Music & Culture

Katy Perry and Gayle King are heading to space as part of an all-female Blue Origin crew

5:21pm February 27, 2025

The crew was selected by Bezos' fiancée, journalist Lauren Sánchez, who will also be on the brief suborbital flight scheduled for this spring.

Isaiah Collier explores 400 years of Black history — one movement at a time

3:26pm February 27, 2025

Saxophonist Isaiah Collier's The Story of 400 Years is a sweeping suite that traces Black American history from the Middle Passage to today — and the personal and historical moments that shaped it.

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The 2025 Oscars' best original song nominees, cruelly ranked

10:38am February 26, 2025

This year's race — which includes beloved stars, up-and-coming talents and a pair of songs from a successful but controversial musical — feels wide open. That doesn't mean all the songs are equally worthy.

Igmar Thomas' Revive Big Band: Tiny Desk Concert

5:00am February 26, 2025

Horns herald the arrival of the hip-hop-inspired big band at the Tiny Desk.

Music & Culture

Gospel superstar Marvin Sapp releases new album 'If I Were an R&B Singer'

4:20am February 26, 2025

by Michel Martin

Gospel superstar Marvin Sapp is going secular — if only for a few songs. His new mini-album is called "If I Were an R&B Singer."

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Rhiannon Giddens is the latest artist to cancel Kennedy Center gig

5:34pm February 25, 2025

Folk musician Rhiannon Giddens said on social media that she has moved her May concert — originally scheduled for the Kennedy Center — to a different venue in Washington, D.C.

Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert

Drake gets his revenge — on the charts, anyway

4:44am February 25, 2025

Kendrick Lamar won his rap war with Drake last year by just about any measure, but this week, Drake got a small measure of revenge when his new album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, knocks Lamar out of the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts.

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Roberta Flack performs at the San Sebastian Jazz Festival in Spain in 2005.

Roberta Flack, singer of 'Killing Me Softly,' has died at age 88

10:31am February 24, 2025

The Grammy Award-winning artist and educator had shared an ALS diagnosis in 2022. She was best known for ballads such as "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face."

South African cellist Abel Selaocoe fosters dialogue across time and cultures in a new album

4:16am February 24, 2025

by Michel Martin

South African cellist and composer Abel Selaocoe talks about his new album "Hymns of Bantu," which highlights the healing power of song across cultures.

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Music & Culture

A long-lost recording is the basis for the latest Guy Clark album

5:35pm February 23, 2025

by Don Gonyea

NPR's Don Gonyea speaks with Tamara Saviano, who produced a new album by folk and country singer Guy Clark based on long-lost recordings.

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