What Is the Role of Criticism in a Crisis?
Pop music critics are asking (and facing) hard questions about how they listen and write during the coronavirus pandemic.
57m Mar 27, 2020
57m
What Music Should I Listen to in a Crisis?
10 music writers share the song that brightens up dark times.
1hr 17m Mar 20, 2020
1hr 17m
How Will Pop Music Respond to the Coronavirus?
The concert industry has been devastated by the pandemic. What's music's next move?
59m Mar 19, 2020
59m
The Unrelenting Space Jams of Tame Impala
Kevin Parker has had a sui generis kind of success in the last decade reviving a strain of rock not much heralded in decades.
44m Mar 08, 2020
44m
The Death of Pop Smoke and the Future of Brooklyn Drill
A conversation about Pop Smoke's career and the scene he was poised to bring to the world.
59m Feb 28, 2020
59m
Justin Bieber Is Back With Confessions, Personal and Musical
Justin Bieber has returned on his own terms, and with some unexpected musical allies.
1hr 1m Feb 21, 2020
1hr 1m
Answering Your Questions About Britney, Billie, Aaliyah and More
You have questions (about MCR, Gary Clark Jr., Billie Eilish; we have answers.
1hr 8m Feb 14, 2020
1hr 8m
Answering Your Questions About Taylor, Mitski, Emo and More
You have questions (about Taylor, Katy, Pinegrove, Mitski); we have answers.
1hr 3m Feb 07, 2020
1hr 3m
When Did the Super Bowl Halftime Show Become Political?
A site for entertainment of political engagement? How halftime evolved.
57m Feb 01, 2020
57m
The Grammys, Dissected: Out With the Old, in With the Billie, Lizzo and Tyler
The NYT pop music team fights (nicely!) over the 2020 Grammy Awards.
1hr 11m Jan 28, 2020
1hr 11m
How TikTok Is Killing the Radio Songwriter
Radio hits are different from TikTok smashes. And the shift is having an impact on songwriting.
53m Jan 17, 2020
53m
In 2019, Jazz Reckoned With Old Boundaries, and Marched Past Them
Breaking down the best jazz of the past year.
56m Jan 11, 2020
56m
Were These the Best Albums of the 2010s?
Our critics get grilled about their best-of lists from the past decade.
1hr 15m Dec 31, 2019
1hr 15m
Debating the Best Albums of 2019
Who made the best LP-length statements of the year? The team has a few different ideas.
57m Dec 20, 2019
57m
Juice WRLD and the Crisis of SoundCloud Rap-Era Fame
A generation of musicians is finding fame without the resources to deal with the traumas it can bring.
52m Dec 13, 2019
52m
Would Prince Have Wanted His Rough Drafts Made Public?
What does unreleased Prince material tell us about the artist — and would he have wanted us to know it?
52m Dec 08, 2019
52m
Dissecting the 2020 Grammy Nominations
The 2020 Grammys are led by a class of young, diverse artists. But there were still major snubs and surprises.
54m Nov 22, 2019
54m
Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Lana Del Rey: Pop Stars (and Their Fans) Clap Back
Are pop stars responsible when their fan armies can be weaponized?
1hr 11m Nov 20, 2019
1hr 11m
Can Reality Television Produce a Plausible Rap Star?
Can a reality show like Netflix’s “Rhythm + Flow” find a viable hip-hop star?
59m Nov 11, 2019
59m
Kanye West’s ‘Jesus Is King,’ From the Gospel Perspective
Gospel music insiders on Kanye West's "Jesus Is King."
1hr 6m Oct 30, 2019
1hr 6m
The Rise of DaBaby, From Memes to the Mosh Pit
DaBaby, the year’s most consistent new hip-hop star, combines intense rhymes with online savvy.
1hr 15m Oct 19, 2019
1hr 15m
The Highwomen, Miranda Lambert and the Women Invigorating Country Music
Nashville has long marginalized women. But a wave of artists is fighting back.
1hr 4m Oct 11, 2019
1hr 4m
Is 100 gecs the End of Pop, or a New Beginning?
The duo 100 gecs is one of the year's most unlikely breakthrough artists. What does its music mean for pop?
1hr 6m Oct 05, 2019
1hr 6m
A New Flood of English-Spanish Pop Is Here. Is It Opportunism or Progress?
A survey of English-Spanish pop collaborations post-"Despacito."
1hr 5m Sep 29, 2019
1hr 5m
How Does Post Malone Sound Like Everything and Nothing?
A conversation about the rapid rise of Post Malone.
1hr Sep 22, 2019
1hr
Young Thug Gets His Due, But Is It Too Late?
Young Thug is one of the decade's most copied rappers — now he finally has a No. 1 album.
1hr 1m Sep 07, 2019
1hr 1m
What’s the Point of Album Covers in the Post-Album Era?
Album art has shrunk in the digital era. What's been lost?
56m Aug 29, 2019
56m
Is Taylor Swift’s ‘Lover’ the Beginning or the End of an Era?
Breaking down Taylor Swift's new album, "Lover."
1hr 16m Aug 27, 2019
1hr 16m
A Tribute to David Berman, Who Never Hid His Truth
Remembering the Silver Jews leader's music and life.
1hr 15m Aug 16, 2019
1hr 15m
Funkmaster Flex and Tyler, the Creator’s Unlikely Buddy Comedy
Funkmaster Flex and Tyler, the Creator shared the wildest interview of the year.
1hr 9m Aug 02, 2019
1hr 9m
How Many Streams Is a T-Shirt Worth? Breaking Down Chart Dilemmas.
There’s more data about music consumption than ever before. That doesn’t mean we understand who’s the most popular. Guests: The New York Times's Joe Coscarelli and Ben Sisario.
1hr Jul 26, 2019
1hr
The Loudness of João Gilberto, Bossa Nova’s King of Quiet
A look back at the Brazilian musician’s innovations as one of the genre’s primary architects.
56m Jul 19, 2019
56m
How Hootie & the Blowfish Inspired Both Love and Hate
How did Hootie & the Blowfish become so bitterly divisive?
54m Jul 08, 2019
54m
Taylor vs. Scooter: The Pop Music Civil War of 2019
Taylor Swift battles Scooter Braun in a war over master recordings and public opinion.
1hr 4m Jul 03, 2019
1hr 4m
The Unexpectedly Deep Musical Roots of Hootie & the Blowfish
A conversation about the underrated music of Hootie & the Blowfish.
59m Jul 01, 2019
59m
Why Are the Movies So Obsessed With Pop Stars?
From “Rocketman” to “Her Smell,” “Blaze” to “Vox Lux,” the film industry seems to think all musicians have the same ups and downs. Guests: The New York Times's A.O. Scott; Vanity Fair's K. Austin Collins; Kristen Yoonsoo Kim.
1hr 16m Jun 21, 2019
1hr 16m
Can Record Labels Be Trusted to Preserve Music History?
A 2008 fire destroyed thousands of Universal Music Group masters.
1hr 15m Jun 13, 2019
1hr 15m
Bob Dylan’s Excellent Adventure
Looking back at Bob Dylan's peculiar 1975 tour, the Rolling Thunder Revue.
44m Jun 11, 2019
44m
Megan Thee Stallion and Rap’s Rising Generation of Women
How Megan Thee Stallion and a new generation of female rappers are breaking through
30m May 25, 2019
30m
Are AirPods Worth the Costs?
Are AirPods worth the cost of environmental damage and looking foolish?
1hr 3m May 20, 2019
1hr 3m
Vampire Weekend, Indie Rock Heretics Turned Anxious Jam Band
The return of Vampire Weekend and its new album, "Father of the Bride."
53m May 13, 2019
53m
The Return of Bikini Kill and the Long Tail of Riot Grrrl
A conversation about riot grrrl and punk-powered feminism.
42m May 05, 2019
42m
How Gospel and Pop Learn From Each Other
How pop music and gospel music learn from each other.
1hr 12m Apr 30, 2019
1hr 12m
Is Billie Eilish the Future of Pop?
A conversation about the chart-topping 17-year-old genre-blending pop star Billie Eilish.
1hr 6m Apr 19, 2019
1hr 6m
Lil Nas X and the Long History of Country-Rap
How Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" set off debates between rap and country once again.
47m Apr 07, 2019
47m
Boy Bands, Now Featuring Grown Men
Why are boy bands so central to pop music?
1hr 21m Mar 29, 2019
1hr 21m
How a Viral Rap Star Rocketed From Meme to Hit
Blueface is a viral rap star who rocketed from meme to hit with "Thotiana"
57m Mar 21, 2019
57m
Can Michael Jackson’s Legacy Ever Really Be Derailed?
A conversation about the documentary "Leaving Neverland" and Michael Jackson fans.
1hr Mar 07, 2019
1hr
The Hip-Hop Superstar as Local Newsmaker
A conversation about covering hip-hop as entertainment and news in Florida
42m Mar 01, 2019
42m
Behind the Ryan Adams Investigation
Behind The New York Times's investigation into Ryan Adams's behavior with women.
42m Feb 18, 2019
42m