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.

  • Tyla – A*POP

    Clash Magazine’s review presents Tyla’s A*POP as a confident, polished follow-up that develops the South African singer’s blend of pop appeal and personal identity. It argues that the album moves between romance, vulnerability and independence while retaining the restrained, melodic style associated with her breakthrough. The review highlights tracks including ‘Is It Love’, ‘Chanel’, ‘Mr.…

  • The Far Out Pub Quiz: Ozzy Osbourne, John Bonham and Andy Burnham

    Far Out Magazine has published one of its regular pub quiz features, this instalment centred on the loosely connected trio of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham. The piece forms part of the music and culture site’s recurring quiz series, aimed at testing readers’ knowledge…

  • U2 and Martin Garrix officially release soaring collab ‘Fireflies’: “There’s always a sense of adventure whenever we get together”

    U2 and Dutch DJ-producer Martin Garrix have released ‘Fireflies’, a collaborative single first performed live during Garrix’s Tomorrowland set the previous week. The release reunites Garrix with Bono and The Edge, and marks a further crossover between U2’s rock sound and electronic music. Garrix said the song was begun six summers ago and described finally…

  • Alex Cameron – ‘Late To Set’ album review: I don’t know whether to laugh or cry

    Alex Cameron’s sixth album, ‘Late To Set’, is presented as a darkly comic but emotionally uneasy record that examines masculinity, ageing and self-delusion. The review finds its mixture of satire and sincerity compelling, though the humour can make it difficult to tell whether listeners should laugh at the characters or feel sympathy for them. The…

  • The 1967 song that changed the world for Eric Clapton: “A changing point in music”

    Eric Clapton said Stevie Wonder’s 1967 single ‘I Was Made to Love Her’ was a personal turning point in music. He particularly credited bassist James Jamerson’s playing with radically changing the possibilities of R&B and rock and roll, showing how influential a rhythm section could be. The article places Clapton’s reaction in the context of…

  • Ben McOwen Wilson named new CEO of the UK’s PRS for Music

    PRS for Music has appointed Ben McOwen Wilson, a senior Google and YouTube executive, as its next chief executive. Taking office on 12 October, he will lead the UK collection society at a time of rapid technological change, particularly around AI and digital music distribution, where protecting creators’ rights and earnings is a major concern.…

  • Charli xcx – Music, Fashion, Film

    Charli xcx’s ‘Music, Fashion, Film’ is presented as a deliberately stark departure from the exuberance of ‘Brat’, rather than an attempt to repeat its cultural impact. The review finds the album unsettling and bleak, using terse songs, restrained delivery and uneasy production to explore dysphoria, consumerism, intimacy and impermanence. Most tracks run for under three…

  • Chad Hugo Returns With New Single ‘Jumpupw!nya’

    Chad Hugo has released ‘Jumpupw!nya’, a new single featuring Tierra Whack and Leikeli47, alongside a kaleidoscopic video directed by Kid. Studio. The track is his first major solo release for several years and is presented as the start of a new creative phase for the producer known for his work with The Neptunes and N.E.R.D.…

  • Gracie Abrams Charges to No. 1 In Australia With ‘Daughter From Hell’

    Gracie Abrams has debuted at No. 1 on Australia’s ARIA Albums Chart with Daughter From Hell, marking her second Australian chart-topper. The result strengthens Abrams’s standing in the market, with the album also leading the week’s vinyl sales and displacing Olivia Rodrigo’s you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. Abrams previously spent…

  • ‘Feels Like a Full-Circle Moment’: VASSY Talks Tomorrowland Performance and Fresh Tune ‘DAY N NIGHT’

    Australian-born, US-based dance singer VASSY has released a new house-inspired single, ‘DAY N NIGHT’, with producer BUST-R and is set to premiere it at Tomorrowland Belgium. The appearance is significant because it marks her return to the festival exactly a decade after performing ‘Secrets’ with Tiësto, while also representing a new personal chapter as a…