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 – so on the precipice of the NBA finals, Hanif returns to Switched On Pop to discuss classic soul, sports, and sound with musicologist Nate Sloan.You can buy Hanif's work through his website here.

Songs discussed:

Boyz II Men, "On Bended Knee"

Otis Redding, "My Girl"

The Temptations, "My Girl"

Joy Oladokun, "My Girl"

Stevie Wonder, "My Girl"

Stevie Wonder, "Knocks Me Off My Feet"

Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, "Challengers: Match Point"

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices