Lifted

Once upon a time, there was this thing called genre: This went here, that went there, and in general, more energy went into keeping sounds and styles separate than letting them cross-pollinate and evolve. But that was then. Now? You like what you like, you do what you do, and what a certain sound is isn’t as important as how it feels. It’s a new kind of space: fertile and diverse. A little underground, but too dynamic for the mainstream to ignore. Ranging from the poppy end of the spectrum to hip-hop, R&B and indie rock, the tracks here don’t just reflect the melting pot of a contemporary culture, but signal a shift for where things are heading. Our editors update picks here all the time, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.