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LaTesha Harris LaTesha Harris is NPR Music's editorial assistant.
LaTesha Harris
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LaTesha Harris

LaTesha Harris

LaTesha Harris is NPR Music's editorial assistant. A relentless jack-of-all-trades, she takes turns writing, editing and producing music coverage. Invested in the culture behind pop, hip-hop and R&B, her work highlights the intersection between identity and history. Once in a blue moon, Harris moonlights as a talking head with no filter.

Born and raised in Central Texas, Harris began her career in Chicago. In 2020, she graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and creative writing alongside a master's degree in social justice and investigative reporting. When she's not in the newsroom, Harris is staring at bodies of water, studying abolition and trying to discover something new.

Story Archive

Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Nov. 17

2 Chainz and Lil Wayne teamed up for Welcome 2 Collegrove. Courtesy of Def Jam hide caption

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Courtesy of Def Jam

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Nov. 17

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include the pairing of 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne, drumless Daft Punk and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Nov. 17

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Nov. 10

PinkPantheress' debut studio album Heaven Knows tops our shortlist of the best new releases out this week. Aidan Zamiri/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Aidan Zamiri/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Nov. 10

The week's best albums include the gothic Heaven Knows from PinkPantheress, a meticulously recreated — and legendary — Bob Dylan concert from Cat Power, Mon LaFerte's seductive Autopoiética and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Nov. 10

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Oct. 27

Chronicles of a Diamond, the long-awaited sophomore full-length from Black Pumas, is one of NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on Oct. 27. Jody Domingue/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jody Domingue/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Oct. 27

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include the long-awaited sophomore full-length from Black Pumas, Peruvian electronic artist Sofia Kourtesis, The Mountain Goats and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Oct. 27

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out Oct. 13

L'Rain's new album, I Killed Your Dog, is one of our favorite releases of the week. Tonje Thilesen/Courtest of the artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best releases out Oct. 13

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include Australian pop star Troye Sivan, singer-songwriter Jamila Woods and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out Oct. 13

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out Sept. 29

Jorja Smith's long-awaited sophomore full-length, Falling or Flying, tops our shortlist for the best albums out this week. Mike Excell/Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best releases out Sept. 29

The best albums out now include singer Jorja Smith's soaring but solitary full-length Falling or Flying, an inspired, messy affair from Cherry Glazerr, Becky G's ode to Mexican Regional and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out Sept. 29

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out Sept. 22

The Singapore-born artist and producer yeule's new album, softscars, makes NPR Music's shortlist of the best albums out this week. Neil Krug/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Neil Krug/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best releases out Sept. 22

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include Doja Cat's Scarlet, Kylie Minogue's Tension, yeule's genre-hopping softscars and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out Sept. 22

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Aug. 18

Jon Batiste's World Music Radio tops our shortlist for the best new albums out on Aug. 18. Emman Montalvan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Emman Montalvan/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Aug. 18

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include new releases from Jon Batiste, Hozier, Rhiannon Giddens, Cautious Clay and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Aug. 18

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Aug. 11

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

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New Music Friday: The best releases out on Aug. 11

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include Noname's long-awaited Sundial, Karol G's Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), a long-lost Neil Young release and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out on Aug. 11

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out on July 28

Post Malone's AUSTIN tops this week's shortlist of the best albums out now. Alfred Marroquin/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best releases out on July 28

The best albums out this week include new ones from Post Malone, Carly Rae Jepsen, composer and singer Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Joni Mitchell's surprise performance at Newport last year and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out on July 28

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Wednesday

In 'I'm a Virgo,' a gentle giant gets a rough awakening

Jharrel Jerome plays Cootie in I'm A Virgo. Prime Video hide caption

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Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'I'm a Virgo,' a gentle giant gets a rough awakening

I'm A Virgo follows Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), a 13-foot tall young Black man who's grown up completely isolated and makes his first clumsy steps out into the world. Created by filmmaker Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You), the Amazon Prime series delves into systemic racism and social injustice that forces Cootie to question his naïve faith in the law, and in those who enforce it.

In 'I'm a Virgo,' a gentle giant gets a rough awakening

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out on June 23

Coi Leray's COI tops this week's shortlist of the best new albums out on June 23. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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New Music Friday: The best releases out on June 23

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include a self-titled dopamine hit from Coi Leray, the return of Big Freedia, Kelly Clarkson, a debut from Tommy Prine and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out on June 23

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out on June 9

Amaarae's new album Fountain Baby tops our shortlist of the best new albums out on June 9. Josh Croll/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best releases out on June 9

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include new ones from Amaarae, Janelle Monáe, King Krule, Keaton Henson and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out on June 9

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out on March 31

Chlöe's debut solo album In Pieces is on our shortlist for the best albums out on March 31. Jack Bridgland/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best releases out on March 31

NPR Music's picks for the best new albums out this week include Chlöe's In Pieces, the debut full-length from boygenius, South African singer Nakhane's Bastard Jargon and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out on March 31

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best releases out on March 17

T-Pain's On Top of the Covers is on our shortlist of the best albums out on March 17. Giles Williams/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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New Music Friday: The best releases out on March 17

Our shortlist of the week's best new releases includes an incredible collection of cover songs from the rapper T-Pain, an EP from Hozier, labyrinthine surprises from Princess Nokia and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out on March 17

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Tuesday

Monday

Revolutionary Fun: Why we can't stop talking about Beyoncé's 'Renaissance'

Renaissance, Beyoncé's seventh full-length solo album, mines a liberating history of dance music, from Donna Summer-sampling disco to modern Chicago house. Carlijn Jacobs/Via Parkwood Entertainment hide caption

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Music Features

Revolutionary Fun: Why we can't stop talking about Beyoncé's 'Renaissance'

The era-defining star's seventh album sparks a conversation about the infinite possibilities of dance music, the difference between fun and pleasure and why disco is always political.

Tuesday

Friday

Monday

NPR's favorite music of March, from sledgehammer punk to a radiant cantata

Clockwise, from top left: Soul Glo, Kilo Kish, rusowsky, Jenny Hval, Jóhann Jóhannsson. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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NPR's favorite music of March, from sledgehammer punk to a radiant cantata

March's best new music includes Kilo Kish's pop treatise on this game called life, Jenny Hval's philosophy on art-making, Soul Glo's punk rage and more.

NPR's favorite music of March, from sledgehammer punk to a radiant cantata

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Wednesday

Records That Changed Our Lives, Teen Edition: 'Tidal,' 'Blacks' Magic,' Beyoncé's '4'

Beyoncé's 4, Salt-N-Pepa's Blacks' Magic and Fiona Apple's Tidal are featured in our Records That Changed Our Lives series. Photo Illustration by Estefania Mitre/NPR/Getty Images hide caption

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Photo Illustration by Estefania Mitre/NPR/Getty Images

All Songs Considered

Records That Changed Our Lives, Teen Edition: 'Tidal,' 'Blacks' Magic,' Beyoncé's '4'

What record changed your life? NPR Music's Turning the Tables, which challenges sexism in the pop music canon, asked writers that question. Every week in March, we're diving into their answers.

Records That Changed Our Lives, Teen Edition: 'Tidal,' 'Blacks' Magic,' Beyoncé's '4'

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How you feel about 'Bel-Air' may depend upon how you feel about CW dramas

Jabari Banks stars as Will in the new Peacock series Bel-Air. Peacock/Greg Gayne hide caption

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Peacock/Greg Gayne

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

How you feel about 'Bel-Air' may depend upon how you feel about CW dramas

What if you took The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but made it a gritty, modern drama where Will is sent to Bel-Air to avoid facing an illegal gun possession charge? That's the basic premise of Bel-Air — the reboot of the classic 90s sitcom that made Will Smith a TV star. Jabari Banks steps into the role of Will, who this time around is less a goofy charmer and more a cool star athlete. It's a show that barely resembles its predecessor, with each member of the Banks family getting a radically dramatic makeover, too.

How you feel about 'Bel-Air' may depend upon how you feel about CW dramas

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Tuesday

'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' is still (mostly) fresh, all these years later

The cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air got together for a reunion special on HBO Max in 2020. Saeed Adyani/HBO Max hide caption

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Saeed Adyani/HBO Max

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' is still (mostly) fresh, all these years later

Few shows had quite the same reach and impact in the 1990s as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The NBC series catapulted Will Smith into movie stardom, and it remains infinitely memeable — from the Carlton Dance to its instantly recognizable theme song. And while it was a goofy fish-out-of-water sitcom, the series also revealed layers and heft, with humor (and occasionally some very special drama) that frequently touched on class and race.

'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' is still (mostly) fresh, all these years later

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Thursday

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