At the close of the 2010s, consumer tastes seemed to shift away from flashy pop stars and formulaic hits, embracing subdued alternative sounds instead. And then, 2020 happened. Driven by pandemic ...

It’s brutal out there, and that’s why, more than ever, we needed the consoling and prodding pleasures of popular music to help everything make sense in here. [Stage direction: taps chest, knowingly.] ...