The Top 8 Albums Out On July 16 : All Songs Considered : NPR

After releasing her relentlessly catchy debut single, “Whip My Hair” in 2010 (when she was just nine years old), the singer and rapper Willow went on to release more than a half-dozen albums and EPs of mostly uptempo pop and dance music. But on her latest album, Lately I Feel Everything, the now 20-year-old artist gets loud and electric with a collection of ’90s-influenced guitar rock, inspired by Wicked Wisdom, the nu-metal band her mother, Jada Pinkett-Smith, used to be in. We open this week’s show with Lately I Feel Everything, and talk about Willow’s exponential growth as an artist.

Also on the show: the highly anticipated new album from Clairo, the oh-so-’80s “sob rock” of John Mayer, a posthumous release from Alice Coltrane and more. NPR Music’s Felix Contreras joins contributors Christina Lee, Cyrena Touros and WXPN’s John Morrison, along with NPR Music’s Lars Gotrich, Stephen Thompson and host Robin Hilton to share their picks for the best albums and EPs out on July 16.

Featured Albums:

1. Willow — Lately I Feel Everything
   Featured Songs: “Breakout” and “Xtra”
2. Clairo — Sling
   Featured Song: “Zinnias”
3. Rodrigo Amarante — Drama
   Featured Song: “Tao”
4. John Mayer — Sob Rock
   Featured Song: “Guess I Just Feel Like”
5. Cakes da Killa — MUVALAND Vol. 2
   Featured Song: “Lite Werk”
6. Alice Coltrane — Kirtan: Turiya Sings
   Featured Song: “Jagadishwar”
7. John Vanderslice — I Can’t Believe Civilization Is Still Going Here In 2021! Congratulations To All Of Us, Love DCB
   Featured Song: “I Get A Strange Kind Of Pleasure From Just Hanging On”
8. John Vanderslice — Ethical Jute Mouse: Lost Songs from Tiny Telephone 2001-2021
   Featured Song: “Advancing Army Clip”

Other notable releases for July 16: Charlie Worsham — Sugarcane; Ida Mae — Click Click Domino; Jodi — Blue Heron; Karen Black — Dreaming Of You: 1971-1976; Pop Smoke — FAITH.