Question

alif naaba, a songwriter from burkina faso making his united states debut, sang earnest admonitions above briskly fingerpicked six - beat webs of guitar and percussion, a gentler but no less engrossing counterpart to music from neighboring mali. source: new york times in this sentence, earnest means: devout or heartfelt excessively cruel or brutal having a hidden meaning characterized by sorrow

Explanation:

The context shows the songwriter sang with sincerity. "Devout or heartfelt" best fits this sincere - natured description of the admonitions. The other options do not match the positive and sincere tone of the description.

Answer:

A. devout or heartfelt