FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: Songs from the Best K-Pop Albums and E.P.s of 2023

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

Songs from the Best K-Pop Albums and E.P.s of 2023

_________

A genre of music…

that is producing some of the most exciting, colourful and interesting music, K-Pop is a genre that is a phenomenon that generates so much money and attention for South Korea’s music industry. There is also a similar phenomenon coming from J-Pop (Japan). Years ago, not many people would have looked towards Asia when it came to Pop music. At a time when mainstream Pop in the U.S. and U.K. is perhaps not as dynamic and joyful as it could be – or there is some homogenisation -, K-Pop is definitely filling a void. I am going to end this feature with a playlist of songs from the best K-Pop albums and E.P.s of this year so far. Before getting there, this article from, last year explored and explained the legacy and importance of K-Pop:

“The impact of South Korean popular music, also known as K-pop, has risen in popularity across the globe. From young teens to older adults, concert venues are packed with fans lining up to see famous K-pop groups such as BTS and Blackpink.

The recent popularity of K-pop shows evidence that our world is evolving to a more inclusive space for different cultures, which is something seen here on the University of Arizona campus as well.

UnderSkore UA, the University of Arizona’s K-pop dance team, saw first-hand that the rise of K-pop was a gateway to their success. The group has been posting K-pop dance videos online since 2017 and has amassed over 2.1 million views on their YouTube channel.

Kobe Saldana is a recent UA physiology graduate and a dancer on UnderSkore UA.

“K-pop brings not only the Asian community but the K-pop community together. That’s what makes our team so special, through our diversity and being able to come together and share our passion for dancing,” Saldana said.

According to a Vox article, K-pop has been around since the mid-1990s and the genre was created with influence from American pop music at the time. This helped spawn a new genre and musical style for South Korean artists to express their own creativity.

This rise of South Korean music studios popping up in the late 1990s began a new era for South Korean entertainment. Over time the term “K-pop idol” began to circulate online when studios such as SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment began training young teenagers to become the next K-pop stars, according to Vox.

In the U.S., K-pop got its initial claim to fame with the hit song “Gangnam Style” by PSY. It was, for many Americans, the first introduction to K-pop and a new music genre and language.

Rosamia Fonseca, a UA biology major, is the executive director of UnderSkore UA and noted the comradery that the dance team and K-pop as a whole brings about.

“It’s a community that I am safe in; people respect me and I respect others. It feels like home when it’s so hard living far away from your family. So, this is a great opportunity to meet people, grow close with them, form lifelong friendships and is really fun,” Fonseca said.

Through social media, K-pop fans often promote their favorite groups and help organize local meetups, creating social media pages dedicated to helping bring groups to U.S. cities. BTS x Arizona is one of those social media pages, whose mission is to get BTS, a popular K-pop group, to perform in Arizona.

BTS often refers to their fan group as “Army.” This relates to the term Hallyu, the Korean culture wave, something BTS x Arizona has adopted as well.

Selma Hernandez is the co-host of BTS x Arizona and shared the page’s current aspirations.

“Our goal is to ultimately campaign for BTS to come to Arizona. A lot of the Arizona Army have to travel out of state to see BTS and we just want to be able to host BTS in our state. Now our goal has become to bring Arizona Army together so when the day comes that BTS visits, we are able to celebrate together,” Hernandez said via email.

Now more people than ever know about K-pop, with digital exposure to South Korean media like music and Korean dramas shows. The Olympics being hosted in South Korea four years ago also helped elevate South Korean entertainment’s popularity to a new level, according to a CNN article.

“I think K-pop had a pretty big impact on the western world. It’s becoming more established in the American music awards, like the Grammy’s, AMA and Billboard. They’ve opened up the awards specifically for Korean music. I feel like everyone’s becoming more open about international music in general,” Fonseca said.

Sarah Weaver, co-host of the BTS x Arizona page, noted the positive impact BTS has had on her life. For the supporters of K-pop bands, the music is more than a fandom, it is a community, according to Weaver.

“I got into K-pop during a time of my life where I really needed some joy and positivity. I’m so thankful that I was able to discover BTS at the time that I did. I love the positivity and self-love that they promote. After becoming a fan of BTS, I, and the people around me, definitely notice a positive change of attitude in me. I’m so happy and thankful for BTS, I don’t know how I could live without them in my life now,” Weaver said via email”.

With so many incredible groups coming from the K-Pop scene, I think we will see the genre expand and take over the world. There is still a division between Pop of the West and K and J-Pop. Not too much crossover at the moment. I hope that there is more cross-pollination, as quite a few TikTok/rising Pop artists in the U.S. and U.K. are influenced by that sound. There is also a narrowing of the gender gap too. A culture and scene where female groups are growing in popularity and commercial success. To show the sort of K-Pop albums and E.P.s that have been gaining positive reviews this year, below is a selection from each. It goes to show that, when you want music that has that colour, energy, originality and punch, then you turn…

TO K-Pop.

FEATURE: Queens on Top: Following the GRAMMY Awards Nominations, It Is Clear Women in Music Are Ruling

FEATURE:

 

 

Queens on Top

IN THIS PHOTO: SZA was nominated for nine GRAMMY Awards on 9th November/PHOTO CREDIT: Gianni Gallant for Rolling Stone 

Following the GRAMMY Awards Nominations, It Is Clear Women in Music Are Ruling

_________

I will end with a playlist…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Phoebe Bridgers received seven GRAMMY nominations/PHOTO CREDIT: JJ Geiger for TIME

of songs from artists who have been nominated for next year’s GRAMMY Awards. The ceremony takes place on 4th February. It is the most prestigious ceremony in the music calendar. When the category nominees were announced yesterday (10th November), there was a lot of reaction to the names included. With nearly all the major and most-nominated names being women, it is encouraging that their talent and value is properly being acknowledged. In past years, the GRAMMY voting committee have been accused or including fewer women and artists of colour than they should be. Things have changed quite dramatically in recent years. 2024 is a fully stocked celebration of music queens! I shall continue more on this thought. Even if the most nominated women are mainstream and larger artists, there is still some more upcoming talent who have been given a nod. The Guardian  reported the fact the categories are dominated by women:

“Female artists are set to dominate next year’s Grammy awards with SZA, Phoebe Bridgers, Victoria Monét and Taylor Swift leading the way.

SZA has scored the most nominations with nine overall for her album SOS and the songs from it, covering pop, rap and R&B fields. The singer has so far won one Grammy from her 14 previous nominations. She competes in the record of the year category with Billie Eilish, boygenius, Jon Batiste, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and Victoria Monét.

Victoria Monét, Phoebe Bridgers and the mixing engineer Serban Ghenea all follow with seven nominations apiece. Monét is also nominated in the category of best new artist alongside others including Ice Spice and Jelly Roll.

Both song and record of the year categories are almost entirely female with just Batiste as the male nominee in both. Batiste won five key Grammy awards in 2022.

Swift, with six nominations, could potentially make Grammys history if she wins album of the year, which would make her the first artist ever to win in that category four times. Rodrigo, who has previously won three Grammy awards, has scored six nominations for her album GUTS and the song Vampire.

The Barbie album has also made a strong showing with 12 nominations and songs from Eilish, Nicki Minaj and Dua Lipa featuring prominently. Songs from the soundtrack make up four out of the five nominees for best song from visual media.

Nominees beyond the world of music include Meryl Streep, Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders and Dave Chappelle, for audiobook, storytelling or comedy awards.

This year sees three new categories: best African music performance, best alternative jazz album and best pop dance recording. Kylie Minogue and Troye Sivan are among the nominees for the latter category.

Notable snubs include country singer Morgan Wallen, who scored just one nomination for Last Night for best country song. The song has spent 16 weeks at No 1 in the US this year”.

I am going to include a playlist with the main categories represented. I am thrilled that incredible artists like SZA and Dua Lipa have nominations. It is no surprise to see Taylor Swift got nominations. Lana Del Rey is long overdue GRAMMY recognition. There are also quite a few nominations for songs/artists featured on the Barbie soundtrack. Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish are among those represented there. It is sign that, even if festivals are not fast to balance their line-ups, women are producing the most captivating and impressive music. The recognition from award ceremonies like the GRAMMYs does show that the talent is very much out there! From modern legends to some incredible rising acts, few festivals have any excuse to ignore what is right in front of them! I am putting together a few playlists at the moment, as award ceremonies and festivals are announcing their shortlists/acts. It is a nice way to end the year. Getting some tantalising details and teasers before next year’s award shows and festivals! There has been a lot of reaction around the GRAMMY Awards and those who have been included – and some pointing out there are notable omissions (many ask why PinkPantheress was not nominated, in spite of the fact she is a terrific breakthrough artist). From Victoria Monét to Coco Jones, there is a bounty of queens rubbing shoulders with one another. Not to take away from other genders. It is especially great to see so many great women getting included and highlighted! Come February when 2024’s GRAMMY Awards takes place, we hope that as many queens as possible…

WALK away with prizes.

FEATURE: Flat Pop: Is the Incredible Genre Dominated By Big Names and Lacking Fizz?

FEATURE:

 

 

Flat Pop

PHOTO CREDIT: olia danilevich/Pexels

Is the Incredible Genre Dominated By Big Names and Lacking Fizz?

_________

ONE of the dangers of having…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift

nostalgia shows and themed radio shows/playlists that celebrate the best Pop of the 1990s and 1980s is realising that the landscape has changed. I don’t think that is a bad thing. It is much broader than it has been in years past. K-Pop, Pop sounds from Latin America and nations away from the U.K. and U.S. are fusing together with a bulk of different and diverse artists from major territories. It is not only uplifting or chorus-heavy songs. The nature of Pop music has changed in terms of its lyrics and sonics. Whilst there may be fewer artists producing the same sort of instantly memorable, hook-y songs that lodged in our head back then now, there is more depth and the personal coming to the fore. I mention this, as there is a recent article that argues Pop is in a bad state and has lost its fizz. That a few mainstream artists dominate. Apart from that, there is a lack of future legends coming through. Maybe a lack of current legends making music right now (there are some anticipated albums and possibilities, though nothing solid as yet). I shall come to that. From The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards saying Pop has always been awful to this 2023 feature showing how tastes in Pop have changed with the culture, it is a tough debate. I prefer the Pop music of the 1990s and early-2000s, though I think there are so many strong artists around today. Maybe there is some homogenisation and a wave of artists who are roughly on the same wavelength.

Stereogum are sure to present their thoughts regarding the state of Pop in 2023 very soon. They made some interesting observations last year when looking at 2022’s Pop. If some say that Pop has evolved and diversified in very good ways, others might say it is stuck in a rut and reliant on nostalgia and massive artists:

“Just as 2021 cemented a new nostalgia cycle for millennial and Gen Z pop artists, the proliferation of streaming and global access has also unleashed the crossover success of Afrobeats. About five years ago, Nigerian artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Davido were household names in their home country, with US and Canadian performers like Drake and Chris Brown mining their influence to write their own tropical pop anthems like “One Dance.” Today, however, Burna Boy has won a Grammy for his 2020 album Twice As Tall (in the Global Music category, alas), and WizKid and Tems’ “Essence” is the first Nigerian song in history to crack the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Again, Nigerian pop is nothing new, but as far as crossover recognition goes, it’ll be fascinating to see if those artists can replicate that level of success as 2022 plays out.

Indeed, the continued mainstream success of Latin pop and K-pop could serve as a prime example of how global music trends are not so much industry flings as they are long-term relationships. In 2021, though Latin pop appeared less prevalent on the Hot 100, save for the ever-present Bad Bunny, this past year demonstrated a major wave in rising Colombian and Colombian-American pop stars, like Camilo, Morat, Manuel Medrano, Las Villa, Henao, and Morelli. Meanwhile, pairing American- or Canadian-born pop stars with Spanish-language singers used to be more of a novelty (say, *NSYNC singing “Music Of My Heart” with Gloria Estefan); now it’s standard practice, as English-speaking pop stars regularly collaborate with Spanish-speaking singers from a vast array of backgrounds. As CNN has noted, we are (still) living in the reverse-crossover era. Latin pop in general may not have had as big of a boom year as it did across the last five years, but you won’t find anyone accusing it of irrelevance as they were so quick to do after the ’00s Latin pop explosion.

Then there’s the enormity of K-pop kings turned chart powerhouse BTS. Just a few years ago, the seven-piece might have looked like a gimmick to historically xenophobic US majors, but BTS have had the last laugh many, MANY times over. Today, songs like “Dynamite” soundtrack car commercials and get covered on Emily In Paris. Their stans have the ability to send a song to #1 at will. Artists like Coldplay barnacle themselves to BTS for cheap chart wins (“My Universe”) — a clear reach for relevancy, not terribly unlike Paul McCartney teaming with Kanye and Rihanna seven years back.

Speaking of collabs, the ubiquitous Abel Tesfaye ended 2021 with a bumper crop of those, with everyone from Swedish House Mafia to Rosalía to FKA Twigs joining forces with the “Blinding Lights” singer. Even Grimes has teased a collaboration with the Weeknd, who didn’t even release an album in 2021 but dominated the conversation nonetheless: calling out the Recording Academy for corruption when his chart-conquering 2020 album After Hours got snubbed at the Grammys; pulling off an elaborate, pop-noir Super Bowl halftime show, pandemic be damned; and watching “Blinding Lights” become the biggest Hot 100 hit of all time. With his currently-in-production HBO drama The Idol set to debut in the coming year and new album Dawn FM dropping this week, the Weeknd’s pop hegemony is surely not going anywhere.

The only pop star who arguably had a bigger year than the Weeknd was Adele, with her utterly absorbing fourth album 30. In a sense that I can only describe as Dolly Parton-esque, Adele has a way of unifying generations; older fans snatch up physical records and send album sales soaring while enjoying Adele’s lived-in take on midcentury jazz and soul, and younger fans no doubt connect to her blood-and-guts confessional lyrics. As a figure in the pop music industry, Adele stands alone, unbound by genre trends and equally welcome on CBS as she would be on, oh, I don’t know, Twitch.

Comparatively gargantuan is Taylor Swift: In re-recording her older albums, Swift took an (mostly) unprecedented career gamble. Re-recording older work is not new, exactly — the Everly Brothers, Frank Sinatra, Def Leppard, King Crimson, and Kraftwerk have all done it for various reasons. But Swift opted to re-record multiple eras of her career, each of which have their own look, feel, and coming-of-age story. Swift — in a wildly meta fashion — actually tapped into her own nostalgia cycle in asking fans to relive her Fearless and Red eras this past year. In addition to making their own TikTok memes around Swift and Phoebe Bridgers’ “Nothing New,” fans got busy retelling decade-old Swiftian stories from the year Red came first out (2012), even at one point causing “Jake Gyllenhaal” to trend. If that’s not owning the narrative, I have no idea what is.

And now we come to my favorite part of the pop music discussion: discovery. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but TikTok remains a towering influence on the industry at large, to the extent that older artists have slowly but surely made their way onto the platform for a chance at having one of their hits be rediscovered, or, better yet, go viral.

There’s no question that the platform’s stronghold on pop music has only tightened: As TikTok itself has pointed out, “Over 175 songs that trended on TikTok in 2021 charted on the Billboard Hot 100, twice as many as last year.” The (new) songs that saw viral success on TikTok do eventually trickle down to Spotify and radio, so much so that this past summer, SiriusXM launched TikTok Radio.

This past year should also prove that a TikTok hit can launch a performer to bona fide pop star status (PinkPantheress, Doja Cat, Loren Grey), but I would argue that it’s up to the star themselves to keep the interest alive. Nowhere is this clearer than in the case of Lil Nas X, one of the earliest examples of TikTok virality translating to chart success with 2019’s “Old Town Road.” You’d be forgiven for assuming “Old Town Road” would mark the beginning and the end of Lil Nas X’s journey, but instead the rapper has enjoyed one of the most successful and groundbreaking careers in pop. The openly gay rapper makes every song, video, and performance a celebration of Black, gay love and, in his extremely online way, trolls the trolls by pretending to “give birth” to his debut album, Montero. He does not do this to be a martyr or a progressive symbol; he is only living his truth”.

I think that 2023 has been a year dominated by artists like Taylor Swift. I shall not talk about her too much in this feature, though her Eras Tour and record-breaking success has taken headlines. I guess we have to decide what we define as ‘Pop’. Is it simply a style of music and particular sound or is it what we define as anything that is ‘popular music’?! Some may say Taylor Swift straddles multiple genres. However, when it comes to 2023’s Pop, her name is very much at the top. She has dominated. Other artists like Billie Eilish have had a big say and share. DAZED shared a feature recently that looked at a monopoly from artists like Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa. Things have changed again since 2022, leading me to believe that any flatness will go and we will see Pop change once more in 2024 – and it may be more balanced in terms of mainstream artists and newcomers on an equal level. It does seem that 2023’s Pop is imbalanced and owned by the very biggest artists:

“Swift’s dominance is unparalleled. She is currently the most listened-to artist on the planet, breaking not only box office records following the release of her concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, but chart records, too. Following the release of her latest album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Swift became the first artist in history to secure six number one albums that have sold over one million copies in their first week. At the time of writing, she holds eight of the 10 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 (she actually replaced herself at number one after her song “Cruel Summer”, originally released in 2019, topped the charts), marking only the second time that no male artist has appeared in the top 10 (the only prior time it happened was following the release of Swift’s album Midnights in 2022). As Bloomberg Businessweek prophesied all the way back in 2014: “Taylor Swift is the music industry.”

Undoubtedly, much of her current ubiquity stems from her re-recording project. After Swift was allegedly denied the chance to buy the masters for her first six albums (they were sold by her former label, Big Machine Records, to Scooter Braun for $330 Million; Braun later sold them to investment firm Shamrock Holdings for $405 million), Swift announced her intention to re-record her old albums in order to create new masters that she owns fully (she already held the publishing rights). So began a long (and lucrative) endeavour. Each new iteration of Swift’s past recordings would be tagged “(Taylor’s Version)”. Not only that, they would include songs “from the vault”: unreleased tracks that were discarded during the original recording process. They would be released with fanfare, multiple vinyl variants, and merch. There would be ‘The Eras Tour’, a three-hour spectacle that would celebrate Swift’s catalogue. As it stands, only 2017’s Reputation and Swift’s 2006 self-titled debut are left to receive the “Taylor’s Version” treatment.

Throughout all this, Swift has continued to share new music, too. In 2020, just before the first re-recording was released, she dropped two albums, the Grammy-winning Folklore and its sister album Evermore. In 2022, she released Midnights; it sold 1.05 million copies in the US in its first week. We might all have the same 24 hours in the day as Beyoncé, but Taylor Swift must have the ability to bend time as she sees fit.

As a Swift fan myself, I admit I have welcomed the success of one of my faves and luxuriated in the deluge of new material; as Swift herself would say, “I’m the problem; it’s me.” Still, before I am a Swiftie, I am a pop music devotee. As such, it’s difficult not to see Swift’s omnipresence, at least in part, as a symptom of a stagnating pop music ecosystem.

It was not so long ago when pop was filled with healthy competition. A decade ago, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift were all operating concurrently. It was an era of titans, many of whom were willing to take bold creative swings in order to secure their space in the pantheon of pop: Gaga threw everything at the wall with Artpop, vomiting paint during promotional performances, while Beyoncé changed the game with that digital drop, reinventing visual storytelling in music and ripping up the rule book of release schedules.

It's not outlandish to suggest that such innovation (and absurdity) flourished because pop was healthy with competition. Not every aspect landed (see: the short-lived ARTPOP app and Miley Cyrus twerking with Robin Thicke), but there was an element of risk-taking that felt genuinely thrilling. It was a great time to be a pop fan.

But it can feel, at times, that these artists are waiting on the bleachers. However, the major players aren’t on the pitch, either. Rihanna remains MIA. Lady Gaga prevented the pandemic from becoming a total borefest with Chromatica, but returning to pop appeared to be more of a chore compared to selling cosmetics and starring in the sequel to Joker. Ariana Grande is busy filming Wicked. Nicki Minaj has a cousin in Trinidad whose friend’s testicles allegedly became swollen after having the COVID-19 vaccine. And Miley Cyrus gave us “Flowers” but failed to truly follow through. Only Beyoncé has shown up for us (albeit with no visuals).

Instead, only a select few tread pop’s playing field, which has become overgrown with weeds. And as they continue to dominate, the ground becomes littered with the detritus of viral TikTok sounds, tired collaborations reliant on interpolations of hooks from better songs, and Ed Sheeran. Every so often artists like SZA, Olivia Rodrigo or Lil Nas X might bulldoze through, sowing disruption in their wake, but they are the outliers now, their ascension to pop’s Mt. Olympus a rarity”.

If you look at some of the best Pop albums of this year, there is a mixture of major artists and smaller ones creating wonderful music. I do agree with some of what DAZED say. There is a bit of a transition where we have a lot of same-sounding artists together with dominance from mainstream greats. A lot of the major artists can tour far and wide, whereas many Pop artists cannot have that same exposure and opportunity. There was the pandemic and the aftermath of that. I feel we are catching up in a lot of ways. Artists who were recording during that time unable to strike and release the kind of music that offers realistic and authentic excitement and colour. Now we are starting to come out of this and move on, I do wonder whether that will lead to a wave of new artists adding new dynamics and brightness to the landscape. More and more newer artists are being personal and open. More and more try to connect with their listeners by being vulnerable and deep. Also, consider the news and state of the world. It is a grim place indeed. It is getting harder and harder for artists to find optimism. Even if most aren’t addressing the state of the world and being as proactive in that sense, there is also a natural stagnation of the biggest and boldest Pop anthems from new artists. The likes of Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo are exceptions - yet I also think the Pop landscape is so vast that it is impossible to define a particular trend or sound.

Things will change and move as Pop always does. This is a time of flux against massive international conflict and darkness. I think other genres are favoured this year. Tastes are slightly changing. I do feel there are a lot of TikTok artists who actually are injecting a lot of life into Pop. The issue is streaming sites are still putting chart acts and popular Pop artists in playlists and not including enough newer acts. The charts are defined and guided by streaming figures, so we get this one-dimensional view. I don’t think that enough oxygen is given to the full spectrum of the genre. It is a slightly odd moment where we have seen such hegemony from a few names. Let’s hope that next year – when huge tours from Taylor Swift and the like end – opens up a more equal and balanced field. I have not given up on Pop at all. More playlists and articles need to be dedicated to newer acts that are coming through and making truly terrific music. I do agree that we are lacking a degree of bangers and classic choruses. Maybe Pop has become a little more downbeat or homogenised. Against the blackness around us, Pop artists might be finding it hard to come up with the goods – or they may find it hard or inappropriate to produce escapism. There is still a lot of nostalgia in modern Pop. Artists nodding to the 1990s and 1980s for inspiration. In spite of this, sites like DAZED are discussing a crisis, however temporary, throughout Pop music. I feel things will improve in 2024. There are undoubtably scores of amazing artists – many of whom I have spotlighted this year – that are coming through, building on early promise and, like all artists, adapting after lockdown and pandemic years. I am confident that 2024’s Pop will arrive…

WITH more fizz and flavour.

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: TGE 2024’s FIRST FIFTY Live Launch Playlist

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

TGE 2024’s FIRST FIFTY Live Launch Playlist

_________

BETWEEN 15th and 18th May…

IN THIS PHOTO: Eaves Wilder

The Great Escape takes place in Brighton. The full line-up will be announced soon enough. Happily, the first fifty acts will be announced next week (on Wednesday 15th). It is a chance to follow some of the brilliant rising acts who will play a hugely important festival next year:

“The 2024 festival season starts here!! The Great Escape’s FIRST FIFTY live launch is back to showcase some of the most exciting new artists around. The acts announced will give a first glimpse of the ground breaking talent lined up to play TGE 2024 next May.

This year’s First Fifty live launch will consist of an evening of live showcases in and around East London on Wednesday November 15th, celebrating the announcement of the first acts playing at next year’s festival”.

One of the great things – among many others – about playing at The Great Escape (or TGE) is that these are artists predominantly who are coming through and will be playing big stages very soon. You get to see an array of hugely promising musicians on the cusp of breaking to the next level. A rich and varied bill means that you have this balance and diversity – which many other festivals lack. To celebrate the forthcoming announcement of their First Fifty and the upcoming showcase, where tickets are still available, I am finishing with a playlist featuring the acts who are performing live on Wednesday. I will do another TGE feature when the full line-up has been announced. I just wanted to direct people’s attention to the upcoming first taste of the fifty who will be announced – and I may well do a playlist of those fifty too. These are the artists who are playing in and around East London on Wednesday in anticipation of those who will rock The Great Escape…

IN May.

FEATURE: Spotlight: ratbag

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Frances Carter

ratbag

_________

I tend not to feature artists…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Frances Carter

who are not available on Twitter/X but, in the case of ratbag, I am going to make another exception! Even if that moniker is shared by other artists – making it even more confusing and hard to navigate when it comes to finding them! -, luckily the music makes up for that. Even if I am not a fan of the name, I do really love and appreciate the music. Definitely an artist who is going to go far. To be fair, that artist name does have significance for Aucklander Sophie Brown. The New Zealand artist can identify with that term, as it is given to someone who is a bit of a troublemaker. Whether spelled with a capital R or not – I have seen it both ways which, again, adds a bit to the frustration -, you are won over and compelled by he aesthetic, music and ambitions. I am going to work my way up to a new NME interview – ratbag’s most immersive and detailed interview so far. I will also drop in music videos where we get to see and hear the amazing artist in her element. First, earlier this year, DIY introduced us to an incredible talent:

“Hello and welcome to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… which aims to get you a little bit closer to the buzziest acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.

Today, we’re delving into the immersive world of ratbag, whose first two singles ‘rats in my walls’ and ‘exit girl’ have established her as a singular artist that merges shoegaze and art-pop-influenced sonics with Gorilllaz-esque, grotesque cartoon visuals. We caught up with ratbag to discover more about her music and monstrous bandmates….

Describe your music to us in the form of a Tinder bio.

What is tinder?

What's the story behind your first instrument?

I got my first guitar for Christmas when I was 7 years old, called it ‘thorn’ and felt super badass. I also put a mushroom sticker on one of the tuning pegs and named it - I can’t remember the name, but it was probably super badass too.

Your work encompasses much more than music, spanning sculpture, videography, claymation and drawings too. How do different mediums help construct the visual world you're creating?

My world has always been lingering around, sitting on a couch at the back of my head. I want you to join me in my world, to be able to see it, feel it, hear it, and that requires me to be unfettered by mediums. Using a mixture of mediums allows me to express the chaotic nature as accurately as possible.

Your debut single 'rats in my walls' was accompanied by a Where The Wild Things Are-esque visualiser. Where else do you draw inspiration from?

I tend to find comfort in horror. Jack Stauber, Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared, Adventure Time, and any A24 horror film always give me a dose of inspiration and I re-watch them often. I also have a dream journal that I use to keep track of my nightmares, which I often revisit.

The video for your latest track 'exit girl' features your bandmates. Can you introduce us, and talk us through the concept behind them?

There are 4 band members, deemo (bassist), fritz (keyboardist), slug (guitarist) and eugene (drummer). I pulled them out of my world and brought them here, because I needed a band.

deemo is reserved and enjoys his alone time. fritz is frantic, he’s always trying to get somewhere. slug is just disgusting. and eugene seems scary and is scary. They’re all scary actually, and hungry all the time. I’m trying my best to wean them off human meat but it’s proving to be a very difficult situation, so i’m keeping them locked inside my house in the meantime. I would rather not be responsible for any murders at this point in my life.

Tell us the best advice you've ever been given as a musician...

To listen”.

There are not many recent interviews online with ratbag. That is going to change as her music gets shared and known more widely. I think that she is someone who is going to be in huge demand next year. The Line of Best Fit spent some time in September focusing on her amazing song, exit girl:

“Surrealism bleeds out of otherworldly places, and it is one of the most compelling concepts for fans of mind-boggling stories of fiction to seek out and admire. Whether it be something of music, sculpture, animation, or story, it’s rare for an artist to fully immerse themselves in each of these encompassing realms at once, but then again, ratbag is not one for the ordinary. Following the release of her latest single and music video for "exit girl", that idea is especially apparent.

Simmering in the worlds of punk and shoegaze, ratbag’s latest release comes only recently after her introduction as a musician. Her debut single "rats in my walls" came out in July, and already the artist is displaying a confidence that is especially apparent through the world of horror shown in the music video that accompanies her new release.

The music video for "exit girl" is the world’s first taste of ratbag’s unique visual style and is also the first look into the lore behind the artist. For starters, the music video introduces ratbag’s team of fictional bandmates, each representing a different aspect of her personality. The band are made up of animated monsters going by the names Deemo, Eugene, Slug and Fritz, reminiscent of other ambitious groups like Gorillaz or even Dethklok.

Matching the horror-inspired elements of this music video is, of course, the song. Carefully calculated in its many independent rhythms, beats pulse in time throughout "exit girl". The song is something of a scrappy little robot that blisters with life as it thrashes between the verses and choruses. Buzzing with personality and a lively fortitude, the track will lure in lovers of alternative and punk sounds especially. Beyond sound, it’s an addictive narrative, too. ratbag explains, “This claustrophobic circus of clowns is getting old. Sometimes, we just want out.” Featuring scratchy electric guitar and catchy piano chords, it’s a song that’s easy to love in its complexity.

Taking inspiration from bands like Pixies to Broken Social Scene, to other modern acts like Billie Eilish, ratbag’s identity as an artist is very much in flux. Looking beyond her latest two releases, ratbag promises there’s much more to come from here. The lore of ratbag will slowly be unravelled with each new release, but for now, the only other thing we really know about her is that she isn’t from here, but she thinks you might like her chaos.

Outside of music, ratbag boasts a large following on TikTok where she shares her voracious love of all things of the creative world: sculptures, photography, and fashion abound. Now, she’s slowly introducing the world to her music as well. With over six million likes on the platform for her previous single, the shift is clearly already paying off for the visionary”.

@worldofratbag Replying to @☆ ratbag ☆ ♬ Elevator Music - Lesfm

I am going to finish with NME’s interview. The most in-depth and visually arresting one of ratbag’s career to date, we get to learn more about an artist who is becoming well known beyond her native New Zealand. This is someone who is going to grow from strength to strength next year:

“If you’re a troublemaker and you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you may have been called a “ratbag”. Aucklander Sophie Brown, who now releases music as ‘Ratbag’, certainly had no shortage of the endearing insult. “In New Zealand, it’s a mischievous kid who doesn’t follow the rules, who doesn’t behave,” she explains. “I used to draw on walls, I was that kid unfortunately. I know how to get on people’s nerves.”

Brown has graduated from drawing on walls to drawing on paper, where she’s spent the last two years creating a multimedia fictional band that’s like Gorillaz-meets-Neil Gaiman. There’s Deemo, the towering, lanky red devil who sports a bucket hat, Fritz, a puke-green crocodile-clown hybrid, Slug, who wears a bird mask with a spiky mohawk, and Eugene, a portly beast with a purple octopus for a head. As Ratbag, Brown acts as the frontwoman, singing songs about her everyday life and feelings with the help (and occasional hindrance) of her band.

How did you come up with the idea for the world of Ratbag?

“Two years ago, I would live in bed at night and get bored thinking about my own life when I fell asleep. So I decided to create a world, and I’ve been adding to it almost every night. I’d lie there thinking about new characters, places. I’m writing in my journal or my phone and then going to sleep. The visual side has always been there. All my artwork as a kid was character designs and world building. Everything fell into place when I started making music and it became one world. ”

@worldofratbag

cooper said u should stream my song.

♬ dead end kids - ratbag

How does the band fit into your life beyond music?

“If I were to take myself and split myself into a pie graph, each slice would be one band member. If you gave me an emotion, I’d be able to go – that’s that band member. When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I’ll ask myself, ‘Who’s present now?’

“If I’m tired, Deemo’s gonna be there. If I’m feeling on edge, it’s Fritz. Sometimes they’re all there, sometimes one or two. If I wanna distract myself from something going on around me, I’ll ask myself, ‘What are they doing? Is Deemo lying down, playing bass?’ It’s helpful because it’s recognising how I’m feeling and letting my imagination have a moment. That’s what I love to do.”

So what does each band member represent?

“Deemo [the bassist] represents the wanting-to-be-alone, sad part of me. Fritz is the keyboardist, he represents when I’m feeling frantic. He also represents happiness – he’s present when I’m not sober, let’s just say that. Eugene is the drummer. He represents my anger and frustration, with myself or what’s going on around me. And Slug [the guitarist] represents disgust. When I feel gross, like I haven’t showered, or mental disgust, he’ll be there.”

What’s your ultimate dream with Ratbag in the future?

“My dream is to have a real life Ratbag village that you can walk through. The food is from the world of Ratbag, all the people like behind stalls are in full monster costumes. You can meet the band, you can meet the you can meet me, there’s like a big concert at the end of the day where I play all the songs. Everything is just Ratbag, you’re essentially stepping into my world – you’re not on planet Earth anymore. That would be insane to me”.

If you have not followed ratbag and you are new to her music, then do make sure that you get involved and rectify that. There will be a lot more releases from this sensational artist next year. If her ratbag moniker suggests an insult or something belittling, the music showcases this very strong, original and confident artist who is primed…

FOR big things.

___________

Follow ratbag

 PHOTO CREDIT: Frances Carter

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/worldofratbag/

TikTok:

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

YouTube:

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

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6v6OE9MQreCmwuAqF0NfzQ?si=buHIKnmwSO-1BBzT0D5VAA

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: The 2023 Rolling Stone UK Awards: The Playlist

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

IMAGE CREDITS: Rolling Stone UK

The 2023 Rolling Stone UK Awards: The Playlist

_________

EVEN though we are…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Vlada Karpovich/Pexels

almost at the end of this year, there is plenty going on when it comes to festivals and award ceremonies. As I am writing this (10th November), the GRAMMY nominees have not yet been announced. That is about to happen. I will do a playlist featuring many of the artists nominated. Some festivals are announcing their line-ups for 2024. I am interested in a new award ceremony that caught my eye. Rolling Stone UK are hosting their first-ever award ceremony this year. It is happening on 23rd November. Ahead of it, I wanted to compile a playlist featuring many of the artists already announced as award-nominated. Here are more details about an exciting event.

“Two years after the launch of the UK edition of Rolling Stone, we’re delighted to announce the first ever Rolling Stone UK Awards, in collaboration with Rémy Martin, live at London’s Camden Roundhouse on Thursday 23rd November 2023.

The night will include live music performances (including a headliner) and the induction of 13 very special award winners into the Rolling Stone UK Hall of Fame, all overseen by a host befitting of the occasion.

Several hundred guests will see music’s top talent pick up their awards, but rest assured that Rolling Stone UK’s presence in print and digital forms and across social will mean that those not in the room aren’t at risk of missing out either.

Darren Styles OBE, publisher of Rolling Stone UK, said: “It’s time. In fact, it’s well past time. The UK waited more than 50 years to become part of the Rolling Stone global family, to be one of 18 countries around the world to have a dedicated edition promoting the output of one of the world’s greatest creative hubs. UK music, film and television is world class and indeed world- leading and – now – has a platform from which to celebrate the artists and the art we make here and share with the world.”

 He added: “I’m delighted, too, in launching the Rolling Stone UK Awards, to be able to team up with Rémy Martin, part of the Rémy Cointreau house of brands. We have so many shared values – a commitment to authenticity, heritage and quality among them – that it’s hard to imagine a better way to toast our award winners than with the world’s finest cognac.”

Rémy Cointreau UK Managing Director Augustin Depardon said: “Teaming up for excellence is part of our DNA, so it’s incredibly exciting for Rémy Martin to be partnering with Rolling Stone magazine’s inaugural awards in the UK this year. The two iconic brands will unite in their shared passion for music at the centre of celebrations, to honour their heritage, pass on savoir-faire and bring people together to create a night like no other.”

Nominations for the awards will begin to emerge the week commencing 25th September, with the winners unveiled on the evening of 23rd November, celebrated in a special Awards edition of Rolling Stone UK magazine published the following morning”.

To celebrate the 2023 Rolling Stone UK Awards, below is a playlist featuring many of the magnificent artists who have been listed and named. It is a welcomed name on the award circuit. It will be exciting to see who walks away with the prizes! If you need a guide to the who’s who nominees, then the playlist below combines…

THEIR magnificent work.

FEATURE: Ceasefire: The Difficult Situation of Artists Taking a Stance Against the Genocide in Palestine

FEATURE:

 

 

Ceasefire

IN THIS PHOTO: Sleater-Kinney/PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Hornbecker

The Difficult Situation of Artists Taking a Stance Against the Genocide in Palestine

_________

IT is easy…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Muaaz/Pexels

for most of to take a stance on social media when it comes to the atrocities happening in Gaza. The Palestinian people being displaced and erased. Even though Israel has pledged a daily four-hour pause in the fighting, it is not enough. The casualties and scale of the destruction is catastrophic! We can all have our say. Even though some say that Israel is protecting itself and is in the right, most (reasonable) people defend Palestine and their hearts are with the people there - and the innocent Israeli civilians who are also affected. It is good that we can mobilise our voices and call for ceasefire. Weather that happens soon, I am not sure. I do think that there needs to be more commitment from our Government when it comes to calling for that. At the moment, there is nothing coming from them. Not wanting to take a political stance or risk offending Israel, it is a cowardly and cruel position to take. Whilst there is this decimation and genocide happening, we are seen to be passive and uncaring! The same cannot be said for those online. Many celebrities and high-profile people have spoken out. Supporting Palestine and highlighted the evil that is being perpetrated. For artists, it is not quite as easy as speaking out and having a say. I think that most artists are with Palestine and want a ceasefire – though there are going to be those who are on the wrong side and will stir controversy. I recently saw a post by The Anchoress about what is unfolding.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

Feeling sick to her stomach, she wondered what to do. That fear and disgust. It is difficult if you have a following online and make comments. I think there is a lot to lose for artists. I guess, when you are passionate, you weigh up what you can afford to lose. In terms of the music community, there are those who are speaking up. An open letter has just been signed by artists who are calling for a ceasefire. That is inspiring! I can understand, for many, it is hard to articulate what they feel and what needs to be done. Feeling powerless and bereft, it is a hard situation where they are appalled by what is happening and yet there is that fear that they may divide people or be attacked. It takes me to Sleater-Kinney. When they recently played in London, as NME reported, they called out what is happening. Took a position and got angry:

“Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein has called for “Palestinian liberation” during a live show in London.

The moment came as the American rock band performed during a live show at The Dome in London last night (November 8) – in what was their smallest UK show in over two decades.

As well as bringing out renditions of fan favourites such as ‘Modern Girl’ and ‘Dig Me Out’, the band also used the show in the capital to share their desire for a ceasefire in the Israel/Gaza conflict.

Speaking directly to the audience mid-way through the show, Carrie Brownstein highlighted the ongoing developments across the Middle East, stating (via Clash): “We want a ceasefire and we want Palestinian liberation and we want peace.”

She continued, urging those in the room to make an active push for “what is right”, stating: “There’s not much we can say right now except that there’s a lot going on, and this is the only chance we have… we’re so fucking lucky to be here, to be alive, so please fight with all your heart for what is right”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna on stage during her current Celebration Tour

If there is this daily pause in the violence, that does not mean things are heading towards a ceasefire. There is still a monumental amount of destruction being wrought on a daily basis! I have seen a load of artists attack Israel and call for peace. It is a difficult situation when it comes to larger artists. The very biggest who have that commercial success and a lot to lose. Some have criticised artists like Taylor Swift for not speaking up. She is not a political artist though, with such a following, is she going to split people and face a backlash. She will support the Palestinian people and decry what is happening…though she has millions of fans and might feel she cannot take a stance. Madonna voiced her opinions about the Israel-Palestine conflict when she played in London recently. Using her voice and platform to send a clear message out, there are many who are speaking up and out. Dua Lipa also recently had made a statement:

“English-Albanian popstar of Muslim descent, Dua Lipa turned to her Instagram handle, to express solidarity with the people of Gaza amid the ongoing war and extend her condolences towards the affectees, calling for a ceasefire in the region.

Sharing a PCRF (Palestine Children’s Relief Fund) fundraiser for the ‘Urgent relief for Gaza’s children’, the ‘Levitating’ singer wrote, “With each passing day, my heart aches for the people of Israel and Palestine. Grief for the lives lost in the horrifying attacks in Israel. Grief as I witness the unprecedented suffering in Gaza, where 2.2 million souls, half of them children, endure unimaginable hardships.”

She continued, “For now, I desperately hope for a ceasefire in Gaza and urge governments to halt the unfolding crisis. Our hope lies in finding the empathy to recognize this dire humanitarian situation.”

Lipa concluded the message with, “Sending love to Palestinian and Jewish communities worldwide, who bear this burden more heavily than most”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa

There does seem to be a split between artists who have addressed what is happening to Palestinians, and those who feel they have to be neutral or not make a stand. That does not suggest a lack of empathy. Many cannot put into words how they feel. Others wonder what the repercussions are of saying anything about a situation that divides people. We want a ceasefire, yet there are people out there who support Israel and feel that they are in the right. I do wonder, going forward, how artists en masse will react. Maybe a charity movement or something where they combine and send this powerful message. I am not suggesting something like Live Aid - though there is enough passion and anger out there so that artists can come together and do something. There are those who have remained quiet or do not want to voice their opinions. I don’t think it is on the shoulders of them to do something. They are entitled to handle and process events as they see fit. As I say, whereas many have said something and attacked what is happening to both Palestinian and Israeli civilians, I do think that there are some major artists who have not voiced their concerns. We will see the conflict coming into music more. I have written about whether artists are activated enough when it comes to addressing war, climate change and other big themes in music. There definitely needs to be music made where ceasefire is called for. Where those in the wrong are highlighted and condemned. It is hard for the biggest artist to potentially risk quite a lot speaking. Even so, given we are talking about humanity and destruction of innocent people, this less political. It is about discussing the genocide that is claiming thousands. If an artist has a stance and opinion, it is important that they voice that – even if it means losing some fans or the label penalising them or trying to ‘defend’ their position. At such a scary and harrowing time, music can change things and heal. At the moment, as many artists as possible need to get involved and stand with Palestine. Let’s hope that this happens more and more…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

AS the atrocities continue.

FEATURE: Wham!, Bam?!, No Thank You, Ma’am! Wave Trough: Are Radio Stations’ Playlists Still Too Tribal, Homogenised and Limited?

FEATURE:

 

 

Wham!, Bam?!, No Thank You, Ma’am!

PHOTO CREDIT: Sound On/Pexels

Wave Trough: Are Radio Stations’ Playlists Still Too Tribal, Homogenised and Limited?

_________

IT was funny…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Brett Sayles/Pexels

tuning into BBC Radio 6 Music recently. I do most days, though there was a song played that garnered a lot of reaction. Chris Hawkins played Wham!’s 1984 song, Everything She Wants. From their Make It Big album of the same year, it is an extraordinary song! You hear this across various radio stations - though it was interesting the reaction that song garnered from the BBC Radio 6 Music audience. A few were sniffy. That same sort of reaction came: “We saved 6 Music for this?!”. For context, BBC Radio 6 Music was threatened with closure years ago. It was saved. One of its distinct characteristics if that it is very broad when it comes to music. In term of time period and genre, it is one of the most diverse and flexile in the country. That said, when a song comes on that might be seen as ‘a bit BBC Radio 2’, that does rub people up the strong way. It seems commercial Pop and stuff that seems a little uncool and for the middle-aged/older listeners is given short shrift. Even though BBC Radio 6 Music is leading the way with its inclusiveness, that reaction to Wham! was interesting. Most listeners loved hearing the song – for a station that does not play that song much. It got me thinking whether radio stations are too restrictive and tribal. Too focused hitting a demographic as opposed given the listener a broad church.

Even BBC Radio 6 Music seems not to play a range of artists who would seem very much them. The likes of Charli XCX, Dua Lipa and Rina Sawayama, perhaps more favoured by BBC Radio 1, are not really included on the playlist of BBC Radio 6 Music – and yet, these artists very much would captivate and appeal to the 6 audience. It is the same with all stations. I can appreciate any genre/period-specific stations would have a tight remit and rigid playlist. BBC Radio 2 caters for a more middle-aged demographic, as does Greatest Hits Radio. BBC Radio 1 has always been for a younger audience (teens and those in their twenties). Even though they have been accused of ageism in the past regarding featuring younger artists, they are starting to address this. Most of the Pop stations like Kiss and Capital seem, again, for a younger audience. None is exclusive for a particular demographic, yet the playlist and vibe does seem to unconsciously suggest that. It is occasions when BBC Radio 6 Music play an ‘unexpected’ song that raises questions around radio stations’ targets and sounds. Why would anyone of any age balk against a great song?! Who care who wrote it and what genre it is?! I have always thought Dua Lipa might broaden to BBC Radio 6 Music – though she is very rarely played. There are acts that are played on BBC Radio 1 that could be on 2; those on 2 that could be on 6; some on 6 that should be on all. I am focusing mainly on the BBC stations, yet it is an issue with every station.

Of course, it would be unwieldly and impossible for any station to include all types of music. They need to forge their own identity and sound. This does usually come at the cost of risk or surprise. Most major radio stations struggle to affect gender balance in terms of their playlists. I also think there is too much predictability across most. This implied snobby attitude from some listeners. That certain artists and genres are inappropriate for that station. Every station is entitled to have their limits and boundaries. BBC Radio 6 Music is not going to start playing a load of Ed Sheeran or Rita Ora. BBC Radio 2 is probably not going to spin IDLES or Sleaford Mods much. There are definite occasions when certain artists are better suited to particular stations. Even so, there is still enough space for all stations to be a bit more adventurous with what they play! That seeming shock when Wham! shows up on BBC Radio 6 Music, for example! It is nice that there is a lot of love for the song/artist you were not expecting to hear. That alone raises the question regarding tribalism and a relative lack of diversity. I guess it can be a hard balance. No matter what you play or omit, there are going to be people who complain. I think, rather than playing it to perceptions of what an age group or audience would like to listen to, it is about having that at the core but throwing in more surprises and left turns. More and more, people will become used to it. I feel audiences are still quite stubborn, resistant and tribal when it comes to their tastes and preferences. So many people are missing out on great artists and songs that really should be on the playlist of their favourite station!

There are opportunities for listeners on most stations to get involved. Whether it is a listener-led mix or requests, that is a moment when you can get a more eclectic mix on stations. Many have their own dynamics when it comes to playlists. It is quite complex. So how does a more youth-orientated station choose who goes on the playlist? This recent BBC article featured someone who very much has an explanation and that knowledge:

“One person who knows is Al Smith.

He's a music programmer who's helped to choose the tunes for some of the UK's biggest youth radio stations over the last 10 years.

It's a big responsibility. What you choose - and sometimes, what you don't - will shape the sound of a station.

So how do you decide?

Al tells BBC Newsbeat the most important factor by far is "understanding what the target audience would enjoy".

For Al, that's anything that appeals to young people.

So how do you get into the shoes of an ideal listener?

It used to be the case that major music labels had a lot of power, having direct contact with decision-makers at radio stations and putting forward their artists.

But Al's noticed a shift.

"Music programmers are pretty open-minded as to where a song has come from," he says.

"Stations will promote unsigned artists if there are other factors that are causing that song to do well".

Step in TikTok. Remember Mae Stephens' banger of a heartbreak song If We Ever Broke Up?

Mae was unsigned and putting songs out on the platform when the track went viral. Within a short time, her song was fast-tracked onto the playlists of pop music stations.

As well as being useful tools for artists, TikTok and other social media mean fans have more power than ever.

It's what Al calls the "democratisation of music."

He explains there are now many places where fans can consume music, including music streaming platforms and YouTube.

This means stations are under more pressure to reflect what fans want in their playlists.

But you can't please everyone.

That's something UK radio stations, including BBC Radio 1, have been finding out recently.

You might have noticed a lot of tweets criticising them for leaving Kylie's Padam Padam off their playlists - even though the song almost broke into the UK top 10.

In a statement Radio 1 told Newsbeat it considers tracks for its playlist "based on its musical merit and whether it is right for our target audience".

It said it makes decisions on "a case-by-case basis".

Al agrees that it's all about pleasing your target audience.

"Some stations aim younger and it may be the view that Kylie isn't the right artist for that," he says.

"Unfortunately, you're always going to make somebody unhappy with the decisions you make.

"There's only so many hours in a day to play songs."

'Debating the playlist'

It's not just station listeners that feel passionately about the songs they want to hear.

In fact, Al says debates among playlisters are common too.

"You get a lot of fiery opinion because one person's potential bias is normally outweighed by somebody else's counter-view”.

PHOTO CREDIT: KoolShooters/Pexels

I have no doubt that radio playlists are more complicated than I think. You do need to have a certain cutoff and degree of concision. I still think that there is a lot of crossover that could happen but is not. Some artists I think should be on my favourite stations that get overlooked. Those who get sniffy and critical when certain artists are played. Every station needs to se their boundaries…but are these too tight and uncompromising? At a time when music is at its broadest and diverse, you still have radio stations who play what they play without considering why it would be good to be a little more bold. Our palettes only expand when we step out of that comfort zone. I am not suggesting radio stations need a complete overhaul and include every kind of genre. Instead, as we saw with that Wham! Example on BBC Radio 6 Music recently, most listeners actually react really positively to a song that would not have otherwise been played. Why should a rare treat not be more of a staple?! There are some incredible ‘youth-focused’ artists who would be welcomed by older audiences. I still feel there are age barriers on some stations. That seems outdated and unnecessary in this day and age. Maybe I am missing something. I think that I am losing out as a listener when stations miss out an opportunities to widen their remit. That battle between what listeners want and keeping that station identity distinct and solid might mean things won’t change. It is obvious nearly every station need to include far more women and non-binary artists. This perception and feeling among a lot of listeners that there are ‘guilty pleasures’ and certain artists that do not belong on their station. That prejudice and narrow-mindedness needs to go! Stations should promote good music, no matter who it comes from. Quality, engaging and diverse music is…

ALL that we want.

FEATURE: Saluting the Queens: Mary Anne Hobbs

FEATURE:

 

 

Saluting the Queens

PHOTO CREDIT: Marcus Hessenburg

Mary Anne Hobbs

_________

EVEN though I have featured…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Mary Anne Hobbs during her All Points East ALL QUEENS set in August 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Anne Hobbs

the magnificent Mary Anne Hobbs before, this point of this series if to salute queens in the music scene. From broadcasters, D.J.s, journalists, label bosses, artists and anyone else making a difference, I am focusing on a very special music journalist in the next part. I may also include some radio colleagues of Hobbs too. I wanted to focus on Mary Anne Hobbs as, though the years, she has been so influential and impactful in broadcasting and the music industry. A tireless champion of new music, she is also a staple of BBC Radio 6 Music. I hope that there are more interviews and spotlights the way of Mary Ann Hobbs next year - as she is a queen and champion of the industry. Without doubt one of the finest broadcasters of her generation, there are so many who look up to her. She recently helped launch the new London College of Fashion building - looking fabulous in the process! – and, through her radio career, she has brought to light so much magnificent music. Turning sixty next year (sorry!), there are still going to be many years to come from this inspiring broadcaster – and I think she will not rest or retire because of her sheer love and dedication to music. I will come to a recent interview with Mary Anne Hobbs.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Mary Anne Hobbs helped to launch the new London School of Fashion building on 1st November, 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Anne Hobbs

I am going to start off with a slightly older one. It is from 2018, in fact. That year, when BBC Radio 6 Music announced line-up shifts that saw Hobbs move to mid-mornings (weekdays), she was part of a Music Week interview. Very much a dream job for her, Hobbs definitely relished the change:

“BBC Radio 6 Music’s Mary Anne Hobbs has told Music Week that taking over the mid-morning slot from Lauren Laverne is her “dream job”.

The move is part of a raft of changes due to come into force in 2019 at 6 Music. Laverne will take over the breakfast show, with current host Shaun Keaveny moving to lunchtimes, while Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie move to the weekend breakfast show.

Hobbs, who currently presents the weekend breakfast slot and a 6 Music Recommends slot, was speaking in the new issue of Music Week, out now.

“They’re really exciting times. Moving forward into 2019, everybody’s got an opportunity to play to their strengths and shine in the new slots,” said Hobbs.

“I’m thrilled to bits to have the opportunity to bring the rich diversity and palette of music I really love and that I’ve championed for a lifetime into the heart of the schedule. It’s a dream job, really.”

Hobbs said the show will be “principally music-driven”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Mary Anne Hobbs captured in 2021/PHOTO CREDIT: Marcus Hessenburg

“What 6 have done is looked at a presenter who’s been very productive in the more shady areas of the schedule,” she said. “A great number of the artists I’ve championed over the years, people like James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, Nils Frahm, Kamasi Washington and Julia Holter, have resonated in the lives of our listeners. This is a chance to broaden the musical palette of the network in the daytime.”

The former XFM and Radio 1 DJ said she believes 6 Music bosses “would like to take many of the elements of the DNA of the programmes I’ve created for 6 Music at the weekends and evenings into daytime.”

Hobbs also promised that, “A great deal of the feature content we do at ?the moment around arts and culture we’ll transpose into daytime, as well as the interviews.” Listeners can also look forward to more live sessions, such as one Hobbs recently helmed for Thom Yorke”.

A huge and loyal champion of women in music (from artists to D.J.s), one of the main reasons I wanted to include Mary Anne Hobbs now is because of her ALL QUEENS initiative. She hosted that event at Field Day this year. It is a stage exclusively for female, non-binary and trans talent. At a time when festivals are still struggling to balanced and not booking enough women, non-binary and trans artists, Hobbs’s salute and inclusive stage is a huge breath of fresh air. Someone always pioneering and embracing queens, she spoke with CLASH ahead of ALL QUEENS going to All Points East in August:

“Summer (pah!) may be winding down, but there are still some huge festivals still to come, not least All Points East, which takes place over two weekends from August 18th to 28th.

Over the last few years, the event has featured some stellar performers, with Gorillaz, Kraftwerk and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds in 2022 alone. This year’s iteration is no different, as the likes of Stormzy, Aphex Twin and the Strokes will rattling the foundations of the buildings surrounding East London’s historic Victoria Park.

The official broadcast partner of the event (for the third successive year), BBC 6 Music will be playing out sets across both weekends, with shows presented by Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova and an Indie Forever show fronted by Steve Lamacq. Yet the centre point of their coverage is the third ALL QUEENS takeover curated by Mary Anne Hobbs. In an exclusive interview with Clash, the radio legend talks us through the recent history of the initiative and why it is so important.

“We hosted the first ALL QUEENS stage as London was just emerging from Lockdown, and it was deeply emotional. I hadn’t played out a festival for 18 months. I was shook with nerves. Mercifully, I had my friend Jamz Supernova on-side, and just to feel her presence with me shoulder-to-shoulder and her absolute belief in the project, was so powerful.”

“Last year, TYGAPAW had visa issues and and wasn’t able get into the UK at the last moment. Rebekah stepped in on the turn of a heel. She agreed to play for us on her one day off in months. Obviously, Rebekah wasn’t advertised, but word of mouth swept the site like a wildfire as she stepped up, and she ripped the field apart.”

“ALL QUEENS is setting a new precedent. It’s a unique platform created to lift-up the world’s extraordinary female artists, producers, DJs, and creatives. It’s no accident that the anarchy symbol ‘A’ is our logo.”

“Everybody knows the gender imbalance is real. It’s a war out there. The discourse is valuable, but my aim is to proactively change the culture. Samantha Moy, Head of BBC 6 Music, trusted me implicitly with ALL QUEENS. The project began as Monday Playlist on my daytime radio show. We added a live stage at All Points East. Then a takeover at fabric in London on International Women’s Day in collaboration with Judy Griffith; all-female DJs, door staff, bar staff, sound engineers and creatives. And now, an ALL QUEENS radio Residency in its second year on BBC 6 Music.”

In addition to the sets by artists (including Effy, Deena Abdelwahed and Ella Knight) other performers such as Corinne Bailey Rae, Elkka, Jessy Lanza and Avalon Emerson are hosting their own 6 Music takeover, as Hobbs explains: “The ALL QUEENS Residency takes place across August on BBC 6 Music. Thursday night into Friday morning 1-2am, plus 30 days at the BBC Sounds App. The shows are new music focused, but my residents have complete freedom to interpret that brief and deploy the airtime in any way they wish.”

As for the sets themselves, Hobbs struggles to contain her excitement: “The artists booked this year cover a vast spectrum of electronic sound, so if you are dancing with us all day, the sound will transform every hour at the stage. For me, it’s a joy to welcome Chloe Robinson as our headliner in 2023. She opened our first ever ALL QUEENS stage as we were coming out of lockdown. I’ve supported Chloe and her label Pretty Weird passionately and watched in awe as her star ascends, so for me it feels like a beautiful full circle moment.”

Looking to the future, the presenter has plans, both next year’s festival and even spreading it’s important message further afield: “I have an A-list of several hundred Artists. I supported Bjork at Bluedot in 2022. She’s a great example of the kind of Artist I dream of booking in future, juxtaposed with one of the most exciting young scratch DJs on earth, Baby B.”

“I’m always looking for opportunities to develop ALL QUEENS, and it would be exciting to propagate internationally. I’d love to take us to Berlin. Hi Tresor. Hi Berghain.”

All in good time. For now, festivalgoers and radio listeners alike can look forward to what is likely to be the highlight of an unmissable weekend”.

I have been a fan of Mary Anne Hobbs for a long time now. Someone always pushing for change and inclusion in the industry, there is no doubt that she is one of our moist important and influential broadcasters. A hugely talented D.J., radio queen and all-round fashion and art icon, there is so much cool, style and passion when it comes to MAH! Long may she reign in the industry! Someone who has been responsible for lifting rising artists to new levels, I can see her staying at BBC Radio 6 Music for many years to come - as it seems she has found her home and calling there. Undoubtedly one of the most distinct and respected voices on radio, I know 2024 will be a busy one where she conquers festivals and brings her D.J. genius to the masses. With ALL QUEENS as this established and essential inclusion to the circuit, I hope more journalists and podcasters share the voice, words and wisdom of the one and only Mary Anne Hobbs. She is one of the jewels of the BBC radio crown! If you have not tuned into her weekday show, then make sure that you do. You will get this blend of all genres. A drive and clear love of the artists she features, it is clear that there is…

SO much love for her out there.

FEATURE: Peaks and Hills: Kate Bush in 2023: A Rare Legacy Artist Always Engaging with Her Fans

FEATURE:

 

 

Peaks and Hills

PHOTO CREDIT: Kate Bush/Fish People

Kate Bush in 2023: A Rare Legacy Artist Always Engaging with Her Fans

_________

PERHAPS I have been reframing this wrong…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Kate Bush/Fish People

when it comes to Kate Bush. She has recently announced that her studio albums are getting reissued. Bush has worked on the design of the vinyl. Each with their own colour and pattern, that has also been bolstered with a special attention to Hounds of Love. That has been reformatted into two separate records. The first is called The Baskerville Edition. This features artwork and illustrations by the Glasgow-based design studio, Timorous Beasties. The album also has a solar-powered flashing LED light. The second new format consists of two boxes called The Boxes of Lost at Sea. Each contains one side of the album and will have their own UV-printed illustration on white vinyl and a battery-powered LED light. I have reworded that from NME’s reporting of the news. It is an early Christmas present for fans. I was pleased when that news was announced, as it is good for artists to keep engaged with their work and fans. Bush knows that there are a lot of new fans coming through that are discovering her work. Whilst she has reissued her albums before (in 2018), there has been nothing like this. Bush really involved with the feel and look of the albums. Collector’s items mainly, this is a good chance for new fans and older ones to purchase these rare and beautiful releases! Even if the Hounds of Love boxes cost quite a pocket and they are going to be reserved to those who have a bit more to splash out, they are still lovely things to see…

I think, at first, I was a bit down on the fact that we were getting pre-exciting work with no news of anything new. Some fans felt the reissues were cash-grabs or there was this cynical move to exploit fans in a way. I don’t think that. Kate Bush would not do that, yet many of us hoped that there would be some news of future revelation. Some glimpses of material that we have not heard before. Kate Bush has not posted a Christmas message to her site yet though, nearer the time, we can all wonder. I guess she will wish for peace in the world and react to the genocide happening in Palestine. More than anything, she will thank fans for their support. She will look back on a very busy 2023! The past two years have been exceptionally successful and busy. Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) stormed the charts and ignited this huge new affection for Bush and her music. This year continued strong. Finally inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (after previously being shortlisted three times), it now seems that the U.S. – slightly indifferent to her work before – have embraced Kate Bush. It has been a couple of years of looking back. Revisionism, nostalgia and celebrating the fact that Bush’s music, however old, was resonating. St. Vincent covered Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Even though she was nervous and some were not sold, it was a loyal rendition from a passionate and life-long fan of Kate Bush. I have been a bit cynical regarding the lack of news of new material – and whether that will ever come. Instead, I feel that it is nice that we get to hear from Kate Bush.

Not only have their been messages (on her website) from Bush. She has been actively creative. Many legacy/legendary artists might not take effort to revisit and revise their back catalogue. They may release older albums but then leave it at that. Bush has gone to lengths to redesign the vinyl of her studio albums so that fans get something fresh. Taking that time to design and think about the personality of each album. I know we all have a wish list when it comes to as-yet-unreleased Kate Bush stuff. A DVD of the Before the Dawn residency may not happen because of technical stuff – the fact there were not cameras on the stage means you get a limited and almost one-dimensional view of the performance -, though many would welcome the album being available via Spotify (it is on Apple at the moment). Maybe some more merchandise could be announced…even though Bush has brought out some new stuff. I also personally hope that one day we get to see some of the earliest material officially released. Those demos and home recordings from pre-The Kick Inside would be embraced by fans. If , that is, Bush signed off. They are truly fascinating. I hope that we get some ‘new’ things in 2024. Whether that is a reissue that we have not been expecting or there is some olde material coming through that has not been heard before, this would welcomed for sure!

It is amazing that Kate Bush keeps active regarding her previous material. That creative spark is still there. Not that this inevitably will lead to new material, although it would be strange if she kept busy with her archive material and wanted people to hear that but was closed off to new stuff. Bush is someone who writes quickly but records more slowly. Whether 2024 reveals Kate Bush’s eleventh studio album or not, we all should be grateful that 2023 has been a very busy one. Lots of success and adulation for her. That Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. The continued growth of her fanbase. More and more people turning onto her work. My hope is that, now Bush has got this new level and layer of fans, radio stations and the media expands their horizons. That she is not associated alone with Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) or Stranger Things. That Netflix show did not ‘make’ her or define her: she was a hugely important and successful artist decades before that. We all need to explore her catalogue more. That is part of the point of these vinyl reissues. Instead of being narrow or sticking with Hounds of Love, take more time to look inside her other nine studio albums. Congratulations to Kate Bush on a remarkable 2023! We are all excited to think of that the next year holds in store. After such a brutal and scary one in the wider world, knowing that Kate Bush is out there being creative and still interested in her own music is a huge source of comfort. Having previously said she never listens to her own work; this has very much changed recently. For all Bush has given us this year, we should very much…

ALL be thankful.

FEATURE: Her Own Kind of Carols: Kate Bush’s 1979 Christmas Special

FEATURE:

 

 

Her Own Kind of Carols

Kate Bush’s 1979 Christmas Special

_________

LOOKING ahead to…

 PHOTO CREDIT: TV Times

the festive season, and there will be a couple of other Kate Bush-related things I am covering. I wanted to spend some time with her amazing BBC 1979 Christmas special (broadcast on 28th December). Called Kate, it is fascinating for a number of reasons. Prime among them is that the songs are not really Christmas-related. In fact, only one song, December Will Be Magic Again, is Christmas-themed. It was released as a single in 1980. Before coming to some features that have their say on a distinctly un-Christmas-like special that has all the oddity, beauty and standout moments one would expect from a Kate Bush T.V. special, the Kate Bush Encyclopaedia provide some details:

“'Kate' is the official name of a Christmas special that was broadcast on BBC television (UK) on 28 December 1979. It was recorded in October 1979 at the BBC's Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingham, England with choreography by Anthony Van Laast. Part of the show - the sequence for The Wedding List - had been recorded at South London's Nunhead cemetery, a 19th-century Gothic cemetery with lots of imposing monuments to eminent citizens of that time. The special was a mixture of pre-filmed sequences, dramatic in-studio setpieces and a handful of straight performances behind the piano.

Track listing

The special consists of the following songs:

1. Violin

2. Gymnopédie No. 1

3. Symphony In Blue

4. Them Heavy People

5. The Angel Gabriel

6. Here Comes The Flood (Peter Gabriel)

7. Ran Tan Waltz

8. December Will Be Magic Again

9. The Wedding List

10. Another Day (with Peter Gabriel)

11. Egypt

12. The Man With The Child In His Eyes

13. Don't Push Your Foot On The Heartbrake”.

You can read this feature that lists all the songs Kate Bush performed for that Christmas special. Eclectic and colourful, we get a mix of emotions and styles through the show. Tracks were pre-recorded live so and perform to an empty audience I believe (the applause and cheers were added). It must have been quite an odd experience recording a Christmas set with few baubles, decorations, signs of the season etc. Regardless, I think of Kate as an essential Christmas broadcast. A wonderful and unique set that sees her sing with Peter Gabriel and premiere songs that would appear on Never for Ever (1980). For those who did not get a chance to see her during 1979’s The Tour of Life, it was a scaled-down and more modest version of that sort of set and experience. This 2020 article gives us some background and backdrop to the 1979 Christmas special:

“It’s been hard out there for Kate Bush fans. Since the genius “Queen of British Pop” retired from touring in 1979, public appearances have been few and far-between. She found the machinery of pop-stardom a hindrance to her process, and she’s been busy with other things, she says. “Every time I finish an album, I go into visual projects…. So I started to veer away from the thing of being a live performing artist, to one of being a recording artist with attached visuals.”

Fans are not entitled to her presence, but Kate Bush was sorely missed in the 35 years between her first tour and her 2014 “Before the Dawn” residency at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. Before returning to the stage, she kept herself in the public eye with elaborately costumed music videos, a format perfectly suited to her theatrical and cinematic ambitions. (Asked by an interviewer in 1980 what she wanted to do next, she answered, “Everything.”)

But then there’s the Kate Bush Christmas Special, “titled simply Kate on-screen,” writes Christine Pallon. The program, which “aired on the BBC on December 28th, 1979,” followed on the heels of the Tour of Life, the whirlwind debut concert series that promised, but did not deliver, so many more. “The Christmas special’s choreography borrows heavily from that tour. But where she sang live on the Tour of Life, she lip-syncs to pre-recorded tracks here and incorporates pre-recorded video segments. As a result, the Christmas special plays out more like a crazy, longform music video than a traditional stage show.”

Does Kate Bush sing Christmas songs? Does she sit on Santa’s lap? Does she mime, arms akimbo, before the yule log?

Does she lounge on a piano next to a Golden Age crooner?

C’mon…

Okay, she sings one Christmas song, “December Will Be Magic Again,” an original released as a UK single that year. The song pays earnest homage to traditional Christmas figures like Bing Crosby, Saint Nick, and Oscar Wilde before Kate turns into some kind of strange Santa-like being who drops down on “the white city” in a parachute to “cover the lovers.”

Otherwise, the Christmas Special draws on Bush’s first three albums. In addition to her entourage of dancers and backup lip-syncers, she also invites a special guest—Peter Gabriel, of course (who might just as well be called the male Kate Bush)—to sing his “Here Comes the Flood” and duet with her on the extremely downbeat “Another Day.”

Christmas spirit? Who needs it? This is Kate, answering the age-old question, Pallon writes, “what would happen if the BBC gave a Christmas special to an incredibly ambitious 21-year-old art rocker who also smokes a ton of weed?” See the full tracklist, with timestamps, just below. Enjoy, and Happy Kate Bush Christmas Special Day!”.

Like The Line, the Cross and the Curve of 1993, Kate is a minor entry in the Kate Bush cannon that divides people. It would have been interesting hearing her tackle some Christmas carols/songs in a more wintery setting. I feel the point was less about embracing Christmas; perhaps more about ensuring that she was featured on the Christmas schedule. So that her own music would be the priority. I will come now to a 2021 article from Far Out Magazine. They provided their own take on a fantastical and quite unusual live experience from Kate Bush in 1979:

“Featuring just one recognisably Christmassy song, it is a mind-bending theatrical odyssey that sees Bush perform a range of tracks from her first three albums, with a rendition of Erik Satie’s ‘Gymnopodie No. 3’ thrown in for good measure.

By the time Kate Bush sat down to write ‘December Will Be Magic Again,’ she was in the middle of recording her third album Never For Ever, a record which would land Bush such hit singles as ‘Babooshka’, ‘Breathing’, and ‘Army Dreamers’. Despite the tepid reception of her sophomore album Lionheart, she’d managed to win back her fans with her spectacular Tour Of Life concert tour, which was praised for its originality and spectacular visual appeal. Having been forced to turn down a slot supporting Fleetwood Mac on their Tusk tour, it was clear that Bush was in the midst of one of the busiest and most creatively rewarding periods of her life, and she wanted more.

So, when she was invited to host her own TV Christmas special in 1979, she jumped at the chance. Directed by Roy Norton, the 45-minute performance saw Bush bring the theatricality of her stage show to the small screen, offering her suburban-bound teenage fans the chance to see her in action. From the moment she jumps into the frame, dressed like some chiffon-clad bat, it’s clear Bush has no intention of offering us any of the wholesomeness of the Morecambe and Wise Christmas specials – rather her intention is to thrill us into submission.

Surreal and heartwarming in equal measure, Kate: Kate Bush Christmas Special 1979 is a wonder to behold. As well as containing some hilariously overblown choreography, (including the moment in ‘Them Heavy People’ when one of Bush’s dancers breaks a glass bottle over her head) it also features a couple of amazing cameos, including one by Peter Gabriel”.

I wonder if Kate will ever get a DVD release of an HD remaster. I still don’t think we get the sort of love aimed at the T.V. special as it deserved. It is a rare occasion where we get this complete live set from Kate Bush on film! Apart from this, one has to search YouTube and other sites to witness her very much in her element. There are a lot of highlights from the 1979 special. Alongside her performance of December Will Be Magic Again, Bush performing with Peter Gabriel on Another Day is another spine-tingling highlight. The Cut discussed a magnificent entry in the Kate Bush annals. Something I would urge people check out if they have not watched it:

“It all starts innocently. A heavenly pitch fills the room as green cartoon hands and red text animate the screen. Is this the voice of an angel? As the titles fade out and the stage lights come on, we see Kate dangling from the ceiling — not as the Christmas cherub we first envisioned, but as a gothic bat rising from the abyss, clad in black sequins and plush feathers. As the opening salvo of “Violin” comes to a close I begin to wonder if this was actually meant to be a Halloween show. (After all, parts of the taped performance were filmed in a South London cemetery).

The next 40 minutes of Kate’s festive fever dream veer from the chaotic to the surreal to the just downright horny. In one scene, Kate, only 21 at the time, looks everything like the Victorian ideal of the virtuous woman as she plays an emotional andante called “Symphony in Blue” at the piano. Her figure shimmers in a sparkling silver cardigan and emerald-green skirt. But just as we settle into the moment, Kate peers at the camera, a twinkle in her charcoal-lined eyes, and seductively chirps, “The more I think about sex, the better it gets.” Not exactly the family-friendly content you’d expect from a holiday show!

I’ve watched this special dozens of times since I discovered it on YouTube years ago. I had always been a Kate Bush fan. Many of the artists I grew up listening to — like Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, and Big Boi — had cited her as a musical influence. But I didn’t fully start to appreciate her dazzling panache until I entered my 30s. Like many women, I found myself exhausted from trying to “have it all” and stretching myself to meet everyone else’s expectations. And here was Kate, a total unapologetic weirdo, being celebrated and revered for letting her freak flag fly. She’s written songs about menstruation and embarking on a steamy love affair with a snowman (so hot, in fact, that he melts). Her maniacal style of pouring tea, as captured in a 1989 BBC interview, has been made into a meme, as has footage of her rather unappetizing vegetarian cooking. And every year fans across the globe gather in parks dressed in flowing red gowns to recreate dance moves from her iconic “Wuthering Heights” music video. Her authenticity is the reason she’s cultivated such a devoted fan base and why her music still resonates after all these years.

The 1979 Christmas special is also significant because in many ways, it’s Kate’s departing gift to fans — a bow atop a year that would mark the end of her concert career for the next three decades. Like anything with the notoriously private singer, the more information I try to find on this special, the more questions I ultimately end up having. Why, for instance, did Kate think it was appropriate to perform a murder-suicide ballad for a holiday show? Who at the BBC approved this to go on air? How does she pop out of a garbage can so effortlessly in skin-tight leather pants? And does she even know what a Christmas special is? Do we?

But this is why I keep coming back to the Kate Bush Christmas special, year after year. The desire to conform to the cookie-cutter — and completely unattainable — Christmas ideal unleashes my inner control freak, but I never stop to ask myself why I want this version of the holidays in the first place.

Even her one Christmas song is a wink to this idea. In “December Will Be Magic Again,” she sings with childlike yearning for the idyllic Christmas. “The white city, she is so beautiful, upon the black-soot-icicled roofs,” Kate coos. It’s a beautiful image, the dusting of pure white snow, falling like the haze of nostalgia to cover the tarnished memories we’d rather forget. But Kate knows it’s a pipe dream. And she gives us permission to let it all go.

Her Christmas special feels especially relevant this year, as normal has never felt more out of reach. It would be easy to give into a collective sense of despair as we enter an uncertain winter. But when I watch Kate roll around on the floor, fake blood dripping from her lips as she gleefully shoots a hole into the chest of her lover’s murderer, I am embraced by the warm comfort that things will be okay. Even if this holiday isn’t what we envisioned, it doesn’t make it any less special — all we need is to give ourselves the space to get a little weird”.

The majestic and, at other times, unusual Kate is something that is essential viewing. Think of it more than a normal T.V. special than a Christmas one and it makes more sense. Fusing studio albums songs, some Peter Gabriel performances, alongside a couple of rarer tracks – Ran Tan Waltz and the as-yet-unreleased December Will Be Magic Again – and you have this wonderfully interesting performance. I do hope there is an HD/4K version of Kate at some point. I think that it is a live special that…

EVERYONE needs to watch.

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: Girls Aloud: Big Hits and Awesome Deep Cuts

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

Girls Aloud: Big Hits and Awesome Deep Cuts

_________

WITH a new…

IN THIS PHOTO: The awesome Girls Aloud (Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Cheryl Tweedy)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

BBC podcast, Where It’s At: A Short History of Girlbands, out into the world, it is very timely considering one of the greatest British girlbands is reforming - whether it will lead to a lot of work or is just a brief thing. Girls Aloud were created through the ITV talent show, Popstars: The Rivals, in 2002. Consisting of Cheryl Tweedy, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh, the group was named the United Kingdom's biggest selling girl group of the 21st century so far in 2012 (4.3 million singles sales and 4 million albums sold in the U.K. alone). The group achieved four number one singles. The group disbanded in March 2013 following the conclusion of the Ten: The Hits Tour. Sarah Harding died of breast cancer on 5th September, 2021. I wanted to mark some very good news for Girls Aloud fans by putting together a playlist with their hits and deep cuts. I will come to that. First, this article discusses a welcomed comeback of one of the greatest girlbands ever:

“Girls Aloud are said to be getting back together after more than a decade apart, and have already shot a music video for a new song.

Cheryl Tweedy, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts have got back together in secret, and have dedicated the new number to Sarah Harding, their former bandmate who died of cancer in 2021 aged 39.

Girls Aloud, who scored twenty consecutive top ten singles in the UK, including four number ones, are one of the country's most successful pop groups of the 21st century.

The group, who have sold 4.3 million singles and 4 million albums in the UK, were formed in 2002 after featuring on talent show Popstars: The Rivals.

They enjoyed seven years of huge success, before going on hiatus for three years in 2009, as members pursued solo projects.

The group came back together to release new music and go on tour in 2012, before splitting in March 2013, amid rumours of feuds.

Revealing the group were getting back together, a music industry source told the Sun: "This has been one of the best-kept secrets in pop, but it’s actually happening now.

"The girls really came back together as friends to rally around when Sarah died, and it repaired some of the old rifts and put things into perspective.

"Suddenly the reunion which had seemed totally impossible for so long just felt a totally natural thing to do — in Sarah’s honour."

The new music video, filmed in north London, is said to see the band members dressed as Wonder Woman.

The source added: "They’ve got a single and a video in the can, plans for a full record of new music, and for the fans the most exciting thing will be a massive reunion tour in 2024.

“It’s going to be huge — and they’re all very excited to be back working together, even if there is a bittersweet element to it.

"Of course, whatever they do, there will always be nods to Sarah’s contribution to the group, too”.

To celebrate the amazing Girls Aloud making new plans and music, I was compelled to assemble songs that showcase the brilliance of this wonderful girlband. They are legends that have inspired a whole new generation of girlbands. It is wonderful that we may see a new tour and video from Cheryl Tweedy, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. A return from Girls Aloud. The girlband queens who, once again, will be…

CALLING the shots!

FEATURE: How I’m Feeling Now: Taking Care of Artists’ Mental Health

FEATURE:

 

 

How I’m Feeling Now

PHOTO CREDIT: Engin Akyurt/Pexels

Taking Care of Artists’ Mental Health

_________

A recent study…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lewis Capaldi recently announced a break from touring to focus on his mental health

got me thinking about all the challenges and difficulties artists face today. Back on 3rd November, Music Week published an interview with Rough Trade's Lawrence Montgomery on  International Stress Awareness Week. He addressed artists' wellbeing. I think a combination of things contributes to mental health struggles. There is that financial side of things. Artists not being able to make enough to live in many cases. Struggling to even break even a lot of times. There is also the pressure to be on social media and get the music to as many people as possible. This, coupled with the fact that the music industry is so competitive and it can be hard to keep optimistic and visible, it is no wonder some new findings are quite stark:

“Preserving mental health can prove challenging in the music industry, with artists up to three times more likely to suffer from depression and other mental struggles, particularly indie performers.

A study found that 73% of independent musicians have experienced mental illness. But why is this the case? And what can artists and the industry alike do to change this?

Here, Lawrence Montgomery, MD at Rough Trade, shares insights on protecting the mental health of musicians including five steps to make improvements…

Why is mental health a problem in the music industry?

The music sector comes with its own set of unique pressures that can become a source of poor mental health in smaller artists.

Financial strain is one of the most significant stressors that can contribute to poor mental health, and it’s hardly surprising, with a recent report revealing that nearly half of the UK’s working musicians earn less than £14,000 per year from a full-time music career and 17% of artists reportedly in debt.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sebastian Ervi/Pexels

This requires many to find additional sources of income, often in the form of a second job, which results in long working days that can ultimately lead to physical and emotional exhaustion.

Pressure is also added to by the unpredictable nature of the industry, as a lack of job stability can weigh heavily on the minds of independent musicians looking for long-term success in music.

A lack of job stability can weigh heavily on the minds of independent musicians looking for long-term success in music

Lawrence Montgomery

Additionally, constant performing and touring can take its toll on emotional wellbeing, as inconsistent sleep, poor diet, and extensive time away from home can collectively damage mental health.

Collectively, these problems can result in declining mental health among artists and is likely a pivotal reason why as many as 64% of musicians consider quitting the industry.

What can the industry do to change this?

Globally, more needs to be done to solve these problems and reduce poor mental health rates in the music sector.

Labels, executives, managers, and agents should proactively work with health organisations to better understand the factors influencing musician’s mental health and the best ways to support them.

For example, Rough Trade is working with CALM to promote awareness of mental health struggles and break the stigma surrounding them.

Access to mental health services and platforms that provide counselling services can help artists feel supported.

Artists should also be provided with more autonomy over their contracts and finance negotiations, as independent musicians – who make up 40% of the music industry – often have little say, which can leave them without adequate income.

How can artists prioritise and protect their mental health?

Although more must be done in the industry to protect the mental wellbeing of artists, musicians must also take steps to prepare for and overcome unavoidable stresses.

Here are some ways that artists can protect their emotional wellbeing…

1 Establish a support system

Musicians should lean on friends and family who understand the industry’s challenges and lean on them for emotional support.

Connect with fellow music industry professionals by joining local or online communities where they can share experiences with like-minded individuals.

2 Set realistic goals and manage expectations

Set clear and realistic short and long-term goals to reduce feelings of failure from aiming for unrealistic targets.

It’s also important to celebrate small wins to boost positivity and mental health and recognise that success can take time in the music industry.

3 Take time to rest

Establishing a routine is key. Structuring time to include dedicated work and rest hours is a great way to minimise stress and create a work-life balance.

Enough sleep, a balanced diet, regular exercise, and setting strict boundaries will help maintain a healthy mindset and prevent burnout.

 PHOTO CREDIT: RF._.studio/Pexels

4 Don’t compare yourself to others

In a digital age, it’s easy to compare yourself to others on social media. But remember, not everything online is true or realistic, and excessive comparison can be hugely detrimental to mental health.

Limit time on social media and focus on yourself and your own goals.

5 Be kind to yourself

Music is one of the toughest careers to pursue and it can be easy to forget your successes in the face of failure.

Remember that success takes time to build and requires a huge amount of time, effort, and sacrifice to achieve. Setbacks and rejections are part of the process”.

It is positive that there are ways to try to manage mental health. Whilst live music itself eases mental health for so many, it is often the artists providing catharsis and relief that suffer badly from mental health struggles. The Music Minds Matter charity offers support and advice for those in the music industry. At such a very stressful, strange and brutal time in the world, now more than ever, the mental wellbeing of artists is paramount. Those who are responsible for producing music that connects and lifts us should be supported. I think a lot of the bleakness you see with those statistics above comes down to the economy. The fact that artists cannot make enough money. With the cost of living being so high, many are also not making enough to ensure that they can pay rent and afford to eat and live healthy. Many incur debt. This only adds to the stress and struggle. If major artists like Lewis Capaldi have recently taken time out to prioritise their mental health and find some space and rest, smaller artists might not have that option. In recent years, a range of artists have opened up about their mental health. Helping to destigmatise the subject, Billboard collected together quotes from artists who have spoken about their experiences:

“Ariana Grande

“I know those families and my fans, and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well. Time is the biggest thing. I feel like I shouldn’t even be talking about my own experience — like I shouldn’t even say anything. I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry,” the pop star told British Vogue about suffering from PTSD after more than 20 people were killed in a bombing during one of her 2017 shows. “I’ve always had anxiety. I’ve never really spoken about it because I thought everyone had it, but when I got home from tour it was the most severe I think it’s ever been.”

Grande also spoke out May 2, 2021, in the hopes of ending the stigma surrounding mental health. “Here’s to ending the stigma around mental health and normalizing asking for help,” Grande captioned a mini gallery of text slides, which included numerous resources. “Healing isn’t linear, fun, quick or at all easy but we are here and we’ve got to commit to making this time as healthy, peaceful and beautiful as possible. the work is so hard but we are capable and worth it. sending so much love and strength.”

Billie Eilish

The young superstar might be on top of the world professionally, but her newfound fame led to depression and suicidal thoughts, she told Gayle King ahead of the 2020 Grammy Awards. “I was so unhappy last year … I was so unhappy and I was so, like, joyless. I didn’t ever think I would be happy again, ever,” she said. “I don’t want to be too dark, but I genuinely didn’t think I would, like, make it to, like, 17.”

Charli XCX

While promoting her self-titled third album in 2019, the singer-songwriter opened up about her mental health. “[I go into] my thoughts and feelings about my mental state and what life is supposed to be as an artist, my depression, and my insecurities,” she told SPIN about using her music to candidly explore her mental health, and how that has impacted her record. “I’m being more honest than ever before. It’s been very therapeutic.”

Halsey

The artist shared in Billboard’s March 2016 cover story that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder while in high school, and spent weeks in a psychiatric hospital her senior year. “I had tried to kill myself,” said Halsey, who is also a mental health advocate. “I was an adolescent; I didn’t know what I was doing. Because I was 17, I was still in a children’s ward, which was terrifying.”

In May 2020, the “I Am Not a Woman, I’m a God” singer participated in YouTube’s Artist Spotlight Stories, during which she did a deep dive with Dr. Snehi Kapur for Mental Health Awareness Month. During the discussion, the Grammy nominee also shared her mantra: “Achieving mental health doesn’t happen. Mental health isn’t a destination. You never arrive at mental healthy and go, ‘OK, I’m glad I got here.'”

She has also been outspoken for people to be more understanding of those who struggle with mental health issues. In July 2020, she tweeted: “I have dedicated my career to offering education and insight about bipolar disorder and I’m so disturbed by what I’m seeing. Personal opinions about someone aside, a manic episode isn’t a joke. If you can’t offer understanding or sympathy, offer your silence.”

James Blake

“It’s especially easy to poke fun at the idea that a white man could be depressed. I have done it myself, as a straight white man who was depressed. In fact, I still carry the shame of having been a straight white man who’s depressed and has experienced suicidal thoughts,” the artist wrote in an essay in It’s Not OK to Feel Blue (and Other Lies). “I also believe everybody is entitled to pain, no matter how perceptibly or relatively small that pain is. I don’t want the shame around depression and anxiety in privileged people to become worse any more than I want it for the marginalized”.

I think that we all owe artists so much. They have been so important to all of us. It is a tough industry to survive in, let alone flourish! With it being incredibly difficult for so many artists to make money and sustain a career, we are seeing a wave of mental health issues. A crisis that is impacting the industry, the fact that awareness is being raised is a good thing. With money and its stresses causing a lot of damage, there does need to be some sort of intervention and assistance from wider afield. So many venues are closing down. Streaming sites not paying artists enough. The cost of living maybe mean fewer people can go to gigs or buy merchandise. There are so many artists coming through, often there is so much competition for spaces – and, with venues closing, more people are vying for fewer spaces. It is a really bad time if you want to succeed as an artist. That sounds bleak, though there are shoots of light and promise. In the second mention in as many weeks, Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual provides invaluable guidance and advice. Not only does mental health struggle need to be normalised and fully accepted. I feel there does need to be more financial and therapeutic aid for those in the music industry. Such a tough field to survive in, it is devastating when we have to loss artists. That talent leaving the industry is really notable and heartbreaking! There are, as we saw from that article/interview at the start of this feature, ways the industry and artists can help. It will not solve all the issues like finances and earnings, though there are steps that can be taken to ensure that there is adequate support and awareness. It is only fair that so much is given to the artists and those in the music industry who…

GIVE so much to us.

FEATURE: Streaming Bifurcation: Could Major Artists Earning Millions from Spotify Get Behind An Initiative That Redistribute Wealth to Smaller Artists?

FEATURE:

 

 

Streaming Bifurcation

PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels

Could Major Artists Earning Millions from Spotify Get Behind An Initiative That Redistribute Wealth to Smaller Artists?

_________

THERE is this vast gulf…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift performing during her Eras Tour/PHOTO CREDIT: Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York Times

between huge artists who can command enormous money from a single album or viral hit. Some of the biggest artists in the world like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift get millions of streams for singles on Spotify. Their albums can get giant numbers. Whilst they do not earn megabucks and can retire after a single album, there is no doubt they have made millions alone from the site because of their success. One can look at someone like Taylor Swift and the millions of streams her songs will get. I have enormous respect for her and she is deserving of all the success she gets. As she is a billionaire and someone whose wealth will continue to rise, I wondered whether any central pot or vault could be put onto a site like Spotify where a percentage of her streaming earnings go in. That she can donate to. Think about artists who stream hundred or thousands for their songs. They put so much hard work in but, when the year is out, what does that amount to?! For many, we are talking a few dollars or pounds. It is a very meagre sum for quality music that has reached as far as it can go. Hugely successful and established artists will always have this instantly receptive audience that will stream her stuff. She donates to charity and is worthy of her money. That said, at a desperate time when so few artists can earn a living from touring and rely to an extent on any pittance from streaming sites like (but not exclusively) Spotify, there must be a solution that can work where the earnings gap is reduced.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Keira Burton/Pexels

Of course, it is not incumbent on artists who earn a lot through streaming sites to solve an issue that is caused by the sites themselves! Rather than it being an obligation, it is a redistribution and nice thing to do so that there is some – if not massive and hugely significant – reapportionment of wealth. As it stands, we can see the gigantic earnings gulf between the very biggest artists and pretty much everyone else! Naturally, when we say that, it is clear that platforms like Spotify need to do a lot more. This has been an issue for years now. I think they could raiser their subscription rate too. I pay £10 for full access. It seems like very little to have access to a whole library of albums, songs and podcasts. I, alongside many others, would happily double that pledge and monthly fee if it meant that more artists got more money! This urgency to ensure that all artists are paid – and paid more – comes after some devastating plans from Spotify that heaps misery on artists whose songs do not do big numbers:

“Last month Music Business Worldwide broke the news that major changes were coming to Spotify‘s royalty model in Q1 2024. The most controversial of those changes? A new minimum annual threshold for streams before any track starts generating royalties on the service.

At the time of our report, we couldn’t confirm a precise number for this minimum threshold. Now we can: It’s 1,000 plays.

The news was first nodded to by a guest post from the President of the distribution platform Stem, Kristin Graziani, published on Thursday (November 2).

PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels

MBW has subsequently confirmed with sources close to conversations between Spotify and music rightsholders that 1,000 streams will indeed be the minimum yearly play-count volume that each track on the service has to hit in order to start generating royalties from Q1 2024.

We’ve also re-confirmed Spotify’s behind-the-scenes line on this to record labels and distributors right now: That the move is “designed to [demonetize] a population of tracks that today, on average, earn less than five cents per month”.

Five cents in recorded music royalties on Spotify in the US today can be generated by around 200 plays.

As we reported last month, Spotify believes that this move will de-monetize a portion of tracks that previously absorbed 0.5% of the service’s ‘Streamshare’ (i.e. ‘pro-rata’-based) royalty pool.

Spotify has told industry players that it expects the new 1,000-play minimum annual threshold will reallocate tens of millions of dollars per year from that 0.5% to the other 99.5% of the royalty pool.

In 2024, Spotify expects this will move $40 million that would have previously been paid to tracks with fewer than 1,000 streams to those with more than 1,000 streams.

PHOTO CREDIT: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

One source close to the conversations between Spotify and music rightsholders told us: “This targets those royalty payouts whose value is being destroyed by being turned into fractional payments – pennies or nickels.

“Often, these micro-payments aren’t even reaching human beings; aggregators frequently require a minimum level of [paid-out streaming royalties] before they allow indie artists to withdraw the money.

“We’re talking about tracks [whose royalties] aren’t hitting those minimum levels, leaving their Spotify royalty payouts sitting idle in bank accounts.”

MBW itself nodded to Spotufy’s new 1,000-play threshold in a commentary posted on Thursday entitled: Talking “garbage”: How can Spotify and co. sort the dregs of the music business from the hidden treasures?

In that MBW Reacts article, we referenced comments made by Denis Ladegaillerie, CEO of Believe – parent of TuneCore – made on a recent podcast interview with Music Business Worldwide.

Ladegaillerie specifically expressed disagreement with the idea of a 1,000-stream monetization lower limit on music streaming services.

He said: “Why would you not pay such an artist [for getting less than 1,000 streams]? It doesn’t make any sense”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels

As it stands, we have only a select few artists who can make a lot of money from streaming platforms. Even if many other artists do make some money, the reality is that it is very little. There is this unfair competition where the biggest artists are going to keep learning and expanding their wealth, whereas so many smaller acts are going to struggle. Many coming through need platforms like Spotify for visibility and get their music heard. They also need to earn money and continue to make music. I think it is only fair that there are options explored so that all artists earn more than they do. As I suggested, many a Robin Hood-style redistribution from the richest to everyone else would create some short-term relief. It is almost like a literal flood in some way. The digital stream breaking and engulfing struggling artists. Maybe the tidal wave of success that mainstream artists gets compared to the drought that other artists experience. I shall drop the water imagery…though my point is that there could be this bifurcation where incredible capital earned by the most commercially successful artists put something into a central location or Spotify ‘vault’. There is then a redistribution where most other artists can share that. It does sound ambitious and idealistic, yet we have come to a time when there are calls for something to happen! With Spotify seemingly more determined to make it an elite platform where the richest and most bankable can succeed and profit and everyone else seemingly should be grateful that their music is on the site! It would not be a notable financial loss to any of the biggest artists if they were to agree to a small percentage of their streaming revenue gallantly and altruistically, than that can be shared among other artists. When so many artists are finding touring tough and not earning much from it, streaming profits are very low for them – which means that their sources of revenue shrinks. Streaming sites that make huge profits each year need to do more to ensure that people who upload tracks there are compensated and get much more than they do at the moment. I think that we all can agree that it is…

PHOTO CREDIT: Jovan Vasiljević/Pexels

THE least that they deserve.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Towa Bird

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Interscope Records

Towa Bird

_________

FOUR incredible singles have come…

from Towa Bird this year. The most recent, Drain Me!, was released in October. The Hong Kong-born singer-songwriter is an amazing name that should be fimrly on everyone’s tongue! I think that she is someone who will have a phenomenal 2024. I am going to come to some interviews with Bird. Here is someone who is writing extraordinary queer love stories for the ages. Towa Bird has already won some hugely popular fans in the form of Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish. I will come to interviews so that we can learn more about her. Earlier this year, Udiscovermusc.com highlighted a wonderful artist who shared an incredible debut single. One that made an instant impression:

“Rising singer-songwriter Towa Bird has shared her explosive debut single “Wild Heart” – an attention-grabbing first taste of a wider record to come.

“I could smoke you out/For fun in my leather vest,” the Hong Kong-born artist sings in the juggernaut chorus. “I love you till the death/You’re a bullet in my chest.”

The single was produced by Thomas Powers from the New Zealand indie-pop band The Naked And Famous, with Powers serving as Bird’s main collaborator on her upcoming album.

“It’s energetic and bold, but also incredibly vulnerable and soul-baring — more of that to come,” Bird said in a press release. “The song is about personal growth within my romantic relationships and addresses my past self and actions I’ve taken. I’m personified as a reckless cowboy who meets a girl, gets caught in her grip, and — to his surprise — becomes completely devoted to her. It illustrates the person that I once was and the person I’ve grown into not nearly perfect, but definitely not as much of an asshole.”

Although born in Hong Kong, Bird – who is half-Filipino, half-English – spent much of her childhood in Thailand and London. She began playing guitar at the age of 12, honing her skills and technique by strumming along to bands she discovered through her father’s record collection, like The Kinks and The Who. She formed her first band at 14 and cut her teeth playing dive bars and street festivals in Hong Kong before attending Goldsmiths, University of London.

After two years at the university, she dropped out and focused on music instead, getting her start producing and co-writing for other artists. At the same time, Bird was sharing videos of herself soloing over hip-hop, pop, and R&B songs – something which garnered the attention and admiration of the likes of Willow Smith and Tyler, The Creator.

Bird’s debut album – whose title is yet to be announced – is due for release later this year and will find the exciting young artist offering up an intimate exploration of queerness, identity, and the complexities of love”.

I am picking various sections out of particular interviews. Hopefully it helps paint a picture and broader impression of Towa Bird. The best proof and hit comes from listening to her music. I have put some links at the end regarding where you can find and support her. I am looking forward to seeing whether 2024 sees a Towa Bird E.P. or album - it does seem more than likely. NME have featured Bird a couple of times this year. The first, back in May, reacted to the growing love for an immense and supremely talented musician:

“NME: It was a Jimi Hendrix documentary that partly inspired you to start making music. What was it about that film that struck a chord with you?

“I think seeing how Hendrix expressed himself on stage was the main thing. Live shows drew me to music in the first place, and being able to be a personality on stage and show parts of yourself that people don’t get to see when you’re just having a conversation with them. I think that I present as a generally calm person – or at least that’s what people have said about me – but when I’m on stage I’m like the complete opposite. So it’s nice to be able to have that side of who I am and get a moment to express myself. Watching Hendrix do that – set his guitar on fire and just do crazy stage stunts while also keeping a beat and having the audience engaged – was really inspiring, and just filled me with so much energy.”

Did you need an outlet for that energetic side of your personality when you first started playing live?

“Yeah, I think I’ve repressed that side for a really long time. I wanted to be seen as quite cool, collected and put together – but I don’t think anyone is really cool. We all have sides of ourselves that are completely unravelled and very intimate, and I think performance, songwriting and music in general is a way for me to access that and break down the wall that I’ve built so perfectly.”

You’ve previously worked on other people’s projects as a producer, songwriter and guitarist. What have you learned from working with other musicians that you’re now bringing into your own music?

“There’s a lot of stuff. I think playing with Cassyette, for example, and just watching her on stage – she’s such a lovely person, so charismatic and so in touch with herself, and that really comes across in her performance. It’s so natural, and I really enjoyed playing with her for that reason because it just felt so authentic and she sings like a motherfucker. Being able to watch that every single night and it be consistently great was really inspirational for who I want to become on stage”.

You also have a full album on the way. What can you tell us about the rest of the record?

“There’s so much excitement there and so much energy. We’re kicking the door down with ‘Wild Heart’, which is ridiculously fast – 196 beats per minute, which is stupid. So there’s a lot of energy, fun and playfulness, but then it slows down and there’s space, intimacy and vulnerability as well. There’s real pain and real happiness, too. It’s more just showcasing sides of my personality, which I’m really excited to start sharing with people – more dimensions of me”.

I will wrap up fairly soon. In September, For the Punks spotlighted the fact that Towa Bird was embarking on a new chapter in her musical story. Such an arresting and fascinating artist who is growing stronger with every song that she puts out:

“Towa Bird has become synonymous with her guitar. The musician found her love for the instrument through the classic rock music that her father showcased. That ultimately led her to pick up the dusty guitar that sat in her living room when she was just a child. Since then she has had a love/hate bond with it, noting that she even stopped playing for four years. “It is just that, it is like a relationship. You have to put in the hours and you have to put in the time or else it is not going to serve either of you. It is a lifelong relationship.” Her recent songs use the guitar not only to highlight her music influences, but also as an extension of herself. Vocally the tracks are soft and tender so the instrument brings in a rugged layer to fully embody Towa’s defining character traits.

The latest single “This Isn’t Me” was written based on the singer’s experience at Paris Fashion Week. Examining her place in the entertainment world, the song touches on the feeling of loneliness as a result of being surrounded by people who don’t have the purest intentions. She told us that although she was grateful for the opportunity to have gone to the event, she did feel incredibly isolated during it. In some ways it was a blessing in disguise because when she got back to the recording studio from Paris, she was able to pour her unfiltered emotions onto a page which became this song. Now it’s Towa’s favorite track, especially to play at shows. She said that “Being able to do the arrangement live for it and put it on the stage was the reason why I wanted to put it out so bad.”

Another song that was released earlier this year is “Wild Heart,” which has quickly become a fan favorite due to its upbeat tempo and lively guitar solo. She explained to the press that “‘Wild Heart” was about the way I used to navigate romantic relationships. I used to not respect my partners as much as I do now. And it’s kind of about emotional growth and learning how to respect myself and how to respect other people.” Authenticity is the ingredient that makes Towa Bird’s music so likable. She is not afraid to speak her truth even if it doesn’t always shine the brightest light on her actions. Her goal is to touch on the human experience; the good, bad, and everything in between. Staying true to herself, Towa Bird also openly bares her queer identity in her craft which is especially evident in the music video for “Wild Heart.” When asked about what role her sexuality and identity play in her songwriting Towa said:

“I think it is such a beautiful form of expression to be able to songwrite. To create and draw from real life stories and life experiences and then to make that into a piece of art. I think that is a high form of privilege for me to be able to have. It really solidifies feelings when I.. because when I experience something, to be able to write it into a song really helps to create my mindset around that experience and sort of helps for me to put a lens over what actually happened and be able to introspect and reflect upon it. So like through songwriting it is a wonderful way to learn about yourself and learn how you respond and learn how you feel.”

Something that adds to the visuals of these projects is Towa Bird’s distinctive sense of fashion. In the “Boomerang” video she wears a turquoise sequined suit that features flared bottoms. “Wild Heart” goes a step further by having Towa in an Elvis style glam jumpsuit (another homage to her roots). You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but the androgynous style that the singer has acquired pairs perfectly with the rock n roll aesthetic of her songs. That was intentional on Towa Bird’s part because she views music and fashion in a similar manner:

“I think it’s another medium of expression. Like just as important as music and guitar and lyricism. I think fashion and the way I decorate myself whether that be like through tattoos or like through jewelry or through outfits is just another way for me to be the truest form of myself. It also makes me feel so confident and cool and that’s such a wonderful thing to tap into”.

I am going to come back to NME for the final bit of information. So accomplished and so young, there is so many years ahead for the remarkable Towa Bird! I am pretty new to her work, though I am already compelled to follow her and see what steps come next. She is one of the brightest and most talented artists coming through:

“Meet Towa Bird: 23, four singles out, living the life of a rock star. She’s got effortless glam-rock curls that bob to the beat of her music, and a deep voice that drips over the phone. Every night, she clambers on stage to the cheers of rabid fans, where she’s currently touring the US with breakout pop sensation Reneé Rapp. There, her painted nails dance along the fretboard of the guitar that she plays like butter.

Bird has made good on her sacrifice so far, having released four singles in the run-up to her debut, which she called ‘American Hero’. The title is injected with a healthy dose of irony and self-awareness: “When I think of those two words together, I think of a 6’4 white guy, Captain America – blonde, blue-eyed,” she jokes. “That’s nothing that I represent as an androgynous queer person. I am the anti-American hero, but because I’m an immigrant, that almost makes me an American. I’m sharing parts of my life I’ve never told anyone before; because I’m being vulnerable, I’m almost a hero.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Alanna Taylor for NME

So far, Towa Bird has released four snippets of the album. There’s a slew of lovesick anthems ranging from the fabulously carefree (‘Boomerang’) to the rambunctious and sexy (‘Drain Me’). There’s also Bird’s first single, April 2023’s ‘Wild Heart’, which is so catchy it sounds like it’s straight off a noughties British teen romcom soundtrack. But there’s also space for the more anxiety-riddled ‘This Isn’t Me’, inspired by Bird being thrust into her entirely new world, bursting into a dreamy Phantogram-esque chorus. There’s even some impressive guitar tapping thrown in right at the beginning, just in case you doubted Bird’s abilities.

Along with her relationship with Liv and her new, unfamiliar environment, Bird’s north stars for the album were “being a personality on the stage” and “the guitar”, her eternal love. “I wanted to make an album that would feel good to play live and that the crowd will love,” she says. “I have written a lot of my choruses with a crowd in mind.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Alanna Taylor for NME

To do so, Bird enlisted the help of Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith from Kiwi indie legends The Naked and Famous, who she calls “mentors”. Bird stayed with Powers and wrote nine out of 10 songs with him, spending almost a year in his studio in LA. She also cites Xayalith being an early inspiration: “I remember being young, looking at Alisa: she’s an Asian woman, she’s in rock, she’s got this big voice and she’s powerful. Having the opportunity to write with her was so cool.”

The album’s been kept tightly under wraps, but Bird tells NME to expect “big riffs”, “big beats”, and “a lot of vulnerability and heart”. It’s the first time Bird will be writing about a romantic relationship, something which she says is “surreal”. Bird’s latest single ‘Drain Me’ is a nod to steamy lesbian sex: “Tip of my tongue/Sweet and sour/Back of my car/In the shower”.

“To me, I was just writing love songs,” she says. “You don’t hear that many songs about queer sex like that. It’s my sense of normal, but I suppose to the outside world, it represents much, much more. So in a way, I’m happy I can be that representation, that I can put out a rock song about lesbian sex.” However, Bird also teases that there’s some “mid-tempo, slow jams” on the record: “I’ve saved the more vulnerable songs for last so people can hear the whole project.” Bird wants to use her experience growing up in disparate cultures to create a queer love story for the ages – and ultimately, for her to connect with people who might not know her yet. “I want people to dance to it, I want them to cry to it. I hope it evokes the same amount of emotion that I have, but I also hope people can feel my heart in it”.

An artist I can emphatically recommend people check out, the astonishing Towa Bird has coming near the end of a successful and amazing year. With such strong and distinct music out there, it is clear she is primed for great things. 2024 offers and promises special rewards for a songwriter that should be on your radars. Make sure you follow her. As many publications prepare their lists of ones to watch in 2024, it is obvious that Towa Bird should be…

ON all of them!

____________

Follow Towa Bird

Official:

https://www.towabirdofficial.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/towabird/

TikTok:

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

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/towabirdd

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Yq3rS7K1SQKqjMOHXpqqt

YouTube:

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

FEATURE: Some Moving and Emotional Words… Victoria Canal’s Recent Instagram Post Describes the Ups and Downs of Modern Touring

FEATURE:

 

 

Some Moving and Emotional Words…

IN THIS PHOTO: Victoria Canal 

Victoria Canal’s Recent Instagram Post Describes the Ups and Downs of Modern Touring

_________

I was caught by and struck…

by a recent Instagram post from Victoria Canal. It was a touring confessional that Canal was going to delete. Although she ends on a high and looks ahead to a big your and some great dates, she also mentioned how there are definite lows and realities that artists have to face. A truly brilliant and inspiring artist that everyone should check out, I do think that her success and the demand that has come for her music has led to this live schedule being packed and expansive. Canal was presented Rising Star award at the 2023 edition of the prestigious Ivor Novellos. The award win, as she said, was important:

"For the first time, I'm trying to talk about it in a way that makes me feel like I have ownership over it."

Victoria Canal has just received the Rising Star gong at the Ivor Novello awards, becoming the fourth consecutive female songwriter to do so.

The 24-year-old was born with one arm, and she tells Newsbeat music helps her "process" her disability.

"I think I've been navigating the whole 'having a limb difference as someone on stage thing'."

German-born Spanish-American Victoria recently shared a vulnerable song about having a disability.

She describes "old wounds and trauma" having an impact on her "for a very long time", but says she's writing about it "in a way that is helping me let it go".

"I don't think there will be a day where I get over it," she says.

"But at least saying it out loud helps me understand that not I'm not the only one feeling that way.

"And it feels very empowering."

The Ivors, as they're known, are the awards the most musicians want to win, because they recognise achievement in songwriting, rather than pure commercial sales.

And Victoria says being recognised at the Ivors - which also saw Raye and Harry Styles win awards - is a special feeling.

"It recognises craft in a way that I think other award shows don't do, specifically for songwriting”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Amanda Fordyce for The New Yorker

One thing I loved about Victoria Canal’s Instagram post was that she was very honest about touring and its downsides. She loves her fans, yet there are travel and economic issues that make it very hard. The cramped travel conditions and the stress and energy that is expanded and impactful when you perform all around the world. Canal talked about crammed sleeping spaces and that inevitable toll on the body and mind. It is not a new thing. Artists are discussing mental health and the fact that touring is difficult. Artists rarely making a profit and able to sustain long tours because of the impact it has on them. I will come back to Victoria Canal. She said on Instagram how she is in a better headspace now, but it was important to share her post. Looking ahead to touring, it is important that artists share the realities of what touring is like. An article from last year focused on Lorde and how she is feeling the economic issues with touring:

“Lorde has discussed the current economic realities of touring in a newsletter sent to fans.

The singer – who has been on the road for most of the tour touring in support of her third studio album, ‘Solar Power’ – is currently in the midst of a string of South American shows, having completed North American and European runs.

“Basically, for artists, promoters and crews, things are at an almost unprecedented level of difficulty,” Lorde wrote in her letter, citing factors like “three years’ worth of shows” occurring simultaneously, global economic downturn, and concertgoers’ “totally understandable wariness” around health risks.

She went on to acknowledge logistical factors such as widespread crew shortages, linking to an article from New Zealand news outlet Stuff about the issue. “Extremely overbooked trucks and tour buses and venues, inflated flight and accommodation costs, ongoing general COVID costs, and truly mindboggling freight costs” were also listed as factors.

“To freight a stage set across the world can cost up to three times the pre-pandemic price right now. I don’t know shit about money, but I know enough to understand that no industry has a profit margin that high,” Lorde continued.

“Ticket prices would have to increase to start accommodating even a little of this, but absolutely no one wants to charge their harried and extremely-compassionate-and-flexible audience any more fucking money.

“Nearly every tour has been besieged with cancellations and postponements and promises and letdowns, and audiences have shown such understanding and such faith, that between that and the post-COVID wariness about getting out there at all, scaring people away by charging the true cost ain’t an option. All we want to do is play for you.”

Lorde went on to say that she’s lucky because profits being down across the board doesn’t pose an issue for an artist of her stature, but touring has become a “demented struggle to break even or face debt” for artists selling less tickets than her – which in some cases, can make touring prohibitive altogether. Such was the case for Animal Collective, who cited economic difficulties for cancelling a recent UK and European tour”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Rahul Pandit/Pexels

It is harder now than ever for artists to make a living from touring. Even huge artists like Taylor Swift struggle and have issues, though they are in a very privileged position regarding finances and their experiences. For the vast majority of artists, there is that mix of pleasure and pain. The discomfort and financial struggles are set against the euphoria and connection you get from that live space. The relationship with the audiences. The chance for your music to be shared and get an instant reaction. I can see why artists are so compelled to perform live and do it in spite of the hurdles and drawbacks. There does seem to be a lot of barriers and heartache. Not making enough money and spending a load getting to see people. Travelling in buses and cars and not sleeping well or comfortably. The loneliness and exhaustion that you feel. Again, all things that have existed for decades, though I feel there is more pressure on artists now when it comes to touring endlessly to make money. This 2015 article revealed the darkness of touring. Here is another feature that reveals the lows and problems with touring today. With Brexit, the cost of living, and people maybe having less disposable income, tied to the fact artists want to be environmentally conscious and still get to see fans, there is so much to think about. It was very brave and important for Victoria Canal to share her thoughts.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Shukhrat Umarov/Pexels

She is in a better place now, yet fans and everyone might think it is all glamour and fun. The reality is, for all artists, there are some real lows and gut punches. Even if ticket prices can be pretty steep, consider what some artists have to go through and how much of themselves – and their own money – they are using to get onto the stage in the first place! It is a real gruelling and hard thing to do (touring as an artist). That said, there are clear highs and positives. You get to be in the same space as the people who support your music. The thrill and phenomenal rush and high you get from performing and being in front of a crowd cannot be matched. Lots of love and best of luck to Victoria Canal – who has some big dates coming up. Support to all artists out there. Again, I would refer back to this invaluable book, Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual by Tamsin Embleton. It is an invaluable guide for artists when it comes to their mental health. That is something impacting so many artists. That desire to please their fans and get their music out there comes with that risk. The psychological impacts together with economic ones can be really devastating. I could not let Victoria Canal’s post go. It did make an impact on me. Her words will definitely resonate with other artists around the world. I am glad that things are better for her now. We do need to shine more of a light on touring and the effect it has on artists that are…

SO very valuable to us.

FEATURE: The Ex-X: Are Artists Today as Bold and Provocative When It Comes to Themes of Sex and Passion in Music?

FEATURE:

 

The Ex-X

PHOTO CREDIT: Ali Pazani/Pexcls

Are Artists Today as Bold and Provocative When It Comes to Themes of Sex and Passion in Music?

_________

EVEN though music has not…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Christina Aguilera/PHOTO CREDIT: Zoe Rain

become completely free of sexual content in music, it is clear that there is not the same degree of boldness and revelation that there was in the 1990s or the 2000s. Think about that first decade of this century. There were some really confident and revealing artists who were very open about their sexuality and desires. Some would say that there was a degree of exploitation back then. Think of artists emerging from that time like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. How much of those images and videos were controlled by the artist?! I feel there was over-sexualisation. That is problematic and is not as common now. Women are still exploited and sexualised by the industry though, when it comes to the nature of sex and sexuality, I also feel they are producing the type of songs that raise the temperature and put everything out there. These really emboldened songs. When it comes to a certain intensity and passion, female artists are leading the way. More and more, they are carving their own narrative and controlling their voices – though a lot of major artists still have labels behind them pushing sex and a particularly provocative image. I guess that opens other questions when it comes to the line. Is the artist having a say regards their images and whether they want to be sexualised?! What is the right balance for our time?!

Things have changed in the past couple of decades. We have mainstream artists like Charli XCX and Dua Lipa who are given strength and confidence to women when it comes to discussing sex and being unashamed and unapologetic. Some terrific Rap and R&B artists who write songs that are sensual and sweat-inducing. Of course, being too explicit and lurid can cause offense and be seen as a way of creating controversy. It is a balance that seems to still be tipping towards the safe and less expressive/sexual. I think there has been a slight decline in terms of the nature of music and lyrics the past five or ten years. Not to say there is more of a focus on passion and love as opposed something more physical and transient. The sexual spectrum is more open now than years ago. The L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community sharing their voices and are being given spotlight in a way that was not visible or permitted by the industry before. It is a much more accepting as broad landscape to the one I grew up listening to. That is a really positive and progressive thing – though the mainstream is not as diverse as it could be when it comes to spotlighting and supporting that community. I am glad that we do not have the same sense of exploitation and lurid interest in artists as there was back then. It applied to women and how the industry represented them. Problematic and often very degrading, I am not sure how many of those major artists could create their own visions and images. That idea that ‘sex sells’.

I am not sure what channels people are turning into, though a recent study showed that teens want less sex in their T.V. and films. I would say one of the issues with film is that sex is not present enough. Not in a real way. Often quite tame and unrealistic, perhaps there are certain films and shows that are too explicit. In general, I do wonder if those people asked are seeking out shows and films that are more provocative and sexual. Look at modern film and, sure, there are those that deal with sex in a bold and realistic manner. I don’t think we live in an overly-exploitative and sexualised age when it comes to film and T.V. Maybe there is so much more music now that, inevitably, things are varied and there is still a lot of artists discussing sex. I think that Pop still has that to a degree, yet there is more of a focus on the complexities of relationships. Artists more revealing about their thoughts and depths rather than something more shallow. Rap and R&B still push things though, similarly, maybe it is less common to see artists of all genders put sex at the front. This is not a prurient desire or itch. I actually feel that film and T.V. has become safe and a little too restrictive when it comes to sex right across the spectrum. This new article argued whether we have seen the death of sex on T.V. Contrary to a recent survey, maybe sex not being portrayed and visualised in a realistic way that often. It is clear many disagree. I think one big change from decades ago is that Pop is less hypersexualised. We have (thankfully) got rid of lads’ magazines and that reliance on smut and ‘pin-up’ artists. It was something that was more aimed at female artists. That need to show them with as little clothing as possible in order to sell and image and, importantly, records.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kylie Minogue/PHOTO CREDIT: Shore Fire Media

It is good things have progressed. If there might not be as much challenging and boundary-pushing songs, artists and videos about sex and the physical, maybe the nature of sex and relationships means that artists are creating something deeper and more fulfilling and positive – as opposed songs that could be seen as quite cheap and dangerous at times. Many modern artists might react to criticism of the past. This 2015 article argued modern music might be more about sex and less about love. Some see modern Pop as too sexualised. Not to focus on women too much. I feel that they were given a raw deal back when. Too exposed and sexualised. Now, we are seeing a crop of young and legendary artists – from Cardi B to Kylie Minogue – who are very much in control of what they are putting down. Maybe I have seen this wrong. Rather than there being a comparative lack of sex and something thrilling in music, artists are going for staying power and pride. Many artists seen as sensual rather than sexual. This debate is more complex and deeper than I imagined. I want to finish with a couple of fairly recent feature that react to the changing face of popular music. How the nature of sex and body confidence has shifted. In a BBC article, Arwa Haider asked whether explicit expressions of female sexuality in Pop really be empowering. It did seem, after a few years of raunchiness being less common from the queens of modern music, there was this new breed of empowering artists bringing it back on their own terms:

“A lot of songs about love are really about lust and desire,” says Davies. “Now, what I like about WAP is that it really doesn’t stop; I totally understand the feeling that ‘men in this field have been so overt in talking about my body, it’s time for me to say something’ – and it’s not just a little bit of ‘hey, I’m going to play you at your game’ titillation. Cardi B has all these different ways of trying to really shove the message home. I still haven’t got my head around the bit with the macaroni…”

While WAP smashes mainstream boundaries, I still find myself questioning who gets the biggest kicks from its boldness, in an industry that remains largely patriarchal

While WAP smashes mainstream boundaries, I still find myself questioning who gets the biggest kicks from its boldness, in an industry (songwriters, directors, CEOs) that remains largely patriarchal; as with Madonna’s Sex and Lil’ Kim’s Hard Core album (1996), the visuals fetishise female flesh (particularly non-white bodies), rather than male objects of desire.

“When Madonna did the Sex book, some people thought: ‘this is so brave, the biggest star in the world baring all’. I just thought, ‘what else have you got to show us now?’” admits Davies. “It reminded me of a time when women would get the dirty joke in before men did. Obviously, women are entitled to talk about their bodies and what they want as much as men, but often, men will choose to react to that in a way that gives them the power.”

At the same time, 21st-Century pop seems to embrace a positively broad spectrum of female sexuality, including creative trailblazers like Janelle Monáe (modelling ‘vagina pants’ in the gorgeous video for 2018’s PYNK) and headstrong young stars such as Sweden’s multi-platinum-selling Zara Larsson – who, at 22, seems wowed that I’m old enough to recall the original release of Like A Virgin. “Pop music is beautiful because it’s a form of empowerment: be who you want to be,” Larsson tells me. “I’ve always looked up to women who embrace their sexuality, and I’ve always idolised strong women with big voices – Christina Aguilera, Céline Dion, Beyoncé. They represented what I wanted to be. Or when Rihanna is singing Sex with Me (2016), I love that she’s addressing the guy, unapologetically.”

Larsson argues that, regardless of the songwriter, just hearing women sing about sex is empowering – although she adds that there have been very contrasting traditions: “Usually, when women sing about sex, it’s like: ‘I wanna feel this’; guys are more likely to express: ‘I’m gonna do this to you’; sex is something being done to you, rather than something you’re part of. When I write songs, my favourite thing to explore is that initial attraction, when you see someone on the dancefloor, and it’s raw lust. That feeling is so fun to write about, and it’s so relatable.”

For another contemporary talent, British singer-songwriter/musician Shingai Shoniwa, fronting a band (Noisettes) and drawing from her African Bantu heritage proved an empowering experience, in advance of her exhilarating solo album, Too Bold (2020). “I’d been making music for a living since I was 16,” says Shoniwa. “Being in a group, playing bass and guitar, I didn’t feel pressure to perform for the male gaze. I was this black girl with natural hair who made my own clothes, and I was confident in the communication of the music – jazz, rock’n’roll, blues, funky house.”

Shoniwa notes that there is still “a whiff of post-colonialism” in the commercial industry: “Every corporate machine is going to encourage black and brown bodies to be hyper-sexualised in pop music, often for a short-lived moment of success, and not to the financial benefit of these women. It means you have this conveyor belt of forgotten female talent.”

“It doesn’t help when we’re not allowed to be positioned if there’s more than one of us,” says Shoniwa, bringing to mind the current much-publicised ‘spat’ between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. “When a lot of female talents know they might only get a year or two in this business, they might think: ‘How am I going to maximise on that?’ We’re talking about ownership of image, of beauty, of curves, of brands. And when I see how a lot of major label artists are signed now, you’re better off being self-funded. Besides Madonna, there are so many women artists that prove you can be sexually empowered without feeling like you have to sexually entertain everyone else.”

In modern pop culture, there should be space for multiple queens – and female solidarity and staying power turn out to be the most provocative moves”.

There have been cultural moments and complications in the past that have forever changed how artists explore sex and sensuality. I want to go back six years to an article from The Guardian. Laura Snapes wrote how songs and artists (male mostly) blurred lines. Talking more about coercion, rape and taking away consent. Together with an industry still overly-sexualising women, it was obvious things had to change. In a modern time when we are hearing so many cases of sexual abuse and assault, is there a fear from artists that they need to hold back when it comes to sex? Can they use their platform to fight against those who take away their rights and consent? In 2023, we still need to be quite careful when it comes to sex in music. The 2018 article from The Guardian discusses a particularly damaging and problematic watershed moment in modern music:

“When Robin Thicke and Pharrell released Blurred Lines on 26 March 2013, they had no idea (or claimed not to) that it would kickstart a debate about rape culture and misogyny in pop . The outraged response to its suggestive lyrics – particularly the refrain “I know you want it” – permanently changed the standards to which pop is held, and the way in which pop itself deals with sex.

That is not to say that sex has vanished from pop since the controversy. Jason Derulo and Bruno Mars are no strangers to objectification; ex-boybanders such as the former One Direction members are still breaking with their clean-cut pasts by letting you know in song exactly how much sex they’re having; while Brit awards nominee J Hus cackles in the face of good taste. In 2016, Ariana Grande released a classic of the form in the admirably brazen Side to Side, about the inability to walk straight after a long night at the coal face.

But pop’s portrayals of sexuality have been complicated – and muted – by an unusually eventful half-decade. Intimacy has been corrupted by technology and anxiety. Female artists are redefining sexuality. Would-be seducers must acknowledge conversations about consent and gender politics. Provocateurs who aren’t progressive are soon rumbled. R&B is grappling with what pleasure looks like when black bodies are under siege from police brutality and cultural fetishisation. And LGBTQ listeners are demanding more than rote heterosexual hook-ups. This immediacy is nothing new – pop has always either shaped or reflected the social and sexual mores of its era – but the outcomes are.

Last year, US critic Ann Powers published Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music, an inspired history of sex in pop. She writes of how rock’n’roll validated teenage desire and liberated girls; posits Robert Plant’s moan and Donna Summer’s gasps as music’s answer to the mainstreaming of pornography in the 70s; and Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson “playing freely within the dreamscape of eroticised fantasy” as a safe outlet for sexuality during the Aids crisis. Female rap and R&B acts in the early 90s – Salt-N-Pepa, TLC – stoked a playful consciousness where safety didn’t come at the expense of pleasure. This segued, however, into the turn of the millennium and the scantily clad, raunch culture of Paris Hilton, MTV’s Spring Break and Christina Aguilera’s Dirrty. Music channels were full of pornified dance-pop videos: the likes of Eric Prydz’ Call on Me or Alex Guadino’s Destination Unknown.

Rina Sawayama is a Japanese-born, London-raised DIY pop star tipped to break out this year. Her slick sound is influenced by mainstream music from the turn of the millennium, “when labels and A&Rs were actively promoting young sexuality through acts like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera”, she says. But that is where the similarities end. “People are more sensitive to manufactured sexuality, especially from female artists.” she says. “If singers are going to talk about sex, then it has to come from the artist; authenticity is important.” She praises the “comfy erotica” of SZA and her track Drew Barrymore: “She talks about the TV show Narcos in the first verse; it’s a perfect Netflix-and-chill song. I think it echoes how millennials – and especially people of colour – want to spend our time, in a safe space with the people we love.”

The gold standard of empowered female pop sexuality is another holdover from 2013. On Beyoncé’s self-titled surprise album, she sang with explicit command about rediscovering her sexuality after the birth of her first child. “Beyoncé boldly proposes the idea that a woman’s prime – personal, professional, and especially sexual – can occur within a stable romantic partnership,” wrote Pitchfork’s Carrie Battan.

But Beyoncé’s next album represented another paradigm shift in how artists – and specifically black artists – address sexuality. Built around images of matriarchy and female solidarity, 2016’s Lemonade was assumed to confront longstanding rumours of husband Jay-Z’s affairs. “But the trauma of infidelity is about much more than matters of adulterous fucking in Lemonade,” wrote MTV News critic Doreen St Félix. “Black women in America are cheated out of spiritual and material things.” Lemonade confirmed the inseparable nature of structural injustice and interpersonal love, St Félix asserted.

In the age of Black Lives Matter and an evidently racist White House, more black artists are confronting these themes. “It’s difficult to express intimacies, or make room for pleasure, when thinking about the body demands facing the many ways it can be diminished, even extinguished, instead of serving as a vessel of joy,” Powers writes. R&B star Miguel was singing straightforwardly pornographic lyrics on his 2015 album Wildheart, but last year’s War and Leisure saw sex newly intertwined with apocalypse; Beyoncé’s sister Solange’s 2016 album A Seat at the Table proposes sex as alleviation from the exhaustion of racial aggression. “I slept it away, I sexed it away,” she sings on Cranes in the Sky. “Artists like SZA, Kelela and Jhené Aiko definitely explore eroticism while also insisting on being introspective and self-reflexive in other ways,” Powers tells me. “They question the mandate for women – especially women of colour – to be sex symbols while insisting on claiming erotic agency”.

There is a lot to consider and balance. With many feeling sex is too evident and there is not enough music about relationships and passion, there is also visibly less sexy and provocative songs in certain genres. I still think it is women that are more prolific and confident when it comes to desire and sex. I am not sure why this is. Perhaps it is that liberation and taking control. Is there a fine line between liberation and objectification? It is a tough debate and sticky subject. I would disagree that there is too much sex in Pop or other genres. The reason I am writing this is because you do not quite see the same sort of striking and memorable songs that really do put it out there. Perhaps radio stations have to censor and limit that. Music videos not as explicit as they were (which can be a good thing). Mainstream artists like Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles talking more about love than sex. Other artists in the mainstream sprinkling other subjects and lyrical angles among songs about sex and desire. In a moment when young people do feel that film and T.V. is too obsessed with sex and there is too much being revealed, is music suffering the same thing?! Is the opposite true?! Artists definitely need to talk about sex and communicate that with their audience. It can be very empowering and powerful if artists do have that frank connection. There is a fear that, in a social media age where there is too much sexualisation and a lack of filters when it comes to young people and sexual content, that music needs to be more responsible. It is a debate and thought that I wanted to open up. Personally, I feel that music is a lot less ‘icky’ and coercive than it was. Women more in control of their voice and image, even if there is still some way to go. Perhaps fewer songs that take risks and do linger in the mind when it comes to the physicality and intensity. Though, all things considered, maybe that is…

THE way things have to be.

FEATURE: Magic Again? Kate Bush’s December 1978 and January 1979

FEATURE:

 

 

Magic Again?

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz 

Kate Bush’s December 1978 and January 1979

_________

THERE are quite a few…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

features about Kate Bush coming in December. I am thinking about 1978. That was her first full year in the industry in terms of releases. Forty-five years ago, Bush would have been looking ahead of Christmas and a break. Spending time with her family and being as normal a twenty-year-old as possible. What was the reality then? What about the January too? After such a busy 1978, there would have been demand and desire for her to capitalise and keep going. How much of a rest did she get? I love looking at 1978, as it was her busiest year. In terms of expectation from EMI and what Bush might have wanted, I feel the hectic schedule of 1978 influenced her decision to tour in 1979 and, with it, assume more say and control. At the end of a frantic 1978, things did let off slightly. There was a little break for Christmas and that period, though she was back into the swing of things in January. I will come to this amazing website that lays out what Bush was doing in December 1978 and January 1979.

Even though singles like Wuthering Heights and The Man with the Child in His Eyes were not really embraced or played in the U.S., there was still intrigue and demand:

“December, 1978

Kate is off to promote in the U.S.A. for the release there of The Man With the Child in His Eyes.December 9, 1978

Most importantly, she performs two songs on the U.S. NBC-TV programme, Saturday Night Live. [This is the only live entertainment programme on U.S. television, and is the most influential programme for the pop music market, as well the most important American showcase for "alternative" music. Kate performs The Man With the Child in His Eyes, seated on a piano, to the accompaniment of veteran rock keyboardist Paul Shaffer; and Them Heavy People, in a raincoat and Fedora hat. Nothing remotely like it has ever been seen on American television before.]

She is invited by Eric Idle, who is host of that edition; and she is visited by Mick Jagger. Paul Simon drops in to watch her performance.

Kate does press and radio promotion and moves on to Canada for more of the same. She is known to have made no other North American television appearances during this trip, however.

Back in England the Kate Bush Club, the official fan club, is formed.

It was quite an important month in many ways. Forty-five years ago this December, Bush was established more of a footing in the U.S. Here, the fan club was set up. Confirmation that she was an artist with a lot of fans behind her! That brief stint in North America is interesting. That Monty Python (Bush was a fan of them and a friend, particularly with Terry Gilliam) connection and Eric Idle asking Kate Bush to perform. Aged twenty, she had already travelled so much and was getting used to the promotional trail. She had ticked off so much before Christmas. Coming back from the U.S., she would have been glad to get some rest in Kent with her family!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979 during The Tour of Life/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Only a few days into 1979, there was a definite move away from promoting her first two albums, The Kick Inside and Lionheart, and starting something else. I like the fact the seeds for The Tour of Life were being planted – even if it was quite modest and conceptual. With a little break at the end of December, there was not much pause before Kate Bush was back in action:

January 6, 1979

Kate is voted Best New Artist of 1978 in the Record Mirror annual poll.

Kate is guest of honour at the San Remo Song Festival in Italy. This is screened in most of Europe, but not in the U.K.

Preparations for the live tour begin in earnest. Kate's own concept is to combine poetry, music, songs and dance in an entirely new way. Her dance ideas and training will be supervised by Antony Van Laast, of the London Contemporary Dance Company (who had appeared with Kate in the video for Hammer Horror). Kate will be backed by a seven-piece band, the core of which will be Paddy Bush (mandolin, backing vocals), Del Palmer (bass), and Brian Bath (rhythm guitar) of the KT Bush Band, supplemented by Alan Murphy (lead guitar), Kevin McAlea (keyboards, saxophone), Ben Barson (keyboards), and Preston Heyman (drums).

January 20, 1979

Kate appears on The Multi-Coloured Swap Shop on BBC TV, and is interviewed by Noel Edmonds and via a phone-in by the viewers”.

It was clear that December 1978 and January 1979 was about rounding and wrapping things up and clearing a path for new things. After going to the U.S. to do her only live T.V. appearance there, Bush was being celebrated in the U.K. with a new fanclub. A satisfying end to 1978 – even if the U.S. audience was not as large and important as elsewhere in the world -, there was some success and new plans in January 1979. Conceiving her tour and plotting ideas, one of my favourite event s in early Kate Bush timeline was her appearance on The Multi-Coloured Swap Shop. Bush had clearly established herself as an artist and was very much in demand. Some of her T.V. appearances were with stuffy interviewers, though most were quite fun and casual. She did appear on children’s shows and in that environment a few times. You might think she would be more teen-focused or an older audience, yet there was also this very important much younger demographic that was being included.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

One could write an entire book on Kate Bush’s 1978. It was so busy and varied, few other artists have had that sort of start! Even in December 1978, there was stuff going on and there was this push (brief as it was) in North America. It took a while for the U.S. particularly to really get behind Kate Bush. That said, I do love her appearance on Saturday Night Live. Starting 1979 with sketches of The Tour of Life and some further promotion, you get this crossover one can imagine would have been tiring for Bush. Soon enough, The Tour of Life would take shape and she could focus on that – even if there was still album promotion and singles did come out in 1979 (Wow came out in March). Forty-five years ago, this amazing artist was ending her first full professional year in music. Rather than have a period off or kick back, the always-prolific and creative Kate Bush was in an ambitious mindset early…

IN 1979.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Kenya Grace

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Hannah Diamond

 Kenya Grace

_________

WITHOUT doubt…

one of the most impressive and important feats of this year was when Kenya Grace’s major label debut single, Strangers, got to number one. It was written and produced by her. That made her the second female artists - the other being Kate Bush - to ever achieve that. That alone deserves respect! The South African-born, London-based artist is someone who rightly has a lot of interested eyes on her. I am going to come to a few interviews that were published around Strangers and its release. Even if that was her major label debut single, Kenya Grace has been performing for a few years now. An artist that come to attention during the pandemic in 2020, I think that 2023 has been her most successful year. Before coming to recent interviews, I want to go to a Wordplay Magazine interview:

“Kenya Grace is a self-taught singer/songwriter/producer hailing from London. She has grown up on an eclectic mix of music which permeates through to her current sound and has been likened to Banks and Flume. She’s managed to stay creative and productive throughout lockdown; dropping the syrupyTalk earlier this month on Trash Like You Records. We caught up with Kenya to discuss her musical journey, her current musical output and her plans for the future…

What influenced you in pursuing music as a career and have there ever been times when you doubted yourself in your pursuit?

I remember the first time I wrote a song and the feeling I got; I literally couldn't compare it to anything else so I think I then just decided this is what I'm going to do for the rest of my life! From then I diverged into production and my mind was literally blown with how much you can create from a laptop - we live in such an exciting time! I think every artist has doubts (we’re such a sensitive bunch) but I know for certain I would not be happy at all if I quit music and did something else.

You graduated from the Academy of Contemporary Music in August 2019 - what were the main things you took away from that and how has that impacted you as a musician?

Before ACM I couldn't even sing in front of people. I was so shy with my music and barely believed in myself at all, So I think ACM impacted me as a musician in a huge way - I was finally surrounded by people just like me, we worked on so many different projects and really supported each other. I really have met the best people during my time at ACM and I learnt so much about myself and really worked hard on building up my confidence and my sound.

For someone that has never heard a Kenya Grace song, how would you describe your soundscape in seven words?

Sultry, smooth, delicate, dreamy, electronic, empowering.

You’ve described your latest song Talk as "an acknowledgement of a toxic relationship and a decision not to take someone's shit anymore" - how do you hope tracks like these will help others who may be going through similar situations?

I wrote Talk after getting out of a toxic relationship and the journey of finally letting go and moving on which gave me back my power. I really hope people can relate to the lyrics and perhaps see similar situations in their own life and get out of there!! It may seem hard at first to let someone go especially if they are close to you but it's also so incredibly empowering to finally do what is best just for yourself.

The track was created in your bedroom during isolation - how did you find lockdown had an impact on your creative process and did it change your process when putting together a track?

I love creating sounds and writing on my own. I think it's when I'm my most authentic and creative, so lockdown wasn’t really too much of a change for me! However after I create a demo or the basis of a song I now usually involve more people and get them to add some different elements to the song. However for this one I just made it all myself and then @bandicootstudios did an amazing job of mixing and mastering my little bedroom creation. In a sense, I am more proud of this one because it's all mine, made from my room during lockdown and about something that really impacted my life so it feels very genuine to me.

With 2020 returning to some semblance of normality - what do you hope to achieve over the next few months and what are your short term goals with regards to releasing music and developing as an artist?

One of my short term goals in music is to get back in the studio - I’ve missed it so much!! I have been writing so much during lockdown and can't wait to bring these creations to life in the studio. Although we have been doing lots of zoom writing sessions, it's just not the same as that feeling of when you’re vibing in the studio! I really can't wait to release the projects we have been working on over the past few months and hopefully in the near future I’ll be able to perform them in front of a live audience”.

I am going to come up to date now. 2024 is going to be a massive year for Kenya Grace. After a number one single that showcases her skills as a songwriter and producer, many will be looking at an E.P. or album. She is someone who is being talked about as a serious artist to watch closely. The Independent reacted to the news of the wonderful Strangers going to the top of the charts in the U.K. It is an amazing accomplishment for Kenya Grace:

“Chart newcomer Kenya Grace has made history as her debut single “Strangers” reached the No 1 spot.

Born in South Africa but raised in Southampton, Grace began releasing music independently in 2019. She put out tracks such as “Tell Me Why”, “Talk” and “Oranges”, which failed to make an impact on the charts.

But it was “Strangers”, Grace’s self-produced drum and bass single which put the singer on the musical map. The track became big on TikTok and rose up the charts, hitting the top spot on Friday (13 October).

In doing so, Grace became one of only two British female artists to reach the No 1 spot on the Official Charts with a track performed, written and produced entirely solo.

The only other act to hold this record is Kate Bush. However, it wasn’t “Wuthering Heights” that earnt Bush this accolade, but her 1985 track “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” when it re-entered the charts in 2022 following a feature on Stranger Things.

Paloma Faith on her heartbreak and being a single mum: ‘Our relationship ended because we had those children – it was worth it’

Paloma Faith on her heartbreak and being a single mum: ‘Our relationship ended because we had those children – it was worth it’

On her No 1 song, Grace said: “This is absolutely mental. Thank you so much for everyone who has streamed and supported and made videos with this song. This has literally changed my life, 100 per cent. Thank you so much!”

“Strangers” rose up the charts over a six week period, knocking Doja Cat off the top spot she had occupied with “Paint The Town Red” for five weeks”.

The fact is that Kenya Grace is in very exclusive company regarding her number one single feat being on par with Kate Bush. Both artists releasing this debut that was written, produced and performed by them. I don’t think it will be a one-off for her either. Vogue interviewed Kenya Grace after Strangers’ success to get her reaction – and also learn more about a tremendous young artist:

“With that feat, the 25-year-old has also made history: she is the second female solo artist to claim that spot with a song she wrote, produced, and performed entirely by herself. The only other woman to do so? Kate Bush. “It has been a very crazy few weeks. At the start, it was a lot and I was struggling. But,” she says, her smile growing, “it’s just been amazing.”

While she only started to release music last year, “I’ve made music since I was a kid. I feel like I’m meditating when I do it… I can truly express myself.” A Boomtown regular, the music she makes now is shaped by a youth spent partying. From the age of 16, “we would go to a bunch of, like, questionable drum ’n’ bass raves.” A sound resonating with a new generation of Brits, along with peers like PinkPantheress, Nia Archives, and Piri & Tommy, she brings the genre to a global audience with their Gen-Z twist. “It’s more like songwriter-y vibes now, I love it.”

Although she has an invested online audience, over 600,000 of whom like and comment under all her music snippets, hungrily demanding each release, she has just one performance under her belt so far. Grace is about to jump from practicing for family and friends to touring Europe, headlining venues like Berghain, and America, in her first time on the continent. “It’s come around really fast,” she grins. “I don’t have some crazy dream. Hopefully I can just keep connecting with people.” Below, Grace discusses musical theatre, tattoos, and Tinder.

What was the inspiration behind “Strangers”?

Sonically, I wanted to make something that was more ethereal sounding, so I layered synths, high-backing vocals and lots of reverb to try and create this euphoric sound. Lyrically, it’s just something that I’ve been noticing a lot recently through my own past relationships and other people’s too: how you can speak to someone for so long and then randomly one night, you just never speak to them ever again. That complete polar opposite change is so common now – I think it’s through Hinge and Tinder and dating apps. I feel like it’s so easy just to dispose of people. Sad but true!

It’s interesting you wanted to give that subject a euphoric sound. Why the contrast?

I always love that juxtaposition. It’s one of my favourite things when you have a really fat reese base, fast drums and low frequencies, and then the opposite of that would be light airy vocals, and soft, delicate, pretty-sounding harmonies. I’ve loved that ever since I first heard it with Banks: really deep bass and then her vocals were really soft.

What were your formative music experiences?

My mum always used to play Norah Jones and Katie Melua. That’s such a big memory actually, this song called “Sunrise” by Norah Jones. And a really important part of my musical journey: I got into musical theatre in primary school really, really young, and then I was like, “I love singing!” When I went to secondary school I got into it even more and that’s helped me to sing properly and perform. It’s really crazy thinking back, musical theatre to now – mad difference but yeah!

@kenyagracebaby Writing sad songs is my therapy 🥲✨ #songwriter #femaleproducer #dancemusic #drumandbass #dnb #liquid ♬ Strangers - Kenya Grace

How did raving shape your sound?

That time in your life, you’re like a sponge. You take in so much when you’re a teenager. It made me really fall in love with the party scene – the good and the bad. It’s almost the imagery of going into the club is imprinted in my brain: getting there; going out to the smoking area; all of it is such good imagery. That is imprinted in my soul.

How did you find your own personal style?

I’ve always loved it ever since I was in school, and I used to get piercings – or pierce myself. Two years ago, I worked at a piercing shop in London and that has definitely influenced me. I love the alternative space: piercings and tattoos. I want to be completely covered in tattoos soon. I love vintage clothes. My favourite place to get vintage jackets is a secondhand leather shop in Camden… and I love New Rock shoes.

Your comments are begging you to release the other songs you’ve teased; when do you plan to?

I don’t know, to be honest… I love posting those videos so much and I’m really happy I did, but that’s all that exists of those songs. Some of them are such works in progress. Some artists tease songs and there’s a full song but it’s not like that for me. I don’t know what I’ll do with them. Eventually, maybe I’ll just do an album of mini songs.

“Strangers” resonated with a car ride-loving community; what is your favourite music to play in the car?

If I need hyping up then maybe like some really heavy drum ’n’ bass. Or, I really love neo-soul and pop music. But probably Flumes’s album: I always go back to Flume. Or Disclosures’s new album, that is really good”.

There are some more interviews that I want to come to. Official Charts spoke with Kenya Grace recently. The songwriter was asked about her path to success and who has influenced her as a producer. It is always fascinating to hear from this wonderful artist. She is definitely someone who is going to have a long future in music:

“I'm a big proponent of moving home to focus on your dreams

Honestly, it's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I was really scared at first, because it does feel once you've moved out and then come back, you're moving backwards a little bit? I really thought that at the start, but it's actually been life-changing.

You went to ACM Guildford - please tell me it was like Glee, I'm seeing people dancing on tables

Honestly, I met people I still work with now there. It was basically a massive networking event. I did a songwriting course at uni, and that's what made me realise that I wanted to get into production. So, while I was studying songwriting, I was back at home teaching myself how to produce my own music. I needed to do it. I kind of wish I had a done a production course...

Honestly, I think all the best producers are self-taught

The best thing I learned [trying to do it all myself] was when I was going into sessions with people I'd never met before. They were so much better than me, so I just ended up watching them, and thinking how I could do that myself. It was like, OK, that's how you do that.

Production-wise, who are your artistic touchstones?

When I was at college I was massively influenced by Disclosure and Flume. They kind of changed my life. I knew that was the kind of music I had to make.

What was the initial idea that sparked the genesis of Strangers?

I don't really sit down and mean to write things, if that makes sense? It really fascinated me how you can have a relationship with someone, romantic or platonic, where you go from literally seeing them every day for months and months and then you just never speak again. It's quite sad! And I don't know about most people, but I could never handle being friends with my ex. But I didn't even mean to start writing about this! It just happened. I just felt so strongly about how sad it is.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kenya Grace (@kenyagrace)

My favourite thing about the song is that the production is completely banging, but the lyrics are, like you say, about a really sad situation

The juxtaposition there is my favourite thing too. It's really vibey and it makes you want to party, but at the heart of it, it's really sad. If I'd made a sad version, you'd literally be sat alone in your room crying.

This is your major label debut single - was it clear from the time you finished it that this was the track to lead with?

No. It wasn't! I wrote Strangers in February and actually...this is quite funny...I was originally [going to lead] with a different song. It's very trance, I was leading that across all my socials and that is coming out soon, but I wrote Strangers as a filler post. I wanted to keep people engaged! When we actually finished it, though, I think everyone knew this was the one to go with.

I think this has come at such a great time for women in dance music - drum'n'bass as well, which is seeing such a resurgence. Becky Hill and Chase & Status just scored a Top 10 with Disconnect, too. There's also so many women in pop writing and producing all their own stuff - Charli XCX, Eliza Rose, PinkPantheress...

I honestly think this is such an inspiring time for women in general. There are so many sick girls out there right now smashing it. We're feeding the narrative of girls absolutely slaying it, as they should! I actually love it, and I'm so happy to be a part of it”.

I am going to finish with a Rolling Stone UK interview. It is clear that Kenya Grace will get a lot of international attention and requests very soon. With more singles undoubtably in her mind – she did release Only in My Mind after Strangers -, it is not too long before her name is known far and wide. If you are new to her or completely unaware, do make sure to check out Strangers and her other music. These are early days, though this is an artist that you need to keep your ears open for:

“It’s been the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me,” she says, reflecting on the tune’s success, “and the best thing as well. It’s just been insane — I’m very grateful.” On her debut tour, she’s seen the real-life manifestation of this success. “Sometimes people on Instagram and TikTok don’t feel like actual people, so when you meet them in real life, it feels a lot more real.”

As well as her formative electronic influences, Grace is a musical peer of PinkPantheress. There are also plenty of similarities to the conversational, charismatic songwriting of Lily Allen in her work. Asked whether she considers herself primarily a producer, songwriter or both, Grace shrugs and plays down the importance of labels. The two terms feel equally applicable, though; her songs are far from just lyrics put on top of beats, and the tracks could have their dance-led dressing removed and stand strong as stripped-back, singer- songwriter tunes.

PHOTO CREDIT: Hannah Diamond

Following ‘Strangers’ is the ecstatic new single ‘Only in My Mind’, a track even catchier and more immediate than the chart-topper. With the promise of a bigger body of work on the way, it shows the next steps of an artist interested in building longevity, not simply a viral moment. As for the future, Grace is contemplating moving out of home and entertains ideas of collaboration and studio-based work. Despite these doors now being open to her, she feels drawn back to her comfortable and creatively stimulating origins, and there’s something irreplaceable and special about the songs being created purely inside the mind — and bedroom — of this intriguing new voice in British music”.

The Strangers title seems ironic now for an artist who is well-known and has a growing and loving fanbase. There are still those who do not know about the music of Kenya Grace. If that applies to you, then make it is a point to go and check out this brilliant artist. This year has been a hugely successful one for Kenya Grace. I have a feeling that 2024 will be…

EVEN better.

____________

Follow Kenya Grace

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/kenyagrace/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/kenyagracemusic

TikTok:

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

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7uMDnSZyUYNBPLhPMNuaM2

YouTube:

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

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/kenyagracemusic/

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: Songs from Albums Turning Five Next Year

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

  IN THIS PHOTO: Jamila Woods/PHOTO CREDIT: Bradley Murray

Songs from Albums Turning Five Next Year

_________

WHEN I did this series…

 PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels

last year, I focused on albums celebrating big anniversaries in 2023. I started with those turning sixty, right down to those turning five. I started this run starting at fifty – 1964 and 1969 omitted -, whilst I was also going to stop at ten. I have decided to end on 2019 as, compared to 1964 or even 1969, there is a wider range of incredible albums that will get some focus in 2024. I know that a fifth anniversary is not really a big one, through many artists reissue albums that turn five. In any case, it is an excuse to spotlight brilliant albums that are five. In any case, as you will see, below is a selection of songs from albums that…

DOMINATED 2019.