archive
The Record
Rihanna's 'Birthday Cake': Reasons To Listen
February 22, 2012 The singer's remix featuring Chris Brown presents a moral quandary for fans and music writers.
The Record
On 'Idol': Hollywood Week And The Brutal Price Of Fame
February 17, 2012 The show's most brutal week is a metaphor for the dilemma facing aspiring pop stars: there is no glory without sacrifice. But why can't the show find some middle ground?
The Record
How Social Media Saved The Grammys
February 13, 2012 The show's neck-breaking variety kept those on social media engaged, excited and frequently enraged.
First Listen
First Listen: Sinead O'Connor, 'How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?'
February 12, 2012 A disordered personal life, vociferous views on politics and religion and eyebrow-raising genre experiments have turned O'Connor into a side note for many pop fans. But with the release of her 9th album, it's time for everyone to remember how compelling she can be.
The Record
Whitney Houston: Her Life Played Out Like An Opera
February 12, 2012 Ann Powers on one of the world's biggest singers, who died at age 48 Saturday afternoon.
The Record
Why 'The Voice' Rules Over 'Idol' (At Least Right Now)
February 10, 2012 Call it drama in real life — where Fox's long-running show offers rags-to-riches fantasy, NBC's singing contest doesn't shy away from the hard work that goes into the dream of pop stardom.
The Record
Get To Know The Song Of The Year Nominees: Mumford And Sons' 'The Cave'
February 9, 2012 The band's performance during last year's Grammy Awards show gave the song a second life.
The Record
Get To Know The Song Of The Year Nominees: Bon Iver, 'Holocene'
February 8, 2012 The critically-acclaimed band's lead singer is literally the Grammys' poster boy.
The Record
Get To Know The Song Of The Year Nominees: Kanye West, 'All Of The Lights'
February 7, 2012 Kanye West's sole nomination in a major category for his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy comes in the songwriting category.
The Record
Get To Know The Song Of The Year Nominees: Bruno Mars, 'Grenade'
February 6, 2012 The Grammys reward industry insiders, and Mars is no stranger to the business.
The Record
'Idol' Is Rewriting History. Or Is It Stopping Time?
February 3, 2012 The show is effecting established artists' careers just as much as it's birthing new ones.
The Record
Lana Del Rey: Just Another Pop Star
January 30, 2012 Like other controversial musicians in the past year, the singer-songwriter hit an already partially exposed common nerve and set off a mass discussion about issues that go far beyond her product.
The Record
How To Fix 'American Idol': Ditch The Auditions
January 27, 2012 A modest proposal for reinvigorating the struggling, but still-relevant, singing competition.
The Record
Loving Bob Dylan's Throwaways
January 25, 2012 A new compilation of 75 covers, made for Amnesty International, highlights the hidden value in Dylan's less-than-iconic songs.
The Record
Still Chasing The Dream: 'American Idol' Eleven Years In
January 20, 2012 The star-making singing contest still shows us what pop means to a huge number of Americans.
