Sam Smith

Across its 12 songs, Blake himself becomes the focus —  the spacious, haunting soundscapes he once roamed like a ghostly spectre have almost entirely receded, giving his choir-boy vocals and sincerity a chance to carry the weight.

Smith’s familiar themes of heartbreak are present throughout the album, but their shift away from ballads allows for a new facet in their artistry.

While each song on the album dips into a different sound, the variation only builds excitement for the musical range Alexander is sure to deliver in the future.

T-Pain’s concert transformed into a spectacle that was absolutely absurd in the end, but sometimes absurdity is the best way to close a show.

Religion, sexuality and the magnitude of fame he’s reached are prominent subjects threaded through various songs in Smith’s new album.

With the help of 50 sexual assault survivors, including two UC Berkeley-affiliated individuals, Lady Gaga performed her Oscar-nominated song “Til It Happens to You” at the Academy Awards on Sunday night.