You can't always know that it's a great year for new music while it's happening, but there was a sense from the very start of 2024 that we were in for a ride.
Stephen Thompson on the biggest surprises, trends and questions to be found in the Grammy nominations, plus the most interesting stories to be found beyond the major categories.
With 11 nominations for Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé now has more than any artist in Grammy history. Her competition this year includes Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Post Malone.
Texas isn't a swing state, but both campaigns will visit on Friday. Beyoncé will perform at a Harris rally focused on abortion rights, while popular podcaster Joe Rogan interviews Trump.
The vice president, an avid Beyoncé fan, received a rare clearance to use the superstar's music before delivering a speech at her campaign headquarters in Delaware.
This week, Brittany Luse sits down with playwright Jocelyn Bioh, whose new play, Jaja's African Hair Braiding, is up for five Tony Award nominations, including Best Play. The two discuss Bioh's unique approach to comedy, what it took to bring a hair affair to Broadway, and how to find humor in dark situations.
Want to be featured on the show? Record your response to Brittany's question at the end of 'Hey Brittany' via voice memo and send it to ibam@npr.org.
Cowboy Carter has spurred plenty of discussion for being a groundbreaking country album. But for one critic, it calls to mind a cult favorite '70s psych-rock concept album.
Grab your cowboy hat, and saddle up that horse, because Beyoncé's highly anticipated album, Cowboy Carter is here. So far, the album has spurred praise, criticism, and questions about what the actual goal of this project is and how it fits into the Renaissance trilogy. To get into all of that, Brittany joined NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour to discuss whether this foray into country is an exercise in experimentation or industry validation.
In "Texas Hold 'Em," the singer is accompanied by a banjo. It's often thought of as a quintessential Americana instrument. But the history of the banjo tells a different story.
The Houston-bred artist's new album uses country as a trapdoor into a sweeping genre expression. By adopting the role of the outlaw, she's free to toss all rules into the trash heap.
Throw on those boots with the spurs, grab your cowboy hat, and saddle up that horse, because Beyoncé's highly anticipated album, Cowboy Carter is here. Cowboy Carter is a country-fied album, full of legendary guests like Dolly Parton and Linda Martell, and duets with stars like Post Malone and Miley Cyrus — all tied together with the unbridled swagger of Queen Bey. But is Beyoncé knocking down the doors of the country establishment, or looking for validation?
A fan of both The Beatles and Beyoncé, 82-year-old Melba Pattillo Beals says the song is more special to her than ever. She is one of the Black students who helped desegregate U.S. public schools.
