FEATURE: Wired for Sounds: Why An Upswing in the Popularity of Wired Headphones Is Unexpectedly Positive

FEATURE:

 

 

Wired for Sounds

PHOTO CREDIT: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

Why An Upswing in the Popularity of Wired Headphones Is Unexpectedly Positive

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ONE might expect…

PHOTO CREDIT: Anastasiya Badun/Pexels

that, despite a rise in vinyl popularity, people would still fancy music on streaming and using wireless earphones and earbuds. I know that these wireless options provide comfort and ease, though I have always been a fan of wired headphones. I tend to prefer the chunky-eared headphones, as they seem more comfortable and noise cancelling when it comes to sounds around me. As I live in London, there is a tonne of noise everywhere. When it comes to music and how people experience it on the go, I advocate that it should be private and definitely not shared. I appreciate that some people might want to pass a phone to a friend to play them a video or message, but I find that incredible annoying and rude. If you are on public transport or a café, you do not want to hear other people’s phones. It is common in cities where you get people playing music out loud. Apart from a lack of manners and basic respect, I do think that there is something about the comfort of headphones that connects you more to music. I have dabbled with Airpods and earbuds but I find them to be a bit uncomfortable. Maybe I have odd-shaped earlobes, but they tend to come out and I am forever jiggling and repositioning them so they stay in. The price we pay for music portability! It was the same when I was growing up and listening through a Discman. It was not the smoothest of listens. There is also the issue of losing earbuds and the cost and inconvenience there. However, whilst there may be some sense of discomfort and obvious drawbacks to wired options – the eternal and agonising issue of wires being tangled and taking forever to untangle it! -, maybe it is to do with that security and connection. A literal and direct connection to the music. Also, as someone who uses headphones, I do also find they make the listening experience better. Maybe less sound leak or something a bit more panoramic, it does seem better than wireless options.

PHOTO CREDIT: Tony Schnagl/Pexels

Also, there is that thing of going back in time and experiencing music pre-streaming. Maybe a reason physical music is doing so well. I personally prefer to listen to music on a laptop through big headphones. That is optimal for me. Whilst the perfect listening experience is vinyl, if you are listening to albums and songs on streaming or on your phone/laptop, wired headphones and earphones do seem preferable. I was struck by a recent article to The Guardian where they spotlight the upswing and resurgence of wired headphones. Not to be pedantic, but headphones would go over your head and anything that goes into your ears would be earphones/earbuds. I think they are looking more generally at both options but are calling them ‘headphones’. Anyway, the fact that a lot of hugely influential people who you might expect to be wire-free and go with the herd are actually dispending with that in favour of quite basic wired options. It is pleasing to see this trend and change:

“I see more and more people, especially people around my age, rocking the classic white iPod-associated earbuds instead of the previously ubiquitous AirPods. Celebrities and politicians such as Bella Hadid, Zendaya, Dua Lipa and Kamala Harris use them, as do a lot of musicians I know. When New York magazine published its annual Reasons to Love New York issue last week, it featured stars such as Debbie Harry, Cameron Winter and Subway Takes host Kareem Rahma sharing wired earbuds on the cover, because photographer Hannah la Follette Ryan had noticed more and more people listening to music that way on the subway. You see the same casual intimacy on the tube in London and on buses. The other day I even saw a teenager recreating the ultimate symbol of cool of my youth: two white earbuds dangling from the inside of his collar.

IN THIS PHOTO: Zendaya/PHOTO CREDIT: Backgrid

Although there is undeniably some swaggy retro appeal in wearing wired headphones – especially dinky white ones, which allow Gorillaz-loving zoomers, of whom there are many, to relive the era of the Feel Good Inc-soundtracked iPod ad – I think the return to cords was likely born out of a desire for simplicity and economy. The facts of being young right now – just of being alive right now – are that wages have stagnated as prices have gotten higher and rent has become exorbitant. AirPods cost £99, wired Apple headphones are £17: the moment you lose an AirPod – or, as once happened to me, drop one as you leave a bus and look on in horror as the bus slowly rolls over it – you realise that they are emphatically a luxury product, not the everyday essential they may have seemed when you were using them to tune out a rowdy toddler on said bus. As with streaming, or TikTok, or next-day delivery, luxuries we’ve had access to for only a few years can seem indispensable when there’s actually evidence to suggest the world functioned a whole lot better before we had all these things.

That wired headphones are experiencing a resurgence is heartening – it may be a bellwether for a society ready and willing to slowly divest from all the crutches it uses every day. (I hope ChatGPT is next.) On the other hand, it could mean nothing except that 18-year-olds have just discovered the aura-increasing capabilities of white rubber-coated wire and PVC. Either way, I am ready for our corded future. When I go Christmas shopping this week, I certainly know what Shaad is getting”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Moose Photos/Pexels

Of course, let’s not romanticise wired headphones. There is the satanic ball-ache of having to lumber around headphones. Mine are a bit hefty and being wired in can make you feel a bit there and restricted. The cheaper earphones you used to pair with an iPod are cheaper and sleeker but they tangle easily and, like I said, they can be uncomfortable. I love the over-ear option and the comfort there rather than something more in-ear. I am not sure if there is a science behind the sound and experience you get with both options. However, one cannot deny that there are benefits to wired head and earphones. Less likely to lose them for a start. It may sound a weird flex, but how inconveniencing is it to lose expensive earbuds and then having to replace them. You also have to keep them charged and they are not perfect when it comes to reliability. Sometimes basic and older is better than something designed to be more convenient and invisible. I can admire people who want to keep music private and also want to keep things wireless, but there is a psychology behind the new appreciation for the wire. I do think that, as less and less use C.D. players and devices to play our music – other than smartphones -, we are starting to become adrift and lose the physicality of music. I long to see a raft of affordable and stylish portable players and carry around C.D.s and even cassettes. Sure, it means I am carrying this weight around and am almost like a D.J. carrying a stack on vinyl to a gig. However, that relationship to something physical and the process of plugging in some headphones and feeling the music go through the wire and into your ears is something you cannot get from wireless options. There have been quite a few think-pieces and articles around this subject.

PHOTO CREDIT: Olena Bohovyk/Pexels

Whilst there are practical and personal reasons why wired is a better option, I do have to say that there might be a danger than fad, trendiness and this being fashionable risks diluting the argument or making it about being cool and retro – rather than actually there being clear practical and sonic benefits to wired over wireless. With celebrities, supermodels and actors not only going to wired and also purchasing real camera and older technology, like so many things, it is all about TikTok and social media. Rather than it being able the music and opening up discussions about physical music and why wired headphones represent something positive, many are seeing this celebrity-led revival as being about clicks and image. The Times wrote about this back in 2024. Even though Hannah Skelley said she prefers to be wireless, she did note this about a growing trend: “Yes, wires are on the rise, with twentysomethings ditching untethered devices and reverting to digital audio habits last seen in the 2010s. Their interest in the impractical trend is purely aesthetic. They consider it bohemian: just scroll through the 174.8 million videos on TikTok in which users dance to viral songs, eat, or vlog their day and style outfits — all while plugged in”. Wired headphones being more of a fashion accessory than something deeper and more connected to music. However, plenty of ordinary and reality-based people have also fully embraced wired headphones. Something cheaper and a little less easy can sometimes be more advantageous than a more expensive, new and perhaps easy-to-use option.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lily-Rose Depp/PHOTO CREDIT: Gotham/GC Images

Another article from The Guardian came out last month. Whether you are using Bluetooth wired headphones or some basic white ones that do the job just fine, I think this year will see that intensify. More and more people, especially those in their twenties, forgoing the high-tech and finding joy with physically connecting to music. The fact that cameras and once-obsolete and ‘bygone’ technologies and objects are now being picked up and used by a new generation is a positive thing:

“With white-wired headphones endorsed by celebrities including Lily-Rose Depp, Paul Mescal, Bella Hadid and Apple Martin, a growing number of people are breaking away from wireless listening.

For inspiration, there is the Instagram account @wireditgirls, or a Balenciaga campaign featuring the model Mona Tougaard reclining bed, wired headphones in place.

Daniel Rodgers, the fashion news editor at British Vogue, is familiar with the trend. “[It says] ‘I’m very effortless. I’m very nonchalant,” he says. “It’s become a real styleable accessory.”

But in a culture where the forward march of technology is often treated as compulsory, wired headphones represent more than aesthetics. “It’s an analogue way of opting out – of both tech but also life,” says Rodgers. “They’re visible in a way that AirPods aren’t. There is a sense of ‘do not disturb’.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Geese’s Cameron Winter/PHOTO CREDIT: New York Magazine

That symbolism is on full display on the cover of New York magazine’s latest issue, which features celebrities riding the subway: Debbie Harry with the Geese frontman Cameron Winter, Ben Stiller with the Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns and Macaulay Culkin with the SubwayTakes presenter Kareem Rahma. The real story, however, is not the star power but the shared accessory in each image: wired headphones.

The pictures were taken by Hannah La Follette Ryan, the Brooklyn-based photographer behind the Instagram account @subwayhands, which documents New Yorkers on public transport. She says: “I see the revival as an extension of digital fatigue. Who wants another glitchy expensive gadget to charge?”

Price is clearly part of the appeal of wired headphones – Apple’s EarPods cost £17 compared with £99 for AirPods – but nostalgia is also a factor.

“We’re seeing retro tech come back,” says Tom Morgan-Freelander, the deputy editor of the technology magazine Stuff. “And as part of that, brands are starting to bring back wired headphones.”

He says some younger consumers are switching to wired for sound quality, which is typically better with cables. “Bluetooth became the norm, and there was an acceptance that, for wireless convenience, you’re going to lose a bit of quality,” he adds.

La Follette Ryan suggests this is part of the appeal. “The tangle is inevitable,” she says. “Think of a headphone knot as a more user-friendly Rubik’s Cube. Relish the opportunity to slow down and solve a little puzzle.”

If wired headphones have become the choice of the fashion-conscious despite these inconveniences, that could change soon. AirPods remain the bestseller at Currys but the retailer reports sales of Beats Solo 4 over-ear headphones have risen by 193% since last year.

Morgan-Freelander also points to the £20 FiiO Snowsky Wind, a design that looks like the earphones worn with a Sony Walkman in the 1980s.

Rodgers still believes wired headphones have the edge. “Even though we are constantly being [sold upgrades], there’s a sort of disengagement [with wired headphones], which is always really hot, right?” he says. “You never want to look like you’re too into anything”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Stefan/Pexels

I am going to end with another article from last year. Talking more about college experiences and students wearing wired headphones, there is this debate as to whether stuff like reverting to wired headphones is about nostalgia and the past than it is any natural evolution or sonic choice. People discovering wired headphones are actually fine without having to be upgraded. Or is it being escaping the horrors and increased uncertainty of the future by trying to escape back to a seemingly better (or simpler) time? There is a lot to chew on:

“I thought at first that it might be the beginning of a pretentious aesthetics movement. In the same way that there was likely a boy in your highschool who insisted that vinyl was the only correct way to listen to music only to later prowl the halls with a used SONY walkman playing a brand-new Smiths cassette tape. Or in the way that men who live in Bushwick choose to not own bed frames because they think the room looks better that way. I spoke with my friends later about this, and they basically all agreed that the decision to ditch wires is a ploy to stand out and cultivate an “indie” vibe. Perhaps the purpose of the lesser-quality wires was to blast Clairo loud enough that an indie girl could hear it playing in the next seat over.

I thought about this for the rest of the day though, and I came to an entirely different conclusion about the revival of this trend. It couldn’t just be that all of these people were sacrificing sound quality for an aesthetic. After all, it wouldn’t be long before even a novice audiophile became tired of the muffled quality that more rudimentary headphones produce. It took a bit more thinking to reach the following verdict: that perhaps the shift back to wired headphones is a nostalgia for a simpler time where people my age could leave the house without being concerned about the wellbeing of their technological ecosystem. The daily routine of charging bluetooth headphones and patting down your own pockets to make sure you haven’t lost them is admittedly tedious and inconvenient. Wired headphones are easily replaceable and are convenient — replacing them will run you about twenty bucks, they do not lose battery and they are virtually attached to your phone at all times.

It has been assumed that college-age Gen Z’ers are obsessed with the “next best thing.” The return to wired headphones proves that assumption to be incorrect. Young people on campuses now recognize that new is not always better. This revival of an old listening device is different from the aforementioned person who only listens to vinyl or cassette tapes because that choice is categorically inconvenient. This choice points to a larger desire to return to a simpler time when the priority was listening to as much music as possible, not the newest, flashy device that you could listen to music with”.

It may be a fad, though I don’t think it is. I do think that we need to take the narrative away from celebrities and say how brilliant it is they are wearing them because, as I saw, they are in a minority and there may be some cynicism and jumping on the bandwagon there. Walk around a town or city and take public transport and you will see the everyday person wearing these headphones. Me and my bigger, chunkier headphones perhaps looks a bit odd, though I find them cosy and I like the fact that I am plugged in. I always have them on when I am writing at the ;laptop – like, literally, right now – and I would never fully go to anything wireless – though I can see its appeal. Not just about being sentimental and any sort of new craze, it is part of a wider shift from the hyper-modern and very high-tech, digital, wireless and less human and tangible back to the warmth, physicality, tangibility and, yes, the slight inconvenience of the past. I am not expecting people to rock a Walkman, have disposable cameras and lug a boombox around like a 1980s/1990s teen, though it is encouraging that we are getting more of a blend between the easy and hi-tech and the more modest and ‘old-fashioned’, if you will. Whilst I have scoffed at trendy celebrities who are doing this almost to get focus and parade this new/old fashion accessory, they do love music too and their profile and example could lead their followers to do likewise. Not rely on what is seen as convenient and fashionable. Expensive and often quite stressful, I do feel wireless is not always best. Also, I do think you get another level and layer when it comes to the listening experience of being plugged in. Though I find in-ear headphones to be a little uncomfortable, I do admire those who use them and carry them around. I will stick with my headphones, but also keep an open mind about balancing the wireless and wired. For now, as a ‘trend’ seems to be more of a norm and common thing, the love and appreciation of the humble wired headphones…

PHOTO CREDIT: George Milton/Pexels

CAN only be a good thing.

FEATURE: Read It in the Papers: Supergrass’ Going Out at Thirty

FEATURE:

 

 

Read It in the Papers

Supergrass’ Going Out at Thirty

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THE first single…

from Supergrass’ second studio album, In It for the Money, the supreme Going Out turns thirty on 26th February. Even though In It for the Money came out in 1997, the band released this amazing first single the summer before. Whilst not as massive as Alright from I Should Coco, Going Out was still a big success. It reached number five in the U.K. There was some tension within the band, as songwriter and lead Gaz Coombes was accused by Danny Goffey, the band’s drummer, of basing the lyrics around him and his girlfriend, Pearl Lowe. Their involvement with the tabloids and the attention they were courting. However, any spat or anger did not cause massive friction in the band and it is a song that they performed many times since 1996. I always thought that the tracklisting for In It for the Money needed a reshuffle. Richard III, the single that followed Going Out, should have been the opening track. It seems like the most natural set openers of all time, as it would whip the crowds into a frenzy! Going Out seems like a natural album closer, as it is epic and ends with those swelling and jubilant horns. Apart from the odd decision to put this whirring/machine-like sound at the end of the song – they should have just let the track fade -, it is a classic and one of my absolute favourite Supergrass songs. I love the single’s B-side, Melanie Davis, and the fact Supergrass recorded these amazing B-sides that deserve more attention. There is a lot to note about Going Out. Arriving in 1996, it announced perhaps a slightly darker, edgier and more mature – not in an insulting way – Supergrass. I see 1995’s I Should Coco as this carefree and brighter album that was released whilst Britpop was still raging. By 1996 even, the landscape of British Pop had changed. Going Out seemed to be the first sign of change and a new direction.

However, it is not to say that it is a angry or depressing song. Instead, I think it is more Supergrass reacting to things around them. Press intrusion, growing fame and that side of things. I think In It for the Money is a slightly stronger album and the shingles from it hit harder and remain in the head longer. Though this could be purely subjective. Going Out reminds me in a way of a Beatles track. Something that is a bit Psychedelic and raw at the same time, though it is has this incredible chorus. Danny Goffey reaching Ringo Starr reveals of genius with his drumming! Gaz Coombes in cool and swaggering from. Brilliant bass from Mick Quinn. Rob Coombes on piano and Hammond organ. Written by Supergrass and Rob Coombes and recorded at Sawmills Studio, Golant, Fowey, Cornwall. It was produced by Supergrass and Sam Williams. The Kick Horns provide those brilliant and rich horns. I want to delve more into this song ahead of its thirtieth anniversary. Even if Going Out could have been this Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles, 1967) cut, it is distinctly them. Differing from songs like Alright and that image of cheeky chaps, the song retains the fun and jollity you associate with Supergrass, though there is more bite and teeth for sure. Richard III heightened that! The way Supergrass kept the jollity and this incredible spirit but created something more sophisticated for In It for the Money. Going Out a perfect lead single. Critics commended the step forward from the band. Even if the lyrics to Going Out are quite simple, they do seem relevant for the time. About press, celebrity and how that affects things. The key changes, the circus-like droning organ, the horns and this bigger and deeper sound. Supergrass finding fresh energy, impetus and ambition after the success of their debut album.

I do feel Going Out deserves more written about it. I was looking around trying to drop a feature or two in but, alas, came up with nothing! However, it is a song that deserves a lot more than it has been provided. The video is quite joyous too. Directed by Dom & Nic, it was filmed in the bandstand in Battersea Park, London (the same one that features in the video for Late in the Day). Though it looked like it was a freezing shoot, the band are in good spirits and you feel this infectiousness and energy coming from the screen. I could not let the thirtieth anniversary of this single slide by without mentioning it. A lot of critics albums and tracks turn thirty this year, and I think it is an important milestone. It also makes me feel old realising I was around when Going Out came out – even though I was only twelve at the time! However, I look back fondly. Going Out still seems so fresh and alive. Maybe talking about the end of teenage freedom and the sort of lack of responsibility they may have had, Going Out does signify a change of sorts. I am not sure whether Gaz Coombes was basing the song around Danny Goffey. I think it is a more general commentary on tabloids and musicians who were featured a lot or are out on the town every night. Maybe that idea they were courting attention or they could stop all the intrusion with a call – but did not want to. A song that still is relevant to this day. There was a sense in press interviews around the release of Going Out that Supergrass had changed.

What happened to the cheeky and fun scamps of I Should Coco? Melody Maker said this in a February 1996 piece: “Almost exactly a year ago, when The Maker put them on the cover for the first time, SUPERGRASS were pop's likeliest lads, cheeky young upstarts who seemed to enjoy nothing more than getting totally off their faces. They were brash, rude, lovable rock 'n' roll clowns and their songs were the catchiest teenage anthems we'd heard in years. A lot's happened to them in the last 12 months — a Top Five single, a Number One album, debut tours of Europe, Japan, the US and South America. They've also — gulp! — Grown Up, Come Over All Serious and Gone All Thoughtful On Us. IAN WATSON met them last week, backstage at The White Room, where they were preparing to preview their new single, 'Going Out'”. I guess there was an expectation that Supergrass might repeat what they did on I Should Coco for In It for the Money. Going Out signalled a new direction for Supergrass. But they kept their core ingredients and that incredible sound. On 26th January, we mark thirty years of Going Out. The first taste of a remarkable second album from the band, I still get a rush of energy and pleasure listening to this song. I have not seen Supergrass live, so I am not sure if this is part of their sets still. I can imagine the sort of reaction this gets when it is played live! This stunning and phenomenal song from Supergrass remains…

ONE of their best singles.

FEATURE: While I Sing My Comeback Song: Mark Morrison’s Return of the Mack at Thirty

FEATURE:

 

 

While I Sing My Comeback Song

Mark Morrison’s Return of the Mack at Thirty

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MANY people will debate…

IN THIS PHOTO: Mark Morrison in 1996/PHOTO CREDIT: Des Willie/Redferns/Getty Images

which songs and singles defined the 1990s. There are so many to choose from. Breakout hits, classic anthems or one-hit wonders, there are these tracks that just endure and seem to also perfectly sum up the period they were released. In terms of endurance, popularity and brilliance, few songs of the 1990s match Mark Morrison’s Return of the Mack. Released as a single on 18th March, 1996, it is the title track from his debut studio album. Return of the Mack was a major hit single for the German-born, British-based artist. It was a number one in the U.K. and multiple countries. It also reached two on the US Billboard Hot 100. To date, it has gone three-time platinum U.K. and five-times platinum in the U.S. It is a hugely recognisable songs that I recall vividly in 1996. At a time when things were shifting in British music, it is no wonder people responded to Return of the Mack. You could see Britpop ending or dying and there was this desire for something different. Return of the Mack puts one in mind of 1980s U.S. R&B. It was definitely not traditional Pop or anything that was being heralded and proffered a year previously. 1996 was a year of transition and evolution. It would be belittling and reductive to simply say Return of the Mack is one of the best songs of the 1990s. It is one of the best songs ever. Impossible to not sing along to, I know there will be celebration around the song’s thirtieth anniversary on 18th March. I wanted to look at the features that have been written about the track. Written by Mark Morrison and produced by Morrison, Phil Chill and Cutfather & Joe, The song's beat is sampled from the song Genius of Love by Tom Tom Club. It was also sampled by Mariah Carey for 1995’s Fantasy (and many other artists used the sample). Some dismiss Return of the Mack as a one-hit wonder or this overplayed song. One that is insubstantial and overrated. The fact is that this world-conquering and enormously successful song achieved so much because people responded to it. In 2025, I still hear the song played widely. Even though it is not the only hit from Mark Morrison, it is definitely the song people associate with him.

The first feature I want to drop in, unfortunately, does very much highlight Return of the Mack as a one-hit wonder. Rather than a brilliant single in its own right, it is often reduced almost to be a fantastic novelty. In any case, The Ringer told the story of Return of the Mack in a 2022 piece. I was not aware of his this song started life and how there was this quite basic and uncool original that then changed and was replaced by something awesome, layered and replete with these finely-selected samples:

“Mark Morrison started writing “Return of the Mack” in prison. In 2020 he told a Leicester newspaper, “I grew up on the St. Marks Estate. ‘Return of the Mack’ was written in Welford Road prison. I’m from here.” End quote. Mark also produced the original version of “Return of the Mack” along with a guy named Phil Legg, who’d most notably worked with Des’ree, the “You Gotta Be” lady. Love Des’ree. Two g’s in Phil Legg, just because.

That original version of “Return of the Mack” is not in the public domain. That’s the version of “Return of the Mack” that gets sent to our dear friend Cutfather and his own producing partner, Joe Belmaati. Cutfather, talking to Mel magazine, does not speak glowingly of the original “Return of the Mack.” He says, “It was very, very soft and sounded very slow. It was just very toothless. It wasn’t really catchy. The chorus was obviously catchy—the singing of it was catchy — but the chords around it actually made it less commercial. It was like pop R&B, but in a quite uncool way.” But he also says, “It was a really cool song.” Don’t you want to hear that version? The slow, soft, toothless, not-catchy, quite uncool version of “Return of the Mack”? That sounds awesome. Let’s pretend that the canonical, smash-hit Cutmaster and Joe remix of “Return of the Mack” is a song about Mark Morrison getting over the heartache of his original, quite uncool version of “Return of the Mack.”

Cutmaster and Joe got a few ideas for how to spice up “Return of the Mack.” First idea: The drums from “Genius of Love,” or drums very close to those drums. Second idea: Some new, way catchier chords from a 1992 song called “Games,” by an R&B singer named Chuckii Booker. That’s Chuckii, spelled Chuck with two i’s at the end, just because. Chuckii’s from L.A. I can confirm that this song “Games” has excellent chords.

Stupendous chords, truly. Tons of samples in this new, vastly improved, soon-to-be-colossal version of “Return of the Mack.” More drums from the French disco master Cerrone. Some noisy bits from the oft-sampled Bronx funk band ESG. Vocal fragments from the Treacherous Three, and Digital Underground, and Run-DMC. There’s a lot going on here. But there would be a lot going on here if Mark Morrison were the only thing going on here”.

Even though Return of the Mack was a number two in the U.S. in 1997, it was released in the U.K. the year before, so there was this delay. It might have been fortunate timing considering what was ruling the charts in June 1997. I think there is a little debate as to the exact U.K. date. I have seen 4th March, 1996 listed, in addition to 18th March. I am sticking with the latter. However, as Stereogum wrote in their feature, Return of the Mack is an epic bounce-back song: “But the narrative is great -- that whole idea of "fuck you, I'm doing great." That's the feeling embodied by Mark Morrison's "Return Of The Mack," one of the great bounce-back songs in pop music history. "Return Of The Mack" is an ideal dumped-guy anthem. It's breezy and fun and just ridiculously catchy, and its feeling isn't stuck in the sting of betrayal. Instead, Morrison sounds transformed, confident, ready to go. Most of the song's lyrics are about betrayal, about the ex who liiiied to him, but Morrison won't let that bring him down. Instead, he's focused on his come-up, on the return of the mack. When he wails out "oh my god!," it's like he can't believe how fly he's about to become. That's beautiful”. This is an endlessly fascinating song. In terms of male R&B artists of today, I don’t think they produce anything like Return of the Mack. Rather than the song being dated, I feel artists are sleeping on a sound and dynamic that we need to see today:

“On the "Return Of The Mack" bridge, we hear a bit about the relationship that brought Morrison down in the first place. A woman's voice gets impatient with Morrison: "Ahh, Mark, stop lying about your big break. For god's sake, I need a real man." (That voice belongs to Angie Brown, a veteran session singer and the featured guest on Bizarre Inc's 1992 single "I'm Gonna Get You," which peaked at #47 in the US.) That seems to be the source of the wound. Morrison talks a big game about becoming a superstar, but she's sick of waiting around for him. That hurts, but you can understand why she might be skeptical. Mark Morrison is, after all, a British R&B singer, and British R&B singers didn't often become international stars in the late '90s.

Mark Morrison was born in West Germany, and his parents came from the Bahamas. He also lived in Miami for a while as a kid. But Morrison mostly grew up in the English city of Leicester. (When Morrison was born, the #1 single in the US was Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.") He started making music in 1993, but his career really started later. In 1995, Morrison spent a few months in prison after a nightclub brawl, and the experience convinced him to devote himself to music full-time. Later that year, his single "Crazy" made the UK top 20. "Crazy," like "Return Of The Mack," is a hard-strutting club track that doesn't have anything to do with the different variations on techno and house that were dominating the UK charts at the time. Instead, "Crazy" gets its juice from dancehall and from new jack swing, the kinetic and rap-adjacent form of R&B that had come out of the US in the late '80s.

I was living in London when new jack swing first came along and made its presence known, and pretty much every kid I knew went nuts for that stuff, me included. At the time, Bobby Brown, an artist who will eventually appear in The Number Ones, felt like a legit contender to Michael Jackson's top-dog status. Bobby Brown's success faded, but I love the idea that the UK was still all-in on new jack swing more than a half-decade later.

Morrison followed up "Crazy" with "Return Of The Mack" in March of 1996. Morrison wrote the song, and he co-produced it with Phil Legg, a UK producer who'd done a lot of work with the London singer Des'ree. (Des'ree's highest-charting US single, 1994's "You Gotta Be," peaked at #5. It's a 4.) The "Return Of The Mack" beat is built almost entirely out of samples. The purring electric piano comes from "Games," a 1992 single from the R&B singer Chuckii Booker. ("Games" peaked at #68. Chuckii Booker's highest-charting single, 1989's "Turned Away," peaked at 42.) The needly guitar sounds and some of the drums come from "Genius Of Love," the 1981 dance classic from Talking Heads offshoot Tom Tom Club. ("Genius Of Love" peaked at #31. Another track with a "Genius Of Love" sample will eventually appear in The Number Ones.) Other drum sounds came from "Rocket In The Pocket," a 1978 live record from the Italo-disco producer Cerrone. (Cerrone's highest-charting single, 1977's "Supernature," peaked at #70.)

There were other samples, too, like the staccato siren sounds from ESG's culty 1981 club classic "UFO." There are echoing, buried-in-the-mix scratches: "Huh hah" grunts from Treacherous Three's "Feel The Heartbeat," "Good!" from Run-DMC's "Peter Piper," "straight gangsta mack" from Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance." ("The Humpty Dance," from 1990, peaked at #11, which is the only thing stopping me from giving it a 10.) Effectively, Morrison and Legg were doing what good rap and R&B producers did in the '90s. They took sounds that were floating around in the ether -- often, sounds that had been sampled dozens of times -- and blended them into a seamless whole that felt new.

And "Return Of The Mack" really rides. The huge drums, the itchy little guitar stabs, the tremendous strut-roll of the bassline -- it all works together. Morrison sings over all of it with a breezy nasal intensity. You can't place his accent as British or as anything else. It's just a voice in love with itself, shaking off old betrayals. When Morrison sings that you lied to him, he doesn't even sound mad. He just sounds excited that his mack is returning. He's in full-on party mode even when he's talking about his lowest moments.

The dissonance between Morrison's heartbroken lyrics and the wild exuberance of the song itself is the secret weapon of "Return Of The Mack." Morrison says that he cried, but he doesn't sound like someone who's been crying. Instead, he drips triumphant swagger all over everything. Unlike many of the other R&B singers who scored hits in the '90s, Morrison never ever slows to show off his voice. Instead, he floats on top of the groove, radiating just-set-free relief. The video reinforces all that. Director Jake Nava, whose work will eventually appear in The Number Ones, films Morrison partying his way through London, his hair immaculately angular and his chunky chain enormous. (Morrison's whole style in the video is pure late-'80s, which fits the new jack swing feel of the song perfectly.)

"Return Of The Mack" went to #1 in the UK, and Morrison released his Return Of The Mack album a month after the single came out. In the UK, the album was big enough to send five singles into the top 10. "Return Of The Mack" also hit big throughout Europe. Finally, the song slowly caught on in the US, lingering in the Hot 100 for the better part of a year and finally peaking at #2 more than a year after it had topped the UK chart.

I am not going to include the entirety of this feature from Shortlist. But I did want put in quite a bit of it, as it delves into the hidden meanings within this timeless song. Thirty years after its release and Return of the Mack is being heard and appreciated by a new generation. Not alive when it was released in 1996, it is a song that transcends time. It stands up as a terrific song no matter how old you are and when you discover it:

“In the radio edit of the song, the words ‘return of the mack’ are sung no less than twenty-four times in three-and-a-half minutes. The effect is claustrophobic. It feels like he’s desperately trying to convince himself that he is who he once was - by God, he is The fucking Mack, man - and the chorus turns into a hypnotic mantra.

Despite being more than twice as long, the extended edit, the C&J Mix with all that piano, sees the title sung only seven extra times and yet it’s so much more effective and affecting. Again the song shifts from a meaty tale of persistent funkiness guiding a man’s way to personal redemption, and into an elegiac ballad of frail masculine ego.

Take the extended edit’s chorus backing vocal. Read alone they tell a tale of self-esteem finally being understood - ‘There it is! Come on! Oh my god’, he says, jubilant at realising his returned sense of being. “Once again! Top of the world! Watch my flow!” - but then…

“Mark…” whispers a woman’s voice at 2:25. “Stop lying about your big break… I need a real man… Stop bringing me down!” WHO SAYS THIS? It comes out of nowhere. Mark Morrison barely even references what just happened, merely internalising the slight, and the tone turns darker…

Return of the Mack (there it is)

Return of the Mack (hold on)

Return of the Mack (don't you know)

You know that I'll be back, here I go

Return of the Mack (oh, little girl)

Return of the Mack (once my pearl)

Return of the Mack (up and down)

You know that I'll be back (round and round)

While in the previous chorus he is triumphant, the pain in his wails and the backing vocal now tell another story. The Mack’s The Mackness is here for now, once again, but for how long? He cannot bring himself to move on, doomed to infatuate over his - presumably adult - former lover, doomed to constantly dredge up the past. He is doomed to go round and round. The question, eternally, remains: once damaged, can anyone - you, me, The Mack - ever be quite so strong?

You think back to the mysterious woman’s voice - “Mark… Stop lying about your big break…” - and another question emerges: What if the person Mark has been hurt by is… Bloody hell. Look at the video: The woman who enters the room to deliver these lines - tall, beautiful, dressed in a long blac… FUCKING HELL SHE’S DRESSED AS MARK MORRISON. It was Mark Morrison who hurt Mark Morrison all those years ago.

It’s little wonder that the song still resonates to this day. Even besides the song’s perfect tempo - quick enough to party to and slow enough to drunkenly sway through - have such deep, personal questions ever been more en vogue? And have they ever been more catchily sung? You already know the answer.

For this song to come in March 1996 - twenty years ago, almost to the month, at the peak of gangsta rap, of tough guy posturing - is nothing short of monumental. That it packs so much into a soundtrack so funky and so, at once, of-its-time and timeless, allowing you ingest its message without realising - like a sickly dog’s pill hidden inside a blob of delicious peanut butter - is a testament to the insurmountable courage of true art and to the indomitable spirit of a dancefloor classic”.

Return of the Mack turns thirty on 18th March. An incredible anthem from a wonderful decade of music, his 1996-released chart-topper never loses its brilliance. So catchy and brilliantly performed, you feel and believe every word. Even though there is a complex legacy regarding Mark Morrison’s time in prison and the circumstances behind that, there is no getting around the fact that Return of the Mack is a work of genius. Whether you see it as a one-hit wonder or give it more respect than that, you have to give respect and salute to this…

COMEBACK song.

FEATURE: Consideration: Rihanna’s ANTI at Ten

FEATURE:

 

 

Consideration

Rihanna’s ANTI at Ten

__________

PERHAPS the best album…

PHOTO CREDIT: Christopher Polk/Getty Images

from the legendary Rihanna, I think ANTI is at least her most significant. Rihanna started recording ANTI in 2014 after departing from Def Jam Recordings, who had released all of her albums since her 2005 debut. Released on 28th January, 2016, I wanted to mark ten years of this phenomenal album. One of the best of a year that provided us with more than a few masterpieces, I will come to the legacy of the album and explore some of its critical reviews. However, there are some features that I want to get to before any of that. Multi-platinum-selling in the U.S., Anti reached the top of the album chart there in 2016. It is a worldwide smash that I think was a big step up from her seventh studio album, 2012’s Unapologetic. Even though that album features Diamonds and boasts one of the best album covers ever, I feel ANTI trumps that brilliant release. Also, the cover for Anti is pretty damn good too! Also significant is that ANTI is the most recent album from Rihanna. There have been rumblings and rumours regarding a ninth studio album. However, as Rihanna has been busy with family and other commitments, maybe we will not see anything for a while. However, she could surprise us and release a new album this year! With the lead single, Work, coming out the same day as this album and creating a double hit, Rihanna dropped one of her most iconic songs to show how great ANTI was! There were critics who said ANTI was too genre-hopping and confused. I will introduce features that argue why ANTI was a lot stronger than many gave it credit for. Although there is no release date or new news for R9 and whether that will arrive, we can look back on ten years of ANTI. Last year, Rihanna did say ANTI is the only album of hers she listens to top to bottom with no shame. NME were among those who reported it:

“Rihanna has revealed that ‘Anti’ is the only album of hers that she can listen to without “shame”.

The record, which turned nine last month, featured huge hits like ‘Kiss It Better’ and ‘Work’, and topped the Billboard charts for two weeks. It went on to remain on the charts for an impressive 456 weeks.

Since then, Rihanna hasn’t released another album, though she has shared two songs – the last being 2022’s ‘Lift Me Up’, which was written for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack and a tribute to late actor Chadwick Boseman.

Now, in a new interview with Harper’s BAZAAR, she revealed that the 2014 record is her favourite from her discography.

“I listen to ‘Anti’ from top to bottom with no shame. I used to always have shame. I actually don’t like listening to my music, but ‘Anti’ — I can listen to the album,” she told the magazine.

“It’s like it’s not me singing it, if I’m just listening to it. That’s the one album that I can have an out-of-body experience where it’s not like … You know when you hear your voice in a voicemail, and it’s like, ‘Ugh’”.

There is a lot to cover off which I hope gives background to the album, explore its legacy and gauges what people thought of the album. How it was reviewed in the context of music and Rihanna’s career in 2016 and how that has changed in years since. I am starting with Rihanna’s cover interview for Vogue, which is one of the most interesting interviews with the Barbadian superstar. Of course, as the music media cannot resist pitting women against one another, Rihanna was being pitted against Beyoncé, whose Lemonade album came out in April 2016. This Vogue interview was published in April 2016:

“After her last tour, in 2013, for Unapologetic, Rihanna vowed to take a break from recording. “I wanted to have a year to just do whatever I want artistically, creatively,” she says. “I lasted a week.” The paparazzi got a picture of her going into the studio, “and my fans were like, ‘Oh, yes! We’s droppin’ a single.’ ” From that moment, she says, the Navy was expecting an album. It would be another two years.

Turns out it takes a while to reinvent your sound. As Delevingne says, “Anti’s got its own genre, and that genre is her.” Had Rihanna gotten bored with the pop formula? “Very much,” the singer says. “I just gravitated toward the songs that were honest to where I’m at right now.” From the first song, “Consideration,” a trip-hop collaboration with SZA, the message is clear. The chorus has Rihanna singing, “I got to do things my own way, darling.” It’s “like a PSA,” she tells me. She recognizes the risks: “It might not be some automatic record that will be Top 40. But I felt like I earned the right to do that now.”

Avoiding the bravado and easy hooks of past hits, another song, “Higher,” reveals a woman who’s been burned by love. Rihanna compares it to “a drunk voice mail.” She explains, “You know he’s wrong, and then you get drunk and you’re like, ‘I could forgive him. I could call him. I could make up with him.’ Just, desperate.” The candor is heightened by a husky, soul-inflected warmth. “We just said, ‘You know what? Let’s just drink some whiskey and record this song.’ ”

Then there’s “Work,” on which she repeats the word work until it is no longer recognizable, a flourish one critic called “post-language.” While it evokes a technofuture, it’s actually a nod to her home culture in Barbados. (Though Rihanna now splits her time between New York and L.A., her ties to the island remain strong. She is close with her mother, Monica Braithwaite, who owns a clothing boutique there, and with her maternal grandfather, Lionel Braithwaite, a frequent star of her Instagram feed.) “You get what I’m saying, but it’s not all the way perfect,” she says. “Because that’s how we speak in the Caribbean.” In the accompanying video she made with Drake—“Everything he does is so amazing”—Rihanna grinds and jerks in a knitted Rasta-colored Tommy Hilfiger dress at a raucous dance-hall party, the kind “we would go to in the Caribbean and just dance and drink and smoke and flirt,” with her real-life best friends, Melissa Forde and Jennifer Rosales.

There have been a few singles dropped along the way, including “FourFiveSeconds,” an acoustic collaboration with Kanye West and Paul McCartney. “It’s almost like no one ever told him about his success,” Rihanna says of McCartney, whom she found to be endearingly humble. “It’s like, Aren’t you busy being a Beatle?” Last spring brought “Bitch Better Have My Money,” an over-the-top revenge fantasy whose video walked the line between empowerment and misogyny. “It’s just a way to describe a situation,” she says. “It’s a way to be in charge, to let people know that you’re all about your business.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott for Vogue

Over the past two years, Rihanna has definitely been all about her business. After fulfilling her contract with Def Jam, she created her own imprint, Westbury Road Entertainment, on Universal’s Roc Nation label. In a bold move, she then acquired the masters of all her previous albums and made a reported $25 million promotional deal with Samsung. Robyn Rihanna Fenty, the island girl plucked from obscurity at sixteen by a posse of music moguls, is becoming one herself. It’s because she’s so attuned to the seismic changes in her industry that she also bought a share of Tidal. “Streaming counts now,” she says. Like any savvy businesswoman, Rihanna knows it’s important to diversify. Last fall, she announced a new venture, Fr8me, an agency representing stylists and hair and makeup artists. She has a passionate interest in beauty and often scouts her own talent on Instagram.

In the midst of all this, she somehow found time to take a role in Valérian and the City of a Thousand Planets, a film based on a French comic series. Directed by Luc Besson, it costars Dane DeHaan and Delevingne and is due out in 2017. Speaking by phone, Besson is reluctant to give too much away about her character, except to say that her personality changes “every fifteen seconds.” “As you can imagine, because she’s number one in her business, she has a protection, like a crocodile,” the director says of Rihanna. “But she really let herself go. I was so touched by her.”

Earlier at the house, two men in suits arrived from the Recording Industry Association of America to present Rihanna with two plaques: one certifying Anti’s platinum status, the other commemorating a benchmark she reached last July, when she became the first artist in history to reach 100 million downloads online. (In another sign of the turbulent state of the music industry, reports will later cast doubt on Anti’s platinum status, pointing out that the RIAA took into account one million giveaways that were part of the Samsung deal.) Rihanna seems genuinely surprised by the accolades. “In flats and sweats!” she says, stretching out a leg. “If only I knew they were coming, I would’ve at least put on a cute little thing.”

With the sudden release of “Formation” during Anti’s week of ascendance up the charts, it’s no wonder the Internet is pitting Beyoncé and Rihanna against each other. But that’s not how Rihanna thinks. “Here’s the deal,” she says. “They just get so excited to feast on something that’s negative. Something that’s competitive. Something that’s, you know, a rivalry. And that’s just not what I wake up to. Because I can only do me. And nobody else is going to be able to do that”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott for Vogue

This fascinating article from NPR was published in February 2016. A month after ANTI arrived and was receiving all this attention and sometimes mixed press reaction, this was a considered and fascinating piece. Looking into the meaning of the title and why Barbados and the Caribbean is central to us when trying to understand Rihanna:

“The release of Rihanna's much anticipated Anti was a mistake. Or it was on purpose? The album is "adrift," "confused," "not what we expected at all." What's Rihanna doing anyhow? Review after review has seemed to struggle with the Barbadian superstar — the coolest girl in the world is being just plain frustrating. But maybe that's the whole point.

"That all these songs exist side by side reaffirm that Rihanna is our least aesthetically consistent — least aesthetically committed? — major pop star", wrote Jon Caramanica in The New York Times. But could it not be that Rihanna's aesthetic project might be consistently committed to representing Barbados and the Caribbean? As Rihanna's fame grows, there seems to be less and less of a reference to the relevance of her Bajan roots. Yes, she's super popular worldwide — despite the bumpy release of Anti, the album sold 124,000 copies last week, making it Rihanna's second No. 1 album — but she is also from Westbury Road, Bridgetown, Barbados. And this matters. To understand Barbados and the Caribbean is central to understanding Rihanna.

"Rihanna wants to remind us of those Caribbean, Barbadian roots," says Heather D. Russell, co-editor of Rihanna: Barbados World-Gurl in Global Popular Culture a 2015 book of scholarly essays on the phenomenon that is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, the most famous Bajan on the planet. Rihanna shouts out Barbados at awards shows, features her island home in videos, makes sure she's always back home for the annual Crop Over Carnival, and soundtracks perfume launches with local soca. These roots in the Caribbean, however, are arguably front and centre on Anti, and it's not just because there's a cover of a 20-year-old dancehall reggae riddim that's the foundation for the first single, "Work."

Featured prominently as part of the album art — and featured in much of Rihanna's recent self portraiture — is the crown of Neptune. It's hard not to see this as a direct reference to the trident on the Barbadian flag. And on the wall of the first "room" in the Samsung-sponsored series of "ANTIdiary" videos — a room filled with white sand that would match the beaches in Rihanna's home country — is a crayoned map of the world with Barbados, indicated in big letters, clearly between America and Africa. The historical relationships are not hidden.

The album is called Anti. It's anti-establishment, anti-expectations, but it's also anti-colonial. Is Anti also a wide-ranging commentary on relationships? Sure it is. That's part of what makes it a consistent, coherent representation of the postcolonial. It doesn't have to be (or want to be) one thing. Rihanna is a one-woman argument for the importance of cultural studies.

Jamaican-born cultural studies scholar Stuart Hall revolutionized his field by calling for the decoding of meaning from popular messages. From this perspective, Anti provides perhaps Rihanna's most obvious pop music expression of postcoloniality. There are layers to the lyrics, the videos, the imagery on her Instagram to decode. "I do advise you," Rihanna sings, "Run it back, run it on back, when you breaking it down for me".

The struggle that reviewers seem to be experiencing seems to really be a struggle with language to frame her artistic output. The use of the fraught, exoticizing term "tropical" is emblematic of this difficulty to describe. People don't know what to do with Anti and its lack of coherence. "And I think that's radically Caribbean!" exclaims Russell. "They want to fix it into defined, pre-determined categories and they can't. That resistance to conformity, that resistance to needing and pleasing and placating the global marketplace is absolutely very much situated within her context. Anti is actively telling you, song after song, that it's not trying to fit."

Rihanna plays with her positionality as Bajan and Caribbean, but also American. She's a huge star in the U.S.A., but she's still speaking from foreign. The chemistry that exists between the Canuck Drake and the Bajan Riri is well acknowledged, but could it also be explained by seeing how the two are consistently speaking from spaces as outsider insiders? Canada and Barbados exist externally to the juggernaut that is American culture, but Aubrey Drake Graham and Robyn Rihanna Fenty have been able to navigate the waters of the U.S. pop music industry. Their collaborations, with "Work" being the most recent, act as a story of negotiation and navigation: from a ditty demanding name recognition, to a promise to protect each other through to Anti's acknowledgement that continued resistance takes work. Cultural studies demands we take a look at this; saying "it's only a song" holds us back from valuable analysis. The fact that she seems to continually produce these complicated cultural products means that it's not possible to deny layers. Discussions of Anti in the context of how the pop music industry functions or should function leaves out the possibilities of situated, nuanced arguments that place her solidly within the frameworks of Barbados world girl.

Guyanese-Canadian poet Cyril Dabydeen has written of the "many selves" of Caribbean migrants. Rihanna presents a consistent, coherent aesthetic representation of this multiplicity of identities. She experiments with style, image, voice; evoking roots and staking out routes while challenging colonial, Caribbean and gender narratives, resisting fixity at every turn. And all this takes work, work, work, work, work”.

This review from 2021 is sort of mixed, though I think it is constructive. That is why I wanted to bring it in at this point. I know there will be think pieces and new assessment a decade after ANTI’s release. Especially considering recent records it has broken, Rihanna saying it is the only album of hers that she listens to, the way Pop has evolved since 2016, and the fact it has been nearly a decade since we have had an album from Rihanna. Maybe critics who were lukewarm towards ANTI when it was released might reassess their opinions:

“Anti fared well on its release, despite what was one of the messiest promos and rollouts I think I’ve seen for an album. But I do wonder if Anti would have fared differently if released now, at a time when streaming is a complete norm, and attention spans seem to be at their shortest when it comes to music and consumption of pretty much anything online. Anti being as scattered as it is, with such short songs, feels like an album for a moment in music such as now. It’s probably why the album charted for as long as it did, and why it continues to be an album that people play and discover even now - more than for the reason that people are starved for a new Rihanna album. But the sound of Anti as a whole feels more curated for now than it did in 2013, when mumble singing and rapping was nowhere near as popular as it is now. In a few short years, mumble R&B and mumble rap has pretty much become a genre unto itself, with mumble queen SZA, Travis Scott and Migos all being insanely popular. Even pop acts are catching onto it and doing their own versions of it, just listen to some of Charli XCX’s material from when she started working with PC Music.

Anti is another instance of Rihanna being ahead of a trend, and she and her team knowing who to tap at a given moment. It’s absolutely no coincidence that SZA and Travis Scott both have songwriting and production credits on this album for “Consideration” and “Woo” respectively, and that they’re huge stars now. This album also features the songwriting talents of The Weeknd, just as he was popping off. And there’s even a cover of a Tame Impala song, an act who was always known, but having Rihanna cover one of his songs undoubtedly put a fair amount of people onto him - especially considering that “Same Ol’ Mistakes” is an album highlight for so many.

Whilst it’s easy to dismiss Anti as being a mess and a little unfocused, it really does show that Rihanna has a very hyper specific taste level, and that even in moments where the plan isn’t clear, there is still a focus and an intention. She may not have always had as much control over some of her previous albums, but she definitely learned a few lessons and adopted them along the way to put Anti together. And one thing which has certainly carried over from her previous albums is amassing an impressive roster of talent to write and produce. Do not let the lack of big obvious singles or the lack of Stargate, Dr. Puke and Calvin Harris get anything twisted. The talent on this album is stacked. SZA, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, James Fauntleroy, The-Dream, PartyNextDoor, Starrah, Hit-Boy, Jeff Bhasker, Boi-1da, Noah "40" Shebib, Timbaland, No I.D, Shea Taylor, Brian Kennedy, and an up and coming Bibi Bourelly. The only other female artist who could amass talent like this for one album is Beyoncé.

Anti is an album about making a statement, and it does so in ways that I think Rihanna’s previous albums didn’t. They were fun, they had some cool songs, and each album spawned singles which were far more responsible for pop trends and shifts in music than most care to admit. But Anti is about stepping away from that. It’s about Rihanna trying to cultivate something which feels a lot more honest to her.

As much as I value the honesty in this album, there is a lack of polish about it, which is something that I’m sure will be subjective. Sometimes the roughness around the edges is fine. I can imagine that it felt liberating for Rihanna to not feel that she has to chase a song which is so prim, proper and perfect for radio. Other times I feel that it prevents songs, which are already really good songs, from being the best that they could be. Some songs feel like they’re cut short, or were straight up unfinished. “Consideration” is quite literally an album intro, clocking in at just under 3 minutes and just ending. “Higher” has Rihanna giving a vocal performance which hurts my throat just listening to it. But the main offense this song causes isn’t Rihanna’s dry throat vocals in all of the wrong keys, but how the song is like a preview. “James’ Joint” is the only short song on this album which feels like it ends when it should and was intended to just be a short lil’ interlude. The others genuinely sound like unfinished songs. And even some of the songs which are of your average song sound incomplete. “Kiss It Better” is a great song, but it feels overly repetitive, and could have done with an additional verse or a middle-8 with a killer electric guitar solo. “Pose” is a really fun song, but again, it feels like it’s cut short. Like it’s an unfinished demo. "Yeah, I Said It" is a fuck record, but its 2 minutes and 13 seconds long, when it shoulda been 5. Who is fucking in 2 minutes!? Not every song has to be 4 minutes long and take me on some magic carpet ride, but regardless of whether a song is 1 and half minutes long or 4, it should feel complete, like it has a beginning, a middle and an end. Rihanna really said ‘Fuck it, I’m done’ on half of these songs.

Then there’s Rihanna vocals. They’re all over the place. Sometimes she sounds great. Sometimes she sounds awful. Sometimes I don’t know what I’m even listening to. The saving grace is that Rihanna’s energy at the very least always matches the song. She sells every song on this album, even when she’s sounding like a piece of shit. The vocals on “Higher” are TERRIBLE. But she still has me waving my handkerchief in the air with my good Sunday hat on. It really is a testament to the conviction that Rihanna is able to sell when she approaches music, which isn’t something that she’s always had. Her lack of conviction and giving herself to her music completely is what made Rated R such a lacklustre album for me, because Rihanna didn’t really give a lot of those songs what they needed. Where-as now, I feel like she could do songs like “Hard”, “Rockstar 101” and “G4L” a far greater justice.

Anti might just be one of Rihanna’s best albums. Not only is it a collection of good songs (albeit some incomplete), but they all form a solid body of work in ways that Unapologetic and Talk That Talk didn’t. And you can feel that Rihanna’s heart is in these songs, in a way it wasn’t for the whole of Loud.
Anti is one album in Rihanna’s discography which I feel accurately captures her as she is, and not what other people want her to be. For how off the sequencing of the songs on Anti are, the narrative of it is still clear, as is what Rihanna wanted to achieve with this album, which is freedom from expectation. And what Anti also shows is that Rihanna could pivot right back to pop if she felt like it, or do something different. What will make the album isn’t so much the sound, but the energy and the vision she brings to it. Rihanna was always seen as a fearless artist, but I never really saw it in anything she’d released before. But in Anti, I see it. The bottom line with Anti is that Rihanna gon’ do what the fuck she likes, and everybody gon’ have to deal with it”.

Just before getting to ANTI’s legacy and why it is breaking records, I want to drop in this feature from last year. Highlighting the ways in which Anti is a revelation and hugely important album, they write how “After ruling the charts for over a decade, Rihanna was ready to leave the pop assembly line and get personal on her eighth album, ‘Anti’”. I think that ANTI is one of the best and most significant albums of the 2010s:

“Despite a meticulous launch plan, Anti leaked on January 27, 2016 – the same day the singer dropped its first single, “Work,” and two days before the album’s scheduled release date.

Though “Work” shared similar dancehall DNA to Rihanna’s previous albums, it saw her pay tribute to her Caribbean roots in more than just production. Singing in Jamaican patois, Rihanna confused most international listeners, who initially wrote off the lyrics as gibberish. In the same Vogue interview, however, the signer explained how “Work” was one of her most authentic singles: “That’s how we speak in the Caribbean. It’s very broken and it’s, like, you can understand everything someone means without even finishing the words.”

While many listeners were hooked by the earworm chorus, which helped propel the song to No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, they missed the more nuanced context.

Featuring a guest verse from Drake, “Work” operates on two counts: working hard to maintain a relationship, while also working hard to fix oneself. Just as Rihanna states, “I got to do things my own way, darling,” on Anti’s opener, “Consideration,” “Work” also refers to how the singer tirelessly worked to maintain her status.

An album of moods

Though most of Rihanna’s discography is punctuated by flashy dance-pop numbers and radio-ready R&B ballads, Anti is made up of moods. With a more scaled-back production, her voice takes center-stage over minimalistic beats as she embraces the more languid, genre-averse approach to the then-emerging strain of pop-R&B. To achieve this, she enlisted all the star architects of this sound, including The-Dream, Timbaland, and The Weeknd.

If Rated R was all bombast and arena-sized pop-rock, Anti (and its second single, “Kiss It Better”) paid homage to the sexier, funkier side of 80s pop. While not as commercially successful as some of her bigger hits, the sexed-up “Kiss It Better” was emblematic of everything that Rihanna had been working towards; channeling Prince throughout, Rihanna also gave the song the erotically-charged video it deserved.

Throughout the 2010s, Rihanna had been the outlaw of pop music, but even with her unorthodox style she managed to find hits that reached large audiences. Following “Kiss It Better” with the trap-R&B hit “Needed Me,” she returned to her gun-toting persona, flipping the script as she declares, “Didn’t I tell you I was a savage?/ F__k your white horse and your carriage,” on the Top 10 hit.

Just as Anti was an experiment with genre and production, Rihanna also used the album to explore new vocal techniques. From her Island drawl on “Work” to the staccato delivery she employed for the outlaw balled “Desperado,” Rihanna plays with different personas on each track. “Woo” features even more vocal distortion, plus a guest vocal and production by Travis Scott, as Rihanna sings about an on-again, off-again relationship.

A pop rebellion

From the title alone, it’s clear that Anti was a reaction to popular music at the time. That said, Rihanna still expressed a desire to create “timeless music,” which is where “Love On The Brain” fits in.

The doo-wop-soul ballad is darker than you realize upon first listen, as Rihanna confesses, “It beats me black and blue, but it f__ks me so good.” A year after Anti’s release, and its accompanying world tour, “Love On The Brain” reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Elsewhere, the acoustic ballad “Never Ending” is clearly inspired by her previous collaborators Coldplay (it would have felt right at home on that band’s Mylo Xyloto album) and borrows a vocal melody from another adult contemporary staple, Dido’s “Thank You.”

The latter half of Anti is full of more downtempo, sensual cuts. Both “Yeah, I Said It” and “Same Ol’ Mistakes” see Rihanna at her most vulnerable. Produced by Timbaland, the former is a steamy romp that nods to moody 90s quiet-storm R&B and is reminiscent of the track “Skin,” from her 2010 album, Loud.

An exploratory nature

One of biggest surprises on Anti was Rihanna’s faithful rendition of Tame Impala’s Currents track “New Person, Same Old Mistakes.” Retooled and retitled as “Same Ol’ Mistakes,” Rihanna sings the song from a feminine perspective, giving it a new artistic meaning. It’s here that she realizes she can’t dwell on the mistakes she keeps making and learns to love the individual that she’s become.

At the tail-end of the album, Rihanna displays her vocal talents on a string of ballads. On “Higher” she sings with abandon, tapping into a more raw, raspier part of her voice, while closing track “Close To You” is the kind of torch song she’d been striving for her whole career. As a whole, Anti’s exploratory nature revealed more facets of Rihanna’s creative restlessness, as she retreated further away from music, turning the album into what came to feel like a closing statement”.

Let’s quickly get to the legacy of the album. Or a selection of critical impressions. I am taking this from Wikipedia and their page about ANTI. If some felt this was a mishmash that didn’t work and was too confused and didn’t really have a central focus, theme or narrative, it is clear that Rihanna helped redefine and shakeup Pop in 2016. A year marked by musical loss and tragedy, together with dark days in U.S. politics, I do think that ANTI is an album that added something much needed to the landscape:

“Doreen St. Félix of MTV News stated that Anti was a "rock-star" album and was noted as a "banner for heterogeneity in R&B — the real range of it," continuing to state that in the early 2010s EDM was the popular genre. St. Félix stated in a more in-depth review that "Anti could even change with the seasons, depending on which tracks you chose to listen to."

Rolling Stone's journalist Brittany Spanos stated that Rihanna was one of three black women, alongside Beyoncé and Solange, who "radicalized Pop in 2016". In an in-depth review, Spanos stated "the album is a startlingly direct statement from a black female pop star, one that many are not afforded the opportunity to express. In the media, black women are often cast as either jezebels or mammies – oversexed or undersexed with no choice as to how they are received. Rihanna's resistance to typecasting and her positive affirmation of her sexual agency made her the year's slyest rebel, a maverick living life as she pleases." Taj Rani of Billboard stated "Work" has brought the genre of dancehall to the forefront of American music, as it became the first dancehall song to top the Billboard Hot 100 since Sean Paul's "Temperature" reached the feat in 2006. She opined the song is a prime example of "an unapologetic black woman proudly showing her heritage at a time when our politics are dominated by #BlackLivesMatter and Donald Trump's racist, xenophobic and misogynistic tirades."

New Zealand singer Lorde's second album Melodrama (2017), when Lorde was reportedly "moved to tears" listening to "Higher" and this helped her to write "Liability". In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked Anti at number 230 on their The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list”.

I am going to end with a Forbes article from last month. Just before this incredible album turns ten, it has broken these records. Or has a notable distinction in terms of its chart longevity and success. Perhaps one of the most anticipated albums in recent memory will be a new one from Rihanna. Whether it will be called R9 or something different, there is so much excitement:

“In a little more than a month, Rihanna’s album Anti will celebrate its tenth anniversary. The critically-acclaimed bestseller still stands as the superstar’s most recent full-length, as it has been nearly a decade since she delivered a project. For much of Rihanna’s career, such a gap would have been unimaginable, as there was a time when she dropped a new album every year and was known as one of the hardest-working and most prolific musicians in the industry.

Since Anti, Rihanna has refocused her attention on her hugely successful cosmetics business, Fenty Beauty, as well as becoming a mother three times over with fellow artist A$AP Rocky.

While Rihanna has promised a new album multiple times, there has been no sign that she is actually planning on delivering such a studio effort. As fans continue to wait and see if Rihanna will ever properly return to music, Anti reaches an incredible milestone on the Billboard charts and makes history.

Anti reaches 500 weeks on the Billboard 200 as of this period. Billboard notes that it is the first full-length by a Black female solo artist to make it to that landmark figure on the company’s list of the most consumed 200 albums in the U.S.

Anti Slips Slightly on Billboard’s Albums Chart

This week, as Anti celebrates its historic showing, the title dips 10 spaces to No. 134 on the Billboard 200. Luminate reports that the project moved another 10,500 equivalent units throughout the U.S. between actual purchases and streaming activity.

Anti is Rihanna’s Longest-Charting Album – Twice Over

Anti has ranked as Rihanna’s longest-charting title on the Billboard 200 for years. The 2016 project has spent more than twice as many frames on the roster as her second-longest-running winner, Good Girl Gone Bad, which is up to 211 stints somewhere on the tally”.

There have been musical smatterings since 2016. A couple of fairly recent film soundtrack inclusion. Lift Me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Music From and Inspired By (2022); Friend of Mine from the Smurfs Movie Soundtrack (2025). She is broad and unpredictable at the very least! Rihanna also featured on BELIEVE IT, a single from an artist who can’t get enough of capital letters, PARTYNEXTDOOR. Apart from that, there has not been too much music-wise. However, I do think that will change this year. Before that, on 28th January, we mark ten years of ANTI. A remarkable and massive-selling success from Rihanna, it is a hugely impressive and important album that I feel should be reevaluated ten years on. Let’s hope plenty of writers spend time re-examining and exploring this album. If anything, the phenomenal ANTI sounds more essential and relevant than it did…

IN 2016.

FEATURE: Resizing Those Red Shoes: Reasons Why Kate Bush’s 1993 Short, The Line, the Cross and the Curve, Should Get a 2026 Screening

FEATURE:

 

 

Resizing Those Red Shoes

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1993 in a promotional photo for The Red Shoes

Reasons Why Kate Bush’s 1993 Short, The Line, the Cross and the Curve, Should Get a 2026 Screening

__________

THERE are perhaps…

songs or moments from Kate Bush’s career that are perhaps not fantastic and do not warrant reinvestigation or upgrading to the wider public consciousness. There are not many, and I won’t name specific things, but there are maligned gems that I do feel are worthy of better. It may be a split between generations or the public/Kate Bush fans. Maybe the media dislike it more. I know Kate Bush herself is not a fan. I am not sure the last time she talked about it and whether her opinions have changed, but I think that she is seeing the thing with too much subjectiveness. Perhaps not appreciating the important and influence of the short film, The Line, the Cross and the Curve. One might ask how this practically unheard of and definitely unloved short is influential. I am going to mention this in detail when I return to Leah Kardod’s 33 1/3 Hounds of Love book. She dedicates a section on Kate Bush being the ‘First Woman’. In terms of achievements and records, Bush has set a few. One feat that I think goes beyond gender is the visual album. How many artists before 1993 had put out a short film that is essentially album tracks strung together around a story? Can you say The Beatles did that? I guess Magical Mystery Tour, Help! and A Hard Day’s Night could be called visual albums, though I would argue those are feature length films where songs from the titular albums are woven in. Not visual albums themselves. I cannot bring to mind other artists who put out a short film that was like an album promotion rather than a separate film. We can quibble with technicalities, history and the cinematic musical archives. My point is, even if Bush feels The Line, the Cross and the Curve is a load of bollocks and not great, she is wrong. Critics have piled onto it, less because they genuinely thing it is rubbish. Their patented blend of misogyny, Schadenfreude and ignorance is a more prominent and factual explanation.

One thing I would say is that Kate Bush is an artist that desperately needs to upgrade her music videos. I noted this when specifically addressing this for a feature. Most major artists have done this. The Beatles have 4K/HD videos. Madonna has. David Bowie. Perhaps people think music videos are irrelevant now and it does not matter if they look great. However, music is and always will be a visual medium, and these videos are essential and part of history. In the case of Kate Bush, some of the videos look really shabby. Suspended in Gaffa looks particularly bad. If you search YouTube for 4K or HD videos of hers, the ones there are by fans. They are not authorised or official and, to be fair, a lot of them look really terrible. How has Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) not been upgraded by Bush for YouTube?! Look at the thumbnail/screenshot of that video on YouTube and it looks blurry. Bush is a huge music video fan and she has remastered her albums and reissued stuff. Why are music videos not being given some much needed restoration and renovation?! Sucha visual artist whose videos are so watchable, in many cases, you get these grainy, low quality and lo-fi examples that could be switched to HD. I know there are examples of her website that are HD, but they have not been transferred to YouTube for some reason. I am going off on a bit of a tangent1 It connects into The Line, the Cross and the Curve. I know a fan has done their HD version of the short. It looks a bit plastic and inauthentic. I am not sure how they do it, though I would like to hope that Kate Bush will recognise the brilliance of the 1993-premered film and give it a modern-day overhaul and gloss. Even though it is not perfect and there are some definitely issues – Bush bringing in another director (she directed, wrote and starred in the short) would have freed her up and a more experienced film director could have given her advise on her acting and performance -, I think there are some standout, stunning moments!

Kate Bush does that, unfortunately. She is dismissive towards her first two or three albums, even though they are wonderful. I can appreciate that she took on a lot and it was perhaps not the right time to make a short film. Her view on The Line, the Cross and the Curve has become more explicit and less nuanced as years have gone by. However, she did say this in a 1993 interview with Now Magazine: “In a way, it was very restrictive because it’s not my conceptual piece from scratch. Also, I’m working around the songs and I had to put myself into the film. I would’ve preferred to cast myself in a smaller role. It wasn’t the ideal situation because it was very rushed and we had little money. But it was an intense project. And I’m very glad I went through it, even if the film is not received well, because I learned so much. The film is really interesting. There are eight tracks in it, though three of them are The Red Shoes. That is the 1993 album it is tied to. The sister project. We have two incidents of the track and an instrumental. The others are Rubberband Girl, And So Is Love, Lily, Moments of Pleasure, and Eat the Music. Like with The Red Shoes, I think sequencing is one of the issues. That album is too top/middle-heavy, so you have a final four or five tracks that are mostly made up of lesser or less-known songs. All the biggest and best are done with in the first third or two. In terms of the story arc and the music sequencing, I would have had Eat the Music higher and Rubberband Girl lower. However, not one to criticise Bush’s script and her vision! Though it got its wider release in 1994, it was near the end of 1993 when it was premiered (less than two weeks after The Red Shoes arrived):

“The Line, the Cross and the Curve is a musical short film directed by and starring Kate Bush. Released in 1993, it co-starred Miranda Richardson and noted choreographer Lindsay Kemp, who had served as dance mentor to Bush early in her career. The film is essentially an extended music video featuring songs from Bush’s 1993 album, The Red Shoes, which in turn was inspired by the classic movie musical-fantasy The Red Shoes.

In this version of the tale, Bush plays a frustrated singer-dancer who is enticed by a mysterious woman (Richardson) into putting on a pair of magical ballet slippers. Once on her feet, the shoes start dancing on their own, and Bush’s character (who is never referred to by name) must battle Richardson’s character to free herself from the spell of the shoes. Her guide on this strange journey is played by Kemp.

The film premiered at the London Film Festival on 13 November 1993. Kate got up on stage before the screening to thank “everyone who’d been a part of making the film” and to speak of her trepidation because her opus was following a Wallace & Gromit animation by Aardman called The wrong trousers. Subsequently, the film was released direct-to-video in most areas and was only a modest success. Soon after its release, Bush effectively dropped out of the public eye until her eighth studio album Aerial was released in November 2005.

Two years after UK release, due to the late promotion in the US, the film was nominated for the Long Form Music Video at the 1996 Grammy Awards. The film continues to be played in arthouse cinemas around the world, such as a screening at Hollywood Theatre in 2014 where the film was screened along with modern dance interpretations to Bush’s music”.

I mentioned it almost in passing for another feature. How there should be a screening of The Line, the Cross and the Curve. Maybe Kate Bush would not permit it. However, as there are fans that love the short, a limited run at smaller cinemas would be amazing. Not tying it to big anniversaries – as everything has to be these days and it means we have to wait until 2028 or 2033 to celebrate it on that basis -, I think this is something that needs to be seen and re-examined. Kate Bush’s acting is not as fine as Miranda Richardson’s, but that is no shame as Richardson is one of our greatest ever actors! I think that Kate Bush is an eminently watchable screen presence and it is incredible seeing her in a film. Outside of music videos and interviews, this is a unique experience where we get to see Bush act in something she wrote. Bush’s ‘film career’ is brief-cum-non-existent. She was offered a load of stuff but always turned it down and focused on music. It is tantalising to thing what could have been if she had made a concession for a genuinely great film role. However, as Bush wanted to do a film around Hounds of Love’s The Ninth Wave and never did – she brought it to the stage in 2014 for Before the Dawn but there are limitations that you do not get with film -, The Line, the Cross and the Curve is a unique example of Bush being in a film – even if it is only just over forty minutes.

I think context and personal circumstances blur the lens somewhat. Bush and critics dismissing it was of its time and subjective. Lacking energy and perhaps in desperate need of stepping away from the public eye, The Line, the Cross and the Curve is not as complete and accomplished as a Kate Bush film from 1985 or 1989 would have been. However, there are some stunning visual moments and beautiful acting examples that elevate this beyond the trashcan of cinema and warrants fresh inspection. I did write about this back in 2023, but I want to add something new to the mix. Bush’s recent Christmas message saw her thank everyone who donated to War Child and watched her Little Shrew (Snowflake) video. She also shouted out the Duffer brothers and Stranger Things. Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) is used again. Both film examples and works where Bush is very proud of what was achieved. I think we can make a connection here. Little Shrew (Snowflake) is designed to raise money for War Child. Max in Stranger Things uses Kate Bush’s music as a totem and source of strength. I think, if there was a screening of The Line, the Cross and the Curve and ticket feeds went to War Child, it would appeal to Kate Bush. Also, I do think there are similarities when it comes to Max’s story and arc around Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) and some of the visual, scenes and storyline from The Line, the Cross and the Curve. Bush is a huge film and T.V. fan. As Stranger Things especially has brought her music to a new audience, I do think it would be naïve to overlook her 1993 film and its impact regarding drawing people to her music once more. Sure, the final piece is not as good as she would have hoped and there are problems – I still think the sequencing of the videos and the plot hundred things; a slightly tweaked narrative and running order could have led to a stronger film -, but perhaps a one-off screening in London to raise funds for charity would at least mean Bush does not have to live with the film again for too long! Fans could wear red shoes or there could be some Barbie-level cosplay and colour-specific outfits choices – the Barbie pink replaced with The Line, the Cross and the Curve red -, and it would be great to enjoy this film that remains practically unloved and disregarded. I would imagine Bush is at least more ambivalent and less narked now than she was even a few years back. Also, as she did her 2014 residency in 2024 and there was a screened/visual component to that, she did not abandon film or that medium when it comes to representing her work.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in the make-up chair whilst filming for The Line, the Cross and the Curve in 1993/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

I would love to see The Line, the Cross and the Curve upgraded and looking great. Show it at London’s Regent Street Cinema as a matinée and give the proceeds to War Child. If that argument is not strong enough for Bush to reverse her apathy and indifference towards thew 1993 film, I will end by discussing how it may well have influenced some of the biggest modern artists. However, before that, a feature-nick verbatim. I am going back to Collider and their 2022 defence of The Line, the Cross and the Curve. A ‘defence’ makes it sound like a so-bad-it’s-good film that should only be shown in the darkest and most off-piste screens. Shane Stahl made some excellent and well-observed points about a part a film that I feel is cannon:

“Created as a promotional tool for her 1993 studio album The Red Shoes, this short film is a spin on the classic fairy tale of the same name, in which a young woman puts on a pair of enchanted shoes that cause her to dance unceasingly until and unless she can find a way to remove them. Here, we open on Bush's character in rehearsal with her band until a power outage causes them to take a break. Left alone in the studio, Bush is suddenly confronted by a dark and mystical dancer played by two-time Oscar nominee Miranda Richardson, who implores Bush to help her break the curse of the red shoes by drawing three symbols—the titular line, cross, and curve. However, Richardson's ulterior motive soon becomes clear—by receiving the symbols, she passes the curse onto Bush, and flees through a mirror. Bush pursues her and finds herself in another dimension (an Upside Down, if you will), soon greeted by an otherworldly figure portrayed by British dance legend Lindsay Kemp. He tells her she must "sing back the symbols" to break the curse. After visiting an elderly woman named Lily who gives her advice and comfort, Bush draws on the memories of her loved ones to guide her closer to Richardson's twisted prima ballerina. Giving herself over to the sounds of a jubilant choir, Bush is able to regain the symbols, rid herself of the curse, and escape through the mirror, leaving Richardson crushed under the weight of a cave in with only her feet, once again bearing the accursed shoes, sticking out.

Bush had long expressed a desire to collaborate with famed British director Michael Powell, director of 1948's The Red Shoes, itself an interpretation of the classic tale told through the lens of a modern ballet company. However, the two were unable to work together before his death in February 1990, though the inspiration she drew from the film is clear. In essence, the film is en extended music video; it would end up receiving a 1996 Grammy nomination for Best Long Form Video. A recording artist first, Bush's primary storytelling convention is the music itself, and her material is successful in helping express the short's larger narrative arc, taking us through sonic and visual peaks and valleys.

Lead single "Rubberband Girl" kicks off the film—its percussive, steady beat catches the viewer's attention immediately, accompanied by Bush being virtually puppeted by a fellow dancer through a series of simple but effective movements. The whole setup is decidedly unglamorous, a stark contrast to what awaits us shortly. Following the power outage, Bush lights a single candle, drawing us into the atmospheric and moody timbre of "And So Is Love," which also features first-rate guitar work by Eric Clapton. Sensual and dark, it's in direct opposition to the chaotic energy of Richardson's character, a vision in red and black who we meet at the song's end. As she woos and convinces Bush to help her, we hear the album's title track, "The Red Shoes," all Irish jig and pan flute, filled with frenetic and enticing rhythm. Soon, Bush is cursed with the shoes, becoming her own red and black vision, venturing into the mirror dimension and pleading for help. "Lily," named after the wise elderly woman who helps guide Bush on her journey, is a prayer of strength, promising to help Bush "protect herself with fire." Soon, we hear the instrumental strings of the title track once more, and all hope seems lost until Kemp's specter implores Bush to "call on the strength of the ones you love." This leads to the most beautiful song in the film, "Moments of Pleasure," whose lyrics about, "Just being alive/It can really hurt/And these moments given/Are a gift from time" hold perhaps even more significance in light of a world still in the clutches of a pandemic. The final track, "Eat the Music," is a joyous ode to self-expression, self-love, and falling under the spell of the drum, accompanied by Bush swaying along to the sound of an ebullient chorus and visuals of abundant fruit—a signal that the spirit has once again bloomed in her, breaking the curse and allowing her to return to this mortal coil.

Though Bush was reportedly displeased with the final product, it's an artist secure enough in her own power and vision that can create an ambitious piece of film alongside an equally ambitious album. Not one afraid of revisiting her old work, Bush would rerecord a majority of the album's tracks for her Director's Cut project in 2011, and "Lily" would serve as the opening number of her 2014 residency Before the Dawn. As more and more people begin to discover the Kate Bush library, this is the ideal time to take in this fascinating, unique piece of cinema featuring of one of music's most unique artists”.

Coming back to what I said about Leah Kardos and her 33 1/3 book for Hounds of Love. In the section where she discusses Bush as a female innovator, she mentions how The Line, the Cross and the Curve could conceivable be seen as the first visual album. Like I said, I don’t think artists were doing this prior to 1993. Think about two major artists who are definitely influenced by Kate Bush, even if they do not discuss her. One is Beyoncé. Whilst she had a larger budget and was working with arguably a better album, Lemonade (2016) is essentially a visual album. You can draw a line between that and The Line, the Cross and the Curve that goes beyond coincidence. I do think Bush influenced Beyoncé. In the same way Madonna was praised as being the ‘first’ major Pop artist to use a wireless headset for her tours (notably 1990’s Blond Ambition World Tour), Bush did it first in 1979 for The Tour of Life. Also, I saw a lot of people saying Beyoncé was the first major female artist to make a visual album. Bush got there twenty-three years before! Lemonade turns ten later this year (23rd April), and I will write about it closer to the time. You can read more about the Lemonade film here. Another global superstar influenced by Kate Bush who needs to mention it now and then is Taylor Swift. In more ways than once, Swifties owe a certain amount of love to Kate Bush. Taylor Swift | The Official Release Party of a Showgirl from last year could tie to The Line, the Cross and the Curve. Other major artists who have released albums and work that is more visual/narrative-driven include Halsey, Janelle Monáe and Frank Ocean. Could one say Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 of 1989 was a visual album? I don’t remember it being one, though A.I. says it is. Though they are f*ckign unreliable, so I am still saying Kate Bush was at least the first woman to get there. Ed Sheeran did a visual album for Subtract in 2023. You can read about it here. Arguably among the most influential artists of the past two decades. The Line, the Cross and the Curve is more influential and worthy than critics, some fans and Kate Bush give it credit for! Screening it and raising money for War Child would not only bring fans together in a way that has not been done for many years. Conventions are not really a thing and tribute or charity nights bring together maybe dozens rather than hundreds. In any case, making it an event where we could get fans together to admire a film worthy of more would be brilliant. It would also highlight its influence and pioneer qualities. Upgrading/restoring the film might push Kate Bush to do the same with music videos, and any extra money for War Child is a bonus. In a year where we do not need and will not have album remasters and anything like that, it is a perfect opportunity to remaster and reappraise something…

OWED it more than thirty-two years after its release.

FEATURE: That Cloud Looks Like Industrial Waste… Kate Bush and the Ongoing and Important Family Connection

FEATURE:

 

 

That Cloud Looks Like Industrial Waste…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 2014/PHOTO CREDIT: Trevor Leighton

Kate Bush and the Ongoing and Important Family Connection

__________

I did not write…

a feature specifically about Kate Bush’s Christmas message, as there are some thoughts and words from it that inspire features of their own. However, I did want to say it is a typically and reliability excellent one from Kate Bush. I did watch the King’s speech, though I found it to be too generic and platitude-filled. Several references to Jesus and with a religion message at its heart, maybe it is aimed at those who feel the U.K. is a Christian land and that a more traditional narrative is needed. However, in a year of genocide, hatred and bloodshed, it would have been nice to dispense with religion – for atheists like me, it was especially meaningless – and actually talk about nations like Palestine and how it has been ravaged! Maybe a bit too edgy and family-unfriendly for a message that is, sadly, too concerned with cosiness and ‘traditional values’ (though the messages of togetherness and kindness were great) than anything more important. Not to say Kate Bush’s Christmas message was a charged and political one that took evil nations and dictators to task. However, as she is someone who has raised money for charities supporting those affected by war and genocide, and this is something she has done a lot through her career – charity fundraising -, she can be forgiven. Also, Bush keeps it specific about her career and year, rather than providing an examination of the wider world. I did half-expect – in a rather optimistic way – some sort of new album news. Like Taylor Swift picking up an award and then announcing a new album in that rather opportunistic fashion, that would be beneath Kate Bush. Thought it would be a revelation that would perfectly lift a rather crappy year! However, as I shall expand on for another feature, there is a little clue in the photo she used in the post (that you can see above), where we see something reflected in the Christmas tree bauble.

PHOTO CREDIT: Bernard Fallon

I am not sure whether that is a stock image or from Pexels/Unsplash and Bush imposed the image into the bauble, or whether it is her actual tree – I suspect the former -, but it is quite intriguing. Maybe it might be there to represent Best of the Other Sides and bringing that out, though there is a studio we can see. Or a mixing console at least. Some have intimated this as a sign an album is finished and may be announced. In the same way Bush hides ‘KT’ on her album covers, is this a little clue for the eagle-eyed, or something that represents the time she spent bringing out the Best of the Other Sides compilation? I will muse further in a separate piece. However, I want to bring in these words from her Christmas message:

“It’s been wonderful to see the response to the vinyl release of Best of the Other Sides. To put the running order together, I had to listen to songs I hadn’t heard since they were first released. My favourite part of revisiting those songs was listening to the middle section of The Meteorological Mix of The Big Sky. My favourite line is delivered brilliantly by my brother, Paddy. It still makes me laugh… “That cloud looks like industrial waste“.

There are also lines in that section of the track that were spoken by my mother and father. I love to hear their voices. It makes it feel like they’re still with us. Over the last few years, I often wonder how they would’ve felt about the major events that have happened. Particularly the pandemic, the undeniable effects of climate change, and of course all the wars.

I think they appreciated that Golden Age we had until recently in a way we can’t imagine. They had lived through a war and seen the horror, they’d felt the exhaustion that Britain had experienced afterwards. My father had practised medicine before the introduction of antibiotics and my mother had been a nurse, but I still feel they would’ve been bewildered by the intensity and the speed of the many changes over these last four to five years.

I remember when I was little, how our parents would carry in the Christmas tree every Christmas Eve. It was always in the evening and made the Christmas tree even more special and magical because it was only with us for a few days. We always used the same decorations, going back years, and this real tree would be draped in tinsel. A rather worn fairy would grace the top of the tree in her faded pink dress.

The Christmas tree is still the centre of our festive Christmas decorations at home. Of course, like most people this goes up and is decorated weeks before Christmas Eve, but it still holds a truly special magic for me”.

If previous years have seen Kate Bush muse on subjects such as art or loss in the world, this one very much had family at heart. The thanks she gave to fans for supporting the Little Shrew (Snowflake) video. Raising money for War Child. The Duffer brothers for using Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) in Stranger Things’ fifth (and final) season. Max’s “totem” (in Bush’s words) and anthem, it has helped boost streaming figures of the song. It is great that this song continues to reach people and grow in stature. However, it is her recollections of childhood Christmases and her parents that really touched me. Family has always been so key to Bush. I have explored this in previous features, though are there are major artists where their family is as integral and important in terms of the music and career progression?! From her parents encouraging her young musical ambitions and supporting her, through to those earliest years where brother Paddy and John (Jay) were exposing her to poetry, music and a range of different sounds, words and sensations, I do think that a reason Bush was so hard-working and determined was partly as a thanks to her family. Rewarding their faith and love with this incredible music, I think of those early years. She has lost both of her parents. Her mother, Hannah, died on 14th February, 1992 from cancer. Her father, Robert, died in July 2008. Even though her father lived to eighty-eight, the fact that neither are here is especially tough this time of year. As they are in her mind for the Christmas message, I find that touching. Perhaps Bush has been working on material and her family have been in mind. Though, in a more factual sense, it is clear that her family have been so essential right through her career. Not to say other artists do not have that quality, yet there is something quintessentially and distinctly family-focused with Bush. Her dad providing encouragement when hearing her early demos (some of which were epic and saw other members of the family/friends walk out!), to giving her access to a piano and an organ at East Wickham Farm. Throw in all these happenings around Bush learning dance and mime and how her parents would have provided support, lifts sand money. That all influenced her.

Her brothers’ impact too. Opening her eyes to so many different styles of music and literary/poetic works. Her connection to the Trio Bulgarka (who appear on 1989’s The Sensual World and 1993’s The Red Shoes) came from Paddy Bush. Her mother’s voice has appeared on record and we see her briefly in a cameo in the video for Suspended in Gaffa (from 1982’s The Dreaming). Her father appearing more in voice form rather than visual. I think his vocal/spoken part on The Fog (from The Sensual World) is most striking. Rather than ot being nepotism or anything like that – can you have nepo parents?! – it is, rather, key to Bush to have her family close to her. It is no coincidence that her happiest recording came when she was making Hounds of Love and built a bespoke studio right next to the old family home at East Wickham Farm. When she moved out of there as a teenager and relocated to Wickham Road – I like to think she chose a flat there as it had ‘Wickham’ in the name -, she and her brothers had a flat each. They had their own floors but were essentially under one roof. Bush moved to Eltham in the early-1980s but never too far away from family. Wanting to remain close to that base. Flip through the pages of her albums and you can feel and hear her songs very much imbued with familial support and reference. A Coral Room (from 2005’s Aerial) mentions her mother’s old brown jug. Her mum is mentioned in Moments of Pleasure from The Red Shoes. She shows love and admiration for her parents and brothers on Hounds of Love’s closing track, The Morning Fog. There is a whole chapter – or playlist – around family and their role in her music and lyrics. Of course, Paddy Bush played on most of her studio albums. Apart from, oddly and mysteriously, 2011’s 50 Words for Snow (let’s hope we hear him on another Kate Bush album), he has been there providing vocals, playing a range of instruments, and giving the records general good vibes. Everything from exotic instruments to strange backing vocals to general noises and, as we gloriously discover from Bush’s Christmas message, a funny line from a remix version of The Big Sky (from Hounds of Love), it was important to have a brother on her albums. As Paddy did so much to encourage his sister and push her imagination beyond the conventional, this is perhaps a show of her appreciation. And Paddy Bush is an incredible musician in his own right!

John/Jay also features on her records – you hear him adopt an Irish accent for the spoken word section of Jig of Life from Hounds of Love -, and I feel his poetry directly influenced his sister’s lyrics right from the off. The mention of Paddy Bush made me smile! Someone who is not discussed enough when it comes to her music and legacy, I find it intriguing he is mentioned when speaking about Best of the Other Sides. Perhaps relating to that overall message of family, I do feel like they have been working together and it is a nod to his recent engagement in new music. Who can tell! However, it shows that as much as any collaboration, engineer or studio bod, members of her family have been driving forces. Whether that is for lyrical inspiration, musical directions or even something as big as where Bush lives and records, take that away or push it to the peripheries, and you have a lesser artist. That safe and secure family household in the 1950, '60s and '70s. Bush immersed in music, culture and literature (film and T.V. too). Her mother’s Irish heritage having a big impact. Bush recording bits in Ireland and writing a lot of the album there was because of her mother I feel. I can’t overlook a third generation of Kate Bush influence. We know about her parents and siblings, though her son Bertie continues to be in the mix. Although not mentioned in her Christmas message, you know that Bertie is in her heart. Keeping him private. He twenty-seven now, and he may well have his own family or he is off doing his own thing. I am going to write about him in more detail for another feature, as he has been a huge part of Bush’s later-career work. From an eponymous paen on Aerial to so many of the best and most touching moments on that double album – not by name, though Bush’s happiness and ambition on that, I feel, were motivated and propelled by Bertie’s presence – he has made his mark. Born in 1998, he arrived at a time in Kate Bush’s life when she had not released an album for five years, and perhaps was at a stage when she was re-prioritising things. Less about constant grind and work and more about something deeper and more important. Bertie replaced Rolf Harris’s parts – he is the disgraced sex offender who died in 2023 – when Aerial was reissued in 2018. Before then in 2014, thank Christ, Bertie appeared on stage for Before the Dawn and was essentially playing Rolf Harris’s parts there. Harris was convicted in 2014, and I don’t think he was ever in mind. However, Bertie helped encourage his mum back on stage and did a fine job – though I was not at any of the twenty-two Hammersmith dates, reviewers noted his natural acting and impressive turns. Little Shrew (Snowflake) is essentially Snowflake from 50 Words for Snow. The first track on that album, the first voice you hear is Bertie’s. So now, when Bush is fundraising and produced this powerful video, her son is still inspiring her.

Who knows, if Bush becomes a grandmother, will we see a new generation on her albums or in her lyrics?! I would like to hope Bertie is not too old or ‘cool’ to jam and sing with his mother if there is another album. Paddy needs to come back into the fray to compensate for that 2011 omission (there may have been a solid reason he could not appear on 50 Words for Snow)! Her parents always close to her; no doubt that will be explored more in future material. I am going to write about the Meteorological 12” Mix of The Big Sky, so I shall come back to Paddy Bush and that golden line!  The fact she loves her parents’ voices being on the Meteorological 12” Mix. How many other Kate Bush tracks have featured her brothers/parents? I think Waking the Witch from Hounds of Love perhaps. She wanted personal connections on that song, and they appear on a crucial track on The Ninth Wave from that album. I would love to hear a Kate Bush track with Paddy, Bertie and recordings of her parents! Maybe it was Christmas and Bush thinking about family, but it has compelled me to look wider. Even at six-seven, Kate Bush has keep her parents’ memories and importance alive.

Thinking about her childhood and the Christmas trees. It is magical to visualise East Wickham Farm and the whole family congregating by the tree and opening presents. Maybe the T.V. was on or music was playing. I don’t think there is a major artist in history who has brought her family more into their music than Kate Bush. Not even The Beatles, Madonna or anyone you can think of. Maybe I am wrong, though there is this massive, ongoing and hugely important familial connection. In 2026, I feel Kate Bush’s family will play a big role. Her brothers, Paddy and John, may well inspire new music and promotional photos (John is a photographer and has shot several of Kate Bush’s covers, including Hounds of Love, and photographed her since she was a child). Her parents will work their way into words more prominently than before. Let’s hope Bertie’s adult voice features. Though I feel her son will very much compel at least one or two new songs. As Bush notes in the first line of her Christmas message, “2025 has been an interesting year…”. That is definitely true! I do feel like next year is going to be less horrific. I do also think we will get something from Kate Bush. Either an album or a single. And I feel family, one way or the other, will be included. In what form remains to be seen. (And does that studio reflection in a bauble denote imminent activity?!). I, and every Kate Bush fans, looks forward to seeing…

WHAT 2026 holds.

FEATURE: Blood Roses: Tori Amos's Boys for Pele at Thirty

FEATURE:

 

 

Blood Roses

Tori Amos's Boys for Pele at Thirty

__________

IT is quite common…

IN THIS PHOTO: Tori Amos in 1996/PHOTO CREDIT: Cindy Palmano

that a third studio album is the moment an artist changes direction and assets more production autonomy. It happens with a lot of solo artists. I mention it enough when I write about Kate Bush and her third studio album, Never for Ever. Bringing different sounds into her music and co-producing, it was a step forward for her. It has happened with so many artists. I am not sure why the third album particularly is the point in which this happens. It was also the case for Tori Amos. After two successful and hugely acclaimed albums – 1992 Little Earthquakes and 1994’s Under the Pink -, 1996’s Boys for Pele found her recording in rural Ireland and Louisiana. A broader album (of eighteen tracks) that features harpsichord, clavichord, harmonium, gospel choirs, brass bands and full orchestras, she also served as sole producer for her own album. This was a big moment in terms of Amos truly deciding on the direction of her album. Amos had co-produced before, but this was her in the driving seat solo. Even if the songs are seen as less commercial or ‘radio-friendly’, I do feel that Boys for Pele is underrated. Recorded across multiple studios, Boys for Pele reached number two in the U.S. and U.K. It was a massive success for Amos. As it was released on 22nd January, 1996, I wanted to mark thirty years of a truly great album. I am going to come to some features about Boys for Pele, and I will end with a review from Pitchfork. It is fascinating how Tori Amos’s sound, aesthetic and production changed from 1994’s Under the Pink to Boys for Pele. For anyone curious, I would urge people to get the 33 1/3 book about Boys for Pele that was published in 2018. Amy Gentry, the author of the book, published an extra from her book for The Guardian, that caught my eye:

“It started with the album art. The cover insert for Little Earthquakes (1992) had been in excellent taste, featuring lots of white space, its bulbous, phallic mushrooms the only hint that something wasn’t quite right; Under the Pink (1994) pictured a miniature Amos, etherised in flowing white and surrounded by crumpled cellophane-like layers of atmospheric transparency. On the cover of Boys for Pele, she was life-sized and filthy, covered in mud and hoisting a gun in front of a dilapidated shack. In other images, her piano was engulfed in flames and appeared to be stranded at a truck stop outside of town, as if it had broken down on the road in the middle of the night. Amos herself seemed trapped in The Waste Land by way of an Erskine Caldwell novel. She suckled a piglet; she posed on all fours in a barnyard, among the animals and garbage, one shoe missing, face turned away from the camera, her once-white clothes now the same soiled colour as the squalid mattress under her knees.

The album sounded like a wasteland, too. A bull groaned in the background of Professional Widow – shades of Tobacco Road again – and other, less identifiable sounds presented themselves throughout the album. On some tracks, the piano was so distorted that it sounded as if it really were being set on fire; and although it still appeared on every track, it had been demoted, replaced as the dominant instrument of the album by the harpsichord, a piano with a head cold and a nasty sneer. Softness was all but missing from Boys for Pele; at once alien and archaic, the harpsichord is not capable of softness. The transitions were too abrupt, the stripped-down songs too stripped-down – Twinkle was a one-finger lullaby, Beauty Queen a single note plunked over and over – and the whole thing sounded as if submerged, not in musical white space, but in something like black space. The more complicated songs, Blood Roses and Professional Widow and In the Springtime of His Voodoo, were exhausting, the thread of their bizarre lyrics and multiple bridges and breakdowns and deliberately contorted vocals impossible to follow. Melodies were stretched like taffy and then suddenly interrupted to make way for abrasive, spitting lyrics: You think I’m a queer, I think you’re a queer! Chickens get a taste of your meat! Stag shit! Starfucker! It better be big, boy! Fragments of prettiness would reenter the scene, skewed and nonsensical, Band-Aids of grace just soft enough to hurt when ripped away.

“Mannered” was not a word I knew to use in high school, but mannered it was. Boys for Pele was Tori Amos’s baroque phase. It was also the last time she ever allowed herself to be quite that ugly, and ugliness, I am now convinced, is much more important for an appreciation of Tori Amos than beauty, though both are always present. On Boys for Pele, their very coexistence is what disgusts. For a woman to be ugly in a way that’s not readable as rebellious, or punk, or cool – ugly in a way that, because of its proximity to the remnants of beauty, reminds you all the time of your potential failure to be the right kind of woman, to be any kind of woman at all – ugly because trying too hard, overflowing, whining and gibbering, too much – not a scream, but a broken soprano – not an abortion, but a pig hanging off a porcelain breast – is worse than tasteless. It’s disgusting.

What if disgust were something every woman had to navigate in order to access the idea of taste – in music, in art, and in life? What if an aesthetics of disgust could show us that what we despise in others is actually something we fear within ourselves – and, with the dreadful, frightening persistence of the disgusting, teach us to love it?”.

I do think that it is important to bring in the entirety of this feature from CRACK. Not to pull things back to Kate Bush, though the critical reaction for Boys for Pele reminds one of The Dreaming. That 1982 album, where Bush was more experimental and it was a real departure did horrify her label and many critics. I am not sure if Amos was channelling that but, like The Dreaming, the influence of Boys for Pele is huge. This retrospective feature argues how Boys for Pele is the misunderstood magnus opus from Tor Amos:

“On its release at the start of 1996, Tori Amos’ third album was met with responses that ranged from bafflement to outright derision within the music industry. It was the follow-up to 1994’s ​Under the Pink​, a transatlantic best-seller that had spawned a breakthrough radio hit in the whimsically catchy ​Cornflake Girl​. But instead of building on this, Amos had delivered a dark, uncompromising 70-minute opus in which she had stripped her music down and her soul bare – while almost entirely abandoning traditional pop song structure and lyrical directness.

Amos’ label, Atlantic, were horrified; critics, sensing that she had escaped the “confessional singer-songwriter” pigeonhole but unable to pin down exactly where she had gone, lashed out in confusion by dismissing the album as “self-indulgent” and “obtuse”. Throughout the first two months of her world tour to promote ​Boys for Pele,​ Amos has said that she was told to cancel her shows and go back into the studio.

Ploughing on was an act of faith in a record so raw that Amos would describe it as a “blood-letting”. The collapse of her relationship with former co-producer Eric Rosse had informed much of its genesis, but the fire of Amos’ cathartic rage was as rapacious as the Hawaiian volcano goddess who gave the album its title. ​Boys for Pele​ is nothing short of a full-scale purge of patriarchal repression aimed squarely at its sources of power – religion, history, politics, community – manifest in music which is both the sparsest and most confrontational of her career.

All of this makes it easy to cast ​Boys for Pele​ as a difficult record, but the actual listening experience is more complex. It’s an album of extremes, often within the same song, but Amos veers between them with such ease and command that she elides any real distinction between ugly and pretty, soft and hard. The baroque stateliness of ​Blood Roses​ is ripped through the middle by the full force of Amos’ latent Diamanda Galás tendencies. A visceral howl of pain gives way to dreamy delicacy, culminating in an astonishing set of triple rounds, on ​Father Lucifer​. Paring her arrangements back for the bulk of the album serves only to expand her range, which takes in thrash harpsichord backed by a sampled bull roaring (​Professional Widow​), piano tearjerkers that could be standards in a different context (​Hey Jupiter,​ ​Putting the Damage On​) and, briefly, the mimicking of a daytime TV theme tune on a song declaring Jesus to be a woman (​Muhammad My Friend​) – probably the outright funniest moment of Amos’ career.

Some of ​Boys for Pele​’s ostensibly most forbidding aspects prove to be its most inviting. Experimental song structures simply end up giving Amos’ underrated gift for melody more room to shine: ​Boys for Pele​ is secretly one of her most hook-rich works, but the way in which they flow into each other is entirely in keeping with the album’s shifting sands building its own strange internal logic. The same is true of Amos’ lyricism: a stream of consciousness that moves with no explanation between mythological references, startlingly raw imagery, literary allusions, private in-jokes, wordplay that exists only for the pure phonetic hell of it, parsing meaning from any given song is to open a door to many worlds. Amos has been reductively labelled a “confessional” artist, but the oblique nature of her songwriting is a dismantling of the idea that piecing together a straightforward “confession” is a useful goal; rather, Amos communicates the fragmented, blurry nature of trauma in her words and unvarnished emotion in her voice.

Twenty-five years on, Amos largely remains an artist given her due by real heads only. Her position in the canon – such as it is – has not been the result of any large-scale critical re-evaluation, and unlike many of her peers from the 90s rock landscape she has never been deemed a cool touchstone by the music press: her piano perceived as too polite at a time when grunge was in vogue, her virtuoso theatricality an ill fit for a turn-of-the-century indie scene that prized lo-fi mumbling, her earnest feelings a turn-off to generations of critics who have preferred to seek refuge in jaded irony.

Instead, Amos has been a cult artist, a term that may have been once commonly used in the music press to disparage her notoriously devoted fanbase – uncoincidentally, one that skewed heavily female and/or queer – but should instead be a reflection of a rare gift to create the kind of human connection with an audience that is arguably the entire point of art. The past decade has seen elements of Amos’ aesthetic quietly return to prominence, thanks in part to self-avowed fans from Taylor Swift to Perfume Genius to St Vincent. But few comparisons survive much interrogation: Bat for Lashes and Joanna Newsom, for example, bear much the same relationship to Amos as she did to Kate Bush, the point of reference continually and lazily thrown at her by critics unable to hear beyond a shared instrument and vocal range.

Indeed, the best comparison points to ​Boys for Pele​ in recent years have been albums that sounded nothing like it, by artists working in entirely different genres. Angel Haze’s 2015 album ​Back to the Woods​ turned emotional wounds and religious trauma into a source of power in a similarly cathartic fashion, manifest in Haze’s furiously confrontational rapping and bone-juddering percussion; while electronic R&B visionary Dawn Richard’s headiest experiment yet, 2013’s ​Blackheart​, was also a triumph of inventing its own internal logic. Both, appropriately, are also cult classics that exist on the margins rather than mainstream breakthroughs. Amos’ legacy is as an entirely sui generis artist with an unparalleled ability to strike the realest of chords in the most unpredictable of ways – and ​Boys for Pele​ is her most unreplicable work”.

I am going to end with a review from Pitchfork. In 2016, twenty years after Boys for Pele was released, Tori Amos reflected on the album with Stereogum. She also premiered the B-side, Amazing Grace/Til The Chicken. In as year that saw epic releases from Beck, Manic Street Preachers, Kula Shaker, DJ Shadow, Fugees and Suede, I do think that Boys for Pele fits into the year and what was popular. Maybe some critical backlash was less about what the album sounded like and how long it was. Perhaps more misogyny towards a woman who was pushing boundaries and going beyond the Pop mainstream:

“STEREOGUM: Boys For Pele ended up being a turning point in your career. What was going on in your life leading up to the making of this album?

TORI AMOS: I’d been on tour for a long time in 1994 for Under The Pink. We had gone to so many different places and I met so many different people. We had a full crew out there then and that was different for me, because before that it was just an engineer and my tour manager, just the three of us. Then I had a proper crew and they sort of became, I don't know, my band [Laughs] and I became friends with them all. It was a mixed bunch. There were some Brits. There were some Americans. My tour manager was British and the reason this matters is because of Mark (Hawley) and Marcel (van Limbeek), Mark was sound and Marcel was my monitor engineer, and they had worked together in the past. It was just working out really well with them on tour. By October, Mark and I began dating but we had hardly ever really spoken before the tour... It's funny that you and I are talking right now. What's today's date?

STEREOGUM: Under The Pink was a pretty big hit. I’m sure the record label was like "just do some more of that," or wanted to put you in the studio with Rick Rubin or someone like that who can make something palatable to the mainstream, but instead you came out with this record that was more dense and difficult, but great in its own way. What did the record label first think when it first heard it? Were they happy, or like “hmmm...”?

AMOS: Oh my God, it was played in New York and I don’t sit in during the listening sessions, so I was just out to dinner, but not partying or anything, and I walk in and say hi to everybody and it was being played in the recording studio in New York and Mark and Marcel were there in the control room. My God, I’ve never met such frosty reception in my life! [Laughs] I guess I had a frosty reception once with (former band) Y Kant Tori Read. I have had rough receptions, but I just was not expecting the look on people’s faces. I can’t even tell you what it was like. It was really just vicious, the most shocking, awful things you could hear from people. Only the classical music department got it.

STEREOGUM: Did you have to fight to release it the way that you wanted it or did they want you to go back in the studio and cut a few more hit singles or something?

AMOS: By that time, the discussions had already happened. That album was already coming out. I had been warned. I had been warned. But the champion of this record was the legendary Bob Ludwig who mastered it, and he did the remaster. He looked at me and said: “This is the record of your career.” He said that other artists have done this in their career, sometimes later and not on their third record or this early, but it’s respected. It’s raw. He came to understand that about it.

STEREOGUM: You’ve had angry songs on your albums before like “The Waitress,” but for this one we have “Professional Widow” and “Caught A Lite Sneeze,” which is you at your most visceral, in a way. Where did that anger come from?

AMOS: I don’t know, thirty years of processing. I don’t know. Maybe it was about control. Maybe it was about a trigger that I sensed or was happening when people wanted more of the same and I don’t mean... I’m not talking about just hits. I had a great relationship with (former Atlantic Records executives) Doug Morris and Max Hole. They were like my fathers. No that’s not right, they were like mentors. They broke Little Earthquakes, and Doug had been locked out of Atlantic Records, and I say when he left, he’ll correct me and say: “Tori, they threw me out of the building, who are you kidding?” He had to start again, and boy did he start again. He is probably one of the most legendary record men that has ever lived. And listen, I understand with the new people at Atlantic, I understand how this record would just be “what?” after Under The Pink. And the promo people... I get it Michael, I get it. But if you look at it in the way you said before, there's a tradition where any artist that will be around for 20 years will have to make this kind of record at some time.

STEREOGUM: Some of the early reviews were kind of harsh. Wasn't the Rolling Stone review a pretty bad pan?

AMOS: Fuck you, critic at Rolling Stone. Next.

STEREOGUM: It’s interesting, because eventually the album caught on and you started getting a lot of rotation at rock stations. You heard “Caught A Lite Sneeze” and “Hey Jupiter” all the time if you were paying attention back then. Did you notice you were reaching different people and getting into a different strata after that album?

AMOS: Yeah, the audience got a lot younger. A lot of teenage girls started showing up. A lot. Before, I had a lot of heterosexual men in their thirties, and some women of course. But something with this record really kicked in. And the gays were always there. They have always been there. Without the gays, I am nothing. Men and women, I am talking about. But really they were the best, they were just there from day one.

STEREOGUM: What was it about this album that got the teen girls, finally?

AMOS: Well, you know, I didn't set out to do it, but I think that “Me And A Gun” and “Silent All These Years” did speak to people of all ages, but I think there was a kind of... This is how it has been described to me by people over the years; that some of them were 13 years old, 15 years old in their room, listening and experiencing similar emotions of not being able to express that feeling of being controlled by their parents, or their life feeling out of control. They didn't have control of their life. So hearing Tori quote-unquote rationalize that at the time after having a successful couple of records and carving a path that people maybe didn't think she should carve because they knew best about what she should do, and standing up against that was something that they really identified with. It’s kind of like when your parents are telling you: “No, you want to do this, you want to go to college and you want to be that and we’re doing this because we love you.” And you feel like saying: “No, you’re doing this for you. You’re not doing this for me.”

STEREOGUM: Obviously you’re at such different place in your life with your marriage and your daughter and you seem very happy. Do you recognize the woman singing these songs anymore, or does it seem like a completely different person?

AMOS: I recognize her, because I wouldn't be here without her. I recognize her. But I don't know if Tash would want her to be her mother. To be where I am right now and to be chill and to be laid-back, but still present and clear and a decent listener, I had to make some changes in my life and I had to confront some stuff. I had to confront the idea of mending, and control of my life, whether it was corporate or the industry, whether it was my dad, whether it was whomever. I thought, “No, I have to be an equal in my life” as far as not just performing and writing and being the type of artist people want me to be. That, to me, is not honest. That, to me, is you aren't responding as a songwriter to what is happening in front of you today and writing about that. See, what you’re doing is not fabricating, but you’re creating in a way that everybody has agreed is acceptable, and, to me, that is not a liberated woman. A liberated woman who happens to be a songwriter says, “No, I need to write some truthful space,” whatever that truth is at the time”.

I love all of Tori Amos’s albums, though I remember when Boys for Pele arrived. In January 1996, I was twelve, and I was more into Britpop and stuff coming out from my native land (the U.K.). I was well aware of Tori Amos, but tracks like Professional Widow really opened my eyes. It was so different to anything I had heard before. In terms of its themes and lyrics, it perhaps caught some unaware. The Pitchfork review properly salutes a divisive third album that is “a strange and unsettling amalgam of distorted harpsichord and bloody revenge fantasies born of ayahuasca, Mary Magdalene, and the blues”:

“On top of its nonsense lyrics, Boys for Pele also offers little respite from the harpsichord. In keeping with her quest for provenance, Amos traced the piano’s bloodline to its plectrum-equipped ancestor—an instrument she swiftly became obsessed with, despite its scant melodic or textural range, and, more crucially for Amos, its lack of sustain. For someone who pumps her piano’s sustain pedal as if she’s trying to resuscitate the notes back to life, Amos was severely tested by the harpsichord’s constraints. “I wasn’t interested in anything that didn’t challenge me, and as I started finding different parts of myself, I brought in different instruments to express that,” she explained to Spin. The greatest challenge with the harpsichord was to cleave it from its Baroque associations. She wanted to take out the whimsy and give it some ass. To do that, she made the low end growl by feeding a Bösendorfer piano through a Marshall amp . You can hear the rusty buzz and rattle of each of its keys. For Amos, compression was the ultimate taboo.

Amos referred to Boys for Pele as her “thrash harpsichord” record, a descriptor most befitting of two songs: “Professional Widow” and “Blood Roses.” She plays the former in an unnervingly standard waltz time, with parallel fifths that she smashes to smithereens in every other measure. On “Blood Roses,” she growls, “Chickens get a taste of your meat, girl,” alluding to a scene in Alice Walker’s Possessing the Secret of Joy in which the byproducts of female mutilation are tossed to the birds. On the harpsichord, she jounces between rapid-fire triplets and largo sequences, all while traveling across scales so swiftly it inspires the awe and horror of watching someone tap dance themselves into flight. She discovers the instrument’s blood.

Amos’ quest for provenance is also reflected in her deliberate choice of recording locations: a deconsecrated church in County Wicklow, Ireland, and a studio in New Orleans, Louisiana. Boys for Pele, with its bluesy tones and syncopations, re-synthesizes the influences that make up the musical identity of the rural South. She draws particular attention to the way Irish music made its way through the rivers of Louisiana in the 19th century, influencing the blues and the region’s cultural sound. “Mr. Zebra,” with its bouncy piano line, has the feeling of a slip jig; “Horses” rolls in non-linear arpeggios like an Irish air. Boys for Pele is a spiritual as well as musicological investigation of place.

To Amos, these sites symbolized, more specifically, the New World church’s stripping of Mary Magdalene’s sacred sexuality. Much of Amos’ musical project has long revolved around recovering Magdalene’s legacy—a legacy the modern church had reduced from Jesus’ bride to an unrepentant sinner. “If we were going to use a term to describe my music, it would have to be ‘theology of the feminine’,” Amos told The Oregonian in 1996. She believed not only that Mary Magdalene was pregnant with Jesus’ child but that this buried truth formed the blueprint for all women’s sexual culture—and that had the original myth remained intact, Amos would have been raised with a healthier relationship to her sexuality, to men, and to herself. Boys for Pele is her attempt to violently write into existence the sacred Bride that Christian theology has long obscured.

These ideas were so heady that Amos was never quite able to synthesize them into talking points during Boys for Pele’s lengthy press run. Many of the interviews instead concerned Amos’ relationship with the internet, a hot-button topic at the time. A curiously under-remarked aspect of Boys for Pele is how much the internet contributed to its success. Though Amos had touched a computer maybe twice in her life up to that point, she had an unusually devout online following. Her fans were very early adopters. Digital mailing lists devoted to Amos even preceded the World Wide Web as it came to be known, with some fans sending out digests on a daily basis in the early ’90s.

With the dot-com boom, a flurry of Amos fan sites emerged, including the First International Church of Tori, with its own dedicated “Altar Room.” At the time of Boys for Pele’s release, there were some 70 websites devoted to Amos—an extraordinary amount for that nascent era of the internet—and Amos supported those sites by giving them exclusive interviews. Atlantic Records cleverly tapped into the new niche by making “Caught a Lite Sneeze,” the album’s lead single, one of the world’s first songs to premiere as a free digital download ahead of its official release. Amos’ website also debuted samples of three Pele tracks on December 15, 1995, and upon the album’s release a month later, the Atlantic Records website scored two million hits, their most in a single day.

At school, Amos, a self-proclaimed nerd, was voted homecoming queen by the school’s nerd committee. This is sort of how her fame worked then and still does today. Despite significantly less radio play than her previous two records, Boys for Pele achieved platinum status much faster than its predecessors. The album debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 2, held from the top spot only by the unmovable Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. Her extensive 187-stop Dew Drop Inn Tour, running from February 23 to November 11, 1996, sold out within days and grossed $4.4 million, making it one of the highest-earning ticket sales of the spring.

Amos’ reputation and fame in the ’90s did not carry into the new millennium quite the way it had for her contemporaries Björk and PJ Harvey. She didn’t possess either’s sanguine cool. Before Amos made it as a musician, she’d ousted Sarah Jessica-Parker for a role in a Kellogg’s commercial. The director told her she did a good job, but to “tone it down please.” Instead, Amos toned it up for the rest of her career, transforming herself into a meta-Jungian girlband for 2007’s American Doll Posse and caressing herself onstage with a knife.

Even today, Boys for Pele remains the most distinctive record in her discography. Amos embodied such an extreme scope of emotion that it fell outside any frameworks capable of packaging or aestheticizing it. While other exceptional women of the ’90s transmuted their rage into power, Amos did something more akin to turning excrement into ecstasy, delivering her rage with a barnyard stench. It was an absolutely monumental achievement, a dive into another world from which no sound could escape. On Boys for Pele, Amos truly came undone, un-disciplining music while disassembling the spirit. She was convulsing, untouchable, and often illegible. Mystical Christianity dictates that this kind of abjection is a sign of close proximity to the divine, but on Boys for Pele, there was no God to be found”.

I think that Boys for Pele is a masterpiece and the third in a perfect run from Tori Amos. She would follow 1996’s Boys for Pele with from the choirgirl hotel. Not to bring it once more back to Bush, but perhaps there was a feeling that, after an album that divided critics but was a commercial success, some compromise was needed for the next album. Amos’s fourth album was acclaimed and ‘won back’ a lot of people. NME wrote how “The kookiness isn't dominant, she's stopped the attention-seeking lyrics almost completely and, yes, her pianos don't try to be guitars too often…At last, she's putting the songs first, and the band-led From the Choirgirl Hotel is, by any reasonable yardstick, a glorious coming of age”. I think that there was a lot of sexism and misogyny that meant women had to record certain music and could not be different and slightly experimental. Boys for Pele turns thirty on 22nd January. I wonder whether Tori Amos will mark it or write something about one of the best, and most underrated, albums of the 1990s. There is a line from Professional Widow, the third single (it was a U.S.-only single) from Boys for Pele, that seems to sum up the album or is a mission statement from Amos: “What is termed a landslide of principle”. The glorious, pioneering, hugely intelligent, beautiful and raw Boys for Pele is…

A sublime and fascinating album.

FEATURE: I’m the Fear Addicted: The Prodigy's Firestarter at Thirty

FEATURE:

 

 

I’m the Fear Addicted

The Prodigy's Firestarter at Thirty

__________

ONE of the…

most important and highest singles of the 1990s was released on 18th March, 1996. The lead single from The Prodigy’s third studio album, The Fat of the Land, was like an explosion! A song that still resounds to this day. A song that has credited writers of Liam Howlett, Keith Flint, Kim Deal, Anne Dudley, Trevor Horn, Gary Langan, Jonathan Jeczalik and Paul Morley, Firestarter reached the top of the charts in the U.K. Because the song turns thirty soon, I am focusing on, for the most part, its creation and legacy. I will end with a 2020 feature from The Guardian. They placed it eighth in the list of the one-hundred greatest U.K. number one singles. A song that is defined by the electrifying and distinct vocals of the much missed Keith Flint, I remember when Firestarter came out. It was a revelation. This was the first timer Flint provided vocals for The Prodigy. More of a dancer with the group prior to that, he knew this was the song he had to sing on. Writing these incredible lyrics and so committed to working on the music video and making it as unforgettable as possible, Firestarter is one of the defining tracks of the 1990s. I want to highlight a 1997 Rolling Stone cover, which has this sub-headline: “How a faceless ass-rumbling hard rock techno band found a voice (and a haircut) and set the world on fire”. I wanted to highlight the sections below, as we learn how Keith Flint being from someone in the background for The Prodigy to being at the front. He would also sing on another The Fat of the Land single, Breathe, but Firestarter is his finest moment. The best song he ever put his vocals to:

“Before “Firestarter,” the only singing that anyone had heard Keith Flint do was the routine he and Thornhill would sometimes perform, bored, in the back of the tour van: crooning U2’s “One” as they waved their lighted-up mobile phones in the dark, pretending they were lighters. But Howlett had this instrumental, and Flint announced one day that he’d like to try doing something over the top. They wrote the lyrics together. Howlett thinks he came up with the “Firestarter” idea and masterminded the structure. The words are simply a picture of Flint. “He’s got not a cent of common sense, but he’s actually really intelligent,” says Howlett. ” ‘I’m the self-inflicted mind detonator’ — that’s him. He’ll build things up in his head until he’s on the edge of going mad. That lyric was spot-on.”

Flint highlights both the “self-inflicted” line and “I’m the bitch you hated.” They’re both ways that he thinks of himself. “It’s quite deep,” he mutters. “I don’t know if I want to say.” He eyes the tape recorder. “I could explain it to you, but I wouldn’t for the magazine.”

Listening to you spit out those words, I say, you get the feeling of energy and joy mixed up with self-hate.

“That’s absolutely spot-on. That’s absolutely spot-on.”

I’m the bitch you hated. That’s a very weird thing to say about yourself.

“Yeah. I don’t know that I’d want to describe it,” he says. “That is a very deep thing to me personally, and I can deliver that with far more power than the other lyrics.”

Why, suddenly, did you decide to write lyrics?

“That’s unexplainable,” he says. “Why does a river turn into an oxbow lake? I’ve spent six years expressing myself with my body, shouting with my body. It’s like a conductor of the music. From the party scene, when a tune came on and it was your tune, I wanted everyone to know it was my tune. Yes! Fuckin’ hell! Rockin’! Just yelling at each other, dancing away. This is just an extension of that. If I could get a mike and just go, ‘Fuckin’ hell! Fuckin’ hell!’ I would do it. That is the punk-attitude, DIY aspect of the Prodigy.” And this was an age of change for Flint. The nose bolt. The pierced tongue. The new hair. “Fuck it,” he reasons. “I’m in a band. I’ll do what I want.” He worries that it’s becoming too much. An image. He might dye his hair all black. (He wants to get his penis pierced, partly because that one will be just for him. That’s one that will not be on display.) He also got inflicted tattooed onto his stomach. He got Howlett to design the letters. Inflicted. It was saying what people were thinking when they looked at him.

The night that Flint and Howlett wrote “Firestarter,” they played it about 30 times in the car. “I don’t think either of us could quite believe it was me,” says Flint. “I’m not a singer. I love the fact that there’s people out there that have been trying since the age of 9 to sing and get the voice right — do, re, mi and all that — and I can roar in, not ever written anything or performed lyrically anything, and write a tune that’s so successful. I think that’s a brilliant piss take on a lot of people, and that gives me a buzz.”

It was the video that best communicated the hyperactive psychosis of “Firestarter”: Flint leaping and leering around in a disused London subway tunnel. It is said that when it aired on Top of the Pops, Britain’s most-watched music TV show got a record number of complaints, simply because Flint was so scary”.

The Fat of the Land received some huge reviews when it was released on 30th June, 1997. If there are problematic songs on it such as Smack My Bitch Up (which many saw as glorifying domestic abuse and being misogynistic), there are some underrated classics like Diesel Power. Breathe is the second single, and I always see it as too similar to Firestarter. A slightly inferior version. It is weird that Firestarter is track eight on The Fat of the Land and not nearer the top. It does sort of get buried towards the end when it should have been the lead track or the second one. However, it has this incredible legacy. It created shockwaves and tremors when it came out on 18th March, 1996. Over a year before the album arrived, fans of The Prodigy were realising why Keith Flint should be front and centre. His lyrics and incredible vocals, tied to his distinct look, huge energy and infectiousness – and some chaos into the mix! – helped bring the band to a new audience. I was one of those people who became a convert in 1996. There are two features I want to include before wrapping up. The Delete Bin reviewed Firestarter in 2015. They have some interesting takes. I forgot about the furore and controversy the song caused. Especially the video. It does seem insane that thee was this sensitivity around a song that was not exactly urging people to start fires or incite destruction and violence:

“The Prodigy were dogged with controversy over many aspects of their presentation and their content. With this song, maybe controversy was stirred up because of the video, and the meaning of what a “firestarter” really is, too.

Controversy aside for moment,  the reason I think that this song, and the album off of which it came, was so popular is because it provided a series of varied musical textures that Brit-pop guitar bands didn’t provide, while still managing to reflect the guts of rock music which so many guitar bands were trying to capture in a new paradigm. The first time I heard this, I didn’t really process it as dance music. To me, it was punk rock. Maybe this is because it sampled the Breeders. But, there was more to it than that.

Not too many dissenting critics took into consideration that “fire” as a concept isn’t necessarily about destruction, or pain, or murder, or hell, or whatever. Fire is about creativity, too. Think about Prometheus in Greek myth. And about “holy tongues of fire” in the book of Acts in the Bible. Fire is a classic double-edged sword in storytelling. It can be destructive. But, it can be used as a literary device, emblematic of a force that sweeps away the old to make way for something new. It can be about inspiration and about clean slates. That’s what I think the band were really driving at, and what really makes this song as punk rock as it is.

As Flint spits out “I’m the firestarter!” all punked up and full of feral and wide-eyed fervour as he is in the video, he seemed like some Anti-Christ figure to some, maybe. It followed that a lot of people just took it all at face value. But in the song, he also asserts “You’re the firestarter!” which seems to undercut all that, not that too many people noticed. As such, this tune is actually pretty empowering. It’s the dance-rock, punk rock expression of Ghandi’s “be the change”. Or at least that’s certainly one fair interpretation, and certainly an example that makes it important to always question the wisdom of most decisions that lead to bans on things in the name of public decency”.

I am going to visit NME’s 1996 article. They followed The Prodigy on the set of Firestarter. As they say in this revisit (published in 2019): sensitivity: “Please be aware that sensitivities may have changed since publication”. This unfiltered band that wanted to definitely shake things up and ruffle some feathers, it did seem like it was a handful being around them! However, by all accounts, the band were perfectly amiable. Especially Keith Flint. A lot different to the impression people had of him. Definitely after the Firestarter video:

“People say Keith looks insane these days,” shrugs Liam, during a break from overseeing the filming.

“But he’s been insane for five years! He was insane the day I met him dancing in The Barn in Braintree. People only started to notice when he dyed his hair. And obviously the press and the fans are going to latch onto him now. But it was always going to be like that. It’s a natural progression.”

His public profile is surely set to go ballistic in about two weeks, though, in the wake of his starring role on ‘Firestarter’. And Liam may not be responsible for the ensuing carnage.

“I recorded it as an instrumental,” recalls Liam.

“And as usual, all three of the others come round to have a listen. Keith happened to be the first, and I said to him, ‘We need one more element’. Now I’d have been happy with a good sample, but Keith says, I’d really like to try some vocals on that’. And I’m like, ‘Whaaaaaaat?!”

“We had no idea how it was gonna sound,” admits Keith, “because the only singing Liam’s ever heard from us is me and Leeroy singing U2 songs on the way home. We always harmonise on ‘One,’ and instead of lighters, we put up our mobile phones and wave ‘em in the air!

“It was so ridiculous because my English isn’t my strong point, by any stretch of the imagination. So I end up singing in this weird accent (puts on a daft yokel voice), ‘Oi’m a muckspreaderrrrr, twisted muckspreaderrrr’. But it ended up sounding quite… menacing.”

So are we to assume that ‘Firestarter’ is autobiographical, then? Have you burnt down any houses lately?

“Oh no, man!” counters Keith. It’s never that direct. It does make you think though. They played the white label at Stamford Bridge the other day, and I was thinking, ‘I hope it don’t start any Bradford fires!”

“Leeroy knows me inside out, though,” he concludes, “and when he heard it he said, ‘That tune sums you up, man’. So there you go.”

This is the second video The Prodigy have made for ‘Firestarter’. The first one was directed by the man responsible for a Mustang jeans ad the band liked. “It didn’t represent us properly,” according to Liam. Which roughly translates as, “We were barely even in it”. Presentation and representation are a high priority, some might say absurdly high, for The Prodigy, possibly the only successful band in Britain who refuse to appear on Top of the Pops or, indeed, most other TV programmes. It’s not a ‘real vibe’ is their usual argument. But Keith, inevitably, has something more to say. And there could be casualties.

“TV corrupts people, I think. A lot of acts get that little break and they change from T-shirt and shorts to designer stuff, swanning around like arseholes. I mean, to me Goldie and Björk are like that. Goldie’s coming on as the bad boy of the jungle scene — and then next thing you know he’s going on to give an award to his girlfriend at The Brit Awards. Now to me, that was as sickening as Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley. I’m not dissing him, right, but if I watch that, it’s Bon Jovi. It’s Hollywood. You give ‘em a few front covers and they wanna play the pop-star game.”

“Nah, that’s bollocks, Keith,” Liam calmly corrects his colleague. I’ve got respect for Goldie, because all he’s doing is bringing a music that’s actually quite small – ’cos jungle’s not as big as the press make it out to be – to a new audience. He hasn’t commercialised his music. And he hasn’t sold out. It’s good stuff man.”

“Sure,” says Keith, slowly trying to dig himself out of the the hole his big mouth has created. “But I’m just saying, you put a camera in front of someone and they do something a little bit cheesy. It’s just the hypocrisy, man. If you slag off the mainstream when you’re small, you shouldn’t embrace it later.”

Never mind. I hear Goldie takes criticism with good grace.

Bit of a shame about Top Of The Pops, though. Just imagine the nationwide tea-choking that would doubtless be introduced by Keith Prodigy breaking and entering your living room at 7pm on a Thursday evening…”.

I know 18th March is a little way away, but I wanted to be the first to mark thirty years of Firestarter. There will be anniversary celebrations coming soon enough. It is bittersweet as we lost Keith Flint in 2019. He is not around to see those words published. How people are responding to the song today. Firestarter still sounds like nothing else! I think it is the best thing The Prodigy ever did. A Molotov cocktail of a song where Flint seems fevered, hallucinatory and raving, his lyrics are genius. His performance is iconic.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Prodigy’s Keith Flint performing at the Phoenix Festival in 1996/PHOTO CREDIT: Mick Hutson/Getty Images

I am ending with The Guardian and their article from 2020. When deciding the best one-hundred U.K. number ones in 2020, Firestarter was placed in eighth. A huge recognition of its legacy and importance. Revolutionary and still so powerful to this day:

“It starts with a riff: not a distorted guitar but a contorted squeal from a twisted fairground. It’s a riff nonetheless, the instantly sticky sign of an unstoppable hit single. Firestarter was one of the biggest pop-cultural events of 1996 and by the end of the year the Prodigy were one of the world’s biggest bands. The Essex four-piece’s first No 1 was a flashpoint of teen angst, TV infamy, moral panic and tabloid outrage, carried aloft by big-beat pyrotechnics and a lethal barrage of lyrical vitriol. “Ban This Sick Fire Record,” squawked the Mail on Sunday – but it was much too late.

The Prodigy were already a dominant force in pop. All but one of their singles since 1991 had made the Top 15, including 1991’s Charly, the cartoon-sampling hit that famously “killed rave”, according to clubbers’ bible Mixmag. Liam Howlett, the band’s musical engine, was bored with cranking out rave hits to a formula and started experimenting with elements of hip-hop and rock on their second album, Music for the Jilted Generation. Now the Prodigy were ready to reintroduce themselves as stadium-sized heroes with The Fat of the Land, taking dance music deep into the moshpit while promoting dancer-cum-hypeman Keith Flint to songwriter and vocalist. As an opening salvo, Firestarter was flamboyant, surreal, terrifying – and, like all the best pop songs, totally novel.

I have a faint recollection of watching Firestarter on Top of the Pops that week. The Prodigy didn’t want to perform, adamant that their anarchic live energy wouldn’t translate to the nation’s living rooms, so after Gina G and PJ & Duncan had done their thing, the BBC exposed millions of young minds to the video, depicting a diabolical figure in a reverse mohican twitching and gurning like a thing possessed. Too young to have any context for the music, I was transfixed but repelled, vaguely aware that this was something I probably shouldn’t be seeing.

That scuzzy black and white clip, filmed in a disused tube tunnel, was Firestarter’s second video, produced on a shoestring after the Prodigy had blown £100,000 on a hated first attempt. Flint flicks his pierced tongue at the camera, eyeballs glowing against his black eyeliner. The Prodigy came from the rave scene but this was more Marilyn Manson than Orbital, and Flint was a tortured rock god, snarling lyrics about mental anguish and self-harm: “I’m the self-inflicted mind detonator / I’m the bitch you hated, filth infatuated.”

The music press had been building them up as the “electronica” act that could finally crack the US, but the Prodigy didn’t see themselves in that lineage. They weren’t avant-garde like Aphex Twin and Autechre, and they weren’t purveyors of what rock writers liked to call “faceless techno bollocks”. Firestarter proved that the Prodigy was a squirming, sweating, fleshbound beast – the very opposite of the futuristic “braindance” coming from the electronic vanguard. It was pure boiling animus, doused in petrol and set off to ruin someone’s birthday party. “I have a philosophy that most of our music works on a really dumb level,” said Howlett, “which is the level most people understand.”

He imagined the Prodigy as a stadium-filling spectacle on a level with the rock bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and proto-nu-metallers Biohazard. “No glow sticks, no Vicks, people spitting everywhere – brilliant,” as Flint put it. They even brought in spiky-haired guitarist Gizz Butt, who’d played in early punk bands such as the Destructors and English Dogs. But where so many rock-historical references of the mid-90s felt like cosy nostalgia, Firestarter squeezed a final gob of spit from the spirit of 77 while becoming a legitimate stadium-sized alternative to Oasis. The Gallaghers so desperately wanted to be adored. The Prodigy didn’t give a toss. Howlett’s harsh sample collisions (a vocal scrap saying “hey”, from the Art of Noise’s Close to the Edit, and that squealing riff, pinched from the Breeders’ SOS) reflect his roots as a hip-hop DJ and breakdancer, but although he took production cues from righteous outfits including Rage Against the Machine and Public Enemy, he wasn’t interested in their message.

Firestarter doesn’t care about anything, nor does it contain a shred of self-regard. When Flint brought his “twisted” persona to life, he aligned himself with a 90s seam of edginess that brought us Fight Club, Tank Girl and Scream. It’s strange to imagine that we gawped and laughed. The decade’s flippant treatment of “insanity” is risible now, and especially tragic after Flint’s death in 2019. Journalists compared him to cartoon characters, but in those lyrics he is nothing but human. Firestarter is the worst of us, splattered on the kerb for all to see. “I wasn’t trying to say, ‘look at me, I’m Satan!’ But certainly I’m not nice,” Flint told Q magazine. “We’re everybody’s dark side”.

I was completely in awe of this song when it came out in 1996. I was twelve and had heard nothing quite like it. The extraordinary and seismic lead single from 1997’s The Fat of the Land, there is no doubt Firestarter is one of the most important and groundbreaking…

SINGLES of the '90s.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Faouzia

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Alanna Durkee

Faouzia

__________

I am spotlighting…

PHOTO CREDIT: Alejandra Hinojosa

Faouzia, as there is a lot of love and excitement around her. Many people are saying FILM NOIR is her debut album. I thought 2022’s CITIZENS was, though maybe that is classed as an E.P.? It is eight tracks, so I am a bit confused. In any case, I want to come to some interviews with Faouzia around this incredible artist. The first I want to bring in is from Riff, as we get some useful and interesting background. This Moroccan-born artist and her upbringing really fascinates me. I discovered her earlier in this year and instantly connected with FILM NOIR. Dreamy, cinematic, and fusing Pop, R&B, Jazz and other sounds, it is a wonderful and instantly appealing blend. Faouzia Arabic heritage is key to her music. She also sings in English, French and Arabic. There is so much depth and so many incredible layers and threads to her sound and artistry:

“Morocco-born, Manitoba, Canada-raised artist Faouzia Ouihya has been making music for the better part of a decade, racking up millions of streams alongside awards for her songwriting and her powerful mezzosoprano vocal range. But it took a split with her label to regain control of her vision for her sound and record a debut LP.

Faouiza’s parents moved her family from Casablanca to Montreal when the now-25-year-old was still a toddler. They quickly decided that big city life wasn’t for them, moving again to Winnipeg and then to the French-speaking small town of Carman, Manitoba, where her parents found work. Her younger sister, Kenza (her photographer and co-creative director), was born in Canada.

“My parents … restarted their lives completely from ground zero. They studied education and became teachers, and French was a much stronger language for them; they were still learning English from the ground up at that point,” she said.

The family never let go of its roots. The family home was decorated in Moroccan styles. They ate Moroccan food, wore Moroccan clothes, spoke Arabic at home and traveled back Morocco often.

“When I was at school, I was fully immersed in Canadian culture, but as soon as I stepped foot at home, which is where I spent most of my time, I was back in Morocco,” she said.

Faouiza grew up playing piano, violin and guitar, eventually starting a duo with her older sister, Samia (who’s now her manager). At home, she listened to a mix of Western pop, Arabic pop and classical composers like Chopin and Bach. All these influences appear in her own music.

She’d post original songs and covers on YouTube, which got the attention of many, including producer and DJ David Guetta, while she was still in high school. He asked her to sing on “Battle,” from his album 7.

Pursuing music in her spare time, she won first place at Nashville’s Unsigned Only music competition, and soon after, Canada’s International Songwriting Competition, beating about 16,000 entrants from 137 countries. She signed with her old label on her 18th birthday—not everything is meant to work out.

Still, she enrolled at the University of Manitoba, studying computer engineering, essentially learning to build computers from the ground up—hardware and all. At that point, the music began to take over.

“I did four years of it, and it got to a point where I was traveling too much,” she explained. “A lot of engineering is laboratories, and you have to be there in person. I pivoted to psychology because I wanted to do something that I could do by distance. Unfortunately, I actually did not finish. I just did a lot of it. I still wonder if it’s something that I will finish someday. I love school, and I think I will continue to pursue my education in other ways.”

In 2020, Kelly Clarkson asked Faouzia to remake “I Dare You” in Arabic, while Swedish duo Galantis featured her on “I Fly.” That same year, she recorded “Minefields” with John Legend. In 2022, she was nominated for a prestigious Juno Award for breakthrough artist in Canada. Since then, she released a couple of EPs and wrote a song (“Beg Forgiveness”) on Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign’s album ¥$.

Then came last year, when her popularity exploded in the East after she appeared on a Chinese reality singing competition that pitted established artists from throughout the world (the U.S. was represented by soul singer Chanté Moore) against each other—and she made it all the way to the finals. There was even some controversy when many viewers expected her to win, but Chinese star Na Ying prevailed.

“I didn’t quite know what to expect other than it was fully live, and it was a show about showcasing your vocals,” she said. “Every week, you would sing a different song and prepare for it, but it was also like a reality TV show in the sense that there was a lot of interviews. Sometimes they would be so kind as to show you around different places in China and show you the culture, which was so beautiful. … Honestly, I’m happy that I made it this far. I’m happy that I made it to this point. As for the controversy, I really do think that it was a fair placement.”

This year has been all about getting to release her debut album for Faouzia, which includes singles “Peace & Violence,” “Unethical” and “Porcelain,” as well as nine more terrific songs, sung mostly in English but also in French and Arabic. While it’s definitely a pop album, Faouzia’s tonal inflections and musical choices, influenced by her family’s culture, make Film Noir—like much of her songbook so far—stand out.

“I don’t think about it at all. If those influences make their way into my music, it’s something that’s very natural, and I never want it to feel forced,” she said. “If it lends itself to the melody and the vibe of the song, then I think it’s important to have that in there. ‘Sweet Fever’ has hints and tastes of that, but it wasn’t something that was intentional. … That’s what I wanted for this album”.

Journalists have noted a duality to FILM NOIR. Soft, tender and velvet-like one moment, it is also guttural and explosive at times. Sung partly in French, it is an underrated masterpiece from last year. Stylish, cool, hugely accomplished and with a distinct and original sound that is rightly being heralded, FILM NOIR is such a phenomenal album. I want to move to The Honey Pot and their interview with Faouzia. This is an artist that every single music fan needs to listen to. You will be instantly struck by her music:

“Because the term film noir originally came from French critics dissecting American thrillers, the genre has this built-in idea of reflection and critique. After the three-year gap since CITIZENS and the global response to ‘MINEFIELDS,’ did you approach this record by “critiquing” what worked and what didn’t from the last era—or did you intentionally wipe the slate clean and start fresh?

After years of reflection and critique, I wiped the slate clean and started fresh. Almost in a “learn the rules to know how to break them” type of way. I followed my heart and wrote this album very instinctually. Every word stemmed from stories that were very personal to me, but crafted by skills that I learned along the way. I think my essence is present in this album because I led with my heart first, then my mind.

You speak English, Arabic, and French fluently—and we hear French spotlighted both in the voice-note outro and in ‘TOUS CES MOTS’—and you even wrote your first ever song in French at age six. What is it about French as a language that feels most creatively you?

French is my second language. I grew up speaking it at home and spent most of my education immersed in it, so many of my most formative memories live in French. It’s the language in which I first learned to express sorrow and depth, to give shape to feeling. There’s an inherent poetry in its softness and a quiet melancholy that made it the natural choice for the stories I needed to tell in this album.

Several tracks have that gorgeous cinematic build—the strings on ‘UNETHICAL’ feel like they’re doing the dramatic lighting. You’ve genre-blended before, but this time, working with Arthur Besna and F E R R O, how did you stay rooted in your sonic identity while leaning into those big, film-score moments?

A big part of my musical identity comes from big, dramatic instrumentals as well as classically-inspired pieces. It came very naturally to me to make this album in this world because it felt like “coming home” to what felt the most natural to me.

Finally, when listeners close the curtain on FILM NOIR for the first time, what do you hope they walk away feeling?

I hope they’ve connected to the music and can feel the depth and passion in it. I hope they can find solace in it”.

There are two more interviews I want to cover. EUPHORIA. spoke with Faouzia about FILM NOIR and the challenges she has had to overcome. I do really love her music and am looking forward to seeing what she does this year. FILM NOIR received so much attention. I am not sure if she is touring this year or what her next moves are. Faouzia is simply extraordinary:

“Your songs often blend emotional storytelling with powerful vocals — what’s your creative process like when you start a new song?

I have many ideas written down. Sometimes fully-fledged, and sometimes it’s just a line or even a title or word. I sit down at the piano or with an instrumental playing in the back and start to sing the first thing that comes out instinctually. I can normally tell what story these melodies beg to tell and start writing and re-writing the song from there.

Is there a particular song that feels the most personal or vulnerable to you on this album? And why?

I would say “UNETHICAL” or “PRETTY STRANGER.” Both are very vulnerable and personal in their own way, but feel tied to each other. “PRETTY STRANGER” is the bittersweet ending/response to “UNETHICAL.”

What was the most challenging song to write? And how did you overcome the challenge?

The most challenging song to write was technically “DON’T EVER LEAVE ME.” I have pages upon pages of rewrites for it, and came back to it months later after I abandoned it for a while. I just knew I had to finish it and that it had to be on this album, so I switched up the verse/pre melodies and tried over and over again until it was finished.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career so far?

Pushing through even when things don’t go as planned. Trying to stay true to myself with so many voices pulling me in different directions and not being able to release music the way that I wanted.

If you could go back and give advice to your younger self just starting out, what would you say?

I would tell her to trust her instincts and trust her vision because no one knows herself and her art like she does.

You often speak about empowerment and resilience — what inspires you to keep pushing forward?

Faith that what’s on the other side is always better than I could ever imagine”

I want to finish with an interview from The Luna Collective. They spoke with Faouzia around the release of the single, Hero. If you have not heard of Faouzia or are a bit sceptical of diving in, I can reassure you that her music is well worth investing in. With a lot of focus on mainstream Pop and a particular sound, maybe artists like Faouzia will go under the radar or be considered niche. However, she is so much more engaging and standout than so many other artists coming through. I feel we will see many more albums come from her:

“LUNA: What was your inspiration when it came to writing “Hero”? What was the creative process like?

FAOUZIA: I wrote “Hero” about setting healthy boundaries in your friendships and relationships. I have been in many situations where my friendships have felt very one-sided and it’s left me so drained. Over the past year I’ve learned to have people in my life that I know love will go both ways with.

LUNA: What do you hope listeners gain from “Hero”? Is there anything you are personally taking away from this single?

FAOUZIA: I hope listeners gain a sense of confidence in themselves and know that at the end of the day, they are their own hero. Self-love is so important, and I would say the most important. Once you love yourself, you can love someone else and accept the love that you deserve.

LUNA: What was your experience like with the choreography for the music video?

FAOUZIA: It was my first video doing a group choreo! I learned the dance in a few hours and the other dancers came by a little later. Once we started putting both parts together, I got so giddy since everyone flowed so beautifully. The dancers were so talented and kind and made the experience even more enjoyable. The choreographer definitely knew how to make me feel comfortable and worked around what looked best.

LUNA: In terms of who you are personally, if you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

FAOUZIA: Creative, passionate, loving”.

FILM NOIR was one of the greatest albums from last year. There is not much more that I can say, other than the fact you need to check out Faouzia. She has her own musical world that is so utterly engrossing. There is so much same-sounding music out there which means you get homogenisation. However, artists such as Faouzia are so much richer and more worthy I feel, as they offer the music world this much needed alternative. In a busy scene, there is nobody…

QUITE like her.

____________

Follow Faouzia

PHOTO CREDIT: Alanna Durkee 

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/faouzia/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@faouziaofficial

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/faouziaofficial/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5NhgsV7qPWHZqYEMKzbYvo?si=Hn__6EsCQlSuS5IT8Ua_8Q

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLwbyg15zJgjtNL0EErkOPA

FEATURE: Spotlight: Sabina Beyli

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Sabina Beyli

__________

AN incredible artist…

who hails from Azerbaijan and has spent time living in the U.K. and U.S., there is something unique about Sabina Beyli. I don’t think I have ever featured an Azerbaijani artist before. I realise I have been focusing on a lot of solo female Pop artists recently in my Spotlight series, though they are very much standing out and the biggest and most sought-after commodity in modern music. Last year, Beyli put out the singles, Crave the Burn, and Bad Habits. Another artist who has been recorded music for a while, I do think that we can class her as a rising artist. Even though are awaiting a debut album, I think this will arrive soon enough. After putting out a string of incredible singles, Sabina Beyli’s name has spread and elevated. She is this artist primed for even greater prominence this year. I want to come to a few interviews with her from last year. I am going to end with a recent interview that reveals Sabina Beyli is planning to release a second E.P. and we will get some new singles very soon. It makes this feature very timely. A few interviews were published around the release of the single, Bad Habits. I will not include this feature, though their description of Sabina Beyli and her ethos/personality seems very true. A young woman, but someone who has seen and felt so much: “Let’s get one thing straight: Sabina Beyli is 22 and already writing like someone who’s seen way too much, healed from half of it, and refuses to pretend the other half doesn’t still haunt her. Her new single “Bad Habits” is the kind of alt-pop-rock confession that doesn’t bother dressing itself up for company. It walks in messy, overwhelmed, brutally self-aware, and absolutely unforgettable. Sabina has always written like she’s allergic to sugarcoating, but “Bad Habits” takes that unfiltered honesty and turns the volume all the way up. Edgier, more interesting and perhaps more relatable than a lot of her contemporaries, I do think there is something authentic about Sabina Beyli. That lack of sugarcoating and putting a shine on anything has really connected with her fans.

I want to come to a 2024 interview before moving to last year. I am publishing this before the first new singles of 2026, but I am really excited to see what comes from Sabina Beyli. I do think that this is going to be an astonishing year for her. I hope that she does play in the U.K. this year if she has any tour plans. Naluda Magazine spoke with an essential artist who is going to have a very long and massive career:

“Describe your sound in three words.

Alternative, dynamic, pop/rock

Who influenced you, and why did you choose to make music?

The very first artist who influenced me to start singing and making music was Christina Aguilera. I vividly remember when I was around 6, my dad played her song “hurt” and I instantly fell in love. She’s just incredible and I’d die to have her voice.

What is the most rewarding part of your work?

Literally all of it! Especially hearing the demo for the first time and falling in love with something you created. It’s truly an indescribable feeling. And of course the ability to help or inspire anyone who listens to my music. It means the absolute world to me.

What book should anyone interested in music read?

The music-business books. Those are crucial for artists, especially independent ones like me, there is always something new to be learnt!

What advice would you give to your younger self, and why?

To trust the universe and be patient. And most importantly to always be your authentic self.

How would your best friend describe you?

Loyal, supportive, adventurous.

If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?

Freddy Mercury and Amy Winehouse. Need I say more?

Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years?

Having a few albums out, touring and adopting a bunch of dogs.

What do you think of social media?

I have a love hate relationship with social media because my job requires a high social media presence but at the same time it’s important to take necessary breaks for your mental health”.

I do hope there are more interviews with her soon. Whilst there are a lot of articles about Bad Habits, it would have been nice for people to interview Sabina Beyli and get her music spread that way. However, I feel this will be rectified this year. I will end with a great interview form Noctis. They ask a few questions around the subject of this year and what she has planned. It is evident that this ambitious and hugely talented artist is going to change the scene and release some fo the best music of her career:

“Being a female artist in the rock-pop space, she tells me she is drawn to its rawness and that it feels instinctive for her to make music in this genre for many reasons. “I’m drawn to the intensity of those genres, there’s this raw edge and emotional depth that really lets me express what I’m feeling. The dynamics, the tension, the atmosphere… It all gives my emotions a place to live.”

As both a writer and performer, this self-expression is also a form of catharsis for Beyli. “A lot of my music ends up being darker and raw because that’s where my emotions naturally go when I’m writing and I don’t ever try to censor that.” Getting up close and personal with her own emotions is something she hopes to evoke within her fans, allowing them to connect to the songs through these shared experiences. Her latest single ‘Bad Habits’ is an example of feelings on full display. “I wanted my listeners to know they’re not alone in those moments, that everyone has cycles they’re trying to break. Putting this song out felt like opening a door for people who might be going through something similar.”

Raised in Azerbaijan, Belyi has lived in both London and across the states, giving her a broadened perspective to write and express from. “Each place taught me something new, whether it was a mindset, a sound, or just the way people express emotion.” This follows her in her career mindset as she is focused on making music as well as growing “as a performer” to “get on more stages, and connect with audiences in a deeper, more personal way.” In all aspects, this connection is something she seeks out, from writing the songs to performing them.

Do you have themes that you’re drawn to as an artist? If so, how do you approach expressing certain themes in your music?

I’m definitely drawn to themes that come from very personal places. I tend to write about things I’m actually going through, issues that feel honest, uncomfortable, and completely real to me. A lot of my music ends up being darker and raw because that’s where my emotions naturally go when I’m writing and I don’t ever try to censor that. I just let myself sit in whatever feeling I’m having and translate it as truthfully as I can. I think that authenticity is what helps people connect to the songs.

You have a very distinctive and strong voice. Who are some vocalists who inspire you within your genre as well as in general?

Thank you! My favorite vocalists who’ve inspired me since I was a little girl are Christina Aguilera and Beyonce. I’m also very inspired by Hayley Williams.

I read that you are from Azerbaijan and have since been based in the states as well as London. How does that influence your writing and your point of view as an artist?

Growing up in Azerbaijan and then spending so much time in the States and London really broadened my whole perspective on life. Being surrounded by different cultures, people, and environments gave me so many layers to pull from creatively. Each place taught me something new, whether it was a mindset, a sound, or just the way people express emotion. All of that naturally finds its way into my writing. I think moving around so much made me more observant and more open, and it inspired me to write from a place that feels global, honest, and shaped by everything I’ve experienced.

So far we know that you’ll have two singles coming up in early 2026. What can listeners expect from those tracks?

My listeners can expect to relate to these tracks a lot. They’re full of authentic, raw emotion, the kind of feelings I was really sitting with when I wrote them. Sonically, there’s a lot of guitar and some experimental textures that honestly sound like what my mind felt like during that time. They’re personal, a little chaotic in the best way, and very true to who I am right now as an artist.

What does 2026 look like for you as an artist that fans can be excited for?

2026 is going to be such an exciting year! There’s so much new music coming, I’m already deep into working on my second EP, and it feels like my most personal project yet. I’m also hoping to perform a lot more shows, maybe even a small tour if everything aligns. And there will definitely be new merch and a few projects I can’t talk about just yet, but they’re really special. It’s going to be a year full of growth, creativity, and connecting with my listeners in bigger ways!

Where do you hope your progression as an artist and performer takes you in 2026?

In 2026, I hope my progression takes me toward expanding even more as an artist, releasing more music, experimenting with new sounds, and collaborating with new people who inspire me. I also really want to grow as a performer, get on more stages, and connect with audiences in a deeper, more personal way. This year is all about evolution for me”.

An artist who has this vulnerability and real punch that comes through in her lyrics and performances, I love the fact that she has lived in the U.S. and U.K. So young still, that experience and worldliness means she is more compelling than a lot of other Pop/Rock artists around her. I hope she also produces more music videos, as Bad Habits and Crave the Burn do not have ones. I love what she has produced so far, yet I feel this year is going to be the best one yet. This superstar is going to…

TAKE on the world.

____________

Follow Sabina Beyli

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sabina.beyli/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@sabina.beyli

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/beyli.sabina/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6JQxEkgTa28xgMXLn10UNe?si=1Qc8Uw40T7-UIu1iEbFm1g

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/sabinabeyli

FEATURE: Spotlight: Sydney Rose

FEATURE:

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Sofia Valladares

Sydney Rose

__________

THERE were quite a few…

interviews conducted with Sydney Rose last year. Even though she released a debut album, One Sided, in 2023, there has been singles since. I am not sure whether another album is due soon. However, she is not known to everyone and is being seen as an artist to watch out for this year. Prior to getting to some interviews, I want to source from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and their biography of a wonderful artist you need to connect with:

“Music will always be there for us—especially when we don’t have the words to express what we want to say. Georgia-born and Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Sydney Rose writes songs for those moments.

As she sings, it almost sounds like she’s whispering in your ear, giving you a boost of confidence, offering a little clarity, or just reminding you everything will be okay. The intimacy of her songcraft has resonated in the hearts and minds of countless fans worldwide, leading to billions of views on TikTok, hundreds of millions of streams, and critical acclaim. It also underscores her I Know What I Want EP [Mercury Records].

“Even if I can’t say how I feel with my own words, I know my favorite songs can,” she states. “When I listen to records or go to concerts, a song that speaks to me will be able to communicate what I’m going through. My goal has always been to relate to other people.”

It’s easy to relate to Sydney. Growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta, she cultivated a rich musical palette by listening to artists as diverse as Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver, Daughter, Conan Gray, and Cavetown. Along the way, she picked up ukulele, piano, and guitar. Building an audience organically on social media, she broke through with a viral take on “Turning Page” by Sleeping At Last. It gathered over 67 million Spotify streams, led to her first label deal at 18-years-old, and set the stage for 2022’s You Never Met Me EP. A year later, she unveiled her debut LP, One Sided, highlighted by “You’d Be Stars” [feat. Chloe Moriondo]. Along the way, she received co-signs courtesy of everyone from People to Olivia Rodrigo and Addison Grace who invited her on tour.

By the fall of 2024, she found herself now settled in Nashville without a label, yet undeniably inspired. So, she dropped the fan favorite voice notes EP.

“I wanted to return to my roots, which was recording a song as a voice memo on my phone and releasing it,” she says. “When I got dropped, I got back to who I am.”

In this creative space, she continued to write and record. While sitting at the piano one day, she crafted “We Hug Now.” Sparse chords shudder as raw emotion echoes through the cracks in her stark delivery, resembling the fracture of a formative friendship. Holding back tears, she muses, “I have a feeling you got everything you wanted and you’re not wasting time stuck here like me. You’re just thinkin’ it’s a small thing that happened. The world ended when it happened to me.”

“I was upset about this relationship I had with a friend,” she confesses. “I’d go to her Instagram and see her posts with other friends, and it seemed like she was having a great time. I know it’s not 100% true because of how people are perceived on the internet. I was feeling down though, and I know she wasn’t. I wrote about wanting to be friends again and go back to simpler times.”

A post of the tune’s bridge surged on TikTok, snowballing and eventually exploding on the platform. It inspired over 500K “creates” on Tik Tok, yielding 2 billion total views and reaching the Top 15 of the TikTok Top Songs Chart. It catapulted to the Top 3 of the Spotify US and Global Viral 50 Charts. Amassing 40 million streams and counting, “We Hug Now” notably cracked the Top 5 of the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart as she vaulted to #22 on the Emerging Artists Chart. In the wake of this success, she inked a deal with Mercury Records and crafted what would become the I Know What I Want EP.

Among many highlights, “5 More Minutes” hinges on a murmuring piano melody. Her emotionally charged vocals practically melt into the keys as she notices, “I got so old so fast, and I cannot go back.” It illustrates Sydney’s keen perception, acute empathy, and wisdom beyond her years.

Elsewhere, softly strummed chords underline her delicate delivery on songs like “dogs I pass on the street.” Right out of the gate, she sets the scene, “When I call my mom, I just try to be discreet, crying over dogs I pass on the street.”

“Every once in a while, I’ll write a song, and I won’t understand the significance of it until later,” she reveals. “I was moving to Nashville, and I’d never lived away from my family. I was so terrified even though I came here to do music, which is what the song’s about.”

Then, there’s “thank you for trying.” Written in her closet, the vocals barely crack a whisper over the airy endless hum of feedback. Gentle acoustic guitar murmurs beneath an admission, “It’s the way you exist, the way that you kiss, makes me want to tell you I’m sorry.”

“I’m so scared that when someone comes into my life and tries to love me, I’m going to push them away and feel undeserving of their love,” she says.

Piano twinkles through guitar on “listen to the birds.” In a delicate exhale, she urges, “Go and change your perfume, you gotta let go of that version of you...listen to the birds.”

“It’s very straightforward,” she goes on. “I saw The Milk Carton Kids at the Ryman, and I was super inspired. I thought, ‘Yes, I moved to Nashville, but I’m feeling all types of sad’. I needed to be reminded of home by certain things like the birds. It’s an uplifting song about moving somewhere new”.

I am going to move to an interview from Atwood Magazine spoke with an artist who wants to be as open, real and vulnerable as possible with her music. They spoke with the fast-rising Sydney Rose about the new E.P., I Know What I Want. I do think that she is going to be among the artists to watch closely this year:

“After being dropped by her previous label, she could’ve easily stepped back from the spotlight. Instead, she leaned in – to stillness, to honesty, to herself. Out now, I Know What I Want isn’t just a sonic evolution; it’s an emotional one. With over 40 million streams on the viral hit “We Hug Now,” and a new home at Mercury Records, Sydney Rose proves that there is strength in softness – and power in staying true to your voice.

The title alone feels like a declaration. Was there a specific turning point where you realized you “knew what you wanted,” or was it more of a slow realization through writing and performing these tracks?

Sydney Rose: The first song I wrote for the EP was “Dogs I Pass On The Street.” It was also ironically written on the first day I moved to Nashville. The idea for the EP title came from that lyric because I moved to Nashville because I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

Your songs often capture universal feelings – heartbreak, longing, self-discovery – but they feel incredibly personal. How do you balance writing for yourself versus writing for others to see themselves in your music?

Sydney Rose: I try to write mostly for myself because I know there are people out there who are feeling the same way as I do. I want to try to be as real and as vulnerable as possible. It’s the only way I can really feel connected to my own music. I think the more honest I am with my music, the more people relate to it.

What did your songwriting process look like for I Know What I Want? Did these songs come together in one chapter of your life, or were they collected from different moments?

Sydney Rose: They were written over the first year of me moving to Nashville. They all came from different moments, but all from the same feelings. I didn’t rush the process. I let it come naturally.

Who are some artists, past or present, that have shaped your sound or your approach to storytelling?

Sydney Rose: I take a lot of inspiration from songwriters like Phoebe Bridgers, Lizzy McAlpine, and Gracie Abrams. I love the way they structure their sound. And I love the lyrics that just cut right through the heart”.

There are a couple more interviews I want to bring in before rounding off. Ones to Watch spent some time with Sydney Rose earlier last year around the release of her E.P. If anyone has not heard it then I would recommend that you do so, as it is fantastic. A truly great songwriter who is rightly being heralded as a major talent, I am interesting to see what this year holds in store. Ones to Watch observed how “On her latest EP, ‘I Know What I Want’ this young artist doses us in melodic melodrama, sentimental and ruggedly interesting, it is a dose of sonic sunshine to pair with a rainy day”:

“How do you go about songwriting? Do you start with lyrics, melody, colors, abstraction? If you have a process, some people go all over the place.

It kind of is all over the place. I kind of have to feel a feeling very strongly to write a song. Maybe I'll go through a friendship breakup and I won't write about it until a year afterwards. I mostly will sit down at my piano or my guitar and I'll write a melody first and whatever that melody feels like to me. I'll add the lyrics to it. It's like a therapy session. I kind of sit down and sing whatever I feel and that's how my music comes about most of the time. Other times it's like I have an idea and I'll specifically try to write to a specific line that I have in my notes, but mostly it's just me sitting on my bed and pretending I have my therapist in my room with me.

You know, some of the things that always come up, I think with younger artists is this sort of dialogue of loneliness, living inside a vessel, inside a bubble. I'm much older than you, so is it technology? Is there like a sort of dual, parallel reality where everyone feels like they're not actually themselves and they're just sort of whatever version of themselves they need to be? Why does that always come up so much?

I feel like that's a great question.

I'm in this weird generation, where I grew up without a phone until I was in middle school and I had unrestricted Internet access and that was not great. COVID definitely messed up our social interactions. Like, COVID happened in the middle of me being in high school and that definitely gave me more anxiety than I ever had in my life. Going out and trying to make more friends is definitely more difficult, I feel like, than ever”.

“Getting on to your current EP, also, congratulations on your label signing! Where did this EP start? Is this a collection of songs over the years, or a place in time: tell me the story?

It's funny because I moved to Nashville in October of 2023 and it was terrifying. It was horrible. I didn't go to college, so it was the first time I was going to move somewhere that wasn't living with my parents.

So you went from outside Atlanta living with your parents to Nashville by yourself?

Yes, but I have roommates with me, you know. The EP started with “Dogs I Pass On the Street.” The week that I moved here, I wrote that song with Hannah Cole and it was just about moving here and it's so scary but I know I wouldn't be doing anything else with my life. I want to make music and this is what I want to do. And so I feel like that was just the theme of the project from the beginning, the title in that song.

And all of the songs I wrote throughout all of 2024. It's just themes of like, yes, this all sucks. I'm growing up and I want to go back home but I need to work and be doing this and I'm 20 and I need to see the world even though I don't like going out and talking to people sometimes. That's just been the whole vibe of last year and what the EP is about.

So is I Know What I Want somewhat ironic or or is it more like you actually finding your footing and knowing what you want? Or both?

I think it's both. It's also funny, the timing, because I had this EP planned before I signed with Mercury and when I was independent and before “We Hug Now” had a moment and before all that. I still knew that I wanted to be doing this music stuff and continue writing songs and putting out projects. It's really cool that this is the project that I'm putting out where I get to do my first headline tour. Where I get to open up for my favorite artists and stuff and it is what I want to do.

How many shows have you done, like how comfortable are you performing live?

I did a two week tour with an artist named Addison Grace in 2022. It was really great. And in December 2023, I did an opening spot for Leanna Firestone. So I've done a couple shows, but I haven't done my own shows yet. I did a college show in October, but nothing where it was truly like, this is a Sydney Rose show. I feel like I'm very comfortable with live performances. It's one of my favorite things to do, even though it's so nerve wracking. I love singing live for people”.

CLASH interviewed Sydney Rose back in August. The interview focused mainly on live performances and how she went from these small venues to playing some huge locations and spots. Including Hyde Park in London, it has been a crazy past year or so for the Georgia-born artist. She could not have imagined how quickly her career would take off. In terms of the venues and cities she wants to play but has not done yet, I wonder what is in Sydney Rose’s mind:

“Signed to a new label, Rose has not only been touring for the first time, but experiencing new locations and sharing her music with new audiences, too. Through music, Rose has stayed centred.

“I don’t feel nervous when I’m on the stage. I know what it’s like to feel like one of those kids in the crowd when I’m seeing my favourite artist. And so when I’m on that stage, I have to remind myself that these people bought tickets for me and they know my songs and maybe there’s someone out there who has a favourite song and I’m going to sing it tonight,” she says. “I love my music very much… I think singing it live is my favourite thing. Because I make these songs in hopes for people to relate to them.”

Rose says she has learnt a lot from her favourite songwriters (she cites Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver, Daughter, Conan Gray, and Cavetown) and has recently been listening to lots of The 1975, Taylor Swift, Lorde and 21 Pilots. But when it comes to writing, drawing from her own experiences is a must.

“I don’t really feel connected to a song unless I’ve written about something that happened to me,” she says. “That’s kind of how a lot of people are relating to my songs – because I try to be as truthful as possible.”

Like a lot of other artists in her genre, Rose writes about intensely personal topics. With her rapidly evolving success, she is now sharing those very personal songs with much bigger IRL audiences. When we start talking about how that feels, Rose opens up.

“I think I’ve been recently putting up these mental walls in my head… Before this tour and ‘We Hug Now’ came out, I didn’t feel like I really had a lot of eyes on me,” she explains. “And now that I do, I definitely put pressure on myself. When I’m writing songs… it’s just a little bit harder to be vulnerable.”

“It’s sometimes pretty difficult when I have to sing about something that really upsets me. But a lot of the time I remind myself that I’m performing for these people, and I want to sound good and perform well… I think [with] a lot of the songs that I write, I process my emotions and then I write about it later.”

‘We Hug Now’ comes up many times during our chat – that song and what happened with it has had a big impact on Rose’s direction.

“I put out a song about a friendship breakup, not knowing that it would be my biggest song and it would go viral on TikTok and all this stuff,” says Rose. “But I still try to take my music seriously and write from the heart… But, you know, it takes time and I’ll figure it out.”

Figuring things out for Rose includes lots more writing, ultimately with an album in mind (although there’s no firm plan yet).

“It’s very much not anywhere even near ready!” she says. “I’m working on some songs that are going to come out soon, and also giving myself time to not rush these songs. I can never ever force myself to write a song… I’m very much seeing where the wind takes me”.

The Holiday is her most recent single. That was released in November. I am curious what will come this year and whether there will be an album or another E.P. There are so many eyes on this brilliant U.S. artist. In terms of dates, she has some Australian gigs in the diary for March. I guess there will be festival dates and others added soon enough. Of all the artists being tipped for success and visibility this year, Sydney Rose is definitely…

AMONG the very best.

____________

Follow Sydney Rose

PHOTO CREDIT: Sofia Valladares

Official:

https://www.sydneyrosemusic.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sydneyrosemusic_/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@sydneyfrommars

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/sydneyrosemusicpage

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vx4pDmiFDyKMhuOIgpiRv?si=KCC8bcMWRiKBq2iU4UKkxQ

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@sydneyrose7480

FEATURE: Spotlight: Tash Blake

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Tash Blake

__________

THIS is an artist I am…

really excited about and think is going to dominate in 2026. One of the most exciting artists I have heard in a long time, Tash Blake should be on your radar. Blake is a Los Angeles-born, N.Y.C.-based singer, dancer, and amazing artist who draws inspiration from artists such as Madonna, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga. Blake has released wonderful E.P.s including Poster Girl, and Atomic Blonde. The epic Poster Girl was released last year. I think 2025 was her most successful and notable year to date. Though I feel that this one is going to be even bigger and better. I am going to come to some interviews from last year with Tash Blake. However, I want to first head back to 2023. That was the year her Atomic Blonde E.P. was released. Featuring standout tracks Mannequin, and So Bad Together, I do feel that Tash Blake gravitates more towards Madonna. In terms of her style and sound, you think of the Queen of Pop. However, Tash Blake very much has her own sound and brilliance. It would be amazing if Blake and Madonna collaborated on something. I am starting out with Wonderland Magazine and their 2023 interview with Tash Blake:

“LA-based singer-songwriter Tash Blake grew up immersed in the world of music, dance, and musical theatre. Learning the power of stage presence from a young age and experimenting with writing songs from the age of eight years, she has honed her sound and created something truly magical. After releasing her debut single, “Mannequin”, in December, Tash has grown a substantial fanbase who connect with her honesty and powerful inspiration. With follow-up singles “So Bad Together” and “Inject Me”, it is clear that she knows who she is — and has the ability to help others feel the same through her music.

When did you start creating music?

I’ve been singing since I could talk. I started writing songs when I was 8 that I’d be embarrassed for anyone to hear now. When I was 15, I recorded my first song and I knew that I needed to be creating music forever.

How would you describe your sound?

Dance pop with a hint of darkness, grit, shimmer, and love!

Do you have a typical songwriting process?

My songwriting process definitely changes depending on the day. Half the time, a concept or a melody will come to me and I immediately have to voice memo it or write it down. Other times, in the studio, I love to just vibe with the producer and see where it takes us!

How did your debut single, “Mannequin”, — and its visuals — set the stage for what listeners can expect from you as an artist?

Dropping “Mannequin” first was important to me in multiple ways. I definitely had to get certain emotions off my chest in order to move forward, and I also wanted it to be known that I am not afraid of saying things others don’t necessarily feel comfortable to say out loud. Visually speaking, the goal was to represent myself in an equally raw and provocative way because that is who I am at my core. Because of this, I feel that I have the ability to express myself in many different directions — no limitations.

What are you most looking forward to in the near future?

I am putting out my debut EP later this year and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with everyone! I also am thrilled to be on stage and to be meeting people in person. I love that type of connection. Seeing their reactions will be everything to me! I’ll be performing this summer — definitely hitting New York, Chicago, and LA”.

This is another great artists that I have overlooked until this point. I do think that she is going to truly explode this year. In May, Tash Blake spoke with Naluda Magazine about her incredible E.P., Poster Girl, and the high price of fame. An artist who is going to connect with so many people, Blake also discussed “raw about fame, fantasy, and finding power in vulnerability“. I do think this year will be another defined by women in Pop. Tash Blake is someone who sits alongside the best Pop artists of today:

“You mentioned that navigating success and self-doubt feels like an emotional tug-of-war. How do you personally balance ambition with protecting your mental health?

Whenever I start to think about time passing by and “losing time,” I tend to go to a darker place. I typically turn to my family and friends and try to surround myself with people who have always been there for me to get my mind off of it and try to rewire my brain that way. Baking and binge watching classic horror movies like “The Shining” helps too. Protecting my mental health is still a process for me, but I am really working on creating boundaries for myself. I never want to get to a place where I don’t enjoy the work anymore, because music is my life, and I wouldn’t know who I was without it.

Your style blends vulnerability and power in a really striking way. How do you channel those emotions when you’re creating new music?

Thank you! I have always loved showing the dichotomy of humanity. I never want something to feel only “hard” or only “soft.” I am always feeling many emotions nearly simultaneously—confidence and self-doubting, assuredness and anxiety. Similarly, I love wearing oversized sweatshirts and tees with no makeup and also very stylized outfits with glam! There are no limits in any part of my life. Throughout the years, I have continued to understand myself better, and I feel that this past year, I have really dug deeper within myself so that I can be as honest as possible in my music.

You’re already working on your next project in Sweden — can you tease how your sound might evolve with these new influences?

Sweden is such an incredible place. It was so inspiring to work with such a talented group of writers and producers and I am incredibly proud of the music I have coming your way! It feels like the most “me” that I have ever been. I don’t want to spoil too much, but I will say that I’m definitely experimenting with sounds and structures of songs and using my voice in different ways! I’m so excited to share it with everyone!

What advice would you give to your younger self, and why?

I would tell myself to always trust your instincts because the gut feeling is always accurate, for better or worse.

If you could have coffee with any historical figure to discuss current events, who would it be and why?

Anne Frank, because I think she would offer a lot of perspective on many aspects of society and world events right now.

Best advice ever given?

To always be the biggest believer in yourself and others will start to believe too. Also, to always look someone in the eye when talking to them as a sign of respect”.

There are two features I want to end with that focus on the excellent single, Die in Your Arms. One of the best singles of last year in my view, Flaunt covered Die in Your Arms in their review. I think that it shows that Tash Blake has grown as an artist since 2023. Her work from last year is her most confident and memorable:

“In her new single, “Die In Your Arms,” Blake turns inward, and it carries power and intensity, a force that takes you on a wild ride. Blake’s voice, beautiful and commanding as ever, tells the story of being in a relationship you know isn’t good for you, yet you can’t walk away. It’s like a drug; you know what it will do to your body, but you just keep coming back.

Musically, “Die In Your Arms” is incredibly catchy. Blake’s influences shine through here; if you’re a fan of Lady Gaga, you’ll feel right at home. The high production quality is evident from the very first note, with every element meticulously crafted to create a polished and immersive sound. The combination of fantastic vocals, dynamic instrumentation, and intricate production techniques gives us a track full of spunk.

“‘Die In Your Arms’ is an electrifying and emotionally charged love song that is your best therapy session at 3 AM, when the only medicine is dancing through the tears. I wanted to write a song that captured the feeling of being in a relationship where you feel so bad, but it hurts so good. Think heartache wrapped in glitter; a cathartic release of emotion that makes you want to cry, dance, and scream all at once,” says Tash Blake.

“Die In Your Arms” is the kind of song you can listen to in the shower, on the bus ride home, or while walking alone in the middle of the night with your thoughts and the music. It feels like it’s tempting you to do something forbidden, and sometimes, it’s good to surrender to that feeling, let your lust win, and just enjoy yourself a little more”.

I will end with The Luna Collective and their interview with Tash Blake. A single that caught a lot of attention and resonated with her fans, Tash Blake selected her favourite lyrics from the song. Die in Your Arms is one of these songs that stays in your head. An instant gem that you will want to play again and again. A genius young artist with so many years ahead:

“LUNA: You’ve called it “heartache wrapped in glitter,” which feels so cinematic. How do you approach writing about pain in a way that still feels empowering and glamorous?

BLAKE: I think that I always start from a real place. The core has to be real. Then, fantasy or surrealism comes into play. I envision so many things in life like a movie, whether it may be a sad or happy scene, or anything in between. The drama is real, haha! Writing about heartache doesn’t have to be painful — it can actually take something traumatic and turn it into something beautiful.

LUNA: What is your favorite set of lyrics from this track?

BLAKE: My favorite set of lyrics would have to be: “You nail my heart to the wall / Hung me up like a piece of  art.” Those lyrics describe how someone can look at you and think you’re beautiful, but they still aren’t seeing you for the person you are inside. Similar to hanging art on your wall — you’re looking at it from a distance, not necessarily valuing the emotion, work, or effort that went into it. Basically, those lyrics are all about being undervalued.

LUNA: As a performer, dancer, and artist, movement clearly plays a huge role in your storytelling. How does choreography influence the way you write or experience your own music?

BLAKE: So much of my process when creating music is inspired by dance or being on stage. I’ll come up with a melody or hear a beat in the studio and immediately imagine how it would feel on stage — how it would feel in my language of choreography, and how the audience would respond. Dance helps me understand the emotion of a song on a deeper level, and for me, music and movement are inseparable.

LUNA: You’re inspired by icons like Madonna, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga — artists who’ve built entire worlds through their visuals and sound. What lessons have you drawn from them in shaping your own universe?

BLAKE: Madonna taught me to never be afraid to reinvent yourself. Reinvention is authenticity at its finest. Every era of my music reflects who I am in that time of my life, and my audience knows that when I shift, it will always be genuine and intentional. Britney proves that pop music isn’t shallow — it is storytelling. She taught me that every performance, lyric, or even a personal life moment can be a part of the world you are building as an artist. I will never hide my imperfections; they just add to my world. The Pop Dungeon, where my fans, The Tashpit, and I co-exist, is a reflection of how pop music and life can be glamorous and chaotic, shiny and gritty all at the same time. Similarly to Gaga, I visualize the world in a theatrical and surreal way and have always related to darker themes. Some people think that’s strange, but to me, things are even more beautiful in the dark. Fashion is a huge part of who I am as a person and an artist, and expressing myself through what I wear is essential. Gaga is a huge fashion inspiration of mine. Lady Gaga has taught me to embrace the darkness and share it with my fans. She also taught me that it’s alright to use fantasy to express your own vulnerability”.

I can’t see any tour dates for this year listed yet, though you know Tash Blake will hit the road soon, and I hope that she comes to the U.K. It would be brilliant to see her. After a huge year, this one is going to be the best of her career. So much lies ahead for the N.Y.C.-based queen. If she is not currently in your sights, then make sure you correct this. Tash Blake is primed to be…

A future star.

____________

Follow Tash Blake

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/iamtashblake/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@iamtashblake

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/iamtashblake/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2BTuO9Djg1SvpQ6fupdlnB?si=pX8d8rFXS9KOC6BGONtR3Q

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@iamtashblake

FEATURE: Kate Bush: Something Like a Song: Under the Ivy

FEATURE:

 

 

Kate Bush: Something Like a Song

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

Under the Ivy

__________

I am selecting a few songs…

from Best of the Other Sides for this series, as they are ones that may not be widely known. Kate Bush fans will recognise the tracks. However, there are some gems that do not get discussed enough. One example is a song I have covered a few times before but I want to return to. When Bush recently posted her Christmas message, she did reflect on that compilation and its success. Working on it, she listened to The Meteorological Mix of The Big Sky and marvelled. With the voices of her parents and brother, Paddy, in the mix, Bush was reflecting at Christmas about family. It is amazing that Best of the Other Sides came out and was so popular. We got to hear all of these rare tracks. The one I am spotlighting today is Under the Ivy. The B-side of Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) in 1985, this is the undeniably queen of Kate Bush B-sides. Rather than repeat what I have done before, I am going to bring in something new. When describing some of the tracks from Best of the Other Sides, this is what Kate Bush says about Under the Ivy:

“I needed a track to put on the B-Side of the single Running Up That Hill so I wrote this song really quickly. As it was just a simple piano/vocal, it was easy to record.

I performed a version of the song that was filmed at Abbey Rd Studios for a TV show which was popular at the time, called The Tube. It was hosted by Jools Holland and Paula Yates. I find Paula’s introduction to the song very touching.

It was filmed in Studio One at Abbey Rd. An enormous room used for recording large orchestras, choirs, film scores, etc. It has a vertiginously high ceiling and sometimes when I was working in Studio Two,  a technician, who was a good friend, would take me up above the ceiling of Studio One. We had to climb through a hatch onto the catwalk where we would then crawl across and watch the orchestras working away, completely unaware of the couple of devils hovering in the clouds, way above their heads!  I used to love doing this - the acoustics were heavenly at that scary height. We used to toy with the idea of bungee jumping from the hatch”.

As the performance of Under the Ivy was broadcast for the 100th episode of The Tube on 19th March, 198i6, we mark its fortieth anniversary very soon. I do hope that people pick up on this song and listen to it. It was written too late to be considered for inclusion on Hounds of Love, though it did bolster the Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) single – not that it needed it! I do wonder whether Bush considered releasing a double A-side, as it would have been great to have a video for Under the Ivy. Like her version of The Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane, this was a monumental release. Under the Ivy too good to be a B-side. I think that it should have perhaps been a standalone single, as it would have done well on the charts. However, it is getting a new lease of life, in part thanks to the release of Best of the Other Sides. Before moving on, let’s bring in part of an interview form 1985 where Bush talked about Under the Ivy:

“It’s very much a song about someone who is sneaking away from a party to meet someone elusively, secretly, and to possibly make love with them, or just to communicate, but it’s secret, and it’s something they used to do and that they won’t be able to do again. It’s about a nostalgic, revisited moment. (…) I think it’s sad because it’s about someone who is recalling a moment when perhaps they used to do it when they were innocent and when they were children, and it’s something that they’re having to sneak away to do privately now as adults.

Doug Alan interview, 20 November 1985”.

It is no surprise that Under the Ivy has been covered quite a bit. It is this song that seems personal, yet it can really be interpreted by anyone. I do think that there is a little of Kate Bush reflecting on fame and pressure. Not being allowed space or privacy, that yearning to escape from it all and go somewhere secluded and safe: “It wouldn’t take me long/To tell you how to find it/To tell you where we’ll meet/This little girl inside me/Is retreating to her favourite place”. Bush singing “Away from the party/Go right to the rose/Go right to the white rose/(For me.)”. Less about love and more about embracing something peaceful and safe, there are some fascinating lines. That key use of the white rose. I think that is symbolic. Rather than the red rose of romance, Bush goes down the garden and under the ivy to the white rose. A white rose symbolises purity, innocence, new beginnings, and reverence. The lyrics talk about colour and nature. It is a song that you can vividly imagine and almost smell. There is this sense of being in a packed and adult environment and then running to a childhood spot. The family garden at East Wickham Farm perhaps. It is a very romantic song, yet I always feel Under the Ivy is more about going back to the past. Fame perhaps creeping in and Bush being in this situation that is dizzying and stressful. Breaking away, you can picture her opening the garden door and getting away from the party. Maybe raining outside, she seeks shelter under the ivy: “I sit here in the thunder/The green on the grey/I feel it all around me/And it’s not easy for me/To give away a secret/It’s not safe”. That clash of the brilliant and bold green against the dreary and wetness of the weather. I wondered what that secret is. Whether it is something personal she is telling a lover or something else, it is impossible not to scrutinise that line. It is all about coming to that particular point. A spot in the garden – “It wouldn’t take me long/To tell you how to find it” – where she can meet with someone.

There is a feature that I want to bring in that argues why we cannot sleep on Under the Ivy. Many people are discovering the song for the first time. Back in September, Music Radar wrote about a lost classic. At the time this was written – September 2025 -, Under the Ivy was not available on streaming. It is now. Even if Bush says the song is about meeting someone for a passionate moment, I never see the song like that. I see it more of breaking away from intrusion and suffocation. It is great that there are these different interpretations and possibilities:

“But - we’re going to go out on a limb here - and assert that it’s actually that song’s original B-side, oddly currently unavailable on most streaming platforms, that we’d boldly suggest is better than Running Up That Hill (gasp!).

Controversial words maybe, but Under the Ivy is a truly special song. It's not just a curate's egg, it's frequently cited by many a Bush aficionado as their top pick in the pantheon of Bush's highest tier of tracks.
Its delicately-performed evocation of lost childhood innocence, secret meetings and the alluring magic of a lush, otherworldly garden make it a comforting, richly rewarding listen. It’s the very definition of a lost gem.

Despite the song's popularity in Bush-geek circles, the song is unfortunately, (scandalously!) unavailable to stream on many of the major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. Meaning if you want to hear Under the Ivy, you really have to look for it.

Its lyrical tone of child-like naivety and the ethereal, floating quality of its spacious production shared a spiritual through-line with The Man With the Child in His Eyes, that scintillating early example of her burgeoning brilliance, written when Bush was just 13 years old. Our piece on that song can be read here.

Like that foundational song, Bush kept things simple with Under the Ivy. Built around her intricate piano playing and a vocal performance that evolved gradually from tender and warmly nostalgic to more overtly emotive by the song's end.
It feels like this reminiscence is in some way difficult for Bush. A lost, timeless age of fairytale wonder that she is desperate to recapture.
Bush's lyrics paint, watercolour-like, a narrative of a besotted young girl, giving directions to her (what we can assume to be) lover, inviting him to meet her at an enchanting location. A secret spot for a secret liaison. Hidden deep within a verdant garden.

Go into the garden
Go under the ivy
Under the leaves
Away from the party
Go right to the rose
Go right to the white rose

“It’s very much a song about someone who is sneaking away from a party to meet someone elusively, secretly, and to possibly make love with them, or just to communicate, but it’s secret, and it’s something they used to do and that they won’t be able to do again,” Bush revealed to prominent fan and Gaffaweb Mailing List moderator, Doug Alan back in 1985.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

“It’s about a nostalgic, revisited moment. I think it’s sad because it’s about someone who is recalling a moment when perhaps they used to do it when they were innocent and when they were children, and it’s something that they’re having to sneak away to do privately now as adults,” Bush further explained.

This melancholic subtext that Bush alludes to here is underscored on the track by her expressive vocal performance, which rises and falls with underlying anguish, before seemingly cracking with emotion near its end.
The chiming, stately piano movement frames the narrative with clock-like inevitability (particularly the emotive chorus in G minor). Another feature of the studio version is the vast natural reverb, spotlighting Bush as a lonely figure, lamenting the ghosts of yesterday.

It's an utterly sublime piece of work.

Under The Ivy, then, is THE lost Bush masterpiece. It’s a magic spell of a song, encapsulating Bush’s ability to blend wonder and innocence with adult feelings of longing, passion and regret.

The song's cherished status is further borne out by the aforementioned YouTube video of the song’s comments, which lay bare the level of adoration Under the Ivy has from Bush’s fans. The comments also reveals how new fans are continually bowled over upon first hearing it.

“I cannot believe that I have just heard this beautiful song for the first time,” wrote one user. “It has restored my faith that special music and honest songwriters are out there, even if they are seldom seen and heard.”

Another states, “The singularly most beautiful song ever written. I remember hearing this for the first time and knowing my life had changed in that moment. Exquisite.”

So, if you’ve not spent any time Under the Ivy before, then why not follow Kate out into the garden, and embrace your new favourite Kate Bush song”.

If you have not heard the song and are unfamiliar with it, then do go and listen to it. Though I don’t think it is better than Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), I can understand why some people would argue that it is. This beautiful and majestic song that transports you away from the party, down the garden and to the white rose, the gorgeous Under the Ivy is a masterpiece. Almost forty years since it was broadcast for The Tube, we now can stream this 1985-released track. It is clear that it will…

NEVER lose its brilliance.

FEATURE: Corridors That Lead to the World… Why Incredible Artists Mentioning Kate Bush in Interviews and Absorbing Her Music Is Especially Important

FEATURE:

 

 

Corridors That Lead to the World…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at her home in Eltham, London on 13th September, 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Cummins/Getty Images

Why Incredible Artists Mentioning Kate Bush in Interviews and Absorbing Her Music Is Especially Important

__________

A couple of…

IN THIS PHOTO: PinkPantheress/PHOTO CREDIT: Charlie Engman

my recent Kate Bush features have discussed her influence and artists of last year that are definitely influenced by her. You could listen to the best songs and albums, especially from women, and many have cited Kate Bush as inspirational. I don’t think that I included all of the artists that helped define last year who you can draw a line to Kate Bush. In terms of the best songs, I did not mention PinkPantheress. Illegal has been voted as one of the best songs of last year by so many sites and publications. She (Bath-born Victoria Walker), to me, seems to incorporate the best aspects of Kate Bush. In terms of that sense of experimentation. Listen to Illegal and the beats and strings. Even the vocal from PinkPantheress sort of puts me in mind of Kate Bush. Perhaps a combination of 1982’s The Dreaming and 1985’s Hounds of Love. PinkPantheress has cited Kate Bush as an influence and she has compelled her fans to check her out. Check out the classics. I don’t think that it is the case of modern explosion and discussion informing and inspiring artists. Many discovered Kate Bush years ago. Even though you can feel Kate Bush has made an impression on PinkPantheress and she, consciously or not, has aspects of Bush in her music, I do also think there needs to be more mention of her in interviews. Artists are kind when they shout out someone like Kate Bush, as it means those who might not have discovered her then check her out.  Rather than this being about selecting artists have mentioned Kate Bush as an influence and perhaps urged their fans to check her out, maybe I should focus on those who you feel are working in a similar way. They share aspects of Kate Bush in terms of their work ethic, production and spirit. Last year, PinkPantheress spoke with MixMag and there was a particular section that caught my eye:

“A lot of her self-restriction comes from being bound and categorised by others - something that she has felt throughout her whole career, especially since breaking into the mainstream. “I think a lot of people also categorise me as just pop, but I think I’m fairly experimental and could go even further,” she reflects.

“If people listen to just my bigger songs and less of my deep cuts they think I’m less experimental than I actually am. However, on the other side, I never go too experimental. I’m very structured and I tend to stick to what I know a lot of the time. You know, for example, people tell me to make longer songs and I’m not against the idea but for me it’s about making it make sense for me. I go in with an idea of what I want. I’m someone that has OCD, and when I go against something that I have set in my brain on sometimes it feels like the world is going to end. It’s something I have to figure out as I make more music, because I struggle to break out of a vision”.

I do get a sense of Kate Bush from those words. Whilst PinkPantheress does definitely carry some Kate Bush in her own sounds, that discipline of keeping her songs short and not being pressured into making longer songs and perhaps compromise makes her quite distinct among modern artists. The main point of this article was to shout out artists who have cited Kate Bush as an influence and/or asked their fans to investigate her. Another reason for writing this is related to a something Sean Ono Lennon recently said. He is the son of Yoko Ono and the late John Lennon, and he is worried that young listeners might not discover the band and there is this generation gap. I think the proliferation of Beatles projects and ongoing discourse means they will be discovered. One reason why they found a lot of fans in the 1990s and 2000s is because a lot of artists in the ‘90s especially were inspired by The Beatles and you could feel them very much in the mix. Even if the band themselves were not in fashion, they were being represented by artists of the time. I am not only thinking about women, but I think more female artists embody or remind me of Kate Bush than male artists (or gender-neutral acts). This is what American Songwriter said about Chappell Roan last year. They observed how Kate Bush helped shaped four iconic artists (also included was Adele): “Good Luck, Babe!” shares its art-pop DNA with Kate Bush’s synthy melodrama. Chappell Roan’s ethereal anthems sound like a destination reached. A shared experience in a world that often resembles a Shakespearean comedy (or tragedy, depending on the day). Part escape, part destination, but the “pop” in pop music is just mass human connection. Maybe Bush’s (and Roan’s) bold music is a way to help make joy not feel so alien. That is quite comforting, actually”.

In the same way Sean Ono Lennon worries about The Beatles passing by younger listeners, I do share concerns when it comes to Kate Bush. However, whereas you do not see a lot of modern artists mention The Beatles as an influence, and you cannot feel their influence as much in the modern Pop mainstream as you’d like, I do feel like Kate Bush is being mentioned more and has more of a market share. Chappell Roan is a big fan and you can feel how Kate Bush shaped her music. Her image, her confidence, her sound and songwriting. Influencing PinkPantheress in different ways. Two disparate artists, you feel and hear different aspects of Kate Bush in their aesthetic and attitudes. How they approach music and different ways in which Kate Bush has made an impression. The same can be said of, say, Addison Rae and Lady Gaga. A new artist and a modern icon, both produced phenomenal albums last year. I have recently written about Addison Rae and highlighted her amazing debut, Addison. Rae has included Kate Bush in a personal playlist, and it is clear that she is a fan. Some have noted how a haunted quality in Addison Rae’s voice is reminiscent of Kate Bush. However, I think the synthesiser and bigger sounds of Hounds of Love is a bigger influence. A vocal sound and this rush and charge that you get from songs like Fame Is a Gun and Aquamarine. If some feel that is more inspired by Taylor Swift or someone like Charli xcx, I think that Kate Bush is more present. If Addison Rae did not explicitly shout out Kate Bush, the fact that she included Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) in a playlist from 2024 can be heard through Addison. An album very much connected with Bush’s 1985 masterpiece.

It does make me return to the subject of influence and modern artists who very much have Kate Bush to thank (in part). Perhaps Bush would not collaborate with these artists, though you know that younger listeners and those who may not have caught Kate Bush ‘the first time around’ will discover her music because modern artists either mention her. Or there is critical connection. I know some have even compared artists such as Katy Perry to Kate Bush. It is subjective when you consider which artists are similar to Kate Bush, though the fact that ones who created some of the best music of last year – Addison Rae, Lorde, Florence + The Machine, Lily Allen, CMAT, Charli xcx, ROSALÍA – wads released by artists who are fans of Kate Bush means that her own music will reach their fans through association and comparison. It might be a stretch bringing into the mix artists like Wet Leg, Perfume Genius and those that maybe have not mentioned Kate Bush as an influence. Lorde hasn’t, though you know her music is in Lorde’s orbit. Though I think Perfume Genius has. His album, Glory, is one of the best of the year. Taylor Swift too. Not someone who talks about Kate Bush, there are ways in which you know Bush is an influence on Swift. Same with Sabrina Carpenter. So, even though Bush has not released an album since 2011 and there are few documentaries and books coming out about her, so many awesome artists of today have either listed Bush as an influence, compelled their fans to listen to her or bring Kate Bush into their music. FKA twigs is someone who is very much a modern embodiment of Kate Bush oin so many ways. Vocal similarities and genre=-defying and experimental music. Creating these incredible worlds that are bold and sensual. Keep It, Hold It from EUSEXUA, another standout from last year, has major Kate Bush vibes. I said I would mention Lady Gaga. Mayhem (from last year) is among her best albums.

Before getting to her, I forgot to mention Blood Orange (Dev Hynes) and Essex Honey. He has shouted out Kate Bush and named her as one of his most important artists. Last year, when speaking with The Quietus about a dozen albums that mean a lot to him, he did name Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love as one. He also showed love for 2011’s 50 Words for Snow. This observation means a lot of Blood Orange fans will check out Kate Bush: “Her use of piano on that record blew my mind, and it’s something I still carry into my own work. If I’m incorporating piano into a track, it’s essentially because of Kate Bush”. I do think that Lady Gaga is one of the biggest mainstream artists who has cited Kate Bush as a big influence and you can hear her right through the discography. Gaga’s latest album, Mayhem, very much seems like one Bush could or would have made in the past. One reviewer noted how a song or two had a “Kate Bush on the moors” quality to them”. Someone with that large a fanbase mentioning Kate Bush has a massive impact. Even reviews comparing Lady Gaga/Mayhem to Kate Bush will make its mark. If I fear the youngest generation might not latch onto Kate Bush or know her music because it is harder to discover than a prolific modern-day artist putting stuff out, there are so many modern artists – as I covered in a previous feature – who have an element or colour of Kate Bush. Whether it is citing her and talking about her music, reminding one of Bush’s production, experimental aspects or aesthetics, or something else, that will mean that people will be curious about Kate Bush and dig deeper. And we may get a new album from her this or next year. Huge British artists like RAYE and Olivia Dean are fans of Bush. That universe and tree with so many branches. Also, brilliant music from Halsey and MARINA have, I feel, got shades of Kate Bush in them. Same with Self Esteem, The Last Dinner Party, and and so many others! One of the most influential artists of the modern age, yet one not as discussed as she should be. Coming back to that tree analogy and thought. How far and wide it goes. In terms of genre, fanbase, demographic and age range, the modern artists talking about Kate Bush or carrying something of her in her music will result in a growth. In terms of those who dig her music. Going beyond Hounds of Love and the obvious. As each modern artist who loves Kate Bush admires a different album or side of her. Nearly thirty-eight years since Kate Bush’s debut single, Wuthering Heights, was released, it is so wonderful seeing how many amazing artists…

CITE her as an influence.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Dominique Fils-Aimé

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Jetro Emilcar

Dominique Fils-Aimé

__________

WITH a run of…

IN THIS PHOTO: Dominique Fils-Aimé at the Montréal International Jazz Festival in 2024/PHOTO CREDIT: Cecilia Baguerre Martinez

Canadian tour dates and some European shows after, it is a busy start to the year for Dominique Fils-Aimé. I am going to start out with some biography about this incredible Canadian songwriter and artist. Even though her debut album, Stay Tuned!, was released in 2019, I think of Fils-Aimé as rising or still coming through. In the sense that she is putting out her best music at the moment. Before getting to some interviews with Dominique Fils-Aimé, let’s discover more about her:

“Two-time JUNO Award-winning Montreal singer-songwriter Dominique Fils-Aimé has established herself as one of today’s leading voices in vocal jazz. Her latest album, Our Roots Run Deep (2023), earned the 2024 JUNO Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year as well as the 2024 Félix Award for Best Jazz Album at ADISQ, affirming the importance of her artistic vision at the crossroads of jazz, soul, and blues.

In February 2026, she will unveil the second chapter of her sophomore trilogy with a new studio album My World Is The Sun, preceded by the single Going Home, released on November 20, 2025. With this project, Fils-Aimé continues her exploration of sonic, creative, and spiritual freedom.

On stage, she offers an immersive performance that invites audiences to delve into the roots of their soul, guided by a profound quest for connection. Live at the Montreal International Jazz Festival (2025), her first live album, is a testament to the strength of her stage presence and her ability to forge an intimate bond with her audience.

In recent years, she has performed on prestigious stages including the Blue Note New York, Blue Note Los Angeles, and the Monterey Jazz Festival, as well as Jazz à Vienne (opening for Jamie Cullum) and the North Sea Jazz Festival.

In 2026, Dominique Fils-Aimé will bring her new album to the stage on a world tour, with concerts announced in Europe at La Maroquinerie (Paris) and Le Botanique (Brussels), in Canada at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, and across the United States”.

Prior to getting to some interviews from last year, I want to focus on one from 2023. Speaking with KLOF Mag around the release of the album, Our Roots Run Deep, the album has one of the most striking and beautiful covers of that year. I especially love the title track, as it is so atmospheric and immersive. In the sense you can step inside what Dominique Fils-Aimé is singing and walk alongside her:

“Born in Canada to Haitian parents, Dominique was meant to learn the piano from her sister. “But I didn’t practise and there was too much structure around my fingers; it was very technical,” she says. “So my sister retired from teaching very early on. My mum played music from everywhere – Haiti, Nigeria, Mexico, France. My sister had the biggest collection of CDs and I’d borrow one at a time for weeks, obsessing over it.” The adult Dominique worked in psychological support for employees in corporate life and turned quite late to making music. Then, a researcher from the TV talent show La Voix asked her to apply, and she ended up in the semifinals of the 2015 edition. Signing to Montreal label Ensoul Records, Dominique’s debut album Nameless came out in 2018, followed by Stay Tuned! and Three Little Words.

The trilogy was devised to trace African-American music from nineteenth-century slave songs to the birth of hip-hop. Composing orally, Dominque layered chords of vocables from invented sounds and syllables to form haunting modern parables. Into the mix came catchy tunes with sparse accompaniment from bass, percussion and Ensoul founder Kevin Annocque on didgeridoo. Each record’s artwork reflected its musical themes in colour and photography. Blue for the blues, water and the weight of history; red for jazz revolution, passion and liberation; yellow for heat, happiness and a sunny explosion of styles.

Dominque explains this further: “Each cover is planned from the beginning, so I know where each album is going and what it’s exploring. The designs are by Siou-Min Julien, a talented and sensitive artist. On the Nameless album there was a desire to hide part of my face, as my beginning. There’s also an association there with the moon’s different quarters. Then the half-turn on Stay Tuned! has an energy that’s defiant but not in a bad way, feeling proud as a woman and standing tall. Three Little Words looks like a face-to-face conversation, the journey to becoming more direct and vulnerable about my intentions. I started out wanting to be anonymous and debated this with my manager. He raised the point of how few black women are visual in the city’s landscape and how having posters of my albums might relate to someone who doesn’t feel represented. So displaying your face does matter.”

Our Roots Run Deep is an exuberant hymn to the natural world and personal growth, soaked in verdant grooves and ripe melodies. “We talk about going into nature as if we’re separate from it and not organic ourselves,” says Dominique. “We’ve recently discovered how much trees talk to each other and feed each other underground. Their roots were hidden from us for a long time, we didn’t know them or think of them. Forests were just seen as rows of trees next to each other, without connection. Humans are the same, we see them standing together in a crowd, but don’t see what connects us to our ancestors, everything they built for us to be in this modern world. A lot of my strengths and blessings are thanks to my mother and grandmother. Through talking or meditation they bring me great advice when I see challenges coming. I wanted this album to represent me as a plant from those bottom roots to the top branches, reaching towards the sun”.

There were some interviews published last year around the release of Live at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. I have never seen Dominique Fils-Aimé play live, though she is someone that I definitely watch to catch if she comes to the U.K. this year. All About Jazz spoke with Fils-Aimé about her music. Jazz gives her a real sense of healing and freedom. I have spotlighted a few artists recently who see their music as this form of release and something that they connect to in a very deep and healing sense:

“When asked what she hopes people hear when they call her music "jazz," she responds immediately: "Freedom." Shortly after, she emphasizes again: "Freedom. It's the number one... that's what I'm hoping listeners are inspired to seek for themselves. I believe jazz resonates with us in a way that reminds us to pursue freedom in all its forms."

Fils-Aimé did not come to music by following a technical checklist. Before pursuing music as a career, she worked in psychological support for families, and the idea of music as a form of care remains central. She describes her creative process as something that starts with an impulse and then transitions into a meditative state—repetition and breath opening a pathway to meaning. "There is definitely a meditative aspect to even the creation process... there's always this notion of repetition... similar to breathwork," she explains. "It always begins with just a random impulse... and then from that point, it's as if I begin a meditative process that can last for hours."

Two recent touchstones exemplify that blend of rigor and receptivity. Our Roots Run Deep (Ensoul Records, 2023) portrays growth through an ecological perspective. "The whole album itself and this song specifically were inspired by nature... the color green is associated with the heart chakra... I'm being a little more open with my heart and sharing the messages and the lessons that I keep learning from my plants," she says. From there, she extends the metaphor below ground: "All the roots are actually connected... with the older ones feeding the younger ones. This felt like a clear metaphor... our ancestors are also feeding us... We are all connected, even if we can't see it with our eyes the same way." The takeaway is patient and practical: "Even if there is a tiny little leaf, we cannot expect to be a tree tomorrow."

For readers discovering Fils-Aimé at a concert or years before the next one, the live album Live at the Montreal International Jazz Festival (Ensoul Records, 2025) functions as a compass, not a summary. It is a record of a moment that "will never be the same again," a sketch of how she treats presence as the point and "imperfections" as the human fingerprint that lets a song breathe.

And for anyone who approaches jazz with equal parts curiosity and care, Fils-Aimé offers a compelling vision of what the music can be today. Freedom, in her hands, is not just a slogan; it is clearly built into her approach—using audience loops that democratize the texture, trusting improvisation to reveal what truly matters, and crafting strong songs that move like mantras through the body. If you heard her live, you likely felt it in the room; if you are listening at home, you can still sense it in her choices. Either way, the invitation remains: "Freedom”.

I am going to wrap up with an interview from SPIN. Dominique Fils-Aimé discusses, among other things, why love is the cure/answer for everything. She also talks about being her true self and creating without limitations. Such a staggering and original musical talent, though I only found her music last year, I am instantly hooked. I do hope I get the chance to see her perform one day. Everyone needs to make sure Dominique Fils-Aimé is on your radar:

“What can you tell us about the new album you’ve just finished?

It’s the second album of my second trilogy, and it’s a continuation. I’m trying to reconnect and explore the depth of personal freedom through creation.

What does that mean to you?

To me, it means reconnecting to the inner child that creates without any limitations or without having the outside world. This is how I started, then I started putting some map in my head of where I wanted to go, what I wanted to explore, which area, and perhaps at some point letting go of that part allows me to be even freer. I was free, but within a context I had established before. Now I just want to seek freedom where it is less the cerebral aspect and more in the feeling and intuition, letting it guide me from that instinctual place.

What brought you to jazz?

Freedom. When I understood jazz is not about the way people academized it or made it into academia. The music was there before the books. When people are reproducing sounds in a very academic way, like unlearning the structure of jazz in a way that is cerebral, I feel like this is a big misconception. Jazz was about the quest for freedom, the desire to break out of a specific way of doing things. This is the legacy and the type of jazz I received. This is what I want to protect and cater to as my definition of jazz and as the type of art I want to make. That’s what jazz is. It’s the freedom of transcending every box and doing what is authentic to you and what is part of your quest to create as freely as possible with what you are and who you are.

The live album feels incredibly intimate, almost like there’s no barrier between you and the listener. How did you achieve that?

I felt a comfort there. There was so much love. I didn’t know it would be an album. They were recording it anyway. We record every show. We have hundreds of shows recorded. Especially big ones like that, we make sure we have it, at least for the memory of it. Vocally, there’s a lot of things that did not go as I usually would. I didn’t hear myself as well as I would have liked. There were all these technical elements. But they did not matter, because of the feeling. That’s why I was able to welcome that idea, although there was a little perfectionist voice behind being like, “It was not your ultimate performance, vocally. But emotionally, you were there 1000%.” And the people were there with us. There was an energy, a chemistry going on. It felt a fluid space between the musicians. Everyone on stage and everyone in the crowd, there was a connection, something special happening. I’m happy we kept it as an album. It needed to happen.

Are you hoping to capture the spirit of that Jazz Festival performance on your upcoming tour?

It’s a little different because the new album, the fourth album, the first of the second trilogy, Our Roots Run Deep, is different. It’s one single story. The songs are synced, one into the other, and they’re also mingled with little interludes that are poems that help me ground the people into which stage of the journey we are. It’s meant to be more of an immersive, meditative experience where I ask people to sink into their seats. There’s two or three times where people have space for applause. Your presence is already the loudest applause an artist can wish for. I want them to close their eyes and come on a journey with us throughout the show, which is easier to do in smaller spaces. Jazz Fest was a huge show, but I enjoy the intimacy of taking people on a journey on a more peaceful little river, on a little boat, where we’re going from point A to point B together. Take this moment to let go of everything outside this room and be in the moment with us.

Does singing in French make it easier or harder to express your true self?

It’s as if it’s another part of me. You know how they say you have two parts of the brain? Left and right, even when you look at it, they’re literally separate. They have different priorities, different interests. You have the left side that is more about here today in the real, physical world and the emotions and the need to see me as a person. Then you have the right side that is more connected to everything around us. The energies in things and colors and shapes. Usually for me, art is about tapping into that more connected place. Because I wish to create things that will connect with people, and connect people between themselves and with their emotions. There’s a universal aspect on that side of the brain, and it’s as if singing in French is the other part of my brain, the right brain. This part is more about my personal experiences, my very intimate, personal emotions. But also, there is a desire or pressure to be somewhat more poetic or precise with the word, because the French language can be a little more picky on the right word. That’s a form of pressure I didn’t want in my art. That’s why I stayed away from it for so long. But then I realized I need to also make sure that whenever a song comes in another language, I need to follow that intuition too, because that means something in me needs to express something from that place. Allowing it to come as it comes, turns out that eventually some of it came out in French, so I welcomed it, and discovered a new part of me”.

I am going to leave things here. Anyone who has not heard Dominique Fils-Aimé needs to check out her music. There are a lot of fascinating artists to keep an eye out for this year. Some will get missed, or they will not receive as much attention as they should. Dominique Fils-Aimé is someone to behold and cherish, as she is such an immense talent. Do go and listen to her music, as My World Is The Sun is out on 20th February. I am really looking forward. This brilliant Canadian artist is someone that you…

CAN’T afford to miss out.

___________

Follow Dominique Fils-Aimé

PHOTO CREDIT: Jetro Emilcar

Official:

https://domiofficial.com/en/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sing.with.mi/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@sing.with.mi

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/10tvYvaoSO32hlvu3NrrPC?si=h2ii3V8RTjiFdUmvUUl2Cg

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/domiofficialpage

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6hgyBiGm9riy5rvvNtSL9Q

FEATURE: Spotlight: KSMBA

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Rob Tennet for 10

KSMBA

__________

I want to shine a light…

PHOTO CREDIT: Rob Tennet for 10

on the amazing KSMBA. They are an incredible artist that I am fairly new to. They had an amazing 2025. I think that this year will be a truly huge one for them. Prior to getting to some interviews with the Naarm/Melbourne-based producer, singer and songwriter, there is a little bit of biography here that provided some background about KSMBA:

“No stranger to the transformative power of music, KSMBA is a rising force in Australia’s underground techno scene. They’ve graced the decks across Australia’s leading clubs and festivals; from Sub Club, to PICA, Miscellania, The Timber Yards, Club 77 and recent editions of Pitch Music and Arts, A3 Festival, Daybreak Festival and Let Them Eat Cake. Their journey has seen them championed by luminaries like Effy, Mall Grab, Sim0ne , Samba Boys and STÜM.

KSMBA’s artistry is a fusion of music, culture, and identity, a deeply personal yet universally resonant expression of self. Their music isn’t just sound, it’s a statement. A resistance to the heaviness, a space for vulnerability and connection in a world that often demands the opposite”.

Ever since discovering KSMBA, I am compelled to follow them. I think that this year will be see a lot of travel and some incredible new music. I am excited to see where they go. Last year, we got singles like Everything, and Eyes. The Eyes – EP came out in the summer. It would be great to see an E.P. from KSMBA that features a selection of original tracks. Maybe this will come later in the year when KMBRA puts out some more singles.

I am going to start out with a triple j interview from March last year. There are some interesting chats from last year. I think that KSMBA will come to the U.K. at some point in the year. This underground talent in the Australian Techno scene, I do think that there should be more airplay here for KSMBA. They are an artist I am excited to see bloom and grow in 2026:

“Finding solace in a “push and pull” and “give and take” nature of a live crowd, this energy exchange acts as the fuel that powers KSMBA’s output.

“There’s something in things that are a little more collaborative, that are a little more engaged with the current social and cultural context”

As an individual who identifies as “Ugandan, settler Australian, queer, non-binary, a classical musician,  someone who loves cats” (the list goes on), their multifaceted nature is embodied in every speckle of what they create.

“When I first started producing music, I felt like those things had to come across in an obvious way. But as time’s gone on, I feel more comfortable in my identity and know that it’s inherently a part of whatever I do.”

Priding themself in honesty and authenticity, this transparency paves the way for their creation processes.

They’re a person who’s so clear in their vision and are no stranger to the transformative power of music, crazy to believe that they’ve been producing this type of music for only two years (!!).

So what is the origin story of KSMBA?

Great question!

Formally trained as a classical musician… more specifically a saxophonist, music has always been a part of KSMBA’s world.

As a self-proclaimed ‘party goer’, this project was brought to life after years of being involved in the dance scene. KSMBA felt so much freedom and euphoria in these spaces but never felt fully quite like they were getting what they wanted.

“So I decided to do it myself”

They jumped on the decks and learnt all there is to know about DJing.

Embracing the art form to its fullest, it wasn’t long before they furthered their skills and discovered their love for producing. It was at this point that they “unlocked a whole new world and depth of love for dance music”.

“Literally the first time I touched DJ equipment for the first time, there was this feeling of love at first sight that I’ve never experienced with anything else in my life”

And just like that, KSMBA was born!

When you hit the floor for a KSMBA set, you can expect plenty of grooves, deep techno and boundary pushing. Their intention is to always push the limits and invert the listener’s expectation. Plus, they’re forever chasing that golden feeling…

“I played my single, ‘Everything’ to the crowd at Let them eat cake on new years day, for the first time. There's eight bars before the drop that’s quite lush and synthy and I felt tangibly the energy change in the crowd. This collective “woahhh” made me choke up, even talking about it now, it makes me emotional.

Probably one of the most wild experiences of my life.”

“The next stuff is probably even more emotional, I’m honestly feeling quite nervous to release it, but very excited because it’s very vulnerable”.

The terrific Bella Kasimba created this incredible original and impactful music as KSMBA. 10 interviewed them earlier in the year. An artist that they note is moving the needle, their music is free and unfiltered – just like them. I love the fact they have this incredible background that includes Classical music and time in London. I wonder whether KSMBA will relocate to London a bit again or whether there is going to be more Classical elements brought into their sets:

“Roxy: Was there a shift that made you consciously realise that you wanted to be more honest in your music?

KSMBA: I think my life has been a series of reckonings. I started out as a classical musician from a young age. I pursued that so doggedly, totally fixated, and I loved it. I still love it but classical music never quite sat right in my body. There was always a feeling of constriction or slight unease with it. So I studied overseas and came back to Australia during Covid. I was about to move overseas [again] to do my master’s degree when lockdown happened. I asked myself if this was really the right thing for me. It was also at that point that I came out as gay and then a little after that I came out as non-binary. All this truthfulness in my personal life meant I was able to translate that into my music. About two years ago I switched to electronic music and last winter I had to face up to some things that had happened in my life. I also had a great new psychologist.

Roxy: That’ll do it.

KSMBA: I acknowledge the privilege I have to be able to take up even a small amount of space in the industry. I feel like coming from a community that isn’t often heard or given a seat at the table has made me realise my intention with music is to show up in these opportunities I get as honest. I realised that there was a lot I could be doing to a greater depth. It can be scary to be straightforward.

Roxy: Do you feel the pressure of commercial success?

KSMBA: I think about it a lot, yeah. People say, “Well, this is the way you have to do it.” But they don’t have life experience like mine. I think it’s vastly misunderstood that even if I took the exact same steps and did the exact same thing as, say, my white counterparts, I’m not going to have the same response. It gives me an opportunity because I know that even if I play by the rules, those rules aren’t going to work for me. It gives me a bit more freedom to just decide I’m just going to do what I want to do anyway. I think there can be pressure as a DJ or as an electronic act that you need to be making music that other DJs will play or that’s for partying, but I have to believe for my own sake that the possibilities are broader. That there’s more scope for different kinds of expression. It’s easy to classify people if you stick to one thing.

Roxy: How did you learn to produce?

KSMBA: I just downloaded Ableton. In the beginning, honestly, it was hours and hours of sitting at my computer. I’d say I’m still only just learning how to use it.

Roxy: Do you think classical music has helped you to produce and DJ? I also studied classical when I was younger and always felt that’s how I could understand production and DJing.

KSMBA: One hundred per cent. I’m so thankful for my previous life in music. The technical skills of learning to produce and write dance music is obviously different to how classical music is structured. The emotions and storytelling are different, but in terms of building a sense of musicality and even a musical identity, it has helped. I feel very lucky that I’m coming from a place where I have very clear ideas. The only growing pains are in the sense of trying to understand the software and translate what I want into a keyboard. It’s immensely satisfying.

Roxy: It’s very cool that you went to the Royal College of Music in London. I know you call it a past life but what was that experience like? What have you taken from it?

KSMBA: I look back and I actually don’t know how I did it. I was 18 when I got a scholarship to go study there and travelled across the world. I was the biggest nerd you can possibly imagine. I love that I just went and lived in this huge city on my own with no life skills. My degree was four years and it was amazing. There’s a lot of pressure there to keep performing and achieving. It was extremely difficult and I don’t know how I got through it, but it was unbelievably rewarding. I was extremely driven back then and I’m very emotionally greedy. I like to pursue things intensely and see how far my brain can take it. I’ve taken that with me. I’m still extremely close with my saxophone professor”.

Whether you see KSMBA primarily as a D.J. or artist, you can’t ignore the fact that they are getting so much buzz and love in Australia. I think some sites in the U.K. are getting behind KSMBA, but they are better known in Australia. I think that this will shift. I am ending with Mixmag and their interview from last summer. Even though KSMBA is a new talent, they have this experience that is not that common with artists we see as ‘rising’. I think that this year is going to be the biggest one yet for them:

“Unrestrained isn’t only a musical commitment when it comes to KSMBA’s relationship with electronic music. Becoming intertwined with Naarm’s queer culture and its music resulted in them dealing with a great deal of introspection. “When I left classical music, I was straight, aka in the closet, pursuing something that didn’t feel quite right. I hadn’t unpacked myself. I hadn’t come out as non-binary then. So it’s interesting to me, because my relationship with dance music has become so intertwined with me becoming more myself, more who I am. It’s letting myself just ‘be’, and exist with more ease.”

Music isn’t always the sole catalyst for change within a person however. It’s the sum of all of KSMBA’s experiences that made them open to the idea of change in the first place, and to be ready to adopt an entirely new way of thinking about their own relationship with music up until that point.

“If I had left it up to chance or luck completely, I would be where I was five years ago, which was in the closet and not a DJ,” they laughed. “It's like I finally found the right language for me, so how can I resist not doing that, you know, with every spare moment in my life?”

Drive, desire and determination have been the calling cards of hustle culture. It might be easy to assume that someone so clearly wanting to do or make something of themselves is ‘on that grindset’. Dance music has, to many, become another playground for metrics, trends, insights, data and business. Social feeds are littered with tips, tricks and courses designed to lure people into the idea of ‘hacking’ gigs and nailing transitions between some old R&B song and the latest hardgroove banger.

This idea couldn’t be further from it KSMBA’s idea of luck or chance. To them, dance music exists as complimentary to their changing outlook on life and the world around them.

“There are such limitless possibilities in electronic music,” they shared. “DJing is kind of like jazz. It’s a conversation, an improvisation, a push-pull relationship with the crowd or whoever’s experiencing it. To me, that just feels so limitless and free, and that’s why it’s probably going to take me ten, maybe fifteen years to be half decent at this thing.”

It may be somewhat ironic, then, to consider KSMBA’s genre of choice, techno.

Mixmag Australia / NZ · KSMBA: Mixmag ANZ Cover Mix 05

 

Techno has, in many ways, just become a word. It’s become interchangeable with ‘EDM’ to refer to dance music by those who aren’t familiar, and even to those within dance music it’s become a word to simply define hard, four-four music. For KSMBA, the definition of techno is flexible. Not in the sense that each time they use it it changes, but in the sense that it refers to music of different levels of harshness and emotion.

KSMBA is not one to mince words. In the modern day, artists have had to learn to become everything. Some might benefit from the presence of dedicated videographers, photographers and PR teams, but for the most part, the modern artist is expected to do this all themselves, to a point. The involvement of morally dubious global brands in more ‘underground’ dance scenes has forced an entirely new skillset for artists, one arguably ignored by the optimistic masses dominating more commercially successful lineups: politics.

KSMBA is not afraid to talk politics. Within modern dance music, and even on a broader political spectrum, the idea of being a ‘diversity’ inclusion is a conversation that still gets a lot of airtime. They’re under no illusion that, often, they are the only member of a lineup who is black, queer and gender diverse. They have, like so many others, been forced into political engagement due to who they are, and how hugely it differs from who most of the scene are: white men.

But KSMBA hasn’t shied away from what being in this position means, instead, they appear to relish the opportunity it provides to mix things up. This isn’t just on an industry level, but to them, on a broader cultural level too.

“In our culture at the moment a lot of people are asking ‘what can I take from this? What can I get from this? What can this give me?’ Something I’ve tried to reframe my thinking around is actually: ‘What can I give? What can I contribute? How can I make this better off than when I entered?’ People coming into any kind of relationship with the outlook of what can i take from this; that relationship is understandably going to become strained”.

Let’s end there. Such an amazing multitalented artist and D.J., I am glad to have discovered KSMBA. I do think that they are going to go a very long way. Last year was such a busy one for them. You know that things are going to go from strength to strength. This is a hugely impressive force in modern music that is…

FLYING high and free.

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Follow KSMBA

PHOTO CREDIT: Rob Tennet and Stephanie Cammarano

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ksmba__/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@ksmba__

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Mlg0F6j2vEBt6d4LqGjoS?si=7gqJKvLYRFi-0yDRmR8dGA

Bandcamp:

https://ksmba.bandcamp.com/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV7AvUpCg3iV5Cqerot4YWQ

FEATURE: Groovelines: New Order – Blue Monday

FEATURE:

 

 

Groovelines

New Order – Blue Monday

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BECAUSE the superb Bernard Sumner…

IN THIS PHOTO: Bernard Sumner

turns seventy on 4th January, I am featuring a classic New Order song in this Groovelines. Released as a single on 8th March, 1983, Blue Monday is viewed as one of the greatest songs ever released. So instantly recognizable and timeless, it has spanned the generations and it is amazing that it was not originally an album track. Blue Monday featured on certain CD and cassette versions of New Order’s second studio album, Power, Corruption & Lies. That came out in 1983. The track was written by Gillian Gilbert, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and the legendary Bernard Sumner. Sumner is the lead of New Order. The band’s most recent album is 2015’s Music Complete. I am going to come to some features and reviews about Blue Monday in honour of the upcoming seventieth birthday of Bernard Sumner. Whenever looking out for features about Blue Monday, many of them talk about how the song changed music forever. Such was the impact of this track. I want to start out with a 2024 feature from Music Radar, where they discuss the kit and technology that helped when it came to the creation of this classic. New Order were perhaps a bit naïve in terms of how easily the song could be made and what they would have to do. As it turned out, it was a pretty complex and difficult thing to pull together. However, the fact that it is so revolutionary and influential makes it all worth it:

“It seems the track was a practical solution to a gigging problem. "We didn't play encores," recalled New Order's Bernard Sumner in 2012, "and we were getting into a lot of trouble over it. 

"Rather naively, we thought we'd write a song that could be played by machines and all we'd have to do was press the button. They'd get what they wanted and we'd get what we wanted.

"It was an exploration into pure electronic music, so we took the machines to the limit to see what we could do with them. What we could do with them was very basic at the time, so it was making the most out of what little gear we had.

While we respectfully disagree, Sumner puts the track's longevity down to subsonic, rather than songwriting: "It's not really a song. It's more of a machine that sounds good on club systems.

Sumner was assigned vocal duties on the basis that he could comfortably alternate between singing and playing his guitar.

There are a couple of other features that I want to cover off. Produce Like a Pro highlight how Blue Monday helped reinvent and re-establish New Order. Perhaps people had a perception of them before that. Even though this was their second album, Blue Monday was like nothing that they had produced before. New Order emerged from the dissolution of Joy Division. A massive step away from anything Joy Division produced:

“On March 7, 1983, New Order released the single “Blue Monday.” In addition to its massive commercial success, charting in the top 10 in several different countries, the single established New Order’s reimagined voice, distinct from the raw emotions and haunting melodies of Joy Division, and launching the world of dance music into a whole new era. As John Bush declared: “‘Blue Monday’ cemented New Order’s transition from post-punk to alternative dance with vivid sequencers and a set of distant, chilling lyrics by Bernard Sumner”

At first, in the time between Curtis’ death, and “Blue Monday”, New Order struggled to find their identity as a band. Their first single” (“Ceremony” with “In a Lonely Place”) were tracks they had written with Curtis before his passing, and their first album (Movement, 1981) followed in the same vein of dark, haunting ytacks, as their work in Joy Division. What “Blue Monday” offered, instead, was a startling break away from that emotionality and into the mechanized sound of drum machines and synthesizers. As Sumner reflected in 2015: “I think ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ connects with people because of the emotional content within the song, and I think ‘Blue Monday’ connects with people because of the startling lack of emotional content within the song. It’s kind of contradictory, really.”

While the sonic shift seemed to be a drastic change, there are several lines of influence that can be drawn between the track and the band’s earlier work. The impact of a band like Kraftwerk on New Order should come as no surprise; however, it was actually Ian Curtis who introduced the electronic music pioneers to his bandmates. As Hook explained:

“My earliest memory of Kraftwerk was being given an LP by Ian Curtis. He gave me ‘Autobahn’ and then later ‘Trans Europe Express’. I was absolutely mesmerised by both. Ian suggested that every time Joy Division go on stage, we should do so to ‘Trans Europe Express’. We did that from our first show, until nearly our last […] Joy Division were very tied to Kraftwerk, but it wasn’t until we got to New Order and were able to afford the toys that our primary source of inspiration became, ‘Let’s rip off Kraftwerk’. Their music was beguilingly simple, but impossible to replicate.”

Other influences on the song include the pulsating bass line of Donna Summer’s “Our Love” and the rhythm of “Dirty Talk” by Klein & M.B.O.. Hook’s bassline even pulls its melody from the legendary Italian film composer Ennio Morricone and his soundtrack to the Clint Eastwood movie, “For a Few Dollars More”

Bringing all of these influences together was the band’s comfort with the recording studio and production technology, which they had picked up during their time working on their first album. Some of the track’s brilliance comes from carefully calculated creative choices, while others were a little more unexpected. The timing of the synthesizer, for example, came out of a mistake that Gilbert had made when programming the part. She explained:

“The synthesizer melody is slightly out of sync with the rhythm, […] This was an accident. It was my job to program the entire song from beginning to end, which had to be done manually, by inputting every note. I had the sequence all written down on loads of A4 paper Sellotaped together the length of the recording studio, like a huge knitting pattern. But I accidentally left a note out, which skewed the melody.”

As Gilbert points out, this was a time of manual programming and emerging technology. Sumner also reflected on this exciting time, saying: I remember just being turned on by the latest technology that was becoming available. It was pre-computers, pre-MIDI, and I’d built this sequencer from an electronics kit. We programmed everything in step-time using binary code digital readouts. It was… complicated. […] Rob [Gretton, New Order manager] thought it was witchcraft. He really did! That sounds weird now in the age of the internet, but he really thought it worked by magic.”

In addition to the “magic” of the song’s cutting edge production, its release has also become a source of what sounds like legend. Despite its massive popularity and success, the label actually lost money on the single at first. This was due to the cost of production for the album sleeve. Hook told NME in 2015: “…it’s absolutely true. Factory sold it for £1, and it cost £1.10 to make because of the sleeve – which had to have three die-cuts, all individually – the cost price to make it actually cost more than that. […] Tony ended up having those wonderful brass awards cut for us to celebrate 500,000 sales, when what we were actually celebrating was a loss of £50,000. […] They did rectify it later by having a normal sleeve, but that only came after a massive amount of copies had been sold.” The track has since gone on to become the best selling 12” record of all time”.

The Guardian marked forty years of New Order for a great future in 2023. They looked at the songs and artists that were inspired by it. However, they also spotlighted the music that you can feel helped to shape one of the most important songs ever. Blue Monday still sounds radical to this day. It has this incredible power that I don’t think will ever dim. This is a song that will be talked about for generations more:

“Ennio Morricone – For a Few Dollars More (1965)

Peter Hook had pioneered his bass-as-lead-instrument approach while in Joy Division but New Order’s increased use of sequenced bass lines caused him to refine his methods further: he claimed the sparse riffs of Blue Monday were inspired by the twanging lead guitar in the score for Sergio Leone’s classic spaghetti western after watching it in the studio.

Kraftwerk – Uranium (1975)

Given Blue Monday’s sample from one of its interstitial tracks and OMD’s evident obsession with its Orchestron-heavy sound, Radio-Activity – the least commercially successful album of Kraftwerk’s imperial phase – wielded a striking influence over British pop in the early 80s. Gillian Gilbert claimed New Order had previously tested their sampler by recording their own farts.

Sylvester – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (1978)

Whenever influences on Blue Monday are discussed, someone will mention the synthesised riff of Gerry and the Holograms’ supremely irritating post-punk novelty track Gerry and the Holograms. Bernard Sumner has denied ever hearing it – in fairness, New Order have hardly been coy about the song’s other steals – suggesting it instead rooted in the octave-leaping bass line of Mighty Real.

Donna Summer – Our Love (1979)

The most famous aspect of Blue Monday is probably its stuttering rhythm track, borrowed wholesale from Our Love – also surely an influence on Temptation – from Donna Summer and producer Giorgio Moroder’s 1979 masterpiece Bad Girls. Intriguingly, that album’s final two tracks, Lucky and Sunset People, carry something of Blue Monday’s atmosphere – dancefloor-focused electronics topped with distant-sounding melancholy vocals.

Klein & MBO – Dirty Talk (1982)

Sumner has said that New Order were lifted out of their despondency following Ian Curtis’s death by listening to tapes a friend had compiled of Italo disco. By the time of Blue Monday, its sound had seeped into New Order’s own: listen to the chattering synths of Italian/US duo Klein & MBO’s biggest hit, a favourite of Sumner’s”.

The final piece I am bringing in is from NME. The original article they published came out in 2013. Thirty years after its release, they discuss how Blue Monday changed music forever. It really did! If New Order didn’t realise at the time, they had recoded a piece of music history. I am not sure when I first heard it. Perhaps in the 1990s.

“It might just be the happy conjunction of timing and opportunity, but Blue Monday’ feels like a fulcrum. Take that ‘Our Love’ loan – the last days of disco are fading into this dour, rainy Manchester funk and what’s emerging on the other side is something entirely alien. Bernard Sumner cites Sylvester’s immense disco classic ‘You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)’ as a touchstone too, another slice of joy going into the machine and coming out blank. Blankness is ‘Blue Monday”s overwhelming quality, from Sumner’s pale, robotic vocal to Peter Hook’s desolate bass melody, and it’s the merest flick of the pencil to draw a line from this to forbidding early techno, or Phuture’s ‘Acid Tracks’. The disco loop keeps going around too – five years later Quincy Jones was releasing the ‘Blue Monday’ reissue on his own Qwest label.

In the pop world, the 12″ single was all about zero imagination. The average extended mix consisted of the 7″ with an extra minute of drum fills stuffed in the middle or the intro played twice over or – if the boat was really being pushed out – a spoken-word interlude. ‘Blue Monday’ realised the possibilities of the form: you could bankrupt yourself with a die-cut sleeve! But you could also write a song fit for purpose, a sprawling monster that could only be accommodated on a massive slab of vinyl. Yep, Flowered Up’s ‘Weekender’ could never have existed without ‘Blue Monday’. New Order took a practical clubber’s format and turned it into an artistic statement.

Even the gloomiest overcoat-sporting rockist could cut a rug to ‘Blue Monday’ without risking indie points – and that might be its greatest achievement. It took one hell of a long time to filter through though.

Indie-dance, baggy, whatever, it’s entirely in hock to New Order’s game-changer. ‘Blue Monday’ set the parameters and its Manchester scions filled the space, welcoming sequenced beats into their repertoire and getting sexy. As sexy as the Happy Mondays could ever be, that is. Spreading further afield, crossover artists Primal Scream, The Prodigy, LCD Soundsystem and The Chemical Brothers all benefit from ‘Blue Monday”s visionary fusion as its tendrils continue to spider across the pop landscape”.

There have been remixes of the song. Some interesting adaptations. However, the 1983 I feel remains the most powerful and pure. As Wikipedia state: “its total sales stand at 1.16 million in the United Kingdom alone, and "Blue Monday" came 69th in the all-time UK best-selling singles chart published in November 2012. As of March 2023 total consumed units across all formats have reached 2 million units sold in United Kingdom”. The wonderful Bernard Sumner is seventy on 4th January. To commemorate and celebrate that fact, I wanted to shine a new light on a titanic track that revolutionised music. Blue Monday remains this work of genius…

NEARLY forty-three years later.

FEATURE: Needle Drops and Scores to Settle: Scene Six: Magnet & Steel: Boogie Nights (1997)

FEATURE:

 

 

Needle Drops and Scores to Settle

Scene Six: Magnet & Steel: Boogie Nights (1997)

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I am going back to the 1990s again…

N THIS PHOTO: Director Paul Thomas Anderson on the set of Boogie Nights with one of its stars, Heather Graham/PHOTO CREDIT: Cinephilia Beyond

and diving into a classic film soundtrack. Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the most acclaimed and successful directors ever. 1997’s Boogie Nights is one of his most loved films. The soundtrack is exceptional. There was a second instalment of the soundtrack that came out in 1998, though I am including the 1997 first edition in this feature. In terms of the all-time best soundtracks, Boogie Nights is often voted among the best. There are some articles that I will not get opportunity to bring in, including this from The New York Times, where they spotlight eleven classic Paul Thomas Anderson needle drops. They put KC and the Sunshine Band’s Boogie Shoes at number one. In 2019, The New Yorker spent some time with an iconic scene from Boogie Nights where music plays a big part. I would also urge you to read this, as the feature goes song-by-song and argues why Boogie Nights has the best soundtrack ever. In this short feature, Albumism included Boogie Nights’ soundtrack in their top one-hundred. One of their contributors wrote why it means a lot to them:

“I first heard the soundtrack in the car when I was being driven to a piano lesson. Too young to see the movie, or even to be told what it was about, I fell in love with the sound of Boogie Nights. It’s full of ‘70s hits from almost every year of the decade including Chakachas’ “Jungle Fever” from 1970, “Machine Gun” by The Commodores from 1974, Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up - Pt. 1” from 1977. The music follows the story into the ‘80s as the characters fall from grace, landing on Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian” from 1983.

Boogie Nights captures the culture of disco—the dancing, the clothes, the cars, the parties, the cocaine—and the soundtrack echoes these images. The opening long shot is synched to The Emotions’ “Best of My Love” (from 1977) as we enter and twist around a nightclub meeting the characters. Eric Burdon & War’s “Spill the Wine” (1970) plays endlessly as the camera leads us through a pool party in the Hollywood Hills.

Paul Thomas Anderson is a unique filmmaker and has a specific touch of marrying story and sound. The soundtrack is bright and bouncy, but the story of Boogie Nights is dark and commands your attention. As a snapshot of the 1970s, the soundtrack is a perfect match”.

For a Cinema Sounds edition in 2009, Consequence explored the brilliance of the Boogie Nights soundtrack. I know there was a second volume, though I think that the first release has the best music on it. However, it shows how spoilt for choice people were when it came to this film. Paul Thomas Anderson and his use of music in his films is up there with the best directors. Many argue what his greatest soundtrack is. To me (and so many others) it is Boogie Nights:

“The film’s score is the most sincere in the first half. Despite all of the sleaze, Anderson shows us that the adult film industry truly did thrive in the ’70s, poised to be considered an art form by some, and he does this by using joyful tracks of the era to express… well, joy, something that is virtually absent from the latter half of the film. After a mournful pipe organ circus intro “The Big Top (Theme From Boogie Nights)” from the criminally underrated baroque pop mastermind Michael Penn over a black screen (a foreshadowing of things to come), the film assaults us with an opening shot of a neon pink movie theatre (cheekily displaying the title of the film) set to The Emotions’ “Best Of My Love”. How could that wall of horns and plucky disco guitar not make you feel good? In one swooping long shot (another nod to Scorsese), Anderson takes us across the street through Maurice “T.T.” Rodriguez’s (Luis Guzman) nightclub, introducing us to his desperately colorful cast of characters before the storm hits, including the surrogate erotica nuclear family of filmmaker Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds), and starlets Amber Waves and Roller Girl (Julianne Moore and Heather Graham).

Here we see the audiovisual dynamic at its most straightforward.  When the characters are happy, the songs are happy (think disco jewels like The Commodores’ “Machine Gun”, and K.C. And The Sunshine Band’s “Boogie Shoes”), cycling us through montages of the aforementioned characters enjoying drugs, sex, and indulgent consumerism.  At the film’s center is well endowed busboy Eddie Adams turned porn megastar Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg), as we follow his ascent to fame.

On the flip side, when the characters are down, the songs are down — nothing’s more depressing than watching hangdog Assistant Stag Film Director Little Bill (William H. Macy at his loneliest) come home to see his porn star wife unabashedly banging a young stud.  And nothing accentuates this depression like Chico Hamilton’s haunting cello piece, “The Sage”.

You can find pretty much everything on both volumes of the soundtrack with the exception of “The Sage”, “99 Luft Balloons”, and a couple of other background gems from earlier in the film (Andrew Gold’s “Lonely Boy” is sorely missed), but you can always take a lesson from Rahad Jackson and add these missing tunes to your playlist for your own “Awesome Mixtape”.

I am ending with this feature from LA Weekly from 2017. They revisit the soundtrack twenty years after its release and select its best moments. I could not find any interviews with Paul Thomas Anderson about the Boogie Nights soundtrack, though I hope that these features have given you some insight and background to this revered and phenomenal collection of music. Some truly outstanding moments where the music and action blends perfectly:

“To speak of Boogie Nights, a saga based around the porn industry of the San Fernando Valley in the late '70s and early '80s, without speaking of the music accompanying the story is like talking about Star Wars with no mention of the droids. Released in October of 1997, it was the perfect throwback to help shake off all the moody brooding that defined a decade of grunge and gloom. Its soundtrack was filled with perfect, era-appropriate songs often used in highly unconventional contexts — most memorably, the scene in which Dirk (played by Mark Wahlberg, then still mostly famous as a rapper and underwear model) finds himself in the mansion of a gun-happy coke dealer that his buddy (played by a young Thomas Jane) wants to scam. The tense, crazy situation, made even more nervous by a little kid throwing firecrackers, takes place as Night Ranger's power ballad “Sister Christian” blasts out of the dealer's expensive hi-fi.

“We said

“What killed us was that ‘Sister Christian’ is about this young girl — [drummer/singer Kelly Keagy's] little sister, actually — coming of age,” says Night Ranger bassist/vocalist Jack Blades, when asked by L.A. Weekly about the inclusion of the band’s hit power ballad in the movie’s frenetic climax. “And the juxtaposition of how Anderson took this song into the scene depicting Dirk Diggler bottoming out and at the lowest point in his life was just brilliant. His attention to detail in the placement of all those songs he used for the movie captured exactly what was going down at the time.”

By putting the song in a darker context, he helped a lot of people finally admit their love for it without pretense. In fact, the same could be said about many of the songs that were featured on the Boogie Nights soundtrack (though others were beloved evergreens by the likes of Marvin Gaye, War and The Beach Boys).

Here are five particular highlights from the soundtrack to Boogie Nights that epitomize the distinct relationship between sound and celluloid P.T. Anderson established with a film that's still as revered today as it was 20 years ago.

“Best of My Love” by The Emotions

“I think if you’re dealing with this many characters, I think you just gotta fuckin’ jump in and get it out of the way. I’m gonna introduce you to all of these people in two minutes,” explains Paul Thomas Anderson of the opening scene to Boogie Nights in his commentary on the two-disc “Platinum Series” edition DVD. “I think part of the reason why I did this is because my first movie, Sydney [later renamed Hard Eight], was very, very slow. Very deliberate pacing. And I wanted to go 180 degrees and start this one off loud and immediately. It was like this mash of sound, like the Phil Spector ‘Wall of Sound’ [laughs] with dialogue and people screaming and it’s not important to hear every single word.” After a brief original orchestral composition from Anderson's longtime friend and collaborator Michael Penn, the film dives into the Maurice White-penned hit single for The Emotions, which debuted at radio in June of ’77. So in the film, this was literally the newest, hottest tune in the clubs at the time.

“Machine Gun” by The Commodores

Beastie Boys fans already knew the groove to “Hey Ladies” was hoisted from this instrumental Commodores funk classic. But it was an extra kick for Paul's Boutique fans to hear the original placed in its proper era as accompaniment to a split-screen montage chronicling Dirk’s rise to fame that Anderson said was inspired by something he saw in a John Holmes film. The disco dance sequence, timed perfectly to the funky instrumental, made the joy shared between Dirk and his BFF and co-star Reed Rothchild (a never-better or more quotable John C. Reilly) exponentially more gleeful.

“The Touch” by Stan Bush

If you were in elementary and middle school in the mid-'80s, you probably watched the scene in which Dirk Diggler cuts a vanity single in the studio and thought, “Where have I heard that tune before?” Then the next time you played your beloved VHS copy of the 1986 animated feature Transformers: The Movie, it hit you like a ton of Energon cubes — that's where it's from! Mark Wahlberg has not done much press around the 20th anniversary of his breakout role, but when he posted video of himself singing “The Touch” with Stan Bush at this year’s Hasbro Convention, it was the best homage to Dirk he could have paid.

“Sister Christian” by Night Ranger

“He was a big fan of Night Ranger and the song,” Jack Blades explains about how his band’s biggest hit, written and sung by the band's drummer, Kelly Keagy, wound up in Boogie Nights. “And he told us he wanted to put it in one of the film’s pivotal moments. And he seemed to us like a hip, edgy dude who was making a cool film. So we said, ‘Just put it in a good spot.’ And he was like, ‘Oh, don’t worry about that!’ So we didn’t know where it was going to be used when me and Kelly and my wife went to see the premiere. And when that scene went down, we’re sitting there watching it and all three of us, sweat broke out on our foreheads, and me and Kelly look at each other like, ‘We’ve been to this guy’s house in 1983!’” He laughs. “This was way too close for comfort. I remember how much we partied in the Hollywood Hills when Night Ranger first came out and all the insanity that was going on. Everywhere we went, we were hanging out with porn stars at the Rainbow or at shows. We’d cut our records in L.A. and bring 20 or 30 people from the Rainbow down to the studio afterwards and we’d be up all night. He captured that moment in time unbelievably perfect.”

“Livin’ Thing” by Electric Light Orchestra

“I always planned to end the movie with ‘Livin’ Thing,’” revealed Anderson in the DVD commentary for Boogie Nights. “Always.” In the end, he used The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds hosanna “God Only Knows” to signify better days ahead for the strangely endearing, dysfunctional family Jack Horner and Amber Waves made out of their group of misfit adult film performers. But once ELO's strings kicked as the credits rolled, Boogie Nights left you with the same sense of elation you experienced at the film's beginning, when The Emotions burst through the theater speakers and that neon purple lighting exclaiming the title of the movie hit the screen. They are perfect bookends of positivity for the frenetic tunnel of love Anderson takes you through for the two-and-a-half hours in between”.

If you have not heard the Boogie Nights soundtrack then I would urge you to listen to it. Few soundtracks since 1997 have been able to match Boogie Nights. I have not seen the film for a while, so I do need to revisit it. This soundtrack remains one of the best in all of cinema…

NEARLY thirty years later.

FEATURE: The Great American Songbook: Cher

FEATURE:

 

 

The Great American Songbook

PHOTO CREDIT: Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock

Cher

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THE brilliant Cher…

turns eighty later this year. A hugely successful and influential artist, she is going to be honoured at this year’s GRAMMYS next month NME are among those that have written about it. I am a big fan of Cher and have loved her music since I was a child. It is great that she is being given this incredible accolade. This is why I wanted to highlight her for this The Great American Songbook:

“Paul Simon, Cher and Chaka Khan are among the artists set to receive a Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s Grammys.

The Recording Academy have announced that Latin rock guitar legend Carlos Santana will also pick up the honour, while Whitney Houston and Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti will be posthumously recognised.

Lyricist Bernie Taupin, record executive Sylvia Rhone and Latin jazz musician Eddie Palmieri – who passed away in August – will also be honoured with the Trustees Award, while classical composer John Chowning will receive the Technical Grammy Award.

The awards will be presented at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on January 31, the night before the main ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 1.

The Lifetime Achievement award is presented to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made “creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording”. It was first awarded to Bing Crosby in 1963, while recent recipients have included The Clash, Prince, N.W.A., Donna Summer and Nirvana”.

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I am going to end this feature with a twenty-song mix of the essential Cher. One or two tracks with Sonny Bono, but mostly her solo stuff. Before I get to that, I want to bring in detailed biography from AllMusic about the iconic Cher. Someone who inspired a score of artists (from  Beyoncé, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Adele to Saweetie), her most recent (non-Christmas) album was 2018’s Dancing Queen. I hope that we get more material from this incredible artist:

“Possessor of an instantly recognizable voice that has powered numerous hits, both as half of Sonny & Cher and as a solo artist seemingly able to transcend any genre, Cher is a musical legend and a pop culture icon. After the smash success of Sonny & Cher's folk/rock and pop recordings of the '60s and the duo's hit TV show, she scored hits on her own, such as "Half Breed" and "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" in the '70s before switching into disco mode for "Take Me Home." In the '80s, she became an esteemed actress, with lead roles in the highly acclaimed films Mask and Moonstruck (the latter earned her an Oscar). She followed that by returning to the pop charts in the late '80s with "If I Could Turn Back Time" and, ten years later, becoming a Madonna-like dance-pop diva with the megahit "Believe." The new millennium saw her upheld this latest reinvention with hit releases like 2018's Dancing Queen (a set of ABBA covers) and 2023's Christmas, while also being honored as a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.

Cherilyn Sarkisian was born in California in 1946; she was 17 when she first met Salvatore "Sonny" Bono, a songwriter and protégé of producer Phil Spector. Sonny brought her to Spector, who used her as a backup singer and produced one single by her, a novelty Beatles tribute record called "Ringo I Love You" issued under the name Bonnie Jo Mason. It disappeared without a trace, but the couple were undaunted -- they emerged as a duo, initially called Caesar & Cleo, and cut "The Letter," "Do You Wanna Dance," and "Love Is Strange."

Caesar & Cleo didn't trouble the chart compilers with any degree of success, but late in 1964, Cher (then known as Cherilyn) was signed to Liberty Records' Imperial imprint, and Sonny came along as producer. A Spector-ish version of "Dream Baby" managed to get airplay in Los Angeles, becoming a local hit, and they suspected they were onto something. That same month, Sonny & Cher, as they were now known, signed to Reprise Records and released their first single, "Baby Don't Go." The song became a major local hit in Los Angeles, after which the duo jumped from Reprise to the Atco label, a division of Atlantic Records. In April 1965 their first single, "Just You" was released and rose to number 20 on the charts. The duo was on its way, and Imperial Records wanted Cher back for a second single. The couple had seen the Byrds pioneer commercial folk-rock with Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" and had witnessed them performing another Dylan number, "All I Really Want to Do" at a club in Los Angeles. The group intended to issue their own recording of "All I Really Want to Do," but Cher, with Sonny producing, beat them to the punch with her own recording of the song.

She pursued a dual career for the next two years, cutting solo recordings under Sonny's guidance that regularly charted, and duets with her husband for Atco. A month after "All I Really Want to Do," they released "I Got You Babe," which was one of the biggest-selling and most beloved pop/rock hits of the mid-'60s, and the couple's signature tune across two eras of success. Cher's solo career ended up slightly overshadowed by her work with Sonny & Cher, but at the time she was fully competitive on her own terms -- her first LP reached the Billboard Top 20 and was on the albums charts for six months. "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" was another hit, a million-seller that made number three in America and England, and she made the Top Ten once more with her 1967 single "You Better Sit Down Kids." The latter song, written by Sonny (and which was also a hit for Glen Campbell), dealt with divorce, an unusual subject for a '60s pop record, and was one of a series of releases on which Cher's music broached difficult areas -- others were "I Feel Something's in the Air," which dealt with unwanted pregnancy, and "Mama (When My Dollies Have Babies)."

Cher's solo career at Imperial ended when her contract lapsed in 1967, and she moved to Atlantic. Ironically, it was this move that contributed to the unhappy reversal of the couple's fortunes at the end of the decade. By the end of the '60s, Sonny & Cher were no longer selling records. A series of commercial missteps, coupled with a change in public taste, had sharply curtailed their sales, and a pair of movies (Good Times, Chastity) had lost millions. Additionally, they were no longer recording for Atlantic -- though they were still under contract -- owing to the label's decision to take Cher's solo recordings out of Sonny's hands and assign a new producer to her.

Coupled with the presentation of a bill from the Internal Revenue Service for $200,000 in back taxes, these events left the couple in dire financial straits at the end of the '60s. They were forced to play club dates opening for artists like Pat Boone, and it was there that their second career, and a second career for Cher, took shape. A new contract with Decca Records in 1971, coupled with a chance on a summer replacement gig on the CBS television network, brought them another chance.

The tryout on television was indeed a success, as the couple proved to be as funny as they were musically diverse. It took a little longer to find a new formula for Cher's music -- her initial single on Decca's Kapp label, "Classified 1A," was a failure; a serious song dealing with a girl's feelings for a boyfriend killed in Vietnam, it was topical in a way inconducive to pop chart success. Producer Snuff Garrett was recruited to work with her, and he found a series of songs that were perfect for Cher's maturing talent.

"Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," a conscious attempt to emulate Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" (which also recalled Cher's own "Bang Bang") was released late in 1971 and became a number one hit and a million-seller. The song's subject matter, unusual tempo changes, and an incredibly memorable chorus-hook became a vehicle for a transcendent performance by the singer, marking Cher's maturation as an artist. A follow-up album, featuring her covers of contemporary hits such as "Fire and Rain," also sold well, and her next single, "The Way of Love," a revival of a mid-'60s Kathy Kirby hit, solidified the image of a new, more confident and powerful Cher. The debut of the couple's regular network variety series on CBS in January 1972 brought them back to the center of American and international popular culture in a more mature, wittier guise, and one that concentrated much more on Cher as a personality.

In 1974, it was revealed that the couple's marriage was coming to an end. Ironically, Cher came out of this split more secure than her husband, despite his having guided her career for a decade and having all of the real training in the entertainment business. She embarked on an acting career, even as she continued to make headlines for her romantic exploits, including two marriages to Gregg Allman. She found her footing more easily as an actress, as first revealed in Mike Nichols' Silkwood (1983) and then in Peter Bogdanovich's Mask (1985) and George Miller's The Witches of Eastwick (1987). She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Norman Jewison's 1987 romantic comedy Moonstruck.

In 1987, Cher also hit the Billboard 200 for the first time since the '70s with the platinum-selling Cher, which arrived on Geffen in November 1987. A combination of power balladry, rock-leaning anthems, and a surprise club hit in "Skin Deep," it peaked at number 32 with help from her Top Ten-charting cover of Michael Bolton's "I Found Someone." She had an even bigger hit LP with the follow-up, 1989's Heart of Stone, which landed in the Top Ten in the U.S. (number ten), U.K. (number seven), New Zealand (seven), and Australia, where it went to number one. Heart of Stone produced three U.S. Top Ten singles in all: "If I Could Turn Back Time," "Just Like Jesse James," and the Peter Cetera duet "After All." Her starring role in the 1990 comedy-drama Mermaids was accompanied by a soundtrack album that featured her Hot 100 Top 40 cover of "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)." Her version topped the singles chart in the U.K. and Ireland. Over the next five years, Cher charted outside the Top 40 with two more studio albums, 1991's Love Hurts and 1995's It's a Man's World, while appearing on the big screen as herself in Robert Altman 's The Player (1992) and Prêt-à-Porter (1994). A lead role in director Paul Mazursky's Faithful followed in 1996, the year she appeared in the Emmy-nominated TV drama If These Walls Could Talk, which took on the topic of abortion.

In 1998, Cher officially redefined herself as a club diva with the international chart-topping smash "Believe." The accompanying album, also called Believe, went to number four on the Billboard 200 and achieved gold, platinum, or multi-platinum status in dozens of countries around the world. The song also earned Cher her first Grammy Award, in the category of Best Dance Recording. It was additionally nominated for Record of the Year, and the album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album. She followed that huge success with the darker, independently released Not.Com.mercial (2000), which was recorded with members of David Letterman's CBS Orchestra. It was available exclusively on her website. She soon re-entered the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 with 2001's Living Proof, which included two dance number ones, "Song for the Lonely" and "A Different Kind of Love Song." After appearing as herself on a pair of episodes of TV's Will & Grace, she duetted with Rod Stewart on "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" from his As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Vol. 2 (2003). 2003 also saw the release of the U.S. Top Five-charting compilation The Very Best of Cher, which also charted well worldwide. By 2005, she had completed the three-year, high-grossing Farewell Tour ahead of a lucrative Las Vegas residency.

Cher made her return to the studio with two appearances on the soundtrack to the 2010 film Burlesque, in which she co-starred with Christina Aguilera (who took the lead on the rest of the album). One of the Cher songs, the Diane Warren-penned "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me," won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song. Her next solo album, Closer to the Truth, appeared on Warner Bros. in 2013 and, split between dance tracks and adult contemporary entries, became her highest-charting solo outing yet in the U.S., where it reached the Top Three. Highlighted by the dance chart-topping "Woman's World," it did nearly as well in Canada and the U.K., where it went to number four. Cher returned to the silver screen in a musical capacity in the mid-2018 sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, playing Ruby, mother to Meryl Streep's Donna, in flashbacks. She appeared on two of the ABBA covers that comprised the movie musical's soundtrack, which went to number three on the Billboard 200 and topped several of the international charts. She followed its lead on September 2018's Dancing Queen, a full set of ABBA covers by Cher -- co-produced by the band's Benny Andersson -- that matched the chart success of the soundtrack. Still going strong and riding the rhythms of the dancefloor, she returned in October 2023 with the original song "DJ Play a Christmas Song," the lead single from her first Christmas album. Simply titled Christmas, it was released before the end of the month. Cher was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in early 2024 and later that year, she released a greatest-hits package titled FOREVER”.

With a GRAMMY honour about to come away and her eightieth birthday in May, this innovator and queen is still so relevant and adored. Her songbook is among the best in music. Spanning seven decades, there are so many standout tracks. I have assembled twenty songs that I feel do justice to Cher’s amazing talent. Whilst the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award might seem like something given to retired artist or a sign that you are honouring what came before, it is not that at all. It is recognition of artist who are still important and relevant today. In the case of Cher, this award recognises…

ALL she has given to the music world.

FEATURE: No Man’s Land: Thinking About a Vital Documentary on Misogyny, Sexual Violence and Reform

FEATURE:

 

 

No Man’s Land

PHOTO CREDIT: Mikhail Nilov/Pexels

Thinking About a Vital Documentary on Misogyny, Sexual Violence and Reform

__________

I have been thinking…

about some of my favourite books this year and the ones that made the biggest impression. Laura Bates’s The New Age of Sexism: AI Revolution & Misogyny and Jess Davies’s No One Wants to See Your D*ck: A Handbook for Survival in the Digital World are two that made a huge impression on me. Tackling masculinity, misogyny and sexual abuse and exploitation in the digital world and how there is new threat to women and girls’ safety online, they are shocking reads. These powerful and thought-provoking books that are so timely and important. Talking about the rise of toxic masculinity and influencers like Andrew Tate, it is a terrifying and horrible time. Violence against women and girls is at an alarming level, and you do hope that this year is one where there is real change. What is evident is that misogyny, sexism, sexual abuse and violence is rising. Women online feeling more unsafe and exposed as they have ever been. It is an epidemic and an issue that is leading to the government attempting to tackle this at school level. School-age boys being sent on courses as part of their efforts to tackle misogyny:

“Teachers will be given training to spot and tackle misogyny in the classroom, while high-risk pupils could be sent on behavioural courses as part of the government's long-awaited strategy to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade.

The plans for schools in England - which focus on preventing the radicalisation of young men - have been unveiled as part of a wider strategy which had been delayed three times.

Teachers will get specialist training around issues such as consent and the dangers of sharing intimate images.

Responding to the announcement, the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, Dame Nicole Jacobs, said the commitments did "not go far enough".

She said while the strategy recognised the scale of the challenge, the level of investment "falls seriously short".

The £20m package will also see teachers get training around how to identify positive role models, and how to challenge unhealthy myths about women and relationships.

It will include a new helpline for teenagers to get support for concerns about abuse in their own relationships.

The government hopes that by tackling the early roots of misogyny, it will prevent young men from becoming violent abusers.

Under the new plans, schools will send high-risk students to get extra care and support, including behavioural courses to tackle their prejudice against women and girls”.

It is a long-overdue measure that you hope will lead to some sense of progress when it comes to misogyny and violence against women and girls. It is an issue that we need to address among boys rather than teens and adults, as young boys are online and exposed to influencers, sites and videos that can lead to sexual violence, threats and misogyny. The issue around online porn and boys being exposed to this. Feeling that is what sex is, this then shapes how they think about girls and how they should be treated. I don’t think there will be instant changes. It will take a long time before things really improve, as there is such a wide-ranging and large-scale problem. I have mentioned a couple of brilliant authors who are also campaigners. Jess Davies is on Instagram, and her content is always so important and illuminating. Highlighting gender inequality, digital abuse and discrimination against women and girls, I can see another book arriving from her. Maybe a documentary. This is something that I want to explore more in a minute. Laura Bates is also on Instagram. She is this feminist activist and prolific author. There are many other brilliant women raising awareness and discussing the growing issue of online abuse and violence. Sexploitation, sexual images being sent to girls. Even if you feel there will be progress in years to come, the truth is that, in the short-term at least, the reality for girls and women is bleak. Both online and on the streets (and in homes), it is hugely distrusting and upsetting. I am a member of The Trouble Club, and they have hosted brilliant women who have talked about issues around misogyny, online abuse and many of the most pressing issues facing girls and women. Led by CEO and owner Elle Newton, being a member and going to these events has inspired me to become more activated and engaged with some truly shocking statics and stories.

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There were some documentaries from last year that revolved around the rise in male violence against women and girls and the tidal wave of sexually explicit and abusive photos and videos that women are girls are inundated with. Threats of violence and rape. It has made me think about a documentary and something that could come this year. There might already be something in the works at the moment. Bringing together women like Jess Davies and Laura Bates. Other campaigners and activists who could contribute to a one-hour/ninety-minute documentary for the BBC. I have been thinking about Zara McDermott and her documentary work. I have written about her before for a similar piece. I know there are a lot of great female documentary makers, but McDermott is one of the prominent. Also, her5 most recent documentaries, To Catch a Stalker, finds her meeting women who have been stalked in person and subjected to online stalking. As reviews have highlighted McDermott’s empathy and presenting, but maybe there are still questions unanswered. Powerful viewing at least. I do think that the fact McDermott has recently presented documentaries about rape culture and revenge porn make her more than qualified and experienced enough to tackle a documentary that would highlight the rising tide of toxic masculinity, online abuse and whether the government making schoolboys take courses to help tackle misogyny. McDermott has shared her experiences of revenge porn, and revealing her own stories. She is an amazing documentary maker and presenter, and I think that her best work lies ahead. Maybe not for BBC Three, I do think there is a demand for a documentary that spoke to women like McDermott, Laura Bates and Jess Davies. I also heard Caitlin Moran speak for The Trouble Club last year about toxic masculinity and misogyny and her hopes for the next wave of feminism.

Of course, it will take more than a documentary to truly cover such a wide-ranging, complex and epidemic issue that we have. However, whilst many documentaries fall down for some reason or the other, I do think that a new one, if judged and balanced right, could make a big impact. Zara McDermott is a compassionate and intrepid interviewer, and I have been thinking about her 2021 documentary. How relevant it is now. A documentary that also talks to those who follow online influencers like Andrew Tate and why that is. There is also a rise in domestic abuse, so that is also something that needs to be covered. Maybe ending with an optimistic note. In terms of activism and how the young generation are doing so much to highlight the issues through social media; share their stories and call for change. Artists who are covering subjects like misogyny and sexual violence through their songs. Campaigners and books that are opening people’s eyes to the true scale of the issues affecting women and girls, not just in the U.K., but around the world. I do feel this year will see some depressing and appalling statics released around online abuse, revenge porn, misogyny and violence against women and girls. The ongoing fourth wave of feminism (that started in 2012) is about digital activism, tackling sexual harassment, rape culture, body shaming, and using social media (#MeToo, #TimesUp) to demand justice and challenge patriarchal norms with an emphasis on intersectionality, inclusivity for all women (including trans women), and confronting online misogyny. It has definitely helped make a difference, though you feel more allyship is needed. Men getting more involved. Until that happens, it is women on their own fighting for their own protection and safety. Documentaries can go a long way to raising this question and providing answers and possible ways forward. I think that this sort of documentary is needed…

MORE than anything else.