Rhiannon Giddens has released five solo albums since 2015. Before that, she was a member of the Grammy-winning band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops. She is now also the artistic director of the Silkroad Ensemble, the musical supergroup that Yo-Yo Ma founded.
Rhiannon Giddens is one of those people where I feel like they have to start inventing new awards, because she’s already won all of them. She’s got multiple Grammys, she won the Pulitzer Prize for an opera she co-wrote called Omar, she’s a MacArthur Genius, and the new Beyonce song “Texas Hold ‘Em,” the one that features the banjo? That’s Rhiannon Giddens playing the banjo. (I guess that’s not technically an award, but it feels like one to me.)
In 2023, Rhiannon released an album called You’re The One, and I talked to her about the song she wrote called "You Louisiana Man," which was nominated for a Grammy for Best American Roots Performance.
For more, visit songexploder.net/rhiannon-giddens.
War - Low Rider
Shania Twain - You're Still The One
Danny Brown - Y.B.P. (feat. Bruiser Wolf)
Re-issue: Arlo Parks - Black Dog
Green Day - Basket Case
The Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight (Deluxe Anniversary Edition)
Foo Fighters - The Teacher
Raye - Escapism (feat. 070 Shake)
Sampha - Spirit 2.0
Paramore - Liar
Kesha - Eat The Acid
Alvvays - Archie, Marry Me
Laufey - From The Start
Re-issue: Janelle Monáe - So Afraid
Siddhartha Khosla - Only Murders in the Building (Main Title Theme)
Local Natives - Dark Days
Bakar - Hell N Back
Natalie Merchant - Sister Tilly
Re-issue: Julien Baker - Appointments
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