Culture
Music
Katy Perry is back with a ‘feminist’ anthem. It’s a train wreck
Katy Perry’s much-anticipated new single begins with the lyrics “sexy, confident, so intelligent”. Unfortunately, it is none of those things.
- by Meg Watson
Latest
These music festivals defied the trend and sold out. What’s the trick?
Defying the gloomy trend of cancellations, Strawberry Fields, Mundi Mundi Bash and Harbourlife have all sold out. Is there a pattern here for festivals to emulate?
- by Karl Quinn
The Australian band beloved by Prince, Beyonce and Questlove
Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Jay-Z have all sampled songs from this Melbourne musical quartet.
- by Barry Divola
Music in the ’80s belonged to Kim Gordon. At 71, she still plays hard
Long after Sonic Youth’s bitter split, artist, writer and musician Kim Gordon is inspiring a new generation of women.
- by Jo Roberts
He might not look familiar, but his voice haunts TV’s biggest shows
Greg Gonzalez is the man behind the songs that took Cigarettes After Sex from cult status to global arenas.
- by Barry Divola
I was never supposed to hear this album. It changed how I think about art
In 2015, Wu-Tang Clan released a single-copy album. This year, a handful of listening parties meant the public could hear it for the first time.
- by Elizabeth Flux
Empire of the Sun’s new album is four years late. Blame the spirit
Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore had to wait for the cosmic delivery of their latest album.
- by Michael Dwyer
Missy Higgins review: Quips, raw emotion and an immaculate album run-through
The Melbourne singer-songwriter gave two concerts for the price of one.
- by James Jennings
The case for Justin Timberlake, the celebrity we deserve
JT has once again proven that he is there to meet the moment, to show us who we are.
- by Mali Waugh
How Australia’s music cartels are driving up the cost of live shows
The ACCC has told a parliamentary inquiry that “vertical integration” adds as much as 20 per cent to the cost of live music events in Australia.
- by Karl Quinn
Her pop career became soul-destroying. So she torched it and rebuilt it on her own terms
With Burnt Tapes, Eves Karydas shows young female musicians a path beyond sexist industry expectations.
- by Robert Moran