Louder: Shakira’s family came apart. Then her music soared.

Plus: Vampire Weekend, Paul Simon, Gossip and more

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 23, 2024 By Caryn Ganz Pop Music Editor It was a bit of an interviewapalooza over here the past week, starting with two biggies from Jon Pareles, who spoke with Shakira about the personal upheavals fueling her new album, "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran" ("Women No Longer Cry"), and Vampire Weekend about its forthcoming fifth album, "Only God Was Above Us," which is louder and "full of startling changes and wild sonic upheavals," he writes. Melena Ryzik profiled Gossip as the dance-punk trio returns with its first LP in 12 years, Alex Marshall hung out with the Last Dinner Party as the buzzy British act prepped for a U.S. tour, and Emmanuel Morgan chatted with Flau'jae Johnson, who is multitasking as a star college basketball player and a budding rapper. If you wanted a closer look at the letters at the center of the love triangle between Eric Clapton, Pattie Boyd and George Harrison, Alex also has a fun story about that. Plus, we began preparing for the arrival of Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" with a primer on the superstar's foray into country music and a look back at Black pop artists who have made the turn to country in the past. And Lindsay Zoladz celebrated the one-year anniversary of The Amplifier newsletter (!!) with a dispatch from a Los Angeles record shop, where she hauled in some fabulous finds. (Allow her to introduce you to the 1982 new wave musical "Starstruck.") We also have 10 more new songs in the Playlist, including the latest from Tyla and Olivia Rodrigo. A.J. Mast for The New York Times Shakira's Family Came Apart. Then Her Music Soared. With "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran," her first album in seven years, the Colombian superstar said she "transformed pain into productivity." By Jon Pareles Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Michael Tyrone Delaney for The New York Times Gossip Dances Back Into Action After a 12-Year Pause The trio fronted by Beth Ditto wasn't sure it would return after scattering in different directions. But music united them for a new LP, "Real Power." By Melena Ryzik Anonymous Content Paul Simon Faced Unexpected Struggles. Cameras Were Rolling. The singer and songwriter invited Alex Gibney to capture the making of his album "Seven Psalms." The filmmaker was surprised to find a musician losing his hearing. By Robert Ito Erik Tanner for The New York Times With 'Tommy' Revival, Pete Townshend Is Talking to a New Generation He's also still working through his childhood trauma. Considering his musical's legacy, he sees a story about how "we prevail ultimately, by turning toward the light." By Rob Tannenbaum Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times Vampire Weekend Did Not Make a 'Doom and Gloom Record' On its fifth album, suffused with thoughts of 20th-century New York City, indie-rock's pop maximalists get noisier — but it's a journey out of negativity into "something a little deeper." By Jon Pareles How Do You Become the U.K.'s Hottest New Band? The Old-Fashioned Way. The Last Dinner Party has rapidly built a following by meticulously planning its theatrical live shows, and ignoring viral fame. By Alex Marshall and Ellie Smith Sarah Shook & the Disarmers Took the Hard Path. The Music Kept Coming. After a tumultuous childhood in an ultraconservative family, River Shook finally heard country music at 23. It prompted a long journey of self-discovery. By Grayson Haver Currin Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Black Pop Artists Have Long Gone Country. Here's a Brief History. When Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" arrives next week, it'll join a lineage of albums by stars including Ray Charles, the Pointer Sisters, Tina Turner and more. By Hank Shteamer Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Beyoncé Is Riding Into Her Country Era. Here's What to Know. The singer said her upcoming album, "Cowboy Carter," was the result of a deep dive into the history of country music after a negative experience: "I did not feel welcomed." By Julia Jacobs 'Dear Layla': Letters for Sale From a Rock Music Love Triangle Eric Clapton's handwritten messages, being auctioned this week, shed light on how he wooed Pattie Boyd away from George Harrison and on the impassioned songs the affair inspired. By Alex Marshall PLAYLIST & POPCAST Jeremy Soma The Playlist Tyla Avoids a Bad Romance, and 9 More New Songs Hear tracks by Olivia Rodrigo, Gary Clark Jr. featuring Stevie Wonder, Four Tet and others. By Jon Pareles and Lindsay Zoladz Popcast Popcast (Deluxe): Is Reality TV in a New Golden Age? Catching up on recent hit shows like "Love Is Blind," "The Traitors" and "Survivor," including how social media has added another layer of reality. 1 HR 23 MIN LISTEN THE AMPLIFIER NEWSLETTER 7 Songs From My L.A. Record Haul Hear tracks from Cass Elliot, the Pretenders, Sam Cooke and more from the Record Parlour in Hollywood. By Lindsay Zoladz 7 New Songs You Should Hear Now The latest tracks from Mdou Moctar, St. Vincent, Willie Nelson and more. By Lindsay Zoladz Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS Nanna Heitmann for The New York Times Here's What We Know About the Moscow Concert Hall Attack The assault on a popular concert hall was the deadliest act of terrorism in the Russian capital in more than a decade. By Ivan Nechepurenko The Charts Ariana Grande's 'Eternal Sunshine' Is the Biggest Album of 2024 Yet The pop singer's sixth No. 1 album opens at the top with the equivalent of 227,000 sales in the United States. By Ben Sisario Joni Mitchell, Following Neil Young, Returns to Spotify After Protest Her music has quietly reappeared on the streaming service, two years after a departure over what she called "lies" about Covid-19 vaccines in podcasts. By Ben Sisario Tennessee Makes A.I. an Outlaw to Protect Its Country Music and More Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday signed a first-in-the-nation bill to prevent the use of artificial intelligence to copy a performer's "voice." By Emily Cochrane Toby Keith Will Be Inducted Into the Country Hall of Fame This Year The organization behind the honors avoids electing artists in the year of their death, but the singer died in February just after this year's vote closed. By Julia Jacobs 'Illinoise,' a Sufjan Stevens Dance Musical, Is Moving to Broadway The production will make its transfer unusually fast, with an opening set for April 24, just 29 days after it wraps up a sold-out run at the Park Avenue Armory. By Michael Paulson FEATURES Erika Goldring/Getty Images Flau'Jae Johnson Won a Basketball Title, Then Teamed Up With Lil Wayne The sophomore guard is prepping collaborations with hip-hop heavyweights like Lil Wayne and NLE Choppa as she helps L.S.U. defend its basketball title in the N.C.A.A. tournament. By Emmanuel Morgan Woohae Cho for The New York Times The Saturday Profile Insooni Breaks Racial Barrier to Become Beloved Singer in South Korea Born to a South Korean mother and a Black American soldier, she rose to a pioneering stardom in a country that has long discriminated against biracial children. By Choe Sang-Hun 'Freaknik' Documentary Invites Viewers to Black College Spring Break A new Hulu documentary delves into the legendary Atlanta event and surfaces relics of 1980s and '90s culture that were essential to partygoers. By Jonathan Abrams They Thought Their Freaknik Days Were Behind Them. No, Cue the Tape. Attendees of the rowdy '80s and '90s-era spring festival in Atlanta are wondering whether — and how — they might show up in a new documentary about it. By Rick Rojas STYLES New York Road Runners Overheard at the Half-Marathon: 'Wait, Was That Lil Nas X?' The rapper and singer, clad in bulky designer sneakers and the official race T-shirt, was a last-minute addition at the NYC Half. By Scott Cacciola OBITUARIES Gylan Kain, 81, a Founder of the Last Poets and a Progenitor of Rap, Dies He spun gripping portraits of the Black experience starting in the 1960s with the seminal Harlem spoken-word collective, laying a foundation for what was to come. By Alex Williams Steve Harley, 'Make Me Smile' Singer, Dies at 73 He was the frontman of the rock band Cockney Rebel, which landed several hits on the British charts in the 1970s. By Orlando Mayorquín 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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