All Songs Considered

FKA twigs. Central Cee. It's a big week for new releases, and we've got you covered. Host Stephen Thompson welcomes Desiré Moses of Virginia public radio station WNRN to break it all down. Featured albums: • FKA twigs, 'EUSEXUA' • Central Cee, 'Can't Rush Greatness' • Sam Amidon, 'Salt River' • Mogwai, 'The Bad Fire' • Anna B. Savage, 'You & i are Earth' Check out our long list of albums out Jan. 24 and stream our New Music Friday playlist at npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras share their goals for 2025 and the new songs that reflect them. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

We highlight some of the most anticipated albums of the year, including upcoming ones from Perfume Genius, Lucy Dacus, serpentwithfeet and more. Featured artists and songs: 1. Perfume Genius: "It's A Mirror," from Glory (March 28) 2. Florist: "Have Heaven," from Jellywish (April 4) 3. Lucy Dacus: "Ankles," from Forever Is A Feeling (March 28) 4. serpentwithfeet: "Writhing In The Wind," from GRIP Sequel (Feb. 28) 5. Squid: "Building 650," from Cowards (Feb. 7) 6. Jason Isbell: "Bury Me," from Foxes in the Snow (March 7) 7. Saya Gray: "Shell (Of A Man)," from SAYA (Feb. 21) 8. Marshall Allen: "African Sunset," from New Dawn (Feb. 14) 9. Samia: "Bovine Excision," from Bloodless (April 25) See the complete list of 2025 releases we're tracking. Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org Hear the songs in the All Songs Considered playlists in Apple Music and Spotify. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

NPR Music's Stephen Thompson welcomes aboard Kara Manning of New York City public radio station WFUV to discuss the best new albums hitting streaming services on Friday, Jan. 17. Featured Albums • Mac Miller, 'Balloonerism' • The Weather Station, 'Humanhood' • jasmine.4.t, 'You are the Morning' • Victoria Canal, 'Slowly, It Dawns' • Blue Lake, 'Weft' Check out our long list of albums out today and stream our New Music Friday playlist at npr.org/music. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Los Angeles is home for me and always in my heart. Watching the fires from afar in my current city, New York, has me thinking a lot about what makes my hometown great: breathtaking mountains, stunning beaches and above all a hodgepodge, tapestry community that comes together in powerful ways during a painful moment. The good and bad of LA's history — redlining and rebuilding, previous fires and displacement, immigration and annexation — have all been building blocks for an exchange of culture that shows up in layers in its music and art. This week on Alt.Latino, we've decided to shine a light on some of the sounds that feel most quintessentially LA, while also specifically honoring the creativity that has come from communities most affected by the fires. We're thinking of family and friends, and the beating heart of the city as a whole. There's nothing quite like LA and we hope this episode is an intro to some and an invitation for others to celebrate what makes it so special. —Anamaria Sayre Songs featured on this episode: •José Feliciano, "California Dreamin" •Ry Cooder feat. Lalo Guerrero, "Barrio Viejo" •Banda MS feat. Becky G and Snoop Dogg, "Que Maldicion" •Jasper Bones, "Amor de mis sueños" •Gerardo Ortiz, "Dámaso" •Empress Of, "For Your Consideration" Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Japanese Breakfast (Michelle Zauner) is back with her first new album since her memoir, Crying in H Mart, blew up. We've got the first single from it, plus a Sufjan Stevens-produced Denison Witmer track and more. Enjoy the show? Tell a friend and leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org Hear the songs in our Apple and Spotify playlists. Featured artists and songs: 1. Deep Sea Diver: "Shovel," from Billboard Heart 2. SPELLLING: "Portrait of My Heart," from Portrait of My Heart 3. Japanese Breakfast: "Orlando in Love," from For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) 4. Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, "Hop Bico" from Yarın Yoksa 5. Denison Witmer: "A House With," from Anything At All 6. DARKSIDE: "S.N.C," from Nothing Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

NPR Music's Stephen Thompson is joined by KCRW's Travis Holcombe to run down their four favorite albums out today, as well as the revamped version of SZA's 'LANA' project. Featured Albums: • SZA, 'SOS Deluxe: LANA' • Franz Ferdinand, 'The Human Fear' • Ethel Cain, 'Perverts' • zzzahara, 'Spiral Your Way Out' • Moonchild Sanelly, 'Full Moon' See the long list of albums out January 10 and stream our New Music Friday playlist on npr.org/music. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Alt.Latino hosts Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras, and NPR reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento break down what exactly makes the record so Puerto Rican and why its Bad Bunny's most reflective, ambitious and ingenious album yet. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

A new year means a new running list of our favorite songs, from the transfixing voice of Anna B Savage and FKA Twigs' moody club beats to the '80s-influenced rock and pop of Sharon Van Etten and more. Featured artists and songs: 1. Ela Minus: "Broken," from DIA 2. Anna B Savage: "Lighthouse," from You & i are Earth 3. Horsegirl: "2468," from Phonetics On and On 4. Miya Folick: "This Time Around," from Erotica Veronica 5. FKA Twigs: "Perfect Stranger," from EUSEXUA 6. Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory: "Afterlife," from S/T Enjoy the show? Tell a friend and leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

There's been some great music released since the last New Music Friday episode in late November. So, on this slow January release day, NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and WRTI's Nate Chinen catch you up on the best albums we heard in December in between "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." Featured Albums: • ROSÉ, 'rosie' • Lauren Mayberry, 'Vicious Creature' • Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner & Peter Bernstein, 'Solid Jackson' • The Innocence Mission, 'Midwinter Swimmers' • SAULT, 'Acts of Faith' Visit npr.org/music to see the long list of albums you might have missed in December, and stream our New Music Friday playlist. CREDITS: Host: Stephen Thompson, NPR Music Guest: Nate Chinen, WRTI Producer: Simon Rentner Editor: Otis Hart Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed Vice President, Music and Visuals: Keith Jenkins Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich turns us on to lesser known corners of music from 2024: blooming drone-folk, richly textured jazz, Somali garage-rock, medieval metal and a bittersweet farewell from a beloved Athens psych-pop band. You can find more adventurous music and mixtapes via Lars' newsletter, vikingschoice.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

We asked listeners to tell us about the one song they couldn't stop listening to in 2024 because of how it made them feel. On this episode we share some of their picks and the stories behind them. Enjoy the show? Tell a friend and leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

When it comes to music, December is overflowing with gifts, but we aren't quite done with the presents. This time, the NPR Music team is giving ... to each other! On this episode of All Songs Considered, our hosts, writers and editors get into a sort of chain-letter, Secret Santa-type gift exchange. The rules were simple: Pick a song from 2024 specifically for one of your colleagues, who then has to pick a song for someone else, and so on, until the gift train comes full circle. What songs did we pick? How well do we really know each other's taste? You'll have to listen to hear the surprise, just like we did. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

'Alt.Latino' hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre do their best to keep up with new releases, but sometimes great music evades their radar. On this episode, the duo highlight some of the best songs they never got a chance to share during the year. Music We Missed in 2024 • Sanje, "Buen Fantasma" (from 'De Repente Otra Vez') • David Lindes, "Te Vengo A Perdonar" (from 'Peace With A Lion') • Yung Dupe X Kimmø X PUGSPUGSPUGS, "Nube Negra" (from 'Políticamente Correcto') • Benjamin Walker, "Libre" (from 'LIBRE') • Lhasa de Sela et Yves Desrosiers, "El Cosechero" (from 'First Recordings') • Dom La Nena, "Pierre et les fleurs" (from 'LA VIE DE MA MÈRE') Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Our annual attempt to throw a holiday party for the ages continues with a tolerable mix of songs for the season and, as always, some very special guests. Enjoy the show? Tell a friend and leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Record-breaking mainstream hits. A new generation of artists rising to seize their moment. Rappers in and out of courts. A pair of the biggest names in the game transforming their careers by taking their rivalry to sometimes bitter new heights. In 2024, hip-hop brought us wave upon wave of massive, surprising, culture-shifting moments. NPR Music's Sheldon Pearce, Sidney Madden and Rodney Carmichael were watching and listening all year long, and they've gathered together to explain the most important stories of hip-hop's 51st year. There was the ascendance of new dominant voices in Southern rap, many of them female, along with the noticeable resonance, for many artists in the genre, with country music. The disconcerting trial of Young Thug left a void in Atlanta — the longtime hip-hop capital — for much of the year, before it ended suddenly and dramatically. And yes, there was the remarkable show put on by Kendrick Lamar in his sustained attack on Drake. Plus: Rodney, Sidney and Sheldon share their favorite hip-hop albums of the year. Hip-hop may have celebrated its landmark 50th anniversary in 2023 by looking back at its own history, but in 2024, it shot forward like a cannon blast. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Felix Contreras, Anamaria Sayre and Isabella Gomez Sarmiento run through their favorites in a crowded year for excellent songs, from innovative Spanish hip-hop to distinctive jazz. Songs featured in this episode: •Çantamarta, "MOTORIZADO" •Mala Rodriguez, "Casi Nada" •Zaccai Curtis, "Maple Leaf Rag" •Ca7riel y Paco Amoroso, "DUMBAI" •Melissa Aldana, "A Purpose" •Residente, "313" Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Our special coverage of the year in music continues with a look at the best songs of 2024, featuring Clairo, Tinashe, Chief Keef, Laura Marling and more. See NPR Music's complete list of the 124 best songs of the year. See NPR Music's list of the 50 best albums. Enjoy the show? Tell a friend and leave us a review wherever you get podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Our look back at the best albums of 2024 continues, with Tyler, The Creator, Cassandra Jenkins, The Cure and more. See NPR Music's complete list of the 50 best albums of the year. And be sure to check out our list of the 124 best songs of 2024. Enjoy the show? Tell a friend and leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

It's that time of the year — figuring out the best Latin music of 2024. And every year, it gets harder and harder (seriously, it's difficult!) for Ana and Felix to narrow down their extensive lists. Joined by NPR culture reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, the three round up the best albums of this year. Songs featured in this episode: •Angélica Garcia, "El Que" from Gemelo •Hinds, "Coffee" from Viva Hinds •Spanish Harlem Orchestra, "Lluego El Caballero (feat. Gilberto Santa Ross)" from Swing Forever •Latin Mafia, "tengo mucho ruido." from TODOS LOS DÍAS TODO EL DÍA •RaiNao, "readysita" from CAPICÚ •Orquesta Akokán, "Caracoles" from Caracoles Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Simon Rentner. Editorial support from Hazel Cills. Our project manager is Grace Chung. NPR Music's executive producer is Suraya Mohamed. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy