New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

An iPhone screen displaying an image of Lana Del Rey on a purple background. Various artist and song names are in white text. The phone is being held by a hand over a brown wooden table.

How unlimited music is changing our listening habits

In honor of Spotify Wrapped, it’s worth taking a deep dive into how streaming services shape the ways we think about music.
Maisie McDermid, Contributing Writer November 30, 2023

Record Runner, a long, narrow record and CD shop in the West Village, houses decades worth of songs. Visitors flip through crates of record sleeves, from Otis Redding and Led Zeppelin...

A man wearing a backwards cap, a white shirt and a black jacket stands behind a D.J.’s turntable. Behind him is a wall decorated with records.

Producer and NYU junior Ryan Jacob on his musical journey

The British American musician and DJ is adding to his list of successful projects while studying at NYU.
Naisha Roy, Deputy Managing Editor October 4, 2023

When Ryan Jacob was 3 years old, he heard “Ode to Joy” ringing out of his nanny’s phone. He was sitting by the piano and, intrigued by the tune, started playing it back,...

The seven female members of X.G. stand in front of a large screen displaying a white number “88” alongside an upward arrow of the same color over a sky background. They are each wearing identical black suit jackets with rhinestone accents and black ties. The performers make peace signs to the crowd with their hands.

Head in the Clouds brings diverse roster to NYC

The festival provided a safe and welcoming space for Asian artists to share their music and connect with fans.
Lea Filidore, Staff Writer May 25, 2023

Sam MacPherson, who has curly blond hair, wearing a light gray denim shirt, white t-shirt, dark blue pants and brown chukka boots.

Sam MacPherson on new EP ‘Powerlines,’ upcoming tour

“Last Minute” went viral on TikTok and skyrocketed Sam MacPherson into fame. Now, he talks about his new EP and headlining tour.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer April 14, 2023

Sam MacPherson was one of the many artists who had a song go viral on TikTok during the pandemic, with “Last Minute” reaching nearly 20 million streams on Spotify. He’s a...

A photograph of the four members of the band “Inhaler,” standing together against a white screen.

A conversation with Irish indie-rock sensation Inhaler

Fresh off the release of their sophomore album “Cuts and Bruises,” WSN spoke with Irish rock band Inhaler about representation and vulnerability.
Ary Russell, Contributing Writer March 10, 2023

The Irish rock band Inhaler has decided to take a more stripped back approach on its sophomore album, “Cuts and Bruises,” in comparison to their earlier work. “Cuts and Bruises”...

An illustration of the Washington Square Arch. Behind the arch sits gray and brown alternating high-rises. On the top right are the words “The Daybook” in an arched shape.

What to do this week: A medieval performance, mural creation and more

The Daybook is WSN’s weekly column listing in-person and online events at NYU and across New York City. This week: March 6-12.
Bruna Horvath, Deputy News Editor March 5, 2023

An illustration of white wired earphones surrounded by musical notes against a blue background.

Love at first listen: It only takes 5 seconds to like a song, NYU study finds 

NYU researchers looked into why people love and hate different music, and found that they typically know whether they like a song within seconds of listening to it.
Ujji Bathla, Staff Writer February 14, 2023

If you’ve ever immediately skipped a song on Spotify, or liked a new song after only a few seconds, you’re not alone, according to a recent NYU study. The study determined...

An illustration of a phone displaying the text “Spotify 2.0.2.2. Wrapped” against a background with green and pink wave patterns. The phone stands against a solid purple background.

Spotify Wrapped: The limitations of listening 

Spotify’s recently released end-of-the-year recaps ask whether listeners can still have original taste in music.
Carina Christo, Contributing Writer December 9, 2022

I’ve taken the Amtrak to and from Massachusetts at least 18 times. Despite the practice I have with train procedures, spotty Wi-Fi leaves me with little to do for four hours,...

An illustration of a Black woman in a green shirt and a white woman in a yellow shirt listening to music through wired headphones. The cord of the headphones spells out “Listen to This.”

Listen To This: NYU sophomore Mia Tims’ ‘Live Forever’ is an indie-rock earworm

Read about this week’s most notable singles by hemlocke springs, Camp Kona and more.
Yas Akdag, Sandy Battulga, Holden Lay and Abbie Thompson November 10, 2022

This week, we feature a range of genres — from indie-rock to electropop — as well as two NYU artists. For TikTok scrollers, we also review hemlocke springs’ new track, “girlfriend.”...

An illustration of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson posing for a photograph while sitting on a stage. McPherson, on the left, has brown curly hair, and wears yellow-tinted glasses, a yellow short-sleeved shirt, brown shorts, white socks, and brown lace-up shoes. Gavin, in the center, has red straight hair and wears a gray long-sleeved shirt, green pants with gray vertical stripes, and brown shoes with tied bows. Maskin, on the right, is wearing a white T-shirt, an orange long-sleeved shirt with brown stripes under the white shirt, gray-ish brown pants, and dark shoes.

Review: MUNA reimagines electropop on ‘Live At Electric Lady’

The queer band released the live EP amid their quasi-sold-out U.S. tour. “Live At Electric Lady” can be streamed exclusively on Spotify.
Yas Akdag, Music Editor October 31, 2022

MUNA is resilient and driven. The queer electropop band — comprised of Katie Gavin, Naomi McPherson and Josette Maskin — formed in 2013 after meeting at the University of Southern...

An illustration of two hands holding phones using “Beatmatch,” a new dating app.

Beatmatch: The new dating app that will make your heart skip a beat

It’s time to look past mere surface-level attraction using Beatmatch’s music preferences as a conversational common ground.
Sabrina Lee, Contributing Writer October 21, 2022

Dating app fatigue is real — we swipe through people as fast as we shop online. Only during late-night lonely hours do we find ourselves craving the artificial connections and...

“The Joe Rogan Experience” is a podcast that debuted in December 2009, hosted by Joe Rogan, comedian and UFC color commentator. (Staff Illustration by Camila Ceballos)

Opinion: Is Joe Rogan really worth it, Spotify?

Following Joe Rogan’s controversial episode about the COVID-19 vaccination, Spotify should remove his podcast from its platform.
Valentina Plevisani, Contributing Writer February 17, 2022

Let's imagine you are the cofounder and CEO of one of the largest music and podcast streaming platforms in the world. You sign a more than $100 million deal with a podcaster. By...