RuPaul, Costello show they’ve still got it

The Chronicle’s guide to notable new music.

NEW ALBUMS RuPaul, “Mamaru” (RuCo Inc.):

RuPaul Charles was a well-known performer in the nightclubs of Atlanta and New York City before the advent of reality television, but once his 1992 debut single “Supermodel (You Better Work)” became a Billboard-official dance hit, the television offers were right around the corner, beginning with a talk show for VH1 in 1996.

Thirty years after that first single, Ru has released his 14th studio album, “Mamaru,” a fierce full-length that’s essentially a combination of drag instruction and opinion pieces set to the up-tempo swing of house music. (The release coincides with the season 14 premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” also on VH1.) Like most of his releases in the last few decades, this one is under the RuCo record label. RuPaul stays slaying as a head boss in charge.

The single “Blame It on the Edit” makes deep reference to RuPaul’s matriarchal role on “Drag Race,” a franchise that now has separate editions in 11 countries. The song’s lyrics make fun of contestants who blame any negative public perceptions on bad editing by the TV show’s producers, insisting, “You’re the only one tryna’ sabotage you.” The music video features some incredible footage of that premainstream fame fabulousness.

Elvis Costello, “The Boy Named If ” (Capitol Records):

The past two years have been creatively fruitful for Elvis Costello, the alias that English artist Declan Patrick McManus has used for more than 45 years, and he’s given us a lot of music to keep us company while we are hunkering down at home. Among the many projects he’s released in that time are a French language collaboration with fellow rocker Iggy Pop, Spanish versions and a box set of some of his early classics, plus this new full-length.

Costello reluctantly swims in the digital music streaming pool, but he is notably offering his latest album “The Boy Named If ” in several physical forms, including a handsigned and numbered version with an 88-page hardback storybook, CD, vinyl and cassettes. Eventually, the album will also be released in two formats that were relatively popular until the early ’80s and are now the denizens of eBay: 8-track, which is a giant cartridge filled with magnetic

Kosman:

The hierarchical system in an orchestra goes beyond even what you might have noticed in a single concert. Each section of instrumentalists has a principal player who’s in charge of that section, and responsible for delivering what the conductor wants from that section. If the French horns aren’t playing together to the conductor’s liking, it’s up to the principal to make that happen. And so on around the orchestra.

Hartlaub:

I also couldn’t quite figure out the economics. There were dozens of musicians, four soloists, plus at least 40 more people in the chorus. Is there a huge donor pool?

Like any arts organization, the Symphony relies heavily on contributions from donors, both large and small (you can see their names taking up pages in the back of the program book). Only about half of the operating costs, at best, come from ticket sales. And yes, with so many performers, it costs more to perform Beethoven’s Ninth than many other pieces. So there’s a constant balance between an orchestra’s artistic needs and the financial constraints.

I’m grateful for your strong nudge, and I’ll continue to explore. Maybe I’ll do Chopin next, or Brahms?

Those are very different kinds of projects. Brahms’ output is like Beethoven’s — it includes a wide variety of forms, from symphonies and concertos to chamber music and songs. Chopin’s, on the other hand, is very concentrated; it’s basically all for solo piano.

Kosman:

Hartlaub:

Kosman:

So, any final thoughts?

Classical music is much more anti-elitist than I expected. Beethoven’s Fifth Seventh Symphonies together cost just $7.99 on iTunes!

I’m also very moved by the enduring qualities of classical music. Sure, the Rolling Stones have been playing together since before I was born. But Beethoven has been around for

As I listen to his music, it’s hard not to think about the generations of artists, inventors, athletes, academics and just common folk he’s inspired, and the pleasure of getting to be part of that continuity.

Hartlaub:

Kosman:

The best part is that there’s still so much more to explore. Let’s do this again next year.

Randy Holmes / ABC via Getty Images RuPaul has released his 14th studio album, “Mamaru,” essentially a mix of drag instruction and opinion pieces set to music.

JC Olivera / Getty Images 2021 Elvis Costello has been prolific during the pandemic, and his latest album of new material is called “The Boy Named If.”

Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle 2021 Pop culture critic Peter Hartlaub branches out.