Caitlyn Smith's new album, High, is out April 8. Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Music Features In-depth storytelling from the NPR Music team.
Music Features
Jon Batiste (center) performs at the 64th annual Grammy Awards on April 3, 2022. Batiste was nominated in 11 categories and took home five prizes, including album of the year. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images hide caption
South Florida rapper Denzel Curry released his fifth studio album, Melt My Eyez See Your Future, on March 25. Adrian Villagomez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
On their new albums, Morris and Tuttle are both sharpening their artistic identities while reinventing what staying invested in their genres of origin can look and sound like. Samantha Muljat/Harper Smith/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Paramore's Brand New Eyes and Tracy Chapman's Tracy Chapman are featured in our Records That Changed Our Lives series. Photo Illustration by Estefania Mitre/NPR/Getty Images hide caption
Records That Changed Our Lives: Finding hope in Tracy Chapman and 'Brand New Eyes'
A March 24 dress rehearsal for "A Knee on the Neck." Front, from left: Mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges, National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorale Music Director Piotr Gajewski, tenor Norman Shankle and baritone Kenneth Overton. Behind: The National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorale, joined by members of The Washington Chorus and The Howard University Chorale. Elman Studio/Courtesy of the National Philharmonic hide caption
"I think that we could have gone two ways. We could have gotten even angrier and even harder," says Camp Cope's Georgia Maq. "But we didn't." Nick Mckk/Nick Mckk hide caption
Sylvan Esso's recording studio Betty's fosters musical community in North Carolina
North Carolina Public Radio – WUNC
The Grammy-winning artist Koffee, whose debut full-lenth album, Gifted, is out March 25. Nwaka Okparaeke/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
PJ Harvey's Uh Huh Her and Tiger Trap's Tiger Trap are featured in our Records That Changed Our Lives series. Photo Illustration by Estefania Mitre/NPR/Getty Images hide caption
Records That Changed Our Lives: Defying gatekeepers with 'Uh Huh Her' and Tiger Trap
Pianist Ruth Slenczynska, photographed in 2021. At 97, she just released her first record for the Decca label in nearly 60 years. Meredith Truax/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
At 97, Pianist Ruth Slenczynska has a new album — and plenty of stories
"There's been quite a lot of tension between the way I've chosen to do things and the way a major label expects female pop artists to do things," Charli XCX tells NPR. Emily Lipson hide caption
Asheville, N.C. musician Sarah Louise takes her existing guitar and vocal approach to new heights. Katrina Ohstrom/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
How North Carolina's experimental folk scene creates a new American sound
North Carolina Public Radio – WUNC
bbymutha's Muthaland and Santigold's Santigold are featured in our Records That Changed Our Lives series. Photo Illustration by Estefania Mitre/NPR/Getty Images hide caption
Records That Changed Our Lives, Grown Woman Edition: Santigold and 'Muthaland'
Lise Davidsen, performing in the title role of Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos at the Metropolitan Opera in Feb. 2022. Marty Sohl/The Metropolitan Opera hide caption
Norwegian opera singer Lise Davidsen is on the verge of superstardom
Jenny Hval's Classic Objects is out March 11. Jenny Berger Myhre/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Melvin Blackman is a retired teacher who taught a young Notorious B.I.G in preschool. Mr. Blackman stands on St. James Pl. the block Biggie grew up on in his childhood. Russell Frederick for NPR hide caption
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
Records That Changed Our Lives, Teen Edition: 'Tidal,' 'Blacks' Magic,' Beyoncé's '4'
Nilüfer Yanya's second full-length album, PAINLESS, is out March 4. Molly Daniel/Molly Daniel hide caption
Stevie Wonder, photographed arriving in London on Jan. 25, 1974 — almost directly in the middle of what many refer to as the artist's "classic period." Dennis Oulds/Getty Images hide caption
Half a century ago, Stevie Wonder defined what an 'artist's classic run' could mean
Dave Bartholomew's "Carnival Day" was part of a wave of 1950s Mardi Gras recordings that give us a window into the forces that influence the soundtrack of Carnival to this day. Gilles Petard/Redferns hide caption