Music & Culture

Tracy Chapman, shown here at the 39th Grammy Awards, is included in our starter kit for women's music.

Love In Abundance: A Guide To Women's Music

by Crys Matthews

Women's music is music written by, for and about women (and, more often than not, women who love women). Our starter kit includes music by Cris Williamson, Ferron, Toshi Reagan, Ani DiFranco and more.
Lil Baby's "The Bigger Picture" is a conscious trap anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Heat Check: Bigger Picture

by Sidney Madden

Whether it's a trap anthem for the protests or a tale of petty personal betrayal, this week's Heat Check considers the bigger picture.
Team Dresch's song "Fagetarian and Dyke" is featured in our playlist of queer punk.

Queer As Punk: A Guide To LGBTQIA+ Punk

"Queer punk" might be redundant if making over-the-top statements at the top of your lungs isn't precisely what makes punk "punk" and queer "queer." Here's a guide to the genre's history and legacy.
The term "urban" has been used for decades as a catch-all term for Black music — but it is now quickly falling out of favor in the music industry in the midst of a growing new civil rights movement.

Is This The End For 'Urban' Music?

by Cate Young

Two influential organizations in the music world recently announced they would cease using the term "urban" to describe certain genres or artists. But it's more complicated than a simple cancellation.