The year may be nearing its end, but new releases aren't ready to slow down just yet. This week, we get a phenomenal new album from Rosalía, Lux, which is a strong contender for New Music Friday host Stephen Thompson's favorite album of the year. On Lux, the Spanish star sings in 13 (!) different languages. And hailing from Puerto Rico, Young Miko has a new album full of bangers, like the viral "WASSUP," out today. National treasure Mavis Staples also has a new album to share, Sad and Beautiful World, produced by Brad Cook and thick with features by artists like Jeff Tweedy and Justin Vernon.
To discuss these albums, plus a handful more in depth, Thompson is joined by Alt.Latino host Anamaria Sayre and Liz Felix of WYEP in Pittsburgh. And scroll down this page to get into our long list of even more exciting releases today.
The Starting Five
Our hosts share the backstories and best songs from the following albums:
💿 Rosalía, Lux
- Recommended If You Like: NATHY PELUSO, Yves Tumor
💿 Young Miko, Do Not Disturb
- RIYL: Bad Bunny, Tokischa
💿 V/A, All Things Go: 10 Years
- RIYL: Kacey Musgraves, MJ Lenderman
💿 Portugal. The Man, Shish
- RIYL: MGMT, De La Soul
💿 Mavis Staples, Sad and Beautiful World
- RIYL: Lucinda Williams, Yola
New Music Friday is a feature of NPR's All Songs Considered podcast. Hear the discussion on the NPR App, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Lightning Round
Five more albums we wish we had time to discuss on the podcast:
💿 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
Listen to each album's best songs on our New Music Friday playlists on Spotify and Apple, or wherever you stream music.
The Long List
For those who want to dig even deeper, here are the week's new albums sorted by genre:
Rap/Hip-Hop
- G Herbo, Lil Herb
- Shungu, Faith In The Unknown
- Joey Purp, ALASKA EP
- Armand Hammer & The Alchemist, Mercy
- Danny Brown, Stardust
- BLK ODYSSY, MOOD CONTROL
- 12k Gotti, 800˚
- Alemeda, But What The Hell Do I Know EP
- Bun B & Cory Mo, WAY MO TRILL
Classical
- Ariel Quartet, Beethoven String Quartets
- Chris Thile, Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2
Country/Folk/Americana
- Billy Branch, The Blues Is My Biography
- Emmylou Harris, Spyboy (Deluxe)
- Vincent Mason, There I Go
Electronic/Out There
- Charlotte de Witte, Charlotte de Witte
- Cola Ren, 湄公小曲 Mekong Ballad EP
- Crimewave, Scenes
- Goldie, Timeless (30th anniversary)
- Jessica Moss, Unfolding
- Kali Malone & Drew McDowall, Magnetism
- toso toso, toso toso
- Wata Igarashi, My Supernova
Global
- Debit, Desaceleradas
- Pablo Alboràn, KM0
- Sessa, Pequena Vertigem de Amor
Jazz
- Aaron Parks, ALL MEANS
- Amir ElSaffar, New Quartet Live at Pierre Boulez Saal
- INSECT LIFE, INSECT LIFE
- Jesse Harris, If You Believed In Me
- Yalla Miku, 2
Pop
- Benee, Ur An Angel I'm Just Particles
- Sam Gellaitry, ANYWHERE HERE IS PERFECT
R&B/Soul
- Jonathan Jeremiah, We Come Alive
- Rum.gold, Is There Anybody Home?
- St. Panther, Strange World
Rock/Alt/Indie
- Armor For Sleep, There Is No Memory
- Clock DVA, White Souls in Black Suits (Reissue)
- Cold in Berlin, Wounds
- Constant Smiles, Moonflowers
- Deerhoof, Friend Opportunity (LP reissue)
- Del Water Gap, Chasing The Chimera
- Devin Shaffer, Patience
- El Cortina, Top Down
- Finger Eleven, Last Night On earth
- Flypaper, Forget the Rush
- Fulton Lights, Well The Night Has Come
- h pruz, Red sky at morning
- Heaven For Real, Who Died & Made You The Dream?
- Hirons, Future Perfect
- Hüsker Dû, 1985: The Miracle Year
- Insecure Men, A Man For All Seasons
- Jordana, Jordanaland
- Khruangbin, The Universe Smiles Upon You ii
- Midlake, A Bridge To Far
- Mykel, Hometown Runaway
- OBITS, L.E.G.I.T.
- Olan Monk, Songs for Nothing
- Orchid Mantis, In Airports
- Paul Kelly, Seventy
- Paul Schalda, Lately
- Portland, Champain
- Sam Wilkes, 104.3 7
- Sebastian Rochford, Finding Ways
- Strange Passage, A Folded Sky
- Sunflowers, You Have Fallen... Congratulations!
- The Barons, Le Château
- The Dears, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!
- The Mynabirds, It's Okay To Go Back If You Keep Moving Forward
- The Saxophones, No Time For Poetry
- The Wesleys, Explosive Device
- Tristen, Unpopular Music
- Westerman, A Jackal's Wedding
- White Lies, Night Light
- ZDAN, SO WHAT!
- Wings, Wings
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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