NPR

• Madison Beer on the themes she unlocks in 'Locket' | NPR
Madison Beer talks about her new album 'Locket', and growing up in the public eye since age 13.

• Rawayana on their new album and a changing Venezuela : Alt.Latino | NPR
Sometimes life imitates art - or at least the two can seem eerily connected. On Jan. 1, the Venezuelan band Rawayana released a new album, '¿Dónde Es El After?,' which began with a lyric that many interpreted as a wish for their country's leadership to be gone. A few days later, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was ousted from power and seized by American forces. For this week's episode, we chat with Fofo Story and Beto Montenegro of Rawayana to hear how the album came together, where its sonic influences lie, and how they're reflecting on the seismic changes underway in their home country.(00:00) Intro(01:54) How they decided to open the album(06:26) On the song 'Qué Rico PR!'(09:36) Caribbean influences growing up(13:41) Childhood love for merenhouse(16:13) Adapting tonada folk music(21:58) Reflections on Venezuela in this momentThis podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.

• This week's pop charts are all about The Weeknd — and the Grammys | NPR
This week, The Weeknd's new album Hurry Up Tomorrow debuts atop the Billboard 200 albums chart, and the biggest winners and performers from the Grammys experience big chart bumps.

• What was The Weeknd? | NPR
Abel Tesfaye's hedonistic alter-ego meets his end on Hurry Up Tomorrow, forcing listeners to ask just who we've been partying with all this time.

• The world of 'Eusexua,' according to FKA twigs | NPR | Jan. 24, 2025, 11 a.m.
You have your new album. You've just announced the huge Eusexia tour, and I think no one will be surprised to know that you are going to bring it back to Prague, where the inspiration came from ...

• Bad Bunny's politics of presence | NPR
Benito's Saturn Return leads to a folk revival on 'DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,' remixing the poetics and politics of Puerto Rican roots music.

• Lil Baby and Bad Bunny have fantastic chart debuts | NPR
Two debuts claim the top two spots on Billboard's main album's chart: Lil Baby and Bad Bunny.

• Bad Bunny's 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos,' Explained : All Songs Considered | NPR
Alt.Latino hosts Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras, and NPR reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento break down what exactly makes the record so Puerto Rican and why its Bad Bunny's most reflective, ambitious and ingenious album yet.

• No surprise this week: Kendrick Lamar rules the charts | NPR
A week after Kendrick Lamar's new album, GNX, was surprise released, it proved to be a chart phenomenon, debuting at No. 1 on the album chart and claiming the Top 5 spots on the singles chart.

• No surprise this week: Kendrick Lamar rules the charts | NPR
A week after Kendrick Lamar's new album GNX was surprise released, it proved to be a chart phenomenon, debuting at No. 1 on the album chart and claiming the top five spots on the singles chart.

• On 'Small Changes,' Mercury Prize-winning artist Michael Kiwanuka lets down his guard | NPR
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Mercury Prize-winning singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka, about his latest album, "Small Changes," and his musical influences.

• Michael Kiwanuka strips back his sound on 'Small Changes' : World Cafe Words and Music Podcast | NPR
The English singer, songwriter and producer says his fourth record represents a period of big life changes.