Music Features

"The stuff that used to ring true still does in a way and also doesn't anymore," says Phil Elverum. "The big, huge question I tried to think about with this giant song was mainly how to encompass these contradictions."

Music & Culture

Phil Elverum Returns To A Refuge As The Microphones

1:42pm August 06, 2020

by Lars Gotrich

Microphones in 2020 is a single 45-minute track written to "unburden myself from the weight of all this memory," says Phil Elverum, "even though I also think it has so much value."

A young Howard Ashman, photographed on the set of his musical Little Shop of Horrors.

Music & Culture

A New Documentary Shines A Spotlight On The Lyricist Behind The Disney Renaissance

9:26am August 06, 2020

by Tim Greiving

The Disney+ documentary Howard features the life and work of Howard Ashman, a lyricist known for Little Shop of Horrors and one half of the duo that brought the music for three classic films to life.

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Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Go's. She says at live shows, the band was "a runaway train that could crash at any minute, and I think that's what people respond to."

Music & Culture

How The Go-Go's Perfected Pop-Punk

8:32pm August 05, 2020

by Hilary Hughes

The Go-Go's proved that pop and punk could mingle to land at the top of the charts. "You can take the girl out of punk, but you can't take punk out of the girl," says Charlotte Caffey, lead guitarist.

Twerking, and the music born in its image, creates a liberating space for those gathered on this side and the other.

Music & Culture

Body Capital: How Twerking Shapes The Sound Of Southern Rap

5:01pm August 05, 2020

by Zandria F. Robinson

Everyone wants to make the sound that makes the girls dance. Twerking reminds us that women's contributions to Southern rap and culture, while often devalued, can create space for liberation.

Linda Diaz is the winner of the 2020 Tiny Desk Contest.

Music & Culture

Meet Linda Diaz, The Winner Of The 2020 Tiny Desk Contest

4:18pm August 04, 2020

Host Ari Shapiro talks with Linda Diaz, the winner of this year's NPR Music Tiny Desk Contest. Her entry, "Green Tea Ice Cream" is a dreamy R&B song anchored by her skilled and soulful voice.

Beyoncé, at the premiere of Disney's The Lion King on July 09, 2019 in LA.

Beyoncé's 'Black Is King' Is A Sumptuous Search For Divine Identity

9:33am August 04, 2020

by Cate Young

The film project, released Friday on Disney's new streaming service, finds the star seeking out a shared history of Black excellence.

Music & Culture

The South Is Rap's Past, Present And Future

5:31pm August 03, 2020

by Briana Younger

Southern rappers' contributions to the genre have long been underestimated in favor of coastal hegemony – but the region has long steered the sound of hip-hop and deserves its story told in full.

Music & Culture

The South Got Something To Say: A Celebration Of Southern Rap (2000-2004)

4:20pm August 03, 2020

Our list of the best songs, albums and mixtapes by Southern rappers is a celebration that recenters the South as a creative center of hip-hop and honors the region for all that it has given to us.

Music & Culture

The South Got Something To Say: A Celebration Of Southern Rap (2005-2009)

3:01pm August 03, 2020

Our list of the best songs, albums and mixtapes by Southern rappers is a celebration that recenters the South as a creative center of hip-hop and presents the region for all that it has given to us.

Music & Culture

The South Got Something To Say: A Celebration Of Southern Rap (2010-2014)

3:01pm August 03, 2020

Our list of the best songs, albums and mixtapes by Southern rappers is a celebration that recenters the South as a creative center of hip-hop and honors the region for all that it has given to us.