Louder: What happens what a pop star isn’t that popular?

Plus: Morgan Wade, Metallica, Lily Allen and more

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story August 19, 2023 By Caryn Ganz Pop Music Editor There's a subsection of musicians out there that seem wildly popular … in certain circles. Most of them have passionate online fan bases. (Some of them have passionate followings among journalists; I see your pitches, writers.) They are celebrities with significant social media followings. They make music that plays with the tropes of pop music. But they are not, precisely, pop stars. Shaad D'Souza puts a perfect finger on this phenomenon in an essay this week exploring "pop's middle class" that is a real delight. I was riveted by Jon Caramanica's profile of Morgan Wade, a rising country singer-songwriter whose new album's rollout has been (enhanced? complicated? overtaken?) by rumors about her seemingly unlikely connection to a Real Housewife of Beverly Hills. Jon caught up with Wade on tour as she navigated unexpected waters and put it all into very interesting perspective. And I brought back a feature I had started up in 2015 this week for a good reason: Metallica is on the road playing shows with distinct set lists — a challenging feat for a band in stadiums, with complex lighting and pyro cues. Austin Considine chatted with Lars Ulrich about how he gets it done. From left: Julie Sebadelha/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images; Rob Grabowski/Invision, via Associated Press; Andy Kropa/Invision, via Associated Press CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK What Happens When a Pop Star Isn't That Popular? Pop's middle class enjoys loyal online fan bases. For these artists, pop stardom isn't a commercial category, but a sound, an aesthetic and an attitude. By Shaad D'Souza Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE AMPLIFIER NEWSLETTER 9 Songs From Pop's 'Middle Class' That Deserve to Be Hits Hear songs by Carly Rae Jepsen, Charli XCX, Troye Sivan and more. Get Close: 10 Gems From the Pretenders With a new album due in September, Chrissie Hynde's band played a tiny club show in New York that inspired a spin through its catalog. PLAYLIST & POPCAST Charlie Riedel/Associated Press THE PLAYLIST Dolly Parton Reunites Two Beatles, and 12 More New Songs Hear tracks by aespa, Guns N' Roses, Cautious Clay and others. By Jon Pareles, Giovanni Russonello and Lindsay Zoladz From left: Brian Stukes/Getty Images; Michael Tran/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images; Dolly Faibyshev for The New York Times; Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA, via Shutterstock Popcast (Deluxe): Is There Such a Thing as the Song of the Summer? Tracks by Morgan Wallen, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and more have dominated this summer — or at least attempted to. FEATURES Lyndon French for The New York Times Country Singer Morgan Wade Was Looking for the Spotlight. It Found Her. The rising musician is disciplined about her sobriety, fitness and songwriting. But a bond with a reality-TV star has thrust her into an uncontrollable world of fame. By Jon Caramanica Bryan Derballa for The New York Times How Metallica Hard-Wires a Different Set List Every Night The metal institution is on the road supporting its 11th album. Drawing on four decades of songs, the drummer Lars Ulrich keeps fans, and his bandmates, on their toes. By Austin Considine Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Lily Allen's Second Act The British singer, now sober, has a new life in New York, and a new string to her bow: acting. By Desiree Ibekwe NEWS THE CHARTS Travis Scott's 'Utopia' Repeats at No. 1 The rapper's latest solo album is the first hip-hop release to spend more than a single week atop the Billboard 200 in over a year. By Ben Sisario Sexual Abuse Suits Against Michael Jackson's Companies Are Revived An appeals court in California determined that lawsuits by two men who say Jackson molested them as children can proceed. By Christopher Kuo Britney Spears's Husband, Sam Asghari, Files for Divorce After a Year The couple married in June 2022, just months after her conservatorship had been ended in a Los Angeles court. Mr. Asghari is her third husband. By Julia Jacobs and Claire Moses OBITUARIES United Press International Jerry Moss, the 'M' of A&M Records, Is Dead at 88 In partnership with Herb Alpert, he turned a small independent label into a powerhouse with a roster full of superstars. By Ben Sisario Mark Von Holden/Invision, via Associated Press Clarence Avant, Mighty Engine Behind Black Superstars, Dies at 92 Behind the scenes, he furthered the careers of numerous entertainers, as well as some athletes and politicians. By Neil Genzlinger Jack O'Brien Jamie Reid, 76, Dies; His Anarchic Graphics Helped Define the Sex Pistols He created some of the most controversial — and celebrated — artwork of the punk era, which outraged polite British society almost as much as the band's music did. By Alex Williams Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Magoo, Rapper and Former Timbaland Collaborator, Dies at 50 The man whose birth name was Melvin Barcliff was a teenager in Virginia when he joined a hip-hop scene that continues to influence music today. By Amanda Holpuch THE MAGAZINE & STYLES Sean Paul Is Still Busy For more than 20 years he's taught generations to let loose on the dance floor. He's not stopping anytime soon. By Iva Dixit How Library Cards Became the Jay-Z Merch of the Moment Fans are rushing to collect all 13 of the Brooklyn Public Library's limited-edition cards, which feature imagery from each of the rapper's solo albums. By Callie Holtermann Old-School Fans Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th A nostalgic crowd turned out to see an all-star lineup on Friday at Yankee Stadium, not far from the genre's birthplace. By Alex Vadukul Make a friend's day: Forward this email! Get this from a friend? Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter @nytimesmusic. 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