Podcasts, conversations and audio reporting for a changing world.
Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour, built around a movable stage, was among the most profitable live-music operations ever, as touring became the industry’s main engine.
The arrest of Turkish pop star GülÅŸen for political statements drew thousands into the streets, as musicians across Turkey united in protest in late March.
Kendrick Lamar headlined the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, delivering Not Like Us before 120 million viewers and making it the most discussed moment of the year.
Beyoncé won Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter at the 67th Grammys, her first win in the category, while Kendrick Lamar swept the major rap awards.
Charli XCX’s album Brat became the cultural event of summer 2024, spawning the brat summer aesthetic and turning the UK pop star into a global icon.
Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department arrived with a surprise double album, breaking streaming and vinyl records and dominating spring 2024.
Beyoncé released Cowboy Carter, her country-inflected album, reworking the Americana canon and forcing a conversation about who country music belongs to.
