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
11 snips
Feb 24, 2026 • 44min
All Songs Considered: U2 meets the moment, Lana Del Rey goes 'True Detective,' James Blake croons
U2 drops a surprise political-leaning EP with a fiery opener. Arlo Parks pivots toward dancefloor grooves and cinematic nightlife. Lana Del Rey offers a haunting, theatrical ode full of strange domestic imagery. James Blake blends time-bending orchestration with shifting moods. Intimate viral songwriting and soulful duets round out the week’s standout tracks.
Feb 21, 2026 • 1min
Special announcement
A host explains which shows will stay available and which parts of the feed are changing. Visual updates to the feed name and artwork are described. The ongoing release schedule and biweekly bonus content are confirmed. A brief thank-you and signoff wraps up the announcement.
40 snips
Feb 20, 2026 • 39min
New Music Friday: The best albums out Feb. 20
Evan Miller, radio host and music programmer at WYSO who champions new and experimental sounds, guides a romp through left-field releases. Short takes on Willow's genre-hopping record. Deep dives into jazz-punk collision, Turkish psych-folk, and unconventional folk-classical blends. Quick picks highlight sprawling instrumental jams and pop-leaning surprises.
Feb 18, 2026 • 33min
Alt.Latino: A Brazilian summer and a lost Mexican masterpiece
A summertime dive into Brazilian sounds, from indigenous and African influences to electronic-tinged collaborations. A multimedia folk project profiles Latin American lives through songs and photos. A rare 1971 Mexican rock record is resurrected as a lost time capsule. Coastal, rural and desert-tinged tunes mingle in a global new-music roundup.
19 snips
Feb 17, 2026 • 45min
Andrew Bird on ‘The Pitt,’ Gia Margaret and more of the best new songs
Dora Levitt, NPR Music contributor and New Music Friday curator, shares her latest obsessions. They talk shoegaze textures from Draag. They explore Mandy, Indiana’s unsettling dystopian sounds. They discuss Andrew Bird’s tender song for The Pitt. They highlight Ratboys’ emotional builds, Gia Margaret’s layered vocals after voice loss, and By Storm’s reinvention.
12 snips
Feb 13, 2026 • 38min
New Music Friday: The best albums out Feb. 13
Nastia Voynovskaya, arts and culture reporter at KQED, brings sharp music criticism and local arts perspective. They dive into new albums from Jill Scott’s long-awaited return to Brent Faiyaz’s lush vulnerability. Conversations also cover indie-folk introspection, K-pop brightness, literate punk-inflected storytelling, and a fast lightning round of eclectic new releases.
Feb 11, 2026 • 33min
Alt.Latino: Puerto Rico takes the field at the Bad Bunny Super Bowl
Isabella Gomez-Armiento, an on-the-ground reporter from Puerto Rico, brings local perspective and reporting from San Juan. She describes packed watch parties and emotional reactions. They explore how the halftime staging recreated Puerto Rican touchstones, critiqued infrastructure, and reframed Latin identity for a global audience.
41 snips
Feb 10, 2026 • 55min
Why everyone is still talking about Geese
Ann Powers, longtime NPR music critic, and Yasi Salek, Bandsplain host, discuss why Geese have become unavoidable. They trace the band’s rise, the shift on Getting Killed, their live dynamics, lyrical mystery, and the backlash around authenticity and hype. Short takes on influences, privilege, and whether Geese can outlast the current buzz.
6 snips
Feb 6, 2026 • 38min
New Music Friday: The best albums out Feb. 6
Erin Wolf, Radio Milwaukee contributor and 88.9 FM music curator, guides listeners through the best new albums out Feb. 6. Short takes on Ratboys' twangy indie rock, Beverly Glenn-Copeland's warm theatrical return, Daphni's club-ready dance reinvention, Charlotte Day Wilson's deep R&B, John Craigie’s Laurel Canyon storytelling, plus rapid-fire picks from the week.
Feb 4, 2026 • 37min
Alt.Latino: Bad Bunny makes history at the Grammys. Up next, the Super BBowl
Isabella Gomez-Armiento, journalist and Latin music commentator, provides historical and analytical perspective on Bad Bunny's cultural moment. She discusses his Grammy win and upcoming Super Bowl performance. They explore Puerto Rico at the center of his art. Conversation covers his political voice, streaming-era rise, language choices, and how representation may play out on the Super Bowl stage.
