Finding purpose in the process: Zola Jesus on 'Arkhon’

Plus, a Tiny Desk concert from Ravyn Lenae.

View this email online June 25, 2022 by Marissa Lorusso This week, we’re sharing new music from Zola Jesus, Beyoncé and more — plus, a Tiny Desk concert from Ravyn Lenae. Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist Nika Roza Danilova, the musician who produces gothic pop epics as Zola Jesus, has spent years contemplating the spiritual quandaries of what it means to be an artist. She released her debut album, The Spoils, in 2009, when she was still in college at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since then, she has released five more albums, each combining electronic and neoclassical influences with her rich, commanding voice. Zola Jesus’ impressive new album, Arkhon, came out this week, and Danilova says it came from a period of great transformation. "I'm not the same person that I was when Okovi came out," she told writer Liz Pelly over Zoom one morning from her remote home in rural Merrill, Wis., referencing her 2017 album. Since then, long term relationships have ended, including her marriage, which sent Danilova on a search for a sense of self outside them. “The ensuing years,” Pelly explains, “were ones of intense healing, writing and reimagination” for Danilova. Arkhon includes evidence of this internal reckoning, but also grapples with political and economic structures of power and disconnection. “With the pandemic, with the climate crisis, the world is becoming more and more inhospitable for more and more people,” Danilova says. “Arkhon is about all of that. It's about the times we're in, where there's so much exploitation and subjugation that is keeping humanity from collaborating and living in a more holistic way." The songs reflect on the struggle to find purpose in a world rife with structural and economic barriers for artists, and capture the dejection and disillusionment Danilova has felt about the American political system. But ultimately, for Danilova, the experience of making Arkhon with a small group of collaborators was an exercise in finding purpose in this creative process. "I just don't think we can forget how important it is to have a collective spirit," she says. "Because if we lose that, then we're truly atomized. And then we're easier to control, because there's no solidarity between anybody, and there's no understanding. And I find that to be scarier than anything." Newsletter continues after sponsor message New Music Hold onto your wigs; the Queen is back. Beyoncé’s new single, “BREAK MY SOUL,” is a retrofuturistic blend of disco, house and gospel pop. This week on New Music Friday from All Songs Considered, hear about my colleague Stephen Thompson’s contender for Song of the Summer, plus new music from GIVĒON, Soccer Mommy and more. This week on All Songs Considered’s New Mix: a moral call to action from Jesca Hoop and a Sister Rosetta Tharpe-inspired tune from Jake Blount, plus new music by Alex G and Dry Cleaning. Featuring A new stage work called Unholy Wars, conceived by Lebanese American tenor Karim Sulayman, recasts baroque music that by turns demonizes and exoticizes Arabs and Muslims. It brings together dance, theater, visual art and, of course, music both old and new, with a cast of three singers. This week, our friends at KUTX in Austin shared a video of a live performance by Adrian Quesada, best know as a member of the Black Pumas, of songs from his solo album Boleros Psicodélicos, that spotlight the singing of guests Angelica Garcia, iLe and Tita. Name a jazz legend from the last century and there's a good chance Gary Bartz — saxophonist, composer and central figure in jazz for more than 60 years — has a story about them. In a recent episode of Jazz Night in America, hear stories of his many collaborations with artists like Max Roach and Miles Davis, plus a conversation about why his artistry remains so present today. Tiny Desk Bob Boilen/NPR When we left the NPR Music office in March of 2020, we thought at the time that the Tiny Desk would be vacant for two weeks. And while we have loved Tiny Desk's (home) concert series, we’re so thrilled to finally be back to producing Tiny Desks from Bob Boilen’s desk at NPR HQ. So recently we asked on Twitter: Who do you want to see come play at The Desk? Not an insignificant number of people mentioned R&B singer Ravyn Lenae. Luckily, we were thinking the same thing. For her Tiny Desk concert, she performed three songs from her new album, HYPNOS, plus “Sticky” from 2018.  Also this week: We shared a performance from the contemporary worship music collective Maverick City Music (who fit 18 members behind the Tiny Desk!) and a decades-spanning vibrant vocal masterclass from Monica. One More Thing Elvis has left the chapel … and entered the cinema. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WMFE (edit station). Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. 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