Ann Powers appears in the following:
Being A Teenager In The 1950s Was Hard. The Everly Brothers Understood
Saturday, August 28, 2021
From the opening of their first hit, "Bye Bye Love," the Everly Brothers spoke directly to the deepest longings and anxieties of the generation that would come to define the rock and soul era.
How Kate Bush's 'The Dreaming' Made My Monsters My Own
Thursday, August 26, 2021
There are so many ways that women are made into monsters. On The Dreaming, Bush expresses the pain and explores the potential of monstrous transformation — and teaches us how to do the same.
What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading
Friday, August 20, 2021
Each week, the guests and hosts on Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. Today it's Reservation Dogs, Nine Perfect Strangers, and viral music videos from the band Little Big.
With 'Magnolia Blues,' Adia Victoria Reclaims Her Southern Identity
Friday, August 06, 2021
The new song "Magnolia Blues" by Adia Victoria is a courageous reclamation of the singer's Southern identity. Her new album A Southern Gothic is out in September.
Adia Victoria, 'Magnolia Blues'
Wednesday, August 04, 2021
The South Carolina-born blues-folk singer possesses a remarkable grasp of the sounds and stories that make up the South. In "Magnolia Blues," she's joined by Margo Price and Kyshona.
NPR Music Critic Talks New Posthumous Prince Album 'Welcome 2 America'
Saturday, July 31, 2021
Welcome 2 America, the first posthumous album from Prince after his death in 2016, was released Friday.
Madi Diaz, 'Resentment'
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
In spare detail that reveals how an ugly emotion builds, Madi Diaz captures the way resentment can eat at a person, replicating itself until the feeling can't be overcome.
This Song Is About You
Thursday, July 22, 2021
Confessional songs are all over the pop charts, from Tyler, The Creator's Call Me If You Get Lost to Olivia Rodrigo's Sour. What do musicians who blend fact and fiction owe their real life subjects?
Yebba, 'October Sky'
Thursday, July 15, 2021
"October Sky" starts out in that quiet, inward space so familiar in these Billie Eilish days, as Yebba invokes a lo-fi filtered childhood memory of a lost loved one.
Durand Jones and the Indications, 'The Way That I Do'
Thursday, July 15, 2021
This single is another indication that the vintage soul game has a new champion team – and that disco sensuality will never fade away.
Allison Ponthier, 'Hell Is A Crowded Room'
Thursday, July 08, 2021
Allison Ponthier is the latest would-be It Girl of the In-Between.
Her Kind Of Blue: Joni Mitchell's Masterpiece At 50
Sunday, June 20, 2021
How do we understand Blue in the 21st century? Can we think of Mitchell's 1971 album, long considered the apex of confessional songwriting, as a paradigm not of raw emotion, but of care and craft?
Miley Cyrus: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
Thursday, January 28, 2021
The provocative pop star covers Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" and performs two cuts from Plastic Hearts for her Tiny Desk quarantine concert.
'Review/Preview': Music for Racial Justice
Monday, January 18, 2021
Ann Powers on music for racial justice.
Our 2020 Nashville Music Recap
Thursday, December 17, 2020
In this episode, World Cafe's Nashville correspondent and NPR pop critic Ann Powers brings you some of the artists from the Music City that you might have missed this year.
Diary Of A Fugue Year
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Is it possible to hear the music of 2020 without getting lost in the noise? NPR Music's critic Ann Powers studies a year during which nearly everything about loving music was turned upside down.
The Highwomen Win Big At 2020 Americana Awards
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
The late John Prine was awarded artist of the year, and Black Pumas and fiddler Brittany Haas took home hardware during the abbreviated show.
Nashville Recommendations: Hear 4 New Songs From The Music City
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
NPR pop critic Ann Powers highlights new songs from Brit Taylor, Molly Parden, The Brummies and C.A. Jones.
Mickey Guyton: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
Monday, November 09, 2020
Country music's breakout star of 2020 performs three songs for her Tiny Desk quarantine concert, including "Black Like Me."
Katie Pruitt: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
Monday, October 26, 2020
The Nashville singer-songwriter delivers an empowering performance in this Tiny Desk quarantine concert.
