Willow Smith rocks harder

A few months ago, Nate came across a glittering guitar riff unlike anything he had ever heard before; it managed to perfectly balance careful optimism with plaintive melancholy, stirring the spirit. That melody, played by guitarist Yvette Young, was a shining example of the “midw ...  Show more

The music of global girl group KATSEYE might be confusing on first listen. A less-generous read might consider their songs to be rudimentary: the lyrics are mostly nonsense, the instrumentals evoke lesser 2010s pop songs, and the aesthetic can’t decide whether it’s targeted to ch ...  Show more

With 'Plastic Hearts,' Miley seemed to have found a home in a heavy rock sound. Nora and Nathan talk about the EP that she put out slightly before this album, 'She Is Coming' (1:00); whom Miley seemed to be turning to for inspiration on this record (28:09); and why her voice is s ...  Show more

This past spring, Willow Smith released a song called “Transparent Soul," which found her getting away from the pop-and r&b-influenced sound of her earlier work and diving headlong into punk-rock. Willow had an important collaborator along for the ride: Travis Barker, someone who ...  Show more

It's time to spill our guts. Nora and Nathan talk about the sophomore album from Olivia Rodrigo, the immense pressure she was under after the success of 'SOUR' (1:00), how Dan Nigro and other influences helped her develop the sound on this album (24:44), and debate whether or not ...  Show more