Song of the summer 2024: writers pick their tracks of the season
From Sabrina Carpenter to Kendrick Lamar, Guardian writers pick out the songs that will be soundtracking their barbecues for the summer
‘A folk music wolf in doom metal clothing’: readers’ favourite albums of 2024 so far
Following our rundown of the best albums in the first half of the year, you responded with your own suggestions, from Kali Malone to Kim Gordon
VIP Taylor Swift ticket holders get obstructed view – are pricey packages worth the cash?
Pricey deals on the Eras tour shows are part of a growing trend – but some acts offer more for less cash
May 2024
Ten-gallon hits! Why country is the biggest pop music craze of 2024
Beyoncé sued for alleged copyright infringement with Break My Soul
Beyoncé’s display of the American flag raises questions for Black people
Derecka Purnell
Lizzo’s flute, Billy Porter’s wings and Cher’s ‘naked dress’: the Met Gala through the years – in pictures
April 2024
Beyoncé effect: Cowboy Carter album puts Levi’s on fashion hotlist
Influence of the ‘culture shaper’ is a potential goldmine for the jeans brand, but effect won’t last forever, say observers
Artist of the week
Beyoncé: Cowboy Carter review – takes country music by its plaid collar and sets it on fire
The Texan superstar’s eighth album is a thrilling 27-track journey through and beyond America’s roots music, and it feels like a genuine feast
The Guide newsletter
The Guide #133: Why is Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter so long?
What’s so bad about a reboot? It doesn’t dilute the original, it adds to it
Rebecca Shaw
Beyoncé’s country album drowns out the Black music history it claims to celebrate
Yasmin Williams
March 2024
Beyoncé fans say songs missing from Cowboy Carter vinyl and CDs
‘It’s cool’: why Beyoncé is kicking down the doors of country music
‘She’s done it again’: fans celebrate release of Beyoncé’s album Cowboy Carter
A new moment to arise: Beyoncé’s cover of the Beatles’ Blackbird is a timely masterstroke
Alexis Petridis's album of the week
Beyoncé: Cowboy Carter review – from hoedown to full-blown genre throwdown
Beyoncé’s Act II album cover is ‘a clapback to being told she doesn’t belong in country music’
‘I can guarantee Beyoncé has never stepped foot in here’: Houston’s country saloons review Texas Hold ’Em
February 2024
Black artistry is woven into the fabric of country music. It belongs to everyone
Rhiannon Giddens
With Beyoncé becoming the first Black woman to top the US country charts, musician Rhiannon Giddens, who plays banjo and viola on Texas Hold ’Em, explains how capitalism and racism warped the genre
