Music News

Even when President Trump unveiled his plan for Black economic empowerment, he put most of his emphasis on telling people why they shouldn't vote for his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden.

With Lil Wayne, Ice Cube And 50 Cent, Trump Makes Final Push For Black Voters

7:03pm October 30, 2020

by Ayesha Rascoe

The Trump campaign has spent more than $20 million on a strategy to appeal to Black voters. But a big part of Trump's message is about what Black people shouldn't vote for Joe Biden.

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Ariana Grande has released her sixth studio album, positions.

Music & Culture

Ariana Grande Releases New Album 'Positions,' Her Most Explicit To Date

6:24am October 30, 2020

by LaTesha Harris

Ariana Grande released her sixth studio album, positions, featuring her first collaborations with Doja Cat and Ty Dolla $ign.

Music & Culture

Join NPR Music's Listening Party For OutKast's 'Stankonia'

11:40am October 28, 2020

by Lars Gotrich

Friday at 2 p.m. ET, NPR Music will host an online listening party for the 20th anniversary of OutKast's landmark album. Join the chat room, ask our expert panel questions and shout your love.

Music & Culture

Jack White Of The White Stripes Covers Busker's New Guitar

6:05am October 27, 2020

When a woman in Scotland smashed Matt Grant's guitar, he turned to crowd-funding to raise money. When he showed up at the store, the clerk told him Jack White had already paid for a replacement.

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Host Adele during the Saturday Night Live monologue on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.

'SNL': Adele Hosts Because 'Album's Not Finished,' But H.E.R. Debuts New Song

12:46pm October 25, 2020

by Stephen Thompson

Adele sang a bit in one sketch but left most of the music to H.E.R., who performed a new song called "Hold On."

Country legend Jerry Jeff Walker poses backstage at a country music festival in 2009. Walker, best known for his hit "Mr. Bojangles," died Friday after complications from throat cancer. He was 78.

Music & Culture

Jerry Jeff Walker, Who Wrote 'Mr. Bojangles,' Dies At 78

5:11pm October 24, 2020

by Matthew S. Schwartz

Walker was a pioneer in Austin's country music scene in the 1970s. His most famous song, "Mr. Bojangles," went on to inspire countless covers.

Masked pedestrians enjoy Central Park earlier this year. The New York destination now has a site-specific soundtrack courtesy of composer Ellen Reid's Soundwalk app.

Music & Culture

Central Park Is Alive With The Sound Of Music, Thanks To A Site-Specific App

7:51am October 24, 2020

by Jeff Lunden

Created by Pulitzer-winning composer Ellen Reid, Soundwalk lets visitors score their socially distanced walks around the park with an ever-changing, GPS-sensitive soundtrack.

From left, Ron Adea (keyboards), Rawan Tuffaha (vocals) and Jackson D. Begley (guitar) perform during a virtual media appearance on Tue, Oct. 6, 2020 at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Toronto's ASD Band Looks To Raise Autism Awareness By Example

9:05am October 23, 2020

by Ashley Westerman

All the members of the Toronto-based ASD Band are on the Autism Spectrum. This month, they've been dropping new covers of songs each week in celebration of Canada's Autism Awareness Month.

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Over the past week, users of TikTok began absorbing, in a "challenge," one artist's musical investigation into the realities of living through a degenerative neurological disorder.

Music & Culture

What Happens When TikTok Looks To The Avant-Garde For A Challenge?

10:37am October 22, 2020

by Meaghan Garvey

This past week The Caretaker, an artist who has long leaned into challenging sounds, began emerging as an increasingly popular "challenge" on the youth-led platform.

The saxophonist, flutist and composer Henry Threadgill, one of the NEA's 2021 Jazz Masters.

NEA Announces Its 2021 Jazz Masters

1:26pm October 21, 2020

by Nate Chinen

Four luminaries – Henry Threadgill, Terri Lynne Carrington, Jimmy "Tootie" Heath and Phil Schaap – will be inducted in a ceremony scheduled, virtually, for next spring.