Each month we ask a member of the community to tell us what music they’ve been digging.
Lately I have been leaning back into music. My usual morning mix of news and political podcasts has started to feel like a bit too much, so I have been giving my ears and my brain a break. When I looked at what has been in heavy rotation, Cowboy Carter by Beyonce sat right at the top. I saw her in concert last spring, and it honestly changed my life. The scale of it, the precision, the generosity, it felt like opera. Next came Caetano Veloso, which surprised me at first but then made perfect sense. His phrasing, that blend of calm and joy, feels like the antidote to a noisy world.
I find I’m drawn to music that feels both grounded and unpredictable, the kind that rewards attention but also lets you drift. Hania Rani’s piano moves like a weather system, shifting depending on where you stand. Vuyo Sotashe’s voice has that same quality, a warmth that opens into something clear and bright. For running, I reach for Perfume Genius or Sharon Van Etten. For working, I tend to drift toward early music like Capella de la Torre and Katharina Bauml, steady and spacious. At Hudson Hall, I am surrounded by artists who blur the lines between tradition and invention. That spirit has found its way into my playlists too. Maybe that is what I like most about music: the right song still has the power to stop you, remind you, or just keep you company.
This article appears in November 2025.
