Aurelia Butler

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    Hear the Best Albums and Songs of 2024

    A playlist of 103 songs from our three critics’ lists to experience however you wish.Mk.gee, a new type of guitar hero, made some of our critics’ favorite music of the year.Sinna Nasseri for The New York TimesDear listeners,Here at The Amplifier, we like to keep our playlists relatively brief, like bite-sized musical snacks you can nosh on when you have some downtime. But each December, when the critics are publishing our best-of lists, we like to offer up a much heartier feast. Well, I hope your ears are hungry (is that how it works?) because today is the day. It’s time for our annual playlist of the year’s best music — more than six hours and slightly over 100 tracks of it.These songs are culled from our critics’ year-end lists, featuring what Jon Pareles, Jon Caramanica and I have chosen as the year’s best albums and songs. There are obvious areas where we all overlap: All three of us, for example, appreciated the bawdy humor of Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024 hits and the towering ambition of Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter.” But what makes this playlist such a fun listening experience is the fact that there are many, many places where our tastes, opinions and preferences diverge.Some cases in point: I just cannot buy Addison Rae as a convincing pop star, while Caramanica put her breathy single “Diet Pepsi” as his No. 4 song of the year. The flip side, though, is that I seem to be the only one on staff who appreciates the former Little Mix star Jade’s frenzied debut solo single “Angel of My Dreams,” or Father John Misty’s epic “Mahashmashana,” both of which made my Top 10. Caramanica’s list reminds me that I need to spend some more time with Mk.gee’s “Two Star & the Dream Police” and Claire Rousay’s “Sentiment,” two albums I enjoyed on first listen but have not returned to much since. Pareles’s list, as always, has some unfamiliar names I’m looking forward to checking out, like the ambient jazz artist Nala Sinephro and British producer Djrum. And both of the Jons’ lists remind me that I have been meaning to check out the debut album from the throwback girl group Flo — whose recently released “Access All Areas” they both recommend.If you’d like to read more about each track, you can follow along with our lists of the year’s best albums and songs, in order. But I personally think the best way to experience this massive playlist is to put it on shuffle and experience the chaotic swirl of all of our different recommendations. May it lead you toward discovering (or rediscovering) some of your own favorite music of this wild, waning year.Listen to the playlist on Spotify.Listen to the playlist on Apple Music.The ceiling fan is so nice,Lindsay More

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    ‘Nature of the Crime’ Review: Yearning for a Second Chance

    Two incarcerated men navigate parole boards in a documentary that asks the question: Should the guiding principle of criminal justice be retribution or rehabilitation?Peering into the heart of the beast we call the justice system, the directors Ricki Stern and Jesse Sweet zero in on parole, a part of the process that usually unfolds behind closed doors. “Nature of the Crime” offers rare glimpses of the make-or-break interviews that, in more cases than not, deny petitioners their longed-for second chance. As it traces, over a four-year period, the cycles of hope and despair for two incarcerated men — both in New York prisons for crimes committed in the state — this quiet and affecting documentary is at once an argument for reform and a soul-searching question: Should the guiding principle of criminal justice be retribution or rehabilitation?The men at the center of the film have been behind bars for more than 30 years. Todd Scott was 19 when he was charged, alongside three others, with the killing of a rookie police officer in Queens. Chad Campbell was charged at 14 with committing a horrific double murder in his upstate hometown. Speaking to the filmmakers, and in conversations with their devoted pro bono attorneys, they are thoughtful and sincere. When they also recall the abuse they suffered as children, they provide context, not excuses.For Scott and Campbell, the past is not mere prologue, but an ever-present, insurmountable barrier. The film’s title refers to a boilerplate bit of legalese that many New York parole boards invoke, a catch-22 that essentially denies the possibility of redemption. When Scott asks, “How can you be more remorseful?,” he’s speaking in terms both practical and philosophical. “Nature of the Crime” doesn’t sugarcoat the offenses, but, looking head-on at the offenders and where they are now, it asks that we do the same.Nature of the CrimeNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes. Watch on Max. More

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    ‘It’s Not Me’ Review: Entering the Mind of Leos Carax

    This personal film is a dynamic, even chaotic, collage of moments that bring the director back to his beginnings.Love poem, restless dream, troubled history, alchemist’s scrapbook — Leos Carax’s “It’s Not Me” is pure cinema as it dances through its dense 42 minutes. He crafted this indelibly personal and eccentric film in response to a prompt he was given from the Pompidou Center in Paris: “Where are you at, Leos Carax?”The answer sends the filmmaker, 64, back to beginnings. That means reflections on bad dads, artistic inspirations, his piano-playing daughter, and the 20th century in all its light and darkness, its movies and mass destruction. Carax creates a dynamic, even chaotic, collage of moments — including Denis Lavant and Juliette Binoche in clips from his movies “Mauvais Sang” (1986) and “Holy Motors” (2012) — alongside quotations and songs. (Among the audiovisual references: David Bowie, Jonas Mekas, the Apollo 17 astronauts, Nina Simone, Tintin, The Fall.)“It’s Not Me” displays the “can he do that?” spark that made his features cinematic events, here on a shaggier, smaller scale. Carax’s smoky voice-over, bold title cards and patchwork style might evoke Jean-Luc Godard’s later enigmas, but the film feels more like late-night conversations with a beloved, weirdo friend. How can you not love a filmmaker who portrays his writing method as scribbling in his sleep, surrounded by pets?One idea the film nurtures is that speed is of the essence (and the definition of motion pictures). You can slow down and pore over its references, or you can let Carax’s cinematic flow glide you along. The lovely “Annette”-inspired coda should bring a twinkle to your eye.It’s Not MeNot rated. Running time: 42 minutes. In theaters and available to rent or buy on most major platforms. More

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    It’s Ariana Grande vs. Selena Gomez at the Oscars (in Fans’ Minds)

    Anyone who follows the Oscar race knows it can get nasty. Over the long arc of awards season, films can fall in and out of favor, villains can emerge, and campaigns can be ferocious in their pursuit of gold statues. But movie fans aren’t used to the vitriol that comes along with pop music. Now, they are getting a taste.This year two major pop stars have big roles in notable movies, both of which happen to be musicals. Ariana Grande is the pink-clad mean girl Glinda in “Wicked,” and Selena Gomez plays a cartel boss’s wife in “Emilia Pérez.” While these women have been nothing but nice to one another in the press, their stans, or armies of supporters, have been going to war and drawing unsuspecting bystanders into the battle.Pop music fans are notoriously ruthless — far more so than movie lovers. Their loyalty is unwavering to the point that they take aim at anyone who dare criticize their beloved stars. Perceived slights have resulted in threats and doxxing. And now they have a stake in the Oscars. It’s causing chaos.It’s not as if pop stars have never competed for movie prizes. Cher and Barbra Streisand might have something to say about that. More recently Lady Gaga was nominated in 2019 for her role in “A Star Is Born.” But rarely have two pop idols gone head to head in the way Grande and Gomez are. The notion of a rivalry gained even more fuel this week when they both landed in the same supporting actress category in the Golden Globe nominations.Not that Grande and Gomez seem to have any personal beef. In an October red carpet interview, Gomez said she was “just excited to see Ariana’s movie.” Grande then posted on Instagram: “and we cannot wait for Emilia Perez,” adding a message to Gomez, “I just adore you.”But you would not know that these lovely words had been exchanged if you look at how their fans are acting on X.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Best Classical Performances of 2024

    Standouts included the soprano Lise Davidsen and the Berlin Philharmonic, a new opera by Missy Mazzoli and bits of old ones by Schubert.ZACHARY WOOLFEDeathless Classics and Unmissable New OperasThe joy of a music critic’s job is how wide the purview is. From revivals of centuries-old pieces to the premieres of brand-new works, the field I cover is an ecosystem that takes pride in both the past and the future. My favorite performances this year, in chronological order, spanned eras, but all were marriages of imaginative spontaneity and meticulous craft.Trinity Wall Street’s ‘Messiah’Even after the departure of Trinity’s visionary arts director, Julian Wachner, in 2022, this has remained the most urgent, vivid version of Handel’s classic oratorio that I know of — alternately bracing and joyous. (Ryan James Brandau conducted last December.) Much credit is due to the church’s vibrant period-instrument orchestra. And rather than hosting the usual quartet of aria soloists, this performance has almost 20 soloists emerge from the exceptional in-house choir, making it more a communal rite than a stale holiday pageant. (Read our review.)Yunchan LimYunchan Lim performed Chopin’s piano études at Carnegie Hall.Chris LeeChopin’s 24 études are only an hour of music, but that hour is one of the most storied and difficult in the piano repertoire. Yunchan Lim was just 19 when he ran this old-school gantlet at Carnegie Hall in February, yet he has a thoughtfulness and maturity that belie his years. At Carnegie, as on the recording he released in April, he was unfazed by the études’ staggering technical demands as he balanced note-by-note clarity with sensitive lyricism. (Read our reviews of the concert and the recording.)Lise DavidsenOne of the best singers of her generation, this Norwegian soprano has a huge, coolly powerful voice that sails easily through the long lines of Wagner and Strauss. Verdi tends to benefit from more vulnerability and velvety warmth, but Davidsen has become an artist you want to hear in everything. In February she lavished her generosity, finesse and visceral impact on the much-suffering Leonora in the Metropolitan Opera’s forcefully played new production of “La Forza del Destino,” stopping the show with her 11-o’clock number, “Pace, pace mio Dio.” (Read our review of “La Forza del Destino.”)Cleveland OrchestraIn May, Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” was cast with fresh, youthful voices and played with elegant transparency by one of the world’s great orchestras at Severance Hall. It was the 20th opera presentation of the conductor Franz Welser-Möst’s Cleveland tenure, which will end in 2027 after a quarter-century — astonishing longevity in today’s music world. The ensemble’s Carnegie Hall visit in January with Welser-Möst was also memorable, including lucid performances of Prokofiev’s second and fifth symphonies, which ingeniously sandwiched Webern’s experiment in that genre. (Read our reviews of “The Magic Flute” and the Carnegie concert.)We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    58 Jazz Musicians Were Photographed for ‘Harlem 1958.’ Only One Remains.

    “My particular idols, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, were both in that picture,” Rollins said. “Those guys are much beyond me, but I guess I’ll be remembered with them when people look at this picture: ‘Oh, there’s Sonny Rollins, and wow, look, there’s Coleman Hawkins!’” Source: Music – nytimes.com More

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    Jay-Z Sued Tony Buzbee as a ‘Celebrity’ John Doe Before Assault Accusation

    Lawyers for the rapper accused Tony Buzbee of attempting to “extort exorbitant sums” from him by making false assault claims.Several weeks before Jay-Z was accused in a lawsuit of raping a minor with Sean Combs, he received a letter from a plaintiff’s lawyer threatening to “immediately file” a “public lawsuit” against him unless he agreed to resolve the matter through mediation for money, his lawyers said.Lawyers for Jay-Z (born Shawn Carter), who has vehemently denied the allegations, took a different tack: They sued the attorney who sent the demand letter, Tony Buzbee, who has filed a cascade of lawsuits accusing Mr. Combs, known as Diddy, of sexual misconduct.In the suit, in which Mr. Carter was identified only as “John Doe” and described as a “celebrity and public figure,” the rapper accused Mr. Buzbee of attempting to “extort exorbitant sums” from him by making false assault claims.On Sunday night, Mr. Buzbee amended a lawsuit on behalf of an unnamed plaintiff to publicly accuse Mr. Carter of raping her with Mr. Combs when she was 13, in 2000, which Mr. Carter denied. And on Monday, Mr. Carter’s lawyers revealed that he was the “John Doe” who had filed the suit against Mr. Buzbee.“Plaintiff presently faces a gun to his head,” lawyers for Mr. Carter wrote in the suit, filed on Nov. 18 in Los Angeles Superior Court, “either repeatedly pay an exorbitant sum of money to stop Defendants from the wide publication of wildly false allegations of sexual assault that would subject Plaintiff to opprobrium and irreparably harm Plaintiff’s reputation, family, career and livelihood, or else face the threat of an untold number of civil suits and financial and personal ruin.”In an email on Monday, Mr. Buzbee said that “sending a basic litigation demand letter” did not amount to extortion or blackmail, noting, “That’s the legal practice.” He said the letter sent to Mr. Carter asked for a “confidential sit down” to discuss the accusations so their client’s privacy would be protected.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Jay-Z, Accused in Suit of Raping Minor With Sean Combs, Calls It Blackmail

    The entertainer said the suit, which accuses him of assaulting an unnamed 13-year-old girl in 2000, was an effort to gain settlement money by putting forward “idiotic” claims.Jay-Z was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl with Sean Combs in a lawsuit filed Sunday by an unnamed plaintiff. He vehemently denied the allegation and accused the lawyer who brought the suit of trying to blackmail him with false claims.The allegations against the billionaire rapper and hip-hop mogul came as part of the flurry of litigation against Mr. Combs, who is facing federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges and at least 30 lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct. One of those lawsuits, filed in October, accused Mr. Combs and an anonymous celebrity of raping the teen at an after-party following the MTV Video Music Awards in New York in 2000.On Sunday, the plaintiff amended the lawsuit to name Jay-Z as the other celebrity, asserting in court papers that he and Mr. Combs took turns raping her after she arrived at the party and drank part of a drink that made her feel “woozy and lightheaded.” Jay-Z called the claims “idiotic” and said that he came from a world where “we protect children.” Mr. Combs has denied all allegations of sexual assault and misconduct and has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.The lawsuit was filed by Tony Buzbee, a personal injury lawyer in Houston, who has filed at least 20 sex assault lawsuits against Mr. Combs and used a phone hotline, Instagram and a news conference to find clients.In an extensive response, Jay-Z, 55, said he had received a demand letter from Mr. Buzbee appearing to seek a settlement but that the letter had the opposite effect: “It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!” the statement read.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More