NPR Music critics reflect on the lyrics that captured the year's mood, sparked emotions and stayed with them long after the music stopped.

Zach Bryan has released his single, "Bad News," which condemns law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Worshippers took a moment to pause, mourn and sing, even as they continued to organize resistance efforts against ICE's ...

The Dead was, as we know, a reluctant studio band and not one for hit singles, but some of its top-charting songs came from ...

Stranger Things has always been a show that has a song in its heart, and that was especially true of the finale. The Duffer ...

January 9, 2026 • Dry Cleaning. Jenny on Holiday. An introspective debut from Mon Rovîa. Stephen Thompson from NPR Music is joined by Celia Gregory from WNXP in Nashville to talk about their favorite ...

Podcasts Music Commentary Song of the Day From MPR News Music lovers from 89.3 The Current comb through mountains of music to choose the best new, independent, and unreleased songs to share with you ...