All Songs Considered

Spanish vocalist and composer Rosalía has been a major presence in Spanish language music since she released her first album, "El Mal Querer," in 2018. She started by leaning into her flamenco roots, but since then she has expanded her musical vision to become one of those musicians who defies category.

Her new album "LUX" stretches that descriptor to its limit. Her musical tools this time include the London Symphony Orchestra, singing in 13 languages, guests like Icelandic performer Björk, and her own vocals that hit operatic heights. This week, Ana and Felix dissect the album and play excerpts from Ana's interview with Rosalía. How can you go wrong?

You can read extended highlights of Ana's interview with Rosalía at NPR.org

This episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed.


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With the end of 2025 in sight, we pause to update our running list of the year’s best songs. Our latest adds include the (possibly twisted) dance pop of JADE, a brutal but affecting story song from S.G. Goodman, power pop from the band Liquid Mike and more. But we open with a question: Benson Boone... kinda awesome?

Featured artists and songs:

1. Liquid Mike: “Double Dutch,” from ‘Hell Is An Airport’

2. Cleo Reed: “Always the Horse, Never the Jockey (feat. IWEWE),” from ‘C**try’

3. JADE: “Plastic Box,” from ‘THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!’

4. S.G. Goodman: “Snapping Turtle," from 'Planting by the Signs’

5. Ken Pomeroy: “Stranger,” from ‘Cruel Joke’

Weekly reset: A breezy, Sunday morning in a small town

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Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org


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A Pulitzer Prize-winning hip-hop album, a crushing elegy to a lost love, a reevaluation of Kesha, "melodrama" from Lorde and more.

Note: This is a recurring series in celebration of All Songs Considered’s 25th anniversary. A shorter version of this episode ran earlier in the year.


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Mavis Staples. Young Miko. A jaw-dropping project from Rosalía. NPR Music's Stephen Thompson is joined by Alt.Latino's Anamaria Sayre and Liz Felix from WYEP in Pittsburgh to discuss their favorite new albums out November 7.

The Starting 5:

- Rosalía, 'Lux'
- Young Miko, 'Do Not Disturb'
- Various Artists, 'All Things Go: 10 Years'
- Portugal. The Man, 'Shish'
- Mavis Staples, 'Sad and Beautiful World'


The Lightning Round:

- Juana Molina, 'DOGA'
- Liam Kazar, 'Pilot Light'
- The Mountain Goats, 'Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan'
- The Cranberries, 'MTV Unplugged'
- Sarathy Korwar, 'There Is Beauty, There Already'


See the long list of albums out Nov. 7 and sample dozens of them via our New Music Friday playlist on NPR.org


Credits:

Host: Stephen Thompson

Guests: Anamaria Sayre and Liz Felix, WYEP

Audio Producer: Noah Caldwell

Digital Producer: Elle Mannion

Editor: Otis Hart

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

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Ever since I heard the Argentine saxophonist Gato Barbieri back in the Seventies, I’ve been fascinated by musicians from South America who found their way to jazz.

Lately there seems to be a strong showing of contemporary musicians from various Latin American countries who not only play jazz but also mix certain Latin American folk traditions into their sound.

So, this week I spoke with six of them: vocalist Claudia Acuña from Chile, Argentine vocalists Sofia Rei and Roxana Amed, Mexican vocalist Magos Herrera, guitarist/vocalist Camila Meza and tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana.

Each has a story about identity, living the jazz dream and how they came to jazz.

Hopefully you’ll use this roadmap to start your own journey into jazz, if you haven’t already.

- Felix

Music heard in this episode:

Claudia Acuña - “Prelude To A Kiss”
Sofia Rei - “El Gavilán”
Gato Barieri - “To Be Continued”
Roxana Amed - “Corazón delator”
Mangos Herrera - “Luz de Luna”
Camila Meza - “Utopia”
Melissa Aldana - “A Purpose”

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