Music Features

Music & Culture

How Paramore's 'Brand New Eyes' Helped Me Envision A Future For Myself

6:00am November 30, 2021

by Alex Ramos

When you're young, the choice between meeting others' expectations and making your own way can feel all-consuming. Along the way, it helps to have a soundtrack that draws equally from rage and wisdom.

Honored onscreen and in sound, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, a messenger whose time is now

5:01am November 29, 2021

by Allyson McCabe

Beverly Glenn-Copeland is the subject of a recent documentary and a forthcoming tribute album, both paying homage to his artistry and his status as a Black trans elder.

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In the ways he memorialized his own family and held up his city, Dolph demonstrated his understanding of people as more than the sum of our generosity or our flaws.

Music & Culture

Young Dolph saw the good in people

4:00pm November 24, 2021

by Jewel Wicker

Remembering Young Dolph, the Memphis rapper who uplifted collaborators, fans and family

Yoko Ono's Plastic Ono Band is centered on her unique and powerful voice; even decades after its release, it still sounds utterly fearless.

Music & Culture

Yoko Ono's 'Plastic Ono Band' Made Me Rethink What It Means To Be An Expert

9:18am November 24, 2021

by Marissa Lorusso

What does it take to really know a record? To overcome feeling alienated by a challenging album, it sometimes takes abandoning preconceived ideas of expertise and looking for something more personal.

Joan Wasser turned a prolific session-player career into her own band, Joan as Police Woman. Her latest album, The Solution Is Restless, began as a marathon jam with Afrobeat innovator Tony Allen.

Music & Culture

Talking With Ghosts

3:44pm November 22, 2021

by Piotr Orlov

The new album by Joan as Police Woman began as a thrilling, one-night-only collaboration with Afrobeat legend Tony Allen. Then disaster struck.

Music & Culture

Tiny Tech Tips: The Best Wireless Earbuds

6:00am November 22, 2021

by Josh Rogosin

December marks the 5th birthday for AirPods, the first truly wireless earbuds that led us to where we are now — with headphone jacks having vanished from pretty much every smartphone in the land.

The Formula S2E5 - Tierra Whack + J Melodic

Music & Culture

Tierra Whack and J Melodic make the leap from 'Whack World' to something otherworldly

8:52am November 20, 2021

The try-anything rapper and her soft-spoken but dedicated producer, who have developed a bond to match their intense work routine, share a preview of a new song that takes them into uncharted terrain.

A close listen to Adele's new album, 30, reveals a wealth of jazz connections.

Music & Culture

The jazz dalliance on Adele's '30' runs deeper than a sampled groove

4:58pm November 19, 2021

by Nate Chinen

From the harmonic intrigue of "My Little Love" to a track sampling the late pianist Erroll Garner, Adele's latest album is filled with subtle connections to jazz.

NPR Music critic Ann Powers writes that Adele's new album, 30, "engages with the world â through lyrics that trade adolescent romanticism for genuine self-examination." Her new album, 30, is out now.

Music & Culture

Adele talks coming back to Earth at '30'

8:23am November 19, 2021

Morning Edition's Rachel Martin talks to Adele about her latest album and the growing pains of growing older.

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A new album marks the 90th birthday of Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina.

Music & Culture

The fearless musical philosophy of Sofia Gubaidulina

4:44pm November 18, 2021

by Tom Huizenga

A new album, marking the Russian composer's 90th birthday, is packed with probing works for huge symphonic forces.