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Music Lists

NPR's favorite music of July, from thundering pop to ecstatic electronics

The best music release in July includes albums by (from top left, clockwise) Maggie Rogers, Caterina Barbieri, Beyoncé, Bear1Boss and Johnny Gandelsman. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Courtesy of the artists

All Songs Considered

NPR's favorite music of July, from thundering pop to ecstatic electronics

Maggie Rogers leveled up and Beyoncé dropped another album we'll think about all year. But Johnny Gandelsman also took us across America, Bear1Boss super-smashed rap and Caterina Barbieri found immanence in synths.

NPR's favorite music of July, from thundering pop to ecstatic electronics

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Maggie Rogers' summer mixtape sweats with sweetness

"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

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Olivia Bee/Courtesy of the artist

Roséwave: Your Summer Soundtrack

Maggie Rogers' summer mixtape sweats with sweetness

Filled with pop mosaics, Surrender feels like a quintessentially summer album. Naturally, we asked Maggie Rogers for a roséwave playlist.

To understand BTS, it helps to reach beyond the hits

V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin and J-Hope of BTS attend the Grammy Awards in 2022. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy hide caption

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Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Pop Culture Happy Hour

To understand BTS, it helps to reach beyond the hits

The Korean pop sensation BTS recently announced that its members are taking a break to pursue solo projects. The band has had massive success in the U.S. with songs like "Dynamite" and "Butter", but their discography is farther-reaching than casual fans might think. So we thought now would be a good time to showcase some of the best deep cuts in the BTS catalog.

To understand BTS, it helps to reach beyond the hits

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NPR's favorite music of June, from salty joy to heart-wrenching slow jams

From top left, clockwise: The Suffers, GIVĒON, Saya Gray, Petrol Girls, Regina Spektor,. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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All Songs Considered

NPR's favorite music of June, from salty joy to heart-wrenching slow jams

June brought us The Suffers' socially conscious party music, Saya Gray's headphones-worthy debut, GIVĒON's R&B ballads, Regina Spektor's elaborate songwriting and Petrol Girls' amped-up punk.

NPR's favorite music of June, from salty joy to heart-wrenching slow jams

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Heavy Rotation: Public Radio's Most Popular Songs of 2022 (So Far)

From left, Leyla McCalla, Saba, and Victoria Legrand of Beach House. Photo illustration: Abel F. Ros/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images, Brad Barket/Getty Images, Mike Windle/Getty Images; Vanessa Leroy for NPR hide caption

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Photo illustration: Abel F. Ros/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images, Brad Barket/Getty Images, Mike Windle/Getty Images; Vanessa Leroy for NPR

World Cafe

Heavy Rotation: Public Radio's Most Popular Songs of 2022 (So Far)

Beach House and Mitski and Spoon, oh my! Here are the tracks public radio is spinning over and over this year.

NPR Music's 36 Favorite Songs of 2022 (So Far)

Saba (left), Lizzo (center) and Rosalía have released some of our favorite songs of the year so far. Collage by Estefanía Mitre / NPR/Photos courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Collage by Estefanía Mitre / NPR/Photos courtesy of the artists

Best Music of 2022

NPR Music's 36 Favorite Songs of 2022 (So Far)

The songs we love from the first half of the year span a wide emotional and musical range, from wild percussive romps to raw pleas for empathy to Beyoncé's command to leave it all on the dance floor.

Songs to believe in: A Juneteenth playlist

USA. Mississippi. Tunica. 1985. © Eli Reed/Magnum Photos hide caption

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© Eli Reed/Magnum Photos

The Picture Show

Songs to believe in: A Juneteenth playlist

This Juneteenth, pianist Lara Downes remembers the freedom that has been hard fought and hard won.

Songs to believe in: A Juneteenth playlist

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NPR's favorite music of May, from a San Benito summer to an uneasy opus

NPR Music's best music of May includes (from top left, clockwise) Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Julia Reidy, Ravyn Lenae and Ethel Cain. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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All Songs Considered

NPR's favorite music of May, from a San Benito summer to an uneasy opus

May brought us Bad Bunny's stacked summer album, Kendrick Lamar's unsettled opus, Ravyn Lenae's otherworldly debut, Julia Reidy's microtonal guitar dissonance and Ethel Cain's haunted pop.

NPR's favorite music of May, from a San Benito summer to an uneasy opus

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