NPR Music: Tiny Desk, New Music and Music News : NPR

I Grew Up Afraid. Lil Nas X's 'Montero' Is The Lesson I Needed

Scott Everett for NPR

I Grew Up Afraid. Lil Nas X's 'Montero' Is The Lesson I Needed

April 14, 2021 • For all the fuss around the viral hit "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," its true message is a tender one: Hell hath no fury like what young queer people go through every day.

News & Stories

the latest from npr music

Demi Lovato: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert 16 hours ago

Mental Health Takes Center Stage As Pandemic Devastates Nashville's Live Music Scene 18 hours ago

On 'For Every Voice That Never Sang,' Kishi Bashi Is Confident For A Changing World 18 hours ago

All Songs Considered: Sufjan Stevens, Phish's Page McConnell, Squirrel Flower, More 1 day ago

Three Songs For Staring Out The Window 1 day ago

Listen Live

public radio music streams

More stations

Playlists

Hand-picked songs curated by the NPR Music staff

Comic book artist Daniel Warren Johnson (Murder Falcon, Extremity) illustrates the music of Viking's Choice. Horns up! Daniel Warren Johnson hide caption

toggle caption

Daniel Warren Johnson

Viking's Choice

This week: Fire-Toolz's next-level industrial, Mabe Fratti's cello drone, Quicksand's cinematic hardcore, James Brandon Lewis' jazz pointillism. Throwbacks to Minako Yoshida, DMX, Moss Icon.

Disco Beethoven. Chris Sharron hide caption

toggle caption

Chris Sharron

This week, celebrating the bowed piano and its pioneer Stephen Scott, who died last month. He tore the lids off pianos, threaded fishing line through the strings and pushed the instrument to new sonic spaces.

Heavy Rotation: 16 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

Jensen McRae's "Starting to Get to You" is featured in March's edition of Heavy Rotation. Joe Robles/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Joe Robles/Courtesy of the artist

Heavy Rotation

NPR member stations share a mix of the most popular songs on their airwaves this month, including music from CHAI, Joe Chambers, serpentwithfeet and more.

Lars Gotrich/NPR

Press Pause

A regularly updated playlist that keeps track of new songs deemed absolutely essential by the NPR Music staff.

More playlists

Editors' picks

Essential stories and videos from npr music

Catching Up With Laurie Anderson, An Artist Always Ahead Of Her Time

Laurie Anderson, an artist and performer whose work spans disciplines, channels her emotional past into transformative art. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artist

Catching Up With Laurie Anderson, An Artist Always Ahead Of Her Time

The versatile, eclectic multimedia artist and musician Laurie Anderson has taken stock of her life's work, pursuing reissues and retrospectives while always forging ahead.

NPR

A Melting Pot Of Traditions: Regina Carter Talks With Lara Downes

The genre-disrupting violinist talks about the problem with labeling music and the importance of being a role model for young women.

The Rhymes And Reasons Behind Re-Recording Your Own Classics

Taylor Swift, onstage during the Fearless Tour at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 27, 2009 in New York. Swift released a re-recorded version of her 2008 album Fearless on April 9, 2021. Jason Kempin/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Jason Kempin/Getty Images