The 2004 movie, which actor Zach Braff wrote, directed, and starred in, was a coming-of-age cringe comedy about grief, following Braff’s character, Andrew Largeman, …

The first night Liam Payne ever did a headlining solo show, the first One Direction song he sang was a deep cut: “History.” It’s not the most famous 1D song, but it’s one of their most direct statements about the bond they shared with their audience. Liam surprised the crowd …

When I met him, he was the member of the band with a portable PlayStation suitcase setup, on which they all played FIFA and Medal of Honor during long tour-bus rides. One Direction were a new band, and Liam Payne was about to turn 19. In the spring of 2012, …

One Direction have always been better at saying goodbye than I could ever be. I’ve always struggled with the finality of farewell, always jumping through as many mental hoops as I needed to in order to convince myself that the people, places, and feelings left behind could always come back. …

E arlier this year, Tyla and Lisa both happened to be free one night in Los Angeles — and it turned out to be perfect timing. The South African singer was preparing to release her debut album, Tyla, and the Blackpink superstar was in the studio with producer and songwriter …

True to form, John Anderson was in the studio writing and recording a batch of new songs when he first heard rumblings about the latest class being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. When the Florida native, who possesses one of the genre’s most idiosyncratic drawls, eventually learned …

Lace up your Vans sneakers, the Warped Tour is officially returning in 2025. The iconic punk-rock festival, which started in 1995, will take over parking lots in three cities for two-day shows in celebration of its 30th anniversary. Warped Tour embarked on its “final” cross-country trek in 2018 and hit …

Leading up tothe Grammy nominations on Nov. 8, Rolling Stone is breaking down 13 different categories. For each, we’re predicting the nominees, as well as who will (and who should) win on Grammy night. It took the Grammys until 1995 to carve out a separate award for Best Rock Album, …

N ot for the first time today, Zach Bryan is making his new friend laugh. Bryan is trying to arrange himself on a plush white studio couch for a filmed conversation, and it’s making him self-conscious. “Do I look pompous with my legs crossed?” he asks. The guy next to …