Lorde performs at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on April 3, 2022. John Shearer/Getty Images. SAN FRANCISCO — It’s been a hot minute since Lorde last visited the Bay Area. The New Zealand artist’s last show, at Oakland Arena in 2018, took place when most of the country…

Clockwise from top right: Olivia Rodrigo, Shawn Mendes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chris Stapleton, The Weeknd, Dua Lipa, HAIM, Roger Waters, Tyler, The Creator, Billie Eilish, Lorde and John Mayer. After the pandemic canceled concerts in 2020, we crossed out fingers that our favorites would be rescheduled. Slowly, they’re…

Gracie Abrams, courtesy Lauren Leekley. If the idea of pouring out your feelings about a past relationship to your current boyfriend feels it would be awkward, that’s not the half of it for Los Angeles singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams. Gracie Abrams at BottleRock Napa Valley 3 p.m., Friday, Sept. 3 Napa…

“Solar Power” by Lorde. A lot can change in four years, even without a pandemic thrown into the middle of it. The escalating effects of climate change (fires, rising oceans, unhealthy air quality, doomsday-level hurricanes and earthquakes and fire-tornadoes), wars over natural resources, general brutality and the death of…

You should be excited about new albums from (clockwise from top left) Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Lorde, My Bloody Valentine, Lykke Li, Tierra Whack, Modest Mouse, GZA, Ghost and The Cure. Will this be the year Zack de la Rocha releases one of his shelved solo albums? No! But…

You should be excited about new albums from Tame Impala, Frank Ocean, Grimes, Lorde, AJJ, Yves Tumor, The 1975, The Cure, Tierra Whack and IDLES in 2020, writes Kyle J. Kohner. Now that another phenomenal year and decade in music has passed, it’s time to look forward at what…

Christine and the Queens perform at Fox Theater in Oakland on Oct. 26, 2018. Photo: Shawn Robbins. This is the second in a three-part series. Read the introduction to learn how I’m scoring my list and find out about my “special consideration” in PART 1. Favorite Shows 2017 | Favorite Shows…

Who knew that France would make such talented robots? Daft Punk did. I couldn’t quite justify putting it in the top five, but I want to give a shoutout to honorable mention “Let Legend Mark Me as the King” by Christopher Lee. Yes, that Sir Christopher Lee. He was…

Amy Shark performs in San Francisco during Noise Pop on Feb. 21, 2018. Alessio Neri/STAFF. For 10 years, Australian Amy Shark toiled away in the bar scene of her small beach town in a remote part of her country, relying mostly on Cyndi Lauper and Alanis Morissette covers. She…

Lorde performs at the Oracle Arena in Oakland on March 13, 2018. Alessio Neri/STAFF. OAKLAND — When Lorde returned to the Bay Area Tuesday, at Oracle Arena; it was possibly not her biggest local crowd draw. That may have come when she played the sunset slot at last year’s…