Anurag Tagat
Donda review: Kanye West's album is personal, grand, yet complicated
Kanye West has overwritten and overshared even by his own standards for Donda
Exodus review: Rapper DMX's posthumous record is earnest, showcasing every side to him
What Exodus had in its favour right from its inception was a renewed, urgent sense of conviction from DMX and a whole lot of star power by way of collaborations.
Khaled Khaled review: DJ Khaled rounds up the best of pop music for a star-studded album
DJ Khaled's new album includes collaborations with heavyweights like Jay-Z, Nas, Justin Timberlake, Cardi B, Justin Bieber, Drake, Lil Wayne, Megan Thee Stallion, and HER among others.
Abhilasha Sinha on her second Hindi song ‘Jab Tum Miley’, and connecting with AR Rahman
After the release of 'Honey Bee', composer AR Rahman reached out to Sinha directly via Instagram, informing her that he’d shared her song on Twitter.
DMX was a ruff rider from start to finish; the American rapper’s music endures for its aggression
The essence of DMX as a hip-hop artist emerges as one who could balance violent, toughened delivery with give-a-damn melodies worked in with his distinctly gravelly voice.
Contending with a COVID-19 world, DJs and electronic music producers test mellower tunes, best enjoyed indoors
As a result of the pandemic, through most of 2020 and even now in 2021, we're seeing the emergence of mellower, fluid electronic music that might bear an energetic influence, but is likely best enjoyed at home.
DIVINE talks new album Punya Paap, creative drive: 'This is our chance, there cannot be any blocks'
Fully in the driver’s seat with Punya Paap, the rapper never thinks about creative blocks. “We came from a place and genre was never there,” DIVINE says. “It was do or die for us.”
Singer-songwriter Kamakshi Khanna on her new single 'Qareeb', overcoming mental blocks through music
At over a million views for the stop motion animated video directed by Arsh Grewal, 'Qareeb' tells a familiar yet emphatic story of self-love and acceptance.
With digital concerts picking up steam, a look at how new players in India’s livestream music space are faring
There’s been plenty at work on the technological as well as creative front on how the music experience can be moved from the festival to something that can keep fans glued to their screens.
Popular YouTube channel Last Cigarette’s suspension raises questions over copyright, monetisation
Active for more than two years, Last Cigarette was run anonymously, curating Indian and Pakistani rock and folk-pop songs by uploading the audio alongside photos, lyrics and poetry stories.
Inside Thaikkudam Bridge’s new album Namah, a collaboration-heavy tribute to their musical influences
The 12-member Thaikkudam Bridge say they let the song evolve itself and don’t force themselves on it.
Remembering Neil Peart: The genius mind who brought lyrical depth and drumming dexterity to Rush
People can joke how Neil Peart’s full drum kit would cost more than a house, but it was only fair considering the wizardry that would be on display at every Rush concert right up to 2015
NH7 Weekender Pune 2019, featuring more Indian acts than international, trudges on despite allegations against OML
2019 marked a decade of Bacardi NH7 Weekender. Without a doubt, it operated like it had nothing to lose – if there were any specific amends they were making, it could also be seen as a general festival addition.
ShiRock festival turns the spotlight on Manipur's lively culture, with performances by Nazareth, Extreme
ShiRock is a state-sponsored rock festival in Manipur, held as a part of an image-building exercise for the state that's been in the national headlines for insurgencies for years now. Started in 2017, ShiRock, in its third edition, has finally managed to find its place in the national and North East Indian music festival calendar.
Jodhpur RIFF 2019 brings together Rajasthani folk legends and global artists in another winning festival
Jodhpur RIFF kept its promise of providing an experience like few others in the country and it's clearly going strong on the curation front.
Jacob Collier in Mumbai: The artist's gig proves his most powerful instrument is his voice
Jacob Collier is a master in pitch control and voice modulation and even though he rushes excitedly to his circle of instruments — a grand piano, cello, bass, guitar, drum kit and synthesizers — during his set, the artist's voice remained the most fascinating component of his two-hour concert.
MTV Hustle: India's rap revolution gets a reality TV boost with Nucleya, Raja Kumari, Raftaar
Where Gully Boy pitched typical melodrama and fanfare around the lives of kids who picked up rapping, producing, b-boying and graffiti as a means of expression, Hustle expectedly brings the reality TV format to the same lot.
Mad Dreams, Vidya Vox's new EP, is a celebration of the singer's identity, multiculturalism, and idea of home
When vocalist, composer, and YouTube star Vidya Vox, released her new collection of originals, Mad Dreams EP, on 26 July, it was out on every platform except her own channel, which has over six million subscribers. The move stems from Vidya's desire to explore more platforms as an artiste.
Emo band American Football plots new musical territory, 20 years after their breakout album
Illinois emo/indie veterans American Football released their debut self-titled record in 1999 and quit. For a band that was on a break for 15 years, they’ve now got two albums out in three years and LP3 was even more breathtaking.
From Azam Khan to Laisfita: Tracing the history of pop music in Bangladesh and where it stands today
While music from Bangladesh is historically seen to have grown from classical strains, Rabindra-sangeet and Baul folk music to Bangla rock and even a bit of film music, pop has also regularly had its time in the limelight.