Chasing cool in pop’s new era
HILE 2019 MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AN EXPLOSIVE year in pop music, it teed up the personalities and story lines that could define the next decade in listening. A new generational gap opened up, one separating the veteran stars of the ’10s—think Beyoncé, Drake, Rihanna and Taylor Swift—from a new crop of ascendant artists like Billie Eilish, Lizzo and Post Malone. A quiet year for the former group included live albums, B-side compilations and a focus on nonmusical pursuits. Among the few to release a collection of new work was sought to recapture the polished, joyous sound of older albums like and
