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When people talk about the idea of an artist’s life’s work, what is really being considered? Yes, in one way, an artist’s life’s work is the total accumulation of all that they’ve made and released into the world. But it can also have another meaning: a life’s work can also be a singular effort that encompasses a life and a career to date. For Lady Wray (born Nicole Wray), her newest album, Piece Of Me, represents the latter.

Wray, who released the LP earlier this year in January, has since been out on the road performing songs from it in cities all over the country (and she’ll continue that tour later this year, beginning in June). In so doing, Wray has gotten a chance to meet and connect with her fans—some of whom have been following her for decades now. This has been invaluable. She has shared smiles and tears with them. And the process has shown her just what her years of working and living in music have meant.

Popstar Sabrina Claudio was raised around music. It showed up in family gatherings, parties, cleaning time, and chores. And while she never initially thought she’d be a well-known songwriter and performer growing up, she’s become just that, earning millions of song streams and airplay around the world. Today, Claudio, who is set to release her latest LP, Based On A Feeling, on Friday (May 6), considers herself an R&B artist at heart. She’s soulful and insightful in her craft. Yet, she also calls herself normal—perhaps even “too normal”—honoring authenticity in her work more than accolades or marketing manipulation. These roots have proved valuable as Claudio continues to grow and mature, both personally and professionally. In fact, she’s finally been able to hone her vision to one central tenant and that has inspired the bloom of her newest work completely—though it almost never happened.

Emily Kokal, vocalist, guitar player, and songwriter for the band Warpaint, knows the value of being bored. She might not be where she is today—poised to release the group’s newest album, Radiate Like This, on May 6 and headed out for a European tour—had it not been for boredom. With nothing to do, she discovered songwriting books, guitar chords, and the beginnings of what would become her profession: creativity.

On those occasions when her mother grounded her as a kid, that’s perhaps when it all really started. Today, though, kids (and people, in general) are inundated with options and things to do. But what happens to people, she wonders, without times of uncertainty, without downtime? Thankfully for Kokal, she had her own moments like this, and they helped give her the tools to become the acclaimed artist she is now. With hope, she says, others will experience the same.

When the clouds had parted and the drizzly U.K. rain had subsided, young Graham Nash could listen to American Top-40 radio on Sunday nights in his bedroom. He was about 13 years old and had already enjoyed work as an aspiring photographer when he began to take notice. Nash had started taking his first images around 11. But through Radio Luxembourg, Nash could hear the songs of Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Fats Domino fill his room. This, of course, spurred the desire to play the guitar. Now, seven decades later, Nash is still wielding a six-string and still writing music. He’s created his own hits throughout the years in various bands like the Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. And Nash is celebrating many of the best tunes on his new live album, Graham Nash: Live, which is set to release on Friday (May 6).

Hannibal Buress is back at the grind.

This time, though, instead of working on new standup material, as is often the trajectory for famous comedians like him, Buress is working on what may amount to a whole new career arc. The quick-witted and multi-talented artist released his debut EP, Eshu Tune, under the same stage name, in mid-April. That eight-song album features both his production work and beat making as well as his sly, skillful rapping. For Buress, the work is both an exciting window into future creativity and something that connects him to one of his earliest loves: music. It’s something that’s invigorating him these days and, perhaps down the line, the work will inform future standup specials. But in the meantime, it’s all about the songwriting.

What goes into a Grammy Award-winning career? Is it hard work and focus from a young age? It can be. Is it knowing what you want and going for it? Yes, sure. But it’s also about exposing yourself to a myriad of aspects of the world because one never knows where a lesson or inspiration may come from. For acclaimed singer, producer, and businessman, Sean Paul, his path to fame and recognition began in Jamaica with his mother singing songs from the Beatles while taking him to school as a kid. She loved Paul Simon and Cat Stevens and so she exposed her son to them, too. Paul’s aunt owned a sound system and she’d play reggae and dancehall music. That’s when the wheels began to turn in Paul’s head and help to lead him to a career that includes Grammy nominations, collaborating with Beyonce, and more. And Paul’s new album, Scorcha, is set to drop on May 27 with features from Gwen Stefani, Sia, and more.

Today, country singer Kane Brown is one of the biggest names in popular music. He’s earned multiple platinum record certifications, millions of fans, and more accolades than could fit in a 10-gallon cowboy hat. One might presume, therefore, that Brown is on top of the world and in need of nothing else, nor anyone’s help. But that’s as far from the truth as could be. Instead, Brown keeps a level head. He likes hanging out with friends at lake houses and admiring classic cars. Every morning at home when he comes downstairs to see his family, he makes sure to tell his wife that she’s “Superwoman.” Humility, sincerity, appreciation—these are the traits of an artist who will assuredly have a lasting, even multi-decade career. They are also the ingredients that comprise Brown’s career to date. For the standout songwriter and performer, life initially began tumultuous and precarious—as a kid, his family spent time homeless. Now, though, Brown, who is currently at work on his third solo LP, is as sought-after as it gets.

As a songwriter and musician, PJ Morton has basically done it all. For the past half-decade, Morton has earned Grammy Award nominations (and wins) every calendar year (including most recently this year for his work on Jon Batiste’s seminal record, We Are, which won Album of the Year). Morton, who grew up in New Orleans, has played multiple instruments, sang in the church, and collaborated with some of the biggest names in the history of the art form. But while all of this makes for amazing memories and has allowed for many accolades, it can burn someone out. And that’s exactly what happened to Morton.

In fact, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he felt it acutely. When the pandemic hit, Morton figured he could take a break for a few weeks, not knowing the crisis would continue for a few years. But the time off helped a great deal. When it first hit, Morton went back to his native New Orleans and began working on some music on his computer. But when his computer subsequently crashed, he had to take a real deep breath.

Trombone Shorty doesn’t think about music in terms of genre. Rather, he thinks of different styles like different neighborhoods. It’s the result of the artist, born Troy Andrews, growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana, a city where musical trends and energies are born and born again almost daily.

Andrews, who will release his latest LP, Lifted, on Friday (April 29) was born and raised in the Crescent City. He grew up with music like a fish does with water. It was everywhere—so much so that he didn’t even realize it. His brother, cousins, and other family members were ensconced in it. It was only in high school that Andrews even considered a life outside of music. But that wasn’t for long. Now, he’s one of the most accomplished and prolific players, able to weave between traditional jazz, rock, pop, and more.