News

Universal Music Group UK closed out a landmark night at the 2026 BRIT Awards with a star-studded celebration at The Ivy Spinningfields, as winners Olivia Dean, Sam Fender, Lola Young and Jacob Alon gathered to toast their success.

For an artist who has spent decades commanding the world’s biggest stages, last night in Sanremo felt deeply personal for Alicia Keys.

At just 21, Avery Anna is proving herself as a compelling new voice in modern country music. I saw her perform at the Manchester Apollo on Wednesday while supporting Jordan Davis, and it was clear she has a promising career ahead.

After months of relentless rumours and fevered speculation, it is finally confirmed. Metallica will debut their Life Burns Faster residency at Sphere this October, with eight shows scheduled across October 1 and 3, 15 and 17, 22 and 24, and 29 and 31, 2026.

Independent artist and multidisciplinary creative Kay HeART has returned with new music following a prolonged period of personal struggle, mental health challenges, and rebuilding within the music industry.

Grace Jones, UB40, Candi Staton and house legend Armand Van Helden are set to headline the brand-new Electric Paradise festival, making its debut at Milton Keynes National Bowl on Saturday 8 August. Promising a high-energy, cross-generational celebration of disco, funk, soul and house, the festival is already shaping up to be one of the UK’s most anticipated new events.

Vinyl and CD sales are surging in 2026, fueled by a combination of superstar influence and a new generation of superfans. Taylor Swift continues to dominate physical music, with her 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl selling millions of vinyl and CD copies worldwide.

Nectar Woode has released her first single of 2026, “Lights Off,” which premiered as BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record on 23 February. Introducing the track on BBC Radio 1, host Jack Saunders praised the song, saying “The vibes are immaculate.”

Here are five country artists on the brink of stardom, set to own 2026. They are definitely ones to watch.

After a remarkable 35-week journey up the charts, Sam Fender and Olivia Dean have reached number one on the UK Official Singles Chart with their duet “Rein Me In.” The track, which reimagines Fender’s original from People Watching, is a heartland rock and folk-rock collaboration that adds Dean’s perspective to create a lyrical two-way conversation about the end of a relationship.

Held at the iconic Crypto.com Arena in the heart of Los Angeles, the 68th Annual Grammy Awards brought together music’s most influential voices for a celebration of artistry, excellence, and evolution. Among the week’s most talked-about independent artists in attendance was alternative pop singer-songwriter Emilia Vaughn, who arrived not as a nominee this year, but as a presence undeniably aligned with where music is headed next.

Squeeze will transform the iconic Koko in Camden, London into the mythical club Trixies for a one-night-only album launch on March 11th, 2026.

Alicia Keys took the stage at Delilah in Los Angeles this week with a simple but resonant message: when you have a seat at the table, make room for someone else.

Sombr is proof that overnight success in music can sometimes feel like it happened in a single breath.

The New York‑based artist, whose real name is Shane Michael Boose, has just confirmed he will perform at the 2026 BRIT Awards in Manchester on Saturday, 28 February. The announcement caps one of the fastest ascents in recent memory and cements his place as one of the most talked about artists heading into the new year.

Pop tracks are getting shorter, and streaming platforms are driving the rise of 2‑minute hits. From viral TikTok sensations to charting singles, we explore why brevity is the new formula for success.

Auckland Airport became an unexpected stage for music this week when New Zealand band SIX60 surprised travellers by turning the international departures hall into a live farewell. Instead of the usual PA announcements, passengers were greeted with personal messages and live performances, transforming the busy terminal into a deeply human and cultural space.

Noah Kahan has officially sold out his first-ever stadium run, The Great Divide Tour, moving more than 1 million tickets and setting new records along the way. The Vermont-born singer-songwriter will become the first artist in history to play four consecutive nights at Boston’s Fenway Park, a feat no other musician has achieved.

A major new chapter in Bristol’s live entertainment story was unveiled today as the city’s long awaited 20,000 capacity indoor arena was officially named Aviva Arena.

UK-based composer and Lang Lang International Music Foundation Scholar Julian Zhu has premiered an original musical composition in collaboration with the ACK St James Choir, an ensemble from Gede, a small village a few hours north of Mombasa, Kenya. Released in a newly launched performance video, the project brings together voices from across continents, uniting African choral tradition and contemporary classical composition in a deeply moving expression of global solidarity through music.

Pop music treats reinvention like oxygen. Every few years, artists are expected to shed their skin, rename the era, rewrite the narrative. But Lana Del Rey never followed that script. Instead of burning down her mythology, she slowly let it dissolve, moving from cinematic fantasy to diaristic confession without ever announcing a transformation. What looked like reinvention was something quieter, and arguably more radical: evolution.

U2 have released Days of Ash, a six-track EP that marks the band’s first collection of original music since 2017. Described by Bono as an “immediate response” to world events, the EP tackles war, politics, and human rights through songs of defiance, dismay, and lamentation.