![]() In WandaVision's season finale, the question allows for an emotional eureka for Zao, "Ship of Theseus" serves as a ripping statement of re-purpose. The Ship of Theseus is a thought puzzle developed by ancient Greek philosophers, essentially asking if a ship rebuilt from new planks is still the same ship. Zao didn't plan a WandaVision tie-in, but the MCU coincidence didn't hurt. The juice here is in the execution - the command of melody and volume, the bottled subtext of dismissed and diminished voices seizing the mic at last and the walloping chops to put those instincts to work. On the page, "Hit Like a Girl" is a flurry of fists-up hashtags, and in less capable hands it might fizzle. A toast, then, to Meet Me The Altar: three musicians just old enough to remember the last wave firsthand, who can sing and play better than many of their forebears, and whose commitment to the studded-belt sound appears devout and all-consuming. And yet, for all the high-gloss bratitude that zoomed through the culture in 2021, much of it felt like moonlighting - a cluster of fun, one-off genre experiments by artists whose bread is buttered elsewhere. Sure, fine, yes: This was the year pop-punk reentered the mainstream, not filtered through SoundCloud rap's purple haze or Philly indie's basement fuzz but sounding roughly as it did when most media left it for dead a decade ago. Reality and the future will always be more difficult to hold than the words we ascribe to it, harder to honor than the interests of politicians in Cuba or in the U.S, but art asks its listeners to try. "¿Quién le dijo que Cuba es de ustedes? / Si mi Cuba es de toda mi gente," Randy Malcom of Gente de Zona asks. Maykel "Osorbo" Castillo has been imprisoned in Pinar del Río since May, charged, according to pro-government outlet Cubadebate, with "crimes of attack, public disorder, and escape of prisoners or detainees." Earlier this year, Osorbo co-wrote a song that altered the revolution slogan "patria o muerte" to "homeland and life." It has since lived many lives on and off the island after July's demonstrations protesting food scarcity and medicine shortages as the pandemic surged gained international attention, as well the artist's movement organizing in the name of free expression, of which Osorbo is a member. Yotuel, Gente De Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo and El Funky "Patria y Vida" The music, like strong waves of emotion, swells in giant crests of pealing brass and soaring strings before returning to repose. ![]() Percussionists place cymbals atop the timpani for a glistening effect. Brass players produce eerie calls by blowing and singing into their instruments. Martinaitytė translates that into sound, manipulating the symphony orchestra to capture texture, color and light. The title refers to mixed feelings of nostalgia and muted joy. Saudade, by Lithuanian composer Žibuoklė Martinaitytė, is a masterful example. Some canvasses evoke moods and memories instead of narrative. Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra Saudade A sample of H-Town's 1994 R&B jam "Back Seat (Wit No Sheets)" and angelic ad-libs by Ty Dolla $ign make it all the more sentimental. The excited, new-crush energy of "WUSYANAME" conveys that feeling of locking eyes with someone and accidentally finding yourself fantasizing about marriage and babies. He and his love interest aren't even properly acquainted yet, and he's already asking to share secrets and take overseas trips. Tyler, the Creator doesn't care if he's coming on strong on "WUSYANAME," a soulful track where the formerly trollish artist indulges in a sweet sincerity. YoungBoy Never Broke Again & Ty Dolla $ign) "WUSYANAME" Spotify / Apple Music / Tidal / Amazon Music / YouTube MusicĨ0. Stream NPR Music's 100 Best Songs Of 2021: If you find yourself losing steam or feeling down or wondering when things will finally turn around, feel free to skip the rest of "All Too Well." (Jk, Taylor!) (Oh, and you can find our 50 Best Albums of 2021 here.) It's our sincere hope that as you make your way through our 7-hour playlist of the year's 100 best songs, you'll feel the same. In other words, we could be human again, and it felt good to be back. Perhaps we kept some truths concealed during dire straits, so as not to appear frivolous (or feral) in the face of unforgiving circumstance. Maybe, after 20 months behind masks, we felt like revealing ourselves again. Perhaps the crowning of Cardi and Megan's "WAP" last year signaled a transgressive sea change. "Only here to sin." That admission from NPR Music's song of the year lies at the heart of many of the stories told across these 100 tracks.
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