NPR Music
NPR
Welcome to your all-in-one destination for every NPR Music podcast. We break down the best new albums to hit streaming each week on New Music Friday; we share the latest songs worthy of your playlists on All Songs Considered; there’s off-the-rails conversations (and chisme!) about Latin music on Alt.Latino. The NPR Music channel is your hub for new records, iconic artists and cult heroes, free of algorithms and full of surprises.
Episodes
Mentioned books
8 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 43min
New Music Friday: The best albums out March 27
Alisa Ali, WFUV radio host and music programmer in New York, shares her picks for March 27 releases. She and Stephen highlight Robyn's Blade Runner electro-pop return and RAYE's sprawling 73-minute mashup. They discuss Flea's jazzy trumpet turn and The New Pornographers' reflective new record. Short lightning picks from critics cap the conversation.
Mar 25, 2026 • 28min
Alt.Latino: Songs she loves: Sofia Rei and the magic of the human voice
Sofia Rei, an Argentine vocalist and composer known for layered, voice-as-instrument work, shares songs that shaped her sound. She discusses her album Antónima, collaborations with Pan-Latin women artists, and blending folk, electronics, and experimental vocal textures. Short moments explore influences like Juana Molina, Tune-Yards, and Rita Indiana.
Mar 24, 2026 • 42min
All Songs Considered: Bon Iver talks to God, plus Tori Amos
A surprise live Bon Iver rarity and its synth-driven, euphoric live treatment. New songs from Tori Amos with atmospheric piano and communal themes. Luxembourg indie rocker Francis of Delirium brings upbeat yet melancholic riffs. A hypnotic trio delivers woozy, looped guitar trance. Influential metal band Neurosis returns with a cathartic, challenging new record.
5 snips
Mar 21, 2026 • 42min
Interview: Mitski
Mitski, singer-songwriter known for introspective indie rock, performs live and reflects on her new album. She talks about transforming songs from raw band ideas into orchestral soundscapes. Themes include disassociation, anonymity in small towns, gendered symbolism with cats, codependency and anxiety, and anger at how women’s stories are consumed.
19 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 40min
New Music Friday: The best albums out March 20
Francesca Harding, KCRW broadcaster and LA music curator, guides listeners through the week's standout releases. Conversations cover BTS's return and collaborators. They spotlight Alex Isley’s late-night R&B, underscores' dubstep-infused hyperpop, Zéna’s Ethiopian-jazz fusion, Grace Ives’ cinematic growth, Suitor’s raw post-punk, plus rapid-fire picks from critics.
Mar 18, 2026 • 31min
Alt.Latino: A Tejano master gets his flowers. Plus, Yahritza y Su Esencia returns
A Tejano legend’s life is traced through a celebratory tribute and conversations about regional roots. Yahritza y Su Esencia returns with a bold sophomore record and country-tinged melodies. Brazilian artist Lucas Santtana reunites with mentor Gilberto Gil. Ana Tijoux revisits late-90s hip-hop and protest rap.
Mar 17, 2026 • 43min
All Songs Considered: Olivia Rodrigo covers The Magnetic Fields, Noah Kahan channels his mom, and more
They highlight Olivia Rodrigo’s tender cover of a Magnetic Fields classic and how she reimagines its textures. Noah Kahan’s anthemic new single about home and family gets close attention. Conversation touches on AI and authenticity around Ages and Ages’ yearning track. Aldous Harding’s introspective free-associative song and Ryan Lott’s dense video game soundtrack rounds out the musical mix.
19 snips
Mar 14, 2026 • 33min
Interview: Kacey Musgraves on her new album, 'Middle of Nowhere'
Kacey Musgraves, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who blends country with pop and alt influences, talks about her sixth album Middle of Nowhere. She explains writing the single “Dry Spell” from solitude. She describes returning to traditional country sounds, Tejano and mariachi textures, collaborations with Willie Nelson and Miranda Lambert, and finding creative clarity in small-town liminal spaces.
13 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 43min
New Music Friday: The best albums out March 13
Amelia Mason, arts and culture reporter at WBUR who covers music, joins to review new album releases. They discuss Sturgill Simpson’s country-funk alter ego and its protest songs. James Blake’s dreamy, anxious record and notable collaborations come up. Conversations also cover Anjimile’s lyrical craft, Kim Gordon’s experimental rock, and Blessing Jolie’s genre-bending debut.
Mar 11, 2026 • 34min
Alt.Latino: If the singer falls silent, life falls silent: Female power anthems
Reporting from massive International Women’s Day marches in Mexico City and the power of protest songs on the street. A hall of fame of Latin female power anthems is introduced. Highlights include Violeta Parra, Mercedes Sosa, Celia Cruz, Lydia Mendoza, Mon Laferte and Ivy Queen and how their songs challenged exile, assault, grief and bodily agency.
