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March 7, 2026

	By Caryn Ganz

Six new albums have held No. 1 on the Billboard 200 so far this year. (One of them was by Megadeth!) But it’s pretty clear what will settle into the throne next: “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.” from Harry Styles, the onetime boy bander who has booked a 30-date residency at Madison Square Garden starting in August. It’s been four years since Styles last released an album, and much has changed for the white male pop star in that time, as Shaad D’Souza writes. And Grayson Haver Currin met up with Tom Hull (a.ka. Kid Harpoon), the songwriter and producer who has worked closely with Styles, helping shape his sound. What was driving Hull’s vibe this time? A stockpile of modular synthesizers.

We also talked to Squeeze about a five-decade-old rock opera it’s releasing now; Anjimile about his beautiful new album (with Elliott Smith vibes); and Alysa Liu about music and her approach to performing.

As the Justice Department opened its case against Live Nation — accusing the concert giant of operating a monopoly in violation of federal and state antitrust laws — the jury heard an expletive-laden phone call one former executive said was a threat. And after Britney Spears was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, Julia Jacobs stepped back to look at concerns over the pop star’s well-being since she was released from a 13-year conservatorship in 2021.

Adali Schell for The New York Times Meet Kid Harpoon, the Architect of Harry Styles’s Sound The producer and songwriter has been responsible for some of this century’s biggest hits. His greatest skill may be remaining curious. By Grayson Haver Currin

The New York Times Critic’s Notebook Harry Styles Left as a Dominant Male Pop Star. He Returns to a Crowd. In the four years since the British singer last released an album, artists like Sombr, working in similar aesthetic modes, have climbed onto the charts. By Shaad D’Souza

8 Songs We’re Talking About This Week Sturgill Simpson’s political screed, Olivia Rodrigo’s Magnetic Fields cover and the Lunar New Year song burning up the charts in Vietnam. By Jon Pareles

Choosin’ 9 Songs About Texas Listen to Ella Langley’s Hot 100 hit and more songs about a place that’s long been a source of musical inspiration. By Lindsay Zoladz

5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Ray Barretto A son of Puerto Rican parents who grew up in the Bronx, Barretto moved between jazz and Latin music with relentless creativity. Hear 12 indestructible tracks. By Giovanni Russonello

Sebastian Siadecki for The New York Times Anjimile’s Stark Folk Left Fans ‘Mesmerized.’ He’s Ready for Rebirth. The singer-songwriter’s latest album, “You’re Free to Go,” has poppier influences undergirding its signature gut punch. By David Peisner

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images Alysa Liu on Dancing Her Way to Gold: ‘The Music Carries My Body’ The free-spirited figure skater spoke to our dance critic about her approach to performing, the role of music and more. By Gia Kourlas

Jono White for The New York Times Squeeze Wrote a Rock Opera Five Decades Ago. It’s Coming Out Now. During its early days, the band came up with songs about a fictional nightclub. After a career filled with ups and downs, it finally returned to “Trixies.” By David Peisner

MOVIES & THEATER

When Hip-Hop’s Wildest Oscar Win Brought Memphis to Hollywood Twenty years ago, Three 6 Mafia’s Oscars triumph for “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” helped an uptight awards show loosen up. By Jonathan Abrams

For a Lesbian Twist on ‘Cyrano,’ They Enlisted an Indigo Girl Opening a decade after “Fun Home” debuted on Broadway, the new musical “Starstruck” has a lesbian protagonist and a female creative team. That still seems radical. By Elisabeth Vincentelli

NEWS

Valerie Macon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images When Britney Spears’s Conservatorship Ended, Concern for Her Did Not The pop star’s arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence this week was a breaking point, years after she regained control of her life and finances. By Julia Jacobs

Valerie Macon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Britney Spears Is Arrested on Suspicion of D.U.I. in California “Hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life,” a representative for the pop star said after she was released from jail. By Michaela Towfighi and Ben Sisario

LIVE NATION ANTITRUST TRIAL

Antitrust Trial to Challenge Live Nation’s Grip on the Music Industry A jury will decide whether the music colossus, which owns venues, represents artists and operates Ticketmaster, is a monopoly, as the Justice Department contends. By Ben Sisario and David McCabe

Live Nation Accused of Hurting Music Fans as Antitrust Trial Begins The Justice Department lawsuit says the concert giant acts as a monopoly in the music industry, a charge the company denies. By Ben Sisario

Former Barclays Center Executive Says Live Nation Threatened to Pull Tours The Justice Department had John Abbamondi testify at an antitrust trial to support its case that Live Nation has acted as a monopoly, an accusation the company denies. By Ben Sisario