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Hazel Cills Hazel Cills is an editor at NPR Music.
Hazel Cills
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Hazel Cills

Hazel Cills

Editor, NPR Music

Hazel Cills is an editor at NPR Music. Before coming to NPR in 2021, Cills was a culture reporter at Jezebel, where she wrote about music and popular culture. She was also a writer for MTV News and a founding staff writer for the teen publication Rookie magazine.

Her music journalism and criticism have appeared in outlets including The New York Times Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork and more. She graduated from New York University with a degree in art history and cultural criticism.

Story Archive

Sunday

Music

This summer's music charts are dominated by pop girl underdogs

We look at the songs from fresh, female artists that are making this summer's best bops.

This summer's music charts are dominated by pop girl underdogs

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Friday

Charli XCX and Lorde sure did make the internet go crazy
Victor Boyko; Michael Tran / AFP/Getty Images

Perspective

It's Been a Minute

Charli XCX and Lorde sure did make the internet go crazy

The internet freaked out when Charli XCX and Lorde revealed - and put to rest - their pop girl rivalry on Charli's "Girl, so confusing" remix. That same day, Brandy and Monica seemed to settle their decades long feud when they appeared on the remix of Ariana Grande's version of "The Boy is Mine." But while the pop girls are healing, a lot of fans still seem to want blood - can this music heal us? To break it all down, Brittany is joined by NPR Music Editor Hazel Cills, and Pop Pantheon podcast host, DJ Louie XIV.

Charli XCX and Lorde sure did make the internet go crazy

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Friday

Music Lists

Here are the gems of this week’s new music releases

Our colleagues at NPR Music have been sifting through all of this week’s new releases, bringing you the gems on their weekly New Music Friday podcast.

NEW MUSIC FRIDAY - JUNE 21st

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All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best albums out June 21

The first half of 2024 has been stuffed with blockbuster albums, and as we reach the midpoint of the year, we've got one more to add to the list. On this week's episode of New Music Friday from All Songs Considered, Hazel Cills and Anamaria Sayre discuss the new album from the breakout star of the Mexican Regional movement. Peso Pluma's new Éxodo sees the singer branching out with new sounds and new collaborators.

New Music Friday: The best albums out June 21

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Tuesday

The best songs of 2024 (so far)

Helado Negro Sadie Culberson Studio/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Sadie Culberson Studio/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

The best songs of 2024 (so far)

With the first half of the year almost behind us, we hit pause to reflect on some of the best tracks we've gotten so far, from Chappell Roan, Brittany Howard, Pedro The Lion and more.

The best songs of 2024 (so far)

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best albums out June 7

Kaytranada's new album, Timeless, is out Friday. Jevi Emir/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jevi Emir/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best albums out June 7

NPR Music's Daoud Tyler-Ameen and Hazel Cills shepherd you through the many huge albums out today, including new records by Kaytranada, Charli XCX and so much more.

New Music Friday: The best albums out June 7

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Friday

New Music Friday: The best albums out May 17

Rapsody (left) and Erykah Badu Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Courtesy of the artists

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best albums out May 17

NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and Hazel Cills discuss new releases by Billie Eilish, Portishead's Beth Gibbons and Rapsody.

New Music Friday: The best albums out May 17

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Wednesday

8 Tracks: What was the Steve Albini sound? Almost everything

Artists like Superchunk, Neurosis, Pixies, Low, Mogwai and Joanna Newsom came to recording engineer Steve Albini when they had something righteous or defiant to proclaim. Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty hide caption

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Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty

Music

8 Tracks: What was the Steve Albini sound? Almost everything

If an artist was willing to confront their truths, Albini was ready to take them into the gaping maw. The recording engineer, who died last week, left an indelible mark on how we hear music.

Friday

New Music Friday: The best albums out May 3

You could call Dua Lipa's third album, Radical Optimism, the further adventures in the pop music time machine. Tyrone Lebon/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Tyrone Lebon/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best albums out May 3

On the May 3 episode of New Music Friday, NPR Music's Hazel Cills and WRTI's Nate Chinen discuss the week's essential new albums, including Radical Optimism, from the dance-pop superstar Dua Lipa.

New Music Friday: The best albums out May 3

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Tuesday

Cruel songs for the cruelest month

Writer T.S. Eliot takes a reflective puff at a cigarette before starting work. Keystone Features/Getty Images hide caption

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Keystone Features/Getty Images

All Songs Considered

Cruel songs for the cruelest month

Is April, as T.S. Eliot put it, the cruelest month? We reflect on the question with a mix that's both cringe-inducing and hilarious, from the cruelest takedowns to the most insidious earworms.

Cruel songs for the cruelest month

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Friday

Music

Diving into Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets Department'

In the middle of a worldwide tour that has grossed more than one billion dollars, Taylor Swift has released her 11th album. It's called The Tortured Poets Department.

Diving into Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets Department'

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New Music Friday: Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets' and the best albums out April 19

Taylor Swift's new album, The Tortured Poets Department, immediately became one of the most anticipated releases of 2024 when she announced it on stage at the Grammy Awards in February. Beth Garrabrant/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Beth Garrabrant/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets' and the best albums out April 19

NPR Music's Ann Powers and Hazel Cills dig into Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department,' which hit streaming services last night, and share a handful of other new albums out Friday, April 19.

New Music Friday: Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets' and the best albums out April 19

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Tuesday

Tuesday

Relax: Songs to calm the nerves

Image from the cover to Laraaji's 2023 album, Segue to Infinity. Illustration by Jackie Lay/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Illustration by Jackie Lay/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Relax: Songs to calm the nerves

It's music to the rescue on this week's All Songs Considered, with a mix of songs to slow the blood, including the one track scientists believe can reduce anxiety by up to 65%.

Relax: Songs to calm the nerves

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Monday

Friday

New Music Friday: The best albums out March 8

Kim Gordon's new album, The Collective, is out March 8. Danielle Neu/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Danielle Neu/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best albums out March 8

A wave of springtime releases might be just around the corner, but the biggest albums out this week are keeping things cool in an enticing variety of ways. Ann Powers and Hazel Cills discuss what Jack Antonoff, Norah Jones, Moor Mother's Camae Ayewa and Kim Gordon have in common, besides a common release date.

New Music Friday: The best albums out March 8

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Friday

Monday

Tuesday

Mix messages: Listeners share the songs that say 'I've got a crush on you'
Twentieth Century Fox

All Songs Considered

Mix messages: Listeners share the songs that say 'I've got a crush on you'

We asked listeners to tell us about a time they put a song on a mixtape or playlist to woo a crush. On this week's show, we share some of those songs ... and find out if they worked.

Mix messages: Listeners share the songs that say 'I've got a crush on you'

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Tuesday

The Contenders, Vol. 2: Our running list of the year's best songs

"Crowded Roomz," the latest single from Nia Archives, is one of the tracks we can't stop playing this week. Lola Banet/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Lola Banet/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

The Contenders, Vol. 2: Our running list of the year's best songs

Host Robin Hilton hangs with NPR's Hazel Cills and Sheldon Pearce to geek out about the new Billy Joel, Kim Gordon, Shygirl, Nia Archives and more.

The Contenders, Vol. 2: Our running list of the year's best songs

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Monday

Our 2024 Grammys Recap

Taylor Swift accepts the best pop vocal album award for Midnights onstage during the 66th Grammy Awards. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy hide caption

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Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our 2024 Grammys Recap

Every night is a big night for Taylor Swift. But this year's Grammy night proved especially big: Swift won album of the year for Midnights and announced her next album, titled The Tortured Poets Department. It may be time to pose the question: Have we reached peak Taylor Swift? Other major winners included Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish and SZA. In fact, women swept all nine categories presented during Sunday night's telecast.

Our 2024 Grammys Recap

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Sunday

At the 2024 Grammys, a show full of surprises and safe bets

Taylor Swift won two awards at the 66th Grammys, including album of the year. She received that prize for a record fourth time. Earlier in the night, during her acceptance speech for the best pop vocal album Grammy for her album Midnights, Swift announced the release of her next album, The Tortured Poets Department. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy hide caption

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Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Music News

At the 2024 Grammys, a show full of surprises and safe bets

Women dominated the prizes and performances at the 66th Grammy Awards. Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Billie Eilish won major awards; Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman gave captivating performances.

Tuesday

2024 Preview: The year's most anticipated albums

GRIP, the upcoming album from serpentwithfeet, is one NPR Music's most anticipated albums of 2024. Denzel Golatt/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Denzel Golatt/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

2024 Preview: The year's most anticipated albums

We take a spin through the albums we're most excited about for this year, including Sleater-Kinney, Brittany Howard, Hurray for the Riff Raff and more, plus a few rumored releases.

2024 Preview: The year's most anticipated albums

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