Published on Frontlight Magazine She wrote her first song at five years old and left the Smoky Mountains the day after she graduated high school, carrying a cardboard suitcase and a certainty that very few people in her life shared. She spent the next six decades proving them wrong in the most generous, deliberate, and thoroughly enjoyable way possible. Dolly Rebecca Parton passed away on August 25th, 2026, at 80 years old. Her death was confirmed by her nephew Bryan Seaver,

Published on Frontlight Magazine There is a specific kind of album that arrives without a PR campaign. Most artists, especially those signed to major labels, don't make this choice. The industry prefers controlled introduction, it wants you primed before you press play. Joshua Bassett doesn't seem to care what the industry prefers. On Friday, August 14th, 2026, he dropped Easier,— his sophomore album — with essentially zero announcement, zero promotional push, and seemingly z

Published on Frontlight Magazine The lounge was packed before either artist touched a microphone. Hotel W's Live Sessions — the weekly Thursday series powered by Symphonic Latino — had pulled a crowd so thick that, by the time things got going, you couldn't have slipped a needle through the room. When I arrived, the night was still assembling itself in pieces. Mari Angarita was finishing the visuals for the screen behind the stage. Her special guest for the night, Rodri Zorro

Published on Frontlight Magazine A woman born far from Colombia created the children's songs that shaped generations. Marian "Marlore" Anwandter Johnson, the creator of Canticuentos, passed away one week ago, on June 10th, 2026, at 92 years young. Her death was confirmed by Codiscos, the Colombian record label that published her work for 50+ years. Somewhere between the mountain air, the animals she had never seen before, and the children she was raising in a country that was

Published on Frontlight Magazine Oliver Tree Nickell — known to the world simply as Oliver Tree — died on June 14th, 2026, at 32 years old. He was killed in a midair collision between two helicopters in the southwest of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was in the city as part of The World's First World Tour, the most ambitious run of his career, which had only begun two weeks before his death. The music world is in shock today. So are millions of people who may struggle to explain

Published on Frontlight Magazine The world of music mourns the loss of one of its most radiant stars. Totó La Momposina, the beloved Colombian singer who carried the soul of the Caribbean coast in her voice, passed away at the age of 85, as confirmed by her family on her socials. Her death marks the end of an era, but her legacy shines brighter than ever. Known for her powerful voice and deep commitment to preserving Colombia’s rich folk traditions, Totó was more than a singe

Published on Frontlight Magazine OR3 has officially set the clock. Olivia Rodrigo has announced her third studio album, You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, set for release on June 12, marking her first full-length project since 2023 and the beginning of a new chapter in both sound and visual identity. The announcement arrived April 2 via Instagram, where Rodrigo wiped her account entirely, leaving only the album cover as her sole post. Alongside it, she updated her pro

Published on Frontlight Magazine On a Monday at 8:00 in the morning, one week before the concert, the Frontlight Magazine inbox was still empty. Press accreditations don’t always arrive when you’re building something from scratch, and even less so in an environment where opportunities tend to stay among the same names as always. In an industry that measures legitimacy in numbers (followers, views, or metrics) more than in judgment or work, growing without access can feel like

Published on Frontlight Magazine No one is illegal on stolen land. Bad Bunny didn’t say those words during the Super Bowl halftime show, but everything about it did: the flags, the languages, the bodies on stage, the refusal to center a single nation. And still, the performance felt a bit rushed, compressed, as if joy itself had overstayed its welcome. No song was performed in full. No moment stayed long enough to be digested. Just as the visuals, the movement, and the messag

Originally published on Sound Spectrum Magazine Bogotá traffic won the first round. After crawling through nearly 50 kilometres of classic Friday traffic, we finally made it to Teatro Astor Plaza around 6:15 p.m. — fully expecting door chaos. But the queue was surprisingly short — not because people were early, but because Bogotá was still holding them hostage. At 7 sharp, staff opened the lobby, and by 7:30, the doors to the hall were open. That’s when the energy really star

Originally published on Sound Spectrum Magazine Love songs often get stuck on the butterflies. The dizzy spark of a first kiss, the adrenaline of “forever and always,” the cinematic swell of strings when everything is still brand new. Colombian singer Laura Kalop takes a different route on her latest single “Seis Vidas.” This isn’t about falling in love — it’s about choosing to stay in it. Again, and again, and again. Kalop wrote the song for her husband Jairo, celebrating th

Originally published on Sound Spectrum Magazine Love songs are rare in Joshua Bassett’s catalogue, which makes ‘Blue’ feel like a milestone. For the first time in a while, Bassett sounds like someone who’s in love and actually letting himself enjoy it. No heartbreak, no veiled sadness — just a dreamy, soft track that captures the thrill of new joy. The track itself is stripped-back and intimate, keeping things minimal so the focus lands on Bassett’s voice. His delivery is sof

Jacob Collier is one of the most brilliant minds in contemporary music, and seeing him live only confirms it. His ability to build entire sonic worlds from the ground up, harmony by harmony, feels like witnessing magic in real time. It’s musical genius, yes , but it’s also joy, play, and connection. That was the energy I walked in expecting.

Originally published on Sound Spectrum Magazine Let’s get one thing clear: Bite Me, Reneé Rapp’s sophomore album, is not here to be polite, linear, or tame. It’s bold, messy, cheeky, gut-wrenching — and yes, deeply queer. Across 12 tracks, Reneé gives us a project full of sharp turns, late-night spirals, petty thoughts, big feelings, and even bigger vocals. Whether you’re sobbing into a pillow or dancing half-naked in your room, Bite Me has a track for it. Sometimes both at o

Originally published on Sound Spectrum Magazine We’ve waited for ‘The Subway’ for what feels like forever. A live-only fan favourite turned myth, Chappell Roan once swore she’d never release it — which made the arrival of the studio version feel like a sacred moment in the pop timeline. Some fans memorised the performances by heart; others (like me) avoided the live versions entirely, saving a moment that may never come. Now that it’s here, one thing is clear: ‘The Subway’ is

Originally published on Sound Spectrum Magazine Colombian artist Laura Kalop delivered a tender and reflective midday performance on May 18 at Bogotá’s Cumbia House, blending original songs, reimagined covers, and candid storytelling in a set that felt both casual and quietly powerful. Though brief—just under an hour—the show offered a revealing glimpse into Kalop’s evolution as a songwriter and performer, with themes of family, identity, and cultural memory woven throughout.

Originally published on Sound Spectrum Magazine Some songs are made to entertain, others to inspire. But ‘Desapareciste’, the haunting new track by Colombian artist Isabella Ruiz, exists to grieve — and to make you grieve with it. Across just under five minutes, Ruiz delivers one of the most emotionally charged ballads in recent memory, using her voice not just as an instrument, but as a vessel of collective pain. Rooted in the reality of Colombia’s more than 120,000 disappea

Originally published on Sound Spectrum Magazine In just under two minutes, Bad Bunny’s latest track ‘ALAMBRE PúA’ is short, suggestive, and — in my very humble opinion — one of his more forgettable singles. If you’re into his flirtier, late-night playlist material, you might have fun with it. But if, like me, you prefer when Benito dives into more emotional or political territory, this one probably won’t hit. The track opens with a soft, flute-like synth layered over a standa

Originally published on Sound Spectrum Magazine Some songs demand to be heard at full blast, in very specific places. For Eva Pagán’s latest single, the ideal spot might be somewhere underwater — literally. The singer calls it the ideal soundtrack for a glass-walled restaurant under the sea — but swapping the dining tables for a packed club dancefloor and you’re closer to the truth. This short, shimmering bit of electropop flips an everyday moment — a train ride through New Y

Originally published on Sound Spectrum Magazine What do two queer Colombians running on questionable sleep and armed with a microphone have in common? Apparently, enough to turn a simple interview into a therapy / jam session — which is exactly what happened when Eva Pagán sat down with me to ramble about her new song ‘Til I Die’. It feels oddly full-circle to be here, interviewing Eva. I’ve been following her since 2020, when she dropped ‘I’ve Never Written One Song About a