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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

Band members Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan and James McNew pose in front of a pier with a bridge over it.

Q&A: Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan on the challenge of playing 8 straight nights

An inside look at one of indie rock’s most beloved holiday traditions.
Holden Lay, Staff Writer December 5, 2023

Nearly every year since 2001, the band Yo La Tengo has lit up the menorah and taken the stage for eight nights of Hanukkah shows, with proceeds from each night going to a different...

An iPhone screen displaying an image of Lana Del Rey on a purple background. Various artist and song names are in white text. The phone is being held by a hand over a brown wooden table.

How unlimited music is changing our listening habits

In honor of Spotify Wrapped, it’s worth taking a deep dive into how streaming services shape the ways we think about music.
Maisie McDermid, Contributing Writer November 30, 2023

Record Runner, a long, narrow record and CD shop in the West Village, houses decades worth of songs. Visitors flip through crates of record sleeves, from Otis Redding and Led Zeppelin...

Rachel Zegler dressed as her character Lucy Gray Baird faces an area with rubble and a rooftop with a gaping hole in the middle.

Review: ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ soundtrack creates a world of haunting acoustics

The new prequel’s soundtrack features folk ballads that transport listeners straight to Panem.
Eliana Brown, Contributing Writer November 28, 2023

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” a new prequel film to “The Hunger Games” trilogy, features a soundtrack that enriches the storyline while matching...

An illustration of a girl wearing a white dress with brown hair is sitting on a black chair. She is outside a building in front of stairs, and red light is coming out of the entrance door. A white dove is flying.

Review: PinkPantheress’ ‘Heaven knows’ is the pinnacle of modern internet-pop

The emerging star’s newest album explores the challenges of growing up in the digital world and rapidly rising to fame while paying homage to her influences.
Miranda Santiago, Contributing Writer November 21, 2023

She tucks her hair behind her ears, softly flutters her eyelashes and envelops us with her gaze. Draped in an eyelet mini-dress, cropped button-down and 2000s faux fur boots, she...

A girl with blond hair is holding a fruitcake in front of her face. She has a red top and white headband.

Review: Sabrina Carpenter delivers evergreen holiday hits with ‘fruitcake’

Carpenter’s latest EP, packed with witty lyrics and angelic runs, embodies everyone’s mixed feelings on the holiday season.
Naisha Roy, Deputy Managing Editor November 21, 2023

There comes a time in every pop diva’s career when they must release their version of Christmas music, whether it be through a single, EP or an entire album.  On Nov. 17,...

Jacob Elordi and Cailee Spaeny as their characters in “Priscilla” sit on a red wall wearing roller skates. Sofia Coppola stands next to them leaning against the wall.

Review: The ‘Priscilla’ soundtrack adds a fresh take to an old story

Sofia Coppola crafted a perfect score for Priscilla’s journey, even without relying on Elvis’ signature sound.
Jordan Wilkens, Contributing Writer November 20, 2023

Whether it’s Marie Antoinette running through the halls of Versailles to The Strokes’ “What Ever Happened?” or Lux and Trip making out under the bleachers to 10cc’s “I’m...

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...