Mick Jenkins: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
Backed by a four-piece band, the Chicago-bred MC plays a Tiny Desk home concert that simmers with soul.
Music
'I don't think about the dance floor': Jlin's complicated rhythms
Electronic composer Jlin warps percussion and other-worldly sounds into a fascinating, challenging collage. On a new album, she also gets a bit more... straightforward.
The Best R&B Albums of 2021
From Dijon and Figmore to Mereba and Cleo Sol, the best R&B albums of the year were born out of reshaped perspectives in the face of the post-pandemic facade we're now calling reality.
'30' is a complicated album that shows just how broad Adele's appeal is
Adele is a rare thing right now: an artist whose appeal cuts across genres and generations. Her new album about divorce features thrilling, exhilarating songs about being absolutely miserable.
20 Years After The End Of The World
At the turn of the millennium, Radiohead turned creeping melancholy and desolation into two albums that changed the band's career. Two decades later, maybe we've caught up to their prophetic vision.
The Thistle & Shamrock: In Flight
This week's episode of The Thistle & Shamrock explores how songs travel to new places and back again, just like the migration of birds.
Angèle, 'On s'habitue'
The track from the Belgian singer-songwriter is a coming-of-age narrative about heartbreak that never goes away.
For kids grappling with the pandemic's traumas, art classes can be an oasis
As health officials sound the alarm about the pandemic's impact on children's mental health, music, drama and other art classes are helping kids adjust to being in-person again.
Encore: Paul McCartney on the life and death of John Lennon, 41 years after his death
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Paul McCartney about the life and death of the Beatles' John Lennon, who was killed 41 years ago this week.
Revered cultural critic Greg Tate has died at age 64
The revered critic Greg Tate, an early and influential hip hop writer, has died. Tate grew up around intellectuals and developed a rabid curiosity about music, film, literature, theory and politics.