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Simone Cecchetti / Corbis / Getty Daniel Johnston, the Folk Poet of Devil Town
While the songs of the influential musician, who died at 58, will endure, it’s hard to say that he was properly appreciated in his time.
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Bernadett Szabo / Reuters Post Malone Is the Voice of Modern Brain Fog
The ubiquitous singer/rapper’s third album, Hollywood’s Bleeding, goes darker but not deeper.
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Alysse Gafkjen The Highwomen’s Joyful Country-Music Rewrites
The supergroup puts a feminist spin on familiar traditions while still maintaining a classic feel.
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Matt Sayles / Invision / AP Why Taylor Swift Wants to Be ‘The Man’
Beyoncé’s “If I Were a Boy” trick gets repeated on Swift’s Lover, but to illustrate sexist double standards with regard to reputations rather than relationships.
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TRAVIS SHINN / RCA RECORDS / The Atlantic The Persistent Complexity of Tool
Back with new music after a 13-year hiatus, the legendary metal band is as precise and devastating as it has always been.
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Travis Shinn / RCA Records Why Tool Could Be More Relevant Today Than Ever Before
The legendary metal band is returning after a 13-year absence, and while its sound isn’t in, its disaffected embrace of spirituality is.
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Drag City / David Berman David Berman Saw the Source of American Sadness
The singer for Silver Jews and Purple Mountains brilliantly described how restlessness can curdle into isolation.
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Amazon The Revelations of Meek Mill’s Legal Limbo
Free Meek, the Amazon docuseries about the rapper’s 12-year criminal-justice saga, is an impressive but revealing production that joins other high-profile efforts to address institutional reform.
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Drag City / David Berman David Berman Sang the Truth
The singer and poet of the band Silver Jews, dead at 52, made a career out of strange, beautiful insights.
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Amy Harris / Invision / AP The Reason Musicians Speak Up About Mass Shootings
Artists are shaping the gun-violence discourse, and the fascinating reaction to their political speech has demonstrated the specific reach they can have.
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PBS / Elliott Landy / The Image Works Why Woodstock Can Never Happen Again
A new documentary explores the original organizers’ ingenuity and naïveté, revealing the exact reason the concert is unreproducible.
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Mario Anzuoni / Reuters Chance the Rapper Wants You to Get Married
The Big Day, the artist’s latest album, doesn’t just describe his happily-ever-after life: It evangelizes it.
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Vivien Killilea / Getty Drake’s Troubling Reunion With Chris Brown
The viral music video for “No Guidance” signals the end of a beef between the two men, even as it papers over past misbehavior.
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Andrew Burton / Reuters Why Trump Cares About A$AP Rocky’s Sweden Arrest
The rapper’s supporters see a story of racism. The president sees a story about immigration.
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Meron Menghistab The ‘African Giant’ Challenging Musical Boundaries
With a new album, a solo track on Beyoncé’s Lion King compilation, and a global fan base, Burna Boy is pushing the limits imposed on artists from the continent.
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Joel C Ryan / AP Beyoncé Remixed the Meaning of The Lion King
The Gift, a companion album for the rebooted Disney film, sees the superstar connecting to “something way bigger.” What is it?
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Michael Putland / Getty The Moon Landing Inspired Pink Floyd’s Most Overlooked Song
A bluesy, atmospheric piece that the band improvised live on the air during the Apollo 11 mission deserves to be more than a footnote of musical history.
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Disney The Blind Spot of Beyoncé’s Lion King Soundtrack
The singer’s musical accompaniment for the new CGI remake neglects to include any artists from the region that inspired the film—a curious lapse in narrative fidelity.
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Ethan Miller / Getty / Thanh Do / ... I Wasn’t a Fan of BTS. And Then I Was.
The Korean supergroup’s devoted following and chart-topping success have won them comparisons to the Beatles. Why was I surprised to get swept up in their magic?
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Fabrizio Bensch / Reuters The Puzzling Ubiquity of Ed Sheeran
The strummer’s No. 6 Collaborations Project reveals the blend of sentimentality, humblebragging, and hip-hop swiping that has powered his success.
