We’ve had many great modern musicals, such as “Hamilton,” written by the excellent Lin-Manuel Miranda, and “Dear Evan Hansen”, by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, but we’re still missing something. It’s as if the quality of our musicals has gone down. Don’t even get me started on the movie adaptation of “Cats” from 2019 or […]
Tag: music
TikTok is Changing How We View Celebrities
A few days after the Grammys, a seemingly random man filmed himself in his Amazon delivery truck after completing a delivery. He flexes in the camera, exclaiming that he won a Grammy. The man’s name is Joey Hamhock, and whether you recognize that name or not, the reality is that even award-winning producers have everyday […]
East Coast Hip Hop Needs to Be Unified
The West Coast Hip Hop scene has showcased a great number of unities, the East Coast however, is truly lacking. A reality that many hip hop connoisseurs are not ready to admit. Watching Kendrick Lamar’s run from Spring ’24 to the aftermath of Super Bowl LIX, has left me in wonderment. The fact that he […]
Has Social Media Caused The Grammys to Lose Popularity?
Before social media, only two communities were a part of the conversation: those who liked something and those who didn’t. Those who wanted something would speak loud and proud about their admiration, and those who didn’t would jump in and counter why something was undeserving of admiration. It was the usual, welcome, expected conversation around […]
Best Musical Sketches From SNL 50
On Sunday, February 16, Saturday Night Live celebrated its 50th anniversary, with current and past cast members reuniting to recreate some of the show’s most iconic sketches. Of course, this included a variety of musical sketches, from “Lobster Les Mis” to a classic Lonely Island Digital Short. The best of musical comedy was laid out […]
How the 2025 Super Bowl HalfTime Show Was More than Just a Drake Diss
Kendrick Lamar’s performance at the SUper Bowl LIX halftime show confused older generations, amused younger ones, and included deeper messages that go beyond dissing Canadian rapper Drake. While Lamar performed the song that blew up last year, “Not Like Us,” for dissing Drake and the allegations against him, Lama’s performance was a critique of cultural […]
Is the One-Hit Wonder Phenomenon a Blessing or a Curse?
The music industry is already a fast environment, and fame can be forgotten as quickly as it came. The ones who struggle with it most? One-hit wonders. Artists referred to as One-hit wonders are artists who achieve massive success but only on a single track. One-hit wonders struggle to find success within the music industry […]
The Grammys Showcased the Clash Between Culture and Politics
Trad wives and modest fashion may be on the rise in the overall cultural zeitgeist, but Sunday’s Grammy Awards showed that the music industry is still strongly supporting progressive ideologies—even as the global political trend shifts toward far-right movements. The 2025 Grammys highlighted the many-faceted talents of women, LGBTQ+, and people of color through over-the-top […]
Best 2025 Grammy Performances
Last night’s Grammy Awards were not short of talent. With 16 amazing performers, it’s hard to pick the top performances, but we at NYC Tastemakers have decided on five that have stayed with us long after the curtains closed. #1 Doechii Only the third woman to win best rap album, Doechii also deserves the first […]
Babyface Disrespected at Grammys Interview
Rapper Kenneth Brian Edmonds, better known by his artist name Babyface, was interrupted during an interview by reporters from the Associated Press at the Grammys in favor of interviewing Chappell Roan. Associated Press reporter Krysta Fauria rudely interrupted Babyface while he was answering her fellow reporter, Leslie Ambriz’s question. The rapper started to answer before […]
Chappell Roan Wins Best New Artist
On February 2, 2025, pop artist Chappell Roan was announced Best New Artist by the Recording Academy – one of the most coveted awards in the music industry. Roan had a spectacular break-out year in 2024; after nearly a decade of performing in small venues and struggling to gain recognition for her artistry, she exploded […]
How ‘FnGoodmusic’ is Bringing Back Rock
Brett Wachtel didn’t start off as a rock fan; he struggled to even listen to it. Though he made many attempts to connect with the genre, he never really rolled with it – hardly the start you’d expect from someone who now dreams of reviving rock music. In fact, Wachtel didn’t get into classic bands such as Pink Floyd until he was around 15 years old. Back in middle school, Wachtel’s go-to genre was Hip-Hop, tuning into artists like Biggie and Tupac and their hypnotizing tracks.
