Jonathan Armand is the true name of Gennaro, although he was given the stage name Gennaro when he was born on June 20, 1990, in Aix-en-Provence. Gennaro picked up his first guitar at the age of 16 years, having been lulled to sleep by the impact of the French chanson and worldwide music. Gennaro is a student at a lycée, and while he is there,...

Casey McQuillen’s single “Better” arrives not with a bang, but with the quiet, decisive click of a well-made lock securing a door. It’s pop music, certainly, groomed and gleaming, yet beneath the surface bubbles a fierce kind of self-possession that’s less about demanding attention and more about curating who gets past the velvet rope of your own contentment. Coming from someone known for empowerment...