Released in a span of three months, the new albums by Ayra Starr, Tems and Tyla are not merely career-making for the artists, but ground-shifting for the pop music of the continent.
From Billie Eilish to Bad Bunny, JT to J.Lo, boygenius to Ice Spice, here they are: the home-run performances, the solid base hits and the outright whiffs.
The Houston-bred artist's new album uses country as a trapdoor into a sweeping genre expression. By adopting the role of the outlaw, she's free to toss all rules into the trash heap.
The South African singer brought a homegrown genre, amapiano, to new ears with a viral hit and a Grammy. With her debut album, she wants to prove the world is ready for a full-blown African pop star.
What do New Jazz Underground, Black Sabbath and Remi Wolf have in common? According to NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich, they put out the best tracks of the week.
The success of the polymath's technicolor Whack World EP left something darker brewing beneath the surface. Years later, she talks about pushing through self-doubt to rediscover her confidence.
What would you do if your favorite artist stared you down and asked for the truth? On this 8 Tracks: Michael Knott, Rapsody and Tierra Whack offer mirrors to themselves and to anyone listening.
You, a Pisces full of wisdom, have discovered a new song that lights up your soul. This week on 8 Tracks: Mild to wild obsessions with SZA, Bat for Lashes and Alice Coltrane.
Recent songs by Maggie Rogers and Kacey Musgraves took NPR Music's Lars Gotrich back to a familiar sound and ethos. On this edition of 8 Tracks, we dream up a Lilith Fair lineup.
The former Alabama Shakes leader is in total control of her new album's genre-defying odyssey through this thing called life, evoking the mastery of another do-it-all maestro: Prince.
This year's Super Bowl halftime star is a rare species in pop: More entertainer than celebrity, his enduring stage presence has eclipsed his melodramas, and perhaps even his music.
