The Empty Excitement of the 2025 Grammy Awards
Beyoncé may have broken her curse with fun performances, but the bright Grammy ceremony was undercut by self-aggrandizing acts that fell flat by the end.
Evan Sawdey
Evan Sawdey started contributing to PopMatters in late 2005, and has also had his work featured in publications such as Entertainment Weekly, SLUG Magazine, YardBarker, The Daily Dot, and many more. He has been a guest on HuffPost Live, RevotTV's "Revolt Live!", and WNYC's Soundcheck (an NPR affiliate), was the Executive Producer for the Good With Words: A Tribute to Benjamin Durdle album ( available for free), and wrote the liner notes for the 2011 re-release of Andre Cymone's hit 1985 album A.C. (Big Break Records), the 2012 re-release of 'Til Tuesday's 1985 debut Voices Carry (Hot Shot Records), among others. He is the co-founder and host of The Chartographers, a podcast for pop music nerds, and previously hosted PopTalk for PopMatters. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. You can follow him @SawdEye should you be so inclined.
Alice Ivy’s New Music Is Gorgeous with Organic Sounds
In trading sample-packs for organic instruments and whistles, Australia’s Alice Ivy returns after four years with an album that moves out of the clubs and into real stardom.
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/Music/Music Features/PopMatters Picks/The Best Music of 2024
The 15 Best Ambient Albums of 2024
André 3000’s surprise Album of the Year nod at the Grammys was only one of the many ambient/experimental highlights to happen in a wild year like 2024.
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/Music/Music Features/PopMatters Picks/The Best Music of 2024
The 15 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024
In a year full of industry shakeups and unexpected controversies, 2024’s best K-pop tracks provides a surprising degree of relief in a panoply of styles.
Lou Reed’s Pre-Fame Quest to Create a National Dance Craze
Lou Reed and John Cale met while touring a novelty act trying to make a hit on a discount record label. A new compilation highlights Reed’s wild pre-fame journey.
Nate Mercereau Challenges the Idea of “Genre” Itself
From writing with Shawn Mendes to helping André 3000 break genre barriers, guitarist Nate Mercereau’s latest breaks ground by ignoring labels and limits.
Jazz Duo Bremer/McCoy Sow the Seeds of a Chilled-Out Future
For the dub-drenched and chilled-out vibes of Danish jazz duo Bremer/McCoy, a decade of dynamic LPs has resulted in a discography that feels displaced out of time.
Amadou & Mariam Merge Tradition with Innovation
Malian blues duo Amadou & Mariam just dropped a greatest hits album while noting how they’re intrigued by the sounds of Billie Eilish.
Kolumbo and the Quest to Tour Every Tiki Bar in America
As a kid in landlocked Texas, Frank LoCrastro has wanted to make Exotica music. With Kolumbo’s sophomore LP, his dream of touring tiki bars is within reach.
Ambient Composer Rafael Anton Irisarri’s Dispersion of Belief
For a record conceived of following the 2016 US election and a global pandemic, ambient maestro Rafael Anton Irisarri is ready to soundtrack our downfall.
Ionnalee’s Bilingual Gambit to Hear the End of Every Song
Ionnalee has electronic LPs under multiple monikers, but she uncovers her full songwriting prowess by dropping a double-album split between English and Swedish.
Leaving Records Are Bigger and Weirder Than Ever Turning 15
Los Angeles experimental label Leaving Records embrace an “all genre” aesthetic. At 15 years old, their artists are moving the cultural needle in a big way.