Just six months into a great year in music, we’ve seen strange, galactic records from R&B innovators Solange and Flying Lotus. In the crowded field of hip-hop, emerging talents like Denzel Curry, Little Simz, and Zelooperz have separated from the pack—not to mention Tierra Whack, whose five singles widened the view of…

Elton John has assumed many guises throughout his more than 50 years in music. Campy, glammy pop star. Earnest piano balladeer. Bluesy troubadour. Incisive, emotional storyteller. Disney soundtrack kingpin. However, his appearance on Dionne Warwick’s “That’s What Friends Are For”—a 1985 single that benefitted the…

Nobody would ever accuse Jenny Lewis of being circumspect. The catalog of her first band, ’00s indie-pop pace-setters Rilo Kiley, zeroed in on twentysomething emotional turbulence—the kind of tumult driven by ennui and loneliness intersecting with the euphoria of adulthood—with pinpoint accuracy. Her solo albums,…

Ariana Grande has had a rough few years, starting with the tragic 2017 Manchester Arena bombing after her concert there and concluding with the dissolution of her engagement to actor Pete Davidson in October of last year. In between, Grande also split from her long-term boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller, who passed away…

Sharon Van Etten’s transformative fifth studio album, Remind Me Tomorrow, kicks off with a lyrical sucker punch: “Sitting at the bar, I told you everything / You said, ‘Holy shit. You almost died.’” To emphasize the gravity of the interaction, Van Etten slowly draws out each syllable, as funereal piano chords provide…

A 2013 article in The Atlantic asked a very good, non-rhetorical question: “Why is Sweden so good at pop music?” The fascinating article outlined some potential answers—prioritization of melodies, government support of artistic endeavors, a supportive community, embrace of cutting-edge technology and sounds—but missed…

Sonic and emotional economy tend to be Chan Marshall’s greatest strengths. Her albums as Cat Power sound like eavesdropping on intimate confessions bolstered by stark musical accompaniment. Even though Marshall has moved beyond guitar-and-voice compositions as her career has progressed—1996’s What Would The Community…

When Christine And The Queens emerged with 2015’s self-titled effort, the album was a welcome antidote to sterile pop music. Héloïse Letissier, the French musician behind the project, wasn’t just a refreshingly honest songwriter. She was also a mesmerizing live performer who seemed to melt into rhythms and grooves—and…