| August 16, 2025 
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We have two artists with two very different journeys of self-discovery on their way to new albums this week: Jade Thirlwall, who was in the British girl group Little Mix, which was assembled on “The X Factor” in 2011 and went on to become a sensation approaching Spice Girls levels in the U.K. And BigXthaPlug, a Nashville rapper who started writing lyrics on the back of blank medical forms while incarcerated in solitary confinement. Stepping out with her first solo LP, Thirlwall is speaking bluntly about her time in the pop machine, and the ways she is now in command of her own artistic life. BigXthaPlug, a classicist who prioritizes storytelling, proclaimed in an interview he was going to do a country album — and stars including Luke Combs and Shaboozey lined up to join in. Both are open books, speaking bluntly, wittily and emotionally about their paths. Taylor Swift snapped back into action this week, announcing a new album due in October in a way she has never done before: on a podcast. Jon Caramanica took a look at how Swift and Drake, “two of the biggest pop stars of the 21st century, who became famous in part by mastering social media platforms,” are now both giving a stamp of approval to longform video. Ross Scarano reported on how rap is starting to get a larger piece of the booming live-music business. Eric Ducker looked at decades-old songs getting new videos in the hopes of picking up listeners. And Jon Pareles once again surveyed the week’s new releases and picked out 10 worth your time. |
