Louder: Diary of a Song: How Sam Hunt Makes a Hit

Plus: Bruce Springsteen, Jazz in NYC, Suzanne Vega and More

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story September 11, 2020 By Caryn Ganz Pop Music Editor A new “Diary of a Song” is here, breaking down how Sam Hunt made “Hard to Forget” — bringing together a sample from a 1953 honky-tonk classic with the hip-hop flourishes he’s known for, in a song that became his seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. I know I’m biased, but this series really is the most innovative way of exploring how music is made today, and this episode is a must-watch. We have two must-read Jon Pareles profiles this week, too: on the Afrobeats star Tiwa Savage and the PC Music artist and producer A.G. Cook. And a depressing but important report from Ben Sisario and Giovanni Russonello, looking at the state of jazz clubs in New York as the Covid crisis continues. Plus: In a critic’s notebook he was likely born to write, Jon Caramanica examines the new collaboration between Travis Scott and McDonald’s, I yapped with Lindsay Zoladz about Lady Gaga and Katy Perry on the Popcast, and Lindsay looked at the two sides of Kelsea Ballerini. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT     Diary Of A Song Sam Hunt’s Latest Country Hit: A 1950s Honky-Tonk Classic + a Hip-Hop Beat The Nashville boundary-pusher and five all-star collaborators built “Hard to Forget” around a sample of Webb Pierce’s “There Stands the Glass.” See how they made it sound modern in the latest Diary of a Song. By Joe Coscarelli THE CRITICS & POPCAST the playlist Bruce Springsteen’s Classic E Street Tune, and 11 More New Songs Hear tracks by Janelle Monáe, Sidi Touré, Mickey Guyton and others. By Jon Pareles, Jon Caramanica and Giovanni Russonello album review Kelsea Ballerini, Both Sides Now On an album released in March and a companion LP reimagining it, the country singer and songwriter explores her contradictions. By Lindsay Zoladz critic’s notebook Travis Scott Meets McDonald’s (It’s Lit!) A partnership between the rapper and the fast-food chain is a melding of the merchandising minds. By Jon Caramanica Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, Preserving Pop’s Old Guard Six albums into major-label careers with “Chromatica” and “Smile,” where do these two stars fit in? INTERVIEWS Stephen Tayo for The New York Times   Tiwa Savage, Queen of Afrobeats, Makes a New Start A Nigerian superstar is courting an audience in America and worldwide with her latest album, “Celia.” By Jon Pareles Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times   Too Pop? Too Weird? A.G. Cook of PC Music Is Stepping Out on His Own An innovative producer known for warping the line between the mainstream and the experimental is making a double debut, releasing two albums in two months. By Jon Pareles Timothy Norris/Getty Images   My Ten Suzanne Vega Is Tidying Her Home and Tending Her Soul (in Sensible Jackets) The singer and songwriter, hunkered down in New York as she prepares to release a live album of songs about her longtime hometown, shared her list of cultural must-haves. By Olivia Horn Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Jazz Lives in Clubs. The Pandemic Is Threatening Its Future. The entire concert industry is struggling as the Covid-19 shutdown continues. But a genre rooted in live performance and in-the-moment dynamics is in particular peril. By Ben Sisario and Giovanni Russonello A 639-Year Concert, With No Intermission for Coronavirus The long, slow performance of a piece by the American composer John Cage is scheduled to run until 2640. On Saturday, an audience in Germany heard a sound change — the first since 2013. By Catherine Hickley art review While Berghain Is Closed, There’s Art on the Dance Floor The famous Berlin techno club has been repurposed as an exhibition space during the pandemic. It’s a mixing of club culture and visual art reminiscent of the golden days of the 1990s. By Kimberly Bradley     Faces of Power: 80% Are White, Even as U.S. Becomes More Diverse See the 922 faces of power behind Hollywood, the justice system, big businesses and more; 180 of them identify as a person of color. By Denise Lu, Jon Huang, Ashwin Seshagiri, Haeyoun Park and Troy Griggs OBITUARIES Gary Peacock, Master Jazz Bassist, Is Dead at 85 He was a free-jazz pioneer early on before becoming part of Keith Jarrett’s enduring trio, where he infused American standards with a Zen sensibility. By Giovanni Russonello Ronald Khalis Bell of Kool & the Gang Dies at 68 He was the chief force behind the feel-good song “Celebration” and wrote or co-wrote many of the group’s other hits. By Neil Genzlinger Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MOVIE REVIEWS ‘I Am Woman’ Review: Singing Against Sexism Unjoo Moon’s film is a superficial hustle through the career of Helen Reddy and the recording of her most famous song. By Jeannette Catsoulis ‘Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President’ Review: A Musically Enlightened Commander in Chief Bob Dylan, Rosanne Cash, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks and more celebrate the 39th U.S. president in this documentary. By Glenn Kenny FROM STYLES & BEYOND Drag Queens Deliver Dinner and a Show in San Francisco Oasis, a cabaret and nightclub, closed in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Now its drag queens are bringing food and a curbside performance to people’s front doors. By Concepción de León and Kelsey McClellan Guitars Are Back, Baby! Painted by some as a boomer relic just years ago, the guitar is seeing a revival that may just extend past the stress-purchase quarantine bounce. By Alex Williams NEWS Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’ Still No. 1, Six Weeks Later It’s the longest streak at the top of the Billboard chart for any album since Drake’s “Views” in 2016. By Ben Sisario Make a friend’s day: Forward this email! Get this from a friend? Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter @nytimesmusic. Send your feedback on Louder at theplaylist@nytimes.com. Check out our full range of newsletters. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Louder from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. 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