The Austin-based songwriter Alex Winters turns the terrifying act of emotional surrender into a towering alt-rock confession. There is a specific kind of silence that occupies a room right before a heavy truth is spoken aloud. It is thick, suffocating, and entirely self-imposed. We build fortresses out of our past traumas, stacking bricks of deflection and mortar of avoidance to guarantee nothing can ever hurt us...

Nyinée, a Nigerian singer on the rise, just released her new song called “Tolotolo.” A song about a sweet, loving, and clearly romantic kind of love. The song comes off as a tune of a love relationship, with soft touches, longing looks, and lighthearted teasing. The joyful and culturally rich word "Tolotolo" fits the mood of the song perfectly. In many social situations in Nigeria, people...