Music Features

Taylor Swift titled one of her albums1989, but whenher new record Midnightsarrived this week, it really did feel like that year: Fans were able to buy it on LP, CD, and —find that old boom box —a cassette. But don’t ask Steve Stepp, owner of the Missouri-based National Audio Company, …

From the sonic and lyrical influence of the Lover track “The Archer” to the harrowing revelations of the “Dear John” sequel “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” the depths of Taylor Swift‘s new album Midnights deserve deep examination. That’s exactly what happens on the new episode of Rolling Stone Music Now, in which …

W elcome to Rolling Stone’s 2022 Musicians on Musicians package, the annual franchise where two great artists come together for a free, open conversation about life and music. Each story in this year’s series will appear in our November 2022 print issue, hitting stands on Nov. 1st. “My Capricorn sis!” …

It took Stromae nine years to return to music. The reason, he says, was simple: “I needed to get inspired by normal stuff.” After seeing international success with his 2010 club-pop single “Alors on Danse” and making history as the first French-singing performer to sell out Madison Square Garden, in …

We’ve reinvented our Songs You Need to Know franchise as a weekly playlist of the best new music — featuring the week’s biggest new singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week we’ve got the triumphant return of Taylor Swift, as well as highlights from new albums …

Just three years ago, in “Daylight,” the climax of Lover, Taylor Swift announced, “I wanna be defined by the things that I love, not the things I hate, not the things that I’m afraid of, not the things that haunt me in the middle of the night.” Guess she got …

From the moment the world heard the frantic majesty of Arctic Monkeys’ classic debut, 2006’s Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, it was obvious the U.K. foursome were headed for rock greatness. But great bands have always reserved the right to swerve into detours that baffle some …

Seated among plaques of Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Lil Wayne at Noble Studios in Harlem,the Charlotte-raised rapper Mavi tells me about how a chance encounter with Zora Neale Hurston’s You Don’t Know Us Negroes helped change the direction of his life. Earlier this year, he read her essay about High …

A bout a year ago, Karen O was scrolling through Instagram when she came across a photo of Japanese Breakfast frontwoman Michelle Zauner that left her a little concerned. It was from a stop on Zauner’s relentless tour over the past couple of years, which has included more than 100 …

Steve Lacy is a bona fide Grammy veteran. Despite being just 24 years old, the singer and producer has been a mainstay at the awards since he was in high school. His musical talents were showcased as a member of the post-R&B outfit the Internet and evident on his 2019 …