Music

Tracy Chapman Reveals Her Last Big Hit Is Also Her Most Personal

• "Give Me One Reason" (1995) was Chapman's last solo hit single
• Chapman says the song is autobiographical, unlike "Fast Car"
• It won a Grammy for Best Rock Song and appears on New Beginning

Tracy Chapman's 1995 single "Give Me One Reason" was her final hit as a solo artist, and the singer-songwriter has revealed it is also her most personal, unlike her more famous breakthrough track "Fast Car". Speaking at a concert, Chapman described the song as autobiographical, explaining she wrote…

Qobuz rolls out real-time synced lyrics to all subscribers

• Qobuz adds synced lyrics and a redesigned player for all subscribers
• Matches features long offered by Spotify and Apple Music
• Comes amid strong 2025 revenue growth and user gains for Qobuz

Qobuz has introduced real-time synchronised lyrics and a redesigned player interface across its iOS and Android apps, making the feature available to all subscribers. The high-fidelity streaming service announced the update on Thursday 23 July, bringing it into line with Spotify and Apple Music, which have offered synced…

Mercury Prize 2026: Judging Panel Confirmed

• Mercury Prize 2026 judging panel confirmed, chaired by Jeff Smith
• Ceremony returns to Newcastle's Utilita Arena on 22 October
• 12-album shortlist to be announced Thursday, 30 July

The judging panel for the Mercury Prize 2026 has been confirmed, ahead of this year's ceremony returning to Newcastle following its historic first outing outside London in 2025, when hometown favourite Sam Fender won. The event has become a fixture in the North East, and confirming the panel…

Avenged Sevenfold Release New EP ‘STATICA’, Debut Songs Live As Support For Themselves

• Avenged Sevenfold surprise-release experimental new EP 'STATICA'
• Band debuted it live from backstage, shown on venue screens
• Comes as A7X launch US co-headline tour with Good Charlotte

Avenged Sevenfold have surprise-released a new EP, 'STATICA', a four-track collection that pushes further into the experimental territory the band have explored since 2016's 'The Stage' and 2023's 'Life Is But a Dream…'. The release, described as glitchy, lo-fi and dreamlike in tone, marks a deliberate departure from…

The Maccabees Soar At Brighton’s On The Beach Festival

• The Maccabees headlined Brighton’s On The Beach festival.
• The bill included Editors, Miles Kane and Anna Calvi.
• The show continued the band’s prominent reunion run.

The Maccabees headlined Brighton’s On The Beach festival, leading a large seaside bill that also featured Editors, Miles Kane, Anna Calvi, Ash, Badly Drawn Boy and Brighton band Lime Garden. The performance marked a notable homecoming for the reunited indie band, who have strong early ties to the…

The 1970 song Elton John wanted to play forever: “Better every time”

The article discusses a song from 1970 that Elton John reportedly said he could play indefinitely because it improved with every performance. It presents the track as an enduring source of creative enjoyment for John, illustrating his admiration for music that continues to reveal new qualities over time.…

4 Songs From the 1980s That Made You Want To Live in New York City

• Four 1980s songs celebrated New York City's allure despite the decade's significant crime and drug epidemic
• Artists including Fleetwood Mac, Scorpions, Beastie Boys, and Sinatra each captured distinct dimensions of the city's appeal—from ambition and nightlife to defiant attitude

Singer Stevie Nicks shot in Los Angeles, California in 1982. (Photo by Aaron Rapoport/Corbis via Getty Images) If you didn't already live in New York City in the 1980s, these iconic rock and pop songs made you wish you did. The post 4 Songs From the 1980s That…

‘The Odyssey’ illegally viewed more than three million times on X

• Pirated "The Odyssey" viewed illegally over three million times on X
• Highlights scale of film piracy on the platform
• Full article details beyond this figure are unavailable

A pirated version of "The Odyssey" has reportedly been viewed illegally more than three million times on the social media platform X, highlighting the scale of film piracy occurring on the platform. The figure underscores growing concerns about how easily copyrighted content can spread unchecked on X, raising…

Artist sues AI meme generator for selling deeply personal comic as ad template

• Artist sues Memes.ai over unauthorised commercial use of his viral comic
• Case could set precedent for AI meme generators' copyright liability
• Legal expert says suing the platform, not advertisers, is a risky approach

Filipino artist Elmer Saflor, creator of the viral 2017 "Running Away Balloon" comic, has filed a lawsuit against Memes Apps LLC, which runs the AI-powered platforms Memes.ai and Memes AI Studio, alleging copyright infringement. Saflor claims the company sells paid subscriptions to an ad-generation tool that reproduces his…