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When stars are on stage, this designer makes it personal for each fan in the stadium

For Beyoncé's Renaissance tour Es Devlin designed a spherical portal — a 50-foot wide aperture — from which the star, her dancers and musicians could emerge and withdraw between songs. Es Devlin/Thames & Hudson hide caption

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Es Devlin/Thames & Hudson

When stars are on stage, this designer makes it personal for each fan in the stadium

November 30, 2023 • Es Devlin says that stadiums are designed for competition and combat. So her job, whether she's designing for Beyoncé, Super Bowl Halftime, or The Olympics, is to achieve intimacy on a massive scale.

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Soprano Maria Callas. Keystone/Getty Images hide caption

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Keystone/Getty Images

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2 Chainz and Lil Wayne teamed up for Welcome 2 Collegrove. Courtesy of Def Jam hide caption

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Courtesy of Def Jam

New Music Friday

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Comic book artist Daniel Warren Johnson (Murder Falcon, Extremity) illustrates the music of Viking's Choice. Horns up! Daniel Warren Johnson hide caption

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Daniel Warren Johnson

Viking's Choice

Outer World's Broadcast-y psych-pop, Sheer Mag's power-pop jangle, Ndox Electrique's Senegalese avant-rock, unkle G's experimental dancehall, Keith Fullerton Whitman's acid techno.

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Finding a place at the Met, this opera sings in a language of its own

A scene from Florencia en el Amazonas. Ken Howard/Met Opera hide caption

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Ken Howard/Met Opera

Finding a place at the Met, this opera sings in a language of its own

Florencia gives star Ailyn Pérez a rare chance to sing in Spanish. As the bilingual daughter of Mexican immigrants, she learned early on that language had the power to shape her experience and voice.

"I'm better than ever," Brown says. "It just took some time for me to get back to being me again." Peter Beste hide caption

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Peter Beste

'Quaranta' finds Danny Brown cleareyed, meditative and remorseful

After battling drug addiction and alcoholism, the Detroit rapper emerges from a downward spiral with Quaranta, his most thoughtful album, embracing the wisdom of his 40s.

André 3000 opens up about 'New Blue Sun,' his daring new solo album

The result of the improvised sessions that led to New Blue Sun is subtle but daring. Mainly because it flies in the face of everything we've come to expect, and selfishly demand, as André 3000 fans. Kai Regan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Kai Regan/Courtesy of the artist