In a year when Taylor Swift took up an atmosphere’s worth of media oxygen (sorry), artists large and small continued the long trudge uphill, attempting to stand out in an increasingly crowded field.

January 9, 2026 • Dry Cleaning. Jenny on Holiday. An introspective debut from Mon Rovîa. Stephen Thompson from NPR Music is joined by Celia Gregory from WNXP in Nashville to talk about their favorite ...