NPR Highlights Gorillaz, Mitski Releases
This week's most anticipated alternative releases include highly-anticipated albums from Bruno Mars, Gorillaz, and Mitski. NPR Music's "All Songs Considered" episode features critical first impressions and background on each artist's creative direction. Perfect timing for updating those road trip and hiking playlists.
Bruno Mars' new album, "The Romantic," marks his first solo effort in nearly a decade, following 2016's "24K Magic." The nine-track project was co-produced entirely with D'Mile, who previously worked with Mars on the Silk Sonic collaboration. The album's lead single, "I Just Might," has already reached No. 1 on the charts. Gorillaz's ninth studio album, "The Mountain," is an expansive project recorded in locations like London, Mumbai, and Damascus. It features an extensive list of collaborators, including Johnny Marr, Black Thought, and Sparks, with performances in five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish, and Yoruba. This is the virtual band's first release on their own label, KONG. Mitski's eighth studio album is titled "Nothing's About To Happen To Me." The concept album centers on a reclusive woman living in a dilapidated house, a narrative introduced with the lead single "Where's My Phone?". For this record, she reunited with producer Patrick Hyland and utilized her touring band from her previous album, "The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We." NPR's "All Songs Considered" has been a key platform for music discovery since its launch in 2000. The weekly "New Music Friday" segment, which featured these albums, specifically highlights the most notable new releases for its listeners.
