All Songs Considered

Lil Nas X's "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" is NPR Music's best song of 2021. Charlotte Rutherford/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Jazmine Sullivan Myesha Evon Gardner/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Julie Doiron's I Thought of You is one of NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on Nov. 26. Matt Williams/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: Beach House, Lizzy McAlpine, Jasmyn, Semler Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Adele's long-awaited 30 tops NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on Nov. 19. Simon Emmett/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: FACESOUL, Big Thief, Pinegrove, Maia Friedman Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Zhalarina entered the 2021 Tiny Desk Contest with her song "Lala." Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars, together as Silk Sonic. Their debut, An Evening with Silk Sonic, tops our shortlist of the week's best new albums. John Esparza/Silk Sonic hide caption

Top row, left to right: David Keenan, Rokia Koné, Jónsi; Bottom row, left to right: Sóley, Julie Doiron Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Terrace Martin's new solo album, Drones, is one of NPR Music's picks for the best releases out on Nov. 5. Samantha Whitehead/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

From top left, clockwise: Buffalo Nichols, Jordan Peters, illuminati hotties, Emily D'Angelo, Helado Negro, Cerce. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

The Washington, D.C.-based band Oh He Dead entered its song "The Foreigner" into the 2021 Tiny Desk Contest. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Mon Laferte's 1940 Carmen is one of our picks for the best releases out on Oct. 29. Joel Orta/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Upper left: Quinn Christopherson; upper right: mehro; Bottom right: Scout LaRue Willis; Bottom left: Idles; middle: Anjimile Courtesy of the artists hide caption

K-pop singer CL's debut solo album, ALPHA, is one of our picks for the best releases out on Oct. 22. Courtesy of Very Cherry hide caption

Cover art for The Beatles album Let It Be Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Z The Author submitted the song "Khali's Interlude" to the 2021 Tiny Desk Contest. Erin Porter/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Atlanta rapper Young Thug's second official studio album, Punk, is among our picks for the best new releases out on Oct. 15. Brandon Lee/Courtesy of the artist hide caption