Wednesday, April 30, 2025

July 4, 2024

Sydnie Christmas - Photo Credit Paul Madeley — Sydnie Christmas - Photo Credit: Paul Madeley

Fresh from her victory as the winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2024, Sydnie Christmas is thrilled to announce the My Way Tour, her debut UK tour. The tour will commence on October 5th at the iconic Glasshouse International Centre For Music in Gateshead, traversing the UK and performing at some of the country’s most prestigious venues.

Alongside the UK tour announcement, Sydnie has announced the upcoming arrival of her debut album also titled My Way, which will be released on September 20^th via Westway Music. Ahead of this, Sydnie will release her first single ‘Starlight Express’ on July 19^th, inspired by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical, currently thrilling audiences and critics following its recent return to London.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, impressed by her Instagram rendition of the track, encouraged her to officially release it. Sydnie said: “I was in Starlight Express in Germany for years and it was such a huge part of my life. I have friends in the new London show and went to see them on their press night and was so blown away. The song ‘Starlight Express’ means hope and light. I felt drawn to its meaning and the song resonated with me. I just had to record my own version, and Andrew Lloyd Webber told me I should release it. I can’t believe it. It’s such a full circle moment. Every day is a new pinch-me moment and I’m getting to live out my dreams. I’m just the luckiest girl in the world.”

Sydnie captivated the judges and audience on Britain’s Got Talent with spellbinding performances of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow,’ ‘My Way,’ and ‘Tomorrow,’ the latter earning her the prestigious Golden Buzzer. Amanda Holden described her as “spellbinding,” and Simon Cowell rated her performance “an 11 out of 10.” Following her experience on the show, Sydnie comments: “After 10 years of trying to make it in the West End and feeling like nothing was happening, I was very close to giving it all up. But I couldn’t, it means everything to me, and I am so glad I kept going.”

Sydnie’s album and shows will include those three fan favourites and many more songs which showcase the extraordinary talent that has made her so popular across the country.

Full list of dates are:

Sat 5 Oct – Gateshead, The Glasshouse

Mon 7 Oct- Canterbury, Marlowe Theatre
Tue 8 Oct – Portsmouth, Guildhall
Fri 11 Oct- Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
Sun 13 Oct- Glasgow, King’s Theatre
Mon 14 Oct- Sheffield, Sheffield City Hall
Wed 16 Oct- Salford, The Lowry (Lyric)
Thu 17 Oct- Birmingham, Symphony Hall
Sat 19 Oct- Cambridge, Corn Exchange
Sun 20 Oct- London, Aldwych Theatre
Mon 21 Oct- Bath, The Forum
Thu 24 Oct- Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
Sat 26 Oct- Basingstoke, The Anvil
Mon 28 Oct- Oxford, New Theatre
Tues 29 Oct- Liverpool, Philharmonic

Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 12^th July. Pre-order the debut album ‘My Way’ for exclusive access to pre-sale tickets now. For more details visit sydniechristmas.london

Jade Announces Debut Solo Single ‘Angel of My Dreams’

July 3, 2024

Jade, AKA Jade Thirlwall of multi-platinum selling, BRIT Award winning pop phenomenon Little Mix, has announced her forthcoming debut solo single, ‘Angel of My Dreams’, to be released on Friday July 19th.

“What I’m going for is a pop punch to the face. I want people to be like ‘oh my god, I didn’t expect that’ – but then want to listen to it again.”

Jade co-wrote ‘Angel of My Dreams’ in LA alongside Steph Jones (Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso), Pablo Bowman (Calvin Harris’ Miracle) and producer Mike Sabbath (RAYE). The track is a frenetically shapeshifting, gloriously OTT banger that explores her love/hate relationship with a pop industry she’s been at the heart of since her former band Little Mix launched in 2011.

“I didn’t want to do a safe first single, that was really important to me,” Jade states. “I’m setting the tone of who I am as an artist on my own. I want people to hear it and be like ‘what the fuck is that song?’. My worst nightmare is for someone to hear my song and go ‘that’s nice’.”

It’s been a long, carefully chosen path to get to ‘Angel of My Dreams’. When Little Mix announced their hiatus in 2022, Jade started to set her solo career in motion across multiple studio sessions with collaborators including MNEK, Cirkut, Lostboy, RAYE, Lauren Aquilina and Dave Hamelin alongside Mike, Steph and Pablo.

The track is Jade delivering Big Pop Girl Energy. It is, as she says, doing the most; it’s OTT, it’s ridiculous and it’s gloriously WTF.

“I’m so proud of it and I can say that with chest. The fans have waited long enough so now we just want to give it to them”.

JADE

19 JULY – ‘Angel Of My Dreams’

Dua Lipa Announces Wembley Stadium Show Following Glastonbury Performance

Jimmy Mavroudis

July 1, 2024

Dua-Lipa-Credit-Tyrone-Lebon-4 — Dua Lipa - Photo Credit: Tyrone Lebon

Today, following her electrifying headlining performance at Glastonbury, 3x GRAMMY and 7x BRIT Award-winning global pop powerhouse Dua Lipa announced she will perform at London’s legendary Wembley Stadium next summer on 20th June 2025. Tickets will go on sale to the public here from 10am BST Friday 12th July.

“There couldn’t be a better time to share this with you all! I am still flying high from the magic of headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury this weekend, and I am absolutely thrilled to announce I’ll be playing Wembley Stadium this time next year.”

To celebrate the announcement, Dua and O2 have collaborated in bringing back O2’s iconic “Walk Ad” campaign to promote their exclusive presale for the Radical Optimism Tour at Wembley Stadium. Filmed by acclaimed UK director Daniel Wolfe and shot on location in Broadstairs and Margate in Kent, the beautiful 60 second film follows Dua and her dancers from a quintessential British beach to the stage for her 2025 tour. O2 customers can get early access to tickets via the Priority app from 10am BST Wednesday, July 10th, 48 hours before general release.

The announcement comes on the heels of Dua headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, which received rave reviews. The Guardian declared it “an unequivocal success” and Evening Standard praised it as “a masterclass in how to adapt glossy pop perfection for the one-of-a-kind surroundings of Worthy Farm.” In addition, BBC hailed, “Dua hit every mark with the precision of someone who’d been building towards this moment for years,” and The Telegraph raved it was “a shiny demonstration of what has made Lipa the only global star to emerge from the UK in a decade.”

Following a run of European festivals this summer, Dua will play a show at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall on October 17th, which sold out immediately. In November, Dua will embark on the Asia leg of her Radical Optimism Tour. The run kicks off in Singapore on November 5th and stops in Jakarta, Manila, Tokyo, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok, before concluding with back-to-back shows in Seoul on December 4th and 5th at Gocheok Sky Dome.

Dua’s upcoming tour is in support of her third album, Radical Optimism, which went straight to No. 1 in 11 countries upon release, including the UK where it became the biggest album debut from a UK artist in 2024 and garnered the highest week one sales from a UK female artist since 2021. In the US, the album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart and No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking Dua’s biggest sales week yet. It was named a Critic’s Pick by The New York Times, who hailed it as “an album of nonstop ear candy,” along with Variety, who declared it is “a joyous blast of pop savvy.” Additionally, The New Yorker praised, “The instrumentation is a gleaming and impenetrable expanse, and the main attraction is Lipa,” and Vogue raved it is “a summery, self-assured slice of pop brilliance…[and] catchy as hell.”

Please see below for the latest tour dates. For more information on tickets, please visit www.dualipa.com/tour.

July 4th, 2024 – Gdynia – Open’er Festival
July 6th, 2024 – Werchter – Rock Werchter
July 10th, 2024 – Madrid – Mad Cool Festival
July 12th, 2024 – Lisbon – Nos Alive Festival
October 17th, 2024 – London – Royal Albert Hall
November 5th, 2024 – Singapore – Singapore Indoor Stadium
November 6th, 2024 – Singapore – Singapore Indoor Stadium
November 9th, 2024 – Jakarta – Indonesia Arena-Senayan
November 13th, 2024 – Manila – Philippine Arena
November 16th, 2024 – Tokyo – Saitama Super Arena
November 17th, 2024 – Tokyo – Saitama Super Arena
November 20th, 2024 – Taipei – Rakuten Taoyuan Baseball Stadium
November 23rd, 2024 – Kuala Lumpur – Axiata Arena
November 24th, 2024 – Kuala Lumpur – Axiata Arena
November 27th, 2024 – Bangkok – Impact Arena
December 4th, 2024 – Seoul – Gocheok Sky Dome
December 5th, 2024 – Seoul – Gocheok Sky Dome
June 20th, 2025 – London – Wembley Stadium ***NEW***

Coldplay Premiere feelslikeimfallinginlove Video

Staff Writer

July 1, 2024

Coldplay - Main press photo Credit_ Anna Lee Webres — Coldplay - Photo Credit: Anna Lee

Coldplay have today premiered the music video for their new single, feelslikeimfallinginlove. The video – which can be seen below – was shot on location at Athens’ stunning 2,000-year-old Odeon of Herodes Atticus, in front of an audience invited via the band’s social media. It was directed by Ben Mor, who previously helmed the band’s video for Hymn For The Weekend with Beyoncé.

The video stars actress, writer and storyteller, Natasha Ofili (Principal Karen Vaughn in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series, The Politician) who was also responsible for the video’s story and creative direction. Ofili created her own American Sign Language interpretation of the song which runs throughout the video.

The video also features the Deaf members of the Venezuelan Sign Language (LSV) section from El Sistema Venezuela’s Coro de Manos Blancas (White Hands Choir) a world-renowned performing arts ensemble from Barquisimeto, supported in collaboration with the Dudamel Foundation.

The premiere follows the band’s rapturously-received Glastonbury Festival headline set on Saturday night, which was given glowing five-star reviews by publications including The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, The i and The Telegraph, with the latter publication calling it “one of the great Glastonbury sets”. The set, which was broadcast live worldwide by the BBC, is available on-demand at bbc.com/pages/glastonbury-live.

feelslikeimfallinginlove is the first single to be taken from Coldplay’s upcoming tenth album, Moon Music, which is out October 4, 2024. The album, which will set new standards for sustainability, with each LP made from 100% recycled plastic bottles (nine bottles per record). It is available to pre-order now on EcoCD, EcoRecord LP and digital.

Glastonbury is the envy of struggling music festivals and must continue to support upcoming artists

The Conversation

July 1, 2024

By Howard Monk, University of Southampton

Glastonbury festival is not the only major musical event happening in the UK this year. Plenty of others will be staged in parks and fields and beaches over the summer, but none will be as well attended – or receive anywhere near the same amount of attention.

And while other events struggle, with estimates that as many as 100 are likely to call it a day this year, Glastonbury thrives. Tickets (£355) sell out at warp speed (before lineups are even announced), no one seems deterred about the price of food and drink, and thousands turn up before the gates even open.

So Glastonbury is clearly a big business, a totemic symbol perhaps, of the commercialisation of rock festivals. And one of the reasons for its continued success could be the enormous amount of television coverage it receives.

The BBC has covered Glastonbury since 1997, offering live feeds from around the event. For the 2024 edition, it is offering viewers over 90 hours of footage across its various platforms.

Few events – let alone music festivals – get anything like this level of media support. And support is what the wider British live music sector needs.

For while the spotlight shines on sell-out tours by the likes of Taylor Swift or the saga of opening massive arenas, grassroots music venues face huge challenges.

Smaller independent festivals are in a parlous state, with the Towersey festival in Buckinghamshire, which predates Glastonbury, announcing that its 60th event will be its last.

Unlike Glastonbury, they don’t tend to enjoy sponsorship deals with Land Rover or Vodafone. Nor do many other festivals have such sway that artists agree to perform for less than the normal going rate.

So Glastonbury continues to attract millions of applicants for tickets, most of whom will be disappointed. (Many of my students writing essays about the event will probably never experience it for themselves.)

Grassroots

Yet for all its dominance and rude health, Glastonbury can still boast significant support of the grassroots music sector. Hundreds of new and emerging artists play at the event, even though many of them will never reach the dizzy heights of the larger stages – or even a sustainable career as a full-time artist.

More realistic success stories might be in store for the freelance workers on site (stage managers, volunteers, crew members) who can add the word Glastonbury to their CVs in the hope that it will lead to more work elsewhere.

The event has also long been associated with celebrating acts from all over the world. This year sees the first K-pop act, marking the success of a policy by the South Korean government, and Indonesian all female Muslim heavy metal group Voice of Baceprot gets its debut.

The global impact of this British festival is also seen through the amount of work the festival does for charitable causes, raising millions of pounds for local charities alongside the likes of Water Aid, Oxfam and Greenpeace.

And unlike comparable mega festivals like Coachella, Tomorrowland and Reading, which seem to radiate commercialism from the outset, Glastonbury still maintains connections with pagan rituals, druids and hippy culture. Its progressive stance has a trickle-down effect to smaller festivals and contributes hugely to the UK’s festival culture.

All of these aspects no doubt contribute to Glastonbury’s continued popularity – and explain the extensive coverage it receives. If there are boxes to be ticked by BBC schedulers, Glastonbury has been ticking them for decades. It is international, charitable, ecological, cultural and exciting.

Since 1970, the festival has evolved to become a perfect broadcasting and branding opportunity. It is hardly surprising then, that it has become such a magnet for sponsorships and deals.

With that financial success and a conscientious approach, the muddy fields of Glastonbury can still be fertile ground for the UK’s music industry. Away from the sounds of Coldplay or Elton John playing on the main stages, festival-goers will still be able to find new and exciting artists who have bagged a spot under a smaller spotlight.

For them – and their record labels – it could be a major opportunity, boosted by the BBC’s wall-to-wall coverage. The next British government would do well to follow Glastonbury’s lead and find ways of doing more – much more – to support the grassroots music sector in the UK.

Howard Monk, Senior Teaching Fellow, Music Management, University of Southampton

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Kings Of Leon Reign Supreme At BST Hyde Park

Jimmy Mavroudis

July 1, 2024

American Express presents BST Hyde Park, Day 3, London, UK - 30 Jun 2024 — Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon on stage at BST Hyde Park, Sunday 30th June 2024. Photo by Dave J Hogan/Hogan Media

After a spectacular SZA-style launch, day two of American Express presents BST Hyde Park went off with the same ferocity and style as yesterday. Today, it was the turn of Tennessee rockers, Kings of Leon, to headline the Great Oak Stage – with the BRIT and Grammy award-winning band putting on a 29 song strong set of their biggest and most underrated tracks.

“How you all doing tonight? You look amazing out there. This is fantastic!” announced Caleb Followill to the sold-out crowd, soon after hitting the stage. A vibrant backdrop of waterfalls and volcanoes brought an earthy dimension to the band’s 105-minute setlist, which began with “Ballerina Radio” and “On Call” before “The Bucket,” “Taper,” “Manhattan,” “Revelry,” “Nothing to Do” and “My Party” roared from the stage. Nathan, taking his position on the drums wore a England football shirt, a nod to the team’s win against Slovakia tonight. “I was hoping we’d have fun tonight,” added Caleb. “…Didn’t have any idea we’d have this much fun.”

Then came the ferocious Sex on Fire; the music quieted to allow the audience to belt out every lyric, before the Followill vocals chimed back in. “Don’t Stop The Bleeding” and “Comeback Story” followed, allowing for the ideal subdued juxtaposition. “It’s such a joy to be here,” said Caleb thoughtfully, clearly overcome by the atmosphere. “We haven’t been here for seven years. It’s one of my favourite places to be and be a part of.”

As the likes of “Pyro,” “Mustang,” “Molly’s Chambers,” “Milk,” “Fans,” “Black Down South,” “Nowhere to Run,” “King of the Rodeo,” “Wait For Me,” “Split Screen,” “Bandit,” “Find Me,” “Closer” and “Seen” filled the air, brothers Caleb, Nathan, Jared and cousin Matthew continued to delve into their rich back catalogue, eventually bringing this evening of epic entertainment to a close with a star-filled backdrop encore of “Rainbow Ball,” “Waste A Moment” and “Cold Desert,” before ending with a soaring rendition of “Use Somebody,” with BST Hyde Park joining the band en masse.

Earlier on in the evening, Paisley’s finest singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini took to the stage at Hyde Park after 12 years; his last appearance here being at the opening ceremony concert of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Showcasing the best of four chart-topping albums – including five-times platinum, These Streets (2006) and gold-acclaimed Last Night in the Bittersweet (2022) – Nutini showed the bulging crowd just how his extraordinary vocals have stood the test of time. Casually sipping on a beer, he commented on the vast audience singing along, which included several big-name musicians such as Mae Muller and George Ezra. Highlights from the set included Iron Sky, New Shoes and Shine A Light.

Paolo Nutini – Photo credit: HP Van Velthoven

Celebrating their sixth studio album, Pick-up Full of Pink Carnations, The Vaccines made the Great Oak Stage one of the most important stops on their European Tour, to showcase their newer ‘West Coast’ sound rooted in the new record. The London rock outfit, who plan to be on the road until the end of the year, put on an unstoppable set packed with favourites from their six Top 5 UK LPs, with the crowd belting out the lyrics to “I Can’t Quit” and “If You Wanna.”

Grammy-winner, Gary Clark Jr., warmed up the audience with a string of rock and blues tracks from his 30-year career, including the plucky “Bright Lights” – which propelled him into the Billboard Charts over a decade ago. The Austin, Texas-based rock and blues singer and guitarist has been playing gigs since he was just 12 years old. For those watching, his mastery was particularly evident in his show-stopping performance of the soulful “Habits.”

US indie-pop sensation, Cannons, was first on the main stage and drew in a large crowd. The Californian trio, composed of childhood friends, Ryan Clapham and Paul Davis, and lead vocalist Michelle Joy, recently told Culted how, so far, their first UK tour has been “incredible”, with Clapham adding: “It’s nice to get our music across the pond and play in front of people who appreciate what we’re doing.” The band added that they have made the most of their stay in London in the run up to American Express presents BST Hyde Park by going for a curry near Piccadilly Circus.

Headlining The Rainbow Stage, Dublin-born Cian Godfrey and his band, aka Somebody’s Child, welcomed the crowd with raucous Irish energy. The rising-star Dubliners may have only broken through into the Irish music scene with their self-titled debut album last year, but Godfrey has been singing about life growing up in the Irish capital since he was five years old. “That’s a good crowd,” he announced, as the music began.

Meanwhile, Merseyside rockers, Red Rum Club, showcased the best of their latest album, Western Approaches, which peaked at No.8 in the UK Charts earlier this year. The six-strong band played an eclectic set, getting the audience in the mood, declaring, “It’s nearly 5 O’Clock… so it’s okay to dance”.

Kicking off the day was London four-piece, KEO, who credit the likes of Sound Garden, Pearl Jam and Nirvana for inspiring their love for music. Lead singer-songwriter Finn Keogh, previously revealed: “I want to write songs that stand up on their own, be it with a full on rock band, or just a guy on an acoustic guitar, that’s really important to me.”

Essex punk duo The Meffs, TikTok’s Call Me Up sensation Daydreamers, and Shropshire-born singer Nieve Ella completed another brilliant day of music.

BST Hyde Park continues with Open House from Monday 1 July – Wednesday 5 July, then on Thursday 4 July with Morgan Wallan, Riley Green, Ernest, Ella Langley, Alana Springsteen, Alexandra Kay, Zandi Holup, Abbie Mac, The Halfway Kid, and Evan Bartels.

Avril Lavigne Rocks Bedford Summer Sessions at Bedford Park

Jimmy Mavroudis

June 30, 2024

Avril Lavigne - bedford — Avril Lavigne at Bedford Park - Photo Credit: Cuffe & Taylor

Yesterday, Canadian pop-rock sensation Avril Lavigne took to the stage at Bedford Park, delivering a show-stopping performance that left the crowd in awe. The sun-kissed event, presented by TK Maxx, was a day to remember, with UK chart-toppers The Lottery Winners and US alt-pop starlet Phem getting the party started.

Phem, a rising star in the making, set the tone for the day with her high-energy set, performing hits like “American Beauty” and “STFU” from her 2021 album. The feisty singer-songwriter regaled the crowd with stories from her time touring with Avril Lavigne last year, getting the audience pumped up for the main event.

Next up were Greater Manchester’s finest, The Lottery Winners, who were visibly thrilled to be sharing the stage with Avril Lavigne. The band were particularly impressed by the event’s real-time BSL interpreter, and their excitement was palpable as they launched into their set. With a heartfelt intro from vocalist Thomas Rylance, the crowd was soon singing along to their special cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

But the pièce de résistance was Avril Lavigne’s highly-anticipated set. The pop-rock icon emerged atop a pink speaker stack, resplendent in a custom bedazzled leather jacket, and launched into a hit-packed setlist that included “Girlfriend”, “Complicated”, “Bite Me”, and crowd favorite “Sk8er Boi”. The highlight of the set came when Avril invited lucky audience members onstage to join her for a blistering cover of Blink-182’s “All The Small Things”. The crowd went wild, and Avril finished her set in style with a heartfelt ballad, “I’m With You”.

Avril Lavigne at Bedford Park – Photo Credit: Cuffe & Taylor

It was a truly unforgettable day of music at Bedford Summer Sessions, and Avril Lavigne proved why she remains one of the most beloved and enduring pop-rock stars of our time.

SZA Kick-Starts BST Hyde Park 2024

Jimmy Mavroudis

June 30, 2024

American Express presents BST Hyde Park kicked off in style with an incredible set from American R&B superstar SZA. The multi-award winning singer put on a modern masterclass, welcoming Hyde Park into her own cavernous botanical paradise.

With a stunning backdrop of insects and trees, SZA arrived on a podium, surrounded by a troupe of dancers and brought hit after hit for the next 90 minutes, switching effortlessly between her five-time Grammy nominated album Ctrl, her incredibly rich and complex second record SOS and everything in between. At one point during the electric performance, SZA even sang while riding a giant ant, proving that the star truly can do anything.

SZA gave the crowd everything; “Love Language,” “Broken Clocks,” “All the Stars,” “Drew Barrymore,” “F2F,” “Ghost in the Machine,” “Blind,” “Shirt,” her hit song with Doja Cat, “Kiss Me More,” a cover of Prince’s “Kiss,” “I Hate U,” “Snooze,” and “Kill Bill, whilst wielding a sword in homage to the Quentin Tarantino classic. There was room for some big announcements too, “New album, you ready?” she asked the crowd before teasing an unreleased song. As she concluded her spectacular set with “20 Something,” she told BST Hyde Park, “Today was my first day performing with the new set. You’re like my second home. I’ll always come back here. You’re the best crowd. I love you. Goodnight!”

Earlier on in the day, London independent legend Sampha graced the Great Oak Stage, showcasing his two enigmatic albums, 2017’s Mercury prize winning “Process” and last year’s acclaimed return “Lahai.” The 6 year break only enhanced his legend and the favoured collaborator of Kanye West, Drake, Solange, Beyoncé and Frank Ocean is reminding everyone of his own wondrous music.

Sampha – Photo Credit: Isha Shah @ishashahphotography

Snoh Aalegra added her class to the lineup of soulful R&B. The Swedish/Iranian, Grammy nominated singer is a favourite for those in the know, an independent artist who writes songs that run the gamut of every stage of a relationship. From early favourites “Nothing Burns Like the Cold” feat Vince Staples, which samples Portishead, sampling Isaac Hayes, to the brutal but melodic spurn of a lover ‘Nothing To Me’ and torch vocal of “DYING 4 YOUR LOVE,” she has the audience wrapped in her stories from first minute to last.

Snoha Alegra – Photo Credit: @sharonlopez

But the Brits also shone in the park today. Two hotly tipped vocalists and songwriters, Elmiene was first on the main stage. The Oxford artist told Esquire this week that his original plan was to move to the desert and become an Islamic scholar, but he has been diverted as one the most talked about singers for 2024. He does 21st century R&B, inspired by 90s neo-soul like D’Angelo and charmed BST Hyde Park with his searing vocal runs and shimmering songs.

“You’re sounding beautiful,” he told the audience, “And they say festivals are hard. I don’t know what they’re chatting about. This is the sh*t!” By the time he finished with the hook laden, laid back, ‘Someday’, he had made 1000s of new friends.

In a similar vein, Leicester’s Sekou serenaded the sun-kissed crowd on The Rainbow Stage. The ambitious 19 year old grew up singing in church and translated that to a new kind of soul, personified by breakthrough single “Better Man.” “I’m very excited,” he admitted, the line up is insane!”

Emerging stars No Guidnce headlined The Rainbow Stage, resurrecting the golden age of R&B. London’s newest prodigal boy band released their first EP Is It A Crime? just last year, after going viral on TikTok and catching the attention of artists like Anderson .Paak, Labrinth and more.

Also performing today were hypnotic vocalist Hope Tala who started proceedings, “It’’s my first time here even though I live 20 minutes away,” she said, “Who’s here’s for SZA? I’m so excited, I’ve never seen her live before, we’re going to warm up together.”

Pop-star-in-the-making Fabiana Palladino, soulful storyteller Nia Smith, and “hood folk” artist Jessy Blakemore completed a fantastic day of music.

BST Hyde Park continues today with Kings of Leon, Paolo Nutini, The Vaccines, Gary Clark Jr, Cannons, Somebody’s Child, Red Rum Club, The Meffs, Daydreamers and Nieve Ella.

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Camila Cabello Releases New Album C,XOXO

Staff Writer

June 28, 2024

camila-cabello-CXOXO — Camila Cabello - Photo Credit: Jason Nocito

Camila Cabello releases her brand-new album C,XOXO via Interscope Records/Polydor in the UK. The highly anticipated album represents an evolution for the singer-songwriter, as she pushes boundaries with a project that is both musically and visually explorative, tapping into genres that extend beyond just pop and drawing inspiration from her Miami roots. Created with Producer El Guincho (FKA Twigs, Rosalía) and co-producer Jasper Harris (Jack Harlow, Post Malone), C,XOXO is sure to defy expectations, as it features a variety of heavy hitters including Playboi Carti, Lil Nas X, Drake, and more. C,XOXO is Executive Produced by El Guincho. See full track list below.

In addition, Camila is Complex Magazine’s latest cover star (HERE) and she launched a capsule collection with renowned street artist, Chito, in collaboration with Complex. Camila has long admired Chito International for his distinctive street art style. She found particular inspiration in his iconic animated dog character featured prominently across his works. The lyric “I’m a dog, woof woof” heard on “Chanel No. 5” resonates with this theme, offering fans a deeper glimpse into the ethos of C,XOXO. To capture this essence, Chito created a bespoke C,XOXO Dog icon for their capsule collection, symbolizing this artistic concept (HERE).

The album comes fresh off the heels of her latest track and music video for “Chanel No. 5”, which highlights her growth as a songwriter, using clever wordplay that celebrates a woman’s confidence in her ambitions. The accompanying music video is packed with engaging choreography that perfectly complements the sultry track. Preceding singles “I LUV IT” (featuring Playboi Carti) and “He Knows” (featuring Lil Nas X), along with “Chanel No. 5” gives fans a deeper look into the world of C,XOXO.

Camila has been gearing up for the release of C,XOXO with many promotional appearances, including stopping by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a chat and performance of her irresistibly catchy song “I LUV IT.” Before that, Camila spent some time in her hometown of Miami, the inspiration behind C,XOXO, and treated fans to a sneak preview of the album at a special “B.O.A.T.” party. Camila was also honored for her Global Impact by Billboard at their annual Latin Women in Music awards ceremony. Camila kicked off a collaboration with 7-Eleven by hosting fans in Miami at a special C,XOXO branded store to get a sneak peek of the items. She then hit Cannes for a chat and performance with Complex as part of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Camila is currently playing a series of major international festivals including Rock in Rio Lisbon, which took place on June 23, Mawazine in Morrocco, which took place on June 25, Tinderbox festival in Denmark on June 28 and Glastonbury in the UK on June 29.

C,XOXO Track List:

1. I LUV IT (feat. Playboi Carti)
2. Chanel No.5
3. pink xoxo
4. HE KNOWS (feat. Lil Nas X)
5. Twentysomethings
6. Dade County Dreaming (feat. JT & Yung Miami)
7. koshi xoxo
8. HOT UPTOWN (feat. Drake)
9. Uuugly
10. DREAM-GIRLS
11. 305tilidie
12. B.O.A.T.
13. pretty when i cry
14. June Gloom

The lawsuit that could bring reggaetón to its knees

The Conversation

June 26, 2024

By Enrico Bonadio, City, University of London; Bryan Khan, Università di Torino, and Sonjah Stanley Niaah, The University of the West Indies

There is a landmark copyright case looming in the music world. In late May 2024, a federal court in California issued a decision to continue a litigation involving the lucrative reggaetón genre. This legal action could have a lasting negative impact on such a genre as more than 160 defendants are being sued by the Jamaican company Steely & Clevie Productions for alleged copyright infringement.

Among the defendants are several well known artists from the reggaetón scene and beyond, including Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Justin Bieber, Drake, Luis Fonsi, Pitbull, Stefflon Don and Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro. Several publishing companies and record labels are also being sued.

Steely & Clevie Productions manages the repertoire of the Jamaican dancehall production duo consisting of the late Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson and Cleveland Browne. The company claims that around 1,800 reggaetón songs illegally used and benefited from – directly and indirectly – elements of the duo’s Fish Market rhythm.

Fish Market (1989) was a Steely & Clevie tune which became famous worldwide after being legally sampled in the track Dem Bow by Jamaican dancehall artist Shabba Ranks in 1990. It was also lawfully used in Pounder Riddim (1990) by the reggaetón producer and sound engineer Dennis Halliburton.

According to the legal complaint, the defendants have sampled and “mathematically copied” for decades what in the meantime had become the Dem Bow rhythm. It’s a percussion-heavy, slightly syncopated beat that originated in Jamaican music genres reggae and dancehall. It has since become the characteristic beat of reggaetón – a sound marked by strong percussion and catchy (usually Spanish) lyrics.

Is the Dem Bow rhythm copyrightable?

The complainant claims that the beat in question is original in part because the drum tones used to construct the beat are “synthesised” (electronically generated signals transformed to create percussive sounds). Indeed, Johnson and Browne’s most significant impact on Jamaican music was that they helped pioneer the use of digitally synthesised rhythms and digital drum samples which characterised the evolution of reggae to dancehall in the mid-late 1980s.

The exact choice of instrument (such as whether a physically played acoustic drum or a digitally synthesised drum sample is used) is typically irrelevant for copyright protection in a musical composition. Rather, such choices are in the domain of a specific rendition of a song captured in a specific sound recording.

The main issue in this dispute is therefore whether these production choices are considered original enough to attract copyright protection. If such copyright claims are upheld by the Californian court, the ruling might overturn a long-held perception in the music industry that rhythmic elements (such as drum beats) cannot be the subject of copyright protection.

In other words, a copyright infringement decision in this dispute would raise the same concerns triggered by the (heavily criticised) 2015 Blurred Lines case in the US. In that dispute, the estate of Marvin Gaye prevailed against pop musicians Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for a song which had a similar “feel” to that of Gaye’s song.

Fish Market, released in 1989, is the beat at the heart of the lawsuit.

In that case, the court failed to distinguish between the elements of music that are protected and those that are not. And this has the stifling effect of allowing composers and recording artists to seek copyright protection over whole styles and grooves which are firmly rooted in a genre’s tradition.

A similar outcome may therefore have a disruptive impact on the reggaetón music genre as well. The Dem Bow rhythm was adopted by the Dominican Republic music scene, influencing Latin American pop music. Gasolina by Daddy Yankee (2004), Tití Me Preguntó by Bad Bunny (2022) and Qlona by Karol G & Peso Pluma (2023) are among the thousands of songs that incorporate an iteration of the iconic rhythm. Many of them have attracted millions of streams.

Because of the legal action brought by Steely & Clevie Productions, these songs may be deemed in violation of copyright. This would establish a precedent for future copyright claims based on popular rhythms.

Cultural appropriation?

Another thing this case reinvigorates is the debate about cultural appropriation. It has often been noted by researchers that Jamaican genres such as dancehall and reggae, which have influenced reggaetón, lack economic parity with the latter.

This has raised questions of power, commodification and fetishisation of a “cool” Jamaican factor for profit. Indeed, many Jamaican producers have been starved of support from major labels and associated copyright protection for decades as they compete for space in the creative industries.

The established business practices of borrowing and remixing aside, local communities are now signalling their insistence on “fair trade” in a changing global music market. The cultural appropriation issue may now take centre stage in the case started by Steely & Clevie Productions.

The judge hearing the case, André Birotte Jr., used to be a college party DJ, which suggests some promise that the final decision will be well-grounded and balanced. But it won’t be easy to reconcile all stakeholders’ interests.

Protecting a pre-existing musical work – and more broadly Jamaican music heritage – may jeopardise the very existence of reggaetón. This outcome would mean ignoring the cumulative nature of music creation. Borrowing from earlier pieces is a structural element of many genres. Musicians and lawmakers across the world will be looking to this case with interest, as its ramifications will be felt throughout the industry.

Enrico Bonadio, Reader in Intellectual Property Law, City, University of London; Bryan Khan, Senior Researcher in Law and Economics, Università di Torino, and Sonjah Stanley Niaah, Senior Lecturer, Institute of Caribbean Studies and Reggae Studies Unit, The University of the West Indies

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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