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Megan Thee Stallion sheds her skin on 'Megan'

Megan Thee Stallion performs during the 2022 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival. Rich Fury/Getty Images hide caption

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Rich Fury/Getty Images

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Megan Thee Stallion sheds her skin on 'Megan'

A lot has happened to rapper Megan Thee Stallion over the last couple of years including a highly publicized trial after being shot by a former friend, a messy breakup, and a feud with artist Nicki Minaj. She confronts all of that and more on her boastful and vulnerable new album Megan. But she also has fun on playful tracks like 'Down Stairs DJ' and 'Otaku Hot Girl' that are odes to self-pleasure and her anime nerddom.

Megan Thee Stallion sheds her skin on 'Megan'

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Post Malone has reclaimed the throne this week.

Post Malone has reclaimed the throne this week. Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Stagecoach hide caption

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Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Stagecoach

Music

Post Malone recaptures the No. 1 song spot with 'I Had Some Help'

After briefly ceding to Sabrina Carpenter, “I Had Some Help" is back on top of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is still No. 1 over on the Billboard 200 albums chart — she’s holding strong at ten weeks.

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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"Beethoven" (1936). A new study suggests the German composer and pianist may have suffered from lead poisoning. The Print Collector/Getty Images hide caption

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The Print Collector/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Beethoven was a classical and romantic composer, but his body was full of heavy metal

Virtuosic pianist and composer Beethoven suffered from several debilitating ailments. A new study suggests lead poisoning may be at least partly to blame.

Beethoven was a classical and romantic composer, but his body was full of heavy metal

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Sabrina Carpenter’s ascent is complete — this week, she scored her first No. 1 hit.

Sabrina Carpenter’s ascent is complete — this week, she scored her first No. 1 hit. Nina Westervelt/Billboard via Getty Images hide caption

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Nina Westervelt/Billboard via Getty Images

Music

Sabrina Carpenter scores her first No. 1 single with 'Please Please Please'

The pop star caught the top spot while her other single, “Espresso,” is still holding strong at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile: yes, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is still No. 1 over on the Billboard 200 albums chart — we’re at week nine and counting.

Protesters attend a rally against a death sentence given to Toomaj Salehi, a popular rapper in Iran, and to support to the women of Iran, in Berlin, Germany, on Sunday, April 28, 2024. Iran's Supreme Court overturned Salehi's death sentence on Saturday, June 22, 2024, his lawyer Amir Raisian said.

Protesters attend a rally against a death sentence given to Toomaj Salehi, a popular rapper in Iran, and to support to the women of Iran, in Berlin, Germany, on Sunday, April 28, 2024. Iran's Supreme Court overturned Salehi's death sentence on Saturday, June 22, 2024, his lawyer Amir Raisian said. Ebrahim Noroozi/AP hide caption

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Ebrahim Noroozi/AP

Middle East

Iran overturns rapper Toomaj Salehi's death sentence for criticizing the government

The rapper came to fame over his lyrics about the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini in 2022. Iran's Supreme Court ruled the sentence was more than what is allowed by the law.

Taylor Swift on stage in France in May, during the European leg of her Eras Tour. Since its release in April, Swift's latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, has been the top album in the United States for eight consecutive weeks.

Taylor Swift on stage in France in May, during the European leg of her Eras Tour. Since its release in April, Swift's latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, has been the top album in the United States for eight consecutive weeks. Julien de Rosa/Getty Images hide caption

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Julien de Rosa/Getty Images

Taylor Swift and Post Malone top the charts again. How long can their dominance last?

One song has ruled the pop chart for over a month. One album has topped the album chart for two months. But there are signs this week that both could face serious challengers soon.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 12: Wynton Marsalis performs during

Wynton Marsalis performs during "Live from Here" at The Town Hall on Oct. 12, 2019, in New York City. Taylor Hill/Getty Images hide caption

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Taylor Hill/Getty Images

A Juneteenth album captures the rhythm of life

Wynton Marsalis, Bryan Stevenson and a host of musicians release a record that captures the rhythm of life

A Juneteenth album brings 'Freedom, Justice and Hope'

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The four original members of R.E.M. — Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, Bill Berry and Peter Buck — reunited and performed at the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The four original members of R.E.M. — Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, Bill Berry and Peter Bucks — reunited and performed at the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony. L. Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall of Fame hide caption

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L. Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall of Fame

Music

R.E.M. reunites for the first time in 15 years, performs 'Losing My Religion'

On Thursday morning, Mike Mills said that it would take "a comet" for R.E.M. to get back together. But on Thursday night, R.E.M. got back together to perform the band's unexpected 1991 hit at the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Eminem, performing here during the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium in 2022, returns to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week with

Eminem, performing here during the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium in 2022, returns to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week with "Houdini." Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The top songs of the week take a nostalgia trip, courtesy of Eminem

For a seventh straight week, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department rules the Billboard 200. On the singles chart, Eminem references both the Steve Miller Band and his own past glory.

TIKTOK 50 CHART

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The French singer and actress Francoise Hardy wearing a fur coat in Piazza Sant'Ambrogio. Milan, 1960s (Photo by Mondadori via Getty Images)

The French singer and actress Francoise Hardy wearing a fur coat in Piazza Sant'Ambrogio. Milan, 1960s (Photo by Mondadori via Getty Images) Mondadori Portfolio/Mondadori via Getty Images/Mondadori Portfolio Editorial hide caption

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Mondadori Portfolio/Mondadori via Getty Images/Mondadori Portfolio Editorial

Obituaries

Françoise Hardy, renowned French singer-songwriter, has died at 80

Hardy was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in 2004, and also had laryngeal cancer.

Songwriter, out June 28, features early '90s demos by Johnny Cash with new backing tracks.

Songwriter, out June 28, features early '90s demos by Johnny Cash with new backing tracks. Alan Messer hide caption

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Alan Messer

With a new Johnny Cash album, examining when to release posthumous material

Johnny Cash died in 2003, but an un-released demo he recorded in 1993 has been refashioned into a new album. What are the unwritten rules about how to tastefully release posthumous material?

With a new Johnny Cash album, examining when to release posthumous material

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Rapper Fat Joe arrives at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 13.

Fat Joe arrives at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 13. The Bronx-born rapper sat with NPR's A Martínez to discuss how he advocates for price transparency and what he wants politicians in D.C. to do about it. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP hide caption

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Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

We, The Voters

Fat Joe wants hospital price transparency. Here's how he's fighting for it in D.C.

The Bronx-born rapper sits with A Martínez to discuss how he advocates for price transparency and what he wants politicians in D.C. to do about it.

FAT JOE ON HEALTHCARE COSTS

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Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, a producer and songwriter for Beyoncé and Rihanna seen here at the 65th Grammy Awards, was sued in federal court Tuesday by a former protégée.

Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, a producer and songwriter for Beyoncé and Rihanna seen here at the 65th Grammy Awards, was sued in federal court Tuesday by a former protégée. Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The-Dream, R&B star and Beyoncé songwriter, accused of rape

The producer and songwriter for Beyoncé and Rihanna was sued in federal court Tuesday by a former protogée.

The-Dream, R&B star and Beyoncé producer, accused of sexual assault

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Artist Scott Kildall waves his small microcontroller over a Joshua tree at Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park in Fairmont, Calif. The device is the size of a credit card.

Artist Scott Kildall waves his microcontroller over a Joshua tree, recording wavelengths of light that are not perceptible by humans. Carlos Jaramillo for NPR hide caption

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Carlos Jaramillo for NPR

Culture

Listen to the yowling, ethereal sounds a Joshua tree can be made to make

Scientists have long studied how near-infrared light bounces off forests and grasslands, as a proxy for plant health. Now, an artist is using the same trick to turn the Joshua tree into an instrument.

An artist transforms the iconic, scraggly Joshua tree into sound

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The Marias talk to NPR's A Martinez about how their breakup shaped their latest album,

"This is the first project that we write together where we’re not romantically together,” says Maria Zardoya of The Marías.
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Bethany Vargas

How The Marías make music after a breakup in the band

María Zardoya and Josh Conway founded The Marías as a couple. They talk to NPR's A Martinez about how their breakup has shaped their latest album, Submarine.

After the couple breaks up, can The Marias still make music together?

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