NPR Music
Episodes
New Music Friday: The best releases out on Aug. 11
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include Noname's long-awaited Sundial, Karol G's Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), a long-los...
Hip-hop is 50. Its formula for global domination? Staying local
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When DJ Kool Herc spun records at a small party in the Bronx in August of 1973, no one would have predicted his unique style would give birth to the m...
Encore: How Son Lux scored 'Everything Everywhere All At Once'
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Son Lux returns with Alternate Forms, the band's first new album since releasing its beloved score to the film Everything Everywhere All At...
In conversation: Athlete-turned-rapper Eladio Carrión on the fine art of practice
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre sit down with the Puerto Rican hip-hop artist Eladio Carrión to discuss what drives him, learning Spanish through ...
New Mix: Mitski, Irreversible Entanglements, Sally Anne Morgan, more
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Music's Lars Gotrich joins All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen to share their favorite new tracks of the week.Featured Songs And Artists:1. Meurtriè...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on July 28
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The best albums out this week include new ones from Post Malone, Carly Rae Jepsen, composer and singer Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Joni Mitchell's surpris...
New Mix: Big Thief, Squirrel Flower, more
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Music's Hazel Cills and critic Marissa Lorusso join All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen to share their favorite new tracks of the week.Featured Arti...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on July 21
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
K-Pop convention-breakers NewJeans drop their second EP this week, along with new ones from Andrew Bird, Fatboi Sharif, the super-stacked Barbie sound...
In conversation: How YEИDRY uses music to bridge worlds
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alt.Latino's Anamaria Sayre speaks with YEИDRY, the Dominican-born, Italian-raised singer about using music as a tool to marry her two worlds. Audio ...
New Mix: Courtney Barnett, Grandaddy, Lowland Hum, more
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen shares his favorite discoveries of the week.Featured Artists And Songs:1. Grandaddy: "The Town where I'm Livin Now,"...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on July 14
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The best albums out this week include Beautiful and Brutal Yard from rapper J Hus, the ragged rock of Palehound, vivid reflections on life in your 20s...
New Mix: Margo Price, Palehound, Talking Heads (Live), more
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week.Featured Artists And Songs:1. Palehound: "Independence Day," from Eye on ...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on July 7
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include the return of PJ Harvey, the continued arrival of Dominic Fike, Little Dragon, Aluna and m...
PJ Harvey on how she turned her epic poem 'Orlam' into a potent new album
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The singer talks with NPR Music's Ann Powers about Harvey's album I Inside the Old Year Dying, a ragged, highly crafted adaptation of her epic poem Or...
Alt.Latino picks the best music of 2023 (so far)
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hosts Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras round up their favorite albums of 2023 so far, from the modern corridos tumbados of Peso Pluma, a new, reimag...
Favorite New Artists Of 2023 (So Far)
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of All Songs Considered, we asked NPR member stations to pick their favorite new artists of 2023.1. Blondshell: "Olympus," from 'Blond...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on June 23
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include a self-titled dopamine hit from Coi Leray, the return of Big Freedia, Kelly Clarkson, a de...
In conversation: Sheila E. on faith, family and her eclectic music career
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alt.Latino's Felix Contreras sits down with percussion icon Sheila Escovedo, aka Sheila E., to talk about the influence of the Bay Area on her music, ...
New Mix: FIZZ, Luluc, Silvana Estrada, more
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you heard dodie's new band? Looking for some ethereal sonic adventures? On this week's All Songs Considered, NPR Music's Hazel Cills along with M...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on June 16
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The best releases out this week include Killer Mike's first solo album in more than a decade, the majestic return of Iceland's Sigur Rós, the legenda...
Jónsi talks about 'ÁTTA,' the new album by Sigur Rós
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this special edition of All Songs Considered, Bob Boilen speaks with Jónsi, from the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, about ÁTTA, that group's first st...
New Mix: Bob Dylan, Sparks, Darlingside, Annie Bartholomew, more
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bob Boilen shares new songs (in one case, a new recording) from a few of his favorite artists, plus discoveries from Montana and Alaska.Featured Artis...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on June 9
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include new ones from Amaarae, Janelle Monáe, King Krule, Keaton Henson and more.Featured Albums:...
Alt.Latino's Best New Music Round-Up: Eduardo Cabra, Santa Fe Klan and Elsa y Elmar
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras round up their favorite music from the last few months, including new work from the prolific Eduardo Cab...
Viking's Choice: Anjimile, High Rise, Fatoumata Diawara, more
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen and NPR Music's Lars Gotrich share their favorite new tracks including new music from the Malian singer Fatoumata Di...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on June 2
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hear the powerfully poetic Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? from McKinley Dixon, a scorcher from Bully, Aisha Badru's Learning to Love Again, the first new s...
How the 'scarcity mindset' enforces the unwritten rules of rap
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last nine episodes, Louder Than A Riot has tackled the unwritten rules of rap that hold the whole culture back. For the show's finale, we dig...
Remembering Tina Turner
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour remember the legendary Tina Turner, who died last week at the age of 83, leaving behind an indelible legacy that...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on May 26
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The best albums out this week include Lil Durk's Almost Healed, reflections on surviving your 20s from Arlo Parks and Miya Folick, Gia Margaret's Roma...
Like poppa, like son: Rodney Carmichael
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Louder Than A Riot, something a little different: It's part meditation, part conversation — between host Rodney Carmichael and wr...
In conversation: Cellist Mabe Fratti on embracing imperfections and going to extremes
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alt.Latino host Anamaria Sayre sits down with the experimental, Guatemalan cellist Mabe Fratti to discuss the admiration she's developed for imperfect...
New Mix: Tiny Desk Contest winner Little Moon, ANOHNI, yeule and more
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen and NPR Music editor Hazel Cills share their favorite new tracks of the week and highlight this year's new Tiny Desk...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on May 19
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A joint project from the rapper Aminé and producer KAYTRANADA tops our list of the best albums out this week, along with new ones from Paul Simon, Ke...
Rico Nasty, the 'strong Black woman' trope and how you get your power back
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rico Nasty's music creates a haven for heavy emotions. And in a world that paints Black girls showing any emotion as too much, having a place to relea...
In conversation: Karol G on her life as a 'happy heartbreak girl'
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While coming up with the concept for her new album Mañana Será Bonito, Colombian superstar Karol G had an epiphany that would change her life: what ...
New Mix: Fred again.. and Brian Eno, Youth Lagoon, dodie, more
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, including a collaboration between Fred again.. and Brian Eno, the return...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on May 12
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include debuts from singer Madison McFerrin, the U.K. electronic duo Overmono, deep grooves from R...
How Saucy Santana pushes back against stale standards in hip-hop
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Louder Than A Riot, we talk with Saucy Santana, a viral TikTok rapper who isn't shy about rocking a beat face, trimmed beard, acryl...
New Mix: Rufus Wainwright, PJ Harvey, Rhiannon Giddens, more
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, including a new one from PJ Harvey ahead of her first studio album in se...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on May 5
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The best albums out this week include the nostalgia-fueled, future-looking Soul,PRESENT from Q, a staggering collaboration between billy woods and Ken...
iLoveMakonnen and hip-hop's troubled relationship with masculinity
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How has hip-hop affected perceptions of Black masculinity? We unpack that question through the story of iLoveMakonnen, a rapper who has navigated diff...
New Mix: Balmorhea, Hayden Pedigo, Julie Christmas, more
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Music's Lars Gotrich joins All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen to share his favorite new sonic adventures in the loud and weird, including Bodywash,...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on April 28
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The singer and rapper Labrinth, beloved for his score to the HBO show Euphoria, drops his latest album this week, along with new ones from Jessie Ware...
Kim Osorio, 'The Source' and hip-hop's overdue reckoning with misogynoir
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Louder Than A Riot, we ask what it means to speak up in a culture where it's always been safer to keep quiet. In 2006, Kim Osorio,...
Alt.Latino's Best New Music Round-Up: Bad Bunny, Grupo Frontera, Becky G and more
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras round up their favorite music from the last few months, kicking things off with a surprising collab from...
New Mix: Cowboy Junkies, Michael Stipe, Wallice, more
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, including a collaboration between Tiny Desk contest winner Gaelynn Lea a...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on April 21
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The debut studio album from Agust D (Suga) of BTS is out this week, along with new ones from Everything But the Girl, the rapper and producer Alfa Mis...
In conversation: Girl Ultra on Mexico City's 'haunted' energy
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Across her evolving discography, which includes everything from R&B ballads to danceable electronic beats, Girl Ultra has solidified her approach to d...
New Mix: Indigo De Souza, Speedy Ortiz, more
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen and NPR Music's Marissa Lorusso and Hazel Cills share their favorite new music of the week, including the first new ...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on April 14
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include Black Thought from The Roots, the quietly powerful return of Feist and more.Featured Album...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on April 7
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our favorite new releases for April 7, 2023, include:1. Daniel Caesar — Never Enough 2. Wednesday — Rat Saw God 3. Fly Anakin — Skinemaxxx (Side...
How Trina flipped the script on stereotypes of Black women in rap
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How did the "bad bitch" replace the "ride or die chick" in hip hop? In this episode of Louder Than A Riot we talk to the original baddest herself, Tri...
New Mix: Zoon, Shirley Collins, Orchestra Gold, Pry, more
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen and NPR Music's Lars Gotrich share their favorite new music of the week, including the African psych-rock group Orch...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on March 31
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Music's picks for the best new albums out this week include Chlöe's In Pieces, the debut full-length from boygenius, South African singer Nakhane...
Beauty is in the eye of the male gaze: DreamDoll, Baby Tate and Doechii
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our latest episode of Louder Than A Riot we look at how the male gaze looms over hip-hop. Those under its watchful eye feel objectified or shamed i...
In conversation: How Camilo Lara is Mexico's musical 'double agent'
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anamaria Sayre, host of NPR's Alt.Latino, sits down with world-building producer and Mexican Institute of Sound frontman Camilo Lara to talk about usi...
New Mix: Ólafur Arnalds and Ella McRobb, Protomartyr, The Antlers, more
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, including two surprising and wonderful collaborations.Featured Songs And...
How Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer and Shahzad Ismaily conjured Love In Exile
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Contributor Nate Chinen interviews the three musicians behind the new improvisational supergroup Love In Exile about their new album, the mysteries of...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on March 24
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Atlanta rapper and singer 6LACK, Lana Del Rey, R&B singer Yaya Bey, the veteran rock group Depeche Mode and more are among the artists dropping ou...
The overlooked legacy of Sha-Rock, hip-hop's first female MC
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our latest episode of Louder Than A Riot we break down legacy: who gets to leave one in hip-hop and who gets left out. Decades before hip-hop's cur...
New Mix: Kara Jackson, Sofia Kourtesis, Ratboys and more
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen is joined by NPR Music's Hazel Cills and Marissa Lorusso to share their favorite new tracks of the week. Featured So...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on March 17
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our shortlist of the week's best new releases includes an incredible collection of cover songs from the rapper T-Pain, an EP from Hozier, labyrinthine...
Megan Thee Stallion, Tory Lanez and the impact of misogynoir on rap
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our season two debut of Louder Than A Riot, we look at how the Tory Lanez trial sparked a real divide in hip-hop and stoked the coals on a 50-year ...
In conversation: Why Mexican pop icon Julieta Venegas doesn't call herself a pioneer
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anamaria Sayre from NPR Music's Alt.Latino sits down with Mexican pop icon Julieta Venegas to discuss her role as a trailblazing female vocalist and m...
How does De La Soul sound in the streaming era?
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Author and professor Oliver Wang and writer Matthew Ritchie join NPR Music's Sheldon Pearce to talk through one of the most storied catalogs in hip-ho...
Coming Thursday: Louder Than A Riot Season 2
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hear a preview from our upcoming season two of Louder Than A Riot, NPR Music's deep dive on the collision of rhyme and punishment in America.Learn mor...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on March 10
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Miley Cyrus' insanely anticipated Endless Summer Vacation is finally here, along with new music from Fever Ray, The War and Treaty, Meet Me @ The Alta...
New Mix: Shame, Amber Arcades, Kimi Djabaté, more
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week including, songs from Shame, Amber Arcades, Kimi Djabaté and more. Featu...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on March 3
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The best albums out this week include Kali Uchis' Red Moon in Venus, a self-titled joint from the Jamaican American artist Masego, singer and guitaris...
Alt.Latino's Best New Music Round-Up: Karol G, Y La Bamba, The Latin Dead and more
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras, hosts of NPR's Alt.Latino, round up their favorite new music from the last few months.Learn more about sponsor mes...
New Mix: Anna B Savage, Daisies, Neil Gaiman & FourPlay String Quartet, more
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen shares his favorite new tracks of the week, including songs from Anna B Savage, Daisies, Pest Control, Neil Gaiman &...
How the score for 'All Quiet on the Western Front' made a familiar tale surprising
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Composer Volker Bertelmann explains why he wanted to "destroy the film" with his score, how he used a centuries-old instrument for the cause and what ...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on Feb. 24
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The best new albums out this week include Cracker Island from Gorillaz, the 30th anniversary of Naughty By Nature's 19 Naughty III, Gracie Abrams' Goo...
New Mix: Lana Del Rey, Sidney Gish, beabadoobee, more
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Music's Marissa Lorusso and Hazel Cills join Bob Boilen to share their favorite new tracks, including an epic new song from Lana Del Rey and a lov...
How Son Lux scored 'Everything Everywhere All At Once'
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Son Lux frontman Ryan Lott reveals how the band was able to keep pace with the frenetic, shape-shifting storytelling of Everything Everywhere All At O...
New Music Friday: The best releases out on Feb. 17
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include new ones from Caroline Polachek, UK producer, rapper and filmmaker Wesley Joseph, P!NK, th...