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WILLOW, 'naïve'

A fresh addition to the long-catalogued genre, WILLOW's "naïve" reminds us that punk's political origins are Black. Over layers of fine-tuned harmonies, melodramatic guitar chords and low-tempo percussion, WILLOW belts the vulnerabilities of her naivety. A ballad set in scenes from life's cinematic dystopia, avoiding cops and running from rubber bullets, she showcases a vocal range that, while initially trained for R&B, is perfectly suited for a pop-punk redux. Along with the rest of Lately I Feel Everything, her fourth studio album out today, the Tyler Cole-produced track proves that WILLOW is a musician with a limitless sound.

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LaTesha Harris is NPR Music's editorial assistant. A relentless jack-of-all-trades, she takes turns writing, editing and producing music coverage. Invested in the culture behind pop, hip-hop and R&B, her work highlights the intersection between identity and history. Once in a blue moon, Harris moonlights as a talking head with no filter.