Music reviews: Lorde, Barbra Streisand, and Karol G
'Virgin' by Lorde
★★★
"The Lorde of yore is back and better than ever," said Chris Kelly in The Washington Post. On her fourth album, the New Zealand–born former teen wunderkind who "changed the game for alternative pop" has moved past the "easy-listening psychedelia" of 2021's Solar Power and delivered an 11-song set that "percolates with subtle club beats" and "warm-blanket" synths, but leaves "plenty of white space" for her signature phrasings. It "plays like the counterpoint to Charli XCX's Brat": a study in the messiness of young adulthood that's less a party soundtrack than a "headphone masterpiece."
To my ears, Virgin is the 28-year-old's "most piecemeal work to date," said Jon Caramanica in The New York Times. It's the sound of one of our most thoughtful pop stars "futzing around with aftermarket Charli XCX-isms," finding something fresh only on two tracks. But even the weaker songs serve the album's themes, and "the fractured nature of the production mirrors the content," said Mark Richardson in The Wall Street Journal. "These songs are about looking back with regret and confronting ugly truths while embracing flaws."
'The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two' by Barbra Streisand
★★★
Think of the latest duets album from Barbra Streisand as "a cozy, comforting hug," said Melissa Ruggieri in USA Today. Like 2014's Partners, it assembles a panel of A-listers, this time including Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande for a trio performance that, surprisingly, is "steeped in restraint." But while it's a shame that this "holy trinity of glorious sound" was wasted on a generic ballad, "highlights are many." Even the first-ever pairing of Streisand with Bob Dylan "doesn't disappoint," largely because for their cover of 1934's "The Very Thought of You," Streisand "coaxed Dylan to actually sing."
Some stars fare less well, said Helen Brown in The Telegraph (U.K.). "Neither Sting's 'Fragile' nor James Taylor's 'The Secret o' Life' gain much from being turned into two-handers." But Paul McCartney brings "easygoing affection" to a new spin on his 2011 tune "My Valentine," and Streisand adds maternal warmth to her duet with youthful crooner Laufey on "Letter to My 13 Year Old Self." In any case, "resistance is useless" against the pillowy softness of Streisand's voice. The album induces yawns, but "in the nicest possible way."
'Tropicoqueta' by Karol G
★★★★
Karol G's latest hit album is "a bright compendium of 20 songs, all pulling from different parts of Latin-pop history," said Julyssa Lopez in Rolling Stone. The Colombian star's career went "stratospheric" with 2023's chart-topping Mañana Será Bonito, and this follow-up is the 34-year-old's tribute to the music that shaped her: "baroque '80s ballads, soaring vallenatos, merengue from dance parties in family living rooms in Medellín." Keeping things "carefree and breezy," she "loads up the album with Easter eggs," including a sing-along with 1990s star Thalía and a duet with 65-year-old Marco Antonio Solís on "Coleccionando Heridas," a gorgeous ballad.
"Put some respect on Karol G's name," said Tatiana Lee Rodriguez in Pitchfork. After a decade of award-winning urbano recordings, she's playing stadium tours and "even has her own Bratz doll." With Tropicoqueta, she playfully reinterprets "tropical" music, a popular catchall style that emerged in the early 1960s. Weaving a 1984 George Michael melody into "Cuando Me Muera Te Olvido" keeps faith with the tradition. She's also "right at home" on the accordion-laced "No Puedo Vivir Sin Él."
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Students from around the world were impressed by Snow's story—one French student planned to write about it for readers back home, while others praised her role as a young female entrepreneur, calling her an inspiration for future generations. Behind its tens of billions streaming data lies Cheerful Music's unique methodology of creation, management, and operations. In a recent exclusive interview with the Chinese edition of Harvard Business Review, Snow shared the fast-paced logic of viral music in the social media era, how to build a creativity-driven agile team, and how to keep exploring a unique development path in the global market. Cheerful Music was founded in 2019 in Shenzhen, China, and in just a few short years has produced a string of viral songs including YI XIAO JIANG HU (Subject Three), TA SHAN HE, BAN SHENG XUE, MO WEN GUI QI, XIAO CHENG XIA TIAN and XIANG SI YAO. These works have not only gone viral on Chinese social media, but have also repeatedly appeared on international short video platforms and dance challenge playlists. Snow admits that her bond with music came purely from passion. In 2010, she used her personal savings to produce and release her first album, which continued to generate steady royalty income for years, giving her a sense of the music market just as China's copyright environment was gradually improving. In 2014, Snow joined Haikoon Music as a singer, but kept pursuing entrepreneurship: over five years, she tried ventures ranging from cafés to skincare and e-commerce, but each ended in failure. In 2019, the lead of Haikoon Music suggested she return to a field she knew well, and she started her music copyright entrepreneurship. Cheerful Music's early days were anything but easy. Snow at one point relied on signing distribution deals with platforms to secure cash flow, even selling her only house at a critical moment. 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'I hope there won't be just one Snow Jiang, but that I can cultivate ten or twenty Snow Jiang, truly turning the company from a personal IP into a sustainable enterprise in the music industry chain.' The Underlying Logic of a 'Hit-song Generator' From the outside, it seems like Cheerful Music can generate hit songs endlessly. Snow openly admits that although luck plays a part, it fundamentally depends on the company's content creation and operational methodology. Internally, the company's A&R team concentrates daily on reviewing demos submitted by songwriters and composers. Sometimes they listen to hundreds of songs a day but may not pick a single one. However, if they discover a promising new work going viral on social media in the middle of the night, Cheerful Music will immediately contact the creator and finish signing the contract overnight, ensuring it secures a first-mover advantage. Cheerful Music's 'hit logic' consists of three elements: keen market intuition, rapid execution, and flexible promotion mechanisms. Most potential works will first undergo small-scale, low-cost testing to verify their prospects on social media and spark mass imitation or secondary creation before moving into large-scale, phased investment for promotion. But if there is a work Snow deems a high-potential hit from the outset, she will go 'all in' immediately. Snow requires that the company must produce at least one 'viral hit' each year to secure that year's cash flow and brand exposure. In addition, Cheerful Music maintains a diverse layout across instrumental music, traditional-style Chinese music, live performances, and commercial licensing, constructing a sustainable moat through diversified content and business lines. Managing Creativity with 'Magnetism and Flexibility' Today, the Cheerful Music team has about fifteen members, mostly born after 2000. 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For example, in managing her team, she can sense when someone's mindset is wavering even before they formally resign, allowing her to proactively encourage and communicate. If an employee's decision still cannot be changed, she can then adjust and reassign promptly. 'Female leaders can switch naturally between rationality and sensitivity, which is especially important in music and the broader entertainment industry — this kind of flexible management is crucial.' A flat structure and flexible leadership have supported Cheerful Music's agile responsiveness in the short video era, becoming an organizational advantage for producing hits. Building an International Bridge As an important part of its international strategy, Cheerful Music established a branch office in London in 2023. Unlike focusing on creating viral hits, the UK office was entrusted with the long-term mission of serving as a bridge for cultural exchange between Eastern and Western music. 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'AI tools are more like assistants, it is impossible to rely entirely on them to produce high-quality content.' When talking about the next five years, Snow laughs and says the hot trends in the music industry change so quickly that 'I don't even dare make plans for next year.' But she is certain that within three years, she hopes Cheerful Music will have broad brand recognition globally: 'When people mention Chinese music, they'll think of Cheerful Music first.' View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Cheerful Music
