All Songs Considered: Olivia Rodrigo, Nine Inch Nails, Rosalía

Summary

NPR Music: All Songs Considered

Episode: Olivia Rodrigo, Nine Inch Nails, Rosalía
Date: April 28, 2026
Hosts: [A] and Hazel Sills [B] (Guest)

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Overview

This episode of "All Songs Considered" features a lively, candid exploration of the latest releases and performances by Olivia Rodrigo, Peter Gabriel, Nine Inch Nails (with Boys Noize), Rosalía, Rostam, and Gregory Ullman. Hosts discuss the evolving nature of album releases, the transformation of classic artists, reinterpretations of iconic tracks, and the joyful tension between instant impressions and "growers" in music. Expect deep dives into genre-bending sounds, pop culture chisme, and opinions that span from playful banter to incisive critique.

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Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. Olivia Rodrigo – "Drop Dead"

[02:07 – 10:03]

• Introduction of New Single and Album Title: Olivia Rodrigo’s single “Drop Dead” from her upcoming third album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So In Love.

  • "She had a real streak there. Just one word. Albums. Sour, Guts...But the song is titled Drop Dead." — [A], 02:18

• Initial Reactions & ‘Grower’ Debate:

  • Hazel initially found the chorus "too wordy," less catchy than Rodrigo’s previous hits, but it became a persistent earworm after repeated listens.
    • “I originally heard this song and I thought, I don't think it's working for me...But I have to say, over the weekend, I couldn't get the song out of my head.” — [B], 06:34
  • Host notes its G-rated, "super poppy" aesthetic but also sees classic Rodrigo elements: “playful pop and chugging rock,” “classic Olivia Rodrigo.” — [A], 07:12

• Song Themes: Observations on Rodrigo’s shift from heartbreak anthems to an unguarded, direct love song.

  • "It's a love song...almost as if the love is kind of surprising her." — [B], 07:58

• Pop Culture Chisme: Playful speculation about the real-life inspiration behind the lyrics (“Pisces and Gemini”), with debates about Rodrigo’s rumored relationships.

  • “Sounds like we've got a real mystery on our hands here.” — [A], 09:48

2. Peter Gabriel – "Till Your Mind is Shining (Bright Side Mix)"

[10:28 – 19:24]

• Initial Thoughts: Host experiences "swinging" between confusion and appreciation, noting the song’s deliberate shifts between pop and dark, moody elements.

  • "There's this whole yin yang thing...swings from some sort of, like, pop music to some sort of weirdo, dark, moody sort of stuff." — [A], 10:28

• Lyrical & Sonic Themes: The song mirrors its lyrics of illumination and complexity with contrasting musical sections.

  • “[The poppy chorus] is the illumination part. It's sort of, you know, like a light bulb turning on.” — [B], 16:14

• Album Release Concept: Gabriel’s unique “Output Input” project features monthly dual releases (bright side/dark side mixes, timed to lunar cycles):

  • "The first mix is released on the full moon of every month, and the second mix...on the new moon." — [A], 18:46
  • Both hosts express appreciation for Gabriel’s creative, nontraditional release strategy.

• Artist Longevity: Gabriel's voice and creativity praised, especially given his output at 76.

  • "He sounds incredible to me." — [A], 18:08

• Industry Talk: Frustration with standard album rollouts and inventive strategies by major artists (e.g., Drake’s “ice block” tease).

  • “Can you just release the album?” — [A], 19:24

3. Nine Inch Nails & Boys Noize – "Heresy" (Nine Inch Noise)

[21:46 – 29:13]

• Coachella Recap & Album Context: Nine Inch Nails perform with Boys Noize at Coachella, releasing an album (Nine Inch Noise) of EDM-infused reinterpretations.

  • “They did this really big industrial electronic set...and released a new album titled Nine Inch Noise.” — [B], 21:52

• Track Commentary: “Heresy” is highlighted as a stellar example, transforming the ‘94 original into a high-energy, festival-ready banger.

  • “Just nobody sounds like them.” — [A], 26:44
  • "This version...brings out this almost, you know, EDM festival ready potential in the music." — [B], 27:01

• Comparing Versions: Preference expressed for the updated version due to its clarity, upfront vocals, and less “sludgy” feel.

  • "I like this version better. There's a clarity to it all...somehow that feels safer to me." — [A], 28:22

• On Catharsis and Innovation: “There's something cathartic about this version and it's a banger of a song. And I think it's not a song that a lot of artists could pull off.” — [B], 29:03

4. Rosalía – "Foku Ronnie" (LUXXX Complete Works)

[29:13 – 37:43]

• Criticism & Appreciation: Lively debate on Rosalía’s LUX and its new expanded version.

  • A is passionate, B less sold: “You didn’t even have it on your top ten.” — [A], 29:44

• Deluxe Albums & Streaming Strategy: Discussion about the addition of bonus tracks to drive digital engagement.

  • “Artists are always doing that, trying to get as much out of the album cycle as possible." — [A], 29:53

• Track Analysis: “Foku Ronnie” bridges LUXXX and Motomami, combining theatrical electronics and vocal risk-taking.

  • “It’s a bridge, for me, between what she was doing on LUXXX and what she was doing on MOTOMAMI.” — [B], 34:17

• Lyric Interpretation Debate:

  • [A] sees it as “about loving somebody...in a way that doesn’t sacrifice any part of who you are.”
  • [B] reads it as “a song about how you can commit to someone, but it doesn't necessarily mean that there is the love that you need to sustain a relationship.” — [B], 35:26
  • Notable quote: "I carved your name into my ribs, but my heart never bore your initials." — [B], 35:54
  • Music video’s storytelling highlighted: wedding gown, biker gang, LA streets.

• Awards Prognostication: Discussion of Grammy eligibility cycles, strategic release timing, and award prospects.

5. Rostam – "Like a Spark"

[38:32 – 44:50]

• Background: Rostam, Vampire Weekend co-founder, continues solo career with a feel-good, folky single from upcoming American Stories.

  • “He was a founding member of Vampire Weekend...but he's been a solo artist for a good decade or so now.” — [A], 38:32

• Song Message: Loving someone by wanting them to remain free; lightness and emotional buoyancy praised.

  • “I only ever wanted you to feel free to live...” — [D], 39:22

• Sonic Hallmarks: “Crunchy, 70s inspired, lightly folky, relaxed, summery song.” — [B], 43:15

• Atmospheric Detail: Appreciation for the ending, which puts the listener in a “café-like” ambiance, reinforcing the intimacy and dreaminess of the track.

  • “It sounds like you're suddenly in a cafe...I just think it's really beautiful.” — [A], 42:41

• Mood Setting: “Makes me want to drink an aporol spritz outside and dig my bare feet into freshly cut grass.” — [B], 44:20

6. Gregory Ullman – "Days"

[45:04 – 47:00 (and through End)]

• Introduction: LA jazz scene guitarist, known for pushing the guitar’s sonic boundaries and genre-bending improvisations.

  • “He wasn't on my radar at all...he played guitar on one of my favorite songs of last year, Mia Folix, this time around." — [A], 45:45
  • “He's popped up...on some lists for, like, the greatest guitarists working right now.” — [A], 46:01

• Musical Signature: Transformative playing compared to Adrian Ballou; known for making the guitar “sound like anything other than a guitar.”

  • “…stretches the boundaries of what a guitar can do. And I think it's beautiful.” — [B], 46:49

• Track Details: The song “Days” is praised for its emotional subtlety and instrumental experimentation (including Farfisa-like organ).

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Notable Quotes

• "We like to keep it shallow here at All Songs Considered." — [A], 01:31
• "Olivia has a great reputation for making songs about heartbreak...this is a love song, and it's fully in it, as if the love is surprising her." — [B], 07:58
• "I just love his voice so much. He's 76 years old. He sounds incredible to me." — [A], 18:08 (on Peter Gabriel)
• "This version...brings out this EDM festival-ready potential in the music that just makes it sound so intense and modern." — [B], 27:01 (on Nine Inch Nails + Boys Noize)
• "Rosalía...brings the same drama to this song that she did so much of LUX." — [B], 36:53

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Episode Flow and Tone

• Conversation Style: Relaxed, self-aware, playful, and earnest music nerd camaraderie. Willing to challenge each other's interpretations but always with warmth and humor.
• Musical Breadth: Pop to electronic, industrial, Latin experimental, folky singer-songwriter, and jazz-adjacent new sounds.
• Recurring Themes: The evolving nature of music release strategies, pop culture speculation, how songs “grow on you,” the enduring innovation of classic artists, and the joy of discovering new music.

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Summary Takeaways

Listeners are taken on a tour of music’s ever-shifting landscape, from the shimmer of new pop to genre-defining reinventions and thoughtful, mellow pacing to close. Each song includes personal interpretations and spirited debate, celebrating the twists of taste and the delight of discovery. Whether discussing new releases, reinterpretations, or deluxe editions, the show brings insight and heart to every track.

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Further Listening

• Olivia Rodrigo – "Drop Dead"
• Peter Gabriel – "Till Your Mind is Shining"
• Nine Inch Nails & Boys Noize – "Heresy"
• Rosalía – "Foku Ronnie" (LUXXX Complete Works)
• Rostam – "Like a Spark" (American Stories, out May 15)
• Gregory Ullman – "Days" (Extra Stars)

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Transcript

[A]

This message comes from Starz. With Amadeus, starring Will Sharp and Paul Bettany, comes the new Starz original series Amadeus Experience, a tale of genius, jealousy, and rivalry. Amadeus series premieres May 8 only on Stars and the Stars app. Well, let's do a show.

[B]

Let's do it.

[A]

Let's do a show. This episode of All Songs Considered comes to you from the NPR Music podcast where you. You will find new shows, new episodes of All Songs Considered in this feed every Tuesday. We've also got Alt Latino every Wednesday in New Music Friday at the end of the week. Hazel Sills, how are you doing? All right. You've been popping up on New Music Friday hosting that show.

[B]

I have. I've been filling in for Stephen for a bit. Harrowing experience.

[A]

Just knowing that he had once been in that room, the same studio. I just. Yeah.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

No, that shows a lot.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, on this show, I can come on and share songs that I love that I'm thinking about. When you're hosting New Music Friday, and you know this because you did it for so many years, you originated the form. You have to comb through so much music, listen to so much music that's coming out to figure out, you know, what the best of the day is. And so this episode is so much more relaxed. I really feel like I have to do my homework for the New Music Friday episode.

[A]

Yeah. No. No thought required for All Songs Considered.

[B]

No empty head. No thoughts.

[A]

That's why I always say we like to keep it shallow here at All Songs Considered. Astoundingly, because you've been doing New Music Friday and other stuff. You. The last time you were on was January.

[B]

Yeah. That's so crazy.

[A]

That's bonkers. I can't believe that. It just goes so fast. So welcome back to the Mothership. We are going to plug you in here for full download.

[B]

Oh, great.

[A]

You're there in a booth in New York. So just any minute now, a white lab coat wearing person is gonna enter the studio there and plug a cable into the back of your skull.

[B]

Terrifying.

[A]

Well, I wanna start with a new one that we got from Livia Rodrigo.

[B]

Yeah. I know that you played her music fairly recently with the COVID of that Magnetic Field song.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

That she released. But this is, you know, a new single from her third album. The album is called wait for it. You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. That is the title of the album. She had a real streak there. Just one word. Albums. Sour Guts. Adding more to the pile here. But the song is titled Drop dead.

[C]

I know that the bar closes at 11 I hope you never finish that beer you know all the words did just like heaven and I know why he wrote them loud that you're standing right here oh one night I was born in bed and stopped you on the Internet it's feminine intuition cause I always had a vision of it standing like this all pressed up in the bathroom line you lookin like an angel on the walls of our star the most alive I never felt that kiss me and I only drop de. And I feel like I might throw up left hook right punch the gut you're just a pretty boy I'm paranoid I made you up yeah I'd love it if you walked me home if you promise we can go real slow cause I got chewing gum and a bunch of stuff I'd like to know like have you ever been to Japan or taken that eurostar to France I've been dropping hints all night that I'd loved if you held my hand God damn and then maybe we could make make out clothes off and fall to the ground go steady let's go out and tell the whole damn world how one night I was born in bed and stopped you on the Internet it's feminine intuition cuz I always had a vision of it standing like this all cursed up in the bathroom behind you feel like an angel on the walls at first s the most alive I've ever been to kiss me in a pisces and a gemini But I think we might go really nice together if you let me stay the night well I think I might just have to stay forever Pisces and a gemini But I think we might go really nice together if you let me stay the night but I think I might just have to stay forever. You looking like an angel on the walls the first time you're most alive I've ever been alive kiss me in night kiss me in night kiss me

[A]

in my drop dead Hazel I very much want to hear what you think of this song. Because when it first came out, we had a slack thread going in and you had a kind of a pretty hot takeover on it at first.

[B]

I did. I did have a pretty hot take. I originally heard this song and I thought, I don't think it's working for me. There's just. There was something about the chorus that I really couldn't wrap my head around. I think it's a very wordy chorus. Sort of like the wordy album title, you know. I gave it, you know, three spins in a row and it just wasn't sticking in my head the way that her past songs have. You know, a song like Deja Vu or Get Him Back. But I have to say, after I said that the Friday this song came out over the weekend, I couldn't get the song out of my head.

[A]

Yeah, this is maybe the most G rated thing I've ever heard from Olivia Rodrigo, top to bottom. And it's super poppy. But I'm kind of like you. The more I listened to it, I thought, you know, I don't think this is really that different than even something like maybe bad idea. Because it's got all the Olivia Rodrigo sort of touchstones. It's playful pop and chugging rock. The cadence of her melodies, the way she kind of builds to a big drop. All of that, to me, is sort of classic Olivia Rodrigo. And what I love so much about her music, you know, it's maybe not as deadpan as some of her stuff,

[B]

but I will say it has totally grown on me. Olivia has a great reputation for. You know, you mentioned deadpan.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

She has such a great reputation for making songs about heartbreak, breakups, relationships that can't really be well defined. And this is. It's a love song, and it's like a totally. Just fully in it, you know, almost as if the love is kind of surprising her. And I really appreciate the way that this song builds. She kind of creates this very addictive image of, you know, I willed this to happen. I stalked you on the Internet. We're pressing up against each other in line for the bathroom. And I think that that initial, kind of weird chorus that I couldn't wrap my head around, I was like, oh, this is. She's spinning a web around the person. She's not in a, like, conniving way or malicious way. But I just think that this song ended up drawing me in the way that I think she is drawn to the person that she's singing about. So it's definitely grown on me.

[A]

Is anyone talking about this maybe being about Cameron Winter from Geese, or is that just me?

[B]

No, I don't think anyone.

[A]

Yeah, but. No, you don't follow tmz. You don't get your news from tmz.

[B]

Do you wanna give context about this for the listeners?

[A]

Well, no, I've just. They've been seen out and about together, and so, you know, people are speculating that they're a couple now.

[B]

I don't know. I mean, she has been linked to the actor Louis Partridge for a long time now. I think that they are The Pisces and Gemini duo that she references in this song.

[A]

Oh, well, I did do some digging, and Cameron Winter is a Pisces, but so is Olivia Rodrigo. So it just doesn't work unless you're

[B]

really pushing the

[A]

sounds. Like, honestly. Sounds like we've got a real mystery on our hands here. Oh, my God. So. Gonna require a little more digging. So you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. That's the first single, Drop Dead, that's out June 12th.

[B]

Exciting. I'm glad to have her back. I can't wait to hear.

[A]

Yeah, me too. Yeah, me too. You know, I think there's something going on in the Olivia Rodrigo song that happens a lot for me when I listen to music, which is where you kind of swing back and forth between loving it and just not really digging it at all. Like, you have a moment. There's like a 30 second moment where you're like, this is awesome. And then it'll swing back into like, what is this? I don't get this at all.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, totally.

[A]

So that's kind of what happened for me with this new song that I heard from Peter Gabriel. Peter Gabriel is back with new music. And I don't know when I first listened to this song. It's called Tell your Mind is Shining. My first thought was like, this is a song that doesn't know what it wants to be because it kind of. There's this whole yin yang thing kind of going on in it where it swings from some sort of, like, pop music to some sort of weirdo, dark, moody sort of stuff that I think of when I think of Peter Gabriel. But also sort of like the Olivia Rodrigo this one. The more I listened to, it really sunk in and I really started to love it again. The song is called Tell youl Mind is Shining. And in parentheses, bright side, M.

[D]

You

[E]

love, you see it illumination. You look, you learn you listen till your mind is shining. Coming down the line you can ride upon these waves are coming down the

[C]

line

[E]

the things that drive the way you feel they're all hidden in the code Connect them all, turn up the light then they can explode Then they can explode you look, you learn, you see it illumination. You look, you learn, you listen Illumination. Ride the open sea. The swell is under me the particles are floating around they call the sight and sound Sucking up the data trail I guess it won't be found Guess it won't be found. You look, you love, you see it illumination. You look, you love, you listen Illumination. You look, you love, you see It. Illumination. You look, you learn, you listen. Illumination. Watch it coming alive from the mouth of the river to the depths of the ocean. Weaving the web till you're casting the

[C]

net

[E]

and your feet are back on the dry land. Anytime that you're upside down with the backwards running forwards all the space is folding away. You could stop, go out and grab them and all the thoughts swirling around your head altogether can drown you. So much stuff running around your brain. Watch it all like Citizen Kane. Gather all the thoughts like a massive intervention. There's one place left to focus your attention. Time to let it all go till your mind is shining. Time to let it all go till your mind is shining.

[A]

Yeah, what'd you think?

[B]

I mean, it is interesting to play it right after the Olivia Rodrigo song. Cause I agree with you that there is something about this song that feels a little off or sounds a little off. Like it builds into this happy sounding pop space and then it kind of drops. There are several moments in the song where it sort of drops into this darker, more reflective tone. But at the same time, I just think, considering what this song is expressing, you know, you know, you look, you learn, you listen. Illumination. I think there are beats of this song where he is. He's listening and he's investing. And then that sort of, you know, upbeat, poppy chorus, to me is the illumination part. It's sort of, you know, like a light bulb turning on. And so even if there are parts of the song that sound mismatched to me immediately, I think given what he's singing, I'm like, okay, I can see how these fit together.

[A]

Yeah, it's obviously very intentional. And again, to the themes, you know, he released this album in 2023 called IO for input output. And now he's got a new album coming out that he's slowly trickling out, called the reverse of that Output Input. So he's obviously very interested just in opposites, right? In contrasts. And he certainly finds that in this song. He has said that this is the poppiest thing he's probably ever written. And I think my favorite Peter Gabriel is sort of the moodier stuff. There are some weird sounds that I think, like, wow, Even in the 21st century, some of the sounds that he's come up with in the moodier parts are really arresting and weird and unusual and surprising and really, just really, really cool. I think part of the appeal for me, honestly, is just getting to hear him sing. I just love his voice so much. And I mean, he's 76 years old. He sounds Incredible to me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's really great to have him back because he went for a long stretch where he was not putting out any new music at all, more than 20 years. So he put an album out in 2002 called. And then he did not put out any new original music until 2023, when he released that I.O. album. And now back with Oi. And there is no single drop of this album. All the songs are gonna trickle out. You basically are gonna get one a month. And there are two mixes for each one. The bright side and the dark side. And they. You following all this?

[B]

Oh, I am. I am.

[A]

So the first. The first mix is released on the full moon of every month, and the second mix of the song is released on the new moon of every month, which is when the moon is almost completely dark. And. Yeah. And then by the end of the year, we'll have a new album from them called I Love. Yeah, I love it.

[B]

I love it. I just feel like, you know, if you are an artist who is at this place in your career and you can pull things off, like this strategy. I love it. I'm so tired of a typical album rollout, honestly.

[A]

Me too.

[B]

The beats of it and just, you know, it's really fun.

[A]

Yeah. It's so hard for artists to get attention anymore with their stuff, and so they're still trying everything they can with the release cycle. You know, I can't tell you how many times I'll talk with a publicist or something, and I'm like, can you just release the album? It's just like, can we not play this game? We all know in albums. Can I really not say that there's an album coming? Do I really have to keep that a secret? And I can only talk about this one song or whatever it is, you know, it's just like, come on, just put it out. It doesn't matter anymore.

[B]

I'm reminded, did you see the recent publicity strategy that Drake used to announce his new album?

[A]

Oh, I saw there was. I didn't read it, but I saw there was something cooking about that. What was that?

[B]

He put the release date of the album in a giant block of ice in, I believe, Toronto, and so was encouraging fans to put heat on the ice so that it would melt so that they could get the valve at least. So that's the world. That is the world that we're living in right now.

[A]

I thought you were gonna say, like, they locked people in the room with a baseball bat and an ice pick or something. And, you know, they had to fight one another. Don't give them ideas and then chisel away at the ice just to find out the release date. That is insane.

[B]

Yeah.

[F]

This message is from Synchrony bank, who wants to remind you to stay flexible. Not the yoga bending circus performing kind of flexible, financially flexible, like with their high Yield savings account. Stay [e-mail] NPR Member FDIC this message comes from Mint Mobile. If you're tired of spending hundreds on big wireless bills, bogus fees and free perks, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop [e-mail] Switch taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. Support for this podcast and the following message come from Strawberry Me. Be honest. Are you happy with your job? Are you stuck in a job you've outgrown or never wanted in the first place? Are your reasons for staying really just excuses for not leaving? Let a career coach from Strawberry Me help you get unstuck, discover the benefits of having a dedicated career coach in your Corner and get 50% off your first coaching session at Strawberry Me, NPR

[B]

so Nine Inch Nails recently played at Coachella. Did you catch any of those performances? Like, even in clips?

[A]

I haven't. Well, I've seen little clips, but I haven't. I mean, it looked mind blowing.

[B]

Yeah, it was. I didn't watch the full performances, but the clips have been looping in my brain for weeks now. Yeah, but Nine Inch Nails performed at Coachella. They did this really big industrial electronic set that was made in collaboration with the electronic producer Boys Noise, who they've worked with in the past. And then after the first weekend of Coachella, Nine Inch Nails released a new album titled Nine Inch Noise, which basically collected, you know, all the collaborations they were playing at Coachella, this kind of new reimagination of Nine Inch Nails catalog with Boys Noises electronic production. And so I want to play a track off of that album. It's titled Heresy.

[C]

Tries to tell me what I put inside of me he's got the answers to ease my curiosity he dreamed of God up and called it Christianity God is dead and no one who cares if there is a hell I'll see you there.

[E]

He flexed his muscles to keep his flock of sheep in line he made a virus that would kill off all

[C]

the swine his perfect kingdom of killing, suffering and vain still man, still potion atrocities down in his name God is dead and no one cares if there is a hell I see you there. Your God is dead and I who cares if there is a hell? I'll see you there. Will you. God Is dead and no one cares if there is a hell. I'll see you there, Sam.

[A]

I was just dancing with complete abandon in the studio by myself, and then suddenly got very self conscious. Even though I'm all alone in here.

[B]

It's so good.

[A]

It's so good. You know, I mentioned with the Peter Gabriel, like, Even in the 21st century, these sounds that seem so familiar from him still sound so amazing. I think that's true of Nine Inch Nails. And I know a lot of this production in this version of this song comes from Boys Noise, but just nobody sounds like them.

[B]

And it's interesting cause, you know, Nine Inch Nails has always had this kind of industrial dance floor ready, you know, sound. I mean, this Heresy, which was originally off the Downward Spiral album, came out in 1994. You know, you could dance to that for sure. But I think what's incredible about this version is the band and Boys Noise just take it to a completely different level and really bring out this almost, you know, EDM festival ready potential in the music that just makes it sound so intense and modern. And also, I think in conversation with a lot of the scoring work that Trent Reznor has been doing for, you know, the last decade or few decades, I was a big, big fan of the Challenger score that she did with Atticus Roz. I was really promoting that pretty hard on our team. Definitely played some of it on the show. And you know, the work that he's done with Tron Ares. And so he has definitely been moving, I think more steadily into the dance space. And I think the work that he does with Boyz Noise on this song just, you know, marries his present and his past so beautifully.

[A]

Yeah, they fit together really well. You mentioned that this was from the downward spiral from 94. I gotta say, I like this version better.

[B]

Oh, I do too.

[A]

I like this a lot better. And I'm trying to think of what it is about it exactly. The vocals are more up front. There's a clarity to it all. It's not quite as sludgy, it's not quite as horrifying, which I find so much of Nine Inch Nail stuff. And I love Nine Inch Nails, but they're very terrifying band and terrifying music. To me, this isn't quite as ragey or if it is raging. It's like you're getting on the dance floor and somehow that feels safer to me. I don't know what it is, but

[B]

yeah, there's something cathartic about this version and it's a banger of a song And I think it's not a song that a lot of artists could pull off.

[A]

Well, you know, Hazel, you and I, I feel like we're usually pretty aligned when it comes to music. Like, pretty similar tastes. Yeah. Yeah, I think so. But I couldn't help but notice at the end of last year when we did our. Yes, I know it's the end of April, and I'm still thinking about at the end of last year when we did our personal top 10 lists. Rosalia's Lux was nowhere on your top 10. Forget about it being number one, which it was for me and some other people. You didn't even have it on your top 10.

[B]

I was not a big fan of that album. I didn't dislike it. I just don't think I heard what other people were hearing in that album.

[A]

Wow. Well, next time you come to dc, we're just gonna block out a couple hours, get in a nice studio, and we're gonna crank it up. And maybe Ana Maria and I will walk you through track by track, because I thought it was generational. Well, Rosalia is doing that thing that artists do now, which is following up the album. It came out in November. She's following it up with a deluxe version, like a complete version or bonus version. Artists are always doing that, trying to get as much out of the album cycle as possible. And in this case, she's calling it Luxury Complete Works. And she's added a few songs to it to the digital release. These songs were new to me, actually, and to anyone who only listened to the digital or streaming version of the album. I guess these songs were available on the physical versions of the albums, but not on the streaming, which is the only version I actually ever listened to. And I kind of felt that the version that I had gotten used to was pretty untouchable for the most part. And I wasn't sure that it needed these new songs added to it, even though they were in the physical form. But there's one in particular that I really, really love from it and would have loved to have had right out the gate when she first released the album. It's a song called Foku Ronnie.

[C]

Sa. Me flores.

[A]

I think this is just a great standalone track, but I. I also think it works really well with the full album. It's got that sonic adventure, you know, it's got lots of little twists and turns in electronics. It's very theatrical, also gorgeous. And I just think Rosalia's voice has never sounded better than it does on this album.

[B]

I think that this song it is kind of a bridge to me between what she was doing on Luxx and what she was doing on Motomami. You know, I agree with you that it doesn't. It's hard for me to imagine it in the context of Lux alone, but it retains some of those more experimental electronic, that kind of, like, skewered, you know, weird, creepy vocal style that she uses in the song that I think she was playing with more on an album like Moto Mami. And so I see it as a. I don't know, it's sort of bridging those two releases for me.

[A]

I think this song also fits well for me because it's sort of about. Well, the whole album is about kind of the complexities of intimate relationships and spirituality and God and faith and. And all of that is kind of found in this song. This is a song about. I believe the title means big fire. And it's a song about loving somebody and wanting to be with somebody. And it's a very passionate kind of love and intense, but loving them in a way that doesn't sacrifice any part of who you are.

[B]

Interesting. I don't know if I heard it that way.

[A]

How did you hear it?

[B]

I think I was thinking of it, you know, when I looked at the lyrics and I heard the song, that it was more a song about how you can commit to someone, but it doesn't necessarily mean that there is the love that you need to sustain a relationship.

[A]

And I don't know what's the distinction you're making there. If you commit to someone, but you're not really in love.

[B]

Yeah, well, so much of the song is about fate will decide things for you.

[A]

Oh, I see.

[B]

There's this lyric on the song, and maybe this is what I'm basing my reading on. There's a lyric in the song where she sings, you know, I carved your name into my ribs, but my heart never bore your initials. There's sort of some sort of dissonance there. And the song also has an incredible new music video that came out when this song was released digitally. And it has these great visuals of Rosalia wearing a wedding gown and being taken on a motorcycle by some biker gang around the streets of Los Angeles. And, you know, she has such a unique flair for drama in a way that I think few pop artists. Is she even a pop artist anymore? I don't know. Yeah, it's crazy. She doesn't fit into any category in a lot of ways. And, you know, she brings the same drama to this song that she did so much of Luxx.

[A]

Well, so I mentioned Luxx came out at the top of November, and then now we just got Lux Complete Works. And the thing that's really interesting to me is that that album was not eligible for the Grammys, which means that we're going to see it at the Grammys next year in 2027, and it came out in 2025, which is just bonkers to me. It probably will end up, I don't know. It depends on.

[B]

Wait, is it really. Sorry, is it really not eligible? When did it come out?

[A]

In November.

[B]

I thought it was eligible.

[A]

No. Well, not for the Grammys. We just had.

[B]

No, no, no, no. Yes, you're right.

[A]

Yeah, it'll be. Which is, I thought was really smart because then she didn' against Bad Bunny.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And I mean, I would be surprised if it didn't win album of the year. It really kind of depends on what happens the rest of this year. And it's obviously still very early, but yeah.

[F]

This message is from Synchrony bank, who wants to remind you to stay flexible. Not the yoga bending circus performing kind of flexible, financially flexible, like with their high Yield savings account. Stay [e-mail] NPR member FDIC this message comes from BetterHelp. May is mental health Awareness Month, a reminder that you don't have to do this life alone. From loneliness to anxiety to financial stress. Right now people everywhere are struggling, but having a licensed therapist with you by video phone or chat can make a difference. And BetterHelp makes it easy. Sign up now and get 10% [e-mail] NPR that's betterhelp.com NPR I actually have

[A]

another song that I. Well, I at least thought it fit nicely alongside the Rosalia song because of the way I was reading the Rosalia song. But we have different takes on what that song meant, so maybe not. But it's a new one from Rostam. If you don't know Rostam, he was a founding member of Vampire Weekend. Pretty critical to their sound early on, but he's been a solo artist for a good decade or so now. Anyway, this new song is called Like a Spark, and it's kind of about loving someone in the freest way possible, like no strings attached. Like you find joy and you love them even more just by knowing how free they are. Again, it's called Like a Spark from Rostam.

[D]

Some night we slide up together side by side and some days you wake in the moonlight I'm not around. You body Once you t Up easily except for me I only ever wanted you to feel free to I only ever wanted you to feel free to I only ever wanted you to feel free to to feel f In that. Someday I'll trade in the past and feeling but something's always wrong and some night I hang from the ceiling like a spark Everybody wants you to dad Easily except for me I only ever wanted you to feel free to live I only ever wanted you to feel free to live to feel free to handle that I only ever wanted you to feel free to.

[C]

Sam.

[D]

Once you tired of easily except for me I only ever wanted you to feel free to live I only ever wanted you to feel free to live to feel free to live I only ever wanted you to feel Am I afraid of it?

[A]

I love the little bit at the end there. It sounds like you're suddenly in a cafe or something. There's a little ambience of some room that you're in where you suddenly realize that it has all been unfolding there. Like, I try. I imagine him on a date with whoever he's talking about, and that's. And they're at the. Like. They've just gotten up to, like, go make a phone call or something, and he's at the table by himself, having all these thoughts. And I just think it's really beautiful. It is. It's just so light. It just feels like the whole song is just floating just above the ground. It's really beautiful.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Floating is a great way to describe it. Rostam has really been cultivating this very specific sound, I think, for a while now. But he's also been writing and producing for a lot of other artists. You know, he's been working with Haim, worked with Claro. He made this great song, Western Wind, several years ago with Carly Rae Jepsen. That sounds sort of like a sibling to the song that you just played. And he just is really good at this kind of crunchy, 70s inspired, lightly folky, relaxed, summery song.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, this very. Astral Weeks, the Van Morrison song Astral Weeks, very much reminded me of that.

[B]

Yeah. It's the kind of song that. Especially with its messaging about I just want you to feel free with me. It makes me think that I could change my life just to say, you

[A]

could do better than whoever you're with. I hope they're not listening right now.

[B]

No, it just. A song like this just makes me want to drink an alporal spritz outside and just dig my bare feet into freshly cut grass and to Cultivate all of those desires and feelings into a song, I think is hard work. Even though this song has such a light touch, I love that kind of shaker percussion in it. And, yeah, it's just. I feel more relaxed listening to it.

[A]

So this album is called American Stories. I don't know if I mentioned that. And the song, like a spark, American Stories, the album is not out until May 15th. But, Hazel, I know you've got one more that you want to play.

[B]

Yeah, I do. And I guess it kind of continues that this relaxed. You know, earlier we had Olivia Rodrigo and Nine Inch Nails, and I feel like we're ending the show.

[A]

No, this is perfect. This is a good note.

[B]

Much more relaxed note. Yeah. I want to play a song by the artist Gregory Ullman. He is an American composer, improvisational musician, mainly known as a guitarist, who comes out of this Los Angeles jazz scene. And he put out an album titled Extra Stars. And I love the album. I think it's great. But there's one song on it that's really stuck with me, and the song is titled Days.

[A]

So he wasn't on my radar at all. And I started reading more about him, and I saw, like, he played guitar on one of my favorite songs of last year, Mia Folix, this time around.

[B]

Oh, I didn't realize he was on that song.

[A]

Yeah, he's actually done quite a bit with her.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Which is nothing like this song. No. And so he's clearly got a really wild range. He's popped up also on some lists for, like, the greatest guitarists working right now, like, greatest guitarists of the 21st century. So, like, I'm. I'm all about Gregory Ullman now because I really love this song, and I want to. I want to learn more about him. One thing I noticed when I listened, because I listened to some other cuts from this record, is that he's very good at making. Making his guitar sound like anything other than a guitar, which is something like. I think of Adrian Ballou. He's someone I've always loved for that. This song, I think, is maybe more immediately recognizable for its guitar, but it. But it's got some really interesting stuff, too, like. Like a Farfisa organ or something that kind of comes in.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

About halfway.

[B]

Yeah. He's definitely someone who really, as you said, stretches the boundaries of what a guitar can do. And I think it's. It's beautiful.

[A]

So we'll go out on this. Thanks so much, Hazel, as always. Always a great hang.

[B]

Thank you for having me.

[A]

It's all Songs Considered from NPR.

[C]

Foreign.

[F]

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I'm Brittany Luce and I don't know, maybe this is a little out of pocket to say, but I think you should listen to my podcast. It's called It's Been a Minute and I love it. And I think you will too. Over the past couple months, over 100,000 new listeners started tuning in. Find out why. Listen to the It's Been a Minute podcast from NPR today.

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