Raphael Saadiq is a Grammy-winning songwriter, producer, and artist from Oakland, California. He was the lead singer of the legendary ’90s R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!. As a producer, he’s worked with D’Angelo, TLC, Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Solange Knowles, and John Legend. In August 2019, Raphael released his fifth solo album, Jimmy Lee, which is named for his late older brother. In this episode, he breaks down a song he made with his nephew, Dylan Wiggins, called “Kings Fall.” You can buy or stream “Kings Fall” here. For a transcript of this episode, click here. Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

footnotes Otis Redding Ali Shaheed Muhammed A Tribe Called Quest Electric sitar

Claire Cotrill is a singer, songwriter, and producer who goes by the name Clairo. She started releasing music in 2014 as a teenager. A few years later, songs she had uploaded to YouTube had racked up over 40 million views. This year, Clairo put out her debut album, Immunity. She’s recently performed on Ellen and Jimmy Kimmel, and played arenas, opening for Khalid. In this episode, Clairo breaks down her song “Alewife.” I spoke to Claire and her co-producer Rostam Batmanglij about how the song was made. You can buy or stream “Alewife” here. If you’re having thoughts of suicide, or if you’re worried about a friend or loved one, or if you would like emotional support, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 across the United States at 800-273-TALK. You can also text HELLO to 741741 to contact the Crisis Text Line. And if you’d like to donate to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, you can do so here. For a transcript of this episode, click here. Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

footnotes Rostam’s own episode of Song Exploder Elliott Smith Truth Studios

Brittany Howard is the guitarist and lead singer of the four-time Grammy-winning band Alabama Shakes. This month, she’s releasing her first solo album, called Jaime. In this episode, Brittany breaks down the song “Stay High,” which was the album’s first single. She started working on it while staying at a house in Topanga Canyon, near LA. You can buy or stream “Stay High” here. Watch the official music video below. For a transcript of this episode, click here. Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

footnotes Topanga Canyon Shawn Everett – Engineer Nate Smith – Drummer Zac Cockrell – Bass Celesta Robert Glasper