It’s been just over a month since Cure For Paranoia closed out its first national tour at D.C.’s historic Howard Theatre. Since then, Cameron McCloud’s been performing in Europe. But our judges have been rounding up the very best of R&B and soul, rock, folk and Latin entries on All Things Considered.
Top row: Thee Almighty Majestics, Ed Harvest; bottom row: Jackie Marchal, Rijah.
For the best of rock and folk, Robin Hilton highlighted Lily Talmers’ playful, yet existential folk song, “The Big Idea.” He also talked about Yuri Shin’s “Falling Rabbit,” an emotional and intimate reflection on the passage of time. Jackie Marchal’s “Excavate the Girl," an experimental song in which Jackie builds her voice by attaching synthesizers to her throat, was named as a favorite in the rock category.
Bobby Carter first tapped Kennedy Ryon’s dynamic and self-assured “Ego” as a standout R&B-inspired pop entry. He also selected Rijah’s “Earth” as a R&B favorite. And as Bobby’s top choice in the category, he crowned Ella Faye’s “Aurora.” (Ella was named the Massachusetts favorite by WBUR this year for her incredible use of harmonies and thoughtful connections to nature.)
2025 Contest judge Felix Contreras stepped in to go over his favorite Latin music entries. He started with Thee Almighty Majestics’ "Última Noche," an entry he described as “pure 1790s Mexican pop.” Next, he gave a shoutout to Puerto Rican artist Ed Harvest and his Afro-Caribbean inspired rock entry, “Me Toca Despedirme De Ti.” And Felix’s very favorite was Ivan Llanes & Friends’ “Cubahia,” an entry that stole his heart with its focus on Cuban percussion.
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Before we go, we also want to congratulate two long-time Contest entrants on releasing new music on streaming services. Ahead of the release of her sophomore album, Honey Moon, Gillian Grogan just put out her 2025 entry “Ants in the Garden.” Jackie Marchal released a new EP, The Girl the World Forgot, which includes her 2026 Top Shelf entry. And, Yuri Shin released a new song “new shoes,” which will be included in her upcoming EP.
We’ll continue sharing more community updates in this space in the coming months. To be featured, simply reply to this email and let us know if you've released new music, collaborated with another Contest artist or have a new music story to tell.
See you next month!
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