Maybe phones at concerts aren’t such a bad thing. The existential gripes from older generations about the sanctity of live show experiences seem to misunderstand the moment. For a generation whose existence is mostly, if not entirely, lived through devices, peering through the hypnotic glow of their phone screens at …
Read More »Who Knew Frank Ocean Would Sound Just as Cool as Classical Music? Vitamin String Quartet Sure Did
Based on the image of an enigmatic billboard that appeared this week, Frank Ocean may or may not be on the cusp of a return, either on record or onstage at Coachella. But in the meantime, his music is back in another area: the classical music world. The Vitamin String …
Read More »How Public 'Finsta' Accounts Became the New Album Rollout Method
In late March, a new Instagram account believed to belong to Young Thug called @UyScutiiiiii posted a picture of Young Thug holding a Miami Heat jersey, with “Uy Scuti” on the back. The post’s caption read: “Today.” Fans began speculating about a possible Thug album dropping later that night. Even …
Read More »Cryptic Coachella Billboards and Mysterious New Instagram: What Is Frank Ocean Teasing?
Is it a mirage, or is Frank Ocean actually teasing a comeback? On Tuesday, an image circulated online of a brown billboard that seemingly popped up on the route into the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert reading: “KIKI BOY 2025.” Fans were quick to point out the connection between …
Read More »Mumford & Sons and the Lumineers Are Done Stompin'
Take a peek around the current pop landscape, and you’ll notice the persistent, surprising influence of two 2012 albums. No, it’s not some combination of Taylor Swift’s career-defining Red, nor Kendrick Lamar’s opus good kid, m.A.A.d city, nor Frank Ocean’s breakthrough Channel Orange, all of which came out that year. …
Read More »Who's Vegyn? And How Does He Make Such Subtly, Utterly Beautiful Electronic Music?
Interviewing Vegyn isn’t easy. After three months of back-and-forth, I’m finally given a time to meet him on a gray day in early March at a coffee spot in east London. I’ve been eager to make this happen. Vegyn’s career is one of the most impressive in modern music, distinguished …
Read More »Is Playboi Carti Ending the 'Mysterious Artist' Era?
In the closing weeks of 2023, the first four songs from Playboi Carti’s forthcoming album were delivered as promised and on time — no small feat for any artist right now, but even more impressive given Carti’s track record. The Atlanta rapper’s previous album, 2020’s Whole Lotta Red, was shrouded …
Read More »Man of Mystery Frank Ocean Shares Snippet of New Song
Frank Ocean, one of music’s most elusive songwriters, has shared a snippet of a new song on his Instagram Stories. The minute-long clip sees Ocean singing along to an emotionally-wrought melody. Ocean’s last release was in 2020, which he debuted two singles, “Dear April” and “Cayendo.” He has since teased …
Read More »Filmmaker Faces Cease-and-Desist From AEG Over Frank Ocean Coachella Video
A filmmaker has been hit with a cease-and-desist notice from Coachella’s parent company AEG after uploading Frank Ocean’s chaotic headlining set at the festival composed of fan-shot videos. The upload in question — which edited together 150 different YouTube videos to recreate Ocean’s entire and controversial 80-minute set — was …
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 …
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