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Music & Culture

South Korean Gym Goers Have Fewer Music Options Because Of COVID Rules

5:41am July 13, 2021

In Seoul, gyms are banned from playing up-tempo music, such as K-pop hits. The regulations are intended to prevent people from breathing too heavily, which could spread the virus.

A man waves a Cuban flag during a demonstration against Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel's government Sunday in Havana as large numbers take part in rare protests against the communist regime.

The Hip-Hop Song That's Driving Cuba's Unprecedented Protests

5:00am July 13, 2021

by Bill Chappell

The song Patria y Vida, or homeland and life, is a spin on the communist regime's decades-old slogan in Cuba of "patria o muerte" — homeland or death.

Music & Culture

Join NPR Music's Roséwave Happy Hour

10:04am July 09, 2021

by Lars Gotrich

NPR Music's summer soundtrack series celebrates living your best life. Join us for an online listening party spun by Tiny Desk producer Bobby Carter, featuring a megamix of roséwave faves.

Music & Culture

Hip-Hop Classic Is Turned Into A Pro-Vaccine Anthem

6:11am July 08, 2021

The classic song "Back That Thang Up" got a makeover for the pandemic era. In "Vax That Thang Up," Juvenile, Mannie Fresh and Mia X are telling more people to get vaccinated.

Jimmy Jam, left, and Terry Lewis stand after being acknowledged by inductee Janet Jackson during the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held at the Barclays Center on March 29, 2019 in New York.

Jimmy Jam And Terry Lewis, Legendary Hitmakers, Release Their First Album

5:58am July 08, 2021

After nearly three decades spent producing massive hits for a long list of (other) legends including Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey, the pair called in some favors for a long-belated debut.

The late Armenian composer and musician Jivan Gasparyan, performing in New York in 1994.

Jivan Gasparyan, Armenian Musician Beloved By Rock Stars And Hollywood, Has Died

2:52pm July 06, 2021

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The duduk player and composer took his music from the mountains of his native Armenia to some of Hollywood's biggest films. Along the way, he played with rock legends like Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno.

Musicians Used To Adapting Find Their Rhythm Again As Live Jazz Returns

4:42pm July 05, 2021

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Jazz Night in America host Christian McBride about the return of live jazz as pandemic restrictions lift across the U.S.

Min Kwon's America/Beautiful will be released July 4.

70 New Ways To Think About 'America The Beautiful'

4:31pm July 02, 2021

Pianist Min Kwon asked 70 artists to examine and interpret the patriotic standard on solo piano. "What they have in common is what they want America to sound like," she says.

A cardboard cutout of pop icon Britney Spears at a #FreeBritney protest held outside her conservatorship hearing on June 23 in Los Angeles.

Company Set To Co-Manage Britney Spears' Conservatorship Asks To Withdraw

4:52pm July 01, 2021

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

In a surprise filing Thursday, Bessemer Trust asked to be removed from its planned role as co-conservator of the pop icon's estate, citing her remarks in court last month.

Music & Culture

Louis Andriessen, Influential, Iconoclastic Dutch Composer, Dies At Age 82

3:59pm July 01, 2021

by Tom Huizenga

Known for his idiosyncratic, wide-ranging style and the radical politics of his early years, Louis Andriessen had a profound impact on modern music as an uncompromising creator and prominent teacher.