This essay first appeared in the NPR Music newsletter. Sign up for early access to articles like this one, listening recommendations and more. I love the word "heartthrob." It stops you whether you ...

I love the word "heartthrob." It stops you whether you read it or let it pass through your own lips in a giddy, longing breath. It has too many "t"s and a stutter in the middle, just like the tha-wump ...

The biggest song of 2025 is a straightforward ode to marriage, but the charts and algorithms are filled with love songs expressing something messier. This essay first appeared in the NPR Music ...