Louder: The Only Music Critic Who Matters (if You’re Under 25)

Plus: Sufjan Stevens, Ella Fitzgerald, Helen Reddy and More

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story October 2, 2020 By Caryn Ganz Pop Music Editor If you are reading this, chances are you are quite familiar with our pop music critics. But, if we are being (painfully) honest with ourselves, there are many people who don’t glean their stream-it-or-skip-it advice from the written word, but from the video reviews pioneered by Anthony Fantano on his YouTube channel The Needle Drop. The 34-year-old critic has more than 900 million views across his various accounts and, like most popular things on the internet, lots of fans and plenty of haters. Joe Coscarelli explains. Jon Caramanica caught up with Jawsh 685, a teenage producer in New Zealand who saw one of his songs explode into a global phenomenon. But his song wasn’t just a random hit; it was an international arrival for siren jams, a recent youth culture phenomenon in Pacific Islander, or Pasifika, communities in New Zealand and surrounding areas. Plus: Giovanni Russonello on Ella Fitzgerald, who sparkled onstage; Jon Pareles on Sufjan Stevens’s “The Ascension” (a Critic’s Pick); a big statement from Maren Morris on the Playlist, and much more. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Jillian Freyer for The New York Times The Only Music Critic Who Matters (if You’re Under 25) Anthony Fantano reviews albums and songs on his YouTube channel, The Needle Drop, bringing an old art to a new medium — and perhaps ensuring it has a future. By Joe Coscarelli Cornell Tukiri for The New York Times   A Teenage Producer With a TikTok Hit Brings New Zealand to the World Jawsh 685’s “Savage Love” became a global pop smash. Next up: graduating from high school and, hopefully, getting on a plane. By Jon Caramanica David Lee/Netflix   First Look: Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ Opposite Boseman in his final film, Davis delivers a star turn in another August Wilson adaptation produced by Denzel Washington, this time directed by George C. Wolfe. By Kyle Buchanan THE CRITICS Rolf Ambor   Critic’s Notebook The Special Place Where Ella Fitzgerald Comes Alive The singer’s concert recordings have always had a power that her studio outings could only imply. “Ella: The Lost Berlin Tapes,” a newly unearthed 1962 performance, magnifies her legacy. By Giovanni Russonello Evans Richardson   Critic’s Pick Sufjan Stevens’s Cry of Despair and Prayer for Redemption The singer and songwriter’s new album, “The Ascension,” addresses a convergence of crises with synth-heavy songs filled with counterpoint and no easy resolutions. By Jon Pareles Tyre Grannemann   The Playlist Maren Morris Pleads With America, and 8 More New Songs Hear tracks by Halsey, Priya Ragu, Jorja Smith and others. By Jon Pareles, Jon Caramanica and Giovanni Russonello Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT critic’s notebook Panic! at the Disco’s Flourishes Weren’t Just Dramatic. They Were Theater. A look back at the band’s 15-year-old debut, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” a commercial success that simultaneously satirized and celebrated staged spectacles. By Maya Phillips art review A Countercultural Dreamland From Tokyo Flickers at MoMA In 1969, Shuzo Azuchi Gulliver created a moving-image environment with 18 projectors. Now his and other expanded cinema works from Japanese pioneers are in New York. By Jason Farago Will Pop Music of the Future Rely on Actual Musicians, or Avatars? The pandemic has sped up how digital look-alikes are reshaping stardom. NEWS the charts Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’ Returns to No. 1 for a Seventh Week Propelled by full-album sales, the singer and songwriter’s surprise LP moved 87,000 copies, nearly double its haul from the week before. By Ben Sisario YoungBoy Never Broke Again Arrested on Drug and Firearms Charges A lawyer for the rapper, whose latest album, “Top,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts this month, said his client is innocent. By Ben Sisario Chrissy Teigen and John Legend Lose Baby After Pregnancy Complications “Driving home from the hospital with no baby,” Ms. Teigen wrote on Twitter. “How can this be real.” She said she and her husband had decided to call the infant Jack. By Mike Ives Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT OBITUARIES Herb Ball/NBC Universal, via Getty Images   Helen Reddy Dies at 78; Sang ‘I Am Woman’ The Australian-born singer’s first No. 1 hit became a feminist anthem and propelled her to international stardom. By Anita Gates NBC Universal, via Getty Images   Mac Davis, Pop and Country Singing Star, Is Dead at 78 After writing hits for Elvis Presley and others, he became famous in his own right with songs like the No. 1 hit “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me.” By Bill Friskics-Warren via Verne Edquist   Verne Edquist, Virtuoso Piano Tuner, Is Dead at 89 Mr. Edquist ministered to Glenn Gould’s favorite piano, heard on dozens of recordings. The two men’s exacting approaches were well matched. By James Barron BOOKS & STYLES 7 Takeaways From Mariah Carey’s Memoir In “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” the singer and songwriter opens up about abuse, infidelity, racism, Derek Jeter and much more. By Elisabeth Egan Four Takeaways from Rihanna’s New Lingerie Spectacle Savage x Fenty is back for another body-positive bash — now with men’s underwear and a meditation on sexuality. By Jessica Testa 7 Podcasts for Music Lovers These shows will keep you up-to-date on new releases, deepen your appreciation of your existing playlists and help to broaden your musical horizons. By Emma Dibdin Crocs Won 2020 The success of a new collaboration with Bad Bunny is the latest in what has been a very good year for the foam clogs. By Sandra E. Garcia and Jonah Engel Bromwich 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. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018