We may be turning a corner (finally) with the quality of contemporary popular music. Although Solange gets dropped into the R&B/Soul category—just like Janelle Monae with last year’s Dirty Computer—her latest album warrants broader attention. Why? Because standard fare pop is on life support, and desperately needs an infusion of new blood. Not new artists, but new perspectives and creativity. I’ve been lamenting the awful condition of pop music for the last fifteen years. After four decades exploding with creativity (the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s), music went into a dismal hibernation shortly after Napster changed music habits. Maybe it was coincidental, but I believe the two were related. Continue reading →