Culture | Music
Musician Fantastic Negrito wants to spread the light. He first had to face his past.With “Son of a Broken Man,” Grammy winner Fantastic Negrito tackles his relationship with his father, and considers how to overcome the darkness in our lives.
People turn to ‘CircleSinging’ to raise their voices – and joyBelting out a tune in front of strangers is a big ask for most people. CircleSinging participants regularly take that risk, and among their rewards are friendship and acceptance.
Cover StoryHe hears America singing. Jake Xerxes Fussell brings new life to folk music.Jake Xerxes Fussell has been seeking forgotten American folk songs his entire life. His fifth album, “When I’m Called,” releases July 12.
With hit ‘Girl, So Confusing,’ pop stars offer a model of conflict resolutionMusic history is full of feuds between musicians. But pop singers Charli XCX and Lorde just released a hit that opts for reconciliation over vitriol.
First LookWynton Marsalis and Bryan Stevenson fuse jazz, protest, and justice on Juneteenth albumCivil rights lawyer and jazz pianist Bryan Stevenson and Pulitzer-winning jazz artist Wynton Marsalis collaborated on a new live performance album of historic jazz records to honor Juneteenth and Black history.
Ann Powers was writing Joni Mitchell’s life story. She found her own.With her new biography about Joni Mitchell, NPR music critic Ann Powers says she wanted to challenge the idea that there’s only one definitive story of a life.
First LookDOJ sues Live Nation for muscling out competition in ticket salesThe U.S. Department of Justice announced an antitrust lawsuit against the entertainment company Live Nation. Ticketmaster, which merged with Live Nation in 2010, has been blamed for inflated ticket prices by both consumers and artists.
First LookOnce a ‘bedroom pop’ crooner, Billie Eilish is wide awake on her latest albumA once-in-a-generation performer, Billie Eilish rewrites the rules yet again on “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” her ambitious third release. It’s a project meant to be enjoyed in full, rich with sonic depth and emotional maturity.
First LookNemo, Eurovision’s first nonbinary winner, gets a hero’s welcome in SwitzerlandEurovision has long been embraced as a haven for the LGBTQ+ community. This year’s competition struck a particular victory for acceptance, crowning the contest’s first nonbinary winner with an eclectic anthem about being true to oneself.
First LookMamma Mia! Here we go again. Eurovision wraps up in Sweden with pomp and protests.Eurovision’s 2024 competition is bringing flashy and theatrical pop music to Malmo, Sweden. It’s also bringing thousands of protesters who are criticizing Israel’s participation in the contest.
Singer Laura Veirs finds creativity everywhere – bikes, skates, power sawsFor some artists, inspiration comes when ideas flow naturally, rather than being demanded. With the release of her latest album, songwriter Laura Veirs reflects on how creativity manifests itself.
OK, she’s worth $1 billion, but can Taylor Swift write poetry? We ask the experts.Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” will be released on April 19. In advance, we asked poets what they think of the pop star’s wordsmithing.
André 3000 trades hip-hop for the flute – and still resonates with listenersOur commentator says that even if the artist, one-half of the hit duo Outkast, doesn’t say a word in his new music, he’s still able to impact culture in a way that invokes creativity and healing.
Not ‘country enough’? Beyoncé proudly proclaims her Texas roots in ‘Cowboy Carter.’Houston native Beyoncé offers her takes on everybody from the Beatles to Dolly Parton in a clarion call of an album, “Cowboy Carter.”
CommentaryNew editor at The Christian Science Monitor
Election week could be just as long, and fraught, as in 2020
With Senate hopes dwindling, Democrats look, once again, to Texas
In Gaza or Ukraine, peace can look impossible. Here, there’s hope.
On immigration, Harris and Trump talk tough – with critical differences
