Skip to Main Content
New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Music

Chris Stapleton wearing a cowboy hat and a black coat while holding a microphone on a stand to his mouth. The stage behind him is bathed in blue light.

Review: ‘Higher’ shows Chris Stapleton in steady territory

The country star returns with a pleasant, generically good record that’s on par for him, but lacks variety.
Ethan Beck, Staff Writer November 20, 2023

Chris Stapleton has a voice you can trust. Over strummed acoustic guitars, bluesy electric guitar riffs or organ hits, Stapleton’s warm, bellowing tenor can feel very familiar....

A man in a red short sleeve shirt with a graphic of a car and silver basketball shorts stands next to a white creature with pink horns. To the left of the man a purple figure lays on the ground next to a gray chair in a dark navy and beige wood room.

Review: ‘Blanket’ is a lukewarm embrace of Kevin Abstract’s new style

The former Brockhampton rapper attempts to find his voice and reinvent himself in his first solo album after Brockhampton disbanded.
Alan Zhang, Contributing Writer November 15, 2023

After glimpses and teases during his live shows, Kevin Abstract released his first solo album since the disbanding of Brockhampton, an American hip hop boy band founded by...

Two beams of light from a spotlight around a man covered in red light standing on a stage with a guitar. In front of him stands a crowd of people.

Q&A: Current Joys shifts into hyperpop mania in ‘LOVE + POP’

WSN sat down with singer-songwriter Nick Rattigan to talk about his latest album’s stylistic shift, current musical influences and future projects.
Stephanie Wong, Arts Editor November 14, 2023

Since the release of his debut solo album “Wild Heart” in 2013, Nick Rattigan — also known as Current Joys — has cemented himself in the hearts and playlists of angsty,...

Beyond NYU: From TikTok fame to onstage game

Beyond NYU: From TikTok fame to onstage game

Former student Sadie Jean spoke to WSN about her recent and sudden rise to fame after posting a song on TikTok, eventually making a name for herself and performing across the country.
Bruna Horvath, Deputy News Editor November 9, 2023

When Sadie Jean, a former student at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, first released her song “WYD Now?” she never imagined that it would blow up on TikTok overnight....

Black-and-white close-up photo of a Matty Healy holding a microphone in one hand with the other hand behind his back on stage.

Matty Healy is the chronically online hero we all need

The 1975’s recent tour was magical, messy and a reminder of why I fell in love with the band in the first place.
Joyce Cayre, Contributing Writer November 9, 2023

At my first The 1975 show, Matty Healy spat on me. On a whim, my sister and I decided to fly from New York to Toronto to experience it last winter. The compulsion was the inevitable...

A man in a black shirt with a brown guitar is projected onto the side of a building.

Review: ‘Equal Strain on All Parts’ is a celebration of chilling out

Jimmy Buffett’s final album serves as a beacon of light amid the sadness of his recent passing.
Holden Lay, Staff Writer November 8, 2023

A number of things might come to mind when you hear the name Jimmy Buffett, many of which go beyond his music. Whether that be with his chain of Margaritaville restaurants, the...

The side profile of a woman with long, dark brown hair. She is wearing a white top and golden hoop earrings.

Review: Jazz songwriter Defne Şahin gives a twist on Dickinson’s classics with ‘HOPE’

The Berlin-based singer-songwriter’s newest album reconstructs the poems of Emily Dickinson into wandering, heartfelt jazz songs.
Ethan Beck, Staff Writer November 7, 2023

Every song in Berlin-based jazz musician Defne Şahin’s third album, “HOPE,” is a sprawling canvas — one which takes detours and throws curveballs at that. Şahin often...

A black-and-white photo of the four members of The Beatles. They are all wearing suits. They appear to be raising their arms and waving. There are people behind them.

AI gave us the ‘last’ Beatles song

The first unheard Beatles song in nearly 30 years is now here, but at what cost?
Holden Lay, Staff Writer November 6, 2023

The Nov. 2 release of the Beatles song “Now and Then” would not be possible without the use of artificial intelligence. Has music-industry greed finally gone so far as to have...

Two men are performing on a stage with orange lighting. One of them is holding a guitar and standing in front of a mic (Will Taylor). The other man is sitting on a chair in front of a mic and holding a guitar (Nick Hill). The crowd is looking at them.

Review: ‘Flyte’ explores the bittersweet beginnings of new love

The indie-folk duo Flyte performed in New York City last Friday. The musicians’ self-titled third album — a beautifully raw and intimate ode to relationships — is now available to stream on all platforms.
Stephanie Wong, Arts Editor November 3, 2023

It’s easy to forget where you are at a Flyte concert. The British indie-folk duo of Will Taylor and Nicolas Hill somehow melt away the innate grandeur of the East Village’s...

A woman with blond hair and a black shirt which reads “L.O.M.L W.Y.A. R.N. ?” stands on a stage with a microphone under green lights. In front of her below is a crowd of people holding up cell phones.

Review: Reneé Rapp’s ‘Snow Hard Feelings’ Tour

With one special guest, two openers and three pairs of pants, Rapp returned to New York to perform with her own sound.
Natalie Thomas, Anna Baird-Hassell and Emily Genova November 2, 2023

From Broadway to Max to touring her debut album, “Snow Angel,” actress and singer Reneé Rapp has had a successful past five years. She originally rose to fame with her performance...

Two shirtless men, one in white shorts and the other in gray shorts, running on a track next to a green field.

Review: With ‘Census Designated,’ Jane Remover continues her stylistic evolution into shoegaze and grunge

Despite being a departure from her previous work, Remover’s sophomore album will impress longtime fans and new listeners alike.
Kaleo Zhu, Contributing Writer October 31, 2023

Jane Remover, formerly known as “dltzk,” has been arguably one of the most influential artists in SoundCloud’s still-burgeoning hyperpop and digicore scene since the late...

Three men wearing black leather jackets and with identical shaggy haircuts. Two are wearing glasses and one is facing the camera and showing his teeth.

Review: blink-182’s ‘ONE MORE TIME…’ is a welcomed revitalization of 2000s pop-punk

The band simultaneously returned to and refreshed its roots with the release of its ninth studio album.
Skylar Boilard, Contributing Writer October 30, 2023

As a child, my parents surrounded me with rock and pop-punk music. There were many times when my mom would drive me home after middle school with blink-182’s “All The Small...