-
![]()
Apple TV+ The Rock Band That Redefined Counterculture
Todd Haynes’s documentary about the Velvet Underground spotlights how sound can challenge—and change—society.
-
![]()
Adam Ritchie / Redferns / Getty You’ve Never Heard John Coltrane Like This Before
A rare live performance of the jazz legend’s masterpiece, A Love Supreme, was thought to be lost to history. But it wasn’t.
-
-
![]()
Kelsey Dake Spotify Has Made All Music Into Background Music
Is the collapse of genre boundaries and the erosion of fervent musical loyalties a good thing?
-
![]()
FOX Fox’s Alter Ego Is Weird—But Not Weird Enough
How could a singing competition show that features holographic contestants be this dull?
-
![]()
Scott Olson / Getty What Finally Brought R. Kelly Down
To convict the R&B singer, prosecutors focused on his network of enablers.
-
![]()
Frazer Harrison / Getty; Valerie Chiang It May Soon Be Time to Leave Britney Spears Alone Again
“I hope she does whatever she wants to do—even if that is going to the gas station without shoes on.”
-
![]()
Charlotte Rutherford/Sony Lil Nas X Isn’t a Fad. He’s the Future of Pop.
He understands better than almost anyone how to turn angst into a hit.
-
-
![]()
OVO / Republic Records / UMG; The Atlantic Drake’s Tedious Descent Into Villainy
The rapper embraces his caricature on his new album, but being in on the joke turns out to be pretty boring.
-
![]()
Kevin Mazur / Universal Music Group / Getty God May Forgive Kanye West, but You Don’t Have To
On Donda, the rapper conveys all the imagery of surrender, but little of the weight.
-
![]()
Getty ; Adam Maida / The Atlantic The Pop Star Who’s Redefining the Word Basic
On Solar Power, Lorde surrenders to normalcy—and finds transcendence.
-
![]()
Photograph by Luke Liberia Moore Frank Ocean Fans Are Mad About a Million-Dollar Necklace
Why are so many pop stars doing everything but releasing new music?
-
![]()
Getty ; Adam Maida / The Atlantic Pop Is Making Happiness Sound Pretty Dreary Lately
Lorde heads to the beach. Lana Del Rey sings of peace. Billie Eilish is happier than ever. But it doesn’t quite sound like a celebration.
-
-
![]()
Paras Griffin / Getty Lil Nas X, DaBaby, and the Incoherence of Homophobia
Anti-gay bigotry is on the defensive in hip-hop right now.
-
![]()
Catherine Lash / HBO HBO’s Woodstock ’99 Documentary Is a Dark Warning
Just as concerts return, a new film reveals the cynicism and cultural rot that led to one of the most notorious shows ever.
-
![]()
Shira Inbar What Will Happen to My Music Library When Spotify Dies?
If your entire collection is on a streaming service, good luck accessing it in 10 or 20 years.
-
![]()
Kevin Mazur / Getty; Tommaso Boddi / WireImage … The Pop Music You Listen to Really Does Matter
The story of Dr. Luke and Doja Cat shows how the industry relies on consumer passivity. But audiences can still stand against alleged abusers.
-
![]()
Rich Fury / Getty We’ve Never Heard Britney Spears Like This
The pop star wants to live on her own terms. To do that, she had to give one more brutal performance.
-
-
![]()
Jade Derosa The Internet Mocked Her as a Teenager. It’s Embracing Her Now.
The generation that grew up with Rebecca Black’s “Friday” isn’t just nostalgic for that novelty tune—it’s making music inspired by it.
-
![]()
Jake Michaels Hollywood’s New Crown Prince of Musicals
Jon M. Chu, the director of In the Heights and Wicked, is finding a new edge in an old genre.
-
![]()
Parlophone / Capitol The 2001 Album That Captured Modern Dread
Two decades later, Radiohead’s experimental Amnesiac might be the band’s best record.
/media/img/mt/2021/07/TheAtlantic_ShiraInbar_Spotify_1920x1080-2/original.png)
