Before Gen Z was even old enough to use social media, Millenials were coding their favorite songs onto their MySpace profiles. But all evidence of MySpace Music has vanished without a trace.
Read More
In 1983, the obscure, Berlin-based band, Nena, unexpectedly broke through the decade's mold of big hair and brick-sized phones with its hit anti-war single, "99 Luftballons."
Read More
At a time when upbeat pop dominated the airwaves and rap was on its way to ruling the mainstream, Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” rode the coattails of numerous covers and an indie pop boom to become one of 2012’s unexpected hits.
Read More
Written 81 years ago, “Strange Fruit”’s constant reemergence reflects the continued racism and violence against Black individuals.
Read More
The biggest band to ever come out of the island nation of Sri Lanka, The Gypsies addresses its beloved country’s major social and governmental issues on the laid back song, “I Don’t Know Why.” The group’s hit single has broken international borders, showing people from all over the world what it’s like to be Sri Lankan.
Read More
From shutting down the New York Stock Exchange to playing at multiple American political party National Conventions, Rage Against the Machine has performed protest music since its 1992 debut.
Read More
If YouTube album reviews à la The Needle Drop marked a new age of music criticism in the 2000s, then music reaction videos are this decade’s next frontier.
Read More
While originally catered to the white psychonaut, much of psychedelia’s lasting influence on music was built upon a history of Black creativity and influence.
Read More
Throughout pockets of America exists a perception — subconscious or otherwise — that simply being Black is a crime. In his thought-provoking 2017 single “Neighbors,” rapper J. Cole articulates how racial injustice infects every level of society, making it truly skin deep.
Read More
For centuries, our planet has been crying for help. When will we listen to it?
Read More
As much as rap fans may hate to hear it, their favorite artist’s most effective tool to build hype around a new release is to delay it.
Read More
Despite jazz’s reputation as an exclusive genre, many female artists have made influential contributions that shaped the art form.
Read More
The song “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from the celebrated musical and movie “Les Miserables” lyrically symbolizes the heart of all protests and popular movements — people who believe that their voices are being silenced.
Read More
On “Beware of the Dogs,” Stella Donnelly voices Australians’ anger at their government’s role in environmental destruction and economic discrimination.
Read More
After South by Southwest 2020 was cancelled amid coronavirus concerns, several creatives, businesses, and other community members must grapple with the ramifications.
Read More
Recent music activism in Latin America leaves people wondering if arranging melodies and strumming instruments can really help create harmony for the people.
Read More
Punk rock is famous for lionizing life on the margins, but only a few years after Stonewall and still a few decades away from marriage equality, these musicians brought sexuality into the politics of the burgeoning subculture.
Read More
Former Grammys CEO Deborah Dugan’s complaint against the Grammys reveals shocking information about corruption, greed, and sexual assault allegedly brewing within the Recording Academy.
Read More