On first listen, the second album from London singer-songwriter Arlo Parks sounds like something to luxuriate in; Parks sings and lays down poetry over plush textures and simmering beats. But a closer listen reveals that these pillowy structures are, in fact, cushions against the blows of modern life—bulwarks that keep …
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To even comment on the Dare, the provoca-pop project of 27-year-old private-school substitute teacher turned downtown NYC enfant celebre Harrison Patrick Smith, is to have lost the game. The Dare, which released its debut EP last week, feels like a musical pseudo-event, existing only for the purpose of feeding its …
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Over the course of four years and three albums, Atlanta singer-songwriter Summer Walker has developed an incredible talent for detailing the messy epiphanies of Black romance. The 27-year-old artist writes like a student of the late Betty Wright, Mary J. Blige, and K. Michelle, women who describe love with as …
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For almost a decade, Kesha’s career and life have been in a state of purgatory as she’s been locked in a legal battle that has at times left her with a precarious future. On the two albums she released in the midst of endless court hearings, she put up an …
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The Latin pop charts have always given us a somewhat skewed portrait of Juanes. Hits like the compulsively hummable 2004 song “La Camisa Negra” established the Colombian singer/songwriter as a multi-platinum-selling global icon. In doing so, many listeners and radio programmers focused on the bubbly, slick, frivolous aspect of his …
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Paul Simon follows his muse wherever it leads him, whether that meant leaving Simon & Garfunkel at their commercial peak, or opening his debut solo album with “Mother and Child Reunion,” a reggae track recorded in Kingston a full year before the Wailers released Catch a Fire, or helping South …
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How serious are Joe, Kevin, and Nick Jonas about stoking a carefree vibe on their sixth full-length? Not only did they give it the hair-tossing title The Album, they’ve stock it with songs that have titles like “Vacation Eyes,” “Summer in the Hamptons,” and “Vacation Baby.” The result is a …
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Say what you like about Billy Corgan–and, let’s be honest, you could say quite a bit– you’ve gotta give the man props for his tireless work ethic and relentless creative energy. Even while putting the finishing touches on Cyr, the Smashing Pumpkins’ 20-song 2020 release, Corgan was already deep into …
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−, or Subtract, is the fifth and, according to the British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, final installment in his series of albums using mathematical symbols as their titles, which stretches all the way back to 2011’s +. His latest release is appropriately named in the context of his career: When Sheeran …
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U.K. dance producer Fred again.. is in a period of reinvention, and the whole world is watching. Frederick John Philip Gibson came up doing behind the scenes work for artists including Ed Sheeran and Rita Ora in the late 2010s, before quickly making a name for himself as a ludicrously …
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