Louder: How Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Drivers License’ Hit No. 1 in a Week

January 22, 2021

By Caryn Ganz

Pop Music Editor

A lot happened this week: in Washington, on the charts, in the universe.

I wanted to spotlight a story that isn’t exclusive to the pop music team: Melena Ryzik and Katie Benner’s follow-up to their report about FKA twigs accusing Shia LaBeouf of physically, emotionally and mentally abusing her in a lawsuit filed last month. The musician, whose given name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett, described conduct known as “coercive control” — the manipulative and isolating behavior that helps trap victims in abusive relationships. As Melena and Katie report, some state lawmakers, working with researchers, have begun to reshape the law to acknowledge that such behaviors are not only steppingstones to violence, but can be criminally abusive in their own right. Not everyone agrees legislation is the right solution. Read their report, which includes more from Ms. Barnett and Congresswoman Cori Bush sharing her own story, here.

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Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Drivers License’ Hit No. 1 in a Week. Here’s How.

The debut single from the 17-year-old Disney actress became a TikTok smash, broke Spotify records and topped the Billboard chart thanks to a “perfect storm” of quality, gossip and marketing.

By Joe Coscarelli

A BIG WEEK IN WASHINGTON

Erin Schaff/The New York Times

Critic’s Notebook

At Biden’s Inaugural Events, the Music Was Earnestly Reassuring

Artists including Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato and John Legend tried to bring together an America that couldn’t gather in person, and irony and bombast were banished.

By Jon Pareles

Associated Press

Lil Wayne and Kodak Black Among 4 Hip-Hop Figures Trump Pardoned

An executive from Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and a founder of Death Row Records also received pardons or commutations, capping a long, strange relationship between the former president and the rap world.

By Joe Coscarelli

Critic’s notebook: Bruce Springsteen sings ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ to open the inaugural special.

By Jon Caramanica

He Called His Song ‘American Anthem.’ It Actually Became One.

In his inaugural address, President Biden quoted Gene Scheer’s song, a patriotic hymn championed by the opera star Denyce Graves and recorded by Norah Jones for a Ken Burns soundtrack.

By Abby Ellin

THE CRITICS & POPCAST

Matty Vogel and Zhamak Fullad

The Playlist

Billie Eilish and Rosalía Join Eccentric Forces, and 12 More New Songs

Hear tracks by Weezer, Camilo, Deb Never and others.

By Jon Pareles, Jon Caramanica, Giovanni Russonello and Lindsay Zoladz

Chloe Carrasco

Album Review

Palberta Blends Big-Tent Pop and Art-Rock on ‘Palberta5000’

The New York trio remains gleefully odd on an album recorded in just four days.

By Lindsay Zoladz

GlobalFEST

Globalfest Moves Online, Showcasing World Music Without Boundaries

With 16 bands over four nights, the festival expanded its reach at a time when live music with audiences is in short supply.

By Jon Pareles

Fred Tanneau/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Inside the Bull Market for Songwriting Rights

The emergence of Hipgnosis has helped turn the battle for catalogs into an arms race that shows no signs of slowing down.

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Arlo Parks Wants Her Songs to ‘Feel Like Surround Sound Cinema’

The 20-year-old British singer and songwriter makes music that captures modern-day misery in a way that feels improbably heartening. Her debut album is due this month.

By David Peisner

MOVIES, FILM & THEATER

Sabrina Santiago for The New York Times

Salt-N-Pepa, Hip-Hop Duo That Spoke Up for Women, Tells Its Own Story

In a new biopic for Lifetime that they helped executive produce, the rap group that got its start in 1980s New York traces its roots and its conflicts.

By Steve Knopper

Erik Tanner for The New York Times

John Lurie Doesn’t Paint Happy Trees

His new series for HBO, “Painting With John,” is a meditative and often joyful blend of painting and personal storytelling. But Bob Ross it isn’t.

By Robert Ito

Disney/Pixar

Pixar’s ‘Soul’ Has a Black Hero. In Denmark, a White Actor Dubs the Voice.

The casting has fueled a debate about racism and fanned anger about stereotyping and prejudice in European-language voice-overs, even when films have main characters of color.

By Lisa Abend

Thomas Prior for The New York Times

‘Moulin Rouge!’ Was Their Ticket. Then 2020 Happened.

It was a Broadway smash with big plans until 25 company members took ill and a shutdown put everybody out of work. Inside a tumultuous year, in the words of those who lived it.

By Michael Paulson

OBITUARIES

Pool Photo Al Seib/Getty Images

Phil Spector, Famed Music Producer and Convicted Murderer, Dies at 81

Known for creating the ‘Wall of Sound,’ he scored hits with the Crystals, the Ronettes and the Righteous Brothers and was one of the most influential figures in popular music.

By William Grimes

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Playlist

Phil Spector: Listening to 15 Songs From a Violent Legacy

He was convicted of murder and died an inmate in California, but the producer’s work in the early 1960s is an inextricable part of pop music history.

By Jon Pareles

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Sylvain Sylvain of the Proto-Punk New York Dolls Dies at 69

He was a core member of a group that had limited commercial success in the early 1970s and didn’t last long but proved hugely influential.

By Neil Genzlinger

Marsha Zazula, ‘Metal Matriarch’ of Metallica and Others, Dies at 68

She and her husband founded Megaforce Records and introduced the world to heavy metal bands that became major stars.

By Neil Genzlinger

NEWS

Hispanic Lawmakers, Pushing for a Change in Hollywood, Start With ‘Selena’

Lawmakers and experts hope that by adding the film to the National Film Registry, more doors could open for Latinos in movies and television.

By Christina Morales

Glastonbury Canceled Again, Casting Doubt Over Europe’s Music Festivals

Britain’s biggest music event won’t take place for a second year in a row. The decision has sent shock waves across Europe, where festivals have already been asking politicians for help.

By Alex Marshall

The Charts

Morgan Wallen Debuts at No. 1 and Smashes a Country Streaming Record

“Dangerous: The Double Album” had 240 million streams — more than double the previous high set by Luke Combs.

By Ben Sisario

A Child of China’s Gilded Elite Strikes a Nerve Over Wealth and Privilege

The youngest daughter of the founder of the telecommunications giant Huawei debuted a documentary, a magazine cover and a music video — and the response was savage.

By Steven Lee Myers and Alexandra Stevenson