NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week, including the highly anticipated third album by Atlanta rapper J.I.D. and a massive Blondie box set.

Featured Albums:
1. J.I.D — The Forever Story
Featured Songs: "Dance Now," "Better Days," "Raydar"

2. Stella Donnelly — Flood
Featured Songs: "Lungs," "Morning Silence," "How Was Your Day?"

3. Miguel Zenón — Müsica De Las Americas
Featured Songs: "Opresion Y Revolucion," "Tainos Y Caribes"

4. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith — Let's Turn It Into Sound
Featured Songs: "Locate," "Have You Felt Lately?"

5. Blondie — Against the Odds: 1974-1982
Featured Songs: "Rapture" "The Tide Is High (Demo Version)," "Heart of Glass"

Lightning Round:

Carolyn Malachi — Counter Narratives
Julia Jacklin — Pre Pleasure
Regina Spektor — 11:11 + Papa's Bootlegs
Valerie June — Under Cover
Meechy Darko — Gothic Luxury

Other notable releases for August 26:
blackbear — In Loving Memory
Bret McKenzie — Songs Without Jokes
Chris Forsyth — Evolution Here We Come
Diamanda Galás — Broken Gargoyles
Embrace — How To Be a Person Like Other People
Eyedress — Full Time Lover
Ezra Furman — All of Us Flames
Ingrid Andress — Good Person
Marcus King — Young Blood
Muse — Will Of The People
Pantha du Prince — Garden Gaia
Pianos Become the Teeth — Drift
Sélébéyone — Xaybu: The Unseen
Spice — Emancipated
William Orbit — The Painter
Yellowjackets — Parallel Motion

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy