“In a nearly four-hour interview, the legendary singer goes deep on longevity, Kamala Harris, why Fleetwood Mac are finished, and much more.”
music
Posted inEditor's Pick
In Kosovo, Techno Is a Symbol of Resilience
“Long a sacred space for catharsis and healing, the smoke-filled dance floors of Pristina have become the backdrop to a changing country.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
How the ‘Slamming Door’ Sound Became Embedded in Hip-Hop History
“If you’ve listened to any rap or pop music made in the 21st century, you’ve heard John Lehmkuhl’s most famous creation, a thwacking metallic percussion sample named ‘Tribe.’”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Elusive Erykah Badu
“Twenty years ago, she dropped Baduizm, the album that created a genre. I wanted to know how she did it and found something I hadn’t bargained for.”
Posted inReading List
Bad Blood (Longreads’ Version): A Musical Feuds Reading List
Whether competition between artists or strife within a band, popular music features some of pop culture’s messiest rivalries.
Posted inEssays & Criticism
Finding Worth Among the Echoes
Faded music dreams, a fledgling family farm, and a search for new definitions of work and success.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Harmony
“You can practice a song a thousand times and still its first note sends you into the unknown.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
André 3000 Is at Peace (For Now)
“One of the greatest rappers of our time in conversation with one of the most lauded culture writers alive on freedom, fame, flutes, and the burning question: ‘You gonna put some beats on that shit?’”
Posted inFeature
Three Strings: Past, Present, and Future
Finding beauty, human connection, and one’s heritage in the resonant sounds of the dulcimer.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Why Did This Guy Put a Song About Me on Spotify?
“The answer involves a remarkable — and lucrative, and ridiculous — scheme to game the way we find music today.”