Melbourne’s alternative music scene has been rocked by recent revelations that one of its number is a prominent far-right agitator. Alice McNamara, formerly of 2000s punk band The Spazzys and currently proprietor of children’s music education business …
The Song Project review – a mixed bag of theatrical ballads
Royal Court, LondonDutch singer Wende performs songs conceived by playwrights – on topics from bloody battles to online dating – with magnetism and a talent for storytellingIn this glorious experiment with mixed results, five playwrights – EV Crowe, Sa…
SiriusXM launches ‘TikTok Radio,’ a music channel featuring viral hits hosted by TikTok stars
If viral TikTok songs like Dr. Dog’s “Where’d All the Time Go?” or Bo Burnham’s “Bezos I” weren’t already stuck in your head on loop, now they could be. Today SiriusXM launched a TikTok Radio channel, which features TikTok creators as channel hosts. The station is designed to sound like a “radio version of the […]
Billie, Lorde, Lizzo: has being a female pop star in 2021 become unbearable?
New releases by three pop icons reveal their extreme attempts to protect themselves from the damage caused by fame. Pop stardom has never seemed less aspirationalThe mechanisms of pop stardom have never been subject to as much scrutiny as they are now….
Manchester’s Space Afrika: ‘We’re totally ourselves – Black artists in the 21st century’
The duo’s groundbreaking music takes the mischievous appeal of their home city’s sound and adds a fresh dose of dark ambienceJoshua Inyang and Joshua Reid’s Space Afrika project is galactic in scope. When the duo started releasing music in 2014, they w…
Britney Spears under investigation for alleged battery
Singer’s lawyer rejects accusation from staff member after police attend her home on Monday nightBritney Spears is under investigation for alleged battery after a staff member at her home accused the singer of striking her, US authorities have said.Pol…
Native Soul: Teenage Dreams | Ammar Kalia’s global album of the month
(Awesome Tapes From Africa)The teenage duo channel the newest mutation of their country’s house music, amapiano, coaxing us back to the shared space of the dancefloorHouse music, and the glorious tension between its on-beat and its syncopated elements,…
Outkast’s 20 greatest songs – ranked!
As their classic second album ATLiens turns 25, we look back at the best from a duo who turned rap into a psychedelic, progressive playgroundThe title seems to refer to Outkast’s refusal to be constrained by musical boundaries and expectations as much …
R Kelly accuser describes physical abuse from singer when she was 16
Jerhonda Pace, first witness at the R Kelly sex-trafficking trial, says the singer ‘slapped me and he choked me until I passed out’A key accuser at the R Kelly sex-trafficking trial returned to the witness stand on Thursday, saying he often videotaped …
Sean Shibe: Camino | Erica Jeal’s classical album of the week
(Pentatone)Shibe’s playing buzzes with vitality in this revelatory new recordingYou might think you know what Spanish guitar music sounds like, and you might think it an unexpectedly middle-of-the-road choice for Sean Shibe, who has always appeared mo…