New Music Friday: The Top 9 Albums Out On August 14
Burna Boy. His latest full-length, Twice as Tall, tops our list of the best new albums out this week. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
The Nigerian, Afro-fusion artist Burna Boy first made a name for himself with supremely catch party music. But on his latest full-length, Twice as Tall, he goes deeper, taking direct aim at systemic racism, poverty and rampant miseducation. We open this week's New Music Friday with the track "Monsters You Made" and talk about the powerful ways Burna Boy's songs are reframing the global view of Africa. We've also got the sonic gymnastics of prodigy Jacob Collier, searing blues from Fantastic Negrito, the queer country of Orville Peck, singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards' first new album in eight years and more. NPR Music's Bobby Carter joins contributor Stefanie Fernández, NPR Music's Lyndsey McKenna and Ann Powers, Radio Milwaukee's Tarik Moody and WXPN's John Morrison, along with host Robin Hilton, as they share their picks for the best new albums out on August 14.
Featured Albums:
- Burna Boy — Twice As Tall
Featured Song: "Monsters You Made" - Jacob Collier — Djesse Vol. 3
Featured Song: "In My Bones" - Fantastic Negrito — Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?
Featured Song: "I'm So Happy I Cry" - Whitney — Candid
Featured Song: "Strange Overtones" - Son Lux — Tomorrows
Featured Song: "Plans We Made" - Kathleen Edwards — Total Freedom
Featured Song: "Birds on a Feeder" - Orville Peck — Show Pony
Featured Song: "No Glory In The West" - Ashley Ray — Pauline
Featured Song: "Pauline" - Gloria Estefan — Brazil305
Featured Song: "Samba"
Other notable releases for August 14: Bill Frisell — Valentine; Poppy — I Disagree (More); Eleven7four — What's the 1174; Biffy Clyro — A Celebration of Endings; Caylee Hammack — If It Wasn't For You; Emma Swift — Blonde on the Tracks; Young Jesus — Welcome to Conceptual Beach.