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Heavy Rotation: Public Radio's Most Popular Songs of 2022 (So Far)

From left, Leyla McCalla, Saba, and Victoria Legrand of Beach House. Photo illustration: Abel F. Ros/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images, Brad Barket/Getty Images, Mike Windle/Getty Images; Vanessa Leroy for NPR hide caption

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Photo illustration: Abel F. Ros/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images, Brad Barket/Getty Images, Mike Windle/Getty Images; Vanessa Leroy for NPR

World Cafe

Heavy Rotation: Public Radio's Most Popular Songs of 2022 (So Far)

Beach House and Mitski and Spoon, oh my! Here are the tracks public radio is spinning over and over this year.

NPR Music's 36 Favorite Songs of 2022 (So Far)

Saba (left), Lizzo (center) and Rosalía have released some of our favorite songs of the year so far. Collage by Estefanía Mitre / NPR/Photos courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Collage by Estefanía Mitre / NPR/Photos courtesy of the artists

Best Music of 2022

NPR Music's 36 Favorite Songs of 2022 (So Far)

The songs we love from the first half of the year span a wide emotional and musical range, from wild percussive romps to raw pleas for empathy to Beyoncé's command to leave it all on the dance floor.

New Music Friday: The best releases out June 24

MUNA self-titled album tops this week's shortlist of the best albums out on June 24. Isaac Schneider/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Isaac Schneider/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best releases out June 24

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include new ones from the electro-pop band MUNA, R&B singer GIVĒON, country star Jimmie Allen, Soccer Mommy and more.

New Music Friday: The best releases out June 24

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From bebop to hip-hop: Gary Bartz's sax sound shapes many eras

Gary Bartz Jonathan Chimene/WBGO hide caption

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Jonathan Chimene/WBGO

Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

From bebop to hip-hop: Gary Bartz's sax sound shapes many eras

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

Gary Bartz shares stories from his sixty-plus-year career, covering everything from bebop to hip-hop. Hear a heartfelt conversation between the legendary saxophonist and host Christian McBride.

From bebop to hip-hop: Gary Bartz's sax sound shapes many eras

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Logic is ready to do things his way

The rapper Logic, whose latest album, Vinyl Days, was released June 17. Justin Fleischer/Courtesy of the artist. hide caption

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Justin Fleischer/Courtesy of the artist.

Music Interviews

Logic is ready to do things his way

In an interview with Morning Edition, rapper Logic explains the central message of his new album, Vinyl Days: "I rap good! Let's just be honest here."

Logic is ready to do things his way

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On 'It's Almost Dry,' Pusha T plays the long game

"Rap — this is a whole lifestyle," Pusha T tells NPR. "This is a whole culture." Amy Harris/Amy Harris/Invision/AP hide caption

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Amy Harris/Amy Harris/Invision/AP

Music Interviews

On 'It's Almost Dry,' Pusha T plays the long game

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with the rapper about making his new album It's Almost Dry, working with Kanye and Pharrell and reflecting on what longevity looks like in hip-hop.

On 'It's Almost Dry,' Pusha T plays the long game

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Authorities arrest suspect in the killing of the Atlanta rapper Trouble

Trouble performs during the V-103 Live Pop Up Concert at Philips Arena on Saturday, March 31, 2018, in Atlanta. Robb Cohen/Robb Cohen/Invision/AP hide caption

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Robb Cohen/Robb Cohen/Invision/AP

Music News

Authorities arrest suspect in the killing of the Atlanta rapper Trouble

Mariel Semonte Orr, known professionally as Trouble, was shot once in the chest and killed at an apartment in Conyers, Georgia. Authorities have arrested the suspected shooter, Jamichael Jones.

NPR's favorite music of May, from a San Benito summer to an uneasy opus

NPR Music's best music of May includes (from top left, clockwise) Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Julia Reidy, Ravyn Lenae and Ethel Cain. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Courtesy of the artists

All Songs Considered

NPR's favorite music of May, from a San Benito summer to an uneasy opus

May brought us Bad Bunny's stacked summer album, Kendrick Lamar's unsettled opus, Ravyn Lenae's otherworldly debut, Julia Reidy's microtonal guitar dissonance and Ethel Cain's haunted pop.

NPR's favorite music of May, from a San Benito summer to an uneasy opus

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Young Thug's racketeering charges show how hip-hop is still criminalized

Gunna and Young Thug perform at half time during game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics on November 17, 2021 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images hide caption

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Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images

Louder Than A Riot

Young Thug's racketeering charges show how hip-hop is still criminalized

Last week, two of Atlanta's biggest rappers Young Thug and Gunna were arrested under the RICO Act. The DA charged their crew YSL as a gang and the indictment read more like a lyrical analysis than a police report. If this sounds familiar, it's because these same tactics were used in cases we explored with DJ Drama, Bobby Shmurda, and Mac Phipps. In this bonus episode, we speak with NPR's Ayesha Rascoe about the impact of YSL, and how RICO is being used against rap crews.

Young Thug's racketeering charges show how hip-hop is still criminalized

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