Tag Archives: hear-this

In late-1964-early-1965, Lou Reed wrote to the poet Delmore Schwartz, his creative-writing professor at Syracuse University, and described his life in New York City since graduating the previous spring. Reed noted his unsubmitted Harvard application and ambivalence about grad school; he obliquely referenced the “sick but strange and fascinating” experiences …

When you hear the hip-hop-styled piano rhythm of “POF,” the opening cut on Ari Lennox’s second album age/sex/location, the first thing you’ll notice is her voice, flowing full and wry like Erykah Badu circa “On & On.” Yes, this is a real, honest-to-God soul singer: no autotune effects, no flattening …

When Romeo Santos became the first Latino artist to sell out two consecutive shows at Yankees Stadium in 2014, it was clear he was a force to be reckoned with. Starting with his teenage days in the New York City-based band Aventura, the singer’s youthful falsetto and seductive flow has …

A Megan Thee Stallion verse is not unlike a bag of salt and vinegar chips—there’s something classic and quaint and straight-up hood about the sharp and improbable flavors packed inside every one of them. There were always going to be some quirky juxtapositions with Meg. The twenty-something spitter is an …

King Princess broke through in the late 2010s with “1950,” a melancholic ballad that evoked deeply hued Fifties movies as it quivered with unrequited desire. In the short time since, Mikaela Mullaney Straus’ conversational lyrics, husky voice, and disarming honesty have helped make her one of Gen Z’s leading queer …

“‘Cause somebody’s gonna figure me out / It’s what I am, it’s what I was, It’s what I wanna become,” Beach Bunny’s Lili Trifilio sings with resignation on “Entropy,” the opener of the band’s striking sophomore album. The line has a double meaning: She yearns for the liberation that will …

In June, pop megastars BTS announced that their seven members would be focusing more on their individual paths, exploring solo projects as a way of strengthening their collective foundation. “I think BTS will become stronger [this] way,” rapper-songwriter-dancer J-Hope said when the group announced its next chapter. A little more …

Gemini Rights feels like the product of a grand jam session, and is, in fact, Steve Lacy’s most collaborative solo effort to date. Lacy is, as a guitarist and producer, one of the driving forces behind R&B outfit the Internet. He’s also a highly sought-after musical thought partner to several …

Bea Kristi first caught the world’s attention releasing bedroom tunes that became viral hits, particularly her epochal 2019 blast of indie-rock hero worship “I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus.” Her 2021 debut as Beabadoobee, Fake It Flowers, showed she could be and do many things, from a Hole-style angst merchant …

K-pop girl group Aespa has been on a roll since their debut in late 2020. Following a year of virtual promotions due to the pandemic, Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning are taking on 2022 full force. The girls performed at Coachella in April, held a special showcase for fans in …