Music

Chappel Roan; Tyler, the Creator; Willie Nelson.

The Best Albums of 2024 The Best Albums of 2024

This year’s best music, our critic thinks, defied conventions of genre and doctrine, showing how hybrid and fluid the art has become.

Dec 23, 2024 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento’s Endless Reinventions

Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento’s Endless Reinventions Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento’s Endless Reinventions

In a collaborative work, the two artists find a fusion of old and new that charts a path forward for jazz and pop’s future.

Oct 2, 2024 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

Kris Kristofferson circa 1970.

How Kris Kristofferson Beat the Devil How Kris Kristofferson Beat the Devil

The country singer and actor has died at 88. His hard-won political commitments were fundamental to his closely observed, heartfelt writing.

Oct 1, 2024 / Obituary / Chris Lehmann

Macklemore, wearing sunglasses and a jacket with a Palestinian flag, gestures at a crowd in a concert.

Macklemore Is a Seattle Sports Superfan. Now, He Is Also a Target. Macklemore Is a Seattle Sports Superfan. Now, He Is Also a Target.

The Seattle sports establishment loved the Grammy Award–winning rapper until he dared criticize the United States for funding Israeli war crimes.

Sep 25, 2024 / Dave Zirin

The Myrtle-Broadway subway station in Brooklyn, 2024.

The Rise and Fall of New York Clubbing The Rise and Fall of New York Clubbing

Emily Witt’s memoir of Brooklyn's rave scene accomplishes something that even the cynical among us cannot deny: It will make you want to go dancing.

Sep 23, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Kevin Lozano

Buffy (Darren Robinson) of the Fat Boys in Chicago, 1985.

Questlove’s Personal History of Hip-Hop Questlove’s Personal History of Hip-Hop

An elegiac retelling of rap's origins, Hip-Hop Is History also ends with a sense of hope.

Aug 27, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Bijan Stephen

The Rolling Stones Haven’t Missed a Beat

The Rolling Stones Haven’t Missed a Beat The Rolling Stones Haven’t Missed a Beat

The world's greatest rock and roll band is on the road again. This time, they’ve got a new drummer.

Jul 26, 2024 / Feature / Ethan Iverson

Taylor Swift, Poet

Taylor Swift, Poet Taylor Swift, Poet

Country singer, globetrotting pop star, and now melancholic poet—Taylor Swift has offered her listeners almost everything.

Jul 1, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Stephanie Burt

Joni Mitchell being interviewed in 1972 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Seeing Ourselves in Joni Mitchell Seeing Ourselves in Joni Mitchell

Ann Powers’s deeply personal biography of Joni Mitchell looks at how a generation of listeners came to identify with the folk singer’s intimate songs.

Jun 11, 2024 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

Philip Glass, performing a composition from “Notes on a Scandal.”

Philip Glass, Solo Artist Philip Glass, Solo Artist

In his most recent album, the composer marks a new turn in his style.

Jun 5, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Bijan Stephen

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