Every July, millions of Black people, specifically Black women, descend upon New Orleans for the Essence Festival of Culture (EFOC). Known for many years as the Essence Festival, the festival is a celebration of Black culture, community, and heritage. Since its inception in 1995 as a one-off event to commemorate the publication’s 25th anniversary, the festival has evolved into a diasporic jubilee, drawing in people of African descent from across the diaspora. 

In addition to its global presence, the festival pours millions of dollars into the local New Orleans community, which has served as the festival's home for 30 years (with the exception of 2006, when the festival was held in Houston, because of Hurricane Katrina). In 2020, the festival was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the annual festival continues to be one of the most sought-after and attended festivals in the United States. 

This year’s Essence Festival of Culture will be held at the Superdome from July 4-7, replete with legendary and fast-rising talents. On July 5, Birdman & Friends will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Cash Money Records. The following day will feature a special performance by Charlie Wilson, while Usher will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Confessions.

Janet Jackson and Victoria Monét will headline the festival's final night, while Frankie Beverly and Maze close out the festival with the return of All-White Night. Other performers include The Roots featuring Mickey Guyton, Ari Lennox and T-Pain, Busta Rhymes, Raphael Saadiq, D-Nice featuring Shelia E, Big Boi, and many more.  

Read more: Music Festivals 2024 Guide: Lineups & Dates For Lollapalooza, Coachella, Bonnaroo & Much More 

EFOC has been compared to SXSW, Coachella, Austin City Limits, and other notable festivals, yet it stands out for its empowerment-centered approach. It is not simply a festival, it is a family reunion. The one festival in the United States that does not pander to or take advantage of Black audiences, but truly celebrates them and their achievements. Although music has always been an integral part of the festival’s ethos — Aretha Franklin and B.B. King performed at the first iteration — the festival excels in its multi-generational and interdisciplinary programming. On any given day, attendees can attend sessions on Black entrepreneurship, politics, mental health, and literature, as well as seminars focused on issues impacting the Black community.  

There’s a reason why the festival is referred to as the party with a purpose. For decades, it has operated as a celebratory convening place for Black people, Black families, and Black communities. Now, more than ever, spaces like EFOC are needed, as the Black community experiences an onslaught of changes — from Historically Black Colleges and Universities in North Carolina and Tennessee being subject to intense government oversight, to Black women-owned venture capital firms being targeted by conservatives, and Black voting rights becoming at risk during an election year. 

Ahead of the festival’s 30th celebration, Michael Barclay, Executive Vice President of Experiential for ESSENCE Ventures and Barkue Tubman Zawolo, Chief of Staff, Talent and Diasporic Engagement for Essence Ventures, spoke to the Recording Academy about the history, legacy, and future of the Essence Festival of Culture.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Are you part of the generation that grew up with the Essence Festival of Culture? If so, how does it feel to be a part of it?

Barkue Tubman Zawolo: I'm originally from Liberia. And even being in Liberia, prior to my family moving to the U.S. in 1980, Essence was always a thing for my mom and my aunts. When we came here, fast forward to me, as an adult, [after] graduating college, I got into the music industry. I've managed artists that have gone through the Essence stages and pages in different ways.

Essence Fest has always been something that we were familiar with. I have to say, I had not really experienced Essence Fest until 2019 when Essence was actually a client. One of the things that I was doing [at that point] was integrating the Diaspora and African creatives within the festival in fashion and music.

To be in the role that I'm in right now and to be on a team with people who have been a part of Essence for a long time…. Essence seems to be ingrained in all of our fabric. [What] started as a music festival now is the Super Bowl of Culture that is the Essence Festival of Culture. To be on the team that helps bring this to life for our community is a daunting but rewarding task all in the same. 

Essence is something that I don't think anybody in our community takes lightly. Even our partners understand the value of it. We certainly understand that we serve the Essence-inverse and, and we are in service to this community. It is a huge honor to be able to be a part of the team that brings this to life and, and, and constantly hear what it means to the community globally too. 

One thing that I admired, especially about last year's festival, was GU Kickback — a music event hosted by Girls United, the publication’s Gen Z vertical. I saw a number of local artists from New Orleans, such as 504ICYGRL. ESSENCE just released a series of cover stories celebrating the 30 year relationship between the publication and New Orleans; how do you highlight the city and their history?

Michael Barclay: As somebody who's worked in experiential, creating gatherings and experiences for almost 25 years now, the venue is always important when you're trying to set the box where you are creating for your community, for your audience. New Orleans has been that backdrop for us for almost 30 years now. 

New Orleans is the convergence of our mission, our brand, in a city that is perfectly matched for that energy. New Orleans is as much a part of Essence Festival of Culture as Essence Magazine is to Essence Festival. 

It is very much a partnership that has created this cultural movement. To be more inclusive, and highlight more of those local relationships and talent is very intentional. It has been something that we have put a lot of energy and effort into over the last couple of years. 

This will be my third festival this year. I think Barkue, you started maybe a year or two before me. We're a fairly new crew that is working to help grow and reshape and solidify those relationships. Even with how we handle the management of the festival. 

Our VP of Essence Festival, Hakeem Holmes is a hometown boy from New Orleans. He's the pride and joy. They love to see him coming. He's always enlightening us on the things that we need to be focused on for the city and how we make the best partnership and make the best impact on the area.

It was intentional what you saw last year. It's intentional this year. We dedicated our entire festival edition of the magazine as a love letter to New Orleans. It's a symbiotic relationship that is one of the key reasons why this festival is the Super Bowl of Culture.  

I would love to hear about the talent aspect of the festival. Last year, Megan Thee Stallion headlined. In previous years, Beyoncé and Prince have served as headliners. What is the formula between balancing local talent, national talent and diasporic talent at the festival?

Zawolo: As we grow the festival, the intentionality becomes even more and more important. And, what we do in understanding where we are as a brand. 

We're 30 years into the festival, the brand is 55 years. What's traditionally known as the Essence Woman is now bringing her daughter. It's multi-generational. We also know that the world is as big as your cell phone, so people are now exposed to different types of content and music. 

We see the influence of Afrobeats and Caribbean music. We are intentional about making sure that every night really speaks to multiple generations, but it's anchored in a generation. It's like, who's bringing, who to the concert on Friday? Is it the daughter bringing her mama? 

It's anchored in  that younger demo, but we're going to make sure that they're going to have a collective good time there. Saturday is usually our heaviest night. We have our living legends that show up there; that really cuts across generations. This is anybody can bring anybody, but let me tell you, you're going to be able to teach each other, connect with each other with the different groupings of talent that we have.

We try to make sure that there is something that speaks to us, but that that connects with the diaspora on as many nights as possible. Sometimes it's not because they're from a different country, but because we know the music also resonates.

If you think of Janet Jackson, you can go anywhere in the world. She can check off that box, although she's not from there. You can create those ties, but we also are intentional about having Ayra Starr and Machel Montano. Last year we had Tems and Wizkid. The goal is to continue to grow what that looks like, because we are a global brand and that is our diasporic and global intent in connecting the global Black community is really important.  

We are intentionally multi-generational. We intentionally lead into where a multitude of generational communities can come together and have fun together. There is something for everybody. We have a unique opportunity with Essence as the brand grows to be able to not only speak to what they want to call the aunties, I call the punties. I also think that this is where we get to educate the next generation on where we're coming from. We also get to learn from them on where they are and where they want to go. 

What a beautiful way to kind of tie all of these connections. Last year, the festival celebrated 50 years of hip-hop; this year you're celebrating the 30th anniversary of the festival. What is the intention behind this year’s music programming?

Zawolo: Paying homage to people who had done some historical things on our stages. We have Janet [Jackson] back. People are like, “Oh, we saw Janet two years ago,” but Janet is also one of the highest sellers in the festival's history. 

If we're going to celebrate, let's celebrate, because we know Janet never disappoints. We also want to lean into some of the [older] talent, like Charlie Wilson, Uncle Charlie. He's graced that stage so many times, but yet it's still very relevant. Using this moment to reignite things that we've done in the past and bring them back to life that we know the audience missed.

Frankie Beverly, who is going to come, this is probably going to really be his last performance. The passing of the torch. This year was about having to be intentional about what other milestones are happening that are important to this culture. Cash Money is also celebrating 30 years. Who better, right?  

Essence has been in New Orleans for 30 years. Cash Money and crew are from New Orleans. Juvenile just got the key to the city from the mayor. We want to honor and celebrate him, but we also want to recognize the influence that this group of very creative, entrepreneurial, rappers and artists have had on culture, because there was a time where we all were backing that ass up. 

Making sure we highlighted milestones, connecting with people who have historically been a part of making history with us, introducing some new ones — that's what we have to do. We have to set up now for the next 30 years. We want to go to the soul of what appeals to our audience, and we're really all about good music.  

I think the 30th year just continues to do what we do. As we look to grow and connect demos, Megan Thee Stallion is a very viable option because again, the daughter now is going to bring the mama. Intergenerational diasporic and connecting demos, I think that only happens at the Superdome. That's also happening in the convention center, which I believe is honestly the soul of the festival. 

What are your hopes and aspirations for the next 30 years of the Essence Festival of Culture? Will Essence Fest always be in New Orleans? Are we going to have an Essence Fest in Lagos, Nigeria?

Barclay: Being on this side of [EFOC], seeing the true impact of the festival and how it impacts the communities, how it impacts the folks that come to New Orleans, and now, because we've expanded to our virtual audience, the 1.7 million that are viewing around the world, my hope for the festival is that we continue to show up where our community needs us.

We're going to be in New Orleans. We're going to be in our official world as we call it. If you can't make it to New Orleans, you can tune into Essence.com and you can see what's going on there. We are creating virtual experiences, AR experiences, VR experiences, all those things, so really keeping up with the way that people continue to connect with each other, whether they're physically in the same place or halfway across the world.

I think that type of innovation is what I want to continue to see us do and allow us to create that joy that we generate in New Orleans and wherever it's needed for our community.

The winds of November might be crisp and cold, but they bring along a collection of sizzling new music. From bold debuts to heartfelt returns, new eras to final chapters, there's no shortage of options to warm you up this month.

On the first Friday of the month, goth band The Cure makes their return after 16 years, and R&B sensation Jacquees releases the suggestive Baby Making. In the following weeks, British trio FLO will release their anticipated debut, Access All Areas, and BTS's Jin will finally drop Happy, his first solo album.

And there's more: nu metal trailblazers Linkin Park will enter a new era with From Zero, Dolly Parton enlisted her family to create the expansive Smoky Mountain DNA – Family, Faith & Fables, and 2020 Mercury Prize winner Michael Kiwanuka will drop Small Changes.

Lastly, the third and final posthumous album by rapper Juice WRLD will also be out this month, and Irish megastars U2 are going to celebrate the 20th anniversary of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb with a shadow album titled How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb.

To guide you through this eventful month, GRAMMY.com compiled a list with the 14 must-hear releases of November 2024. Check them out below.

CHASE ATLANTIC — 'Lost In Heaven' (Nov. 1)

Australian trio CHASE ATLANTIC continue to reach for the stars. Following performances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and the main stage at Reading & Leeds in 2023, the band is set to release their fourth studio album, Lost In Heaven, on Nov. 1st.

Led by singles "Die For Me," "Doubt It," and "Ricochet," the band continues to expand their atmospheric, genre-blurring sound. A press release notes that they are poised to break boundaries once again, "diving deeper into their distinct world of hypnotic melodies, sonic experimentation, and epic live shows." The 2023 single "Mamacita" also features on the tracklist.

To promote the new record, they launched an ongoing tour across North America, with rapper 24KGOLDN as a special guest. The tour began on Oct. 16 in Dallas, and will wrap on Nov. 19 in Los Angeles. In December, they will continue with six additional shows in Australia and New Zealand. 

The Cure — 'Songs Of A Lost World' (Nov. 1)

In September, English goth band The Cure released "Alone," their first new song in 16 years. Along with it came also the announcement of their fourteenth LP, Songs Of A Lost World, set for release on Nov. 1.

Frontman Robert Smith shared in a press release that "Alone" was the track that "unlocked" the new album. "As soon as we had that piece of music recorded I knew it was the opening song, and I felt the whole album come into focus," he noted. The album, in progress since 2019, includes tracks "Alone" and "A Fragile Thing," which were performed live during the band's Shows Of A Lost World tour in 2022 and 2023.

The 8-track ensemble follows 2008's 4:13 Dream, and was entirely written and composed by Smith — a feat he hadn't repeated since 1985's The Head On The Door. Smith also co-produced the record with the help of Paul Corkett.

Masked Wolf — 'The Devil Wears Prada But God Wears Gucci' (Nov. 8)

After his 2019 song "Astronaut in the Ocean" became a sleeper hit in 2021 thanks to TikTok, the life of Australian rapper Masked Wolf (Harry Michael) changed dramatically. He quit his day job to focus on music full-time and swiftly released Astronomical, his first mixtape.

Three years later, Michael swapped the space suit for a superhero persona. "I feel it, my desire, yeah, I'm reaching in my soul /They tryna take me out, yeah, they wanna break my bones /It's like I've been bit, but I still keep control /I will never give up, I never give up," he raps in "Spiderman in Space," a single off his upcoming debut LP, The Devil Wears Prada But God Wears Gucci.

Set to drop on Nov. 8, the album showcases Michael's versatility and immutable determination, traits also evident on singles "Give Me My Heart Back" with Lecrae, "Sweeter," "Tell Me Why" with Kota the Friend, and "Hell or High Water."

Ab-Soul — 'Soul Burger' (Nov. 8)

After 2022's lauded Herbert, Los Angeles rapper Ab-Soul is gearing up to release the mixtape Soul Burger on Nov. 8. The project is a tribute to the artist's childhood friend, Doe Burger, who passed away in December 2021.

In a recent interview with Sirius XM's "Effective Immediately", the Top Dawg Entertainment star shared that he's "been trying to channel" Burger's spirit in this release. "My best way of doing that is through music. And hence the title, it's the fusion of me and him. We were literally Huey and Riley from The Boondocks, to where this album is not me — it's Soul Burger. It's like a new artist… So I recommend everybody listen to it in terms of that."

The mixtape includes singles "Squeeze 1st 2" and "All That" featuring JasonMartin (formerly known as Problem) and Thirsty P. In June, Ab-Soul reunited with his Black Hippy bandmates Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q at Lamar's Pop Out Concert in California.

FLO — 'Access All Areas' (Nov. 15)

British R&B trio FLO have announced their much-awaited debut LP, Access All Areas, set to release on Nov. 15. Executive produced by MNEK, the album follows the success of singles "Walk Like This," "Caught Up," and "Check."

"Access All Areas is a labor of love," the group, composed of Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renée Downer, said in a press statement. "To us it represents our growth and dedication to making girl group history, to making a project we are truly proud to call our debut album." The album is described as a "manifesto" for FLO, approaching themes of love, sisterhood, and navigating life as young Black women.

Starting Nov. 11, the trio will kick off their AAA: Intimate Acoustic Shows tour in record stores across the U.K., with stops in Nottingham, Kingston, London, Birmingham, and Manchester.

BoyWithUke — 'Burnout' (Nov. 15)

"I was feeling tired just because it's been go, go, go since I started," said TikTok sensation BoyWithUke in a statement about his upcoming album, Burnout. "I think I had some real identity issues with who I am. Like am I this extroverted character or am I Charley Yang? But now I think I've found a really good balance of work and personal life."

Charley Yang, who rose to fame after going viral in 2021 with ukulele hits like "[Toxic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvaosumc4hU)" and a signature LED mask — removed only last year — began exploring a more open and experimental side to his music once he revealed his face. "For the longest time I had made songs to impress this person I was in love with as well as music executives, and once that was gone things felt weird," he added. "I felt a little bit lost, but in a larger and more positive way, I felt free with freedom to make mistakes and basically whatever I wanted — I think that's what *Burnout* is."

Burnout will be Yang's final record under the BoyWithUke moniker, but it already points to new musical directions. Lead singles "Ghost" and "Can You Feel It?" build on his previous work, while "Gaslight" takes a daring plunge into alt-rock and electronic beats, showcasing Yang's rawest performances yet.

Jin — 'Happy' (Nov. 15)

The first BTS member to complete his military enlistment, Jin was also the only one who hadn't released a solo LP — until now. The wait is over as he announced the release of his debut album, Happy, set for release on Nov. 15.

According to a press release, Happy is a six-track collection that chronicles Jin's journey to find true happiness. Through the album, he shares "honest thoughts and feelings on what happiness means to him," and aims to give listeners "a sense of strength and comfort in their day-to-day lives."

The album comes two years after Jin's co-written collaboration with Coldplay, "The Astronaut." To build anticipation, he has also released the complete version of his 2021 viral hit, "Super Tuna," along with the rockabilly-inspired lead single, "I'll Be There."

Dolly Parton & Family — 'Smoky Mountain DNA – Family, Faith & Fables' (Nov. 15)

Dolly Parton continues to amaze. After being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and releasing her first rock album, Rockstar, last year, the country queen returns on Nov. 15 with a project that explores her deepest roots: her family.

Smoky Mountain DNA – Family, Faith & Fables is a prodigious visual and musical project featuring both branches of Dolly's family, the Partons and the Owens. Spanning nearly 40 tracks, the album was produced by her cousin, Richie Owens, and showcases performances by various family members, including some who have passed away and others from the current generation.

In a statement, Smoky Mountain is described as "a passage through the lineage and ethos of a family that has deeply influenced one of the world's most beloved artists," tracing their journey from their U.K. origins in the 1600s to their present-day home in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. A companion four-part docuseries is set to premiere in 2025.

Read More: 5 Ways Dolly Parton Has Promoted Peace & Global Unity

Dwight Yoakam — 'Brighter Days' (Nov. 15)

It's been nearly a decade since country superstar Dwight Yoakam released a new album, with his last being 2016's Swimmin' Pools, Movie Stars. That will change on Nov. 15, when Yoakam drops Brighter Days.

To announce his return, Yoakam dropped hit single "I Don't Know How to Say Goodbye (Bang Bang Boom Boom)" featuring Post Malone, a track he wrote specifically for this collaboration. Brighter Days has been self-produced over the past three years, with Yoakam co-writing most of the tracks and including covers of classics such as "Keep On The Sunny Side" by the Carter Family, "Bound Away" by Cake, and "Time Between" by The Byrds.

In a statement, the album is described as "at once timeless and timely," filled with "a modern appreciation for country music's history with the trailblazing rock and roll spirit of California." Yoakam is currently on a U.S. tour.

Linkin Park — 'From Zero' (Nov. 15)

Linkin Park is returning from hiatus with full force. On Nov. 15, the nu-metal legends will release their eighth LP, From Zero, introducing a new era for the band following the announcement of new vocalist Emily Armstrong (of Dead Sara) and drummer Colin Brittain.

"Before Linkin Park, our first band name was Xero. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we're currently undertaking," said co-vocalist Mike Shinoda in a statement. From Zero marks the band's first album without frontman Chester Bennington, who passed away in 2017, and former drummer Rob Bourdon. "Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future — embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans," added Shinoda.

The album's lead single, "The Emptiness Machine," was followed by "Heavy Is The Crown," which became the main theme for Riot Games' 2024 League of Legends World Championship, and the recent release "Over Each Other." Ahead of the album, Linkin Park played a series of arena shows in September, with stops in Los Angeles, Seoul, and London. The tour is set to conclude on November 16 in São Paulo, Brazil.

Michael Kiwanuka — 'Small Changes' (Nov. 22)

"Whilst making this album I was really thinking about my motives for making music and making records," shared London-born singer Michael Kiwanuka on Instagram, when announcing his upcoming album, Small Changes. "I never started writing music/songs for anything other than a way to connect to myself and others, but what am I trying to say now?"

As the album neared completion, Kiwanuka realized that expressing the "small changes" he was experiencing, both in his voice or and his music, was reason enough. "And living for me is just that, remaining as true as possible despite all the changes around us," he added.

Small Changes follows Kiwanuka's 2020 Mercury Prize-winning album, Kiwanuka. Co-produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo, the LP's first single, "Floating Parade," dropped in July, followed by "Lowdown (Part I)" and "Lowdown (Part II)." Kiwanuka recently completed a North American tour with Brittany Howard and will play six intimate shows in the U.K. after the album's release.

Father John Misty — 'Mahashmashana' (Nov. 22)

November also marks the return of singer/songwriter Josh Tillman with his sixth album under the stage name Father John Misty. According to a press release, the album's title, Mahashmashana, derives from the Sanskrit word Mahāśmaśāna (महामशान), meaning "great cremation ground, all things put going thither."

Produced by Tillman and Drew Erickson, with longtime collaborator Jonathan Wilson serving as executive producer, the album features eight tracks spanning over 50 minutes. Half of the album has already been previewed through singles "I Guess Time Makes Fools of Us All," "She Cleans Up," "Screamland," featuring Low's Alan Sparhawk, and "Josh Tillman and The Accidental Dose." 

After supporting Kacey Musgraves on her Deeper Well Tour during September and October, Tillman announced he will headline a North American tour beginning February 2025, followed by a European leg in May.

Juice WRLD — 'The Party Never Ends' (Nov. 22)

After years of teasing, Juice WRLD's third and final posthumous album, The Party Never Ends, is set to be released via Grade A and Interscope Records on Nov. 22. This will be his first full-length project since 2021's Fighting Demons, which included collaborations with Polo G, Justin Bieber, BTS, and more. 

Lil Bibby, founder of Grade A, shared on Instagram that "we want this album to feel like a celebration/party. No more mourning, I want everyone that Juice loved while he was here to help celebrate, especially his fans whom he loved."

The Party Never Ends follows the release of December 2023's single "Lace It" featuring Eminem, produced by Benny Blanco, which addresses the dangers of addiction. In September 2024, Juice WRLD's legacy was further expanded with the EPs The Pre-Party and The Pre-Party (Extended), each featuring two tracks, including the single "Lightyears" with Young Thug.

U2 — 'How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb' (Nov. 22)

In November 2004, Irish band U2 topped the charts with their iconic album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. The album and its singles earned eight GRAMMYs between 2005 and 2006 and was described by vocalist Bono as their "first rock album" ever.

As the 20th anniversary approaches, U2 will commemorate the milestone with a remaster and re-release of the original album, along with a new project titled How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb — a 10-track "shadow album" that includes new and unreleased songs from the band's archives.

"The sessions for How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb were such a creative period for the band, we were exploring so many song ideas in the studio," bassist The Edge said in a press statement. "For this anniversary edition, I went into my personal archive to see if there were any unreleased gems and I hit the jackpot. What you're getting on this shadow album is that raw energy of discovery, the visceral impact of the music, a sonic narrative, a moment in time, the exploration and interaction of four musicians playing together in a room… this is the pure U2 drop."

Among the tracks, fans might recognize "Luckiest Man In The World" as the leaked demo "Mercy," now officially released. Five other songs have been remastered, including "Don't Wanna See You Smile" and "All Because of You 2." The remaining four tracks are entirely new, never-before-heard recordings, including the single "Country Mile."

The GRAMMY Museum will celebrate the legendary career of Luther Vandross with a new exhibit, Luther Vandross: Artistry and Elegance, opening on Nov. 20, 2024, in partnership with Primary Wave Music and the Luther Vandross Estate. Vandross, an eight-time GRAMMY winner, captivated audiences as a revered songwriter, arranger, producer, performer, and one of the most gifted vocalists in music history.

Luther Vandross: Artistry and Elegance offers an intimate glimpse into Vandross' creative process, showcasing his ornate stage wardrobe, exclusive performance footage from his popular tours, and a never-before-heard recording of him in the studio. The exhibit opens with an exclusive screening of the feature documentary Luther: Never Too Much, directed by award-winning director Dawn Porter. 

Produced by Raindog Films and Foxxhole Productions for Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Music Publishing, in association with Trilogy Films, the documentary will later premiere on CNN, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, and Max in 2025. Attendees of the opening night will also enjoy a panel discussion with the filmmakers and a sneak peek at the exhibit.

Tickets for the opening will be available starting Thursday, Oct. 31, and the exhibit will run until June 15, 2025.

In conjunction with the exhibit, Vandross' previously unreleased soulful rendition of the Beatles' "Michelle" is available now, and it will be featured on Never Too Much: Greatest Hits, a new compilation set to release on Dec. 13.

Luther Vandross first captured the spotlight in the 1970s as a sought-after backup singer, collaborating with luminaries such as David Bowie, Roberta Flack, Quincy Jones, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, and Carly Simon. As a solo artist, he became renowned for his relatable lyrics about love and mesmerizing live performances, characterized by dynamic bands, elaborate stage designs, and striking custom costumes worn by his background singers. Vandross achieved remarkable success, charting a Top 10 R&B hit every year from 1981 to 1994 and releasing 11 consecutive platinum records, with over 40 million albums sold worldwide.

"The Luther Vandross Estate is excited to be sharing Luther's musical legacy with the GRAMMY Museum and its visitors through this upcoming exhibit. It is a special window into all of Luther Vandross' talents — singer, of course; but also music producer, live performer, stage craft master, wardrobe designer, and songwriter. Showcasing all of these amazing elements of Luther the artist via the long-cherished possessions of his personal archives is a treat for die-hard fans and new ones," the Luther Vandross Estate said in a statement.

Marcus Miller, a longtime collaborator, added that Vandross carved out "his own totally unique space" among other talented vocalists. "No one could replicate Luther's sound, his songwriting genius, or even his covers of other people's songs," Miller continued. "Luther was a complete and utter perfectionist with a very specific vision of how he wanted things to be. His shows were theatrical masterpieces, and Luther was involved in every detail of their production: his vocals, his background singers' harmonies, their choreography, and even his background singers' gowns. The gown beading had to be exquisite and authentic. The furs had to be real. I would say, 'Luther, no one's gonna know if the furs are real!!' To which he would reply: 'I will know!'

"That was part of the magic of Luther, his unyielding commitment to excellence. It was truly an honor to have worked with my friend and big brother, Luther Vandross," Miller said in a statement,

"Luther Vandross is a cherished icon who defined the smooth, jazz-inspired era of R&B and whose timeless love songs have graced countless weddings, graduations, and family reunions for the past several decades," added Kelsey Goelz, Curator at the GRAMMY Museum. "The GRAMMY Museum is thrilled to provide fans a close look into his incredible achievements in the studio and onstage."

Exhibit highlights include:

• Hand-beaded suits and jumpsuits worn by Vandross and his background singers during the Power of Love Tour in 1991.

• An emerald green hand-beaded suit and two matching gowns worn by Vandross' background singers, alongside Vandross' black tuxedo from his 1993-94 performances.

• Original fashion sketches of Vandross' tour wardrobe.

• Handwritten lyrics and studio notes for "I Can Make It Better," featuring an exclusive recording of Vandross crafting the song.

• Handwritten lyrics and original sheet music for several of Vandross' hits, including "Think About You" and "Never Too Much."

• Six of Vandross' eight GRAMMY Awards.

For tickets and more information on Luther Vandross: Artistry and Elegance, visit grammymuseum.org.

In the early 2000s, Taking Back Sunday were just some dudes living in Long Island, New York. Vocalist Adam Lazzara, guitarist and vocalist John Nolan, guitarist Eddie Reyes, bassist Shaun Cooper, and drummer Mark O'Connell all were working day jobs, but they were trying to make the music thing work, organizing DIY tours up and down the East Coast when they could. Unsure what to call their first demo CD, the quintet labeled it with a title that would eventually become fortuitous: "Tell All Your Friends."

It was a marching order for those with a copy, in hopes that the demo would land in the right hands. As fate would have it, the five-song CD was eventually heard by an A&R representative for Victory Records in 2001 — and the rest, as they say, is history.

Tell All Your Friends was officially released as Taking Back Sunday's debut album in March 2002, featuring 10 songs in total and introducing the band as one of the early forebearers of the decade's post-hardcore and emo movement. Though Taking Back Sunday reached their commercial peak with their third album, 2006's Louder Now, Tell All Your Friends is the fan favorite, and is seminal to both the band's career and the emo era as a whole. Millions of people around the world connected to the heart-on-the-sleeve songwriting and raw emotions conveyed in tracks like "Cute Without the 'E'," "Timberwolves of New Jersey," and "You're So Last Summer," all of which became huge hits on both radio and MTV; soon kids everywhere were growing out their bangs like Lazzara, wearing studded belts, and using lyrics as their AIM Away Messages.

Two decades later, Taking Back Sunday is still going strong. In 2023, they released their eighth album, 152, and on October 19 and 20, they will return to the When You Were Young Festival in Las Vegas, where they will play Tell All Your Friends in full. Ahead of the fest, GRAMMY.com caught up with Nolan to reminisce about those early days of Taking Back Sunday, and the memories behind every song on their debut album.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What do you remember of that time in your life before Tell All Your Friends was released?

We had signed our deal with Victory Records months before we went into the studio. When we were recording the record, we did it in Jersey City, but we all lived on Long Island. Adam, Eddie and I all lived in the same apartment at that point.

We were all working day jobs, so we were driving back and forth — which, you know, Long Island to Jersey City, depending on time of day, can either be a half hour or 3 hours. [Laughs.] So that definitely added a bit of complication to things.

But we were just so excited by the whole prospect. Anything that was challenging about getting there and back and juggling jobs didn't really matter. We were just so psyched about everything.

How did these songs come about for you guys? Had you been playing them for a while?

The first year or so of the band, we had a different singer and a few different bass players. Everything was kind of rotating. We finally got the lineup that we had on the album probably about a year before we recorded the album. During that time, we were writing and playing shows. As soon as we were done writing a song, we would play it live, because at that point, everything was new to everybody so it didn't matter. That was a cool thing to be able to do, because we were able to develop them live months before we ever recorded.

We also did a demo that had 5 songs from Tell All Your Friends on it that we started selling at shows. Those songs were the ones that were really established before we recorded.

When we were going into the studio, we didn't really have to put together an album because at that point, we had about 10 or 11 songs. We had written an album's worth of songs just kind of by chance. Some of them had been written more recently while others had been around for a while.

Listening to Tell All Your Friends 20 years later, is there anything in particular that stands out to you about the record?

The thing that jumps out to me the most is, we've been playing live for a very long time to a click track, so everything is very tight and on point. It's always interesting to me to hear the live versions of these songs where it speeds up and down. It's very inconsistent and very raw sounding because of that. I think it's part of what accidentally gave the album a certain level of excitement and made it stand out a bit.

You can definitely hear that raw energy on a song like "You Know How I Do," the first song on Tell All Your Friends. What makes it a good album opener?

That was one of the ones we had finished writing not too long before we went into the studio. So it was a new song in our mind. That was part of it. It felt like starting off with something that was new and exciting to us made sense. It just had feeling that felt like a good way to kick off the record. It has that intro with the one guitar and then everything kicks in.

After that comes "Bike Scene." Tell me about that song.

That one was one of the ones we recorded on the demo that we put out before the album. It had been established for a while. I don't think there were too many changes from the demo version to the record version. My sister Michelle sings on the bridge of that one. It was one of the songs that we started seeing a good reaction to at our shows pretty quickly.

So you guys honed that one on stage?

Yeah, that one didn't really go through many changes. We had that one locked in.

The next song on the record is "Cute Without The 'E'" which was a big single for you and a fan favorite. How did this song change things for the band?

Just getting signed to a record label was a huge accomplishment, and it was about as far ahead as we could think in terms of what our band could do. So, to be hearing our song on the radio and seeing it on TV not much longer after signing was mind blowing. I felt very surreal. It was very hard to believe that it was all true and actually happening.

I don't honestly remember how "Cute Without the 'E'" was chosen as a single. I don't remember any of us having a sense when we wrote and recorded that song that "this is the one," you know? It was a song on the album that we liked just as much as any other. For that one to take off the way it did was a bit of a surprise.

Is it true you don't rehearse this song anymore?

That is true, yes. We've played it at every show, I think, ever, from the time I was in the band in the early 2000s and then when I came back in 2010… that's a lot when you add that up. [Laughs.] That's one we don't really have any reason to rehearse, so we don't.

Next is "There's No 'I' In Team." There's a bit of a story behind this one, involving a falling out between you and a former bandmate, Jesse Lacey of Brand New. At this point, do you even still think about the drama that inspired song anymore? Is it hard for you to play?

No. I mean, it's so long ago. The actual emotions from the time, it's so far away. I find when we're playing these songs live, I will tap into something more current emotionally that I can channel into the song, but it's not the same events or emotions that originally inspired it.

There was a time, around the first six months or year that we played it, where the emotions of it and the circumstances around it were very real and very raw and new, and it was very intense and an emotional experience. I think that's part of what people responded to. I would say after that initial time, a lot of that stuff died down.

Tell me about "Great Romances of the 21st Century."

That was one of the first ones we wrote with the new lineup of the band. Our drummer, Mark, had actually come up with the guitar parts for that. I remember him showing it to me on an acoustic guitar one time in North Carolina while we were staying at someone's house before playing a show there. I remember just being really taken back by it, because I didn't even know he could play guitar. It was this intricate picking thing, and he was doing all these kind of weird chords and stuff. We then took his guitar parts, and got together and made it into the song.

I very clearly remember we were in our basement rehearsal space, which was at Mark's family's house. When we were finished writing and playing it, I remember feeling like something had really clicked and that we were onto something. There was something about that song that set the direction and tone for what the band was going to do.

We ended up making a music video for that one before we were even signed. We had a friend who made music videos and he wanted to do it. He ended up doing the "Cute Without the 'E'" video as well.

Because of the way it came together and how excited we were about it, we were like, this is the single, which is also sort of funny now because there's no normal structure to it. It would not make much sense as a single or something that could be played on the radio. But the song definitely caught on quickly when we started playing it live. We got a big reaction to it. It's funny now to think about how we were looking at that like, This song could be a big hit.

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"Ghost Man On Third" feels like an important song on the record. What can you tell me about it?

That one was a newer song when we were going into the studio. A lot of the lyrics and melodies on that one came from Adam's experience at the time. I remember when we first started playing it live being really taken back and amazed by the emotion that he was putting into it. It felt really powerful when we first started playing it live. It was before people knew the song.

That was really something to me,  to have a song that you're playing in front of people and they don't even know it yet but it's still really powerful and you can see it grabbing everyone's attention. It has a different feel than a lot of the other songs. So in the context of the album, that one is very important for changing the mood up and keeping it from getting too much of the same thing. I think it's a key point in the album.

Why do you think fans connected with that raw emotion and honest songwriting? Do you think it was something that wasn't really there in rock music at the time?

It was interesting because nu-metal was still very popular and had been from the late '90s into the early 2000s. Then pop-punk was starting to become a lot more mainstream. I think when we were making that album, yeah, a lot of it was not in line with what was popular at that moment, but for whatever reason, things were kind of shifting in that direction. Thursday was a big part of that. They were getting nationwide attention. There was this shift away from that more pop-punk thing and whatever the nu-metal thing was into something a lot less polished and a lot more openly emotional.

And that kind of leads us into "Timberwolves of New Jersey" which touches upon the post-hardcore, emo scene in the New Jersey right?

Yeah, a little bit. It was something that I had started on my own on an acoustic guitar, and I brought it to the band. Then they made it into what you hear on the album.

When I was working on it, it didn't really sound like something that would make sense for the band, but then everybody got into it. It was somewhat based on our experiences with our first singer and old band members. It's kind of a mean-spirited and cocky song. That's where I was at at the time, I guess.

How old were you when you wrote it?

Like 22, 23. I was little older than some of the other guys, so I don't have as much of an excuse. Adam was only 18 or 19, I think.

I mean, that's how we all are at that age right?

[Laughs.] Yeah.

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Moving on to "The Blue Channel," I read somewhere that you guys weren't thrilled with the final mixes, is that right? How do you feel about the song now?

I play a piano part to introduce the song – this Wurlitzer sound – just very slow and that's how I played it in the studio. I did it on my keyboard to a MIDI track, which means all the notes are there digitally, and the producer is able to change the sound after the fact, and the notes can be manipulated into anything they want.

I recorded it, and we didn't hear it until they gave us a mix of the album. They made it twice the speed that I had played it. They cut it in half and made it double-time, basically. They changed the sound to a real piano sound, which kinda sounded fake. It was just completely shocking. We had no idea they were going to do that.

When I hear it now, it sounds fine. It's not really bad or anything like that. But when we called the studio and talked to the producer about the changes that we wanted to make, they were like, "Oh no, that's the album. That's the mix. We're out of time and we are over budget. The album's done."

There were a lot of things like that on the album that weren't necessarily what we wanted or asked for or were involved in choosing. They were just like, "That's it, that's the way the album is."

I guess you were so new at the time that you couldn't be like "no we want it this way," right?

Yeah, maybe we could have, technically, but that would've involved really stepping up, talking to the record label, and making a big scene over it. I think we did kind of feel like being a young new band that that was not our place. We were also on our way out of town to start one of our first real tours. So, we were not really in a place to spend a whole bunch of time fighting to get that done anyway. We kind of just accepted it.

It obviously didn't hurt the record.

No, apparently not!

Next, we got "You're So Last Summer," which, I mean, come on, That song rules. It's no wonder it's become one of your most memorable songs.

That one we had more of a sense of the potential for it to be a popular song. It's also kind of funny looking back on it, because I forget now but I think we put it like 8th or 9th on the record…

Yeah, it's the penultimate.

Definitely an odd choice to put that song towards the end, but I think it does hold up now to have something more straightforward and poppier come towards the end of the album. It's nice for the pacing of it, and it's unexpected.

That one got a very big reaction very quickly. One thing I always think about with "You're So Last Summer" is I had written the line, "The truth is you could slit my throat/ And with my one last gasping breath/ I'd apologize for bleeding on your shirt," and when I wrote it, I was making an exaggerated point that was honest but I also thought it was funny.

It's a great line.

Yeah, but after it got popular, I always second guessed it. A certain amount of people just thought it was straightforward, complete dramatic teenager type of thing. I always had this love/hate relationship with that part of the song.

I've realized now it doesn't matter, because if something resonates with people, then that's good. You don't have to worry about why it's happening or what it means.

Finally, we got "Head Club." I love the way it closes out the record.

I always have mixed feelings about this song. We included this on our original demo and the ending of it – the big outro part – was different. I think I was the one who suggested changing it, and I wasn't always sure if that was the right choice or not. The other people in the band all kind of second guessed whether that was the right move or not. But I mean, nobody except for the people on Long Island or early fans who had the demo would even be able to make that comparison. For most people, it's just always the way the song was.

I always think about the drum intro. It's an interesting way to start the song to begin with, but then the producer put a flanger on the drums, which is really interesting and weird. I don't know if I've ever heard that before or since. It was an odd choice.

It works though!

It does! It's one of those things I don't even think about anymore, and probably anybody who listens to the record doesn't either. But the first time hearing it we were like, "What is that? That's weird."

So how are you feeling about playing all these songs in full at When We Were Young?

I think about half of the record are songs that we play on a regular basis, and the other half there's a bunch that we hardly ever play. There's definitely a few in there where it's been years since we've played them. We did one tour in 2019 where we were playing our first three albums, but a lot of the songs we haven't played since then.

It's always interesting going back and playing a whole album like this, because we get to see the live reaction to songs like "Cute Without the 'E'" and "So Last Summer" all the time, but it's always interesting to see the crowd respond and sing along to album tracks that are less-known. It's always interesting to see which of those it'll be. I'm still never sure.

Leon Bridges has long paid homage to his native Fort Worth, Texas. From being the backbone for stories he's told since his 2015 debut Coming Home to providing backdrops for his music videos like 2020's "Sweeter," the singer's hometown has always had a presence in his work. But on his fourth album Leon, Bridges puts his Fort Worth upbringing at the forefront — taking the listener on a personalized tour of the streets, people and landmarks that have made him the man that he is today.

An excavation of his roots, the album harks back to the original classic soul of Bridges' 2015 debut, Coming Home, while imbuing it with moments of rich psychedelia, dusty R&B and the occasional twang of pedal steel country for good measure. At the core of it are the people who started it all. 

"There are a lot of stories about my family running through it," Bridges tells GRAMMY.com. "It's really about the things that I value most in life and what is meaningful to me, which is home and family."

There's a level of detail regarding Fort Worth that fans haven't seen from Bridges before on Leon. Whether that be the local community center or simply playing on the Nintendo 64, as mentioned on "Panther City," or springtime on the Trinity River, as he references on the nostalgic ode "That's What I Love," the singer's specificity transports you straight to the heart of his childhood memories.

With Texas at the heart of the album, naturally several other influences from Bridges' upbringing played into the making of Leon. Below, the GRAMMY-winning singer details five of the key inspirations behind his latest album.

One of the places that gets more than one mention is the Trinity River, a spot that reminds him of memories from growing up in Fort Worth. As heard on tracks "Simplify" and "That's What I Love," it holds particularly fond memories for time spent with his family. The former describes the area as a place of burgeoning curiosity, from hopping between stepping stones to falling in young love for the first time.

"[Trinity River] was a place where I used to spend a lot of time with my father as a kid. One of the memories I remember [most] was just kicking it at the river with my dad and my brother. We would walk across the rocks. It's one of those landmarks in Fort Worth that once people hear it, especially being from Fort Worth, you get really excited about it."

While Bridges' sound has always been influenced by soul music, for Leon, he took inspiration from "my pantheon of great '70s soul records." But with such a large Texas influence, he also strived for some country nuances. "I was really adamant about having pedal steel guitar and for it to be guitar-heavy, just a lot of organic sounds."

When it came to the autobiographical story of the album, though, Bridges looked to the early work of a beloved Irish musician for lyrical inspiration. 

"One album that I really tried to pull from was Astral Weeks by Van Morrison," he says. "I've always loved how he wrote about those geographical places that were unique to Ireland and were a part of his story. This really played a big part in the writing and some of the storytelling on Leon."

Upon the release of Gold-Diggers Sound in 2021, Bridges told The Guardian that he wanted to "inch my way towards more transparency about some of my relationships and some of my struggles." Though Leon is largely full of autobiographical tales, its opening track, "When A Man Cries," is where he dove into his vulnerable side — and it's arguably the most exposed Bridges has been in his music to date.

Over harrowing, echoed production, Bridges battles overwhelming feelings of anxiety, but ultimately embraces them in order to move forward. "Turn my pain into power, my fear to desire, fall apart when I try to be strong, gotta learn how to cry, can you hear me cry?" he exclaims in the fiery second half of the song. 

"Turn my pain into power, my fear to desire, fall apart when I try to be strong, gotta learn how to cry, can you hear me cry?" he exclaims in the fiery second half of the song. 

"I felt like no one talks about mental health in music. It kind of comes from the Black community — one of my experiences is that we don't really have a space to express our emotions out of fear of being deemed as weak," Bridges asserts. "I wanted to tell that in my own way, with the tears falling being a metaphor of letting go and showing that there's bravery in the inner vulnerability.

"I suppose writing the song was my moment of healing, and by the time the song was finished, I'd already moved on," he adds. "But, I wanted to dig into that more because I feel like being vulnerable in my music will help the listener be vulnerable and make it more relatable."

The album closer, "God Loves Everyone," is a ballad of compassion that preaches equality between all at a human level, regardless of your demographic. For Bridges, it was a chance to explore his relationship with his Christian faith, which has had highs and lows throughout his life.

"Growing up, I went to church pretty much every Sunday. That song came from reflecting on my upbringing in the church and its impact on my music. My relationship with God at this point has diminished a bit, and I wanted to remind myself that God's love is unconditional. I think that's a message that is right for today's climate.

"Going to church, it was the thing that you did, especially as part of Black culture, and especially in Texas, which is considered the Bible Belt," he continues. "When I got older, I had somewhat of a spiritual awakening and started to pursue God for myself, which really influenced a lot of my writing, even on the first album."

Naturally, Leon is filled with nostalgic imagery. Perhaps the most vivid track, though, is album highlight "Panther City," which explores the core of Bridges' roots. The song embodies a wide cast of characters — some close, some distant — that play a role in his perspective of the city he loves.

"Panther City is Fort Worth's moniker, and it's about the summers when I was spending time with my father on the Southside of Fort Worth," he says. "In the '90s, it was a very dangerous place. I wanted to paint a picture of the beautiful aspects of the area in the midst of all the chaos. It's not only about my story, but it's about the people who shaped those experiences."

As the lyrics of "Panther City" suggest, reflecting on times spent with family and friends has only become more valuable to Bridges with age — and may become even more prevalent in his music moving forward.  

"When life gets complicated, it's always nice to reflect on those moments that are really beautiful for me. I love watching cartoons that I grew up on from the '90s and I love those little portals to nostalgia that keep me grounded," he says. "The more I climb the ladder, the more this journey pushes me to just cling onto some of those memories. A lot of the time I desire to get back to what life was like before I transitioned into what I'm doing now."