Music news. Beyond the headlines.
Writer
Mara Ellis has a weakness for R&B records that sound better after midnight. The kind with warm basslines, expressive vocals, and lyrics that reveal a little more than the singer probably intended. She's equally happy revisiting an old Motown favorite or getting lost in a contemporary soul album that hasn't found its audience yet.
Her listening habits are driven by curiosity more than nostalgia. She notices the background harmonies, the unusual phrasing, and those little moments when a singer's voice cracks in exactly the right place. A beautifully imperfect performance will usually win her over faster than a technically flawless one.
Mara has a particular affection for overlooked album tracks and artists who never received quite the recognition they deserved. She's also willing to admit that some classics haven't aged as gracefully as their reputations suggest. For her, the pleasure of discovering music never really wears off.
Madonna and Charli xcx are bringing two generations of club-minded pop together on “Danceteria Afterhours,” a new version of Madonna’s Confessions II track “Danceteria” produced by longtime collaborator Stuart Price. The Afterhours Mix arrives September 24th through Warner Records, following several days of teasing around the collaboration. The fuller September…
NMIXX will release Strange Muse, its sixth EP, on October 19th, introducing the group’s first dedicated subunit songs alongside new writing credits for all six members. JYP Entertainment revealed the six-track record at midnight KST on September 21st. “Birthday Wish” leads the EP, followed by “Kerosene,” “RudE TaLK” and three…
Kakao Entertainment and Walt Disney Company Korea are planning approximately 10 projects that will combine K-pop intellectual property with Disney stories and characters, creating a long-term partnership designed to extend Korean music and entertainment IP across content, commerce and live experiences. The companies announced the agreement September 16th in Seoul,…
John Summit’s Experts Only Festival returned to Randall’s Island this weekend with three stages, more than 25 electronic acts and another crowd expected to top 50,000 across two days, turning the DJ’s record-label identity into one of New York’s largest dance-music events. The second edition runs September 19th and 20th…
Stagecoach has put its 2027 festival passes on sale behind a lineup that stretches from Garth Brooks and Willie Nelson to Pitbull and Journey, while giving Florida Georgia Line its first officially announced festival performance since reuniting. Riley Green, Zach Top and Brooks will headline the three nights of the…
Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour reached Philadelphia Saturday night without an announced opening act and with protesters gathering outside Lincoln Financial Field, turning the first concert since Macklemore’s removal into an immediate test of how the stadium run moves forward after losing its support lineup. Dozens of demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags…
Gnarls Barkley are returning to the road for their first North American tour in 18 years, bringing CeeLo Green and Danger Mouse back to the stage after their surprise reunion album Atlanta closed an equally long gap between records. The nine-city To Whom It Still Concerns Tour begins November 5th…
Federal ticketing reform moved another step toward the House floor September 16th when the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 36-0 to advance the MAIN Event Ticketing Act, legislation designed to strengthen federal enforcement against ticket bots and attempts to evade online purchase limits. H.R. 2713, formally the Mitigating Automated…
Burna Boy will headline the halftime show at the NFL’s first regular-season game in France, returning to Stade de France on October 25th after making history at the venue last year. The Nigerian artist will perform during the Pittsburgh Steelers-New Orleans Saints game at the 80,000-capacity stadium in Saint-Denis. Kickoff…
The T.J. Martell Foundation raised more than $3.2 million for cancer research at its 51st annual New York Honors Gala, turning an industry tribute to Red Light Management founder Coran Capshaw into the event’s biggest fundraising night in more than two decades. Held September 15th at Cipriani 42nd Street in…