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April 4, 2026

	By Caryn Ganz

Two live events captured a lot of attention this week: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s tour opener in Minneapolis, where he paired pointed speeches about politics with some of his most fiery songs; and Ye (formerly Kanye West)’s return to the stage in California, where he performed his first full live show since 2021 (and a lot of controversy).

A mysterious duo that’s been grabbing a ton of social media buzz put out an album this week — Angine de Poitrine, the polka-dotted Canadian band who make what Jon Pareles described as “music of precision, agility and stamina, adding up to a contagious manic energy.” And Shaad D’Souza examined how the latest LP from Raye — combined with chart moves by Olivia Dean, Lola Young and PinkPantheress — amount to a new wave of the British Invasion, led this time by ladies.

And Lindsay Zoladz profiled Nate Amos of the band Water From Your Eyes and his solo project This Is Lorelei, who is becoming a magnet for covers by other artists, including Hayley Williams, MJ Lenderman and Tim Heidecker. (They all told her why they think he’s developing into one of his generation’s greats.)

Mark Sommerfeld for The New York Times Everybody Wants to Sing Nate Amos’s Songs This Is Lorelei, the solo project from the Water From Your Eyes guitarist, has become an indie-rock phenomenon in the past year. By Lindsay Zoladz

Galen Fletcher for The New York Times Bruce Springsteen Brings Fiery Speeches and Songs to Minneapolis The E Street Band opened its Land of Hope and Dreams tour on Tuesday night, where the musician asked the crowd to choose “unity over division and peace over war.” By Evelyn McDonnell

Philip Cheung for The New York Times Ye Takes the Stage in L.A., Hoping to Wash Away His Sins After years of antisemitic behavior, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West performed his first full live show in the United States since 2021. By Emmanuel Morgan

9 Songs We’re Talking About This Week U2 surprises with an Easter EP, and Anne Hathaway puts out a convincingly delivered pop song that boasts FKA twigs as a writer. By Jon Pareles

10 Synth-Pop Songs That Bring the Drama With TV soundtracks increasingly turning to nostalgic ’80s tracks, hear a playlist of essential hits and deeper cuts. By David Renard

Constantin Monfilliette With Polka Dots and Microtones, Angine de Poitrine Has Gone Viral The virtuosic rock duo from Quebec releases its second album, “Vol. II,” this week. By Jon Pareles

Oli Scarff/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Critic’s Notebook The Next British Invasion Is Here, and It’s Led by Women Raye, Olivia Dean, Lola Young and PinkPantheress are making a big impact on the charts and in pop culture, foregrounding their Englishness rather than adapting it. By Shaad D’Souza

Jan Williams; via Music Library, University at Buffalo Morton Feldman’s Music: A Singular Expression of Wonder and Memory Feldman, born a century ago this year, wrote quietly sensual and humanist works in an age of structural rigor. By Jeffrey Arlo Brown

NEWS

Megan Thee Stallion Returns to Broadway Role After Brief Illness The rapper was back onstage in “Moulin Rouge” two days after being taken to a hospital after becoming ill during a performance. By Elena Bergeron

Gucci Mane Held at Gunpoint, Prompting 2 Rappers’ Arrests The hip-hop titan was forced to sign papers releasing a rapper known as Pooh Shiesty from his record contract during an armed confrontation in January at a Dallas music studio, officials said. By Neil Vigdor

Ex-Turnstile Guitarist Charged With Attempted Murder of Bandmate’s Father Brady Ebert, a founding member of the Baltimore hardcore punk band, hit the father of Brendan Yates, the group’s lead vocalist, with his car, the police said. By Remy Tumin

Eurovision Song Contest to Add Asian Edition This Year The competition will bring together singers representing 10 nations including South Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam. By Alex Marshall

Celine Dion Announces Comeback Concerts in Paris Dion, who has rarely performed since announcing her stiff person syndrome diagnosis in 2022, will put on 10 shows beginning in September. By Derrick Bryson Taylor

OBITUARIES

Video: brehmer@filmroyal.de/camera, Axel Warnstedt; photo: Peter Gruchot. Bettina Köster, a Leading Voice in Berlin’s 1980s Avant-Garde, Dies at 66 She sang lead for influential all-female bands, including Malaria!, and toured in the U.S. and elsewhere with groups like the Birthday Party and New Order. By Clay Risen

Mick Hutson/Redferns, via Getty Images Dolores Keane, Singer Known as the ‘Soul of Ireland,’ Dies at 72 She sang of homesickness and longing, and often collaborated with American musicians like John Prine and Emmylou Harris. By Clay Risen

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