From his music, which ranges from dissonant to sultry, to his confrontational performances, to his strangely hopeful view of the apocalypse, everything about Yves Tumor is marked by an uncanny elusiveness.

After using her art to open the world’s eyes, M.I.A. has finally reached a sense of peace. But that doesn’t mean she’s through speaking her mind.

The startlingly talented singer and cellist talks about using music to figure out her identity, that time she took a bite out of her instrument, and one remarkably explicit—and enlightening!—dream.

Following the release of her new album, which molds funk, art-rock, and jazz into a kinetic whole, Esperanza Spalding talks to Alex Frank about her exploratory alter ego, what it means to be a jazz musician now, and the genius of Joni Mitchell.