The New York Times - Louder: 9 New Songs for the Weekend

November 20, 2020

By Caryn Ganz

Music’s fall awards season continues: Last week we had the CMAs, which fully pretended the pandemic doesn’t exist. This week, the Latin Grammys, which addressed the crisis head-on while delivering the impressive spectacles we’ve come to expect from the show. Jon Pareles captured what makes the event so special, and introduced us to an artist we’ll likely be hearing from a lot more: Nathy Peluso. (Next week, Grammy nomination will arrive.)

Plus: Taylor Swift’s catalog was sold again — here’s what happened; two of Southern rap’s biggest stars addressed their decade-and-a-half beef on Verzuz; and Marcus J. Moore took us inside the mind of the intergalactic jazz bandleader Rob Mazurek.

Joel C Ryan/Invision, via Associated Press

The Playlist

Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa’s Retro Rock, and 8 More New Songs

Hear tracks by Megan Thee Stallion, Steve Earle, Bleachers featuring Bruce Springsteen and others.

By Jon Pareles, Giovanni Russonello and Lindsay Zoladz

Taimy Alvarez/FRE171766 AP, via Associated Press

Critic’s Notebook

The Latin Grammys, Still Over the Top in the Shadow of the Pandemic

The 21st annual awards show brought impressive performances and meaningful spotlights on unity across regions and generations.

By Jon Pareles

Diego Levy for The New York Times

A Newcomer to Watch at the Latin Grammys: Nathy Peluso

A nominee for best new artist, from Argentina by way of Spain, is a singer and rapper with many voices.

By Jon Pareles

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Who Will Control Britney Spears’s Future?

While her father remains the head of her estate for now, the pop star has signaled she’s ready for change.

JAZZ

Joel Angel Juarez for The New York Times

Rob Mazurek’s Intergalactic Jazz Aims for a New Dimension

The composer and cornetist explains how the latest album with his Exploding Star Orchestra is an escape from earthbound thinking.

By Marcus J. Moore

Brittainy Newman for The New York Times

A Bright Spot in the Pandemic Gloom: Jazz Is Everywhere in New York

Musicians are playing al fresco all over the city to earn money and boost morale.

By Margot Boyer-Dry

NEWS

Taylor Swift Denounces Scooter Braun as Her Catalog Is Sold Again

The music manager acquired the rights to the pop superstar’s first six albums as part of a deal with her former label, Big Machine. Now he has sold them to the investment firm Shamrock Capital.

By Ben Sisario, Joe Coscarelli and Kate Kelly

Jeezy and Gucci Mane Address 15-Year Beef in Heated Verzuz Livestream

The Instagram hit battle, broadcast from an Atlanta strip club, was more tense than usual, but ended on a note of apparent reconciliation between the two star rappers.

By Joe Coscarelli

BOOKS, MOVIES & DANCE

Nonfiction

A Lifelong Rock Critic Goes Back to the Actual Classics

In “A Sound Mind,” the British journalist Paul Morley discovers the wonders of classical music.

By John Rockwell

‘69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez’ Review: A SoundCloud-Rap Rat

The rise and fall of the provocative rapper Tekashi69 is chronicled in this Hulu documentary.

By Calum Marsh

Catch the Vibe: Club Culture Comes to Life at Lincoln Center

The choreographer Ephrat Asherie unveils her short film “UnderScored,” which pays homage to the history of the underground scene and its veterans.

By Gia Kourlas

Continue reading the main story

Andrew White, Virtuoso Saxophonist and Coltrane Scholar, Dies at 78

A man of, in his words, “various artistic gifts of excess,” he amassed a trove of self-released recordings, books and musical transcriptions.

By Giovanni Russonello

Earl Gibson III/Associated Press

Rance Allen, Frontman of a New-Sounding Gospel Group, Dies at 71

The Rance Allen Group was at the forefront of contemporary gospel, fusing traditional music with pop, rhythm and blues, jazz, even disco.

By Neil Genzlinger

NEWS

The Charts

King Von’s Debut Album Reaches the Top 5 After His Death

The rapper was shot and killed in Atlanta in early November. “Welcome to O’Block,” his first full studio release, climbed eight spots on the Billboard chart.

By Ben Sisario

Dolly Parton: Singer, Songwriter, Pandemic Savior?

Ms. Parton donated $1 million to fund research for a coronavirus vaccine. After a promising announcement from a major drugmaker on Monday, fans are crediting her with helping to save the world from the virus.

By Maria Cramer

Lil Wayne Faces Federal Gun Possession Charge

The rapper, a felon, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

By Joe Coscarelli

BOOKS & STYLES

Rachel Bloom’s Life Is an Open Book

The star and co-creator of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” wryly explores adolescent angst, adult trauma and musical theater in a new memoir, “I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are.”

By Dave Itzkoff