Category: Pop and Rock Music

‘Piece by Piece’ Review: Pharrell Williams’s Life, in Legos

The producer and musician gets the biographical documentary treatment — with an unexpected twist.
Cissy Houston Saw Music’s Peaks and Life’s Valleys

The singer, who died this week, was the mother of Whitney Houston and a contender for the greatest voice of the country, our critic says.
Is It Too Late Now to Say Sorry? 8 Songs for the High Holy Days.

Apology, forgiveness, moving on: These are some of humanity’s richest themes, and they have rich songs to match.
The Quick-Witted, Self-Lacerating James Blunt Would Like a Word

Twenty years after his hit “You’re Beautiful” turned him into an overnight star, the British singer and songwriter takes his music — and his haters — to task.
Book Review: ‘From Here to the Great Unknown,’ by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

In a new memoir, “From Here to the Great Unknown,” Elvis Presley’s daughter and granddaughter take turns exploring a messy legacy.
Cissy Houston Dies at 91; Gospel Star Guided Daughter Whitney’s Rise

Hailing from a musical family, she won Grammys, sang backup to Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin and helped shepherd Whitney Houston to superstardom.
Chappell Roan Seeks the Line Between IRL and URL

The rising pop singer has been transparently navigating the demands of fame — onstage and online — as she’s grown from cult queer-pop hero to zeitgeist-shaping star.
Marvin Schlachter, Record Executive Who Championed Disco, Dies at 90

In the 1960s, he helped get wide exposure for Black artists like Dionne Warwick. A decade later, he brought dance music from the clubs to radio success.
Lauren Mayberry’s Lush Pop Ecstasy, and 13 More New Songs

Hear tracks by Bartees Strange, the Smile, Ela Minus and others.
10 Unforgettable Kris Kristofferson Covers

Many of his songs are better known by other singers’ interpretations, like Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee,” Johnny Cash’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down” and more.
Orla Gartland Melds Honesty, Hooks and Noise

On her second album, the internet-native Irish songwriter makes a complicated relationship sound “squonky.”
Pras Sues Lauryn Hill Over Canceled Fugees Tour, Alleging Fraud

Ms. Hill was accused of deceiving the other group members about tour finances. She called the lawsuit “baseless” and “full of false claims.”