Sheldon Pearce
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
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Raised on EDM and SoundCloud rap, shaped by online gaming and Discord chats, a young generation is tearing the blown-out experimental pop of the 2010s into new shapes. -
The YouTube star PlaqueBoyMax built his following the usual way, livestreaming opinions on music and news. What's unusual is his latest move, which tests the modern meaning of the word "creator." -
What does a K-pop idol look like when set free from the system? On their own for the first time, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa and Rosé each arrive at a different answer. -
MUSIC is the elusive rapper's first album in five years, but his presence has loomed heavy over hip-hop — and the fanbase whose ears he retuned for extremity. -
Streaming has turned the once-rare deluxe edition into a given for pop albums. Many feel clunky or inessential — but a few artists have found ways to take the format high-concept. -
Hustler rappers like Gunn traffic in street tales that feel larger than life. That doesn't mean they're not "real." -
On the rebound from a public defeat, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U reverts to the sound of Drake's early years, charting a tentative course back toward the rap throne. -
Abel Tesfaye's hedonistic alter-ego meets his end on Hurry Up Tomorrow, forcing listeners to ask just who we've been partying with all this time. -
Cultural differences are a key charm of Korea's exploding pop market. When its stars start directly courting American listeners, is it even K-pop anymore? -
For NPR Music's hip-hop and R&B editor, no list could capture an accurate picture of the year, yet there's still value in calling out the albums that felt unignorable.
