Music

Chappell Roan's thick-skinned 'The Subway' captures a survivalist New York mood

Hazel Cills

Her latest single has a new sound (wistful '90s acoustic pop), and a new vibe (toughing out whatever NYC public transportation throws at you, from rats to trash to unexpected encounters with your ex).
Meet Žibuoklė Martinaitytė, the composer who wants to get inside your head

Tom Huizenga

The Lithuanian composer, now based in New York, creates layered, deliberate music that she hopes will grant listeners the freedom to enter an altered state of mind.
National

Accordion master Flaco Jimenez has died at 86

John Burnett

Over a career that spanned 70 years, Jimenez' playing came to define Tex-Mex music and carried the tradition-drenched conjunto sound all over the world and across genres.
Science & Technology

Songs of Love writes personalized music for kids — but can AI carry the tune?

Chloe Veltman

For nearly 30 years, the nonprofit Songs of Love Foundation has created custom songs for kids with terminal illnesses. Now it has harnessed AI to expand its services to older adults with memory loss.
'Mean Girl' Reneé Rapp isn't getting much nicer on 'Bite Me'

Phil Harrell

Reneé Rapp conquered Broadway in Mean Girls and the small screen on The Sex Lives of College Girls. Now she's gunning for the pop charts with her new album, Bite Me.
The best new albums out Aug. 1

Stephen Thompson

Liz Warner

Emily Hines introduces herself. The Armed rage against the machine. Mal Devisa makes a triumphant return. Read our list of the best albums out this week.
What Leikeli47 hid behind her mask

Rodney Carmichael

On the heels of her new, independent album, Lei Keli ft. 47 / For Promotional Use Only, the artist speaks candidly about the mask that once gave her freedom and the fight for creative autonomy.
International

England's Birmingham bids farewell to Ozzy Osbourne, its homegrown heavy metal hero

Willem Marx

Fans and relatives of the late Ozzy Osbourne converged to pay their final respects to metal star in his home city.
Tyler, The Creator debuts atop the charts, while Ozzy surges posthumously

Stephen Thompson

This week on the Billboard albums chart, Tyler, The Creator's Don't Tap the Glass charts at No. 1 and Ozzy Osbourne's The Essential Ozzy Osbourne races to No. 7 in the aftermath of the singer's death.
'Buckingham Nicks,' a commercial flop-turned-collector's dream, will be reissued

Rachel Treisman

Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks recorded an album as a duo before joining Fleetwood Mac. It wasn't a hit in 1973. But after much anticipation, it's due to get its first reissue in September.