The best songs of 2023

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12/12/23 • 72 min

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NPR Music's Hazel Cills and Sheldon Pearce join Alt.Latino's Anamaria Sayre and host Robin Hilton to spin and discuss the best songs of the year, from Olivia Rodrigo, 100 gecs, Noname, J Noa and more.

Previous Episode

Talking about the best albums of 2023

It's that time of year again. Over the next few weeks at NPR.org and here on the All Songs Considered podcast, we'll be sharing lists of and conversations about the best music of 2023.
We're kicking things off with the standout albums of the year. Gathered on the show are NPR Music's three main critics: Rodney Carmichael, who writes about hip-hop and R&B; Nate Chinen of WRTI, who covers jazz and classical and Ann Powers, maven of pop, rock, folk, country and a little of everything else. Speaking with editor Daoud Tyler-Ameen, the trio dives into a heavy and heady year to discuss the releases that inspired the most vivid feelings, and together make a case — in an era when singles and playlists drive the industry numbers — for the album as a still-indispensable art form.
The fun won't stop there. Stay tuned for more conversations about the songs that made us drop everything and the tours that turned into vessels for community. There will be lists of our favorite releases on NPR.org and conversations about the sounds and stars that defined the year, enough to keep you listening well into 2024.
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Next Episode

Regional Goes Global, Part 3: How a magical Mexican town keeps banda tradition alive

You know all those tubas and brass instruments you hear behind your favorite regional Mexican hits? That's banda sinaloense and this week Alt.Latino wraps up the Regional Goes Global series with a visit to Sinaloa, Mexico, the birthplace of the genre.
Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras visit the picturesque town Mocorito, a pueblo magico where tradition and pride in the musical heritage runs deep. That's the case even among members of the drug cartels, which are responsible for some of the country's societal ills. It's a complex story as passionate and heartfelt as the music that stretches from the hills of Sinaloa to this side of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Audio for this episode of Alt.Latino was edited and mixed by Joaquin Cotler, with production support from Lilly Quiroz, Suraya Mohamed, Josephine Nyounai and Natalia Fidelholtz. The editor for this episode is Jacob Ganz, and our project manager is Grace Chung. Hazel Cills is the podcast editor and digital editor for Alt.Latino. Our VP of Music and Visuals is Keith Jenkins.
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