What makes for a summer song?

Summary

All Songs Considered - Episode: What Makes for a Summer Song? Release Date: July 15, 2025

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Introduction: Embracing the Summer Vibes

In this vibrant episode of NPR's flagship music discovery podcast, All Songs Considered, host Robin Hilton delves into the quintessential question: What makes for a summer song? Joined by guests Ana Maria Sayer, Hazel Sills, and Stephen Thompson, the conversation navigates through personal summer experiences, the essence of summer music, and a curated selection of tracks that encapsulate the season's spirit.

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Defining Summer: Personal Perspectives

The episode opens with an engaging discussion about what summer means to each participant. Ana Maria Sayer shares her love for summer activities, such as packing picnic lunches and exploring off-the-beaten-path locales in her neighborhood. She states, “Adventure awaits” (00:52).

Hazel Sills reflects on her transformation from a "reformed indoor kid" to someone who now "vibes with summer" (01:20). She expresses newfound appreciation for sunshine and outdoor activities, attributing her change to the uplifting effects of being in the sun (01:45). Stephen Thompson adds a scientific touch, highlighting the benefits of being outdoors (01:51).

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Crafting the Perfect Summer Song

Transitioning from personal experiences, Ana Maria proposes a unique approach to selecting summer songs: “Let's do the songs that feel like summer or say summer to us” (02:00). The trio agrees to focus on tracks that evoke the essence of summer rather than those explicitly released as summer hits.

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Curated Song Selections and Discussions

1. Kay Trinada - "Lover Friend"

   • Hazel Sills introduces Kay Trinada’s track as a quintessential summer song, praising its continuous mix and party-perfect vibes. She visualizes scenes like "a rooftop in Brooklyn at sunset" while sipping a tequila soda (02:32).
   • Stephen Thompson echoes Hazel's sentiments, describing the song as “sexy, slinky summer vibes” that beautifully convey the ambiguous feelings of budding relationships (07:15).
   • Ana Maria Sayer appreciates the song's “gentle breeziness” and the relaxed tension it maintains, aligning with summer’s laid-back atmosphere (07:40).

2. Hugo Party in the Stud Remix of "Patadas de Ahogado" by Latin Mafia and Humbe

   • Stephen Thompson highlights how Hugo's remix enhances the original's emotional depth, transforming it into a danceable summer track. He mentions the song's heartfelt lyrics and irresistible beat that make him "dance when I don't want to" (12:56).

3. Keaton Henson - "Sandwalking"

   • Ana Maria Sayer selects Keaton Henson’s ambient and instrumental piece, "Sandwalking," as a reflection of summer’s quieter moments. She describes the album Somnambulant Cycles as a “totally legit soundtrack to at least one side of summer” (16:24).
   • Hazel Sills adds that the song evokes serene scenes like "walking by the beach at sunrise," emphasizing its capacity to soundtrack beautiful natural moments (20:06).

4. Tems - "Love Me JJ"

   • Hazel Sills praises Tems' track for its ambient sound and emotional vulnerability. She discusses the song's effortless warmth and a captivating moment where Tems exclaims, "I'm terrified," followed by a blood-curdling scream, adding a layer of raw emotion (24:29).
   • Ana Maria Sayer interprets the scream as Tems being "terrified of love," adding depth to the song's narrative (25:40).

5. Carol G. - "C Antes de Ubiera Conocido"

   • Stephen Thompson introduces Carol G.'s energetic merengue-inspired track, describing it as a “full out banger” perfect for dancing around kitchens and clubs alike. He addresses the cultural conversations surrounding merengue music and its adoption by non-Dominican artists (31:00).
   • Hazel Sills appreciates the song’s inclusion of crowd chants in its structure, noting its potential as a summer hit with its lively and inclusive music video set at a seaside karaoke bar (31:57).

6. Mary Lattimore - "I Spent the Day Inside"

   • Stephen Thompson presents Mary Lattimore’s harp-driven piece as an ode to the joy of staying indoors during summer. Ana Maria concurs, highlighting how the song romanticizes solitude and introspection, making it a perfect summer meditation track (32:27).
   • Hazel Sills lauds Lattimore’s ability to create "beautiful romantic music" from the comforts of home, celebrating the serenity it brings (33:14).

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The Emotional Landscape of Summer Songs

Throughout their selections, the participants emphasize that summer songs often embody relaxation, calmness, and the beauty of simple moments. Robin Hilton remarks, “songs that say summer to us” (02:00), highlighting the personal and introspective nature of their choices. Ana Maria notes a common thread of solitude and introspection, suggesting that summer songs serve as a serene backdrop to life’s fleeting moments (12:50).

Hazel distinguishes between "big summer anthems" meant for widespread celebration and more personal tracks that individuals choose to enhance their own summer experiences (08:15). This duality underscores the versatility of summer music in catering to both communal and solitary enjoyment.

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Transition to 25th Anniversary and 2020 Reflections

As the episode progresses, the conversation shifts towards All Songs Considered's 25th anniversary celebrations. The hosts delve into their favorite songs from the pivotal year of 2020, discussing influential tracks and albums that defined that period.

• Phoebe Bridgers' "Kyoto" stands out for its lyrical depth and melodic beauty. Ana Maria recalls the song's impact, mentioning, “I wanted to see the world through your eyes until it happened” (39:35).
• Fiona Apple's "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" is lauded for its innovative sound and emotional resonance.
• Bad Moves' "Local Radio" receives special attention, especially due to the involvement of Daoud Tyler Ming, a respected colleague at NPR Music. The song is celebrated for its catchy hooks and heartfelt lyrics, encapsulating the essence of summer 2020 before the year's tumultuous events (41:15).

Ana Maria reflects on the challenges of selecting a standout song from 2020, ultimately favoring tracks that offer both musical excellence and emotional connection (37:03).

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Conclusion: Celebrating Summer Through Music

Concluding the episode, Robin Hilton thanks the guests for their insightful contributions and previews upcoming segments celebrating All Songs Considered's milestone anniversary. The discussion not only highlights the diverse range of summer music but also underscores the personal and communal connections fostered through shared musical experiences.

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Timestamps:

• 00:00 to 45:45 - Transcription segments (advertisements and non-content sections are omitted for clarity).

Transcript

[Robin Hilton]

Support for this podcast comes from Dignity Memorial. For many families, remembering loved ones means honoring the details that made them unique. Dignity Memorial is dedicated to professionalism and compassion in every detail of a life celebration. Find a provider near [e-mail] well, it's blazing hot outside.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

We are totally in the grips of summer now. And I don't know about you, but, you know, summer for me is that time of year. You know, I like to pack a nice picnic lunch, you know, put on a pair of hiking boots, a little bug spray and sunscreen. Safety first, you know. And I like to go for a nice long walk to explore some of the lesser known off the beaten places in my house.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, I was going to say I.

[Stephen Thompson]

Was like very unprecedented.

[Hazel Sills]

I was like, keep going, but I'm not buying this.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah, I mean, how well do I really know that? Cedar closet in the basement. You know, there's always something new to discover. Adventure awaits. Ana Maria. If I had to guess, I'd say you love summer.

[Stephen Thompson]

What about me gives you that idea?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

You radiate summer. Everything about you says summer. Hazel eye.

[Stephen Thompson]

Summer is my season. I am life. I am year round. Summer, lifelong summer.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Hazel you. I think you hazel kind of go either way. With you, I'm not sure. Maybe not so much.

[Hazel Sills]

I am definitely a reformed indoor kid. I think as a younger person, I absolutely hated summer camp. Hated being outdoors. Just wanted to be inside my home watching movies in a cold, dark space. And now I feel like I really vibe with summer. Like I wanna be outside in the heat of New York. I wanna go to the beach. I wanna go to the pool. I don't know what happened.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I think it's.

[Hazel Sills]

I realized that sunshine makes me feel good.

[Unknown]

Weird.

[Hazel Sills]

And so I'm like, oh, actually it's.

[Stephen Thompson]

Kind of a great experience scientifically. It's good to be outside.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Science is on Hazel.

[Unknown]

This.

[Hazel Sills]

I learned this.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah. That's why we have vitamin D supplements, which I'm. I am on. So we're going to do summer songs on this episode. But I thought let's not do the obvious anthems or whatever big hit, you know, was released specifically to capitalize on this time of year. And instead I thought, you know, let's just do the songs that feel like summer or say summer to us. And we don't need to start with my hibernation jams. So let's start off with one of yours.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah. So an artist that to me just screams summer is the DJ and producer, Kay Trinada. And there's a Song called Lover Friend, that, to me, is just absolutely perfect for the summer season.

[Unknown]

This attention, satisfaction. If you throw it, I'll hit it back to you? If you want it, got to know? Cause I. Cause you want to be my love? Wanna be more than friends? Cause you wanna be my lover? When you can't pretend? Cause you wanna be my love? Wanna be more than friends? Cause you wanna be my love when you can'? Don't you want to be friends? You want to be? No defenses satisfaction Stopped your heart Just to get a reaction? Kept you wanting, Let it haunt you can't deny when it's right? No one has to lose if you want it never wasn't out to play friend Sam.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want. I mean, it seems like an homage to that in some ways. I don't know the whole. If you want to be my lover, you got to get with my friends.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah. But exceedingly more chill.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah. Oh, my God.

[Hazel Sills]

With Riz with style. Yeah. I just feel like. I don't know. Kay Trinada is a DJ at heart. He's an incredible producer, but he is a master of vibe, a master of party. His music is such a continuous mix. It's like you can just put his songs on or put one of his albums on at a party, and it completely sets the mood. And a song like this is just exactly what I want in the summer. Like, I can just see myself. It's surprising to me that this hasn't happened yet. Like, see myself on a rooftop in Brooklyn. The sun is setting. I'm drinking a tequila soda out of a solo cup that I've made with questionable ratio of soda to tequila. And. Yeah, just. Rachel Jordan. Jordan is the vocalist on this song, and her vocals are so breathy and icy and cool. It's just a great combination on this track for me. And really, it's what I want to listen to in the summertime.

[Stephen Thompson]

I literally wrote down Hazel Rooftop bar, wind whipping through.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Literally.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's like this one is sexy, slinky summer vibes. There's nothing as ethereal and elusive and enchanting as the heat and beauty of summer. And that just pairs so perfectly with the ambiguity of the friend, lover, whatever. Like, that is so perfectly communicated.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah. I mean, there's definitely a kind of gentle breeziness in the song that I'm totally down with. And I like how unbothered it manages to be, even though there, you know, I guess there's a little tension over the lingering will they won't they sort of question in it. But, you know, one thing I thought while listening to this and some of the other stuff we have is that the stakes for summer songs tend to be kind of low. And I don't mean that as an insult. I mean, it's not about getting too serious or too heavy or too caught up in something. It's more about just chilling out and letting go and letting loose, you know?

[Stephen Thompson]

And yet the stakes are so low. But they maybe soundtrack our lives more than anything else.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah. What I was gonna say about summer, the stakes of summer songs is like, I feel like there are two kinds of summer anthems or summer songs. There's the big summer banger, which, like, captures attention and, like, captures the sound or moment of a summer, which is not what we're doing on the show, as you said before, Robyn. And then there's another kind of summer anthem, which is more of what you're talking about, Ana, which is the music that you actually relax to and lean towards in the summer season. And it's something that you choose on your own and sort of matches your feeling and your interest and your vibe, as opposed to, like, having a huge radio hit being shoved down your throat, like, every time you go to the public pool, which happens to me.

[Stephen Thompson]

I love. To clarify, backtrack. Stakes are low for summer song. I live for a summer song. I'm like, give me a song that I can vibe to. Walking, running at the pool at night, whatever it is. I want my whole life to be a soundtrack in the summer. And this song, I wasn't readily apparent to me when you asked us to pick a summer song until I. I went literally to play this song, and I was, like, sitting there, I was like, what do I do? And I was like, oh, my God, I've been listening to this song constantly. It's called Patadas de Ahogado, and it's originally by the Latin Mafia and Humbe, but it's a remix by Hugo Party in the Stud.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I think our picks have more in common than you might think.

[Hazel Sills]

Definitely.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I think we're at the same party.

[Stephen Thompson]

We're at the same party. You might be sitting in the corner, but we're at the same party.

[Hazel Sills]

You wear it like a badge of honor. Yes.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah. Yeah. I really do. Hearing these first couple cuts you all brought, and knowing what I have, there is this thread that runs through them that is. Well, I don't know what the word is for it. Not melancholy, but sort of solitude or introspection or there's Kind of almost a stillness in the music, even when there's a beat.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

The beauty of this song for me was when this remix came out that's done by Hugo, who's, you know, doing all the big remixes right now, it really aided to me in getting to the original message of the song, which. The message of the song is a beautiful, beautiful, slightly sad, but mostly beautiful love song. Where it starts, he opens with these lines, you smell like vanilla. I love you. But important distinction here between Te Quero and Te amo. Te Quero being the more casual love. Right? Like, I love you like a friend. He's like, you smell like vanilla. I love you like a friend. Do you want to hug me? Is basically what he says. And then as the song progresses, like, right as you get to that really beautiful swell where the big piano comes in and the beat comes in really intensely, he's like, actually, would you hold me and hug me forever? But there's so much more happening there in terms of what is being delivered. And it just like, ooh, it hits me in the heart when I want it to. And also I just dance when I don't want it to.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah. I think, Robin, your point about it being melancholic or like the songs that we picked sort of having this thread of introspection. I think this song Ana is. You know, people throw around the term tropical house or Ibiza house music, this style of house music or EDM that's more carefree and soft and sort of associated with seaside dance floors and vacation towns. And I think that is. It's like a remix that sort of tones down the more intense emotional qualities of the music in a way that's really beautiful and I think fits really well with the Kay Trinata song that I just played.

[Unknown]

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[Robin Hilton]

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[Unknown]

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[Ana Maria Sayer]

Know, after I listened to your picks, I ended up going down this rabbit hole of memories. Well, or at least trying to memories from when I was younger and single and dating. And honestly, even when I was like a teenager or an early 20s something in college, the stuff I listened to in the summer was just so languid. You know, lots of ambient stuff, lots of instrumental stuff. And that's exactly what I reach for even now. You know, summer for me is a wake me when it's over season and the music I want to hear tends to reflect that. So I gotta go with this surprise ambient and instrumental album from Keaton Henson, the singer Keaton Henson. It's called Somnambulant Cycles and the song I want to play is called Sandwalking.

[Stephen Thompson]

Sa.

[Unknown]

Sa.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I mean, I think this is a totally legit soundtrack to at least one side of summer.

[Hazel Sills]

Yes, definitely. Yeah, it's not to me. This is like I'm taking a walk by the beach and the sun is just rising or I'm walking in a beautiful field of wildflowers listening to birds in the distance. Like it, it feels like a song that could soundtrack really beautiful moments in nature, being outside and sort of, you know, I think what unites a lot of the songs that we've been playing is this state of relaxation or calm that may with, you know, the small, beautiful moments that you might experience in the summertime.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Keaton Hinson, for those who don't know, he is best known as a singer. He has a gorgeous voice. We have a great tiny desk of his that people should check out. He writes these very delicate little, just wondrous little songs. So this instrumental album from him was a really nice surprise.

[Hazel Sills]

So I am taking us maybe back to the party, away from the beach, to the party, maybe somewhere in between.

[Stephen Thompson]

Both.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, both with a song. Song from the Nigerian artist Thames. This is her song. Love me J.J. tell me when to.

[Unknown]

Say love me J.J.

I need your loving so fresh, so clean. Love me in and out I'm feelingly and I'll be down now. Anytime you call me I'll be down, I'll be down. Because I love and I love and I love and I love you only because I need and I need and I need and I need you more. Yeah, you know I run and I run and I run and I run. Fly, fly in the sky, in the night. Hold me your arms in your love, in your light. I'm on your way right now. I'm on your way right now. Yeah, I'm on your vibe now. You got me on your side now? Yeah, I'm on your wave right now. If not you then I don't want to know. I don't want no story day and night it's unconditional. Got me leaving softly. Yeah, yeah, you know you love dummy up like nappa, anything you wanna never do, whatever. Because I love and I love and I love and I love you only because I need and I need and I need and I need you more. Yeah, you know I run and I run and I run and I run. Fly, fly in the sky, in the night. Put me your arms in love and love wave right now. I'm on your way right now. Yeah, I'm on your vibe now. You got me on your side now. Yes, I'm on your wave right now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Said love me jud me tender. Love me jud, love me tender. Why would you just open your mouth and say something terrified?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I mean, we can talk about how super chill it is, you know, and, and how similar it is to some of the other stuff we've been playing thematically. But let's talk about what's going on in the last 20 seconds or so of this song here. When you hear somebody say, what's your face, Robin?

[Stephen Thompson]

You were like, huh?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

You hear someone say, I'm terrified. And then there's this blood curdling scream. And I thought, this is very on brand for Hazel.

[Hazel Sills]

Well, I mean, I think it's funny. So there's just this effortlessness to this song that I love and this warmth that Tems brings to the song. And it feels like she almost like sang it in one take in the booth and then was like that. That was it. It's so beautiful. And I think that little moment at the end where there's chatter in the studio, I'm terrified and there's a scream. I don't know what's happening there, but it's like this beautiful simple message, love me, jj, which means, you know, love me softly. She is really kind of making herself vulnerable. So when I hear that moment at the end, I'm like, I don't know if that's about her performance in the booth or like, you know, sort of like the bareness of what she's saying in this song, but I love this track. I was not super aware of tems until some of our colleagues on the team brought her to my attention. And yeah, this song, I've just been playing it on repeat ever since I heard it. And to me, it's just a mini song of my summer right now.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I mean, I don't know what the scream's about, but when she says I'm terrified, I guess I thought she was saying she's terrified of love. Like she wants this thing, that she wants this thing, but it also scares her.

[Hazel Sills]

I guess I was thinking more like she's scared of asking for what she wants. Like knowing what she wants but asking for it. I mean, even I love that line in the song where she says, I'm on your wave right now. That's just a simple thing to say, but I'm feeling this. I am into you. There's this sort of ambient sense to the song of if this is gonna happen, this is what I want from you and this is what I need from you. And I don't know, that can be scary to me.

[Stephen Thompson]

Like, if we're following this wave of this story of will they, won't they of the summer, this to me is the step in that story where it's like, oh, no, we're locked in. We're falling in love. It's happening.

[Unknown]

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[Ana Maria Sayer]

It's All Songs Considered from NPR Music. I'm Robin Hilton. I'm here with alt Latinos Anna Maria Sayer and NPR music editor Hazel Sills. And we're talking summer songs, or at least the songs that say summer to us.

[Stephen Thompson]

I mean, we've been doing vibes, we've been doing good summer vibes. But this next song I have is a full out blast it banger. Dance around the Kitchen in the Club Etc Song this is. Thank you, Hazel, for dancing for me. This is C Antes de Ubiera Conocido and it's by Carol G.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I mean, it's got more drive than anything else we've played so far. But there's still like a softness in it, you know, that keeps it from being a full on hard hitting banger to me. It's like. It's not like the ntipaluso cut that you played a few weeks ago on the show.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, merengue is a very moving beat, period. Like it is one of the fastest beats to dance to. It's really exciting, it's really fun. And this is a really cool electronic merengue with a little bit of a backwards mumbo to it that I think makes it soft and fun and summer and great to dance to. There was controversy around the song. I talked about this on a Latino recently. Hazel, I've talked about it with you because it sounds pretty similar to Rosalia's De Specha. Some people say, more importantly, kind of open up a lot of conversations around who has a right to do merengue music, which is from the Dominican Republic. Carol G. Is a Colombian artist. All that to say it's brought a really interesting international conversation around, you know, electronic merengue. Merengue del Calle from the street. And it's a very classically summer danceable en the calle with friends type of. So it's exciting to see that people are listening to it, I think in Masses in this way.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, I mean, in Masses is interesting. Cause I thought it was such a baller move to include that moment in the song at the end where there's literally. You can hear a crowd of people singing this song. Like it's everything about this song. You know, she put out this music video for this song that was shot in the Doctor and takes place at this seaside karaoke bar where everyone gets up and dances to the song. She's really kind of serving you this summer hit on a silver platter.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yes.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

But if you want to dance on the roof of a car in Medellin, I can think of nothing better to do that than this next song from Mary Lattimore, the harpist. This is a song that Hazel tipped me off to because she knows me so well. It's called I Spent the Day Inside. It totally rips. You know, I don't know, Hazel, if you picked this just because of the title, but I actually think just the whole sound of the song is perfect, too. It's not just that it's a very beautiful song and one that you can sort of meditate or hibernate to. It's because I think when you listen to this song, it romanticizes the idea of staying inside. It is so lovely. It sounds to me like Mary Lattimore is having the best day of her life just staying inside.

[Hazel Sills]

Yeah, I love Mary Lattimore. Huge fan of hers. I've played her music on the show before, and she posted about this song on her Instagram. She was like, it's called, you know, I spent the day inside. And then in parentheses, she wrote, I did. So, you know, it's like, she is romantic. I mean, she is in her home, I would imagine, making this beautiful romantic music. And that is something to celebrate.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

So we'll go out on this. Anna Maria Sayer, Hazel Sills, thanks so much for hanging out and offering a glimpse into your respective summers.

[Stephen Thompson]

Thanks, Robin.

[Hazel Sills]

Thank you.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

All right, and stay tuned. After the song, we will continue our 25th anniversary celebration of all songs considered this year with a look at our number one songs from 2020. We're up to 2020. Stephen Thompson will be back here for that. That's coming up along with your weekly.

[Unknown]

SA SA.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Hey, Stephen.

[Unknown]

Hello, Robin.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Somehow we've made it to 2020 in this long haul through all of these years. We're in the home stretch.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I'm glad. I'm glad, Robin, that we have finally gotten to a nice, quiet, uneventful year.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Just not a lot happened in 2020, you know, actually, joking aside, I really struggled trying to come up with what my number one song of 2020 would be. I kind of thought it would get easier once we got to the more recent stuff because we're in the final five years. But it's not gotten any easier, actually. Harder.

[Unknown]

It's gonna get harder.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

But what do you got? What do you think of when you think of 2020? Well, what do you think of?

[Unknown]

I think of just like out adventuring in the world.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

What do you think of with music in 2020?

[Unknown]

I mean, tempted as I am to force you to create a radio edit for WAP by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion. I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go with this song right here.

Day off in Kyoto Looked around at.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

The 7:11 so we've been playing name that tune. And this is Phoebe Bridgers, right?

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And this is Kyoto, which I think she says. That's like the first word she says in the song.

[Unknown]

It's like in the first lines.

It cost a dollar a minute to tell me you're getting sober. You wrote me a letter, but I don't have to read it.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

This is from. I can't remember the name of the album this is from. But this is their second one, wasn't it?

[Unknown]

Yeah, it's from Punisher, right?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Punisher, yeah. Oh, that was a great record.

[Unknown]

That is such a great record. I mean, musically speaking, 2020 was full of. Of bangers. You know, you had not only wap, you had, you know, Savage. It was big year for Megan. This for Megan Thee Stallion. You know, because you had. You had Savage with, you know, Beyonce and Megan Thee Stallion.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Right.

[Unknown]

But then album wise, for me, it was just this one, two punch where I spent the entire year, like, what's my favorite album of the year? Toggling between Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers and Fetch the Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah, the Fiona Apple, right? Record was my number one album of the year. I didn't have a song from it that I. I would pick as my number one song of the year, but, yeah, the Phoebe Bridgers that. I remember just thinking that was one of the most gorgeous records I'd ever heard in my life.

[Unknown]

That came out so gorgeous and so insightful and so quotable. Just about every song on that record has some great line that kind of stops you in your tracks. Like even that, you know, that song Kyoto, which is probably the biggest kind of population poppy banger from that record has this amazing line. I wanted to see the world through your eyes until it happened. Then I changed my mind.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

What an incredible line. It's funny too.

[Unknown]

It's so funny.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

It's really, really funny. But I think my pick from that album would have been the song I know the End.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Which I think that's a slow burn.

[Unknown]

At the end until it builds to just this screaming. That's a pretty near perfect record.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Well, so, like I said, I had a hard time just finding a very clear winner for me for 2020. I thought about maybe Atheist by Christian Lee Hudson, which is from his album Beginners, which Phoebe Bridgers produced. She's been a big supporter of his. But I think I'm gonna go with this one. And I actually think that this song was maybe on your personal top 10 for 2020.

[Unknown]

Oh.

Oh, bet. Bad moves, Bad moves.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Come on.

[Unknown]

Now with our colleague and friend Dawoud Tyler Amin on drums.

Working in service in the capital I heard the burnout Rich. I shed a guess that I ran into it like a dead end Though I talked some shit about the job and I'm surprised with how it I dance got interviewed on local radio in the sick bites the hand with the hair be to the passing out scraps you can hardly believe it if you hanging up taps for some new.

Trading.

Shifts with the kids just getting started and the kids getting their wheels in.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And I mean, come on, man. That's so catchy, so infectious, so hooky. Great power, power pop, bad moods.

[Unknown]

Great lyrics.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Great lyrics. Oh my God. So this is the song local radio from their album, their second album that they put out called Untenable from Bad Moves. And yes, full disclosure, the drummer, Daoud Tyler Ming, it was a long colleague of ours here at NPR Music. And you know, I there's part of me that feels like, oh, we shouldn't cover this band, you know, just like.

[Unknown]

The ethics and yeah, and a bias absolutely exists because we love Daoud personally.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

We do. But that's just so good. It's just so genuinely so good. This whole album was so good. The album was called Untenable, which by the way, felt like the perfect word.

[Unknown]

Perfect word for 2020.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

For 2020. But you know, write to me a band that's right up there with like super chunk or pop or something like that. And heartbroken to know that the band has just this year announced the that they're breaking up.

[Unknown]

They're going out with a bang. Because the album they put out last year is also great, but just undeniable.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Absolutely. But we'll go out on this for 2020 and until next time, thanks as always, Stephen.

[Unknown]

Thank you, Robin.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And for NPR Music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's all songs. Consider.

[Unknown]

My heading like a telephone My speech of circle shattered NER heading There's something static like a status quo I took a job and what I got was just to get our credit and interviewed on local radio.

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[Robin Hilton]

Mint Mobile took what's wrong with wireless and made it right. They offer premium wireless plans for less and all plans include high speed data, unlimited talk and text and nationwide coverage. See for [e-mail] Switch.