Music

National

If Taylor Swift is living in Kansas City, here's what locals say she should know

Gabe Rosenberg

Even if you don't know burnt ends from a short end, here's a (brief!) introduction for Taylor Swift and the rest of the world to understanding Kansas City and what makes it so enchanting.
Economy

Spotify to cut 17% of staff in the latest round of tech layoffs

Emily Olson

In a memo addressed to staff, CEO Daniel Ek said it was necessary for the company to "rightsize" after hiring too many people during 2020 and 2021. Roughly 1,500 workers are likely to be let go.
Napoleon's piano lends authenticity to Ridley Scott's biopic

Olivia Hampton

British composer Martin Phipps discusses how he used an 1808 French piano that once belonged to Napoleon in the score for Ridley Scott's biopic of the one-time emperor.
Arts & Culture

Queen Latifah, Billy Crystal and others celebrated at Kennedy Center Honors

Elizabeth Blair

Billy Crystal, Dionne Warwick, Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, Renée Fleming and Queen Latifah were given the star treatment as they received their Kennedy Center Honors.
Arts & Culture

Maria Callas: The soprano of the century

Tom Huizenga

One hundred years after her birth, Maria Callas still commands attention in the world of opera, which she forever altered with her singular, searing performances.
Arts & Culture

Grammy-winning Switchfoot to headline December Nights on Saturday

Alexander Nguyen

It's the first time the Balboa Park event will have a major musical act performing.
At 95, jazz icon Sheila Jordan still eats, drinks and breathes the music

Sarah Geledi

She's among the last living beboppers, one of the first singers on Blue Note and a pioneer of voice and bass. The legendary Sheila Jordan joins Christian McBride for a career-spanning conversation.
Aja Monet: Tiny Desk Concert

Nikki Birch

The Tiny Desk blooms with the stanzas, sounds and legacy of jazz poetry.
National

Shane MacGowan, irascible frontman of The Pogues, has died at age 65

Neda Ulaby

Otis Hart

Shane MacGowan was a famously hard-drinking but brilliant musician who shot to fame in the 1980s with the folk punk band The Pogues.
When stars are on stage, this designer makes it personal for each fan in the stadium

Bilal Qureshi

Es Devlin says that stadiums are designed for competition and combat. So her job, whether she's designing for Beyoncé, Super Bowl Halftime, or The Olympics, is to achieve intimacy on a massive scale.