Ayana Contreras

Tkay Maidza's Sweet Justice is one of NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on Nov. 3. Dana Trippe/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Mitski's The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We is on our shortlist of the best albums out on Sept. 15. Ebru Yildiz/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Olivia Rodrigo's new album Guts tops this week's shortlist for the best albums out on Sept. 8. Nick Walker/Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Burna Boy's I Told Them... tops our shortlist for the best new albums out on Aug. 25. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Coachella hide caption

Noname's Sundial tops NPR Music's shortlist of the best albums out on Aug. 11. Mahaneela/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Killer Mike's first new solo album in more than a decade, Michael, is on NPR Music's short list for the best releases out on June 16. Jonathan Mannion/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Lil Durk's Almost Healed tops our shortlist of the best releases out on May 26. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Labrinth's new album, Ends & Begins, is on our shortlist of the best releases out on April 28. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Kara Jackson's Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? is on our shortlist of the best albums out April 14. Lawrence Agyei/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Red Moon in Venus, the new album from singer Kali Uchis, is on our shortlist of the best releases out on March 3. Amaury Nessaibia/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

RAYE's debut full-length, My 21st Century Blues, is one of NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on Feb. 3. Callum Walker Hutchinson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Ayana Contreras Guillaume Ziccarelli/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

St. Louis rapper Smino's new album, Luv 4 Rent, tops our shortlist of the best releases out on Oct. 28. Denita Turner/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Beth Orton's new record, Weather Alive, finds the singer taking control of her own sound. Eliot Lee Hazel/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Beyoncé's long-awaited seventh solo album, Act I Renaissance, is due out Friday, July 29. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Flo Milli's You Still Here, Ho? tops this week's shortlist of the best albums out on July 22. BANVOA/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Brent Faiyaz's Wasteland tops our shortlist of the best albums out on July 8. Darren Xu/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

FKJ's VINCENT is one of NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on June 10. Jack McKain/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

R&B singer UMI's debut full-length, Forest in the City is one of NPR Music's picks for the best new albums out on May 27. Eddie Mandell hide caption

Pusha T's It's Almost Dry tops our shortlist of the best new albums out this week. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Humble Quest, from Nashville singer Maren Morris, tops our shortlist this week of the best albums out on March 25. Harper Smith/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Rex Orange County's latest release, WHO CARES?, is on NPR Music's shortlist for the best albums out on March 11. Alexandra Waespi/Courtesy of the artist hide caption