Pop can be bubblegum and brass knuckles at the same time. Few artists have danced on that line with the confidence of Britney Spears. A whispered ad lib becomes a national catchphrase. A snare that hits like a camera flash turns a hook into a memory you can dance to forever. She bends vowels so […]
SZA is expanding her creative portfolio with an unexpected new role. After conquering music with her record-shattering albums CTRL and SOS and breaking into film with One Of Them Days, the multihyphenate adds another hyphen, announcing her appointment as the first-ever Artistic Director for skate shoe brand Vans. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the brand […]
Some bands chase the spotlight. Bad Company sounded like they walked in with the lights already warm. Paul Rodgers sang with church pew soul and barroom grit. Mick Ralphs carved riffs that could be scrawled on a jacket and still make sense at sunrise. Boz Burrell’s bass drew smooth lines under storms, and Simon Kirke’s […]
The ending of another work week brings a fresh batch of new projects for your listening pleasure. This week, a colorful Chicago rapper puts out his first album in six years, a Louisiana rhymer with a cult following delivers his second album in less than a month, another rapper from The Boot drops another installment to […]
Some singers glide. Gene Chandler floats and strides at the same time. The suit is sharp, the smile is welcoming, and the voice can lean silk smooth or ring like a bright bell across a dance floor. Chicago soul gives him grit and gospel glow. Doo wop schooling gives him poise. Great writers and arrangers […]
Genre-spanning experimenter Ashnikko thrilled with her 2023 debut album Weedkiller, and now she’s charging back with more: Today (August 14), Ashnikko announced Smoochies, a new album. She also just unveiled the punchy electro-pop single “Trinkets.” Ashnikko says of the song, “My little princess boys love being trinkets, hanging off my bag, looking up at me […]
A judge shot down Tory Lanez‘s appeal to enter new alleged evidence in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting case yesterday. Judge Rejects Tory Lanez’s Petitions to Enter New Evidence On Tuesday (Aug. 12), the California Court of Appeals rejected two habeas corpus petitions filed by the rap-crooner’s legal team. These petitions included statements from Tory’s […]
Some guitarists chase speed. Eric Clapton turns time into feeling. A single bend carries a whole paragraph of memory. A clean phrase drifts like smoke, then a sudden burst shows teeth. Through blues, pop, acoustic intimacy, and arena sized charge, his voice and guitar keep choosing melody over fuss. Collaborators frame him with piano glow, […]
In a cute video for her latest single, “Romeo,” 2000s sample queen PinkPantheress blurs the lines between speed dating and speed chess at a tournament that could just as easily be a singles mixer. The real-life chess master sits down to face off with a variety of hotties, crushing the competition as she makes eyes […]
Some voices wear a crown without asking. LaVern Baker let rhythm sit tall while melody did the smiling. Her records feel like street corner harmony walking into a bright studio and keeping its neighborhood soul intact. Horns grin, drums step with purpose, and her phrasing turns everyday words into velvet. She can tease, testify, and […]