The songs we can’t stop playing this week : All Songs Considered : NPR

The Peter Cat Recording Co.

Salihah Saadiq/Courtesy of the artist

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Salihah Saadiq/Courtesy of the artist

This week we check back in on our running list of the year’s best songs — they’re contenders for a spot on the inevitable best-of 2024 lists we’ll post at the end of the year. Our latest update includes some pro-tips for staying engaged with life as we get older, how to be happy in a world you can’t control, the art of letting go and more from Arooj Aftab, Great Grandpa, Japandroids and more.

We’ve also got a slightly less-dystopian single from The Smile, the shape-shifting sounds of Delhi’s Peter Cat Recording Co. and the blood-slowing music of fingerstyle guitarist Yasmin Williams.

Featured artists and songs:

1. Arooj Aftab: “Raat Ki Rani,” from Night Reign
2. The Smile: “Don’t Get Me Started” (Single)
3. Japandroids: “D&T,” from Fate & Alcohol
4. Peter Cat Recording Co.: “I Deny Me,” from Beta
5. Great Grandpa: “Kid” (Single)
6. Yasmin Williams: “Virga (feat. Darlingside),” from Acadia