CONTEMPORARY MUSIC - Afro-Pop, R. & B.Greats, Hip-Hop Diversity

As a summer full of mellow outdoor concerts comes to a close, the fall makes way for multiplicity.

- Sheldon Pearce

It’s a seasonal slate defined by its sprawl, with several exciting and eclectic one-off events and young stars rising to newfound status at the arena level.

Pop music comes in all stripes, and from across nations. Afro-pop continues its Stateside expansion with Ayra  Starr (Webster Hall; Sept. 2) and Asake (Barclays Center; Sept. 8). The slick K-pop girl groups aespa and LOONA hit Barclays (Sept. 5) and the Theatre at Madison Square Garden (Sept. 15), respectively. At MetLife, the Colombian singer Karol G experiments with Latin trap and reggaetón (Sept. 7-8). Dynamic artists tinker in three shows at Terminal 5: Róisín Murphy embraces the minimal techno of DJ Koze (Sept. 27), Jessie Ware reinvigorates disco and funk (Oct. 20-21), and Tinashe and Shygirl test out glitchy, club-aligned bops (Nov. 1).

Some R. & B. greats make New York stops on tours supporting their latest albums: Janelle Monáe luxuriates in “The Age of Pleasure” at Radio City Music Hall (Sept. 26);