Music

There's almost nobody better at creating complex musical worlds, but on her new album The Age of Pleasure, Janelle Monáe's aim is to stop thinking. Or at least start thinking about feeling.

By training her eyes on multiple targets, the singer challenges listeners to widen their points of view, compelling them to place her in spaces she's found belonging, not where she's been assigned.

The poet's first recording with a band, when the poems do what they do, lends an emphatic new authority to her words, which she delivers with a hypnotist's composure.

Ben Folds reflects on his songwriting process, injecting empathy into lyrics, and why he believes that "we don't need any new albums."

Winston's successful albums for Windham Hill Records made him one of the first stars of new age music.

Side Pony's Alice Wallace and Caitlin Cannon perform songs from their debut record, Lucky Break.

The musician from Tupelo, Mississippi performs songs from his latest album, Never Too Late to Call.

As part of NPR's series highlighting female songwriters through history, we look at Cynthia Weil, who wrote hits like "You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling" and "On Broadway" with her husband Barry Mann.

This is the latest music playing on The Spy for June 6th. This week features new music from Cut Worms, George Clanton, Beach Fossils and more.

The cohort of five acts performed live in Philly as part of the artist development program.