Begging songs and basketball's musicality (with Hanif Abdurraqib)
There's no music writer like the essayist and poet Hanif Abdurraqib: whether he's narrating the beautiful awkwardness of a Carly Rae Jepsen concert or talking jazz and eastern spirituality with Andre 3000, he manages to coax stories and insights out of songs in a way that never fails to surprise. His latest book, There's Always This Year, is a free flowing meditation on basketball, childhood, his home state of Ohio, and of course, music \u2013\xa0so on the precipice of the NBA finals, Hanif returns to Switched On Pop to discuss classic soul, sports, and sound with musicologist Nate Sloan.\nYou can buy Hanif's work through his website here.\n\nSongs discussed:\n\nBoyz II Men, "On Bended Knee"\n\nOtis Redding, "My Girl"\n\nThe Temptations, "My Girl"\n\nJoy Oladokun, "My Girl"\n\nStevie Wonder, "My Girl"\n\nStevie Wonder, "Knocks Me Off My Feet"\n\nTrent Reznor, Atticus Ross, "Challengers: Match Point"\n\n\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices