Louder: Is she jazz? Is she pop? She’s Laufey.
Plus: Ozzy Osbourne, Justin Bieber, Nick Drake and more
Louder
July 26, 2025

It hasn’t taken long, but Laufey “has become a phenomenon almost without comparison in contemporary pop,” Ben Sisario writes this week, in a profile of the 26-year-old indie singer-songwriter whose quirky style “draws equally from Taylor Swift and the romantic whimsy of midcentury musicals.” (It also has rankled some jazz traditionalists.) Three famous fans who spoke on her behalf for this article? Olivia Rodrigo, Barbra Streisand and Gustavo Dudamel. Her latest album, “A Matter of Time,” is out next month.

Ben also wrote about the giant we lost this week: Ozzy Osbourne, the most lovable dark lord in heavy metal history. Hank Shteamer took us on a tour of a dozen of his greatest songs, and Alex Marshall visited his hometown, Birmingham, England, to chat with fans touched by his long and winding career (including Drake). (I also recommend revisiting this story from a few weeks ago, where musicians including Lars Ulrich, Lita Ford and Billy Corgan talked about Osbourne’s singular impact.)

Will Hermes reported on a trove of found recordings by Nick Drake, Jon Caramanica profiled the London rapper, singer and producer Jim Legxacy, Grayson Haver Currin spoke with the ever-evolving singer and songwriter Indigo De Souza and Hank also traced the evolution of the jazz drummer Joe Farnsworth, who after playing with his heroes is releasing an album focused on a cast of rising stars.

In a black and white image, a man in suit plays the piano while smoking.

Victoria Waymouth

Nick Drake, Long a Folk Mystery, Is (Partly) Revealed

A 42-track collection built around two found recordings helps illuminate the creative process of the revered but elusive icon, who died in 1974.

By Will Hermes

A woman in a white top, pink pants and pink platform shoes sits outdoors on top of a picnic table.

Can Indigo De Souza Spin Pop Gold From the Wreckage of Her Past?

The singer and songwriter first emerged as an indie-rock bandleader from Western North Carolina. With a newfound clarity, she is re-emerging as a California pop artist.

By Grayson Haver Currin and Hannah Edelman

A man whose short braids poke out from under a durag stares straight ahead. He wears a blue jersey and stands in front of a gray wall.

Jono White for The New York Times

Jim Legxacy Makes Music That Sounds Like Memory

The new album from the London rapper, singer and producer is a homage to the last two decades of Black British music.

By Jon Caramanica

A drummer wearing sunglasses and a tan suit plays in a room lined with bookshelves.

Stephanie Gengotti for The New York Times

Joe Farnsworth Drummed for Jazz Greats. Now He’s Becoming the Mentor.

Benny Golson, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner: Farnsworth spent years playing with his heroes. “The Big Room,” a new album due Friday, features a cast of rising stars.

By Hank Shteamer

A black-and-white photo of Big Freedia against a green and purple background.

My Ten

Big Freedia on the Gospel Music That Lifts Her Up

The New Orleans musician known for party-starting rapping chats about healing through song, and the TV, movies and boots that keep her stomping ahead.

By Ross Scarano

In a black and white image, Billy Joel is seen in profile wearing a pinstriped jacket as he sits playing a piano.

‘Billy Joel: And So It Goes:’ 5 Takeaways From the Film’s Conclusion

The HBO documentary about the singer and songwriter wrapped with a deep exploration of his tabloid troubles, creative process and decision to return to live performance.

By Esther Zuckerman

In an animated still, three women in miniskirts and military-like jackets strike poses.

‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Took 7 Years to Make but a Lifetime of Experience

Maggie Kang, a director of the hit along with Chris Appelhans, was “just trying to make something that I wanted to see: a movie that celebrated Korean culture.”

By Regina Kim

POPCAST

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Popcast

Justin Bieber’s Experimental ‘Swag’ Resurgence

Discussing the era-defining pop singer’s most idiosyncratic and musically adventurous release to date.

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48 MIN LISTEN

OZZY OSBOURNE (1948-2025)

Ozzy Osbourne holding up his left hand while flames light up behind him.

Hannah Mckay/Reuters

Ozzy Osbourne: 12 Essential Songs

The frontman, who with Black Sabbath helped pioneer heavy metal in 1970s England, always found new ways to reinvent himself.

By Hank Shteamer

Ozzy Osbourne, wearing a black sleeveless V-neck T-shirt, black leather pants and a studded belt, poses with his hands on his hips.

Paul Natkin/Getty Images

An Appraisal

Ozzy Osbourne, the Lovable Prince of Darkness

The rocker helped define the sound, look and attitude of metal. But his persistence through addiction, his connection to audience and a late-career reality TV show endeared him to generations.

By Ben Sisario

In a black-and-white photograph, Ozzy Osbourne sits in a recording studio while wearing headphones. He is holding papers and a cigarette in his hands.

Chris Walter/WireImage, via Getty Images

Ozzy Osbourne: A Life in Pictures

He pioneered heavy metal, became an unlikely reality TV star and performed a colossal final concert two weeks before his death.

By The New York Times

A person looks solemn while holding a bouquet of flowers.

The ‘Home of Heavy Metal’ Mourns Ozzy Osbourne

In Birmingham, England, the singer’s hometown, fans paid tribute by leaving flowers, beer and tequila. The rapper Drake was there to pay his respects, too.

By Alex Marshall

Ozzy Osbourne, wearing a white undershirt, raises his arms onstage.

Biting a Bat and 5 Other Wild Moments From Ozzy Osbourne’s Life

Alcohol and drugs were often involved in funny, bizarre and terrible incidents in the heavy metal legend’s long career.

By Claire Moses and Victor Mather

The Osbourne family sits on a couch. Ozzy, an older man with long black hair and purple sunglasses sits on the left; Kelly, a young woman with spiky red hair wearing an olive jacket, sits on the right; Jack, a young man with a black T-shirt and glasses sits on the floor; Sharon, a woman wearing all black stands just behind them.