Before the curtain rises, there is already a contract in place. The room has paid for magic, the performer has learned how to make exhaustion look like sparkle, and every seat carries its own appetite. The front row is the most dangerous place in that exchange because it mistakes closeness for knowledge. It sees the shine on the costume, the mouth forming a smile, the...

The orchestral opening stops a listener’s scroll. Roger K’s “Please Don’t Put It on Me,” arrives as cinematic dark pop with a real ache at its centre. The independent Australian singer, songwriter and producer gives adult force to a child’s plea, placing inner-child pressure, fear and self-worth against trap and drill-informed drums. It is direct, dark and built for the moment when somebody finally says the...