Music Features

For writer Barry Walters, Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money" soundtracked a joyous moment of Pride.

Music & Culture

A Different Kind Of Pride: Perspectives On 50 Years Of Celebration, Part 2

8:00am June 23, 2020

by Barry Walters

We asked music writers in the LGBTQ+ community to reflect on the relationship between celebration, protest, music and LGBTQ+ activism. Barry Walters writes about pandemics, privilege and disco.

Janelle Monáe's coming out as a "free-ass motherf*****" "helped me carve space for myself," says Cyrena Touros.

Music & Culture

A Different Kind Of Pride: Perspectives On 50 Years Of Celebration, Part 1

12:01pm June 22, 2020

by Cyrena Touros

This year, Pride feels a little different. We asked music writers in the LGBTQ+ community to reflect on the changing relationship between celebration, protest, music and LGBTQ+ activism.

Phoebe Bridgers is one of the most prolific young songwriters to emerge in the last several years. Her second solo album, Punisher, is out now.

Music & Culture

It 'Feels Like A Graduation': Phoebe Bridgers On 'Punisher'

5:35am June 22, 2020

The LA singer-songwriter talks about her second solo album, which includes guest appearances from peers like Conor Oberst, copying ideas from her heroes and the way lyrical specificity mimics poetry.

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Music & Culture

Our Daily Breather: Music For Staying Sane During The Pandemic

10:00am June 19, 2020

In Our Daily Breather, we asked artists to recommend ways to find calm in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. We've collected some of the music recommendations that artists shared.

Music & Culture

Watch Tiny Desk Contest Top Shelf Episode 2 Featuring Brittany Howard

5:40pm June 18, 2020

by Elle Mannion

Live on YouTube, Bob Boilen and Brittany Howard watched their favorites entries to the 2020 Contest and discussed what made these videos stand out from the thousands we saw this year.

Jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard.

Opinion: Black Protest Is Music. Learning The Melody Isn't Enough

1:34pm June 18, 2020

by Terence Blanchard

Terence Blanchard, the acclaimed jazz trumpeter and composer, says the fate of the new civil rights movement will depend on the well-meaning outsiders who show up to support it.

Jimmy Webb has been working on model airplanes.

Music & Culture

Our Daily Breather: Daily Practices For Staying Sane During The Pandemic

10:00am June 18, 2020

In Our Daily Breather, we asked artists to recommend ways to find calm in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. We've collected some of the daily practices and rituals that helped them.

Patterson Hood of The DBTs, performing at Tipitina's in New Orleans on Sept. 3, 2011.

Music & Culture

Now, About The Bad Name I Gave My Band

2:22pm June 17, 2020

by Patterson Hood

Patterson Hood co-founded his band, The Drive-By Truckers, in the mid-'90s. Some 24 years later and just a little wiser, he revisits that decision.

A woman jogging in New York City. NPR Music's Lyndsey McKenna has been running to relieve stress during the coronavirus pandemic.

Music & Culture

Our Daily Breather: How To Keep Moving During The Pandemic

10:00am June 17, 2020

In Our Daily Breather, we asked artists to recommend ways to find calm in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. We've collected some of the recommendations for physical activity that artists shared.

Team Dresch's song "Fagetarian and Dyke" is featured in our playlist of queer punk.

Music & Culture

Queer As Punk: A Guide To LGBTQIA+ Punk

5:36pm June 15, 2020

"Queer punk" might be redundant if making over-the-top statements at the top of your lungs isn't precisely what makes punk "punk" and queer "queer." Here's a guide to the genre's history and legacy.