The year was 2011. It was open mic night at the BlackStar cafe in New Orleans, a weekly event dubbed Liberation Lounge. Glasses clinking against each other, musical instruments getting tuned, vocalists doing their warm-ups, and butterflies dancing in the bellies of excited performers. This open mic show was special…

Eric Roberson is back at it. Criminally underrated, he has built a loyal following since his debut LP, “Esoteric”, came out in 2001. Sporting his characteristic velvety tone and lyrical wizardry, the King of Indie Soul is releasing his ninth full-length album, “Lessons”. The previews we’ve heard — like the…

It is said that music soothes the soul. Indeed, music has many wonderful properties. It heals, eases, appeases, motivates, and elates. It’s a relief for the heart and an escape for the soul. In the troubled times that have fallen upon the world, each and every one of us needs…

On her debut single, “White Tulip”, jazz singer Alma Naidu captives the audience with three minutes of enchanting ad-libs. Over a steady drumbeat and melodic piano on a truly dynamic track, she scats along after a brief lyrical introduction, with her ethereal voice giving us more and more moments of…

Bold, powerful and unapologetic. How else could we define the undisputed Queen of Hip-Hop Soul? She is beautiful and strong. She is Mary J. Blige. The R&B songstress, who recently celebrated her 51st birthday, is set to blow us away with a Super Bowl halftime appearance alongside the likes of…

Experience can refine your abilities but natural-born talent defies the limitations of youth. For Birdy, the daughter of a concert pianist, the gift of music graced her at a young age. She began writing her own songs when she was just eight years old. In 2008, at the age of…

The year is all new and we all wish we could just shake off the problems of two difficult years lying behind us, but sometimes it’s still hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Yet, there are also moments of grace. The music industry has been…

As the year 2021 is coming to a close, Pop Magazine presents a list of 21 global smash hits that have dominated the music scene in the 21st century so far. We picked one hit single from each year between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2020. Brace yourself for…

In September of 2016, Desi Valentine’s unique vocals got universal attention when his power ballad, “Fate Don’t Know You”, played in the midseason finale of Suits. The song was released as a single the same day as its feature in season six of the legal drama series and it received…