Louder: 10 new songs you need to hear

Plus: Sam Smith, Drake, Ticketmaster and more

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story January 27, 2023 By Caryn Ganz Pop Music Editor I don't watch a ton of (or, let's be honest, any) Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, but I did tune in Tuesday for the three hours of "That's the Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment," where Live Nation's Joe Berchtold was grilled about the Taylor Swift Eras Tour debacle and both Democrats and Republicans took turns quoting "Anti-Hero," "Karma," "All Too Well," "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" and "Blank Space." [Insert Dr. Evil gif here.] Ben Sisario and Matt Stevens, along with some of our colleagues from D.C., followed the proceedings live and helpfully summarized what was said, and what's at stake, right here. Jon Caramanica saw Drake's homage to Cam'ron at the Apollo last weekend as the hallmark of an unabashed fan and made some astute observations about contemporary fandom and fame: "To be a fan in this era is to effectively write yourself into your idol's story, or to make your idol's art somehow about you. And to be a truly modern celebrity is to acknowledge the ways in which you are being consumed, positive and negative alike, and feed those mouths accordingly." Lindsay Zoladz reviewed Sam Smith's fourth album, "Gloria." Marcus J. Moore profiled Lakecia Benjamin, a saxophonist and bandleader whose new album about perseverance draws on surviving a 2021 car crash. And after I sent Louder last week, we published Jeremy Gordon's exploration of David Crosby as a Twitter personality, a really delightful take on his final act in the spotlight. Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters THE PLAYLIST Rosalía Issues an English Request, and 9 More New Songs Hear tracks by Fever Ray, Chloë, Cécile McLorin Salvant and others. By Jon Pareles and Lindsay Zoladz Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT From left: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for SiriusXM; Djamilla Rosa Cochran/WireImage, via Getty Images CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK Drake: Rap's Biggest Fan Hip-hop can sometimes discourage rappers from openly embracing their heroes, but Drake wears his enthusiasms loudly and, this past week, literally. By Jon Caramanica Emma Mcintyre/Getty Images For The Recording A David Crosby, a King of Twitter The musician relished sharing opinions big and small, sparring with fans and dispelling myths, often in sharp, hilarious quips. The vibe on the platform changed, but he posted until the end. By Jeremy Gordon ALBUM REVIEW Sam Smith Seeks Self-Acceptance and Catharsis, and a Sound to Match On the British musician's fourth album, "Gloria," Smith puts aside ballads for more danceable tracks that show flashes of boldness, but often retreat to generics. By Lindsay Zoladz Blackpink, Aespa, NewJeans: The Evolution of K-Pop Girl Groups Acts with growing profiles and unique personalities are taking increasingly different paths, as the genre's globalization opens new doors. FEATURE Sabrina Santiago for The New York Times A Car Accident Couldn't Halt the Saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin's Rise In 2020, she released a lauded album exploring the Coltranes' music. The next year, she broke her jaw in a crash and turned the harrowing experience into inspiration for a new LP, "Phoenix." By Marcus J. Moore SENATE HEARING ON CONCERT TICKETING Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times Ticketmaster Cast as a Powerful 'Monopoly' at Senate Hearing The Judiciary Committee, responding to the bungled sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets, heard the company apologize and its critics trace the problem to the industry's lack of competition. By Ben Sisario and Matt Stevens Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT At Ticketmaster Hearing, Taylor Swift Lyrics Were the Headliner Senators cosplayed as Swifties at the Judiciary Committee's Ticketmaster hearing on Tuesday, quoting recent hits and deep cuts alike. By Callie Holtermann NEWS THE CHARTS SZA Matches Adele With Six Straight Weeks at No. 1 "SOS," the latest album by the R&B singer, once again tops the Billboard album chart, matching the streak of Adele's "30." By Joe Coscarelli OBITUARY via James McCullar Ginny Redington Dawes, Composer of Memorable Ad Jingles, Dies at 77 She collaborated on the melodies for signature commercials that sang the praises of McDonald's, Coca-Cola and other brands. By Sam Roberts LISA MARIE PRESLEY The Daughter of a King, and a Legacy of Tears At Graceland, family and friends gave a royal tribute to Lisa Marie Presley, whose life at times seemed to personify the dark streak of her father's music. By Richard Fausset Friends and Family Mourn Lisa Marie Presley at Graceland In a memorial service on Sunday, the singer was praised for her perseverance in a life filled with loss. By Grayson Haver Currin and Emily Schmall Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CLASSICAL & DANCE In Chicago, 'Opera Can Be Hip-Hop, and Hip-Hop Can Be Opera' Will Liverman and DJ King Rico's "The Factotum," at Lyric Opera of Chicago, is a gloss on "The Barber of Seville" set in a South Side barbershop. By Joshua Barone At Rennie Harris's Hip-Hop University, Teaching the Teachers Rennie Harris University aims to give educators a working knowledge not only of hip-hop dance technique, but also of its origins and culture. By Sophie Bress When a Spice Girl Met a Contemporary Dancer Melanie Chisholm has collaborated with the choreographer Jules Cunningham on "How Did We Get Here?," a dance piece exploring what the body holds. By Roslyn Sulcas WORLD & METRO THE SATURDAY PROFILE Teenage Rapper, Rooted in Mapuche Identity, Roars for Indigenous Rights MC Millaray, 16, an emerging music star in Chile, uses her fierce lyrics to convey five centuries of struggles by the country's largest Indigenous group against European colonizers. By John Bartlett and Tomás Munita How a Group of Brooklyn Beatboxers Became Ambassadors to the World The trip will mark the first time that the government officially recognizes the genre in its American Music Abroad program. 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