In Memoriam 2021: The Musicians We Lost
A list of the groundbreaking musicians, producers and journalists we lost in 2021.
Music
The music that didn't quite get the love it deserved this year
Staff from NPR Music highlight the sleeper hits that got lost in the deluge of new music in 2021.
Asiahn, 'My World'
Asiahn's "My World" is a daring and brave invitation to a real, grown-up love, delivered in a gilded envelope with a wax seal.
Shortie No Mass, 'Sunday in October'
Inspired by a viral explosion of her lone solo single, Shortie No Mass reintroduces herself to the world.
Yo-Yo Ma (feat. Tunde Olaniran), 'Doorway'
Pairing the classical cellist with the Michigan iconoclast makes a fair bit of sense: Neither cares much for genre boundaries.
NPR's Bobby Carter on why a 2020 song should be included on 2021's best music lists
One of the biggest songs of 2021 was technically released in 2020 — so it can't be included on lists of the year's best music. NPR's Bobby Carter shouts out the song "Essence" by Wizkid.
Toast Of The Nation 2022
Ring in the New Year with music from the Quinteto Astor Piazzolla, Brandee Younger, Cory Henry, Keyon Harrold, and Louis Cole.
Watch Jazz Night in America's tribute to the icons lost in 2021
Bassist John Patitucci and his wife, cellist Sachi Patitucci, perform a moving ballad to celebrate the musicians we lost in 2021.
Kojaque, 'Town's Dead'
A tribute rather than a eulogy, "Town's Dead" is a celebration of Dublin and all its imperfect splendor.
Lil Nas X is the boundary-smashing pop revolutionary of 2021
Boldly going where few gay men of color have been allowed to go before, Lil Nas X won the year by joyfully violating cultural taboos and exploiting media far more than it was able to exploit him.