Music Features

Tycho's latest album, Weather (feat. Saint Sinner on vocals), is out now.

Music & Culture

Ambience, Vocalized: Instrumentalist Tycho Adds Saint Sinner's Vocals To 'Weather'

8:00am July 21, 2019

Tycho, whose real name is Scott Hansen, is famous for his ambient instrumental tracks. But for Tycho's latest album, Weather, Hansen enlisted Saint Sinner to add vocals to the ambience.

Beyoncé attends the European premiere of Disney's The Lion King on July 14 in London. Beyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift album is out now.

Music & Culture

Beyoncé Enlists Hip-Hop A-List And Global Artists For 'The Lion King: The Gift'

11:33am July 19, 2019

by Maya Eaglin

The musical superstar continues to challenge herself while elevating global artists for an album inspired by the new remake of The Lion King, in theaters now.

The single art for the latest "Old Town Road" remix, which features Young Thug and Mason Ramsey alongside Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus.

Music & Culture

The Remix Race: Why It Pays To Release Songs More Than Once

7:41pm July 18, 2019

by Emily Abshire

"Old Town Road" has been unstoppable since spring, but keep your eyes on the pop charts this week. A battle for No. 1 is coming, and there will be a story to tell no matter who wins.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Party, Live at WOMAD 1985

Music & Culture

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's Voice Offers A Sonic Refuge

2:18pm July 18, 2019

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

Right before he recorded a string of beloved albums for Peter Gabriel's label, the Pakistani vocal master of qawwali gave a milestone performance in 1985. It's now available for the first time.

Chiwetel Ejiofor and his onscreen counterpart in 2019's The Lion King, the power-hungry villain Scar.

'The Lion King' Had The Perfect Villain Song. This Time, 'Be Prepared' For Less

11:09am July 17, 2019

by Glen Weldon

We know it sounds sordid, but there's something missing in the 2019 version of Scar's bad-guy anthem — and it's the very thing that made the mustache-twirling original so iconic.

Kim Davey (left), a passenger in Menzi Mngoma's Uber, made a video of his in-car opera singing that went viral.

Video Of An Uber Driver In South Africa Singing Opera Goes Viral

10:00am July 13, 2019

by Susie Neilson

Menzi Mngoma is hoping that the exposure will help him further his dream of becoming an international singing sensation who doesn't have to drive for Uber.

Dolly Parton in a scene from the 1980 comedy 9 to 5. The film's theme song, performed by Parton, took on a life of its own.

Music & Culture

A Cup Of Ambition And Endurance: '9 To 5' Unites Workers Across Decades

1:43pm July 11, 2019

by Lynn Neary

Dolly Parton's classic singalong aims a catchy beat at a serious point, listing the ways the daily grind exploits and exhausts people — some more than others.

Queue Listen Now

Brian Eno, Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks â Extended

Music & Culture

The Music Of Our Spheres

9:27am July 11, 2019

by Adam Frank

We asked an astronomer to listen to Brian Eno's reissued Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks, which features brand new music, to answer the question: "What do we think space should sound like?"

TikTok, the social media app where Lil Nas X first found popularity, now has over 500 million users globally.

Music & Culture

What TikTok's Explosion Could Mean For Music

6:54pm July 10, 2019

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Alyssa Bereznak of The Ringer about how the social media platform TikTok could serve as the future of music sharing.

Queue Listen Now

Listening to what came before is one of the most potent ways to find a path forward, and many electronic musicians interested in experimentation and improvisation are entering into dialogues with jazz.

Music & Culture

All Ears: Vibrations Across Time And Space

8:43am July 09, 2019

by Ruth Saxelby

Club music is often grounded in bass and rhythm, but electronic and dance songs that feature wind instruments explore innovation as well as connections with histories of jazz and indigenous music.