Topic: Music

Music news, from stadium-filling icons to the artists shaping the charts this week, covering new releases, reissues and the interviews and anniversaries that put a record's story in context. It ranges across genres and eras, so a look back at how a soul classic or disco anthem came together sits alongside coverage of what's charting or making headlines right now.

Beyond the music itself, this is where the people and decisions behind it get examined: why a band turned down a big break, how a songwriter settled on a lyric overnight, or what a veteran musician makes of the industry and the world today. There's also room for the wider culture around music, from touring and nightlife to the health and social benefits some readers get from it.

Taken together, it's a mix of nostalgia and the present tense, useful for anyone who wants to understand not just what's playing now but the stories and decisions that shaped the music they already know.

  • Allison Russell Announces 2026 North American Tour

    Singer-songwriter Allison Russell has announced a fall 2026 North American tour to support her new album, In the Hour of Chaos. The 20-date run underscores continued momentum for the record, which she released in July and features a string of high-profile collaborators, reinforcing her standing as one of folk and Americana’s most in-demand artists. The…

  • ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Drives Steve Lacy, Tame Impala Onto Hot 100

    Two songs featured in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” have entered the Billboard Hot 100 dated 15 August, boosting streaming figures for Tame Impala and Steve Lacy following the film’s 31 July theatrical release. Tame Impala’s “Loser” re-enters the chart at No. 46, while Lacy’s “Oh Yeah?” makes its first-ever Hot 100 appearance at No. 54,…

  • Spotify to Label AI Artists with AI Persona Badge, Keep Them Out of Personalized Recommendations

    Spotify has announced a new “AI Persona” badge to flag artist profiles whose identity may be AI-generated rather than a real person, aiming to give listeners greater transparency. By default, music from artists marked as AI Personas will be excluded from personalised recommendations, and Spotify’s review team will actively check profiles that appear to depict…

  • Album Of The Week: L’Rain fata morgana

    Stereogum has named “fata morgana” by L’Rain (musician Taja Cheek) its Album Of The Week, praising it as one of her most avant-garde releases yet. The review highlights how the record builds on the layered, atmospheric style of her earlier work while pushing further into abstraction, with critic Chris DeVille calling the album a triumph…

  • starbelliedbug Announce New EP Lash: Hear “crayola car”

    San Francisco quartet starbelliedbug have announced their new EP Lash, due out on 25 September via Cherub Dream Records, alongside the release of the opening track “crayola car.” The band grew out of a home recording project by Caitlyn Davis and Chris Reza, and the new single blends mid-fi dream-pop with a gritty emo and…

  • Shabazz Palaces Announces New Album It’s A Style Sport: Hear “Ahh World (I Won The Alphabet)”

    Shabazz Palaces, the Seattle art-rap project led by Digable Planets member Ishmael Butler, has announced a new album titled “It’s A Style Sport”, set for release on Sub Pop Records. The record follows 2024’s mini-album Exotic Birds Of Prey and the standalone single “Time Knows Me”, continuing a project that began 15 years ago as…

  • DJ Shadow Announces ‘Endtroducing’ 30th Anniversary Edition

    DJ Shadow is set to reissue his landmark 1996 debut album ‘Endtroducing’ to mark its 30th anniversary, with the special edition due on 18th September via Mo’Wax/PIAS. Widely regarded as the first album built entirely from samples, the record remains a hugely influential touchstone in modern production, praised for weaving together sources ranging from obscure…

  • Kelly Clarkson Handles Onstage Wardrobe Malfunction Like a Pro—and a Comedian

    Kelly Clarkson took a wardrobe malfunction in her stride during a recent performance at her Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace, turning an embarrassing on-stage slip into a moment of body positivity. As the singer performed her Studio Sessions set and spoke about her career, a gust of wind lifted her shirt to reveal her…

  • Ex-SLAYER Drummer DAVE LOMBARDO And LUSTMORD Form New Project LUSTMORD LOMBARDO

    Lustmord, the pioneer of modern ambient electronic music, and Dave Lombardo, one of heavy music’s most influential percussionists, have joined forces as LUSTMORD LOMBARDO. The pair release their debut album, “The Pulse Of Atoms”, on Oct. 2 via Ipecac Recordings, offering a taste of their new collabo…

  • Copernicus! Tony Soprano! The inventor of the semicolon! The heroic obsessions of artist Isabel Nolan

    Isabel Nolan, a Dublin-based artist, has created Ireland’s presentation for the Venice Biennale, transforming the national pavilion into a secular chapel-like installation titled “Dreamshook”. The work borrows heavily from Christian visual language, such as stained-glass-style arches and radiant tapestries, but redirects that aesthetic power towards celebrating secular figures including scientists and humanists, reflecting Nolan’s belief…