Louder: He'd Always Been Thundercat, Whether He Knew It or Not

Plus: Jessie Reyez, Bad Bunny, Kenny Rogers and More

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 27, 2020

By Caryn Ganz Pop Music Editor

One interview done in person, shortly before quarantines began; the other conducted over FaceTime, as we adjusted to our temporary new normal.

Alex Pappademas profiled Thundercat, the bassist and singer who has a gift for welcoming listeners into an eccentric world of his own curating. His new album, “It Is What It Is,” is haunted by his friend Mac Miller, the rapper who died of an accidental overdose in 2018. As Alex writes, it’s “an album that’s ultimately less about overcoming uncertainty, fear, decay and heartbreak as it is about learning to live with those things as constants.” So … timely reading.

And Jon Pareles spoke with Jessie Reyez, an imaginative R&B singer who made an album called “Before Love Came to Kill Us” that encourages listeners to reckon with their mortality — and then had to decide whether or not to release it during the pandemic.

Plus: the 17-minute Bob Dylan song anchored to JFK’s assassination that you ordered is here; the “Blurred Lines” verdict had a chilling effect on songwriters, but there are signs a thaw is in sight; and we got Jon Caramanica back into reviewing albums.

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Rahim Fortune for The New York Times   He’d Always Been Thundercat, Whether He Knew It or Not The bassist and singer Stephen Bruner invites listeners into his eccentric world. His new album, “It Is What It Is,” is a vivid portrait of living with uncertainty and grief. By Alex Pappademas Steph Martyniuk for The New York Times   Jessie Reyez Is Yelling and Loving at the Same Time The 28-year-old musician’s debut album “Before Love Came to Kill Us” is meant to motivate people to think about their mortality. Now she’s releasing it during a pandemic. By Jon Pareles

THE CRITICS AND POPCAST the playlist Bob Dylan’s 17-Minute Surprise, and 8 More New Songs Hear tracks by PartyNextDoor featuring Rihanna, Benjamin Gibbard and others. By Jon Pareles, Jon Caramanica and Giovanni Russonello album review Bad Bunny Finds Gold in the Past, While J Balvin Is Trapped in the Future New albums by two of Latin pop’s biggest stars find them chasing inspiration in opposite directions, with contrasting results. By Jon Caramanica critic’s pick Lil Uzi Vert, a Hip-Hop Star Beyond Gatekeepers The rapper’s long-awaited second studio album, “Eternal Atake,” and the deluxe version that followed provide rowdy thrills. By Jon Caramanica What Is the Role of Criticism in a Crisis? The coronavirus pandemic has upended the world, and the arts are reeling. Pop music critics are asking (and facing) hard questions.

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Helle Arensbak/EPA, via Shutterstock   The ‘Blurred Lines’ Case Scared Songwriters. But Its Time May Be Up. Decisions in copyright cases involving Led Zeppelin and Katy Perry suggest the open season on lawsuits could be coming to a close. By Ben Sisario

OBITUARIES Kenny Rogers, Who Brought Country Music to a Pop Audience, Dies at 81 One of the first country artists to sell out arenas, Mr. Rogers sold more than 100 million records in a career that spanned decades. By Bill Friskics-Warren Manu Dibango, Soulful Ambassador of African Music, Dies at 86 His 1972 hit “Soul Makossa” arrived at the dawn of the disco era and made its way to dance floors across the United States, Europe and Africa. By Jon Pareles Eric Weissberg, ‘Dueling Banjos’ Musician, Dies at 80 His melodic banjo work on a 1973 hit single (heard in the movie “Deliverance”) helped usher bluegrass music into the cultural mainstream. By Bill Friskics-Warren Jeremy Marre, Documentarian of World Music, Is Dead at 76 With a minimal camera and sound crew, Mr. Marre traveled the world to film music and musicians on home turf that was often gritty and unglamorous. By Jon Pareles Aurlus Mabele, Congolese King of Soukous Music, Dies at 66 His up-tempo hits and high-wattage performances were highlighted by spectacular dance moves. He contracted the coronavirus and died in Paris. By Abdi Latif Dahir Suzy Delair, French Star of Movies and Music Halls, Dies at 102 Her career included a long association with the director Henri-Georges Clouzot and a starring role in Laurel and Hardy’s last film. By Anita Gates

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NEWS Mister Rogers Song and Dr. Dre Added to National Recording Registry The Library of Congress designates 25 recordings for preservation, in what it is billing as “the ultimate ‘stay at home’ playlist.” By Jennifer Schuessler the charts Lil Uzi Vert Holds at No. 1, and Streaming Habits Are Shifting During the coronavirus crisis, listeners are turning to older songs and family music, but the biggest new releases are still going strong. By Ben Sisario Singalongs From Windowsills Lift Spirits During Coronavirus Crisis Following an example set by Europeans who sang from balconies, some homebound Americans are communally belting out tunes from their windows. By Christopher Mele and Neil Vigdor Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night Auditions Go Digital The coronavirus has made in-person auditions impossible, so contestants can submit videos up to five minutes in length for the chance to compete for $20,000. By Devi Lockwood

TV Lelanie Foster for The New York Times   ‘For Life’: How 50 Cent Helped One Man’s Tale of Injustice See Daylight Convicted on false testimony, Isaac Wright Jr. learned the law and got his life sentence overturned. 50 Cent knew a good story when he heard one. By Austin Considine

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