Louder: Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Are Still Shaping Pop History

July 9, 2021

By Caryn Ganz

Pop Music Editor

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis’s songs are embedded in your brain whether you realize it or not. “Just Be Good to Me” by the S.O.S Band. “Monkey” by George Michael. And about half a dozen Janet Jackson albums that, as Wesley Morris writes, “defined and redefined then defined again who Jackson is and how she can sound.” On Friday, they put out “Jam & Lewis Volume One,” the first album released under their own names, featuring songs sung by Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Babyface and more. The secret of their success is twofold (well, multifold, but two major points here): Each new song renders its singer as their most quintessential self; and the duo have mastered the art of “newstalgia.” “It’s that feeling that you get when you hear something that’s new,” Jam said, “that’s exciting, but it takes you back to a place that’s very comfortable and very reassuring.” And who doesn’t want to feel reassured right now?

Plus: Jon Caramanica names Tyler, the Creator’s new album a Critic’s Pick; cabaret returns to New York City; H.E.R. breaks down 10 of her inspirations; and Jazmine Hughes provides a rare and insightful look into the world Lil Nas X is creating in the Magazine.

And did you know that Scripps National Spelling Bee winner Zaila Avant-garde’s father changed her surname from Heard to Avant-garde in homage to John Coltrane?

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Jam & Lewis Shaped Pop History. They’re Working on Its Future, Too.

The writing and production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis helped give Janet Jackson and others decades of hits. Now they’re bringing their “newstalgic” sound to their own LP.

By Wesley Morris

THE CRITICS

Vevo	The Playlist The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s Bouncy Plea, and 14 More New Songs Hear tracks by Little Simz, Nathy Peluso, Courtney Barnett, By Jon Pareles, Jon Caramanica and Giovanni Russonello

Luis "Panch" Perez

Critic’s Pick

Tyler, the Creator, an Insider Forever on the Outside

His new album, “Call Me if You Get Lost,” is both an embrace of hip-hop tradition and a swerve into new emotional terrain.

By Jon Caramanica

Critic’s Notebook

Theater Is in the Streets of New York, if You Listen

Recent audio and walking tours provide a gentle return to spectatorship while also revealing overlooked corners of the city.

By Alexis Soloski

FROM THE MAGAZINE

Shikeith for The New York Times

The Subversive Joy of Lil Nas X’s Gay Pop Stardom

A peek into a hot boy summer filled with new highs, disappointment and growth.

By Jazmine Hughes

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H.E.R. Still Finds Inspiration in Prince and ‘Martin’

The Grammy- and Oscar-winning performer talks about her new album, the moment she knew she wanted to be a rock star and why R&B isn’t dead.

By Kathryn Shattuck

REOPENING

Justin J Wee for The New York Times

With Venues Reopening Across New York, Life Is a Cabaret Once Again

The Great American Songbook, jazz, drag and more are returning to the small stages where intimacy and audience interaction are so key.

By Elysa Gardner

NEWS

Robots Can Make Music, but Can They Sing?

At an international competition called the A.I. Song Contest, tracks exploring the technology as a tool for music making revealed the potential — and the limitations.

By Malcolm Jack

Britney Spears’s Lawyer Asks to Step Down from Court-Appointed Role

The lawyer filed papers to withdraw after the singer said at a court hearing that she wanted new counsel to represent her and get her out of the conservatorship that governs her life.

By Joe Coscarelli, Liz Day and Samantha Stark

The Charts

Tyler, the Creator Hits No. 1 With ‘Call Me if You Get Lost’

The album opens with the equivalent of 169,000 sales, while BTS remains atop the singles chart with “Butter.”

By Ben Sisario

‘Waitress’ Is Returning to Broadway. So Is Sara Bareilles.

The popular musical secured a limited engagement at the Ethel Barrymore Theater this fall. The singer and songwriter will reprise her role for six weeks.

By Laura Zornosa