Performance

Hotter than July

0 upcoming performances in New York

Released in 1980, Stevie Wonder’s *Hotter than July* captures an artist balancing radio-ready craft with social conscience, written and recorded as Motown-era pop moved into a new decade. Now, at BAM, the album’s songs are reframed in a classical setting by five musicians with guest artists, paired with live dance through the Remembering project. New York has long served as a proving ground for Wonder’s politically engaged music, and this approach treats the record less as nostalgia than as repertory. One clear takeaway is how well the songwriting holds up when the grooves are stripped away.