Clockwise from upper left: The Smile, Basia Bulat, Pigeon Pit, Barrie, Kae Tempest Courtesy of the artists hide caption
All Songs Considered Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton spin new music from emerging bands and musical icons.
All Songs Considered
Upgrade Your Playlist
FKA Twigs' new mixtape, CAPRISONGS, tops our shortlist for the best albums out on Jan. 14. Orograph/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Cassettes released by Znous, Bacon Grease, Wendy Eisenberg, Morbo, Maraudeur, Myriam Gendron, Cara Neir, Felinto, Neo Geodesia and Lucy Liyou appear on this Viking's Choice episode. Photo Illustration by Renee Klahr, Lars Gotrich/NPR hide caption
Our first holiday adventure, in 2012, landed us at a tiny cabin in the woods, where we hosted a party for the ages. Mike Brinson/Getty Images hide caption
Bob Boilen at his Tiny Desk. NPR hide caption
HBO's Insecure not only identified a shift in Black music over the last five years, it helped distinguish it. Glen Wilson/HBO hide caption
Legacy, Okay?! For Black musicians, 'Insecure' created a new world of possibilities
Projects released by Blu DeTiger, girl in red, Normani and Draco Rosa are among the NPR Music staff's favorite songs and albums that didn't make our final best-of lists for 2021. Photo Illustration by Renee Klahr/NPR; Getty Images hide caption
The best songs and albums we missed in 2021
Let's make the yuletide weird, y'all. Illustration by Daniel Warren Johnson, Lars Gotrich/NPR hide caption
PinkPantheress, Wet Leg and María Becerra are among NPR Music's best new artists and breakthroughs of 2021. Photo Illustration by Renee Klahr/NPR; Getty Images hide caption
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
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss David McClister/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Zhalarina entered the 2021 Tiny Desk Contest with her song "Lala." Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Tiny Desk Contest entrant Zhalarina on the paternal bond that inspired 'Lala'
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
Folk singer Karen Dalton. Christian Rose/Fastimage 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