mosaec

What Did We Learn From a Year in Live Shows?

Cure, The (Music Group) Depeche Mode (Music Group) Madonna Phair, Liz Pop and Rock Music Rolling Stones SZA (Singer) Two Thousand Twenty Three

What Did We Learn From a Year in Live Shows?

Concerts paused during the height of the pandemic, and returned at full power in 2023. Our pop music editor saw a lot of them.

By The New York Times

The Albums That Defined 2023? Let’s Discuss.

Country Music Folk Music Pop and Rock Music Rap and Hip-Hop Rhythm and Blues (Music) Rodrigo, Olivia (2003- ) SZA (Singer) Two Thousand Twenty Three

The Albums That Defined 2023? Let’s Discuss.

Our critics debate their year-end lists (and agree on SZA, Olivia Rodrigo and 100 gecs!) in a wrap-up of the year in LPs.

By Nipah DennisAgence France-Presse Getty Images

Best Songs of 2023

Benjamin, Andre (Andre 3000) Bizarrap (1998- ) boygenius (Music Group) Branch, Jaimie (1983- ) Bridges, Leon (1989- ) Bryan, Zach (1966- ) Central Cee (1998- ) Champion, Jenn Chino Pacas Country Music Cyrus, Miley Daughter, Nkosazana Dean, Olivia (Singer) Del Rey, Lana Depp, Lily-Rose (1999- ) Dlamini, Amala Zandile (Doja Cat) Doechii (1998- ) Drake (Rapper) duendita (Singer) Fuerza Regida (Music Group) Future (Rapper) Gabriel, Peter Glaspy, Margaret Gosling, Ryan Grupo Frontera (Music Group) Gunna (Rapper) Harlow, Jack (Rapper) Howard, Brittany (1988- ) Hunt, Sam (1984- ) Ice Spice (Rapper) Irreversible Entanglements (Music Group) Johnson, Cody (1987- ) Killer Mike L'Rain (Taja Cheek) Lady Gaga Lankum (Music Group) Latin Music Lil Uzi Vert (Rapper) Madley Croft, Romy Mandy, Indiana Messia, Byron Minogue, Kylie Miyawaki, Mitski Monae, Janelle Musgraves, Kacey Mustafa (1996- ) NewJeans (Music Group) Noname (Rapper) Palehound (Music Group) Parton, Dolly PinkPantheress Polachek, Caroline Pop and Rock Music Price, Margo Rap and Hip-Hop Rhythm and Blues (Music) Rodrigo, Olivia (2003- ) Rolling Stones Rose, Caroline (1990- ) Russell, Allison (Singer) Sampha (Singer) Sexyy Red Shakira Smile (Music Group) Smith, Jorja (1997- ) SZA (Singer) That Mexican OT Two Thousand Twenty Three Wall, Paul Water From Your Eyes (Music Group) Wednesday Williamson, Jess (Singer) Wonder, Stevie Woods, Jamila (1989- )

Best Songs of 2023

Seventy-one tracks that asked big questions, found new kinship between genres and helped us see the good in Ken.

By Jon Pareles Jon Caramanica and Lindsay Zoladz

Best Albums of 2023: SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, 100 gecs and More

boygenius (Music Group) Brown, Danny (Rapper) Bryan, Zach (1966- ) Cano, Natanael Country Music Daughter, Nkosazana Del Rey, Lana Drake (Rapper) Everything but the Girl Feist, Leslie Fever Ray (Music Group) Friday, Debby Geese (Music Group) Glaspy, Margaret Hegarty, Antony (Anohni) Ice Spice (Rapper) Irreversible Entanglements (Music Group) Iyer, Vijay Jadagu, Hannah Kali Uchis (Singer) Karol G (Singer) Kelela L'Rain (Taja Cheek) Latin Music Miyawaki, Mitski Monae, Janelle Moroney, Megan NewJeans (Music Group) Noname (Rapper) Peso Pluma (Musician) Polachek, Caroline Pop and Rock Music Rae, Corinne Bailey Rap and Hip-Hop Raye (Singer) Rhythm and Blues (Music) Rodrigo, Olivia (2003- ) Rolling Stones Russell, Allison (Singer) Saint Levant Simon, Paul Sivan, Troye (1995- ) Speedy Ortiz (Music Group) SZA (Singer) Two Thousand Twenty Three Wade, Morgan (Singer) Wallen, Morgan Water From Your Eyes (Music Group) Woods, Jamila (1989- )

Best Albums of 2023: SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, 100 gecs and More

Many of the LPs that made an impact this year, including SZA’s “SOS” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Guts,” came from looking inward.

By Jon Pareles Jon Caramanica and Lindsay Zoladz