The One Direction member and the pop-blues poster boy have a few things in common.

One of the most impressive rock bands working in the mainstream has taken a left turn. Where is Paramore headed, and how did it inspire scores of artists?

The singer-songwriter’s new album is a low-fi exploration of extreme emotions. How does it relate to her earlier hits, and how did she get here?

He’s a rapper, a social media phenomenon, the guy yelling “ya” on Migos’s hit “Bad and Boujee.” What’s the secret of Uzi’s success?

The two rappers recall an earlier time in the genre’s history, in terms of aesthetics and politics. How do they fit in today?

In three years, the duo has had several hits while offending all sorts of people. What does its sound say about EDM?

Kamasi Washington and some Los Angeles musicians are producing vital recordings, but N.E.A. funding is uncertain. A conversation about the state of jazz.

His release isn’t an album or a mixtape, but a playlist — a move that could position him to shift the music industry once again.

He wrote the guitar licks, told the clever stories, duckwalked across the stage and forever changed popular music

Streaming figures into chart positions now, a fact that has started yielding some very odd results.