Ann Powers : The Record : NPR Accessibility linksAnn Powers : The Record Essays by NPR's pop critic on the intersections between music and everything else.
Ann Powers
Harry Styles debut solo album, Harry Styles, was released on May 12. Harley Weir/Courtesy of Columbia Records hide caption
toggle caption Harley Weir/Courtesy of Columbia RecordsChuck Berry on stage in London in 1965. Berry died March 18, 2017, at the age of 90. David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption David Redfern/Redferns/Getty ImagesBeyoncé performs at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 12. She won the award for best urban contemporary album, but was shut out of the major categories, which were all given to Adele. Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS hide caption
toggle caption Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARASLady Gaga during her performance at halftime of Super Bowl LI in Houston, Texas. Christopher Polk/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption Christopher Polk/Getty ImagesFlowers are laid beneath a mural of David Bowie in London in January. Carl Court/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption Carl Court/Getty ImagesJamila Woods' HEAVN is one of Ann Powers' top albums of 2016. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
toggle caption Courtesy of the artistMiranda Lambert's new album, The Weight of These Wings, comes out Friday. Becky Fluke/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
toggle caption Becky Fluke/Courtesy of the artistLady Gaga's new album, Joanne, is out now. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
toggle caption Courtesy of the artistBruno Mars has released the first single, "24K Magic," from his upcoming album of the same name. Kai Z Feng/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
toggle caption Kai Z Feng/Courtesy of the artist Philip Gould/Corbis via Getty ImagesEmily Strayer, Natalie Maines, and Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks perform onstage on June 1, 2016, for the DCX World Tour MMXVI Opener. The tour stopped in Nashville Wednesday. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for PMK hide caption
toggle caption Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for PMKMaren Morris, one of Nashville's rising stars, performs at Nissan Stadium on the opening night of the 2016 CMA Festival. John Shearer/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption John Shearer/Getty Images"When these songs started bubbling to the surface, I tried to ignore them — but they were on loop," says John Paul White. "Little by little they wore me down." Allister Ann/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
toggle caption Allister Ann/Courtesy of the artistThe Martyr
Anohni, the singer formerly known as Antony Hegarty, will release her album Hopelessness on May 6. Alice O'Malley/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
toggle caption Alice O'Malley/Courtesy of the artistPrince on stage in The Netherlands in 1986, during the tour for his album Parade. Rob Verhorst/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption Rob Verhorst/Getty ImagesAlmost famous, Seventies singer, Jobriath (born: Bruce Wayne Campbell). The latest episode of HBO's Vinyl has introduced a character seemingly based on his career. Benno Friedman/Courtesy of Kieran Turner hide caption
toggle caption Benno Friedman/Courtesy of Kieran TurnerZayn Malik's debut solo album, Mind of Mine, follows his departure from the boy band One Direction, with which he released four albums in four years. Miller Mobley/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
toggle caption Miller Mobley/Courtesy of the artistFirst lady Michelle Obama on stage with Missy Elliott during her SXSW keynote event on Wednesday, March 16. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption Drew Anthony Smith/Getty ImagesDavid Bowie in 1974, on the set of the Dutch TV show TopPop, where he performed "Rebel Rebel," from the album Diamond Dogs. Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/Getty ImagesJohn Paul White's "Simple Song" appears on the concept album Southern Family, produced by Dave Cobb. Allister Ann/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
toggle caption Allister Ann/Courtesy of the artistSimple Song
Producer Dave Cobb in the studio at his Nashville home. Cobb's work has added traditional notes to the slick sound that dominates country, but he challenges the idea that what he's doing is more "authentic." Laura E. Partain for NPR hide caption
toggle caption Laura E. Partain for NPRAnn Powers calls Rhiannon Giddens' solo debut, Tomorrow Is My Turn, an album that "literally reconfigures American history." Michael Weintraub/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
toggle caption Michael Weintraub/Courtesy of the artistJune Millington, the author of the memoir Land of a Thousand Bridges: Island Girl in a Rock & Roll World, on the porch of the Fanny's House of Music in East Nashville. The shop is named after Millington's band, Fanny. Audrey Spillman for NPR hide caption
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