This year’s VMAs nominations lean pop, legacy, and white

5 takeaways and observations about this year’s VMAs nominations. Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for MTV The MTV Video Music Awards return Sunday, September 27, in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, the award show revealed this year’s long list of nominations featuring music’s most tenured stars alongside captivating new artists reshaping the mainstream. Madonna leads with…

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Ravyn Lenae wants her music to fly free

Ravyn Lenae wants her music to fly free The Chicago singer-songwriter talks genre and her new album, Blue Island, in our latest FADER Interview. By Vivian Medithi Video Ethan Holland “There are R&B artists who do pure R&B – that’s great and it should be labeled as such,” says Ravyn Lenae. “And then there’s Black…

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20 Black pop girls to know right now

From France’s YSEULT to London’s Natanya, and more. Pictured: Theodora, Jae Stephens, YSEULT, Natanya   Black women in pop music is not anything new, but recently, we’ve noticed a host of new voices shaping and leaving their mark on the current landscape. We’re using that term, “pop,” loosely — ahead, in this list, these musicians…

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