Music

  • You and the music: Going to a concert alone

    As I went solo, not for the first time, I connected with the music, the crowd, the band, on a whole new level By: Olivia Wiens As the crowd bustles around me, I am at peace. My mind is connected with the strings of the piano, the buzzing of the bass, the rhythm of the…

  • 2022 Juno Awards: Charlotte Cardin tops list of nominees

    Last year’s virtual ceremony garnered over 1.1 million total viewers. By: Kayla Higgins (Uwe Conrad/Unsplash) Nominations for the 51st annual Juno Awards were announced on March 1, with the show set to be the first in-person ceremony since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Charlotte Cardin topped the list of nominees that saw Canadian trailblazers…

  • “Ready, Set, Go”: The Canadian music community gears up for the revived return of live music

    When pandemic restrictions closed venues and imposed restrictions, they also struck those who love and use them  By: Rowan Flood As Canada eases and lifts COVID-19 restrictions, the music industry is excited to re-enter the world of live performances that bring invaluable physical connectivity and energy to the art scene. Despite some lingering weariness over…

  • Jesse Maxwell: Bringing new life to R&B and soul

    The Toronto artist goes in depth with CanCulture, talking about his current album rollout and creative process By: Alex Wauthy  Via jessemaxwellmusic.com Toronto singer-songwriter and producer Jesse Maxwell is making waves through his mood-changing R&B and soul music that puts listeners in a soothing trance. Maxwell has accumulated over 20,000 listeners on Spotify thus far;…

  • Ranking Drake’s discography

    Full of both highs and lows, the Toronto superstar’s catalogue is unlike any other By: Adriana Forestieri Drake performing at a Bun B concert at The Sound Academy in Toronto in 2011. (thecomeupshow/WikiMedia Commons) As Billboard’s Artist of the Decade and the most-streamed artist of all time, Drake, a crown jewel of Toronto’s music scene,…

  • One day at a time: The rise of Charlotte Day Wilson

    Poised for stardom, the singer is at the centre of Toronto’s ripening sound By: Kayla Higgins Charlotte Day Wilson (thecomeupshow via Openverse) When you think about Toronto’s R&B landscape, the game-changing players — like PARTYNEXTDOOR, dvsn and Majid Jordan — are undoubtedly some of the best and first that come to mind. Within the scene,…

  • Join the march with Rufus John — The Freedom Marching Project: EP review

    Led by Rufus John, United Artists 4 Change released a powerful EP titled “The Freedom Marching Project” By: Bashair Ali United Artists 4 Change, Inc., marketed by Urban X Entertainment, a division of TuneCore, Inc., 2022 (via YouTube) Over the course of 18 months, Rufus John and a team of incredibly talented Black and racialized…

  • Why are these Canadians pulling music from Spotify?

    Neil Young cited platforming of  “deadly misinformation” as the reason he left By: Kinza Zafar Neil Young held a dandelion on his birthday in November. (NeilYoungNYA/Twitter) Last week, Canadian music legacies and fellow polio survivors Neil Young and Joni Mitchell triggered a domino effect by vouching to remove their music from  Spotify. The move comes in…

  • Futuristic sounds meet ’80s electronic pop: The Weeknd continues new trilogy with ‘Dawn FM’

    ‘Dawn FM’ is yet another step in a new direction for The Weeknd, proving that he has no intention of slowing down   By: Bana Yirgalem Almost two years following the release of his globally successful 2020 album, After Hours, The Weeknd has kicked off another tumultuous year with Dawn FM – an album that brings…

  • 5 K-pop idols you didn’t know were Canadian

    K-POP Idols who probably LOVE Tim Hortons… By: Teresa Valenton Photo via Pixabay Over the last decade, K-pop has gained international recognition as groups continue to break long-set records in the music industry. Several K-pop artists have charted on Billboard within the last year such as BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, Tomorrow x Together and more. American…

  • The top 10 Canadian albums of 2021

    2021 was an exceptional year for Canadian music — here are my picks for the 10 best albums of the year from Canadian artists  By: Isaac Fontes 2021 was a year full of ups and downs, as COVID-19 continued to plague all of our lives for yet another year. One thing that always helps me…

  • KAYTRANADA drops new EP after nearly 2-year gap

    “Intimidated” is the Montreal-based artist’s latest release since his 2019 award-winning album, “BUBBA”  By: Kinza Zafar KAYTRANADA’s newest EP masterfully showcases his dynamic range and capabilities as a producer and DJ. Despite consisting of only three tracks, each one possesses its own distinct sound.  The first track, “Intimidated,” is melodic and upbeat, a perfect marriage…