Olivia Newton-John at a London press conference in 1978. The pop singer, actress and activist died August 8 at 73. Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption
Music Features In-depth storytelling from the NPR Music team.
Music Features
The heroine of Prey, Naru, is played by Amber Midthunder. David Bukach/Hulu hide caption
How a Grammy-winning Pueblo musician influenced the soundtrack for 'Prey'
Ari Leff a.k.a. Lauv Lauren Dunn/Ari Leff hide caption
What Wild Up unearths on Julius Eastman, Vol. 2: Joy Boy is more than just music, it's a set of relations and modes of comporting in the world that risk trading fleeting, worldly praise to regain the eternal soul. Ron Hammond hide caption
Amanda Shires' new album, Take It Like a Man, is her finest release, encapsulating much of what makes Shires an artist deserving of the word "singular." Michael Schmelling/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Samara Joy performs at the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival, which spanned from July 29 to July 31, in Newport, R.I. Ozier Muhammad for NPR hide caption
A generation of contemporary artists are drawing on the lessons of the past to reimagine the classic bolero. Left to right: Olga Guillot, La Lupe, and Doris Anahí Victor Bizar Gomez for NPR hide caption
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
The Heart of Afghanistan project is Ahmad Fanoos on vocals & harmonium, his sons Elham on piano and Mehran on violin, with Hamid Habibzada on tabla. Sachyn Mital/Sachyn Mital hide caption
Rhoda Scott Alexandre Lacombe/Alexandre Lacombe hide caption
An American in Paris: organist Rhoda Scott's remarkable career in Jazz
Jazz at Lincoln Center
"New Beyoncé is literally good for everybody in the world," Maggie Rogers says of Renaissance, which shares a release date with her own Surrender. "I'm so excited for this record." Olivia Bee/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Missy Elliott Scott Gries/Getty Images hide caption
Culture Corner: Missy Elliott on World Cafe
Beyoncé's long-awaited seventh solo album, Act I Renaissance, is due out Friday, July 29. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Jens Lekman in 2022. Ellika Henrikson/Courtesy of Chromatic PR hide caption
For Swedish musician Jens Lekman, recrafting old albums was a lesson in self-love
"We're not friends like we go out and talk about the weather," Emily Sprague says about her bandmates in Florist. "We're friends like we are a part of each other's souls." Carl Solether/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Sophie Allison's third album as Soccer Mommy, Sometimes, Forever, is a study in contrasts: focused, intimate writing paired with wild production that whips her songs into squalls of distortion and delay. Sophie Hur/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Singer-songwriter Manizha, photographed at Eurovision in Rotterdam on May 16, 2021. She faced a cyberbullying campaign in Russia after voicing opposition to the country's military operation in Ukraine. Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images hide caption
Lou Reed, photographed at the opening of his photography exhibit at the Gallery at Hermes on Jan. 19, 2006 in New York. Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images hide caption
The physicality of music — how it impacts the body and the way space can alter its effect — has been central to Caterina Barbieri's work. Furmaan Ahmed hide caption
On Laura Veirs' 12th studio album, Found Light, her command never falters. Shelby Brakken/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Lilith Fair founder Sarah McLachlan performs during its 2010 revival in Camden, New Jersey. Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images hide caption