Category: Music

It is impossible for any musician, at any level, to 100 percent prevent the leaking of music. Beyoncé, Madonna, Radiohead, Kanye West and Harry Styles are among the superstars who’ve fallen victim to leaks of upcoming albums this century, and less than a year ago it happened to Taylor Swift, with The Tortured Poets Department. But in the fast-and-loose, run-and-gun world of underground hip-hop, where previewing snippets of often unfinished music weeks and months before a project drops is de … Continue reading “OsamaSon Is Riding High on Rap’s New Wave”

On a new track, a recipient of the gospel of Six Sex exclaims at the altar of the “princess of perreo”: “Thank you Six Sex, my ass is bigger!” The club diva, co-signed by the likes of Charli xcx, caught up with PAPER ahead of the release of X-Sex. “It’s a transition, because I have, along the way, done different genres and styles of music,” she says. “My last EP was definitely club music, and this one has some sparks … Continue reading “The Gospel of Six Sex”

Annie DiRusso’s latest single is all about a guy you — unfortunately — know. The percussion-heavy, witty, blistering guitar track is rampant with nods to “my friend’s shitty ass film school ex-boyfriend who’s always telling people how to make their art but never really making any of his own,” DiRusso tells us. Just before the track peaks, merging her voice over a swirl of guitar chords, she howls: “You know what I think’s cheap?/ Saying you’re a writer and not … Continue reading “Annie DiRusso and Caroline Calloway Star in 'Good Ass Movie'”

If you’ve ever felt the pangs of fandom — heart attacks while waiting in Ticketmaster queues, showing up to the venue nearly a day before the performance, textbook knowledge of all the lore, feelings and interviews around your fav’s album and (of course) a beating desire to be able to speak with them (or, hell, dance with them) in person — then you’ll likely vibe with Spotify’s latest fan-focused event. Last week, in a Brooklyn warehouse, Lady Gaga’s biggest fans … Continue reading “Inside Lady Gaga's Little Monster 'Mayhem' Press Conference”

If The Fame was a manifestation, MAYHEM is Lady Gaga’s temperature check — and a confident one at that. Now, nearly two decades into the pop star’s mountain-like career, we’ve seen her lunge in all directions to fight against, escape from and through it all, create her own artistic reality. At times, this has meant landing on entire planets that only exist in Gaga’s mind (and, by proxy, all of ours). We followed her into the past and also the … Continue reading “Lady Gaga: 'My Mayhem Is That There's Lots of Me's'”

Esme Emerson‘s “Stay” is a slow-building, twitchy daydream that explores grief, loss, and (of course) love. The British-Chinese siblings (Esme and Emerson) tell PAPER it’s a “plea for more time with someone, even if it’s just a minute,” adding: “There are so many things to do and say to our loved ones, and never enough time for it all. It’s also about how easy it might seem to leave but how important it is to stay.” The track comes ahead … Continue reading “Esme Emerson Bury Bodies and Feelings on 'Stay'”

Courrèges artistic director Nicolas Di Felice has been committed to optimism, freedom and creating safe space since he revived the brand in 2020. Five years later, for his Fall 2025 show on a confetti-covered runway, that mission remained the same, using color as reminder that celebration is more important than ever in a period of time that feels particularly gray. It makes sense, then, that Spanish-Catalan musician Bad Gyal was sitting front row, since people around the world throw it … Continue reading “Getting Courrèges Ready With Bad Gyal”

From the moment she steps onto the stage at London’s Roundhouse, Nathy Peluso has the crowd in the palm of her hands as she effortlessly commands the stage with her infectious energy and flawless vocals. As a performer, the Latin superstar is an all-encompassing force of nature that radiates confidence and supreme talent. As the dust settles from a memorable evening, a soft-spoken and relaxed Peluso talks over Zoom from the waiting lounge of Madrid Airport as she prepares to … Continue reading “Nathy Peluso Gives Us Nostalgic 'Erotika'”

Furries, video games, Chief Keef songs, Baltimore raves… welcome to the world of Cortisa Star. PAPER’s favorite viral rapper came out swinging last year on her breakthrough single “Fun” before following it up with equally distinct tunes like “What You Want” and “Misidentify,” each heavy on the glitched-out sounds of the post-hyperpop generation. Now-legendary producer umru worked on her debut EP, and Star plays it coy when asked about other collaborators on the project: “It’s a really new sound, especially … Continue reading “Cortisa Star, From Viral to IRL Success”

There’s a sense of space and breath in OHYUNG’s music. The composer, musician and artist has made a name for themself through their ambient and experimental work, alongside their contributions to film and TV, scoring Julio Torres’s 2024 whimsical comedy Problemista and HBO series Fantasmas. On their forthcoming project, You Are Always On My Mind, OHYUNG maintains their previous work’s roomy sense of feeling while adapting it to the more familiar structure of pop. “no good,” a single off their … Continue reading “OHYUNG Could Die Right Now in Ecstacy”