NPR Music's 25 Favorite Songs Of 2020 (So Far)
During the first half of year we'd love to forget, our most memorable songs range in topic from self-affirmation to self-preservation.
Music & Culture
'Hamilton' Comes Home, Just In Time For The Fourth Of July
The very good movie version of Hamilton, filmed with the original cast at the height of the show's popularity, will perk up faithful cast album fans — and new viewers, too.
Bob Dylan's 'Rough And Rowdy Ways' Breathes, Expands And Contracts
The good songs on Dylan's latest record inflate with interest; the mediocre songs start to shrink and slink away. And there's a striking amount of upbeat rhythm & blues on the album.
Coreyah: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
The Seoul-based sextet performs music that blends Korean traditional music with modern sounds.
Freddy Cole, Distinguished Jazz Art And Unassuming Vocalist, Dead At 88
Freddy Cole died on Saturday at his home in Atlanta. With his charming, easeful baritone and a crisp, efficient touch at the piano, Cole carved out a professional career of more than 65 years.
Heat Check: Underrated And Elevating
Whether stealthy rotation faves or creatives re-introducing themselves, this week's Heat Check head-nods the musical stalwarts who deserve flowers mid-climb.
Sufjan Stevens Announces New Solo Album 'The Ascension'
Stevens' eighth solo studio album will be released September 25, with its first single coming on Friday.
Singer Bob Dylan Reaches Billboard 200 Milestone
With his latest recording, Bob Dylan has become the first artist to have an album in the Billboard Top 40 in every decade since the sixties. The album Rough and Rowdy Ways came out this month.
CDC Says Singers Could Be Virus Superspreaders — But 100 Sang Unmasked With Pence
At a campaign rally in Dallas that featured Vice President Pence, a choir of about 100 people sang unmasked. Epidemiologists worry that singers are particularly likely to spread the coronavirus.
NPR Music's 25 Favorite Albums Of 2020 (So Far)
How can it be possible that we're only halfway through the year? Here are 25 albums from 2020's first six months that are worth holding onto for the next six, and beyond.