SZA takes control of her meteoric rise
A year ago, R&B singer SZA didn’t know if her long-in-the-making debut full-length, “Ctrl,” would ever be released. There were issues: “Ctrl” is a deeply personal, almost diaristic examination of...
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Boy band Why Don’t We enjoying phase one of global dominion
The members of Los Angeles-based five-piece Why Don’t We are currently in the early stages of boy band success. This is Phase One, the golden phase, where everyone is cheerful...
Kelly Clarkson is coming at you direct from the soul
When Kelly Clarkson was competing on the first season of “American Idol” in 2002, contestants were made to log into a website that featured commentary from fans. Not all of...
Greta Van Fleet is big, and heavy, and for real
Gretna Van Fleet is an 80-something dulcimer player in tiny Frankenmuth, Mich., who had, at least until recently, avoided national attention. In the early 2010s, local brothers Josh, Sam, and...
The hits just keep on coming for Charli XCX
British singer-songwriter Charlotte Aitchison, who records under the name Charli XCX, first became famous when “I Love It,” a song she co-wrote and sang on, became a 2012 hit for...
Grace Vanderwaal is a ready-made star, from TV to stage
Grace VanderWaal started writing songs when she was 11, became famous at 12 and, at 13, is just about to release her full-length debut album, “Just the Beginning.” In the...
Boogie Wit Da Hoodie comes out of the rap gate strong
In the summer of 2016, rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie opened for Drake at Madison Square Garden. This was the biggest thing that had ever happened to A Boogie,...
Animals as Leaders has gone mainstream
Animals as Leaders knew it was going mainstream when women started showing up at concerts. The D.C.-born trio play instrumental prog-metal, a subgenre not known for its appeal to women....
Goblin is still knocking around, ages after ‘Suspiria’
Goblin was an up and coming Italian prog-rock band when director Dario Argento asked them to compose a score for his 1977 horror film, "Suspiria." The film and its discordant...
Andy Mineo is Christian and raps — it’s complex
Andy Mineo is a white Christian who raps, which presents both problems and opportunities. He possesses a necessary "wholesomeness," as he put it in a recent phone interview, that many...