Longform
The Woes of Being Addicted to Streaming
After a decade under the influence of music algorithms, a look at what streaming services afford the most engaged fans and what lingers below the surface.
How NFTs Are Shaping the Way Music Sounds
Like it or not, the industry has embraced NFTs. What could that mean for the way music will be made?
So Much for Destiny: The Story of Pavement’s Terror Twilight
With their 1999 swan song finally receiving a deluxe reissue, the indie-rock icons reflect on its contentious creation and renewed legacy in this oral history.
Musicians Are Begging Fans to Mask Up at Concerts. Here’s Why.
With mask mandates being pulled, artists like Jeff Rosenstock, Wednesday, Mary Lattimore, and Speedy Ortiz say that they feel forced to choose between healthcare burdens and income loss.
The Race to Save Hip-Hop’s Lost Eras
Why are early rap recordings so hard to find, and what does the ideal historical archive look like?
The Year in Latin Music
From the rise of Tokischa and Bizarrap to the leveling-up of Helado Negro and Xenia Rubinos, these were the artists and stories from the Latin music universe that demanded our attention in 2021.
The Year in Music on TikTok 2021
From vocaloids to demonic rap to whatever the hell Charlie Puth is doing
Ambient Jazz’s Quiet, Forceful Return
In 2021, works by Pharoah Sanders and Floating Points, Nala Sinephro, Nicolás Jaar, and others furthered a contemplative sound that’s impossible to ignore.
On the Road, Again
In an uncertain post-vaccine landscape, musicians and other touring professionals are feeling the elation—and anxiety—of getting back to work.
Untangling MF DOOM’s Lifelong Struggle With the U.S. Immigration System
Previously unreported immigration documents show the rapper’s attempts to gain legal residency in the U.S. before his death in October 2020
What Is Asian American Music, Really?
Seeking more than representation, a critic tries to make sense of a fragmented, disparate musical tradition
11 Indie Musicians on How They’re Navigating the NFT Wave
Skeptics like ANOHNI and Zola Jesus as well as believers like Mick Jenkins and Pussy Riot sound off on the good, the bad, and the ugly of the digital collectible game.
A Year in the Life of NYC Dance Club Nowadays
Over the last 12 months, the people behind this welcoming destination were forced to ask themselves: What is the role of a nightclub during such tumultuous times?
36 of America’s Best Independent Music Venues on Surviving and What’s Next
One year after their stages went dark, live music workers from across the country talk about what makes their spaces so important and how you can help them.
The Endless Life Cycle of Japanese City Pop
Boosted by the YouTube recommendations algorithm, and now TikTok memes, an American-influenced strain of vintage Japanese music has become a perennial cult hit online. The trend says more about Western perceptions of the East than the other way around.
How SOPHIE’s Music Inspired a Generation of Underground Artists
Five musicians and SOPHIE fans, from Mykki Blanco to Lyra Pramuk to Backxwash, reflect on what made the artist’s work so arresting, and what it illuminated in its gleam.