A couple of years ago, the Spanish reggaetón star Saiko was talking with his friend’s stepdad, Walter, known for his spiritual wisdom and for being in touch with the metaphysical. “He told me, ‘You have to name a song ‘San Walter,’ and I told him, ‘What are you talking about?’” …
Read More »Omah Lay: Afrobeats' Brooding New Visionary
Omah Lay recoils hard when he sees the snow piling up outside of my window over Zoom. “I cannot deal with snow,” says the 26 year-old Nigerian star. “Bro, I can’t even deal with the weather in London.” Lately, when he’s not in Lagos, he’s been spending a lot of …
Read More »Scowl Are Playing To Win
When Scowl toured the country last year, they were obsessed with a simple game: Take a die, roll it, and whoever gets a six can chuck it at the nearest band member. “There were dice flying everywhere!” frontperson Kat Moss says. “It was the most obnoxious game,” adds guitarist Mikey …
Read More »From Street Busking to International Stardom: The Rise of Ryan Castro
Ryan Castro has always been a go-getter. When the Colombian reggaeton singer was 17, he started busking in the streets and on the buses in Medellín. He’d carry a small stereo and jointhe throngs of vendors and performers that lined the tourist hub. A charismatic teenager with a bold timbre …
Read More »The High-Femme Rebellion of the Last Dinner Party
Any shame had been left squarely on the street outside the Bowery Ballroom last fall as the Last Dinner Party frontwoman Abigail Morris whirled around the stage like a cheeky toddler at a wedding reception, the frills of her frock trying their best to follow along as she dizzied herself. …
Read More »Masicka Has Big Dreams for Dancehall's Future
The first sign that Masicka doesn’t stick to any preconceived path arrives when the new-generation Jamaican dancehall artist talks about some of his favorite musicians, like Bob Marley, Shabba Ranks — and Lukas Graham, the sensitive Danish pop band that scored a string of hits in the 2010s? “I like …
Read More »John Summit Is Making Dance Music's Biggest Hits in Bed
How does dance music sensation John Summit pregame his set at one of Las Vegas’ most popular nightclubs the Friday before the Super Bowl? Laying in bed, eating an airport sandwich. But just because he’s horizontal doesn’t mean he’s unproductive. In fact, he’s spending his time cooking up something new …
Read More »The 'Event' Album Has Evolved. Today's Superstars Drop Album Franchises
This week, Future and Metro-Boomin are returning to the rap game grandly with We Don’t Trust You, the first half of a two-part album — the sequel, rumored to be an R&B-focused project, drops April 12th. Their release will compete with Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures 2, the second …
Read More »Micah Nelson on Joining Neil Young and Crazy Horse: 'I've Been Rehearsing for This My Whole Life'
From a certain perspective, Micah Nelson‘s entire life has been building up to the Neil Young and Crazy Horse tour this summer, where he’ll be taking over for Nils Lofgren as the group’s new guitarist. As the youngest son of Willie Nelson, Micah, 33, has been exposed to Young’s catalog …
Read More »'I Felt Like I Was Underwater': Dua Lipa's Road to 'Radical Optimism'
Dua Lipa can’t stop staring at the giant printout of her Radical Optimism album cover art. The red-haired pop star is sitting in a hotel conference room, getting glammed up before some interviews and a YouTube video with drag queen Trixie Mattel to promote the album. She starts to hum …
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