The US Open has always been more than a tennis tournament. It has been one of New York’s great cultural occasions, a place where sport naturally meets fashion, celebrity and the city’s appetite for spectacle. Actors, musicians, designers and other public figures have long occupied the seats at Arthur Ashe Stadium, while the tournament itself […]
James Brown was probably not thinking about criminal justice, motherhood or the killing of children when he sang that it is a man’s world. He was speaking about the enormous influence men have historically had over society, while also acknowledging that none of that influence exists independently of women. The song became a celebration of […]
There are not many Nigerian artists who truly understand how to make an album. Too often, albums feel like collections of songs thrown together because an artist has enough material for a body of work. The songs may be good individually, but they do not necessarily belong together. Llona’s On the Road is different. With […]
Phyno has been on a lyrical run since the release of “Uzo Ano,” showing a renewed commitment to the kind of hip hop culture and storytelling that made him one of the most important voices to come out of the Southeast. But “Healing” takes that lyrical energy into a much more personal place. This is […]
Zinoleesky has had a difficult period in his career. Following the controversy surrounding his former record label and allegations made against its CEO, the singer has been trying to find his footing again. He has released a few records since then, but “Dantata” feels different. At 2 minutes and 51 seconds, “Dantata” is a compact […]
Cheque is one of those Nigerian musicians whose talent seems to be ahead of the attention he receives. It is difficult to discuss Nigerian trap music without mentioning Cheque. While Afrobeats continues to dominate the Nigerian and wider African music conversation, Cheque has consistently stayed in a lane that does not always receive the same […]
Victony has been having a strong run in this period, especially with the release of singles from Starlife. From “FRE$H” to “SLICK,” the songs already suggested that there was a particular creative direction behind this album. So, the question was whether that same level of creative consciousness could be sustained across a full body of […]
The death of Dolly Parton has brought an outpouring of emotion from across the world. It is not simply because another legendary musician has passed away. The reaction has been much deeper than that. Dolly Parton represented a set of values that survived changing generations, changing music, changing politics and changing ideas about celebrity. She […]
Fola has been getting the sticks from listeners for a while now. One of the biggest criticisms of his music is that he keeps singing about women while relying on a familiar flow that appears repeatedly across his songs. At some point, the conversation around him became that of an artist who had found one […]
There was a time when taking pictures with your lover was simply about preserving memories. Now, in the age of smartphones and social media, those pictures can become part of the relationship itself. Couples post each other online, send private pictures when they are apart and sometimes face unsolicited opinions from people who believe they […]
