George Michael: A Father Figure For Political Pop
The teen idol and massively successful solo singer's tabloid life paled in comparison to his uncommonly soulful work.
Music & Culture
Viking's Choice: The Year In The Loud And The Weird
Our resident Viking recalls 2016 in feral metal, dystopian and ocean-mimicking synths and Afro-futurist pop cubism.
Metropolis: 12/24/16
KCRW's Jason Bentley spins a two-hour mix with new music from Bonobo, Letherette and more.
Daniel Norgren, 'Desperate Hour' (Live At Pickathon)
In a twilight session at this year's Pickathon festival, the Swedish singer-songwriter premiered an unreleased song from his 2013 album, Buck.
Songs We Love: Horse Jumper Of Love, 'Ugly Brunette'
The Boston trio's slow, syrupy rock befits the shortest days of the year: It's heavy and dark, with occasional shimmers like the glare off a snowbank.
Encore: Solange's 'A Seat At The Table' Honors Her Family
Solange Knowles' A Seat At The Table is an album of self-healing, family healing and ancestral healing, but it ended up being her most commercially successful to date.
Remembering George Michael's Radical Impact On Pop Music
NPR music critic Ann Powers says George Michael was sometimes dismissed as a cotton-candy pop music songwriter but you might not know he had a radical impact on the genre.
After George Michael's Death, Stories Emerge Of His Quiet Generosity
The British pop icon made large donations to a variety of charities — and worked hard to keep the gifts from garnering publicity. Fans on Twitter have shared stories of individual acts of charity.
Kacey Musgraves Invites You To Spend Christmas On An Island Paradise
Grammy-award winning country music singer Kacey Musgraves did something unusual in July. She put up twinkly lights, cut out paper snowflakes and recorded a Christmas album. Music reviewer Meredith Ochs says her album "A Very Kacey Christmas" is a twanged out, tiki-tinged celebration of the season that's kitschy without being corny.
Bruce Springsteen: On Jersey, Masculinity And Wishing To Be His Stage Persona
"People see you onstage and, yeah, I'd want to be that guy," Springsteen says. "I want to be that guy myself very often." Originally broadcast Oct. 5, 2016.