Notoriously reclusive and yet unflinchingly candid, Sufjan Stevens has always been a bit of a music industry enigma. The 43-year-old singer-songwriter is now known for his whispering folk music and explorations into electronica, but his career began back in 1995 when he started writing music while attending college. A few years later, he created the independent record label Asthmatic Kitty with a group of friends in Michigan and released his debut solo album. Things only sped up from there.

"Like many of the GRAMMY nominees who came before him, Stevens has an extensive body of work that he’s been crafting over two decades. He rolled out eight solo albums, 13 EPs, three compilation albums, two mixtapes, one collaborative album, one live album, a few scores, and over a dozen standalone singles. Despite this, his first-ever GRAMMY nomination comes as a surprise—not because many believe it’s long-overdue, but because it's for his first-ever commission for a feature film.

While plenty of Stevens' songs have soundtracked films before—perhaps most notably was the use of his 2005 hit "Chicago" in "Little Miss Sunshine"—and he’s technically written classical compositions for independent films like "ROUND-UP" and "THE BQE," the work he penned for "Call Me By Your Name" was an unlikely first in his career. That's why Stevens' nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media with "Mystery of Love," one of two original songs he wrote and recorded specifically for "Call Me By Your Name," is so thrilling.

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Starring Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet, "Call Me By Your Name" presents a gay coming-of-age story between two men with a tough age divide standing between them. The film is earnest and ripe, and "Mystery of Love" mirrors the film’s complex emotions eloquently. Stevens whisper-sings calmly over the soft plucking of acoustic guitar and warm piano notes, making "Mystery of Love" a familiar Sufjan Stevens song in that it’s a forlorn love song. But over a scene of the two characters hiking outdoors, the song feels enormous, illuminating both the natural beauty around them the unsaid emotions that pool behind their eyes.

Director Luca Guadagnino knew it may be tough to convince Stevens to contribute given he notoriously rejects film commission offers. So when Guadagnino reached out in 2016 before even shooting the film, he did so carefully. Initially, he asked Stevens to contribute a few songs, provide a voiceover for one of the characters, and appear in the movie as a bard. Stevens turned down the majority of the offering, telling Guadagnino, “I’ll write you some songs, but that’s all I think you need from me.” It turns out he was right—and Guadagnino admitted as much to him.

"I've always been resistant to work in film,” Stevens told Deadline. "But Luca is an exception, because he's one of those rare directors who uses music and sound so fiercely and with such mastery that you cannot imagine the films without the music."

According to the film’s music supervisor, Robin Urdang—who is nominated alongside Guadagnino for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for the "Call Me By Your Name" soundtrack—the process was simple. A conference call with Stevens took place to discuss the details of what music they were looking for and what the film was about. He read the book by André Aciman and then the script by James Ivory. Then, only a few weeks later, two demos of songs that Guadagnino loved were delivered to her inbox. "Mystery of Love" had been written.

"The first time I heard it, I thought it was emotive, introspective, and just very simple in a beautiful way. It was pure,” says Urdang. "When I saw it in the scene, I just melted and, needless to say, got teary-eyed. I don’t think any other songwriter or song would have been as compelling and perfect as this song. Both of his songs, 'Mystery of Love’ and ‘Visions of Gideon,’ were like putting in the last two pieces of a gorgeous puzzle. I’m not sure how else to describe it.”

Sufjan Stevens performing "The Mystery Of Love" at the 2018 Academy Awards
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

"We were in my living room [the first time we heard it]. It was me, Walter, Armie and Timothée. And I remember it was blissfulness and emotion,” Guadagnino told Billboard. “We were doing a movie that was a piece of life, of our lives, intertwined. And then we heard this music, and the depths of our commitment to the movie, I think, grew significantly more. And we became enveloped into this magic. We kept listening to the songs for like an afternoon.”

Stevens told The Wrap wanted his contributions to feel “aesthetically and emotionally like independent works that could live on their own.” Penning the songs while on tour behind his album Carrie & Lowell helped. The distance kept him willfully ignorant of the film's inner workings while keeping him burrowed in reflections about love and loss onstage. That’s why “Mystery of Love” manages to juggle both.

"Luca designed this project around a more general aesthetic affiliation with me and my music, and what it means to him,” Stevens told the Los Angeles Times. “He wasn’t just thinking about specific content, he was thinking about all of my songs. When I saw a first screening, he said, ‘I just want you to know that a lot of this project is an homage to your work and to you.’ I don't know, maybe he says things like that to everybody. But it struck me that there was an essence to my repertoire that was inspiring or influencing him. I don’t think I'm his muse — Lord knows it’s Tilda Swinton.”

"Since the film’s release, Stevens' music got swept up in a whirlwind of praise. In January of 2018, "Mystery of Love" debuted at number 47 on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs chart, marking his first and only appearance on the chart. Suddenly, the song was nominated for an Oscar. He performed it live at the Academy Awards with St. Vincent, Moses Sumney, Chris Thile and others backing him up. The following day, the song’s on-demand audio streams increased by 60 percent. A musician known for leading a private life off-record was suddenly appearing everywhere: Deadline, Vanity Fair, Variety. Sufjan Stevens had entered a new level of fame despite already being an indie rock staple for years.

"I’m just so moved that the film's love story spoke to so many people and I’m super happy for Sufjan's involvement,” adds Urdang. “Without it, [this movie] would not have been the same."

Watch the 61st GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10 on CBS.

It’s a busy spring season on Broadway, with 11 musicals opening by April 25 — the cutoff for this year’s Tony Award eligibility.

Spring 2024 musicals span a wide range of styles and genres, from adaptations of literary classics and histories, to timeless revivals and jukebox musicals from GRAMMY winners Huey Lewis and Alicia Keys. The season also features some recognizable singers including Deborah Cox, Jeremy Jordan, Shoshana Bean, and Brandon Victor Dixon.

Here’s a breakdown (in alphabetical order) of what’s playing; unless listed, all of the following musicals have open run dates.

"Cabaret"

August Wilson Theatre

Set within the seedy Kit Kat Club in 1930s Berlin as the Nazi regime was beginning to take over,  "Cabaret" premiered on Broadway in 1966. The hit play starred Joel Grey as the Emcee and Jill Haworth. Sally Bowles, with music and lyrics by the legendary John Kander and the late Fred Ebb. In 1972, the musical was turned into a movie starring Gray and Liza Minnelli; it subsequently won eight Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Actress for Grey and Minnelli. 

The 2024 revival stars Eddie Redmayne as the Emcee, who will perform in the round on an  immersive set. While the stage may be different, fans can still expect unique renditions of iconic songs such as "Willkommen," "Cabaret" and "Don’t Tell Mama." 

"Hell's Kitchen"

Shubert Theater 

Sixteen-time GRAMMY winner Alicia Keys brings her artistry from the Super Bowl to the Broadway stage in the jukebox musical "Hell’s Kitchen." Loosely based on Keys' life growing up in the Manhattan neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, the story centers around 17-year-old Ali, played by newcomer Maleah Joi Moon, as she navigates her teenage years through love and loss.

Written by Pulitzer Prize-finalist playwright Kristoffer Diaz, "Hell's Kitchen" features songs by Keys with new arrangements, as well as the recently debuted "Kaleidoscope."  Shoshana Bean and two-time GRAMMY nominee Brandon Victor Dixon co-star in the musical, all reprising their roles from its premiere at the Public Theatre last fall.

"Illinoise"

St. James Theatre 

April 24 - Aug. 10

This new, dance-centered musical was the last show to announce its arrival on Broadway this season, and is moving from the New York’s Upper East Side Park Avenue Armory after a sold out run in order to meet the Tony Award eligibility deadline.

"Illinoise" features music by GRAMMY-nominated musician Sufjan Stevens and is based on his beloved 2005 concept album Illinois. The album features stories, people and places from the state. The show is conceived and choreographed by Justin Peck, of the New York City Ballet, who also choreographed Maestro and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. "‘Illinoise’ is a coming-of-age story that takes the audience on a journey through the American heartland — from campfire storytelling to the edges of the cosmos — all told in through a unique blend of music, dance, and theater," Peck said in a statement.

Dancers featured in the show include Yesenia Ayala, Gaby Diaz, Jeanette Delgado and  Ben Cook, who also were in West Side Story.

"Lempicka"

Longacre Theatre

"Lempicka" is a brand new, original musical with a "pop infused sound" with a script and lyrics by Carson Kreitzer and book and music by Matt Gould.

The musical tells the tale of real Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka, who was famous for her art deco portraits of aristocrats and highly stylized nude paintings. While Lempicka changed art and culture in the late 1800s, she struggled with decades of political and personal turmoil. Eden Espinosa stars in the title role, and previously played Elphaba in "Wicked." Amber Iman, the first woman to perform on Broadway after the Coronavirus shutdown and Tony Award winner Beth Leavel also star in the show.

"The Great Gatsby"

Broadway Theatre

First it was a book, turned into a movie, and now a Broadway musical. "The Great Gatsby" is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literary classic, and has all the glitz and jazz-aged glam of the 1925 novel.

Starring Jeremy Jordan as Long Island millionaire Jay Gatsby and Eva Noblezada as Daisy Buchanan, the Broadway adaptation features all new music with a modern jazz and pop score by Jason Howland with lyrics by Nathan Tysen. As in the book, "Gatsby" tells the story of how Gatsby is after his long lost love Daisy and all the stops to bring her back into his life.

"The Heart of Rock and Roll"

James Earl Jones Theatre

Songs by GRAMMY winners Huey Lewis & the News appear in two new musicals this season. "The Power of Love" is featured in "Back to the Future" (which opened last summer) and the new jukebox musical, "The Heart of Rock and Roll." 

Set in 1987 and featuring many hits from the time, the story centers on the young couple, played by Cory Cottand McKenzie Kurtz, who work at the same company and eventually fall in love. Bobby, a rock and roller, trades his guitar for the corporate ladder and his boss Cassandra is always putting the family business first. The musical is jam packed with Huey Lewis megahits like "Do You Believe in Love", "Hip to Be Square," and "If This Is It." 

"The Notebook"

Schoenfeld Theatre

Singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelon wrote the music and lyrics for this tear-jerker musical adapted from Nicholas Sparks’ best-selling novel and the classic romantic movie starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. Michaelson admits she’s best at the "weepy and romantic" songs.

The musical tells the story of how leads Allie and Noah shared a lifetime of love despite growing up in opposite socioeconomic classes. And if you’re wondering: yes, the famous rain scene from the movie makes a big splash with audiences on Broadway. 

"The Outsiders"

Bernard B. Jacobs Theater

"The Outsiders" transforms S.E. Hinton's novel — perhaps most famous for the 1983 movie starring Matt Damon, Patrick Swayze and Tom Cruise — into a Broadway musical. One of its co-producers is Angelina Jolie, who saw the show with her family when it debuted out-of-town in California. 

"The Outsiders" features a book by Adam Rapp with Justin Levine, along with music and lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine. Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1967, Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade along with their fellow Outsiders  battle their rivals, the Socs.

"The Who’s Tommy"

Nederlander Theatre

Perhaps the most famous song from 1975 rock opera The Who’s Tommy is "Pinball Wizard" written by guitarist Pete Townshend. The musician won a GRAMMY for Best Musical Show Album in 1993 for the musical’s original cast recording. 

Des McAnuff — who co-wrote the musical's script with Townshend and also directed the original musical 30 years ago — is back in the director’s chair for this revival. The musical, about a boy who finds a knack for playing pinball, is based on the Who’s 1969 album, Tommy. It was also turned into a 1975 film called Tommy, which starred Elton John, Tina Turner, Ann Margaret and Roger Daltry as Tommy. On Broadway, Ali Louis Bourzgui stars in the title role. 

"The Wiz"

Marquis Theatre

Ease on down the road to the Marquis Theatre! "The Wiz" returns to Broadway for the first time since it premiered back in 1974 for a limited run followed by subsequent shows around the country. The show is based on The Wizard of Oz and, in 1978, was turned into a film starring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Tinman. 

The revival features music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls, and book by William F. Brown with script updates by Amber Ruffin (whose Some Like It Hot won Best Musical Theater Album at the 2024 GRAMMYs). JaQuel Knight, who choreographed Beyoncé’s "Single Ladies," choreographed "The Wiz."

Newcomer Nichelle Lewis plays Dorothy along with Wayne Brady as The Wiz and Deborah Cox as Glinda. Look out for Avery Wilson as the Scarecrow; the R&B singer appeared on "The Voice" and their single "Kiss The Sky" cracked the Top 20 on Billboard’s R&B chart. 

"Suffs"

Music Box Theatre

On the heels of "Hamilton" is a historic musical called "Suffs." It’s 1913 and the women’s suffrage movement is heating up in America. The suffragists, or "Suffs," are relentless in their pursuit of the right to vote. 

Shaina Taub stars as Alice Paul, one of the leaders of the National Women’s Party. Taub also wrote the book, music and lyrics (She’s also collabing with five-time GRAMMY winner Elton John on the "Devil Wears Prada" musical). "Suffs" is produced by Hillary Clinton, tying the suffrage movement to contemporary politics in a tangible way.

"Water for Elephants"   

Imperial Theatre

Sara Gruen’s novel and 2011 film adaptation has now turned into a musical with music/lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co. 

Rick Elice (known for writing the book for "Jersey Boys") puts his stamp on this show about Jacob Jankowski, who jumps on a train finding a new home with a traveling circus. 

Like "The Notebook," this "memory musical" is told from his point of view as an old man and goes back and forth between the present and the past when he worked for the circus. Audiences will love the aerial tricks and impressive elephant puppetry. "

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Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

Looking for more GRAMMYs news? The 2024 GRAMMY nominations are here!

He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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Back in the aughts, the indie sphere fell in love with Sufjan Stevens for his fusion of jaw-dropping vistas and hyper-intimate dispatches.

Indeed, on seminal works like 2003’s Michigan, 2004’s Seven Swans and 2005’s Illinois, Stevens was just as liable to slug out heart-stopping, pindrop ballads like "Romulus" and "Casimir Pulaski Day" as he was idiosyncratic, chamber-inflected works with titles like "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!".

Often, both sides of Sufjan’s vision found themselves in the same compositions. But as of late, this duality has grown in increasingly distinct directions.

Since 2015’s acclaimed, stripped down Carrie & Lowell — which grapples with the loss of his mother, Carrie, and his relationship with her second husband — Stevens has immersed himself in a collaborator-heavy, arthouse-style approach, which has often steered him away from anything resembling the Paste Magazine mix CD era.

On the end of that arc is Javelin, Stevens’ 10th studio album, which will arrive Oct. 6 via Asthmatic Kitty Records.

Billed as a return to "full singer/songwriter mode" for the first time since Carrie & Lowell, Javelin rides a continuum of helplessness and yearning throughout songs like "Goodbye Evergreen," "Will Anybody Ever Love Me" and "So You Are Tired" — right up to its closer, a cover of Neil Young’s Harvest cut "There’s a World" stripped of its symphonic opulence.

To mark this return to the platonic ideal of a Stevens album, here’s a quick breakdown of what the GRAMMY nominee has been up to over the past eight years.

He Gave Carrie & Lowell A Live Spin

A little over two years after Carrie & Lowell was released to critical hosannas — Pitchfork declared it his finest hour — Stevens released Carrie & Lowell Live.

Captured at North Charleston Performing Arts Center in South Carolina, the recorded performance consists of further-developed renditions of Carrie & Lowell tunes, as well as oldies like Michigan’s "Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou)" and, from 2010’s The Age of Adz, "Vesuvius."

Also in 2017, Stevens released The Greatest Gift Mixtape — Outtakes, Remixes & Demos From Carrie & Lowell, which provided yet another vantage on his vaunted work.

He Charted The Cosmos — With A Friend Or Three

Stevens has long been close associates with GRAMMY winners the National. Recently, Stevens appeared on their 2023 album First Two Pages of Frankenstein, and National guitarist Bryce Dessner worked on Javelin.

For 2017’s Planetarium, Stevens and Dessner were joined by composer and arranger Nico Nuhly, as well as drummer James McAlister. 

While the A.V. Club wasn’t alone in their conclusion that "It generally just plays like a wash of ideas without much of a through-line, despite its galaxy-driven conceit," other outlets had a different take: Consequence noted Stevens’ "deeply personal, grounded stories" therein.

He Helped Score A Ballet

A soundtrack to the 2017 Justin Peck ballet of the same name, 2019’s The Decalogue is a work of classical piano — composed by Stevens, performed by the Brooklyn-based, Nonesuch-signed Timo Andres.

To Allmusic, The Decalogue "sometimes feels rather incomplete, especially presented in such elemental form," noting that the score will still draw hardcore fans. "It's good to hear this unique talent willing to push his own stylistic boundaries."

He Made A New Age Album With His Stepfather

Yep, that’s Lowell Brams, of Carrie and Lowell fame. Less than two weeks into lockdown, 2020, Stevens and Brams released the well-received Aporia, a synth-driven album assembled from jam sessions between the pair.

"It tells a bigger story of stewardship and mentorship," Stevens said at the time. "He's been there since I was five. It's been a long haul ... This record is a synthesis of all of that history."

He Threw The Kitchen Sink At His Sound

From Aporia’s peaceful, ruminative meanderings, Stevens went whole hog with his next proper studio album, 2020’s The Ascension. Across 80 minutes, Stevens held nothing back, with compositions as massive as their titles: "Ursa Major," "Death Star," America."

While unwieldy and overwhelming (as even positive critical analyses noted) The Ascension felt like a summation of the thematic territory Stevens had trod to that point — God, country, the nature of connection, and just about everything in between.

Stevens Charted Three More Satellite Projects

After The Ascension, Stevens returned to a celestial, instrumental space with 2021’s Convocations — hinged on the mourning of Stevens’ biological father, who passed in 2020.

Length-wise, Convocations renders even The Ascension a dwarf planet: across five volumes, designated "Meditations," "Lamentations," "Revelations," "Celebrations," and "Incantations," Stevens takes no shortcuts on his grieving journey.

"I recorded most of this in the dead of winter and now it's coming out in the spring. And I think that really, it's a serendipity in a way, that it allows for us to receive this music with hope, you know, for the future," Stevens said at the time. "And that's I think that's something that we all deserve and need more than ever right now."

That same year, Stevens released A Beginner’s Mind, an acclaimed co-creation with the L.A. singer/songwriter Angelo De Augustine. Each track was inspired by a different film — from Night of the Living Dead ("You Give Death a Bad Name") to Mad Max ("Murder and Crime") to The Silence of the Lambs ("Cimmerian Shade").

The final ramp-up to Javelin was Reflections, another ballet soundtrack with Timo Andres — this time, with fellow pianist Conor Hanick.

After these admirable branchings into sophisticated, multimedia territory, Stevens has beat a retreat to his old formula — his crystalline voice, an unadorned guitar or piano, unforgettably incisive lyrics, a la carte. While everything Stevens touches is worth hearing, it’s good to have this permutation back with us.

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Back in the aughts, the indie sphere fell in love with Sufjan Stevens for his fusion of jaw-dropping vistas and hyper-intimate dispatches.

Indeed, on seminal works like 2003’s Michigan, 2004’s Seven Swans and 2005’s Illinois, Stevens was just as liable to slug out heart-stopping, pindrop ballads like "Romulus" and "Casimir Pulaski Day" as he was idiosyncratic, chamber-inflected works with titles like "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!".

Often, both sides of Sufjan’s vision found themselves in the same compositions. But as of late, this duality has grown in increasingly distinct directions.

Since 2015’s acclaimed, stripped down Carrie & Lowell — which grapples with the loss of his mother, Carrie, and his relationship with her second husband — Stevens has immersed himself in a collaborator-heavy, arthouse-style approach, which has often steered him away from anything resembling the Paste Magazine mix CD era.

On the end of that arc is Javelin, Stevens’ 10th studio album, which will arrive Oct. 6 via Asthmatic Kitty Records.

Billed as a return to "full singer/songwriter mode" for the first time since Carrie & Lowell, Javelin rides a continuum of helplessness and yearning throughout songs like "Goodbye Evergreen," "Will Anybody Ever Love Me" and "So You Are Tired" — right up to its closer, a cover of Neil Young’s Harvest cut "There’s a World" stripped of its symphonic opulence.

To mark this return to the platonic ideal of a Stevens album, here’s a quick breakdown of what the GRAMMY nominee has been up to over the past eight years.

He Gave Carrie & Lowell A Live Spin

A little over two years after Carrie & Lowell was released to critical hosannas — Pitchfork declared it his finest hour — Stevens released Carrie & Lowell Live.

Captured at North Charleston Performing Arts Center in South Carolina, the recorded performance consists of further-developed renditions of Carrie & Lowell tunes, as well as oldies like Michigan’s "Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou)" and, from 2010’s The Age of Adz, "Vesuvius."

Also in 2017, Stevens released The Greatest Gift Mixtape — Outtakes, Remixes & Demos From Carrie & Lowell, which provided yet another vantage on his vaunted work.

He Charted The Cosmos — With A Friend Or Three

Stevens has long been close associates with GRAMMY winners the National. Recently, Stevens appeared on their 2023 album First Two Pages of Frankenstein, and National guitarist Bryce Dessner worked on Javelin.

For 2017’s Planetarium, Stevens and Dessner were joined by composer and arranger Nico Nuhly, as well as drummer James McAlister. 

While the A.V. Club wasn’t alone in their conclusion that "It generally just plays like a wash of ideas without much of a through-line, despite its galaxy-driven conceit," other outlets had a different take: Consequence noted Stevens’ "deeply personal, grounded stories" therein.

He Helped Score A Ballet

A soundtrack to the 2017 Justin Peck ballet of the same name, 2019’s The Decalogue is a work of classical piano — composed by Stevens, performed by the Brooklyn-based, Nonesuch-signed Timo Andres.

To Allmusic, The Decalogue "sometimes feels rather incomplete, especially presented in such elemental form," noting that the score will still draw hardcore fans. "It's good to hear this unique talent willing to push his own stylistic boundaries."

He Made A New Age Album With His Stepfather

Yep, that’s Lowell Brams, of Carrie and Lowell fame. Less than two weeks into lockdown, 2020, Stevens and Brams released the well-received Aporia, a synth-driven album assembled from jam sessions between the pair.

"It tells a bigger story of stewardship and mentorship," Stevens said at the time. "He's been there since I was five. It's been a long haul ... This record is a synthesis of all of that history."

He Threw The Kitchen Sink At His Sound

From Aporia’s peaceful, ruminative meanderings, Stevens went whole hog with his next proper studio album, 2020’s The Ascension. Across 80 minutes, Stevens held nothing back, with compositions as massive as their titles: "Ursa Major," "Death Star," America."

While unwieldy and overwhelming (as even positive critical analyses noted) The Ascension felt like a summation of the thematic territory Stevens had trod to that point — God, country, the nature of connection, and just about everything in between.

Stevens Charted Three More Satellite Projects

After The Ascension, Stevens returned to a celestial, instrumental space with 2021’s Convocations — hinged on the mourning of Stevens’ biological father, who passed in 2020.

Length-wise, Convocations renders even The Ascension a dwarf planet: across five volumes, designated "Meditations," "Lamentations," "Revelations," "Celebrations," and "Incantations," Stevens takes no shortcuts on his grieving journey.

"I recorded most of this in the dead of winter and now it's coming out in the spring. And I think that really, it's a serendipity in a way, that it allows for us to receive this music with hope, you know, for the future," Stevens said at the time. "And that's I think that's something that we all deserve and need more than ever right now."

That same year, Stevens released A Beginner’s Mind, an acclaimed co-creation with the L.A. singer/songwriter Angelo De Augustine. Each track was inspired by a different film — from Night of the Living Dead ("You Give Death a Bad Name") to Mad Max ("Murder and Crime") to The Silence of the Lambs ("Cimmerian Shade").

The final ramp-up to Javelin was Reflections, another ballet soundtrack with Timo Andres — this time, with fellow pianist Conor Hanick.

After these admirable branchings into sophisticated, multimedia territory, Stevens has beat a retreat to his old formula — his crystalline voice, an unadorned guitar or piano, unforgettably incisive lyrics, a la carte. While everything Stevens touches is worth hearing, it’s good to have this permutation back with us.

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