After a year defined by emergence and creative combination, our critics zoom in on their own listening to choose one inescapable album and song each.

Marcus J. Moore reflects on the studio debut of pianist Julius Rodriguez, an artist seamlessly commingling jazz with more pop forms.

A previously unreleased live recording from 1967 finds the iconic jazz drummer experimenting outside the spotlight in a small New York club, assessing his next steps at a pivotal moment in his career.

The long-dormant, era-defining rapper makes one thing clear from the start of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers: He's not the hero you're looking for.

Nostalgia tends to dominate our respective listening habits. This year saw the excavation of various titles from the annals of time.

For nearly two decades, billy woods and ELUCID have established themselves as cult figures in hip-hop. The duo's new album, Haram, is their most approachable, even if the rhymes are still intricate.

This video, part of our 'We Insist' timeline of 2020's noteworthy protest music, was released Oct. 29.

This song, part of our 'We Insist' timeline of 2020's noteworthy protest music, was released Oct. 26.

This song, part of our 'We Insist' timeline of 2020's noteworthy protest music, was released Sept. 18.

Dialectic Soul, the South African drummer's debut as a bandleader, is a stunning protest album meant to soundtrack resistance anywhere in the world.

SAULT's latest and best album is a capital-B Black record that funnels rage and sorrow into contemplative streams of thought, over equally brooding music meant to slow your heart rate.

The rapper behind the Pulitzer Prize-winning album DAMN. helps hip-hop evolve by tapping into the restless spirit of jazz, a trait on display in the shifting song "DUCKWORTH.," produced by 9th Wonder.

Talking Heads' classic Afrobeat-inspired album gets the cover treatment by the Beninese star.

Wise, known for her collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, says the idea for the purple-lit video came to her during an "incredible" pedicure.

Donald Glover easily combines Southern rap and psychedelic soul in a desperate rant of love-fueled angst.