Overtones
Everything Is Interpolated: Inside Music’s Nostalgia-Industrial Complex
Publishing companies like Primary Wave and Hipgnosis are making old hits new again. And again. And again.
The Rise of Dissociation Music
From indie rock to SoundCloud rap, artists are combating the hell of modern existence with blank detachment in their voices.
Stevie Wonder and His Dream Machines
The pop icon’s technological breakthroughs have reverberated across music for the last 50 years.
What Can Music Do During Climate Collapse?
Everyone from pop stars to metal urchins to avant experimentalists are grappling with the grief and anger that comes with living on a planet careening toward environmental disaster.
How Leonard Cohen Haunted the Trump Era
The late singer-songwriter’s baleful devotionals offered a spiritual soundtrack to the cynicism and chaos around us.
The Summer of Quarantine Sex Jams
At a time when so many people are barely allowed to touch each other, pop music is once again giving voice to our thirstiest desires.
An Ode to Live Music in a Time of Silence
On the small miracle of experiencing sound with strangers
What Music Can Never Do
When my daughter died, no song could offer solace.
How Do We Live With Music Made by Problematic Artists?
Though it’s easy to deem a musician “canceled,” the reality of dealing with their work is often much murkier.
Are We Having Fun Yet? On Pop’s Morose New Normal
From Travis Scott’s queasy emptiness to Khalid’s lowkey miserabilism, how did the pop charts become a destination for despair?
Dancing on My Own, Together: Capturing That Robyn Feeling
Examining the glittering melancholy of Robyn’s music with some help from diehard fans including Carly Rae Jepsen and Perfume Genius
Learning to Love Post Malone
Whether he’s singing about poignant heartache or “beautiful boobies,” the pop star’s party music is curiously affecting.
Life, Death, and John Prine
The 71-year-old’s songs soundtrack moments of deep pain and joy for many, including writer Jayson Greene.
How Frank Ocean Triumphs Without Even Trying
Even though he didn’t put out an album and skipped huge festival gigs, Frank Ocean was still everywhere this year.
The Unlikely Resurgence of Rap Rock
A new generation is rethinking the much-maligned genre in its own progressive image.
Can Music Heal Trauma? Exploring the Therapeutic Powers of Sound
An increasing number of music therapists are now treating people touched by traumas both big and small, highlighting humanity’s deepest connections with music in the process.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Guitars? Exploring the Future of Musical A.I.
New projects by Google and Sony use machine-learning technology to create music that essentially writes itself. Should we be scared—or excited?
Is Rihanna the Most Influential Pop Singer of the Past Decade?
Turn your ear a certain way, and you can hear her everywhere.
Chaos Theory: The Glorious Unpredictability of Young Thug
Chaos isn't the absence of a pattern; it's a pattern too complex to discern. Jayson Greene talks with some of Young Thug’s closest collaborators in an effort to figure out the secrets of his mercurial style.
The Coldest Story Ever Told: The Influence of Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak
Over the last seven years, 808s & Heartbreak has become a touchstone for musicians interested in exploring emotional and artistic upheaval. Jayson Greene details its lasting impact.
The Compton Sessions: How Dr. Dre Created His Comeback
Jayson Greene talks with some of the key collaborators behind Dr. Dre’s Compton to find out how the 50-year-old hip-hop icon arrived at his uncharacteristically ragged and dark new sound.
Evolve With the Flow: How Drake and Kendrick Found Their Voices
Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s new albums are vastly different hip-hop artifacts, but they both feature rappers honing in on their message by exploring the outer reaches of the most elemental tool available to them—their voices. By Jayson Greene.