After the calls stop, the hardest part of a breakup is rarely being alone. It is the administrative problem of feeling: how does someone proceed after an old future disappears? Astian’s new single “How” holds that question there. It does not rush to fill it with a lesson, confession, or the sort of gleaming finality pop often prefers. Astian approaches the aftermath through a playful, stripped-back...

This song's composition makes it an easy bet that it will be remembered as one of the year's finest musical offerings. The 17-year-old performer's latest single, "Why I," is an exciting showcase of talent and charisma. He's so talented and smart musically that he can take existing tunes and give them a whole new spin. It's obvious in this song that he's singing to a female,...