New Albums From Prince And Billie Eilish

Plus, we’re obsessed with the Olympics too. [View this email online]( [NPR Music]( by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna [Lace up and hit play on the latest roséwave playlist.]( Kara Frame/NPR Do not adjust your sets: This week’s edition of the NPR Music newsletter is an All Sports Considered send. Kidding, but your NPR Music newsletter editors have the Olympics on our minds. And though the time change might be a minor annoyance for those who want to watch spoiler-free, our colleagues in the newsroom are tracking [all the events as they happen in Tokyo on our Olympics liveblog.]( To celebrate the Tokyo Games, the [NPR Classical playlist]( this week features five Japanese composers you should know. And while we might not be making an Olympic squad anytime soon, your newsletter editors have been known to run a few miles here and there! As any amateur runner knows, nothing powers you through a grueling workout like a good playlist. If you’re looking for the soundtrack to your next weekend long run or early-morning tempo workout, might we suggest our new summer playlist, [Sipping and Sprinting]( The latest installment of [our roséwave playlist series]( it features songs by Carly Rae Jepsen, Beyoncé, Drake and more. See you at the finish line! Born to Run, Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- New Music - This week saw the release of Billie Eilish’s highly anticipated sophomore release, plus a new, long-lost Prince album. Hear about those records (and more) on [New Music Friday]( from All Songs Considered. - In 1968, a young Jimi Hendrix recorded two sets by Joni Mitchell, who was playing at a coffeehouse in Ottawa, Canada just days before the release of her debut album. Now, over 50 years later, those legendary and newly unearthed recordings will be released as part of Mitchell’s archives series. Tom Huizenga wrote about the haunting power of one of those tracks — “[The Dawntreader]( — for #NowPlaying. - Lately, Bob Boilen has been noticing a crop of bands that remind him of late-’70s post-punk. [This week on All Songs Considered]( he plays new songs from a couple of those new bands — Gustaf and Wet Leg — plus a new song by an artist he used to play while directing All Things Considered back in the '90s. - Since signing to Top Dawg Entertainment, this century's most celebrated rap label, Isaiah Rashad has released two critically acclaimed projects and twice disappeared from public view due to struggles with substance abuse and his mental health. [Now, he’s back with The House Is Burning]( he talked to NPR Music about the community of musical collaborators and friends that helped make the record possible. --------------------------------------------------------------- Featuring - This summer — after a silent year in which artists were sent grants instead of invitations to perform — [Newport Folk Festival]( was determined to get musicians back on stage in front of an audience, as carefully as possible. NPR Music contributor Hilary Hughes attended the beloved festival to see how it balanced optimism and precaution. - Mach-Hommy’s latest album was released earlier this year and is already being considered [one of the year's best]( simultaneously, as a member of the Haitian diaspora, he’s watched as a place he cares about deeply has been suffering through a period marked by violence and political turmoil. He spoke to Weekend All Things Considered about what it’s like to hold these disparate thoughts in his head at the same time. - When the pandemic paused festivals around the world, [the Exit Zero Jazz Festival kept the music going]( — and Jazz Night in America was there. This week, the team shared three concert highlights from the festival featuring Gabrielle Cavassa, Shemekia Copeland and Pedrito Martinez. - By the time Yola burst onto the American music scene with her debut album, she had already spent 20 years in the music industry in her native England. Now, she lives in Nashville, and [she's fully ready to claim her spotlight]( with her sophomore release, Stand For Myself. She spoke to All Things Considered about her process of reclaiming creative independence after years in the music industry. - This week, our friends at member station WXPN shared a [World Cafe At Home Session]( from Dawn Richard, live from Studio Mill in New Orleans. --------------------------------------------------------------- Tiny Desk [Young Thug's Tiny Desk (home) concert]( NPR “For the last decade, the world of rap has lived, learned and been liberated while under the influence of Young Thug,” writes our colleague Sidney Madden. So we were thrilled to share [a Tiny Desk (home) concert]( from the Atlanta iconoclast — and even more excited that he used his Tiny Desk debut to usher in his next era, one that he says is meant to represent "authenticity, consciousness and overall purity." Also this week: a Tiny Desk (home) concert full of unfiltered feelings, self-interrogation and wry humor from [Anna B Savage]( and a performance from the [post-punk band shame]( backed by a compendium of violins, horns and more. --------------------------------------------------------------- One More Thing [Wu-Tang is for the … highest bidder]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [nprmusic@npr.org](mailto:nprmusic@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! Need a new playlist? 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