All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best albums out Feb. 13

February 13, 2026

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  • Charli XCX is pivoting creatively following the success of *Brat Summer* by focusing on film and soundtrack work, exemplified by her contribution to the *Wuthering Heights* movie soundtrack. 
  • August Ponthier's new album, *Everywhere Isn't Texas*, is noted for its poignant, autobiographical songwriting about their gender journey and leaving home, resonating within the growing canon of queer music from the South and Midwest. 
  • Brent Faiyaz's album *Icon*, executive produced by Raphael Sadiq, marks a significant evolution toward emotionally nuanced and non-toxic portrayals of masculinity in his R&B music. 

Segments

Charli XCX Wuthering Heights Soundtrack
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(00:00:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Charli XCX’s Wuthering Heights soundtrack work represents a pivot to film and soundtrack composition, moving away from the dance sound of Brat toward a dark, intense chamber pop direction.
  • Summary: Charli XCX is heavily involved in film projects this year, including the Wuthering Heights soundtrack. This music shifts from her previous dance-oriented sound to a chamber pop style featuring lush strings and big drums. The songs explore the theme of tortured love present in the film’s screenplay, which inspired her writing on the Brat tour.
August Ponthier’s New Identity
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(00:03:29)
  • Key Takeaway: August Ponthier’s album Everywhere Isn’t Texas reflects their self-assured gender journey, utilizing stripped-down, autobiographical indie folk songwriting.
  • Summary: August Ponthier, who now uses they/them pronouns, released Everywhere Isn’t Texas following their journey of self-discovery and leaving Texas. The music is lush indie folk, contrasting with some of their more produced past work, allowing the lyrics about leaving home and coming out as queer to breathe. The track “Handsome” specifically addresses gender transition by referencing male celebrities like Jacob Elordi and Timothy Chalamet.
Brent Faiyaz’s Evolution on Icon
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(00:09:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Brent Faiyaz’s Icon, produced by Raphael Sadiq and Chad Hugo, showcases an evolution toward emotionally vulnerable masculinity, moving past the ‘sensitive but toxic’ vibe of earlier work.
  • Summary: Brent Faiyaz’s new album Icon is a major evolution, featuring production from Raphael Sadiq and Chad Hugo. The songs portray women in emotionally nuanced ways, offering a welcome, vulnerable portrayal of masculinity in the current music landscape. The production blends trap beats with fluency in 80s R&B and Michael Jackson influences, highlighted by Faiyaz’s proficient falsetto on tracks like “Butterflies.”
KQED Guest Update
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(00:15:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Nastia Voynovskaya covered the Super Bowl halftime show, interviewing Bad Bunny’s sign language interpreter about the historic inclusion of Puerto Rican sign language.
  • Summary: Nastia Voynovskaya from KQED recently covered the Super Bowl festivities in the Bay Area, focusing on Bad Bunny’s performance. She interviewed the sign language interpreter regarding the historic moment of featuring Puerto Rican sign language on the Super Bowl stage. Her colleagues were also covering a significant teacher strike in San Francisco.
Jill Scott’s Return Album
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(00:17:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Jill Scott’s first album in over a decade, To Whom This May Concern, is a sprawling, liberated work featuring motivational anthems like “Be Great” and collaborations like “Northside” with Tiara Wack.
  • Summary: Jill Scott returns with To Whom This May Concern, her first album in more than a decade, showcasing matured insight and fun energy. The 19-track album features bold highlights such as the horn-drenched empowerment anthem “Be Great,” which features Trombone Shorty. The track “Pressure,” arranged by Kev Choice, addresses staying true to oneself despite external expectations.
STAYC’s K-Pop Sugar Rush
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(00:22:48)
  • Key Takeaway: K-pop group STAYC’s album Stay Alive delivers impeccable, youthful synth-pop described as ’teen fresh,’ blending genres like EDM, hyperpop, and house.
  • Summary: STAYC, a South Korean K-pop girl group active since 2020, released their full-length album Stay Alive. The music is characterized as a sugar rush of catchy melodies, pumping synths, and youthful energy, which the producers term ’teen fresh.’ Tracks like “Tell Me Now” incorporate hyper-pop with a disco feel, showing sonic innovation beyond the standard K-pop template.
The Paranoid Style’s Political Rock
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(00:28:46)
  • Key Takeaway: The Paranoid Style’s Known Associates, led by journalist Elizabeth Nelson, offers dense, wordy storytelling reflecting on American politics, meritocracy, and music history.
  • Summary: The Paranoid Style takes its name from a 1964 essay on American politics, and their album Known Associates reflects contemporary political anxieties. Led by journalist Elizabeth Nelson, the songs feature complex, dense storytelling that rewards repeated listening. Tracks like “A Barrier to Entry” critique the false promise of meritocracy, while others reference DC music legends like Danny Gatton.
Lightning Round Recommendations
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(00:34:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Recommended albums include The Olympians’ cinematic instrumental soul, Hemlock Springs’ dark, synth-driven introspection, and Aaron Shaw’s spiritual jazz reckoning.
  • Summary: The Olympians released In Search of a Revival, a project by Toby Panzer featuring cinematic, orchestral instrumental soul. Hemlock Springs’ The Apple Tree Under the Sea, produced by Burns, introduces a new dark intensity exploring inner battles over synth-driven production. Aaron Shaw’s And So It Is is a personal reckoning with bone marrow failure, resulting in a beautiful record blending spiritual jazz with a dark fog.