#genre-blending

#genre-blending

Natanya tears genres open and rebuilds them in her own image. Her drums swing loose and jazzy over heavy 808s; synths drift dreamily before snapping into gritty guitar riffs. Writing, producing and arranging all her own work, she weaves together neosoul silk, R&B groove, indie edge, and flashes of grunge, all carried by a buttery falsetto that nods to Aaliyah, Amy Winehouse, Janet Jackson and early Destiny's Child.

Described as a "Live Synthetic Audiovisual Experience."

Great cinema has never died, but there's something particularly heartening about the fact that it survived 2025. Looking back at this turbulent year, rife with the usual industry concerns over the viability of the theatrical experience, young people's slipping attention spans, and Hollywood's overreliance on franchises, unearths a diverse crop of gems. Many of my favorite films were major studio releases-blockbusters, even-that challenged audiences in innovative, surprising ways.

'The albums are journeys of discovery,' he says. 'They're adventures in rock music-but not just rock music now. We sometimes play around with bits of country, folk, and even Italian cinematic music. We close the album with 'Weekend in Rome.''

What began as casual rehearsals in a basement has evolved into a polished, high-energy sound that blends the city's grit with a fearless approach to experimentation. Pan Arcadia is a five-piece band that has grown from high school jam sessions to one of New York's most exciting rising acts. Hailing primarily from New York, with drummer Brian representing Connecticut, the group's members met in middle and high school and have been making music together ever since.

I say this every year, but it does become more true: The width and breadth of what we loosely call Latin music is astounding. In fact, this may be the year that I finally stop using that term altogether. Consider the stylistic gaps in these top 10 lists: Mexican American country/Americana, jazz, Puerto Rican folk music, Barcelona-based experimental acoustic music, an ethereal film soundtrack from a Brazilian classical cellist and a couple of Afro Caribbean-based burners it truly defies any categorization.

I think I've always admired and somewhat envy people that know just exactly who they are. I have a couple of friends in my life, they show me pictures of them as a baby, and they look the same. You look at pictures of me as a child, and I'm in a Hannah wig, and then I'm making Bangerz I'm all over the place. I've just never really been a super consistent person.

moves through LA as if she's mastered the art of turning daily life into a slow ritual. Her mornings begin with Lavender Honey Spice at M Street Coffee, afternoons slip between art posts and studio sessions, and nights belong to The LA Flakes, her all-women rock band that plays like they've got something to prove but no one to impress.

4Batz isn't waiting quietly for his debut album to arrive. With Still Shinin' slated to drop September 12, the Dallas-born rapper-singer is feeding anticipation with "my lil shootah," a moody, R&B-laced single that continues to showcase his unconventional approach to songwriting. Known for blunt lyricism and an ability to bend genres into his own shape, 4Batz delivers something that feels both throwback and contemporary, tapping into the minimalist intimacy of 2010s Drake while drawing from the smoother textures of '90s slow jams.

Jameson's Distilled Sound is back for its second round, mixing genres and bringing together 20 diverse artists from around the world to collaborate on new music.

Morgan Wallen's song 'I'm the Problem' serves as a sonic reflection of country music's identity crisis, embodying the tension between traditional roots and evolving sounds.

Kilder's 'Dusk Till Dawn' blends rave, techno, house, and UKG with melodic depth, marking a notable evolution in his genre-fluid sound and club-ready tracks.

Ryan Coogler cemented his position in filmmaking with a stunning musical-horror hybrid that critiques cultural appropriation, becoming the most financially successful original blockbuster in 15 years.

Ryan Coogler's Sinners marks the largest opening weekend for an original film since the pandemic, blending genres in a unique storytelling experience.