You can only dissect a year for so long before another, hopefully better one comes along. So let's set aside 2016 — with its celebrity deaths, political upheaval and, yes, great music — and take a moment to look ahead to the best music of 2017.
For a quick primer on 2017 music, here's a world tour of sorts — one that runs through Mali ( Tinariwen), the U.K. ( Little Simz), Brooklyn ( Sinkane, who's also lived in Sudan, London and Ohio), Canada ( Japandroids) and, finally, NPR's hometown of Washington, D.C. ( Priests). Hear a song from each below.
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