Gracie Abrams spends the first three minutes of her debut album, ‘Good Riddance’, apologising. “I was so negligent / I feel terrible about how I handled it”, she sings on album opener, ‘Best’.
It’s a complicated apology – regretful and...
When you think of K-pop record breakers, BTS or BlackPink will probably spring to mind; two cultural behemoths that have infiltrated their world with their polished dance breaks and uplifting lyrics. These bands might be considered ambassadors of the...
JANELLE MONÁE – ‘FLOAT’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xf28VXMB2w
The new era from multi-talented actor and singer, Janelle Monáe, has arrived and a trumpeting horn procession lines their comeback parade. In collaboration with Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, ‘Float’ is a swaggering hype track about...
In the opening moments of Caroline Polachek’s new album, ‘Desire, I Want To Turn Into You’ – the second under her real name, and seventh overall – the alt-pop singer wails in vocal intervals for 25 seconds. Soaring atop...
Mae Stephens – ‘If We Ever Broke Up’
https://open.spotify.com/track/6maTPqynTmrkWIralgGaoP
There are TikTok viral moments and then there’s Mae Stephens’ TikTok viral moment. Ever since the start of the year, her debut single ‘If We Ever Broke Up’ has been dominating the...
For the prodigal return of Paramore, who had been on hiatus since 2017’s Grammy-nominated ‘After Laughter’, Hayley Williams re-dyed her hair that trademark red. The blonde era was a long one, encompassing ‘After Laughter’ and Williams’ solo album ‘Petals...
Humble readers, I come to you as a sad Beyoncé fan. Like seemingly half of the UK’s entire population, I found myself in the online queue for the 'Renaissance' tour this week, rapidly losing the will to gig. I...
Alex Lahey - ‘Good Time’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsRafjwS8Fc
“I just want a good time/don’t care how/but I know everybody needs it.’’ So sings Alex Lahey, summing up the transition from January blues into the promise of forthcoming spring. Gearing up for the release...
Content warning: Mentions of misgendering, queerphobia, fatphobia
A staple of mainstream UK pop, the idea of Sam Smith being a particularly controversial or debatable figure may have seemed quite unlikely in the mid-2010s. With a beautiful voice and penchant for...
DAISY JONES & THE SIX – ‘REGRET ME’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0ywkDC9rEo
Not only is ‘Regret Me’ an exciting debut single, but it arrives from a totally new band – a fictional one, albeit. The first single from the eponymous 1970s group based on...