The Who’s greatest songs, Taylor’s latest versions, and more from this week in music

There are already 4 versions of Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department, an album yet to be released

For Swifties, there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing. They will gratefully take whatever Mother serves and come back for seconds… or thirds, or fourths. There’s a reason why Taylor Swift sells more physical copies of albums than any other contemporary artist. It’s one part incredible business acumen and a thousand parts rabidly loyal fanbase. Such is the recipe behind the release strategy for Swift’s next album, The Tortured Poets Department, debuting April 19. Read More

The Who: 40 most essential songs

The Who is one of a handful of classic rock acts that persevere in the 2020s but it hasn’t been an easy road for either Roger Daltrey or Pete Townshend, the band’s two surviving members. The past 60 years have been filled with loss and scandals that have been as instrumental as their many triumphs in creating the band’s pugnacious character. Read More

Sinéad O’Connor’s estate joins list of artists to hit Donald Trump with a cease and desist

There are various, sundry ways that former President Donald Trump has demonstrated his utter shamelessness. One example from the pop culture corner is how he’s perfectly willing to appropriate the music of artists who hate his guts at his fascist little rallies. This example is a large umbrella under which more than a dozen musicians fall, most recently the late Sinéad O’Connor. Apparently Trump has been using her cover “Nothing Compares 2 U” at his campaign events (which is a weird choice for a political rally, except that it would be kind of ego-flattering?), and given O’Connor’s entire deal, her estate is obviously not going to let the affront stand. Read More

Ariana Grande and the press are on a break in “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)“

Ariana Grande’s seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, is officially out in the world, and like the film it takes its name from, it sees the transcendent pop star wading through the depths of her own personal history to answer one essential question, asked in the record’s opening track: “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” Read More