Category: Music Feature

British Invasion 2.0: Critic-Proof Dance Music

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With help from a pond-hopping lineup of U.K. garage and dance music experts—shout out AlunaGeorge, Pete Tong, MNEK, Gorgon City and, especially, Todd Edwards—I trace the lineage of English underground music all the way to the upper reaches of Billboard Hot 100, from Kyla & Crazy Cousinz to Disclosure to Drake to that place where all roads eventually lead: Justin Bieber. This is part three in a highly interactive, very wide-ranging British Invasion-type series I dreamt up (story-wise) for Slate underwritten by Jaguar. See the food and design pieces too.

Billboard Cover: Musical.ly’s Teenage Revolution

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I’ll level with you. I interviewed 14 people about this Musical.ly app—an international cast of adults (China, Germany, Russia, America), four tween/teen idols, a couple venture capitalists, representatives from three major labels, and my first Billboard cover subject Jason Derulo—and I’m still all “kids these days” about it, plus would have a hard time explaining in fewer than 3,000 words what Musical.ly is and why it has the music and tech industries scrambling for answers. But they are, and the answers are in this story about a lip-synch app turned revolution.

Billboard Cover: The Chainsmokers’ Brotacular Rise

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Someone get National Lampoon on the line—it’s time to reboot Animal House with a fraternity full of tech-savvy DJs. I want points on the deal, not just for the concept, but for this pitch-in-cover-story-form for the movie’s leading men: Drew Taggart (left) and Alex Pall (right) of the Chainsmokers, a pair of (mostly) lovable self-described “frat bro dudes” who are dominating music right now. Their song with Halsey, “Closer,” is breaking chart records, but who are these guys and where did they come from? The answer to that question may reveal a new artist archetype. Read on to learn more, and also to see what Steve Aoki has to say about it.

Young Thug Will Wear a Wedding Gown

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If we’re friends, ask me to tell you the entire story of my night with Young Thug, when I became an accidental member of his entourage, which involved a Ferrari, lots of lean, lots of weed, an unexpected festival performance, a mysteriously missing Beats Pill, creepy foot massages, dead-eyed stares, pizza, and me being mistaken for Chinese. After all that, this little story might be a bore, but the guy is a very fascinating character study, and the gown he wears on the cover of his new mixtape is gorgeous. We talked in honor of that fab frock, and New York Fashion Week.

Is Lil Yachty Rap’s Next Big Thing?

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In which I interview a mumbling ATLien who couldn’t name five songs by 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., or Nas. But the thing about Lil Yachty is how hard he rides for the Weirdo Youth of the World. That’s not the name of a group (it should be); just seemed like the kind of thing that should exist in formal terms, capitalized. Anyway, get a glimpse into the artful oddness of this 19-year-old.

Billboard Cover: Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato, BFFs

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It’s not what you think. Those two up there? They might be music’s greatest power couple that isn’t actually a couple. Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato have been best friends since they were tiny tots entering the Disneysphere together, through several tours with the Jonas Brothers, and up to this exact moment in time, which finds them not only slaying arenas, but running a business together. Plus sharing advice about relationships (her to him: “Go get laid,” essentially) and looking out for each other (him on her: “I’m never ever drunk around Demi”). Also, peep the related standalone interviews with Joe Jonas, Island CEO David Massey, and Brad Paisley.