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Frank Guan

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@frankophilia
  1. the industry
    Why Most Big Artists Don’t Release Albums Early in the Year AnymoreAs more artists chase Grammy eligibility, the beginning of the calendar year has dried up for big album releases.
  2. spring preview
    Spring Music Preview: Cardi B, Jack White, and More Albums We Can’t Wait to HearThe soundtrack for the warmer months is already stacked.
  3. Taylor Swift Now Welcomes Your DisgustIf you don’t like what you see, you’re not really a fan.
  4. Vince Staples Will Never Negotiate His Artistic FreedomHis new single, “GTFOMD,” says as much, albeit in spicier terms.
  5. How One Rap Clique in the ’90s Remade the Whole Culture in Its ImageThe Soulquarians themselves may have receded, but the example they set inspires today’s best artists.
  6. Sade’s First New Song in Nearly a Decade Is a Quiet MarvelIs it the sign of a new album?
  7. Scarred and Wiser, Andrew W.K. Finds a New Way to Party on You’re Not AloneHas partying always been a form of self-help?
  8. Surrounded by Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Future, DJ Khaled Shows Off by Doing NothingWhy say much of anything when you don’t have to?
  9. For Weeks, the Top Artist on SoundCloud Was an Icon of the Arab SpringSinger Hamza Namira has a huge fan base, but it’s not one often heard from in the West.
  10. How Fast Can 6ix9ine Paint Himself Into a Corner?The Bushwick rapper’s debut collection is an exercise in fitful monotony.
  11. Were There Songs Better Than ‘Creep’ on Radiohead’s First Album?Twenty-five years later, the band’s debut, Pablo Honey, still has plenty to offer.
  12. Marilyn Manson and the Politics of Being a Huge TrollThe same approach means different things in different times.
  13. Smooth, Solid, and Cool: 25 Perfect Pop Songs for Figure SkatingFinding the sweet spot where stateliness and energy intersect.
  14. Kendrick Lamar and the Art of the Guest AppearanceWhat’s Kendrick Lamar if not Phife Dawg with a messiah complex?
  15. Other Sites Have Fake News, So SoundCloud Has Fake MusicWhy rise to the No. 1 spot when you can just buy it?
  16. Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples Get Upstaged on ‘Opps’Yugen Blakrok’s verse immediately eclipses her more famous partners.
  17. Somehow, Dashboard Confessional Found a Way to Make Writer’s Block BeautifulThe closer off their new album is a rare gem.
  18. A YouTube Vlogger Made an R&B Song and it’s Actually GoodIt’s about infidelity, of course.
  19. Justin Timberlake Was the Least Memorable Musician at the Super BowlBells and whistles couldn’t save JT from being upstaged by a ghost and a prisoner.
  20. Rich Brian Wants to Do EverythingThe Jakarta rapper and producer discusses his album Amen, The Raid films, working with Pharrell, the time his dad had a Molotov cocktail, and more.
  21. Justin Timberlake’s ‘Montana’ Is Very Funky, But Slightly AwkwardA beautiful beat by the Neptunes gets stranded in flyover country.
  22. The Peaks and Pitfalls of the Grammys Were Politically ConnectedNot surprisingly, showing the world a new look without losing the old one produces a scrambled message.
  23. What ‘Despacito’ Losing Out on 3 Grammys MeansNothing good!
  24. Five Years After ‘Versace’ Drake Is Back With Migos on ‘Walk It Talk It’Drake’s not going anywhere, but everything around him has shifted.
  25. What Do A$AP Rocky’s New Songs Tell Us About His Next Album?He sounds muted, but there’s clearly more going on here.
  26. Telling the Migos’ Voices Apart: A Brief GuideNorth Atlanta’s finest need more of an introduction than you might think.
  27. The Lack of Feeling of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Supplies’ Is Kind of Awe-InspiringIt’s just a slow, swirling vortex of numbness.
  28. Troye Sivan’s ‘My My My!’ Is Groundbreaking in a New WayThough to be fair, the black-and-white video has a definite Madonna feel.
  29. Taylor Swift Strikes All the Right Notes in Her ‘End Game’ VideoIt turns out you can graduate from “girl next door” to “mega-millionaire woman celebrity” and still be likable.
  30. 11 Things Radiohead Could Do That Would Be Smarter Than Suing Lana Del ReyTo be fair, just about anything would be smarter than suing her.
  31. Kendrick Lamar Says Plenty — He Doesn’t Have to Bring Up TrumpHe knows what he’s doing.
  32. Cardi B Is Perfect for Bruno Mars’s ‘Finesse’ Video in More Ways Than OneThe video pays tribute to In Living Color, an ideal show for Cardi’s skill set.
  33. most anticipated of 2018
    32 Albums We’re Excited About in 2018Cardi B! Beyoncé! Kanye?!
  34. Lorde Is Not a BigotClearly, 2018 is off to a great start.
  35. year in culture 2017
    Rap Dominated Pop in 2017, and It’s Not Going Anywhere Anytime SoonNotes on a takeover.
  36. On ‘Like Home’ Eminem Still Thinks America Can Be SavedIsn’t it nice to think so?
  37. Can Chief Keef Change Music Again?Never count Chicago’s finest out.
  38. year in culture 2017
    The 10 Best Songs of 2017Vulture’s music team picks its favorite songs of the year.
  39. Joyner Lucas’s Viral Hit ‘I’m Not Racist’ Is ExhaustingHe’s technically talented, but his message doesn’t really apply to the current state of the world.
  40. Another Grammys, Another Year of Confusing Rock NominationsIt’s getting harder and harder to define what rock is supposed to be.
  41. What Would It Mean for Kendrick Lamar to Win Album of the Year?Maybe this will be the year the Academy finally gives him everything he deserves.
  42. Lil Pump Responds Bizarrely to a Bizarre WorldExploring the sources and viral success of the South Florida sound.
  43. Tove Lo’s Blue Lips Is the Best Album of Her CareerIt’s a package as compelling as it is seamless
  44. unfounded predictions
    What Is the Next Taylor Swift Single Going to Be?And what if it’s all of the songs?
  45. Eminem Sounds Uncommonly Quiet on ‘Walk on Water’The Beyoncé-backed track feels more like a prelude than an actual song.
  46. The Best Songs on Taylor Swift’s Reputation Are the Least AggrievedShe saved the best for last.
  47. Sparks Don’t Always Add Up to a Fire on Sleigh Bells’ Kid KruschevThe more guitars, the better.
  48. The Unlikely Rise of Rich ChiggaHow an 18-year-old foreign-born rapper played to a capacity crowd last night in New York.
  49. Kelsea Ballerini Strikes a Careful Balance on Unapologetically The rising star of country shows new facets, but there’s a tradeoff.
  50. The Anesthetic Lift of Taylor Swift’s ‘Call It What You Want’It’s pleasant but unfocused.
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