New R&B and rap from Heat Check; Taylor Swift releases ‘Midnights’

Read Ann Powers' review of Swift's 10th album

View this email online Oct. 22, 2022 by Marissa Lorusso This week, we’re sharing highlights from the Heat Check blog — plus, Taylor Swift’s new album. Nicole Hernandez No matter what kind of music you’re in the mood for, there’s likely someone on the NPR Music team who could recommend your next favorite song. If you’re looking for the best new jazz releases, for example, the Jazz Night in America playlist — updated every month — has you covered. If you’re curious what All Songs Considered’s Bob Boilen or resident Viking Lars Gotrich have been listening to lately, they’ve got playlists updated every week, too.  Recently, I’ve been especially excited to hear the latest picks from the team behind the recently-relaunched Heat Check. That’s where my colleagues Sheldon Pearce, Sidney Madden, Ashley Pointer and other great writers share their discoveries from the worlds of hip-hop and R&B. There have been many wonderful new songs highlighted on Heat Check lately, so I asked Sheldon to tell me a little bit about the process. “In recent weeks, the Heat Check playlist has undergone a soft reboot as a weekly column,” he says. “It will still maintain its focus, highlighting underserved acts from around rap and R&B, but now it will do so with a more communal approach, pulling from the wide-ranging interests of enthusiasts across the NPR Music staff. The playlist is a place for our specialists to share songs that move them from ascending artists still building momentum.” For example: This week’s selections include a new collaboration between Baby Rose and Georgia Anne Muldrow, the folk-tinged soul music of Arima Ederra and the meticulous rap of R.A.P. Ferreira. “A heat check is the shot you take when you're feeling it,” Sheldon says, “no matter what else is going on around you — it's the one that confirms you're on a roll. Check in to find out who has the green light going forward.”    Newsletter continues after sponsor message More to read, watch and hear Taylor Swift’s 10th record, Midnights, was released this week. Critic Ann Powers wrote a review of the record, calling it Swift’s “most challenging album” — not because of a surprising new sound, but for the way she and producer Jack Antonoff push Swift’s voice in new directions, rethinking the sonic rhetoric of first-person storytelling and shaking off old habits. You can also hear a conversation about Midnights — and other great new albums out this week, including releases by iLe and Nick Hakim — on New Music Friday from All Songs Considered. In 2018, my colleague Tom Huizenga looked at the upcoming seasons from top U.S. orchestras to see how many were presenting the work of women composers. The numbers were staggeringly low: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra would present zero; the Cleveland Orchestra, one; and the New York Philharmonic, two. This week, Tom reappraised the situation. “Four years later, there's still work to be done,” he writes, “but the tide seems to be turning.” This week on The Limits With Jay Williams, hear a conversation with Fat Joe about what it was like to witness the birth of hip-hop and what he wants people to learn from his successes and failures. This week, our friends at JME Jacksonville Music Experience shared a video of poet and hip-hop artist Ebony Payne-English performing Kuongoza. Tiny Desk NPR "How much does a memory weigh?" That question is central to the songs Leyla McCalla performed at the Tiny Desk, which come from her album Breaking the Thermometer — a record deeply immersed in the rhythms, sounds and history of Haiti. Also at the Tiny Desk this week: The effervescent R&B powerhouse Joyce Wrice delivered a set designed to make it difficult for anyone within earshot to keep still. One More Thing ARMY, meet: the Army Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org 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! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy