Music

Music & Culture

Run The Jewels Releases New Album 'RTJ4' Early

2:13pm June 03, 2020

by Jon Lewis

Killer Mike and El-P drop their fourth full-length album two days ahead of its scheduled release date and days after Killer Mike addressed protests in his hometown of Atlanta in a televised speech.

Music & Culture

The Law Police Used To Discriminate Against Musicians Of Color

1:28pm June 03, 2020

by Colin Marshall

The New York Police Department kept musicians of color from the stage for almost three decades by revoking their cabaret cards, a license required to perform for pay in nightclubs.

Demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd hold up placards near the White House on June 1 in Washington, D.C.

Music & Culture

Music Companies Promise A Tuesday 'Blackout' For Black Lives

3:24pm June 02, 2020

by Andrew Flanagan

Record labels and other organizations will participate in a daylong moratorium on "business as usual," though some argue the actions don't do enough to address the industry's history of exploitation.

John Mayer performs at Irving Plaza in February 2002 in support of his debut full-length studio album, Room for Squares.

Music & Culture

Classic World Cafe: John Mayer En Route To Superstardom

11:45am June 02, 2020

Today, you can pretend it's 2001: John Mayer visits the World Cafe just after the release of his debut album Room For Squares, which sold over 4 million copies and won him his first Grammy award.

Igor Levit, who performed a 20-hour-long Erik Satie piece live on YouTube, is just one musician who has pushed the limits of livestreaming during the coronavirus pandemic.

Music & Culture

Finding Connection And Comfort In Livestream Concerts During Quarantine

11:30am June 02, 2020

NPR Music correspondents Ann Powers and Sidney Madden recommend a few favorite livestreaming performance series to check out while in-person concerts are on hold.

Queue Listen Now

Nubya Garcia's latest single "Pace" is all about diving into the many layers of joy.

Music & Culture

Heat Check: 'Black Joy Is Radical'

4:59pm June 01, 2020

by Sidney Madden

To celebrate radical Black joy in a time of great pain, here's a round-up of new tracks from the worlds of jazz, R&B and rap, all to remind you that they can't hijack happiness.

Music & Culture

Our Daily Breather: Don Bryant Recommends Playing Some Old Favorites

12:34pm June 01, 2020

by Don Bryant

In Our Daily Breather, we ask writers and artists to recommend ways to find calm in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Don Bryant has been spending time with some of his favorite old songs.