Sheldon Pearce
Sheldon Pearce is a music writer and was the music editor for Goings On About Town. Previously, he was a contributing writer at Pitchfork. He has worked for NPR Music, and his writing has appeared in the Guardian, Rolling Stone, The Fader, Spin, Complex, Deadspin, and others. He wrote the Listening Booth column on newyorker.com. His oral history of the rapper Tupac Shakur, “Changes,” was published in 2021.
Fall Contemporary-Music Preview
Gothic Americana sounds fill Bowery Ballroom, Lil Nas X takes over Radio City Music Hall, Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz returns, and more.
Soccer Mommy’s Dismayed Songs of Young Adulthood
The songs on her new album, “Sometimes, Forever,” fixate on how nothing—doom, hope—ever really lasts.
The Sideways Wisdom of SZA’s “Ctrl”
A deluxe edition celebrating the album’s fifth anniversary comes with seven new songs that seem to revel in its influence.
Post Malone’s Languid Songs of Self-Loathing
On “Twelve Carat Toothache,” the artist assesses the toll of being ensnared by fame.
James Blake Pivots to Background Music
The sounds recorded on the artist’s new A.I.-assisted album aren’t songs, per se, but they possess surprising glints of melodic elegance.
Kendrick Lamar Doesn’t Want to Be a Savior
On his sprawling new album, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” Lamar performs as if overwhelmed by his obligations.
Jack Harlow’s Empty Flirtations
The rapper’s new album, “Come Home the Kids Miss You,” seems to be powered more by simulation of stardom than aptitude.
Summer Contemporary-Music Preview
HAIM plays Madison Square Garden, J Balvin hits Barclays Center, Beach House heads to Kings Theatre, and more.
Kehlani’s Songs of Self-Improvement
The artist’s soothing new record, “blue water road,” is their most considered work yet.
Luxury and Mockery on Pusha T’s “It’s Almost Dry”
The new record is as leisurely as it is confrontational, performed from a position of casual, assumed superiority.
On Syd’s “Broken Hearts Club,” an Evasive Player Falls in Love
On her new solo record, the lead singer of the Internet scripts honeymoon romance and “what are we” entanglement with equal acuity.
The Cryptic Storytelling of Aldous Harding
Harding’s songs can feel like impressions, with wayward characters wafting in and out of her music.
A Dizzy Record of Newfound Fame
The young British rapper ArrDee hasn’t been famous for long, but he has been quick to adopt the confidence and paranoia of celebrity.
WurlD’s Understated Global Sound
Sashaying Afrobeats rhythms meet cruising, mellow balladry on the Nigerian singer’s new album.
Nilüfer Yanya’s Songs of Noxious Attachment
The singer-songwriter’s moody, restless pop rock circles her feelings of emptiness and inadequacy. On “Painless,” she makes art of her worst habits.
Spring Contemporary-Music Preview
Bad Bunny at Barclays Center, Mitski at Radio City Music Hall, Jazmine Sullivan on tour, and more.
Kanye West’s Quest for Recognition
A new three-part docuseries on Netflix charts the rapper’s spectacular—and often painful—ascent.
Immanuel Wilkins’s Divinely Inspired Jazz
The alto saxophonist, who has collaborated with Wynton Marsalis, Bob Dylan, and Solange, aims to find God in his music—or, at least, in the act of playing it.
Tanya Tagaq’s Experimental Inuit Throat Singing
Her new album, “Tongues,” balances the chant-like reflexivity of throat singing with detail-driven storytelling.
NBA YoungBoy and the Music Industry’s Unseen Stars
In 2020, a twenty-two-year-old rapper from Baton Rouge brought in nearly as much streaming revenue as Taylor Swift did. Why haven’t most people heard of him?
Fall Contemporary-Music Preview
Gothic Americana sounds fill Bowery Ballroom, Lil Nas X takes over Radio City Music Hall, Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz returns, and more.
Soccer Mommy’s Dismayed Songs of Young Adulthood
The songs on her new album, “Sometimes, Forever,” fixate on how nothing—doom, hope—ever really lasts.
The Sideways Wisdom of SZA’s “Ctrl”
A deluxe edition celebrating the album’s fifth anniversary comes with seven new songs that seem to revel in its influence.
Post Malone’s Languid Songs of Self-Loathing
On “Twelve Carat Toothache,” the artist assesses the toll of being ensnared by fame.
James Blake Pivots to Background Music
The sounds recorded on the artist’s new A.I.-assisted album aren’t songs, per se, but they possess surprising glints of melodic elegance.
Kendrick Lamar Doesn’t Want to Be a Savior
On his sprawling new album, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” Lamar performs as if overwhelmed by his obligations.
Jack Harlow’s Empty Flirtations
The rapper’s new album, “Come Home the Kids Miss You,” seems to be powered more by simulation of stardom than aptitude.
Summer Contemporary-Music Preview
HAIM plays Madison Square Garden, J Balvin hits Barclays Center, Beach House heads to Kings Theatre, and more.
Kehlani’s Songs of Self-Improvement
The artist’s soothing new record, “blue water road,” is their most considered work yet.
Luxury and Mockery on Pusha T’s “It’s Almost Dry”
The new record is as leisurely as it is confrontational, performed from a position of casual, assumed superiority.
On Syd’s “Broken Hearts Club,” an Evasive Player Falls in Love
On her new solo record, the lead singer of the Internet scripts honeymoon romance and “what are we” entanglement with equal acuity.
The Cryptic Storytelling of Aldous Harding
Harding’s songs can feel like impressions, with wayward characters wafting in and out of her music.
A Dizzy Record of Newfound Fame
The young British rapper ArrDee hasn’t been famous for long, but he has been quick to adopt the confidence and paranoia of celebrity.
WurlD’s Understated Global Sound
Sashaying Afrobeats rhythms meet cruising, mellow balladry on the Nigerian singer’s new album.
Nilüfer Yanya’s Songs of Noxious Attachment
The singer-songwriter’s moody, restless pop rock circles her feelings of emptiness and inadequacy. On “Painless,” she makes art of her worst habits.
Spring Contemporary-Music Preview
Bad Bunny at Barclays Center, Mitski at Radio City Music Hall, Jazmine Sullivan on tour, and more.
Kanye West’s Quest for Recognition
A new three-part docuseries on Netflix charts the rapper’s spectacular—and often painful—ascent.
Immanuel Wilkins’s Divinely Inspired Jazz
The alto saxophonist, who has collaborated with Wynton Marsalis, Bob Dylan, and Solange, aims to find God in his music—or, at least, in the act of playing it.
Tanya Tagaq’s Experimental Inuit Throat Singing
Her new album, “Tongues,” balances the chant-like reflexivity of throat singing with detail-driven storytelling.
NBA YoungBoy and the Music Industry’s Unseen Stars
In 2020, a twenty-two-year-old rapper from Baton Rouge brought in nearly as much streaming revenue as Taylor Swift did. Why haven’t most people heard of him?