2020 Music Year in Review: Sheffield on How Fandom Went Underground - by Rob Sheffield

In 2020, being a music fan meant listening by yourself, more than ever, as the coronavirus ravaged the country and our lives. Being a fan in 2020 was crazy in ways that were totally new, because everything about pop life changed overnight. We didn’t get to hear “WAP” in the club or at a party. We didn’t rock out to our favorite new songs live. We didn’t get that shared public experience of music. Isolation became a major fact of life, and the music reflected that. For so many of us, music is key to how we connect to the outside world. But in 2020, music became the outside world, as public spaces were few and far between. It was a shared experience at a time when we really needed that.

Pop music got lustier and hornier all year as a direct response. Ariana Grande made a fantastic album called Positions, basically a grinding-at-the-club thirst trap. It really encapsulated the year in pop fandom — a sex-crazed fantasy lovingly crafted by, for, and about people who aren’t doing any of the wild and crazy things in the songs. Remember the Ariana who sang “Break Up With Your Boyfriend, I’m Bored”? So does she, and there was something heroic about keeping that spirit alive this year.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion dropped everyone’s favorite summer sex jam, “WAP,” announcing the presence of whores in the house. When “WAP” hit Number One, it replaced Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” — I love that: two songs about the same thing, as different musically as two songs could be, yet kindred spirits as two of the year’s filthiest hits in the least Hot Girl Summer of all time. Part of why “Watermelon Sugar” felt timely was the video Harry filmed on the beach in January, right before lockdown, with the intro: “This video is dedicated to touching.”

Read more at: 2020 Music Year in Review: Sheffield on How Fandom Went Underground - Rolling Stone

Music Industry: Sounds of the Netherlands – day one: a history of Dutch pop in 10 songs

The Netherlands might have the tallest people in the world but its pop stars have always had a tendency to blend into the crowd. With few chart acts wearing their national identity on their sleeves, the country's biggest names are frequently mistaken overseas for being British, American or German. While this might partly be the result of understated Dutch modesty, the primary reason is likely to be their uncanny ability to soak up international influences and sell pitch-perfect imitations back to where they came from.

From searing 60s psych-rock to today's dancefloor bangers, the dominant story of Dutch pop has been stealing and improving on anything that isn't firmly nailed down. It's a strategy that may have limited the development of many instantly identifiable Dutch scenes, but one that has led the Netherlands to consistently punch above its weight when it comes to international success.

Read more: Sounds of the Netherlands – day one: a history of Dutch pop in 10 songs | Music | guardian.co.uk

Pop Music: Whitney Houston: a brilliant and tragic life

Whitney Houston, who was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room on Saturday, rose from a gospel church choir in New Jersey to become one of the best-selling and most-admired female singers of all time.

With hits like "I Will Always Love You" - the theme song of what was her film acting debut in "The Bodyguard" opposite Kevin Costner in 1992 - and "The Greatest Love of All," Houston won six Grammys and more than 400 other awards in a 25-year career.

Her soaring voice influenced singers ranging from Beyonce and Alicia Keys to Mariah Carey and Celine Dion - and inspired thousands of copy-cat performers on TV talent shows.

For more: Whitney Houston: a brilliant and tragic life - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

International Pop Superstar Michael Jackson dies at 50 following heart attack

Michael Jackson dead at 50

EU-Digest

International Pop Superstar Michael Jackson dies at 50 following heart attack

Michael Jackson died today at the UCLA Medical Center after he was brought in by paramedics who found him not breathing at his home after he had apparently suffered a heart attack, according to various reports. Jackson became a global megastar in 1982 with the release of his album "Thriller," which gave him seven Top 10 hits and the album still remains one of the two bestselling albums in history. Following the release of "Thriller" Michael Jackson remained a major star for the next decade, but as the years passed he began receiving more attention for his eccentric behavior than for his music.

Jackoson, the King of Pop, had already sold-out 50 concerts at London’s O2 Arena, which were scheduled to begin July 13th. The concerts were intended to save him from the giant debt he had accumulated during his lengthy absence from the world's pop concert circuit.