come-up
How 1010Benja Went From Church Boy to Hitmaker
April 18, 2024
“What an artist does, now more than ever, needs to hark towards freedom,” says the singer-songwriter of his major label debut. “It’s not enough to have talent.”
HOT SEAT
“Fuck a Day Job”: Sematary Takes the Proust Questionnaire
April 18, 2024
What’s the best way to get to know the elusive 23-year-old rapper? In the mountains of upstate New York, we asked him to complete the infamous Proust questionnaire.
CHEF
benny blanco Serves Ali Wong His Spiciest Food Takes
April 17, 2024
One of pop music’s most prolific hitmakers is also die-hard food fanatic on the verge of publishing his first cookbook. Here, he connects with his friend to share the culinary dos and don’ts he lives by.
TOUR DIARY
Teezo Touchdown Takes Amsterdam’s Red Light District
April 16, 2024
“We make sure we have four bouquets of flowers backstage,” said the rapper-rockstar as he concluded the European run of his first headlining tour. “That’s mandatory.”
SOUND ADVICE
Superproducer Vegyn Tells Us His Musical Red Flags
April 15, 2024
To celebrate his new album, “The Road to Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions,” the 31-year-old British producer curated us a playlist of smooth, electronic jams.
tour diary
“Pray, Smoke, Take a Shot”: Anycia Takes Us Backstage at Her NYC Show
April 12, 2024
The Atlanta rapper called us from the hair-braiding salon to talk about falling in love with New York City on tour and tell us her backstage tequila of choice.
SOUND ADVICE
Live Coder DJ_Dave Is Logged In to the Algorave Afters
April 11, 2024
The producer and sound selector made us the ultimate futuristic fembot playlist, featuring Kelela and Charli XCX, and tells us who to fear when the machines take over.
COVER
Rihanna Is Ready to Confess
April 9, 2024
Somewhere on the outskirts of Milan, our EIC Mel Ottenberg comes face to face with his former boss. And for the next 90 minutes, she gives him her all.
SOUND ADVICE
Varg2™ Hates the Algorithm. And Your Outfit.
April 8, 2024
In this week’s Sound Advice, the Stockholm-based musician and producer curated a playlist to prepare us for his new record, “Nordic Flora Series Pt. 6: Outlaw Music.”
TOUR DIARY
Flyana Boss Takes Us BTS of Their First Headlining Tour
April 3, 2024
In this week’s Tour Diary, Bobbi and Folayan called us from San Francisco to talk about self-care on the road and being chronically online.
SOUND ADVICE
Singer José James Eats Sashimi in the Studio
April 1, 2024
For this week’s Sound Advice, the acclaimed hip-hop and jazz vocalist readies us for his new album, “1978,” with a playlist of his icons and inspirations.
collab
“We’re Always On Our Sexy Girly Shit”: Rico Nasty, in Conversation With Boys Noize
April 1, 2024
The sugar trap queen and the producer got together to discuss the cruise raves and late nights that led to their collaboration on Nasty’s new EP, “HARDC0RE DR3AMZ.”
NOSTALGIA
MGMT Calls Themselves Middle-Aged. Feel Old Yet?
March 27, 2024
The band’s fifth studio album “Loss of Life” coincided with major life changes. “What came with that,” they say, “is a more stable and confident existence.”
panel
Santigold and Frank Ockenfels 3 Take Us Behind the Scenes of Their Spirituals Videos
March 26, 2024
“When I thought of this record, I thought of this idea of catching the spirit,” says Santigold, who enlisted Frank Ockenfels 3 to shoot a series of vignettes for her comeback album.
ICONS
“A Champion of the Freaks”: Christeene and Justin Vivian Bond on Sinéad O’Connor
March 25, 2024
Before they get on stage at City Winery to pay tribute to the late Sinéad O’Connor, the drag artists got on Zoom to reminisce on the singer-songwriter’s life and legacy.
SOUND ADVICE
Nourished By Time Tells Us What An Erotic Probiotic Really Is
March 25, 2024
For this week’s SOUND ADVICE, Marcus Brown of Nourished by Time, who’s just dropped a new EP called “Catching Chickens,” curates us a playlist of the pop bangers that inspire him.
IN CONVERSATION
Erika de Casier and Sega Bodega on Sinners, Samples, and Songwriting
March 25, 2024
“I know a lot of artists that force the unhappy artist ideal,” the Danish singer-songwriter told the DJ and producer. “But I don’t think that’s what it’s about.”
OPENING
“You Can’t Teach Sauce”: Allen-Golder Carpenter Examines Rap Culture at No Gallery
March 22, 2024
“If I really spoke and acted the way I wanted to, I’d scare all the money away,” says the artist, who walked us through their brand-new solo show at No Gallery downtown.
SOLO
Big Thief’s Buck Meek Tells Us How to Write a Love Song
March 21, 2024
The Big Thief guitarist, now a solo musician in his own right, joined us to discuss love, ego, made-up words, and his third solo studio album, “Haunted Mountain.”
SOUND ADVICE
Only Fire Tells Us Which Lana Del Rey Song He Wishes He’d Written
March 21, 2024
In this week’s SOUND ADVICE, the 24-year old Croatian DJ and producer makes a playlist of his faves to prepare us for his new EP, “Moana Lisa.”