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In our time, it's easy to shut your mind, driven by fear or misinformation. This year, NPR Music's pop critic found the antidote in music that encouraged exploring.

Sept. 1 marks what would have been Pepper's 100th birthday. Kevin Whitehead offers an appreciation of the jazz saxophonist, who started on clarinet at age 9. Pepper died in 1982.

Okkervil River, as fans once knew it, is no longer — but its frontman says he sees the transition as "a free moment." Sheff spoke with Kelly McEvers about the band's new album, Away.

While our judges search for the winner, we're sharing more entries we love. This week's selection includes an ode to Black identity shot on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

NPR's Don Gonyea speaks with singer-songwriter Carrie Rodriguez about her pandemic online project, "A Song for You."

Last week, thousands of Haitians gathered in a stadium for the final round in a national songwriting contest. The topic: restavek, the term for the thousands of children who are modern-day slaves.

The duo's fourth album is marked by experimentation and a focus on living in the present moment. Relaxed and unselfconscious, it's a testament to the ease of collaboration between longtime partners.

Singer Carly Rae Jepsen has just released her latest album, The Loneliest Time.

The Dallas-born, LA-based artist's shape-shifting 2020 debut, Couldn't Wait to Tell You, emulated a series of journal entries. Her sophomore album taps the energy of a drug-fueled club night.

In a country where open expressions of sorrow can be interpreted as political, Peng Haitao's piano performance in public strikes a chord with many in China.