A still from SZA's video for "The Weekend." YouTube hide caption
R&B;/Soul NPR Music stories that feature R&B and soul music.
Jidenna performs live at WXPN's Free At Noon concert at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. Emma Silverstone/WXPN hide caption
Jidenna On World Cafe
Curtis Harding (center) and his band pose inside the World Cafe Performance Studio. Galea McGregor/WXPN hide caption
Curtis Harding On World Cafe
Bette Smith Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Bette Smith On World Cafe
Ed Sheeran performs onstage during 102.7 KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2017. Spotify reports Sheeran is the most-streamed artist of 2017. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia hide caption
Bootsy Collins Michael Weintrob/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Bootsy Collins On World Cafe
Tom Jones contributes a cover to Strange Angels, an Elmore James tribute compilation that benefits MusicCares and Edible Schoolyard NYC. Tristan Fewings/Getty Images hide caption
Tom Misch's debut album Geography is due out next year. Charlie Cummings/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Kendrick Lamar performing at Coachella on April 23, 2017. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella hide caption
Ryan Adams performs live at the World Cafe 25th anniversary concert in Philadelphia. Joe Del Tufo/WXPN hide caption
Live On World Cafe: Our Favorite Performances of 2017
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings' final album, Soul of a Woman, is available now. Jacob Blickenstaff /Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings' 'Soul Of A Woman' Is A Testament To Fortitude
Don Bryant Matt White/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Irma Thomas (shown performing in 2008) is known as the "sweet soul queen of New Orleans." Chris Graythen/Getty Images hide caption
Miguel performs onstage at the Annenberg Foundation and KCRW's Sound In Focus Concert at Annenberg Space For Photography on July 15, 2017. The singer-songwriter's new album 'War & Leisure' drops Dec. 1. Michael Kovac/Getty Images for The Annenberg Foundation hide caption
A still from the video for "Not Coming Home" From the video hide caption
Syleena Johnson's Rebirth Of Soul is out Nov. 10. Ojay Rice/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Rhye Genevieve Medow Jenkins/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Maylee Todd's Acts Of Love is out Nov. 3. Luis Mora/Courtesy of the artist hide caption