In Detroit, Aretha Franklin gets her final sendoff — in the vintage, white Cadillac hearse that once carried civil rights icon Rosa Parks. Her fans have been celebrating the Queen of Soul all week.
Before Pure Heroine, Ella Yelich-O'Connor was just a teen from suburban New Zealand trying to kill time. Instead, she snatched the mic, ushering in a sonic shift towards minimalism and dark pop.
This week's essential new albums feature the pop paradise of Troye Sivan, Big Red Machine (with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and The National's Aaron Dessner), a tribute to Roger Miller and more.
"Samba's beating heart is actually suffering and sadness." The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles uses Brazilian music as a backdrop for an intimate story of female friendship.
The Kelly Clarkson smash wasn't just a great pop song: In 2004 it was a cultural bellwether, a sign that the walls between mainstream and underground were starting to crack.