So far, 2018 has seen several mainstream hip-hop acts release album sequels in an attempt to call back to a previous style and appeal to die-hard fans. Atlanta trio Migos released the supersized monstrosity...

Jesse Descutner, a 2016 Pitt graduate, heard the environmental term “urban heat island” in an undergraduate urban studies class and immediately thought it would be a good name for his band. In that...

Every so often, an established mainstream artist proudly announces they are returning to their roots. In recent years, we’ve heard Lady Gaga trade provocative synth pop for introspective piano ballads,...

Migos had every reason to go down as a footnote in the brief history of the trap genre. The collective — made up of Atlanta rappers Quavo, Offset and Takeoff — dropped its breakout single, “Versace,”...

If you didn’t know who Camila Cabello was six months ago, you almost certainly do now. The 20-year-old former member of Fifth Harmony has exploded onto the scene with the success of her solo smash...

Miguel’s most recent album is a practice in reflection — asking listeners to re-examine their integrity and take a second look at their treatment of each other. In the chorus of “Now,” Miguel...

Sam Smith is not heartbroken anymore — sad and emotional, sure, but that seems to be a part of who he will always be. The heartbreak that propelled most of Smith’s 2014 debut, “In The Lonely Hour,”...

In an Oakland basement adorned with Christmas lights, a two-person “mosh-pop” outfit jams in front of a sweaty crowd of college students. The crowd moshes to the fast-paced, resounding tunes as...

Punk blues rocker Benjamin Booker says that his new album “Witness” asks two questions he thinks every American needs to ask themselves — “Am I going to be a witness?” and, in today’s society,...

The early 2010s were a beautiful time for pop music. Songstresses like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry kept the genre alive by pumping out award-winning albums with numerous hit singles in thousand-dollar...